WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:27.280 It is a uh it's a really special, really special joy to get to be here with you all and to be here with my son. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.399 And uh I love Teresa and I, that's my wife. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:36.240 We love, this is our home church, and I do travel quite a bit, but whenever I'm in town, this is where we are. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:40.640 So if you open your Bibles to Jonah, uh we're gonna look at uh chapter two. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:51.520 But before we do, I just want to, as you get there, or open your phone, because it's not gonna be in your bulletin this week, you'll find that I put a little bit too many notes and there wasn't room. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:54.079 But this is my three by five card. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:12.719 And um in week number one, uh we talked about shift and how God actually allows storms to come into our life, and at times even we learn causes storms into our life to shift our focus, shift our our life, our mindset. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:19.760 Uh sometimes our our our careers, our relationships, so that we get the more that he really wants us to have. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:24.640 And uh, as Ryan was teaching, he he said, Here, I want you to write this prayer down. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:25.359 So I did. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:32.719 Heavenly Father, would you give me an opportunity to share with someone in some way about you today? 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:37.840 And I was sitting in the back, actually, I have a few back problems, so I was sitting on the cement. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.040 And I uh I prayed that. 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:47.599 And then Ryan said, I want you to write down the name of I I can't remember whether it was three people or four people. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:50.719 And uh, I've always been a bit of an overachiever. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:02:00.480 Actually, there's a there's a network of people right around where I live, and I have lived there, I guess, for uh almost 12 years. 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:07.120 And we have taken food and we have invited them to things, and we have loved them in the best way that we can. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:16.159 But as Ryan was sharing, what I realized was down deep in my heart, I didn't really care about my neighbors the way God cares about them. 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:29.520 I mean, there was sort of this moment, you know, he was talking about Jonah and his hypocrisy that, you know, he's this leader that is called by God and he's a prophet and he's taking God's word everywhere, but God says go to Nineveh, and he goes, No. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:32.719 And I just thought, you know, pretty hypocritical, you know. 00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:36.479 I I was I was with Ryan, like, yeah, what a hypocrite Jonah was. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:45.120 And then as he prayed and asked us to do this, it was like, wow, Chip, but you got a lot of Jonah in you. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:53.680 Um and so I I wrote uh names down and I've prayed for him every single day since week one. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:02.960 And it really is interesting how when you shift and you, and I've, you know, I I told God I was, I mean, I'm sorry. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:09.840 It's not like I've neglected them or I haven't shared or haven't done this, but they're not on my heart the way they were on God's heart. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:14.479 And so um I've prayed for him every single day, and uh it's amazing. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.080 Stuff started happening. 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:31.360 So uh the one guy that I really like, he's around the corner or so, and uh uh I've seen him on the golf course, and you know, just has neighbors out, and and out of the blue, he's he's doing this charity event to help some other people. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:44.879 And it's uh I think it's a little boy that died early, and he got to know the family, and he was literally orchestrating this charity event and had something to do with golf, and I couldn't go, but I wanted to contribute. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:48.719 So because I'd been praying for him every day, it was not like should I? 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.800 I just wrote a check and I said, But I'm not available on that day. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.719 And so he calls me and says, Um, would you do me a favor? 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:58.159 I I said, Well, sure. 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:05.360 He said, Um, you know, the the woman that that lost her son um and all this happened, she's a woman of faith. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:08.879 And you know, you gave me that book that you wrote on why I believe. 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:13.120 Do you think you could give her one or maybe something different? 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:16.639 And I thought, here I've been for how many years? 00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:30.000 And out of the blue, or so is my experience, as I prayed for him and God shifted my focus, and then afterward he says, Hey, you know, since you can't make that event, how about you and I drive down to that golf course and we'll spend the day together. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:40.319 God allows storms in our lives to shift our focus and our life onto the more that we were made for. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:46.000 And so in Jonah's case, what we find is uh I can really identify he's a little hard-headed. 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:50.399 If you'll excuse me, I want to get my three by five card back in here so I don't lose it. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.000 And so uh, you know, you you we know the story, right? 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:59.279 He gets thrown in by the sailors, and Jonah uh we'll pick it up in verse 17. 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:03.360 In the Hebrew Bible, actually, verse 17 is chapter 2, verse 1. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:05.199 And so let's let's follow it together. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.959 So Jonah, the sailors, they're all praying, they've sacrificed to God. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:20.399 Jonah runs away from God, and these, you know, pagan sailors, they start praying to the one true God, and they offer sacrifices, and you know, it's like, okay, you know, hey, please forgive us. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:26.560 But, you know, one, ready, guys, two, three, and they throw him in, and then of course Jonah's like, this is I'm done. 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.839 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:36.079 And Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:42.000 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the tri fish. 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:49.519 Now I now imagine, and we've done enough research and we've got two or three sort of historical examples. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.240 But let's let's go there for just a minute. 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:53.120 Okay? 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:58.319 It's a huge animal, whale, grapefish, something. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.319 Actually, in Hebrew, it's a sea monster. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.480 It's this and it's slimy and it's dark. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:08.319 And there's oxygen and you can breathe. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:09.920 But I just can't imagine. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:19.120 And so he's he's sort of drifting down through the water, and notice God appoints his direction, his sovereignty. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:32.000 And and notice what I want you to notice as I read this, listen, listen like someone who's been in this yicky, terrible place, and yet realizing, hey, I didn't die, listen for this contrast. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:37.680 Jonah says or speaks or prays or cries, and then listen for how the response is. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:50.240 Because as we read this, I want you to know that when you blow it and when I blow it, and when we feel hopeless and like, you know, we don't deserve anything, we've done exactly the opposite of God's called us to do. 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:52.160 I want you to catch this. 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.519 I called out of my distress to the Lord. 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.800 And in your Bible, you might write underline, He answered me. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.000 I cried for help from the depths of Sheol. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:05.759 That's a Hebrew word from death. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.399 I just cried, I mean, I've got no hope. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:11.279 He heard my voice. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:18.240 He still has a little bit of a reframing life, which we all do when we're running from God. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.199 For you cast me into the deep. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.560 Did God cast him into the deep? 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.639 Or is he in the deep because of decisions that he made? 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:30.079 Hey, I don't know. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:30.879 Have you ever done this? 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:41.519 I've done this a lot, like you know sort of what's right to do, and you don't do it, and you turn away from God, and he says, that's not a good relationship, or that's not a good decision, or those circumstances are dangerous. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.120 And so you go ahead and do it, and then you get in a jam, and then you do this. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.439 Boy God, how could you let this happen? 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:49.120 That's where he's at. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:52.560 But he's gonna get his perspective in a minute. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:56.399 Into the heart of the sea, and the current engulfed me. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:58.319 Imagine him, he's floating down. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:01.199 All your breakers and billows passed over me. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.720 So, he's thinking, I'm gonna respond. 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:08.959 So I said, I have been expelled from your sight. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:11.759 He's in this moment. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:15.519 You said to do this, this is what I did. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:20.160 I'm an actual willful shaking my fist rebellion. 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.959 So I have been expelled from your sight. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.240 Nevertheless, circle that word in your Bible. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:30.560 Nevertheless, I will look again toward the holy temple. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:33.600 In the Hebrew mindset at that time, that's where you pray. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:34.960 That would be God's presence. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:40.320 He goes, I'm out of your sight, I don't deserve anything, but nevertheless, I'm gonna look again. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.639 So, you know, it's like, I don't deserve this. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:47.679 I'm going down, I know I'm gonna die, but I'm gonna shoot up a prayer. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.159 The waters encompassed me to the point of death. 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:54.720 The great deep engulfed me. 00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:00.720 You're getting these verbs encompassed, engulfed, billows pass over me. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:02.960 The weeds wrapped around my head. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:04.080 It's pretty graphic. 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:06.480 I descended to the roots of the mountains. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:12.080 In other words, he's actually hit the bottom, not only of the sea, but of his life. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:16.080 The earth with its bars around me forever. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.279 This is I am done. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:28.320 And he understands I am done because of my choices and my rebellion and what I've done. 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:30.799 And then here's another big contrast. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:35.919 You might circle this, because the first big one was, nevertheless, I know I don't deserve it. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:41.039 And this is, but you have brought my life from the pit. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:53.279 Oh Yahweh, my God, while I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you into your holy temple. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:10:00.559 And he's just having this moment where uh this is written in a very clear poetic Hebrew form. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:22.720 If you would study uh the Psalms, there's called Lament Psalms, and there's Thanksgiving Psalms, and they have a very clear pattern, and he's recounting every moment of what he went through, and he's created this pattern of an introduction, and then this distress, and then this calling out to God, and this deliverance, and then followed by thanksgiving. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:27.519 But he's at this point where uh I don't deserve any of this. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:29.120 And then I love it. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:35.600 He goes, Those who regard vain idols forsake their faithfulness, and he's incriminating himself. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:41.519 His vain idol was, my will, my way, my perspective. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:45.039 And now he's like, you know, it's just like how you prayed earlier. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:51.759 He's got palms up inside of a dark, smelly, slimy environment. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:56.399 And he says, But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:00.080 That which I have vowed, going to Nineveh, I will pay. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:04.960 And then here's the great line that you just put a squiggly line under it, put a box around it. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:07.279 Salvation is from the Lord. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.039 It's this great moment. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:14.000 In the context here, he's not looking at when we say salvation, we think justification. 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:22.320 I I turned from my sin, I prayed to receive Christ, but the word salvation literally means to be delivered, to be delivered out of something. 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:30.000 And so the author here is letting us know Jonah is delivered out of this, but it's it's thematic. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.399 The Ninevehites are going to be delivered. 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:34.159 The sailors were delivered. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:37.679 Salvation comes from God and God alone. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:39.840 It's one of the great themes of the book. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:47.679 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up from the dry land. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:50.000 Uh, put a circle around vomited. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.879 It's a really key word, and we're gonna come back to it. 00:11:53.840 --> 00:12:02.000 And by the way, when you think vomited, I I read a guy, he's actually a friend and he's a scholar, and he did all this word study on vomit. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:07.759 And uh he said, uh puke, regurgitate. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:13.120 Think of the the smell, think of he said vomit means vomit. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:20.240 And he said uh it's uh a unique word used in the Old Testament. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:27.679 There's a handful of times where God talks about what he vomits and why, and we'll get there in a minute, but I just don't want you to miss that. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:30.000 What's the big idea? 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:34.399 I mean, in other words, Jonah, we just heard his prayer, right? 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:41.600 I'm running away from God, a storm comes, I get thrown in the ocean, I'm beyond hope, I cry out for help. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:43.600 Here's the big idea. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:49.120 God deliver let's say delivers us together. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:50.000 Ready? 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:59.440 God from the storms to reveal his mercy and to position us to fulfill the more that we're made for. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:24.720 I don't care what you've done, I don't care where you are, I don't care how far away you feel from God, I don't care if the storms are circumstantial or relational or COVID-related, I don't care whether it has to do with work or job, whether it's something that you would look back and say, I gotta own this, or it's what other people did to you, or circumstances out of your control. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:29.120 God longs for you to do what Jonah did. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:39.360 Think of the verbs I cried out, I prayed, I remembered, I asked, in the midst of the bottom, it's oh God, please. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:47.759 And notice he says, God delivers us from storms to reveal his mercy. 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:49.440 It's interesting. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:56.080 There's a classic Old Testament passage that says God delights to show mercy. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:58.559 I mean, think of things that you delight in. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:05.679 Think of things that like I love to do this, or I'm so attracted to do it, or it's such a joy whenever I get to. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:37.519 Whenever our God, who created all that there is, who spoke the galaxies into existence, and the triune God who sent God the Son to come and die in our place and rise from the dead, pay for our sins, when he sees us blowing it and when we're hurting and when we're struggling, he finds delight to forgive you, to restore you, to put his arm around you, to take you back to where you longed to be. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:42.080 But he doesn't do it just so that you experience his mercy. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:15:06.080 He delights to deliver us often from ourselves, to reveal his mercy that this is what he's like, but to position you, to position you to get your focus off yourself and on to the more that you were made for, the better, the higher, the calling and the purpose. 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:16.960 And so as I looked at this, I I tried to uh spend some time and come up with some, maybe that's exactly what was happening then. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:19.679 How do we understand this for us? 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:32.960 And the context from chapter one and chapter four is this Jonah's disobedience and despair were birthed out of fear that God's agenda might be different than his desires, right? 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:33.759 Wasn't that it? 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:38.080 I mean, he was afraid, like, I don't want to go to Nineveh. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:38.879 Why? 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:44.879 We learn in chapter four as it opens up, he says to God, see, you're gonna learn a little bit later. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.679 I don't, Ryan, I don't want to get the cat out of the bag. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:59.360 But a little pretell here, he actually will go, he will actually preach, and most wicked people that we have any record of in ancient history are the Ninevehites. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:04.240 I mean, that first week, what Ryan described and how they were and the stuff they did. 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:05.919 I've done some research myself. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.799 It's it's so appalling, it's so evil. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:12.879 It makes stuff that Hitler did look like child's play. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.320 It's it's so inhumane, so wicked. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.200 And God forgives them. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:24.399 And Jonah goes, the reason I fled because I understood he's got good theology. 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.120 You're this merciful God, no matter where people are at. 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:34.159 If they ever repent, if they ever genuinely turn, if they ever ask, see, I knew you would do this. 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.960 And so it's very, he's logical. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.759 Jonah's logic is God is merciful, therefore I'm not gonna go to Nineveh. 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:47.600 Second, Jonah's desire is for God's justice for the Ninevites, right? 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:50.799 It's like, God, I don't I don't want to go preach truth. 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:52.399 What if they respond? 00:16:53.039 --> 00:17:03.440 And Jonah also knows he's got a uh a prophecy in the back of his mind that about 30 years later that the Lord is going to uh bring about judgment to Israel. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:05.599 And so, you know, he's like us, he thinks it through. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:12.559 Now let's say if I don't go and they don't repent, that's the group that is supposed to come later, which they did in 722 BC. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.799 This is written about 760 BC. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:20.079 And so Jonah's really logical, it really makes sense to him. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.119 God has this plan, but I know better. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:26.480 My desires, my purposes, my outcomes are better. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:32.000 And so Jonah's action reveal tribalism over lordship. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:44.000 See, at the end of the day, Jonah says, the Israelites and my people, my group, are more important than God's agenda because I know better. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.640 Anybody seen any of this in our life in the last couple years? 00:17:50.720 --> 00:18:02.880 I think personally, I don't the ugliness I've seen inside the church during this pandemic probably breaks my heart as much or more than anything I've ever seen. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:04.559 And it's tribalism. 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:11.359 And it could be nationalism, but I mean, inside the church, there's people that don't talk to each other anymore. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:18.160 They have said things and done things because someone voted blue state and someone voted red state. 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:22.480 Someone said masks are for everyone, and someone said no mask at all. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:30.000 Someone said, This is my position on viruses, well, this is my position on viruses, and I mean it has been unbelievable. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:39.599 And instead of Jesus, instead of what's God's plan, instead of, we may have differences politically. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:52.319 We may have differences about viruses, we may have differences about masks, we may have all kinds of differences, but what's God's big agenda and isn't our lordship to him and what he wants us to do? 00:18:52.559 --> 00:19:04.079 So wouldn't we treat one another with respect and humility and understanding and say, I wondered, maybe there's a bigger thing than our deal, our tribe? 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:05.839 Well, we're this group. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:09.759 We think, we think this is how everything racially needs to be taken care of. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:11.839 Well, we think this is the only way to do it. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:17.359 Well, we gave to this group, or you gave to that group, tribalism, tribalism, tribalism. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:30.000 Our group, our way, our age, old or young, our ethnicity, our program, our view of scripture. 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:34.720 All these little tribes saying, We know best. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:36.720 That was Jonah's sin. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:49.920 What I believe God wants for Israel and the people that I'm concerned about matter than the sovereign God of the universe and his purposes that are bigger. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:56.880 Jonah's deliverance was birthed in his faith that God is merciful, even to those who willfully reject him. 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:00.000 Notice I put some verses from his prayer. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.200 Jonah's near-death experience, what? 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:04.319 He's in distress. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.680 Jonah's prayers and cries for help, he gets delivered. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:12.000 Jonah's response is this psalm of thanksgiving. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:20.319 What I want you to know, and this is so critical for us, Jonah has good theology, doesn't he? 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:22.319 He believes the truth. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.160 God is merciful. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:31.519 Since God is merciful, I don't want to do what he tells me to do because I hate those people. 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:40.960 Um has me uh doing a lot of travel around the world. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.240 Just before the pandemic, I was in China seven times. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:52.799 And we do training of pastors, especially in rural areas, and then uh maybe three times in the Middle East in that season. 00:20:52.960 --> 00:21:22.960 And um we did one event where uh a gathering of about 150 leaders from the Middle East came together and uh they were able to get out because we were in a neutral country, and believers from Iran, Iraq, all kinds of Middle East countries, uh a young doctor from Yemen who there was a contract on out her to kill her because of in this war that those countries are having using Yemen, uh, she developed a network of small groups really walking with the Lord. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:34.160 And one one of the biggest takeaways I got from being with those people is their view of suffering and God's big picture instead of our own. 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:54.400 I'll never forget a uh a pastor, he was a house church pastor in China, and I had a chance to eat with him, and we were getting to know one another, and he talked about his uh he was on a sort of a traveling evangelistic campaign somewhere throughout China, and the church met in his home and they moved things around. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:59.759 And the authorities came, the wife said, No, no, no, no, I'm the pastor, I'm the only one, and the people. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.519 Left and they they beat her to a pulp for two or three days and he came back, found his wife. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:14.720 It was telling this story, and in my and in my gut, in my tribalism, it was, I'll tell you what, someone ever did that to my wife, Teresa, I would lose my faith. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:15.599 I'll tell you what. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:29.359 I mean, I would I would right and I'm thinking that, and then he leans over with his eyes watery and says, Can you imagine that God would ever count us worthy to suffer for him like that? 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.599 And I was, I mean, I was too embarrassed to say anything out of that. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.400 I had a lot of thoughts in my mind, but that one never came to my mind. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:40.559 Do you see his perspective? 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:41.839 Eternity. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:43.279 His perspective? 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:44.720 God's agenda. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:53.119 His perspective, of course, we're going to suffer in a fallen world where there's sinful people who do wicked things, and God will use them. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:00.000 We have sounded like the early apostles in one of the trainings there in the Middle East. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:03.519 Uh one of the groups that had come had done some other training. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:07.759 And the leader of it was telling me, um, he said, You know what? 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:10.799 The believers from Ass Ask me from Iran. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.640 By the way, the fastest growing church in the world right now is in Iran. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:18.720 They said, Thank you for this training. 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:21.200 We we don't have much access to good teaching. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:25.599 Before we go back to our country, would you teach us to die well? 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.200 Would you teach us to die well? 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:30.240 Do you get it? 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:38.559 It's not my agenda, it's not my country, it's not my group, it's not my ethnicity, it's not my young, it's not my old. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:40.559 It's what does God want? 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:42.720 Shift. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:45.440 What does God want for my life? 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:51.839 Shift away from my culture, my desires, my this is the way it's gotta be. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.000 This is what's happening in this passage. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:03.119 And if you look at it casually, it seems like, you know, Jonah is a bit of a, you know, he gets it, right? 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:08.000 Uh first time I studied this passage, I thought, yeah, it's pretty, pretty, uh, pretty good. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.720 Uh you'll notice the little chart that I gave you. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:16.880 Uh Jonah, you talk about he knew God's word, but he didn't quite apply it. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:30.400 Uh notice in chapter two, uh, the verses on the left side, and each one of the phrases that come out, I I can give you word for, he he didn't come up with a single original word in that prayer. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:33.119 All the different psalms that he quotes. 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:46.480 Now, by the way, I I before we get too down on Jonah, I don't know about you, but when I pray, I would cheer like in the midst of my distress, God bring to my mind, remember the psalms were sung. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:56.240 These are this part of this song and this part of this song and this psalm, and he had probably a huge percentage of all the psalms as a prophet memorized. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:57.920 And so he's thinking, right? 00:24:58.079 --> 00:25:05.759 He's thinking, and all the the word of God is coming to his mind, and he takes this part and this part and this part and this part, and he puts it together and he prays. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:13.039 I'll tell you what, when you're in a jam, having God's word on your heart, there may be nothing more important or more valuable. 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:15.759 So I want to give him an A plus on that, okay? 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:26.799 Jonah, an A plus on getting into God's Word, hiding in your heart, and having good theology, you absolutely know God is merciful. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.720 Here's where it gets uh a little a little tricky. 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:34.079 Um let's go from Jonah's world to ours. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:35.839 What do we learn from Jonah? 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:37.920 Because and this positive, okay? 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:40.400 Let's not, let's not, he's like us. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:50.000 I never I never want to get too down on the people in scripture because the more I study and the more honest I am, I realize there's a mirror here. 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:52.960 And uh it was like the first week. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.440 Jonah's in full-time ministry. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:57.119 I'm in full-time ministry. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:00.000 Jonah needed a big shift. 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:01.440 I needed a big shift. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:04.480 And by the grace of God, I came to awakening. 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:06.880 By the grace of God, God spoke to me. 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:13.920 By the grace of God, someone gave me something practical to do, and I prayed that prayer every day, and I wrote down those names. 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:20.880 So I'm I'm I'm glad that when I read about where they blow it, that God is merciful and understanding. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:23.440 So let's go to the positive side of what we learn. 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:26.960 One, he knew God's character and he acted accordingly, right? 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.960 He knew God was merciful. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:30.960 Since that's true, I'm gonna run. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:35.839 But he also knew since God's merciful, even though I don't deserve it, I'm gonna cry out to him. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:39.680 He knew God's word and he quoted it spontaneously. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:50.000 By the way, I just aside, um, I'm often asked, as Ryan said, I've been in ministry 40 years, but I came to Christ when I was 18. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:52.400 So it's been a lot of years. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:59.759 And because of what God called me to do, I used to teach and, you know, I went to school, then I went to graduate school, and then after that I had to go to seminary. 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:01.759 It was like, are you kidding me? 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:06.079 And uh sometimes people will say, Well, what was the most valuable thing? 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:11.279 You know, was it education or you know, where you went to seminary, you had to learn all those languages. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:12.960 And you know what I'd say to them? 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:18.559 Most valuable thing that ever happened in my life that has shaped my life in all the storms. 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:19.839 I'm thankful for all that. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:21.519 I'm not dismissing it. 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:30.000 There was a bricklayer with a high school education who, when I went to college, came and met with me once a week. 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.200 And I wasn't a very, I was a slow starter. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:36.720 Sometimes I would pretend I was asleep when he would knock on the door. 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:40.640 Uh the first couple years, everyone was memorizing verses. 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:42.960 And it was like, hey, you know, it's in the Bible, dude. 00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:44.160 I'm not gonna memorize it. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.119 Yeah, right. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:59.759 And eventually uh I really was struggling in an area of my life, and it was a I wasn't planning to do this, but um with there was four girls to every guy on our campus. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:07.039 And and think now, early 70s, sexual revolution, you could be just ugly and get lots of dates and a lot more than dates. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:12.480 And I was committed at this point to be pure, to do life God's way. 00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:22.480 And you know, my behavior uh reflected that my mind and my thoughts were just I was the most lustful Christian that I knew. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:24.880 And I tried and tried and tried and tried. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:30.000 I I tried, I failed so much I finally decided I don't think I could, I don't think I can be a Christian. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:44.640 And uh just before I was ready to sort of give things up, I had a roommate who was going to a summer Christian training program, but before he got there, there's this thing called the topical memory system, and you had to memorize these 60 verses and have them word perfect. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:49.200 And they were just on the basic things of you know, God's word and fellowship and temptation. 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:52.160 And he was uh a heavyweight wrestler. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:58.160 Uh, and a lot of the I was in a dorm where a lot of the athletes were, and I was a point guard on the basketball team. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:00.319 So we had this sort of little rivalry. 00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:09.839 We didn't wrestle a lot, um and and but it was sort of like you know, wrestlers, you know, and you know, basketball players, and he was a brother in Christ. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:11.519 He really had a great impact on my life. 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:18.559 So he he left the room one day, and I got his cards out, and I cut up three by five cards, and I wrote down his 60 verses. 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.880 And to spite him, this is just to spite him, I don't want to really know God's word. 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:34.880 To spite him, he was gonna take how many months to do it, I thought, I'm gonna do one a day, review them all every day, and then I'm gonna walk in casually when I've got 60 of them and say, Well, Bob, how are you coming on that? 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:37.279 You know, you lame wrestler. 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:39.599 And then I was gonna quote him like this. 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:46.079 And uh, well, I can still remember the day, uh, and I had a psychology professor that that helped me. 00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:48.799 I was an education major and a psych major. 00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:53.279 This guy was perhaps the most boring teacher that has ever. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:55.359 I mean, he had to have tenure. 00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:02.960 I mean, so I would sit in the back with the book up because he always took, I knew where he took the test, you could just blow off the class. 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:05.920 I put the book up and I would review verses every day. 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:26.720 And I got 21 in a row down, and I remember uh coming around the library and a very attractive co-ed who was involved in the ministry, and I found as a young man and probably as an older man, uh, but lusting for people that don't walk with God is one thing, but you feel extra guilty when you lust for someone who's sweet and loves God with all their heart. 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:28.960 And I, you know, it's like double-double guilt. 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:33.599 And um, so she came around, and I was always been really attracted to her. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:39.119 And I remember we talked, and I realized my only eye contact was with her eyes. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:53.200 And then I remember she left, and I had a brother-sister relationship in that window, and then I started to go, and as I was walking, I realized I didn't lust at all. 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:56.160 In fact, wait a second, I mean, this may sound funny. 00:30:56.240 --> 00:30:58.880 I've got 24 hours under my belt. 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:09.839 And then I did the 60 verses, and then I started memorizing some chapters, and then years later, I got around a guy who said, You know, you should just do some, you know, do Philippians or do James. 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:11.200 Here's what I'm gonna tell you. 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:26.160 Of all the things I have ever done in all my life, renewing my mind and memorizing scripture has been the single most powerful thing to help me walk with God, avoid temptation, hear his voice. 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:30.079 And there, I can't tell you how many times when I was praying, God, I don't know what to do. 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:31.440 Here's a verse. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:32.960 And so that's an aside. 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:38.319 That's not this message, just as that's just you know, but but that was, hey, that was Noah. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:41.680 Noah, how'd he get in this message? 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:46.640 Could we go for Jonah? 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:52.880 Notice positively, he ran to God when he felt unworthy. 00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:54.559 That's so powerful. 00:31:54.720 --> 00:32:04.079 When I I remember um, and I still do this to a degree, but when I really blow it, I used to think like I needed to take a two-day break from God. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:13.519 I'm not gonna read, I'm not gonna pray, I'm so ugly, I knew what was right, I didn't do it, and then sort of like, okay, God, I'm kind of back. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:15.599 Like, you know, I had to go to the woodshed, right? 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:20.160 Like, you did really bad, so you should feel really bad, so you should pay for it. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:25.599 And here's the deal: God is nearer to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.160 He longs to meet us right where we're at. 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:36.880 Principle one, the Lord frequently uses moments of great darkness to drive us into the light. 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:41.519 Moments of great darkness to drive us into the light. 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:47.920 Hebrews 12, 11 says, All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:51.519 Yet those who have been trained by it know it is a process. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:56.720 Those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:59.519 Well, negatively, what do we learn from Jonah? 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:02.000 He was thankful, but he wasn't repentant. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:05.200 His words were good, but his heart was hard. 00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:08.559 He wanted relief, not transformation. 00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:14.400 And where I get that is that, you know, he prayed this Thanksgiving prayer, there was something missing. 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:16.640 Did anyone read that prayer? 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:18.079 I'm sorry. 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:20.799 I blew it, please forgive me. 00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:23.440 Did he ever ask God for forgiveness? 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:24.240 He didn't. 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:29.839 But by the way, the sailors, it says they offered prayer and then they made a sacrifice. 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:31.759 Jonah's promises. 00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:37.039 He says, I will offer sacrifice and I will pay my vow. 00:33:37.279 --> 00:33:40.240 Is there anywhere where we learn where he ever sacrificed? 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:46.799 So what he basically, what did we basically learn from Jonah is, you know, I was desperate, and here's the word. 00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:51.680 When it says God vomited him out, there's only a couple times in the Old Testament. 00:33:51.920 --> 00:34:00.079 One, God says, These evil people, Leviticus, can you say Leviticus with me? 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:01.440 Leviticus. 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:06.400 Uh he said, I'm going to vomit them out of this land because of their evil. 00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:08.639 And he goes, This is the land I'm going to give you. 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:21.760 And then in Deuteronomy 28, he says to his own people, he says, If you worship idols and you do what these people did, I will vomit you out of the land. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:29.119 And so what I want you to know is that Jonah said, Okay, I'll do what you want me to do, but his heart wasn't right. 00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:33.599 And so it's more than just praying the right prayer. 00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:36.559 It's more than, okay, God, I'm sorry I slept with her. 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:38.400 Okay, God, I lied about that. 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:43.840 Okay, God, and our Father who's art in heaven, how, you know, Amen. 00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:45.039 We're good, right? 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:45.679 No. 00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:46.880 No. 00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:50.400 God's looking for the heart. 00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:52.639 A real change of heart. 00:34:52.960 --> 00:34:58.639 Principle number two is spiritual growth demands we confess and forsake our sin. 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:03.519 And here's the key word, to experience the more that we're made for. 00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:06.880 Proverbs 28-13. 00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:13.679 It says the one who confesses and forsakes their sin. 00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:17.599 Experience God's blessing and his prosperity. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:22.239 Well, let's uh look at that in contrast to David. 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:26.480 When David sinned in Psalm 51, you don't need to turn there. 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:32.000 Remember the beginning of his prayer against you and you only I have sinned, Lord. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:45.840 And remember, he said, if there were sacrifices, if there were motions I could go through, if I could, you know, a hundred sheep or a thousand cattle or whatever, he goes, if I could get back in your good graces by earning my way there, I'd do it. 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:54.559 And then he says, A broken heart and a contrite spirit, oh God, you will not despise. 00:35:56.480 --> 00:35:57.519 There's something. 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:05.840 Remember when Jesus says, Come into me, all that you labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. 00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:08.320 See, God is merciful. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:13.519 There's something about our suffering and our hurt, but we have to come. 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:18.079 And when David came, God forgave. 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:27.119 What we tend to do is we tend to be like Jonah and we run, option A, or option B, I call Jonah the great pretender. 00:36:27.440 --> 00:36:34.800 I prayed the prayer, I know your word, I got it, and I'm gonna go through the motions and I'm going to go do what you told me to do. 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:37.679 But he's not doing it because there's a change of heart. 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:41.519 He's not doing it because he cares about the Ninevehes. 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:51.679 And in week number one, what I realized was, you know, I've done some nice things for my neighbors and I've invited him to things, and I've shared Christ at different times. 00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:58.000 But what God wanted to shift was do you care about them, Chip, the way I care about them? 00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:02.719 Do you care about them to pray every single day for them? 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:06.000 And then by faith, will you expect that I show up? 00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:12.320 People are never going to be probably as open, family members, neighbors, co-workers. 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:15.199 The world is a messed up place right now. 00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:16.480 And they're vulnerable. 00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:17.920 And you know what they're looking for? 00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:24.079 Not someone who fits into some little niche and well, I believe in Jesus, and that's my tribe, and I feel okay with that. 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.880 They're looking for light and salt and love. 00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:29.039 Someone like you. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:35.679 And you start with your actions, and God does great things through us normal people. 00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:40.400 Notice, what do we learn about God? 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:44.880 What's the big takeaways about who God really is? 00:37:46.960 --> 00:37:53.119 We learn He's mercy, merciful to sailors, even though they worshiped idols. 00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:57.199 Mercy to Jonah, even though he's in willful rebellion. 00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:00.800 And he gives mercy to Nineveh, the most wicked people on the earth. 00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:03.760 Each one of them got delivered in a different way. 00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:07.199 I I jotted this in my notes. 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.079 It was what how God revealed himself to Moses. 00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:17.840 He is kind and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. 00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:23.519 And then for me, in my own words, I just for me, when I blow it, he's patient. 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:25.519 God is gentle. 00:38:26.159 --> 00:38:28.000 God is ready to forgive. 00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:30.719 He wants to forgive me. 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:32.639 He wants to restore me. 00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:34.800 He's not mad at me. 00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:42.719 You might jot uh Psalm 86, 5 in your notes in the Living Bible. 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:55.119 It says, Oh Lord, you are so good, so kind, so ready to forgive everyone who comes and calls on you for help. 00:38:57.119 --> 00:39:01.760 The principle here is your view of God will determine your life. 00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:06.000 Behavior always follows belief. 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:10.400 I'm the product of my thought life, you're the product of yours. 00:39:11.199 --> 00:39:18.320 As a man or a woman, Proverbs 23:7, as a man or a woman thinks in your heart, so you will become. 00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:25.679 The person sitting in your chair is the product of all the things you've been putting in your mind for the last five, ten, or fifteen years. 00:39:25.840 --> 00:39:30.880 The books you've read, the movies, the relationships, all of it, creating this lens. 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:34.239 And then we act in a way that makes sense to us. 00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:37.599 Some of it we don't even know that we believe. 00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:40.480 Your view of God. 00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:45.280 He is absolutely sovereign over everything. 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:47.360 Did you notice? 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:51.840 Uh He controls the sea, the fish, the wind. 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:53.760 He appoints the fish. 00:39:54.079 --> 00:39:56.400 Later on, he'll he'll cause a plant to grow. 00:39:56.480 --> 00:39:59.039 Later on, he'll he'll tell a worm to go eat the plant. 00:39:59.199 --> 00:40:01.360 He controls, remember they they cast lots? 00:40:01.519 --> 00:40:02.320 God controls. 00:40:02.559 --> 00:40:04.159 That's not that wasn't chance. 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:07.199 He controls deities and powers. 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:09.360 And this is the final principle. 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:23.760 You will not always understand God's ways, but you can trust him for everything and everyone because his purposes cannot be thwarted. 00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:27.360 His purposes cannot be thwarted. 00:40:27.519 --> 00:40:35.119 There's a lot of times in my life, and I could spend a lot of hours telling you times that were dark and difficult, and I didn't understand them. 00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:43.280 But over the years I've learned for everyone, every circumstance, an all-knowing, all-powerful God who is good. 00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:46.559 Job says, Oh Lord, you are God. 00:40:46.639 --> 00:40:48.639 Your purposes can't be thwarted. 00:40:49.519 --> 00:40:52.000 I love the quote by Saint Ignatius. 00:40:52.480 --> 00:41:00.559 He said, Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants for me is only for my deepest happiness. 00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:11.440 You see, at the end of the day, Jonah flees because he thought that God's plan and purposes would not bring him what he really wanted. 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:24.960 And I flee and I run to different things, and you do, because down deep we have this warp view of God that he doesn't have the very best, that he's not really good. 00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:36.320 And so the message today is he's so merciful that wherever you are, whatever you feel like, oh, how could God ever accept me? 00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:40.159 It's because of who he is, it's not because of who you are. 00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:48.880 This passage screams, I love you, I want to forgive, I want to restore, I want you to draw near to me, and I'll draw near to you. 00:41:49.760 --> 00:41:54.400 And then the deeper message is, would you follow me? 00:41:58.719 --> 00:42:00.880 Would you let go of your tribalism? 00:42:01.199 --> 00:42:06.719 Would you let go of your view, of your desires, of what you think will make you really happy? 00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:10.960 And could you actually believe that, you know, I did create the universe? 00:42:11.039 --> 00:42:13.039 You think I could work this out for you? 00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:18.159 You think I could make this, you know, how about this? 00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:24.000 Instead of fix the relationship, God show me what it looks like for me in the relationship. 00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:25.679 Or if it's even a good one. 00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:36.480 Instead of fix my boss, God, would you how about whatever you whatever you want me to do to express your love to him or to her. 00:42:38.159 --> 00:42:43.920 Lord, we are just human people in great need of your grace. 00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:49.039 And I ask that you would give it in full measure right now. 00:42:49.920 --> 00:42:52.559 I thank you that you understand where we're coming from. 00:42:54.159 --> 00:43:01.599 God, if you if you deliver Jonah in his willful rebellion, I just thank you that you are so available to us. 00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:07.280 Will you please speak? 00:43:07.920 --> 00:43:09.920 Encourage us in Jesus' name. 00:43:10.159 --> 00:43:10.800 Amen. 00:43:12.880 --> 00:43:15.199 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:43:15.360 --> 00:43:19.840 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:22.079 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:28.000 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.