WEBVTT 00:00:01.340 --> 00:00:08.660 This morning, we're going to begin a new series together, and we're going to be navigating through Jonah's journey as 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:09.420 a church. 00:00:10.180 --> 00:00:11.090 the book of Jonah. 00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:15.040 When we start a new series, especially in the book of the Bible, it always excites me. 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:16.460 I love going through books of the Bible. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:23.800 You can't go wrong when you when you read a book of the Bible and you understand the way God communicated that story to his people at a 00:00:23.900 --> 00:00:26.680 particular time and place, and then how it relates to us in our life. 00:00:26.740 --> 00:00:29.660 You really avoid a lot of incorrect beliefs about God. 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:35.600 And so I enjoy, out of everything we do as a church, just going through books of the Bible and learning about those things together. 00:00:35.980 --> 00:00:42.740 And one of the other things I always enjoy about it is when I get to pick from the Old Testament, and that book is a page, and you get to watch people flip to that page. 00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:47.900 If you brought a Bible this morning, this information I'm about to give won't help. 00:00:47.940 --> 00:00:51.220 But if you use a church pew Bible or in front of the seat in front of you. 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:52.840 Page 657. 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:54.440 The Old Testament is where you find the book of Jonah. 00:00:55.060 --> 00:00:56.440 And be careful it's only one page long. 00:00:57.940 --> 00:01:02.560 But if I were to ask you this morning Tell me something about Jonah. 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:06.200 I know what everyone would likely say. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.320 He was eaten by a fish, right? 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:11.480 And you might even call it a whale. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.480 If you look in the text, you'll note it's called a fish now. 00:01:16.190 --> 00:01:18.220 Okay, tell me something else about Jonah. 00:01:19.220 --> 00:01:23.500 He was eaten by a fish, right? 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:26.060 I mean, what else do we know about Jonah? 00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:32.080 Well, consider this week preparation for Shark Week in July. 00:01:32.080 --> 00:01:34.770 It's coming up, and we're going to read all about big giant fish. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:39.080 And you've got a great story to share along with that to get excited and pumped up about it. 00:01:39.080 --> 00:01:39.260 Anybody? 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:40.340 Does anybody like Shark Week? 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:43.240 Anybody ever watch Shark Week and then go to the beach and never swim again? 00:01:45.080 --> 00:01:46.200 Or jaws for that matter. 00:01:47.660 --> 00:01:49.360 This book is intended to scare you. 00:01:49.460 --> 00:01:49.540 Not. 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:49.960 No, I'm just kidding. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:58.280 Well, we're going to find as we go through this book together, is Jonah is really a piece of biblical literature 00:01:58.320 --> 00:01:59.780 that is difficult to deal with. 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:02.010 In some ways. 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:09.080 I see myself relating to Jonah a lot throughout this story, and it's a side of myself I don't like to compare with to the life of Jonah. 00:02:10.419 --> 00:02:13.630 This story really picks up, and it looks like it's in the middle of a story. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:20.900 It says, and now the word of the Lord comes to Jonah as if you're in the middle of some great story that's taking place, and all of a sudden it just picks up with the word of the Lord coming 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:21.460 to Jonah. 00:02:22.260 --> 00:02:25.080 And then when you get to the end of the book, there's not really a conclusion to it. 00:02:26.060 --> 00:02:27.920 Jonah starts mad and he ends mad. 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:31.250 And you're thinking, what do you do with this information? 00:02:31.720 --> 00:02:38.580 I mean, what is beneficial for us as people when we read this and God wants us to pursue him with joy, or we're going to discover that together. 00:02:40.740 --> 00:02:47.860 And as we look throughout this prophetic book, I just want you to note this morning that the last 12 books of your Old Testament 00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:49.920 are what we call the Minor Prophets. 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:52.560 They're not minor because they weren't important. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:53.860 They're minor because they wrote less. 00:02:54.640 --> 00:03:01.840 They're men of brevity And when they wrote throughout the Scripture, what they declared to the people was God's Word 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:03.260 on behalf of God. 00:03:03.380 --> 00:03:05.290 They were God's mouthpiece to the people. 00:03:06.140 --> 00:03:12.400 They were God's prophets, God's chosen ones, especially selected to share God's Word with people. 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:20.180 But out of all those 12 books at the end of the Old Testament, something interesting about the book of Jonah that while most of the books deal with God's words 00:03:20.180 --> 00:03:25.500 being proclaimed to his people, the book of Jonah only has eight words of a prophecy. 00:03:27.820 --> 00:03:35.080 Matter of fact, what you get most of in the book of Jonah is just the internal struggle that Jonah goes with and goes through as he experiences God's calling 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:36.120 on his life. 00:03:37.660 --> 00:03:39.760 Will he live up to what God has called him to do? 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:46.080 Jonah tells us in the very beginning of the book, is called on by the Lord. 00:03:47.140 --> 00:03:52.220 And here's what we know about the life of Jonah's as we look just in other related scripture. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:57.740 In Second Kings chapter 14, it says this concerning King Jeroboam the Second. 00:03:58.540 --> 00:04:03.580 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of Araba, according to the word of the Lord. 00:04:03.740 --> 00:04:10.980 That's all pertaining to the king, not Jonah, the God of Israel, which he spoke through his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet who 00:04:10.980 --> 00:04:11.700 was of Gath hepher. 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:21.019 If you note in the time of Israel's history in this particular point, Jonah was a prophet selected by God to serve the Lord in what we call 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:22.740 the northern part of Israel. 00:04:24.280 --> 00:04:27.860 In Israel's history, there were there was a king who took place. 00:04:27.860 --> 00:04:29.980 It was it was Saul who ruled over Israel. 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:31.800 And then David followed after Saul. 00:04:32.080 --> 00:04:36.740 And then after David came his son Solomon, right after the reign of Solomon. 00:04:36.740 --> 00:04:40.560 It tells us that the nation of Israel literally went through a civil war and split in two. 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:48.820 The bottom half of Israel began to be referred to as the title of Judah, taking on the predominant name of the tribe that ruled in 00:04:48.820 --> 00:04:50.380 the southern half of the nation of Israel. 00:04:51.460 --> 00:04:56.940 The northern kingdom kept its common name of Israel, taking with it ten of ten of the tribes that were a part of Israel. 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:04.950 Once Israel divided the northern kingdom of Israel never had a godly king again to rule on the throne. 00:05:05.820 --> 00:05:12.030 The southern kingdom experienced periodic types of following after God and then falling back into sin. 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:20.200 And Jonah is selected as a prophet of God in the northern Kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam, and as large 00:05:20.200 --> 00:05:22.160 as Israel's borders would ever get. 00:05:22.340 --> 00:05:24.000 Happens under the king Jeroboam. 00:05:25.820 --> 00:05:31.950 And Jonah, being a prophet of God, knows that his people, the nation of Israel, has no heart to follow after him. 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:36.680 And Jonah's called to follow after the Lord and tells us he's from the town of Gath Hepher. 00:05:37.020 --> 00:05:44.020 And it's significant for us to note about the location of which Jonah was from, because it's very close in proximity to the town in which 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:45.270 Jesus was from. 00:05:46.320 --> 00:05:54.160 As a matter of fact, if you were to look at a map of Israel today, you would find the town of Gath still in existence over 2700 years later and 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:59.700 with an hour within an hour journey of walking from Gath, you could be in the town of Nazareth. 00:06:01.380 --> 00:06:04.830 Gath Hepher was a very small town, as was Nazareth. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:13.720 And as we read the story of Jonah, what we begin to find is there are some similarities toward towards the Savior who came to save us from our sins. 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:20.900 And Jonah, who was called to the nation of Israel to excuse me, to preach repentance, tells 00:06:20.900 --> 00:06:28.180 us in this passage of Scripture in Jonah chapter one and verse one, Jonah didn't ask for this calling from God, but 00:06:28.180 --> 00:06:29.830 the word of the Lord came to him. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:36.300 This is a period about 760 BC in which God's Word comes to Jonah. 00:06:37.520 --> 00:06:39.710 We're not exactly sure how this happened. 00:06:39.940 --> 00:06:41.400 According to this passage of Scripture. 00:06:41.940 --> 00:06:49.160 If you were to read Hebrews chapter one and verse one, it tells us in times past God spoke to his people or to many people in very in many 00:06:49.160 --> 00:06:56.380 times and in various ways Meaning this God in times past used to select prophets to go proclaim 00:06:56.380 --> 00:06:59.840 his truth to people in all sorts of ways, in many various ways. 00:06:59.880 --> 00:07:01.500 And as you read the Old Testament, you see it happens. 00:07:01.760 --> 00:07:02.560 It happens in dreams. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.660 It happens in God just speaking to his prophets to share with people. 00:07:06.140 --> 00:07:07.080 It happens in visions. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.700 In the life of Jonah, we don't know exactly how it happened. 00:07:12.880 --> 00:07:17.720 Maybe it even was a christophany the appearance of Jesus on this earth before Jesus actually lived on this earth. 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:19.320 That happened periodically throughout the Old Testament. 00:07:20.420 --> 00:07:24.640 Matter of fact, when you read John one one, it says, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. 00:07:24.640 --> 00:07:28.280 And the same was in the beginning with God, and the word became flesh. 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:36.900 Jesus in Scripture is oftentimes referred to as the word and tells us in John chapter one and verse one, the 00:07:36.900 --> 00:07:39.080 word of the Lord came to Jonah. 00:07:40.340 --> 00:07:43.420 Not a choice, but God had appointed him for this particular need. 00:07:44.880 --> 00:07:52.840 This morning, though, I just want to encourage you, as we desire to find and discover God's will for our life, that we shouldn't seek just special 00:07:52.840 --> 00:07:56.880 revelation or appearance from God to communicate to us what he wants to do. 00:07:58.360 --> 00:07:59.560 God wants us to do so. 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:03.700 Jonah lived in a time before the Old Testament was even formulated. 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:06.060 He lived in a time before we had a New Testament. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:12.920 If you want to discover God's will for your life, most of what God desires for your life is found within His Word. 00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:21.060 Matter of fact, as you read Hebrews one chapter one and verse one, it tells us God spoke in times past to his prophets, and many times and in various 00:08:21.060 --> 00:08:21.500 ways. 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:23.740 But today he has spoken to us through Jesus. 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:31.260 It says in verse two, meaning everything that God wanted for us to understand and accomplish in this world, everything that we should see, to discover what 00:08:31.260 --> 00:08:34.640 God's will for us is in our lives, is found in Jesus. 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:40.820 That's why, as you read the book of Genesis, you find that God promises to us a Savior who would come. 00:08:41.080 --> 00:08:43.919 If you read through all of Scripture the promise of that Messiah who would be here? 00:08:44.140 --> 00:08:49.040 The Messiah comes, the Messiah dies for our sins, the church is established and you get to the book of Revelation in the end. 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:50.380 And Jesus wins. 00:08:52.180 --> 00:08:59.500 God has declared to you the results and God's will for you can be made known in 00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:00.080 the Scripture. 00:09:02.100 --> 00:09:09.320 If you desire to know what God wants for you in his life to experience God's calling, my desire for you, my begging of you, would be to become 00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:10.460 a student of God's Word. 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:14.170 See what God has to share for your life. 00:09:15.640 --> 00:09:23.010 I'm always hesitant when people sometimes say that the Spirit of God directed them to do certain things, because the Bible tells us in first John chapter four and verse one, 00:09:23.180 --> 00:09:26.700 brothers believe not every spirit because many false prophets have gone into this world. 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:33.070 And my question to people who oftentimes say things like that without backing it up according to Scripture, is what spirit are you following? 00:09:34.180 --> 00:09:39.630 Because if what you're doing can't be matched with what God's Word says, it's not an obedience to what God would want you to do. 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.600 And so it's important to understand the way God desires to communicate himself through Scripture. 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:48.930 Before you begin to share with other people what it is that God wants you to do without really knowing who that God is. 00:09:50.100 --> 00:09:51.410 Become a student of God's word. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:57.100 Nonetheless, it says in this passage of Scripture that the word of the Lord came to Jonah. 00:09:58.660 --> 00:09:59.360 And this is what it says. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.000 We ask the question, well, why did God's Word come to Jonah? 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:08.100 He says in verse two, arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before me. 00:10:09.820 --> 00:10:15.020 Jonah was told by God that his purpose and reasoning, in which God is sharing his word for him, is to go to Nineveh. 00:10:16.900 --> 00:10:18.100 Think about why Nineveh? 00:10:20.060 --> 00:10:25.380 God, just all of a sudden woke up this morning and he says, Jonah, I got up this morning and my map of the world was looking pretty good. 00:10:25.660 --> 00:10:28.040 And I threw a dart and it happened to land on Nineveh. 00:10:28.340 --> 00:10:29.860 That must be where we should go today. 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:31.200 Is that how it works? 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:41.200 If you study the history that's taking place in the life of Jonah and the circumstances around Israel at this time, you'll become to understand that Nineveh 00:10:41.260 --> 00:10:44.540 is the capital city of the empire known as Assyria. 00:10:45.400 --> 00:10:48.580 Assyria at this time is a world dominating power. 00:10:49.800 --> 00:10:51.260 And God is saying to Jonah. 00:10:51.260 --> 00:10:57.460 Listen, Jonah, I want you to go to the largest city of the greatest empire that's existing on the face of the Earth right now. 00:10:59.280 --> 00:11:06.420 He's as if he's saying to Jonah, Jonah, if we want to change this place, this culture, these people for Jesus, you've got to get to 00:11:06.420 --> 00:11:10.090 the heart of the city that dictates the culture in which they obey and follow. 00:11:11.900 --> 00:11:15.400 It should be a circumstance that all of us examine as we see where God calls us in our lives. 00:11:15.640 --> 00:11:18.540 If we desire to see God, just make some noise in a city. 00:11:18.780 --> 00:11:21.970 We get to the epicenter of that city or into a state. 00:11:22.260 --> 00:11:25.380 We get to the capital of that state, and we make a difference for Jesus. 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:29.600 And God's interest is to change the wickedness of these Gentiles. 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:34.940 It says, into the grace of God. 00:11:35.160 --> 00:11:38.100 It's a simple request for Jonah that we find in these scriptures. 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:40.900 God just simply says, listen, Jonah, I've got a got a will for you. 00:11:40.900 --> 00:11:43.860 I'm not going to tell you everything that happens there, but Nineveh is wicked, and I want you to go there. 00:11:45.280 --> 00:11:48.800 And I love the way that God works when he declares to us what his will is for our lives. 00:11:49.020 --> 00:11:52.640 It's as if God only directs us according to one step at a time. 00:11:53.680 --> 00:11:59.540 You know, when I was younger, a lot of times I would get asked the question, especially in high school and college, what are you going to do with your life? 00:12:00.580 --> 00:12:04.260 According to most high school and college kids, we have no idea. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:09.200 And when we get to college, we're going to change our major about 20 times and we still have no idea, right? 00:12:09.880 --> 00:12:11.320 Man God, I get tired of this conversation. 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:14.320 Just show me everything you want me to do with my life for the rest of my life. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:15.770 Just map it all out for me. 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:18.940 But God doesn't do that for Jonah. 00:12:20.280 --> 00:12:21.200 He doesn't do that for us. 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:30.280 I find one of the reasons that I think God is just more concerned about the next step that we take in our lives is that if he revealed to us every step 00:12:30.280 --> 00:12:35.480 of the way, we would become too overwhelmed and cower at what God has for us in store for our lives. 00:12:36.520 --> 00:12:40.250 It's too much to bear and handle as we examine it from beginning to end. 00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:47.580 And Jonah just has spoken of to the Lord, and God just simply says, listen, Jonah, all I want you to do right now is go to Nineveh because they're wicked. 00:12:49.540 --> 00:12:51.820 And recently, we just had the Kentucky Derby ran. 00:12:51.820 --> 00:12:53.000 That's pretty close to where I live. 00:12:53.460 --> 00:12:57.140 People back east, they love their horses, especially in the state of Kentucky. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:03.340 If I could just tell you the one animal I will never get on in my life, it's a free thinking animal that can run really fast. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.180 And, but the cool thing about the Kentucky Derby, and if you watch some of these trainers who teach these 00:13:11.180 --> 00:13:15.920 animals to run, is some of them have a certain time in which they will show up to the race. 00:13:16.340 --> 00:13:23.420 Matter of fact, the recent race that was just ran this weekend, it said that one of the one of the jockeys intentionally brought this animal to the race 00:13:23.880 --> 00:13:26.200 late or later than all the other horses. 00:13:27.640 --> 00:13:34.640 And the reason was, is the jockey had trained this animal to recognize that when this animal got prepared to run the race, and when he showed up to the track, the animal went into running mode, and 00:13:34.640 --> 00:13:37.580 it got really antsy about getting ready to run this race. 00:13:37.940 --> 00:13:45.040 And so the trainer wouldn't let the animal know when he was going to run the race until the race was about to start Similar to us 00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:46.210 in our Christian lives. 00:13:47.760 --> 00:13:54.400 God is preparing us through the word of the Lord as we begin to learn and grow in him, because he's got a race for us to run. 00:13:55.340 --> 00:13:57.040 He's got a purpose for us in our living. 00:13:58.300 --> 00:14:02.720 Whether it be the great city of wicked Nineveh or somewhere else that you may not choose to be like Jonah. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.020 God's got a plan for your life. 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:13.620 God desires for you to learn and be taught in His Word, that you may declare it to other people what God would desire for them to know, and 00:14:13.620 --> 00:14:20.610 what we see in the life of the Ninevites, the people of Assyria, is that God is compassionate towards even the worst of sinners. 00:14:22.100 --> 00:14:25.260 If you study Assyrian history, what you'll find is in this people group. 00:14:25.260 --> 00:14:26.500 They were just horrible. 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:32.880 Something that would make the Geneva Convention of today cringe at what they would do to prisoners of war. 00:14:33.900 --> 00:14:41.200 Oftentimes, when they would conquer a town or city, they would go through and slaughter every man and every child and only leave the women alive if 00:14:41.220 --> 00:14:48.340 they captured you as a prisoner, it was common for them to bind you up, dig a hole out in the middle of the desert, and bury you until your until just your 00:14:48.340 --> 00:14:51.270 head poked out of the sand and leave you for dead. 00:14:52.780 --> 00:14:56.620 They were a group that only liked to conquer, but they liked to torture their enemies. 00:14:58.020 --> 00:15:04.750 And God says to Jonah, their wickedness has come before me, and I want a message of grace and compassion being taught to them that they may know me. 00:15:06.680 --> 00:15:13.720 What we discover in Israel's history is by the year of 722, the northern Kingdom of Israel is taken into captivity by these Assyrian 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:20.700 people, just one generation removed from Jonah in 586. 00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:27.980 We discover as well that the southern tribe of Judah is taken into captivity, and Jeremiah is there for the conquering of Israel. 00:15:28.020 --> 00:15:35.500 And God says this to Jeremiah and Jeremiah 29 seven he says, but seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and 00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:36.940 pray to the Lord on its behalf. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:41.950 For in its welfare you will find your welfare. 00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:47.840 God saying to Jeremiah, rather than being a person of complaining in the position that I've placed you. 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:55.980 Be a person that seeks the good of the city, because in seeking the good of the city, we find the good for ourselves as well. 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:01.180 We think about maybe just a prayer for our church and reading such verses. 00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:09.030 May we be a church that the city just aches for, to continue to help in its need. 00:16:10.060 --> 00:16:17.380 That in our absence the city aches with pain from a church that loves Jesus so much that it's making an impact in the lives of 00:16:17.380 --> 00:16:18.870 the people around it. 00:16:19.780 --> 00:16:21.200 That's what Jonah was called to Nineveh. 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:24.900 And just like Jonah is called to Nineveh. 00:16:24.980 --> 00:16:31.140 God has called us to a specific place and time to serve, to serve him on behalf of the Lord. 00:16:32.020 --> 00:16:34.220 And here we see that God pursues the sinner. 00:16:35.380 --> 00:16:43.420 What a crazy concept to think about God, because it reverses all thinking of any other God taught within culture, in any civilization or nation today, that 00:16:43.420 --> 00:16:46.360 God would love people who aren't worthy of being loved. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:50.140 And so God gives Jonah a call. 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.790 In verse three, we find what's Jonah's response? 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.640 It tells us in the passage of Scripture. 00:16:57.640 --> 00:17:02.040 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, or from the presence of the Lord. 00:17:02.160 --> 00:17:02.940 Excuse me. 00:17:03.020 --> 00:17:10.280 So he went down to Joppa and found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid for the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence 00:17:10.280 --> 00:17:11.400 of the Lord. 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:15.780 Jonah's simple response was, I don't want to go. 00:17:17.220 --> 00:17:18.520 God, do you understand who I am? 00:17:18.540 --> 00:17:19.280 I'm a I'm a Jew. 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.720 God, you're working through the Jews. 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:22.960 I mean, we are amazing people. 00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:27.220 We've not really done anything in northern Israel that would deserve that. 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:28.270 But we are just amazing. 00:17:28.460 --> 00:17:29.340 We're Jews, right? 00:17:29.340 --> 00:17:30.220 We're better than them. 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:38.680 Matter of fact, if you were to read in acts chapter ten and verse 28, Peter is called by God to go to the home of Cornelius, and when he shows up, he says, this has 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:39.720 to be of God because. 00:17:40.020 --> 00:17:42.140 Because a Jew does not come into the home of a Gentile. 00:17:44.380 --> 00:17:46.970 And so Jonah is faced with the same perplexing situation. 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:48.760 God, these are your people. 00:17:49.620 --> 00:17:53.500 You're going to leave the Jewish people to go share to the wicked Gentiles about your love? 00:17:54.080 --> 00:17:54.820 No way man. 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:57.180 I'm fleeing to Tarshish. 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.640 You know, in the situation what some of us are left to think. 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:08.040 Man, if God came to me and he said to me in an audible voice to go, I would go, right? 00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:10.760 I mean, I'm better than him. 00:18:12.260 --> 00:18:13.020 Let me ask it this way. 00:18:14.590 --> 00:18:21.620 if I were to say you had to spend your life serving God in Spain, or you had to spend your 00:18:21.620 --> 00:18:23.080 life serving God in Iraq. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:25.090 what would you choose? 00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:29.280 Tarshis is in Spain. 00:18:30.990 --> 00:18:32.620 Nineveh is in Iraq. 00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:37.300 There's not a lot of difference between Iraq when Jonah was around and Iraq. 00:18:37.340 --> 00:18:37.700 Today is there? 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.950 I mean, serve Saddam Hussein. 00:18:41.320 --> 00:18:41.960 Love that group. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:47.080 I like Spain, I want to learn Spanish, right? 00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:49.340 I don't know, I don't want to go to Iraq. 00:18:51.060 --> 00:18:52.360 And Jonah is looking at the same circumstance. 00:18:53.060 --> 00:18:54.960 God, what you've called me to do seems too difficult. 00:18:56.540 --> 00:18:58.660 And Jonah ignores the need that exists in Nineveh. 00:18:58.700 --> 00:19:01.220 But I love the way the Word of God shares it to us as people. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:05.370 Yes, Jonah is ignoring Nineveh, and he's ignoring the need of the people in Nineveh. 00:19:05.480 --> 00:19:07.510 But look what it says about the situation. 00:19:07.660 --> 00:19:09.700 It doesn't say that Jonah is fleeing from Nineveh. 00:19:10.340 --> 00:19:13.340 It says what Jonah is fleeing for at the very bottom of the hole. 00:19:13.520 --> 00:19:18.420 Or the whole verse here it says Jonah is fleeing from the presence of the Lord. 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.040 Jonah's fleeing from the presence of the Lord. 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:29.360 We're not always happy with the situation where God calls us. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.880 It may not be the exact circumstance that we go to. 00:19:32.260 --> 00:19:33.910 I wish God would call me to Hawaii. 00:19:35.260 --> 00:19:36.500 That would be awesome. 00:19:36.780 --> 00:19:39.480 I could find reasons to celebrate every day with my fresh coconut. 00:19:40.500 --> 00:19:45.400 Yeah, but God called Jonah to Nineveh. 00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:48.970 And what we discover for the life of Jonah. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.860 But this is God's will for Jonah and that ignoring God's will. 00:19:53.860 --> 00:19:55.520 He's not ignoring the need in Nineveh. 00:19:55.520 --> 00:19:58.600 What he's running from is the presence of God in his life. 00:20:00.060 --> 00:20:03.320 That relationship that God wishes to share with him. 00:20:03.860 --> 00:20:05.200 And I'm sure it went through Jonah's head. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:08.100 Okay, God, I feel like, man, this is definitely where you called me. 00:20:08.100 --> 00:20:11.020 You called me to do this, but I they might get upset with me. 00:20:11.020 --> 00:20:11.400 Who knows? 00:20:11.400 --> 00:20:12.860 It's none of other mean they're angry. 00:20:13.180 --> 00:20:14.500 How about second best today? 00:20:14.600 --> 00:20:14.780 God. 00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:16.400 Spain. 00:20:17.020 --> 00:20:17.860 I hear they need Jesus. 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:24.100 But God had selected Jonah for that specific place for a specific reason. 00:20:26.360 --> 00:20:27.620 Why doesn't Jonah want to serve? 00:20:29.560 --> 00:20:34.140 And we could share things like, I don't think God would really want me to go there, right? 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:35.840 I mean it sounds hard. 00:20:37.320 --> 00:20:44.340 My aunt went to Iraq to serve with the Peace Corps, and she came back telling me stories about people who just 00:20:44.340 --> 00:20:47.880 use the restroom in open places when there's a restroom beside them. 00:20:48.620 --> 00:20:49.640 And it's a common thing to do there. 00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:51.280 That, to me, is gross. 00:20:51.840 --> 00:20:53.160 You know, I'm sure it is to you as well. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.620 Could you imagine serving in a situation like that? 00:20:57.120 --> 00:20:57.610 Do you know what I'm saying? 00:20:58.080 --> 00:21:00.100 Maybe God doesn't really want me to do that. 00:21:00.620 --> 00:21:03.640 I'm sure God doesn't want me to experience that pain. 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:05.660 Maybe he's just got second best for me out there. 00:21:07.100 --> 00:21:14.420 But, when you examine the life of the people who have really been called by God who love the Lord, it's always been marked by a life of some sort of sacrifice 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:15.680 and suffering. 00:21:16.760 --> 00:21:23.860 The prophets many times were killed going to the northern tribe of Israel after they split from the southern 00:21:23.860 --> 00:21:25.210 tribe of Judah. 00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:26.540 They never followed God. 00:21:26.620 --> 00:21:30.620 Could you imagine being a prophet proclaiming the truth of God to people who didn't want to hear it? 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:38.760 Jesus, when he walked this earth as a Jew, rejected by his own people to the point that he went to the garden. 00:21:38.760 --> 00:21:43.660 And he said, God, let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless your will be done. 00:21:45.880 --> 00:21:50.720 And it tells us in Hebrews, for the joy set before him he endured the cross. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:58.300 In a situation where you think there could be no joy to be experienced, Jesus sought joy. 00:21:58.660 --> 00:22:02.980 The apostles laid down their lives in following after the Lord. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:11.300 You know what that teaches me as I look at Scripture is that the truth is worth the consequence. 00:22:13.100 --> 00:22:18.500 The truth of knowing God and experiencing God, whatever the cost, is worth the consequence. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:27.980 When you read the early church as it started, tells us, if you've been reading along with us in our in 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:31.520 our series of Reading the New Testament in a year, we're in the book of acts. 00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:33.980 These days towards the end of it. 00:22:35.140 --> 00:22:36.540 But in chapter one through three. 00:22:36.540 --> 00:22:39.000 It gives us the Spirit of God who comes to this world and dwells his church. 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:42.200 The church goes out and begins to proclaim his name as they proclaim his name. 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:49.540 It tells us in one day, 3000 people came to know Jesus because people were passionate in the city of Jerusalem and 00:22:49.540 --> 00:22:52.300 reaching Jerusalem, where God had called them to be. 00:22:53.900 --> 00:23:00.880 And the apostles went to the to the temple, the place where Jesus was brought before trial. 00:23:01.120 --> 00:23:04.710 And he and he goes to the temple, and he begins to proclaim outside of the temple the name of Jesus. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:12.440 And as he's proclaiming the name of Jesus, Peter and John are dictating this message to the people, and they see a lame man 00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:13.330 and he's healed. 00:23:14.540 --> 00:23:19.700 It tells us when this lame man is healed, more people came to listen to this message, and many more people came to trust in God. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.340 And as they came to trust in God, the leaders of the Jewish nation got angry. 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:32.200 And they brought the Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, the leaders, and they told them not to proclaim the name of God anymore. 00:23:34.520 --> 00:23:36.200 You think about that circumstance for a minute. 00:23:37.620 --> 00:23:39.540 They just saw Jesus on a cross. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:43.990 Not many days later, they're back at the temple proclaiming the name of Christ. 00:23:45.620 --> 00:23:46.320 How would you react? 00:23:47.020 --> 00:23:51.620 Now, having come before those leaders, I know what I would have likely done. 00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:53.040 Whew! 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.760 That was a close one, right? 00:23:55.100 --> 00:23:56.660 Do not take me back to that place. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:57.540 There is no way. 00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.280 Let's do it. 00:23:58.560 --> 00:23:59.100 But do it in secret. 00:23:59.260 --> 00:24:00.900 Let's do, like, House Bible studies. 00:24:01.080 --> 00:24:01.620 No one knows. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:04.380 We'll keep all the lights off and let's share. 00:24:04.380 --> 00:24:04.520 Right. 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:06.780 That's the American way. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.580 We pray for. 00:24:09.020 --> 00:24:09.980 For prosperity. 00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:11.480 We pray for the sick people. 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:13.330 We pray that God gives us comfort. 00:24:13.360 --> 00:24:15.560 We pray for all the nice things we can enjoy in life. 00:24:15.840 --> 00:24:17.280 But look what the apostles prayed for. 00:24:18.780 --> 00:24:24.480 It says, now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:28.220 They left and didn't ask for any prosperity. 00:24:28.520 --> 00:24:32.320 They didn't ask for anything great to go their way They just wanted boldness to share this message. 00:24:32.460 --> 00:24:35.320 That's how important they understood Jesus to be. 00:24:36.080 --> 00:24:38.890 The truth was worth the consequence to them. 00:24:40.800 --> 00:24:43.820 Jonah couldn't find the need to share God's Word. 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:51.650 Maybe one of the reasons, and this is just speculation, that Jonah didn't share God's word or didn't desire to share with the people of Nineveh. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:55.120 It's because he was focused on the past, not looking to the future. 00:24:56.940 --> 00:25:01.520 You know, if we told Jonah at that moment, Jonah, God hasn't revealed his entire plan to you. 00:25:01.600 --> 00:25:08.640 But if these people don't repent and these people don't trust in Jesus, in 40 years, your people are going to be taken captive by these people that you hate so 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:15.460 much, and your people are going to be slaughtered before your very eyes and tortuous ways that you thought unimaginable. 00:25:17.700 --> 00:25:19.500 I wonder what Jonah's desire would have been then. 00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:26.040 But he looked at the nation of Assyria, who were suppressing the people around him, and maybe even the Jewish people. 00:25:26.120 --> 00:25:29.270 And he's saying, man, no way, no way am I going to love them. 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:31.200 No way am I going to extend the hand to them. 00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:34.600 I'm just going to sit here and complain about everything that I don't like about these people. 00:25:35.060 --> 00:25:37.240 I'm going to Spain, kiss this job goodbye. 00:25:40.080 --> 00:25:41.510 And think about your circumstance. 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:46.210 Have you ever lived in a place that was difficult to stand for Jesus? 00:25:46.840 --> 00:25:50.920 How did you react? 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:54.500 Like Jonah or like Jesus? 00:25:56.980 --> 00:25:57.940 It depends on the day. 00:25:59.840 --> 00:26:00.740 It's true. 00:26:00.860 --> 00:26:01.620 It's absolutely true. 00:26:03.620 --> 00:26:10.680 But the point of the story, as we look at the life of Jonah, Jonah's testimony, Jonah's sharing 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:12.840 of his story for us is when we reach this conclusion. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.310 It's just it's just unsettling. 00:26:14.800 --> 00:26:19.990 When you get to the end of chapter four and you see that Jonah's heart never really changed for the place he was doing ministry for. 00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:22.510 And I think as Jonah. 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:25.210 If Jonah wrote the book of Jonah, we have no reason to think otherwise. 00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:29.120 But if Jonah wrote the book of Jonah, what a story of regret this was. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:34.500 God's prophet called to do something for him of which he was used to doing. 00:26:34.520 --> 00:26:37.060 But he got to a circumstance where he just didn't want to anymore. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:45.900 If a prophet called by God through God's audible words could not surrender to God's will. 00:26:46.860 --> 00:26:48.140 How does that match up for us as people? 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:57.000 We react like Jesus and pray, as the disciples did, for boldness, just to stand more clearly for him to see the lives and hearts 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:03.220 of people change for the good of the city, and the good of all people around, the good of the church, for everyone. 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:05.000 Or do we act like Jonah and run? 00:27:06.800 --> 00:27:08.960 The truth is worth worth the consequence. 00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:13.200 And in the end, we have no idea about the outcome. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:20.900 And one of the things maybe we can examine in the life of Jonah is the reason that he wasn't able to do ministry is because Jonah focused on himself rather than others. 00:27:22.340 --> 00:27:29.100 Jonah was more concerned what people would think about him going to the nation of Nineveh, rather than what would happen in the life of the Ninevites as God's Word was proclaimed. 00:27:31.060 --> 00:27:37.700 Could you imagine today if we just thought in our heads, okay, if this area was like 95% Christian, we better be ready. 00:27:37.740 --> 00:27:40.180 Study your Bibles because you're going to have a lot of Jesus sharing to do with people. 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:47.740 I mean, but could you imagine the transformation that would take place if we were to dream that big, if we were to pray for that kind 00:27:47.740 --> 00:27:51.820 of boldness to share God's word like the apostles and not like Jonah. 00:27:53.840 --> 00:28:01.480 And I'm brought to a place and a portion of Scripture like this, where I just fall to my knees and say, God, forgive 00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:08.760 me for not having a vision as big as yours, for not seeing this city the way that you do for this state, 00:28:10.060 --> 00:28:10.650 for this country. 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:15.960 God, give me a heart that when you say go, I get up and run. 00:28:18.060 --> 00:28:19.380 You know, we looked last two weeks. 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:21.980 What God's plan is for the church to go out into this world and make disciples. 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:23.240 And how to do that? 00:28:24.660 --> 00:28:26.870 God has called us to do that. 00:28:27.460 --> 00:28:29.040 It doesn't take an audible voice. 00:28:29.960 --> 00:28:31.040 God has said, go. 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:39.120 And rather than praying for comfort on a on a day or for a sick person, which are good things to pray for, we want our well-being right? 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:41.580 We want to not be sick. 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:42.990 We want to live a healthy life. 00:28:44.100 --> 00:28:46.280 But what about the spiritual need of the people around you? 00:28:47.740 --> 00:28:52.420 What about when you knew that you should have shared Christ in a particular situation, but you held your tongue afraid to offend somebody? 00:28:54.460 --> 00:28:55.480 What about praying for boldness? 00:28:57.640 --> 00:29:05.260 You know, I know, I know, and seeing Christians live out their lives, there are a small group of Christians who go 00:29:05.260 --> 00:29:10.000 to proclaim the name of Jesus and do it in such a spirit that it's really distasteful towards the overall body of Jesus. 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:16.600 But I have to say, as a body of Christ, more oftentimes, we err on the side of not saying something about Jesus rather than saying too much about him. 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:20.660 And what we need is boldness. 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:25.900 Start thinking about the way Jesus can use you to proclaim his name. 00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:28.580 And rather than be a Jonah, be like Jesus. 00:29:30.080 --> 00:29:34.770 And we see as Jonah disobeys God what type of circumstance this creates in the following verses. 00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:40.710 I'm going to breeze through this real quick because it's a large portion, knowing that the sides cut off, so I might throw in words for fun. 00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:41.600 Oh. 00:29:44.060 --> 00:29:46.400 It says the Lord hurled a great win. 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:47.560 Jonah's on the ship, remember? 00:29:48.260 --> 00:29:50.210 It says the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea. 00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:52.080 And there was a great storm on the sea. 00:29:52.260 --> 00:29:54.540 I want to think how big this disobedience is for a minute. 00:29:55.060 --> 00:29:58.520 People in this day don't jump on a plane and just, in two hours, they're where they want to be. 00:29:58.860 --> 00:30:02.360 You can't go to Israel to from Israel to Spain that fast in these days. 00:30:02.780 --> 00:30:06.660 This would have taken like a year of Jonah on this ship thinking I'm disobeying God. 00:30:07.260 --> 00:30:07.440 I'm disobeying. 00:30:08.200 --> 00:30:13.380 And the Lord brought a great wind to the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. 00:30:13.840 --> 00:30:16.700 Then the sailors became afraid, and every man cried to his God. 00:30:17.120 --> 00:30:20.540 And they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. 00:30:21.040 --> 00:30:24.700 But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, laying down and falling sound asleep. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:26.780 I'm sure he had run away from God. 00:30:27.320 --> 00:30:27.780 You think? 00:30:27.780 --> 00:30:28.880 And maybe watch Deadliest Catch? 00:30:29.980 --> 00:30:33.960 Ma'am, I gotta admit, I'm a Deadliest Catch addict, and I know if I say SIG Hansen. 00:30:34.100 --> 00:30:34.540 Anybody know who that is? 00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:36.160 Like the man of all men on the sea. 00:30:36.540 --> 00:30:37.400 Northwestern. 00:30:37.500 --> 00:30:38.000 He drives it. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.200 He's from Sweden or something. 00:30:40.040 --> 00:30:40.280 Denmark? 00:30:40.300 --> 00:30:42.540 I don't know, but he's like a man's man. 00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:44.660 You think about these guys on the ship for just a minute in this storm. 00:30:45.580 --> 00:30:48.900 These are sailors, and they have seen storms. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:52.100 Matter of fact, they would probably put the Deadliest Catch people to shame. 00:30:52.140 --> 00:30:52.900 They're flying. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:57.320 We've had thousands of years now in building better crafts that are more seaworthy to handle big storms. 00:30:57.900 --> 00:31:03.800 These guys are on these old rickety boats in the middle of the storm, and they are sailors, dirty, nasty, toothless, West Virginia looking sailors. 00:31:04.980 --> 00:31:09.460 And, I'm from West Virginia, right. 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:16.240 And they're afraid it tells us so much so that they begin to lighten the load. 00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:20.060 I should apologize if West Virginia people ever come here. 00:31:20.380 --> 00:31:22.720 Sorry And they lighten the load. 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:27.700 And it begins to tell us in verse six to the captain approached him and said, how is it that you are sleeping? 00:31:27.860 --> 00:31:31.840 Get up and call on your God, and perhaps your God will be concerned about us so that we will not perish. 00:31:32.460 --> 00:31:37.060 And there's a philosophy in this time about the type of gods, and everyone just followed their own god. 00:31:37.060 --> 00:31:38.420 They kind of please, this is Greece, right? 00:31:38.420 --> 00:31:40.190 Many gods, some of them are big and strong. 00:31:40.340 --> 00:31:43.200 They look like nevermind, but they're big and strong, right? 00:31:43.560 --> 00:31:44.260 Some pictures. 00:31:44.260 --> 00:31:46.520 Zeus with a lightning bolt just hitting people whenever they're mad at them. 00:31:46.540 --> 00:31:47.640 And that's kind of the appearance of God. 00:31:48.320 --> 00:31:49.170 Something bad is happening. 00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:50.260 Gods are angry at us. 00:31:50.460 --> 00:31:51.620 Everyone please your God. 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:59.600 And so they go downstairs and they say this to Jonah and it says, each man said to his mate, come, let us cast lots so that we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us. 00:32:00.360 --> 00:32:01.160 So they cast lots. 00:32:01.320 --> 00:32:02.120 And the lot fell on Jonah. 00:32:02.900 --> 00:32:07.080 And they said to him, tell us now, on whose account has this calamity struck us? 00:32:07.100 --> 00:32:09.220 What is your occupation, and where did you come from? 00:32:09.800 --> 00:32:12.280 What is your country and from what people are you? 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:36.620 Jonah goes on to 00:32:36.620 --> 00:32:37.000 share. 00:32:37.540 --> 00:32:45.500 He says, and he said to 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:53.880 them, I 00:32:53.880 --> 00:33:03.120 am a Hebrew, and I fear the 00:33:03.120 --> 00:33:09.960 Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. 00:33:10.120 --> 00:33:12.360 Rylan Jones. 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:12.400 Just saying. 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:12.420 Okay. 00:33:12.420 --> 00:33:20.760 In your time, you 00:33:20.760 --> 00:34:32.360 think you worship 00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:41.840 these gods and this gods may 00:35:36.880 --> 00:36:25.580 be in 00:36:25.580 --> 00:36:25.620 charge of the rain. 00:36:36.300 --> 00:37:40.960 This God's in 00:37:40.960 --> 00:38:09.320 charge of fertility and 00:38:09.320 --> 00:38:38.920 this God's in charge of the crops. 00:39:09.060 --> 00:39:27.300 No, this God created 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.540 heaven. 00:43:33.340 --> 00:43:39.670 Everything on earth and everything on land. 00:43:42.430 --> 00:43:44.180 That's how powerful this God is. 00:43:44.420 --> 00:43:44.480 That's why that storm is here today. 00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:44.480 It says. 00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:47.360 Then the man became extremely frightened. 00:43:48.100 --> 00:43:49.880 And they said to him, how could you do this? 00:43:52.800 --> 00:44:54.780 For the men knew that he was fleeing 00:44:54.780 --> 00:45:00.340 from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so. 00:45:02.380 --> 00:45:12.910 They said to him, what should we do 00:45:53.240 --> 00:46:02.620 to you, that the 00:46:02.620 --> 00:46:32.040 sea may become 00:46:32.040 --> 00:46:33.380 calm for us? 00:46:33.500 --> 00:46:33.620 For the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 00:46:33.860 --> 00:46:41.560 And he said 00:46:41.800 --> 00:46:49.200 to them, 00:46:50.780 --> 00:46:50.880 pick me up and throw me into the sea. 00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:52.780 Then the sea will become calm for you. 00:46:52.960 --> 00:46:54.100 For I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you. 00:46:54.780 --> 00:46:57.040 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land, but they could not, for the sea was becoming even stormy against them. 00:46:57.040 --> 00:47:01.840 You know, in our storm circumstances, it's worth noting for us that our sin can affect everyone. 00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:01.840 Can you think about the sailors on this ship? 00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:02.260 Jonah's sin of not following after God caused these men to take their possessions. 00:47:02.260 --> 00:47:02.460 I'm sure that they were traveling with to make money on and cast it off the side of the boat. 00:47:02.460 --> 00:47:02.860 The people of Nineveh needed to know the Lord. 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:02.860 And Jonah's just content with himself. 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:02.860 Oftentimes, we can identify sin as direct, obedient disobedience against God. 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:02.860 But how much do we think that just not taking the time to share what the Lord is doing in our lives with other people is disobedience? 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:02.860 Because that's what Jonah was doing. 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:02.896 And his sin storm, if I could call it that, began to affect the lives of everyone around him. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 But I love the way that God can take anything negative and turn it into his good. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 I think in our in our lives, if we're disobeying God and it's just created a sandstorm around us, and we can see how that ripple effect is even affecting other people. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Even in that situation, we can live in a hope and knowing that God can change it in for his good. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Because the Bible tells us that these men began to pray. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 These Bible, the Bible tells us these men were fear and fear of who God was. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And it goes on to tell us in verse 14, and they called on the Lord and said, we earnestly pray, and now they're calling on God. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Do not let us perish on account of this man's life, and do not put innocent blood on us. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 For you, O Lord, have done as you have pleased. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Then the men feared the Lord greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 We could stop here and say, see my disobedience. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God can still do what he wants. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 But I would say you are the greatest resource that God has to use to proclaim to this world what God can do in the life of an individual. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And God desires in his love to work through you And rather than leaving God behind. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God loves you so much. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jonah could have just said, okay, God, I'm not going where you want me to go today. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 I'm giving up. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And God said, okay, I'll just find somebody else. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Have a good day. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God loved Jonah, and he began to pursue Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And it tells us in verse 15 that as soon as Jonah went overboard, the storm stopped. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 The reason the storm existed was solely because of Jonah, and Jonah was being pursued by God, and God was sharing with Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jonah, I love you too much to give up on you. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And rather than focus on the fierceness of this storm, we focus on the fierceness of God's love being made evident through this storm. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Think about a sin storm in your life. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Something that's caused you to be disobedient to God. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And in that storm, and in that ripple effect that's affecting the lives of other people around you, God is passionately pursuing you with his love to use you for the reason that he's called you in this world. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jonah created this storm. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And when Jonah was thrown overboard, the storm ceased. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And can I say this morning, as you think about the places that God puts you, whether you like it or not, there's an opportunity for you to find joy in it. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And knowing of the hope that is ahead for the people that you share God's Word with. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 But the safest place you could ever be in this world is in the center of God's will. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 We're going to find in the next chapter happens to be in the belly of a whale for Jonah, but it's the safest place you could be. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Don't focus on the severity of the storm in this situation. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Focus on the love of God in the storm. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 As we make comparison again just to Jesus and Jonah, I'm reminded of our own just sin that caused Jesus to go to the cross. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 When we had our own sin storm to deal with in our relationship with God. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus endured that sin for us. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 So much so that Jesus made an illustration in Scripture from himself back to Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And it tells us in Matthew 1239 he said, A wicked man and an adulterous generation asks for a sign. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus is before all the religious leaders and they're saying, Jesus, Jesus, do another miracle Jesus. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus is saying, that's not what I came here for. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 If you want a miracle, here's the last one I'm giving you. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It's the sign of Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It says an adulterous generation asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 For they repented at the preaching of Jonah. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And now something greater than Jonah is here. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Because Jesus endured our storm so that we wouldn't have to. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus has given us the opportunity to walk in joy in the middle of his will for our lives. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus has called Jonah to proclaim that message to the lives of other people. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jesus has called you to do the same to those who follow. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 A few years ago, Stacy and I went up to up to Ogden to a Christian concert put on by Steven Curtis Chapman, and it was a great, just a concert set that he had performed all over the country, because the thing that was driving it was adoption. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Steven Curtis Chapman, If you've never heard about his life, he helps other people adopt kids, especially from foreign countries. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He himself has adopted a few kids from foreign countries. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And he came to Ogden and he raised some money while the concert was going on and raised some money and then gave it to a family at the concert who was working to adopt a child but didn't have the financial means to do it. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 They were just a little short of what it required. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It was all about adoption, and Steven Curtis Chapman pointed out to the people in the congregation that adoption is such a godly thing. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Because you were an alien to God and God, a foreigner to God, and you didn't have a relationship with God before, you trusted in Jesus and God adopted you to his kingdom. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Kind of cool to think about. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And as Steven Curtis Chapman put on this concert, he even brought his two older boys who were, I think, in high school at the time to perform this worship set that he had prepared for this group to listen to him. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And his whole family was just worshiping together. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 They were serving the Lord together. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It was a great thing to see. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 So when that song I Will dance With Cinderella came out, I don't know if you've ever heard it. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You know, you think about your daughter and just weep. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It's a great, just a great time. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 In a couple weeks went by and Cece and I were sitting at home and the news came on and we found out that, Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter, whom he adopted, had been killed and actually ran over, run over by her older brother who was performing at that concert That's a tragic moment. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Think about it, man. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He wrote that song for his daughter who passed away. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He then wrote another song about seeing her One day in heaven and. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And that young boy, what would have been going through his mind when he. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He knows what that whole concert was about. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And now this young lady he just ran over with his car, his vehicle, and they put the family on Larry King Live months later and were asking him about the situation. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And Larry King asked the young man, when you got out of the car, what did you do? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Or what were you thinking? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And he said, when he got out of the car, the family began to gather around the young lady, and he was just so destroyed by the situation that he just ran away, and he just hid because he couldn't bear looking at the people that he shamed. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He couldn't bear thinking about the circumstance that he was facing. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And I think in our own lives, we can guilt ourselves so much for what God wants to do through us that we just think about all the shame that's presented upon us, all the things that we've done wrong and we just want to run and we just want to hide. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 But God in that storm is pursuing you. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And the reason that family was allowed to be on Larry King that day is because that son began to experience the restoration of his relationship with his family and the people that he disappointed so much and began to live again for the reason that God had created him and his family gathered around him, and they loved him. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 I don't know when it comes to the life of Jonah, if we just are living in direct disobedience to God, or it's just the weight of sin that's weighing it down. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 But the important thing to recognize as we go through the story together is that God has a purpose for your life. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God has put you in a place to see people change for the sake of Christ, beginning in your own life. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And if it's a difficult place, how more important it is for you just to stay in thinking about the future, hope that can be brought forth to all people as we point them to Jesus, and obedience to the reason God has created us. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You think about the early church in acts. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 They were told not to proclaim the name of Jesus anymore. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 The Sanhedrin, they went out again and they proclaimed Christ one more time, and they were brought before the Sanhedrin one more time. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And it says, they called the apostles. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And think about these 12 guys for a minute. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 They called the apostles in, and they flogged them when they would flog people. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It was usually a process done one at a time, sometimes two at a time. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You think about 12 men, your two buddies up there now, and you're sitting back here watching your friends being beat within an inch of their life, and then it's your turn. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And then it says in verse 41, if we go on. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And the apostles left the Sanhedrin. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Look at this next word. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Rejoicing because they had counted. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Been counted. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Worthy. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Worthy. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It should say, to suffer disgrace for the name referring to Jesus. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And then it goes on to say that didn't stop him. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 That's contradictory to everything that I think about as an American Christian. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 How do you even fathom that? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Rejoicing in suffering because you're so focused on Jesus, and then praying to be more bold, to then let it happen again? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Think about the passion that they had to serve Christ because they knew the truth was worth the consequences. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 The reason Jonas in our Bible today, so that we could learn from the story of regret on behalf of a prophet who rejected God. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Jonah messed up. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 He was so focused on himself and his own joy and pleasure in this world, that he forgot the greater picture in which God had called him to serve. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You know this morning that this message is a hard one to think about, a hard one to start on. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 When we go through this series, this is step one. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Wait till step two. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You know, I mean a prophet. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 If a prophet can reject God, what shot do I have? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And Jesus has seen and has to be in our lives if we're to live the way God called us, more important to us than anything in this world, that we're willing to make the sacrifice to share his message. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Because in that people find freedom. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It's a hard message to share with us this morning, but it's an important one. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 If God is calling you to live in a difficult place, will you serve him? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 A place where you may be different just because you're following after him? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 I mean, will you react like Jonah, or will you react like Jesus? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 What kind of storm will it take for God to get your attention? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Can you see the bigger picture in which God wants to accomplish in you? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 What an amazing story it would have been for Jonah if, at the end of the book, he sat back in the city of Nineveh and he watched this entire city repent. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And he said, you know what? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God gave me a hand in all of this. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 This was a wonderful thing to be a part of. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 What an opportunity as a church family, if we sit back and we think about the needs of our city, and we go out into this world and proclaim his name with joy, and we can sit back one day and say, God had called me to this place, and I put my hand in obedience to him in this. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 And we had a part of this. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Can I tell you, maybe as a suggestion, where to start? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 This morning comes in acts 429. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Pray about boldness. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Have you ever in your life prayed for boldness? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 It's not something that readily comes off the tip of our tongue. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 We think about the needs we have as Christians. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 We just line them up. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Man. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God, I don't have the amount to pay for this month. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 God, I'm feeling like I got a cold and John is sick. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Amen. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Which is fine to pray. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 What about the boldness to carry out the mission that God has called you to? 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 You think this morning we could just say this verse before the Lord. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servant to speak your word with great boldness. 00:47:02.896 --> 00:47:02.896 Maybe this morning you could say to yourself, God, enable me through servant, to speak your word with great boldness.