WEBVTT

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 Today's scripture is found in Jonah and is printed in your bulletin.

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 Please follow along as I read.

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 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.

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 Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim it, the message I give to you.

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 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

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 Now, Nineveh was a very large city, and it took three days to go through it.

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 Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming,

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 Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

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 The Ninevites believed God.

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 A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

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 When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne,

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 took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in the dust.

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 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh.

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 By the decree of the king and his nobles, do not let people or animals, herds or flocks,

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 taste anything.

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 Do not let them eat or drink, but let people and animals be covered with sackcloth.

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 Let everyone call urgently on God.

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 Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

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 Who knows?

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 God may yet relent, and with compassion, turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.

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 When God saw what they did, and how they turned from their evil ways,

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 he relented, and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

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 But to Jonah, this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

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 He prayed to the Lord,

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 Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home?

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 This is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish.

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 I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,

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 a God who relents from sending calamity.

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 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.

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 But the Lord replied,

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 Is it right for you to be angry?

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 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city.

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 There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade, and waited to see what would happen to the city.

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 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head

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 and to ease his disappointment.

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 Oh, discomfort.

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 And Jonah was very happy with the plant.

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 But at dawn the next day, God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.

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 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind,

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 and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint.

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 He wanted to die and said,

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 It would be better for me to die than to live.

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 But God said to Jonah,

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 Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?

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 It is, he said.

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 And I'm so angry, I wish I were dead.

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 But the Lord said,

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 You have been concerned about this plant,

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 though you did not tend it or make it grow.

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 It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

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 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh,

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 in which there are more than 120,000 people

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 who cannot tell their right hand from their left,

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 and also many animals?

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 This is the reading of God's Word.

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 You may be seated.

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 Well, good morning, Watermark.

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 For those of you who don't know me,

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 my name is Graham,

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 and I've been told I should introduce myself as a South African.

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 So that anyone needs translation into English,

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 then please sit next to another South African.

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 Today I'm going to be introducing a series to you,

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 which we're going to be covering over the summer.

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 It's a series on the prophets.

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 Now, prophets were ordinary people

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 with an extraordinary function,

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 and that was to speak on behalf of God.

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 And the first prophet we're going to encounter today is Jonah.

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 Now, you probably all know the story of Jonah and the whale.

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 Well, one day, a teacher in third grade

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 was teaching in her class about whales.

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 And she said,

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 It's impossible for a man to be swallowed by a whale,

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 because even though a whale is a very large animal,

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 it has a small throat,

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 and it can't swallow a man.

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 So there's this little girl in the class,

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 and she thinks about it,

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 and she sticks up her hand,

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 and she says,

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 But Miss Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

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 And the teacher looks at her and says,

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 It is impossible for a whale to swallow a man.

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 And the little girl's not really satisfied with the answer,

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 and she says,

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 Well, when I get to heaven,

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 I'll ask Jonah myself.

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 And the teacher says,

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 Well, what happens if Jonah went to hell?

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 And the little girl says,

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 Well, then you ask him.

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 Okay, I'll let that go.

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 Anyway.

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 Okay.

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 So.

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 Jonah.

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 Okay, I'm going to ask you to do something this morning.

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 I'm going to ask you to vote for me by raising your hand.

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 I'm going to ask you if you think Jonah is fact,

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 it was a true story,

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 it really happened,

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 real people,

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 real events,

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 or it's just a story.

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 Maybe it's got a good message behind it,

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 but it's just a story.

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 So can we do that?

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 Hands up if you think it's a true story,

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 it's fact.

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 Okay, good.

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 Hands up if you think it's fiction,

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 just a story.

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 Okay.

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 Hands up if you don't like putting your hands up in church.

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 Okay.

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 Good.

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 Actually, how we answer that question

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 shows us how we feel a little bit about God.

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 In a recent survey,

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 it said that 90% of people believe in God.

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 Now that is a meaningless statistic.

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 The real question we need to be asking is,

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 what kind of a God do you believe in?

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 Do you believe he is cruel or kind?

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 Does he care or is he indifferent?

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 Is he close or distant?

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 Is he weak or powerful?

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 Is he active in our world or is he just watching?

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 And Jonah shows us something of God's character.

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 I have a colleague at work,

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 and we were discussing a recent bit of news about,

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 it happened to be about a South African

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 who shot his girlfriend.

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 Now I just want to,

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 I don't know if you guys know the piece of news,

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 but I just want to make it clear,

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 not all South Africans shoot their girlfriends.

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 Okay, sorry.

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 Just,

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 but we were talking about,

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 and it's a rather depressing piece of news,

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 and we were talking about this,

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 and slowly we got on the topic of God.

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 And she said,

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 well, I'm a complete atheist.

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 And I said to her,

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 well, where is your hope?

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 And she thought about it,

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 and she said,

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 well, I guess it's really sad.

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 I don't have a hope.

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 I think my only hope is,

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 I can't wait until we wipe each other out,

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 and then the panda will be king.

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 That's what she said.

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 And I said,

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 well, actually,

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 you are a woman of faith.

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 And she said,

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 no, I'm not.

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 I just told you I'm an atheist.

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 And I said,

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 well,

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 I think it takes more faith to believe that something made itself out of nothing

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 than to believe someone made it and put it there.

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 And anyway,

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 so the conversation carried on.

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 And she said to me,

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 well,

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 you don't really believe stories in the Bible like Noah's Ark and Jonah being swallowed by a whale.

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 And I said,

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 well,

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 actually,

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 I believe all eight nature miracles in the book of Jonah.

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 And my favorite one is not the whale.

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 It's the worm.

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 Because,

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 you know,

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 whales are intelligent animals.

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 Men can train whales to do things.

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 But it takes God to tell a worm what to do.

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 And at this,

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 she kind of said,

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 oh,

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 walk back to her desk.

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 And that was the end of the conversation.

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 But I'd like to give you a little brief overview of the book of Jonah.

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 And for me,

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 Jonah is one of those stories I just wish Hollywood would get hold of.

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 It's got everything.

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 It's got wild and reckless characters.

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 It's got,

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 you know,

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 special effects just waiting to happen.

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 But instead,

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 we get movies like World War Z.

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 Okay.

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 Anyway,

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 Melin,

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 that's for you.

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 Jonah would be better.

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 All right.

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 But here's Jonah.

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 He's a prophet.

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 And he gets a message from God.

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 And God says to him,

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 Jonah,

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 I want you to go to the city of Nineveh and tell them in 40 days,

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 they're going to be destroyed because of their wickedness.

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 Now you need to understand something a little bit about Nineveh.

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 It was the capital of Assyria.

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 And the Assyrians were notorious because of their wickedness and their cruelty.

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 They would go in and take over smaller little nations.

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 And they would be particularly cruel to those people.

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 They invented this method of torture of a stake.

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 And wherever they went in,

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 they would take the people and impale them on the stake and wait for them to die.

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 So these are the people Jonah is sent to.

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 And Jonah runs away.

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 He runs down.

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 He gets aboard a ship.

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 And he jumps on the ship.

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 And he's sailing out to sea.

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 And suddenly something happens.

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 This huge storm comes up.

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 Now I'm talking T8,

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 T10 kind of stuff,

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 right?

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 This is wild.

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 The waves are raging.

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 And the crew and the sailors are starting to get really panicky here.

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 And they start throwing the cargo overboard.

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 Now you must be really scared when you start throwing your cargo overboard.

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 But they were.

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 And then that's not working.

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 So they decide,

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 everybody pray.

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 Stop.

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 If you've got a guard,

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 pray to him.

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 Let's just do the shotgun approach.

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 Maybe one of us will get lucky.

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 Everyone pray.

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 And then the captain goes down deck.

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 And he finds Jonah asleep.

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 He's sleeping through the whole thing.

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 Jonah,

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 wake up.

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 What are you doing?

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 You've got to pray.

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 And then they cast lots to sea.

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 Because they're looking at the storm.

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 And it's just the most unnatural thing that they've experienced.

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 Now sailors have gone through many storms.

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 But this is just something unnatural.

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 So there must be a reason for it.

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 So they cast lots.

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 And the lot comes to Jonah.

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 Jonah,

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 who are you?

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 What have you done?

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 And then Jonah tells him.

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 He goes,

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 I'm a Hebrew.

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 I'm Jewish.

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 And I come from Israel.

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 And I serve the living God.

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 The maker of heaven and earth.

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 And they're like,

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 then they're scared, right?

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 And they know he's running away from God.

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 And they said,

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 Jonah,

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 what do we need to do?

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 And Jonah says,

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 you need to throw me overboard.

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 It's like,

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 Jonah,

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 have you got a death wish or something?

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 Have you seen the storm out there?

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 And he says,

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 you need to do it.

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 So they're not so keen on this idea.

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 It's kind of like murder in their eyes.

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 So they said,

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 God,

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 please hold us innocent.

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 Take Jonah.

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 They throw him overboard.

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 Jonah falls into the sea.

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 Waves are splashing around him.

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 And he starts to sink below the surface.

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 And at that moment,

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 the storm clears up.

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 Comes a beautiful day like it was this morning.

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 Sun comes out.

00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:21.840
 The wind stops.

00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:22.480
 Everything dies.

00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:22.639
 Now,

00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:24.659
 if you were one of those sailors on the boat,

00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:27.440
 you'd probably be freaked out a little bit,

00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:27.759
 right?

00:11:28.180 --> 00:11:29.659
 Probably a little bit scared.

00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.100
 And that's exactly how they were,

00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:32.399
 right?

00:11:32.500 --> 00:11:34.560
 The fear of God was on them.

00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:35.120
 This was weird.

00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:35.759
 But meanwhile,

00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.960
 Jonah is sinking down and down and down.

00:11:40.440 --> 00:11:43.759
 And it says he gets to the roots of the mountains.

00:11:43.940 --> 00:11:45.500
 And his head's wrapped in seaweed.

00:11:46.060 --> 00:11:49.039
 And then God provides a big fish or a whale

00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:50.379
 to come and pick him up.

00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:54.659
 And he's inside this whale for three days and three nights.

00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:56.059
 After three days and three nights,

00:11:56.200 --> 00:11:57.220
 Jonah prays.

00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:01.700
 And the whale vomits him out onto the land.

00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:03.480
 And then it says,

00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:05.700
 the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.

00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:06.639
 Go to Nineveh.

00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:09.600
 Jonah was a little bit more obedient this time.

00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:10.379
 And he went.

00:12:11.180 --> 00:12:13.379
 And Nineveh was a big city,

00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:13.680
 right?

00:12:13.820 --> 00:12:16.240
 So it says it took three days to walk about it.

00:12:16.580 --> 00:12:18.379
 Jonah walks a day into the city.

00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:19.220
 And he's preaching.

00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:20.740
 In 40 days,

00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:21.660
 God will destroy you.

00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:22.320
 In 40 days,

00:12:22.420 --> 00:12:23.259
 God will destroy you.

00:12:23.300 --> 00:12:23.960
 In 40 days,

00:12:24.060 --> 00:12:24.740
 God will destroy you.

00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:26.200
 And an amazing thing happens.

00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:29.340
 These Assyrians listen to Jonah.

00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:31.300
 And they start repenting.

00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:33.600
 They start putting on sackcloth and ashes

00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:35.200
 and change their ways.

00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:36.420
 And it starts with these people.

00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:39.980
 And it slowly works its way up to the king.

00:12:40.040 --> 00:12:41.220
 And the king repents.

00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:41.600
 And he says,

00:12:41.660 --> 00:12:41.820
 listen,

00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:43.040
 we all need to fast.

00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:45.600
 And maybe God will relent.

00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:46.639
 God sees them.

00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:48.059
 And he does.

00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:49.100
 Now,

00:12:49.179 --> 00:12:52.159
 you would think Jonah would probably be a happy man,

00:12:52.220 --> 00:12:52.480
 right?

00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:54.460
 He wasn't.

00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:55.199
 He was a grumpy,

00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:56.240
 sulky little man.

00:12:56.319 --> 00:12:56.879
 He sees it.

00:12:56.939 --> 00:12:58.039
 I'm not happy with this.

00:12:58.539 --> 00:13:00.399
 And he goes up onto this hill.

00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:03.299
 And he's looking down on the city of Nineveh

00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:05.360
 to see what will happen.

00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:08.159
 And he's watching it.

00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:11.120
 And God provides a vine,

00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:14.120
 a leafy plant to grow up overnight.

00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:15.399
 And in the morning,

00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:16.319
 Jonah wakes up.

00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.060
 And he's got this beautiful shade of this plant.

00:13:19.620 --> 00:13:20.980
 But then he sends the worm,

00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:22.960
 which is my favorite part in the story.

00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:24.220
 This little worm comes along,

00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.120
 eats the vine.

00:13:25.820 --> 00:13:26.480
 And of course,

00:13:26.560 --> 00:13:27.600
 the vine dies.

00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.100
 And then it's scorching hot.

00:13:30.520 --> 00:13:32.100
 And the wind blows this vine away.

00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:33.700
 And now Jonah's sweating.

00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:35.420
 And he's so angry.

00:13:35.520 --> 00:13:36.260
 And God says to him,

00:13:36.540 --> 00:13:36.840
 Jonah,

00:13:37.900 --> 00:13:39.160
 do you have a right to be angry?

00:13:39.400 --> 00:13:41.880
 I'm so angry I could die.

00:13:41.880 --> 00:13:44.660
 He is seriously miffed.

00:13:44.760 --> 00:13:46.160
 He's not a happy man.

00:13:46.640 --> 00:13:46.800
 He says,

00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:47.000
 Jonah,

00:13:47.060 --> 00:13:47.440
 why?

00:13:47.680 --> 00:13:48.100
 Why?

00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:48.800
 You know,

00:13:48.900 --> 00:13:50.860
 and he is concerned

00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:53.520
 because he doesn't have shade anymore.

00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:54.540
 That's his big concern.

00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:56.740
 That's why Jonah is really mad.

00:13:57.400 --> 00:13:57.920
 And he says,

00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:58.340
 Jonah,

00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:00.120
 don't you see?

00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:01.980
 Don't I have a right to be concerned

00:14:02.520 --> 00:14:05.300
 about the people in Nineveh?

00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:08.359
 They have 120,000 children in that city.

00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:09.579
 That's what it means, right?

00:14:09.719 --> 00:14:11.719
 People who don't know the left hand from the right.

00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:14.139
 These weren't dumb adults who didn't know the left.

00:14:14.199 --> 00:14:14.859
 They were children.

00:14:15.259 --> 00:14:16.339
 120,000 children.

00:14:16.439 --> 00:14:18.479
 So imagine how big that city was.

00:14:19.019 --> 00:14:19.959
 And the animals,

00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:20.379
 Jonah.

00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:23.740
 Don't I have a right to be concerned about it?

00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:26.060
 Now,

00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:27.480
 like my colleague,

00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.600
 the scholars have two big objections

00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:32.379
 to the book of Jonah.

00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:33.419
 They say,

00:14:33.700 --> 00:14:33.720
 one,

00:14:33.779 --> 00:14:36.860
 it's impossible for a man to be swallowed by a whale

00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:38.580
 and survive for three days.

00:14:38.680 --> 00:14:39.480
 And two,

00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:40.320
 they say,

00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:41.520
 it's highly improbable

00:14:41.520 --> 00:14:44.320
 that a whole city will change its ways

00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:46.920
 from one man's preaching.

00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:48.860
 So let's look at this,

00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:49.220
 all right?

00:14:49.620 --> 00:14:51.000
 Swallowed by a whale

00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:52.600
 or a big fish.

00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.040
 In 1921,

00:14:56.300 --> 00:14:57.780
 there was a whaling ship

00:14:57.780 --> 00:15:00.000
 working off the Falkland Islands.

00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.160
 And a whale came up underneath the ship

00:15:03.160 --> 00:15:04.180
 and it knocked the ship

00:15:04.180 --> 00:15:07.020
 and four sailors went overboard.

00:15:07.220 --> 00:15:08.160
 And three of them,

00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:09.700
 they managed to rescue

00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:10.280
 and bring back.

00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:11.640
 But there was one,

00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:13.340
 a certain James Bartlett,

00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:15.379
 who wasn't ever recovered.

00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:17.100
 And the captain wrote in his logbook,

00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:17.420
 he said,

00:15:17.420 --> 00:15:19.759
 James Bartlett swept overboard,

00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:21.540
 presumed dead.

00:15:22.300 --> 00:15:23.379
 A few days later,

00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:25.080
 they managed to catch the whale

00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:26.480
 that had knocked their ship

00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:27.680
 and they brought it up on deck

00:15:27.680 --> 00:15:28.800
 and they were cutting it up.

00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:30.879
 And inside their belly,

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.700
 they saw something moving.

00:15:32.820 --> 00:15:34.020
 They quickly cut it open

00:15:34.020 --> 00:15:36.820
 and there was James Bartlett.

00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:38.240
 Deep in a coma,

00:15:38.420 --> 00:15:39.360
 but still breathing

00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.300
 and still very much alive.

00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:42.500
 So they took him out,

00:15:42.560 --> 00:15:43.940
 they took him into the captain's cabin,

00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:45.379
 wrapped him in blankets,

00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:46.379
 gave him water.

00:15:47.159 --> 00:15:48.259
 Two days later,

00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:51.879
 James Bartlett came out of his coma,

00:15:52.419 --> 00:15:53.440
 but he was delirious.

00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:54.519
 He was totally crazy.

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:56.100
 And anyway,

00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:57.560
 they continued to look after him.

00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.180
 After five days,

00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:02.560
 James Bartlett was back to his usual self

00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.399
 and he resumed his duties

00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:05.679
 with the rest of the crew

00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.199
 on board the ship.

00:16:07.839 --> 00:16:09.219
 And for the rest of his life,

00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:10.239
 he lived pretty normally,

00:16:10.479 --> 00:16:11.839
 except for one thing.

00:16:12.579 --> 00:16:15.079
 Wherever he didn't wear clothes,

00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:16.659
 the clothing didn't cover his body,

00:16:17.199 --> 00:16:20.059
 his skin had been bleached white

00:16:20.059 --> 00:16:22.939
 from the whale's digestive juices.

00:16:22.940 --> 00:16:25.820
 So is it possible

00:16:25.820 --> 00:16:27.280
 that a man

00:16:27.280 --> 00:16:28.240
 can be swallowed

00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:28.920
 by a whale

00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:29.520
 and survive?

00:16:29.760 --> 00:16:30.020
 Well,

00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:32.620
 we have a modern day story

00:16:32.620 --> 00:16:33.420
 that tells it is.

00:16:33.520 --> 00:16:35.000
 But I want to look at something

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:35.420
 a bit deeper.

00:16:35.560 --> 00:16:36.720
 But let's look at Jonah.

00:16:37.260 --> 00:16:38.500
 Was he dead

00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:39.640
 or alive

00:16:39.640 --> 00:16:40.220
 in that whale?

00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:42.300
 Okay,

00:16:42.380 --> 00:16:43.060
 I always think

00:16:43.060 --> 00:16:43.720
 in Sunday school,

00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:44.560
 they've always got these pictures

00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:45.160
 of Jonah

00:16:45.160 --> 00:16:46.640
 being thrown overboard

00:16:46.640 --> 00:16:47.300
 and the whales

00:16:47.300 --> 00:16:48.380
 like waiting for him,

00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:48.640
 right?

00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:49.380
 Have you seen that?

00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:49.720
 That's like,

00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:50.720
 they're just waiting

00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:51.519
 to catch him.

00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:52.439
 But actually,

00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:53.220
 it's not that way.

00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:54.620
 It says he was thrown overboard,

00:16:54.720 --> 00:16:55.759
 the waves came over him

00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:56.820
 and he sank

00:16:56.820 --> 00:16:57.980
 to the roots

00:16:57.980 --> 00:16:58.820
 of the mountain.

00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.740
 Now that means

00:16:59.740 --> 00:17:00.960
 the sea floor.

00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.240
 It takes about

00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:03.139
 a minute and a half

00:17:03.139 --> 00:17:03.980
 to two minutes

00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:05.119
 to drown.

00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.339
 It takes a lot longer

00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:06.859
 than that

00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:07.799
 to sink

00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:09.339
 to the ocean floor.

00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:11.319
 But there's another clue there.

00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:11.700
 It says,

00:17:12.180 --> 00:17:12.720
 Jonah prayed

00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:13.799
 from Sheol.

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:15.680
 This is all in chapter two.

00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:16.819
 The place

00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:18.140
 of the departed spirits.

00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:19.160
 It's a Hebrew word.

00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:20.120
 It means the place

00:17:20.120 --> 00:17:21.060
 of the dead.

00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.440
 Jonah was dead.

00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:27.900
 And after three days

00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:29.040
 and three nights,

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.019
 he was spat out again

00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:32.320
 and his spirit

00:17:32.320 --> 00:17:33.000
 was reunited

00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:33.900
 with his body.

00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:35.440
 Now can you think

00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.580
 of anyone else

00:17:36.580 --> 00:17:38.100
 that was dead

00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:39.279
 for three days

00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:40.380
 and three nights

00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:42.360
 and was resurrected again?

00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:44.960
 Okay.

00:17:45.600 --> 00:17:47.400
 This is a beautiful picture

00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:48.740
 of the resurrection.

00:17:50.120 --> 00:17:50.940
 In Jonah.

00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:53.100
 Okay.

00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:53.660
 So let's look

00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:54.279
 at the other thing.

00:17:54.620 --> 00:17:55.580
 It's improbable

00:17:55.580 --> 00:17:56.820
 that a city

00:17:56.820 --> 00:17:57.519
 would repent.

00:17:57.940 --> 00:17:58.519
 Now Jonah

00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:01.460
 was successful,

00:18:01.620 --> 00:18:01.880
 right?

00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.279
 And he preached

00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:04.100
 to these people

00:18:04.100 --> 00:18:05.100
 and it says

00:18:05.100 --> 00:18:05.900
 the whole city

00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:06.700
 repented.

00:18:07.600 --> 00:18:08.680
 And the skeptics

00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:09.340
 listen to that

00:18:09.340 --> 00:18:10.200
 and they say,

00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:10.900
 yeah,

00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:11.460
 come on,

00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:12.000
 go on.

00:18:12.540 --> 00:18:13.400
 Pull the other one.

00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:14.120
 You know,

00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:14.900
 it's kind of like

00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:15.460
 a little man

00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:16.019
 from Beijing

00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:17.200
 comes to Hong Kong

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.620
 and he preaches

00:18:18.620 --> 00:18:19.880
 and the whole city

00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:20.560
 of Hong Kong

00:18:20.560 --> 00:18:22.040
 sort of changes

00:18:22.040 --> 00:18:23.040
 its evil ways

00:18:23.040 --> 00:18:23.880
 and listen to it.

00:18:24.820 --> 00:18:25.040
 Okay,

00:18:25.100 --> 00:18:26.080
 exactly what you're thinking.

00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:26.519
 You're thinking

00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:27.240
 no ways,

00:18:27.320 --> 00:18:27.460
 right?

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:27.900
 That's just

00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:29.019
 probably wouldn't happen.

00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:30.500
 That's what the skeptics say.

00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:31.579
 But I want to give you

00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:32.440
 five reasons

00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:33.759
 why it was very probable

00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:34.640
 that the people

00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:36.059
 of Nineveh

00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:36.859
 did repent.

00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:37.920
 And hopefully

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:38.420
 it gives us

00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:39.380
 a little bit of insight

00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:40.279
 into why

00:18:40.279 --> 00:18:41.619
 some people

00:18:41.619 --> 00:18:42.819
 respond to God

00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:43.900
 and others don't.

00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:45.140
 Have you ever wondered

00:18:45.140 --> 00:18:47.339
 why two people

00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:49.000
 can hear the same message

00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.180
 and one responds to God

00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:52.759
 and the other doesn't?

00:18:52.900 --> 00:18:53.099
 Well,

00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:53.920
 hopefully this gives

00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:54.559
 a little bit of insight.

00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:56.019
 Number one,

00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:58.279
 the Ninevites

00:18:58.279 --> 00:18:59.559
 were a religious

00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:01.299
 and superstitious

00:19:01.299 --> 00:19:02.159
 people.

00:19:02.259 --> 00:19:03.419
 They had an idea

00:19:03.419 --> 00:19:04.740
 that there was something

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:06.500
 greater than them,

00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:06.759
 right?

00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:07.799
 There was a little bit

00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:09.059
 of the fear of God

00:19:09.059 --> 00:19:09.319
 in them.

00:19:09.379 --> 00:19:10.079
 They knew there was

00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:11.119
 something bigger than them

00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.059
 and they weren't really sure

00:19:12.059 --> 00:19:12.519
 what it was

00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:13.819
 so they were very superstitious

00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:15.399
 and did certain things

00:19:15.399 --> 00:19:16.779
 to please that God

00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:17.740
 that they didn't really know

00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:18.579
 who it was.

00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:21.839
 And I find it's the same today,

00:19:21.940 --> 00:19:22.059
 right?

00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:22.899
 It's much easier

00:19:22.899 --> 00:19:23.980
 to speak to people

00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:25.700
 who have some idea

00:19:25.700 --> 00:19:26.259
 about God,

00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:27.519
 have something of the fear

00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:28.639
 of God in their lives

00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:29.880
 already.

00:19:31.120 --> 00:19:31.940
 And number two,

00:19:32.340 --> 00:19:33.460
 the Ninevites were guilty.

00:19:33.800 --> 00:19:34.700
 They knew they were

00:19:34.700 --> 00:19:35.500
 bad people,

00:19:35.600 --> 00:19:35.780
 right?

00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:36.880
 They knew that they did wrong.

00:19:36.940 --> 00:19:37.540
 The only thing

00:19:37.540 --> 00:19:38.759
 that stopped them

00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:40.280
 was that they were

00:19:40.280 --> 00:19:41.620
 so big and powerful

00:19:41.620 --> 00:19:42.680
 no other nation

00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:43.340
 had stopped them

00:19:43.340 --> 00:19:44.759
 until God steps

00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:45.340
 into the scene

00:19:45.340 --> 00:19:45.680
 and he says,

00:19:45.780 --> 00:19:46.680
 I will destroy you.

00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:47.660
 So they knew

00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:48.259
 they were guilty

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:50.540
 and guilt makes cowards

00:19:50.540 --> 00:19:51.220
 of us all,

00:19:51.320 --> 00:19:51.520
 right?

00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:53.640
 Unless we own up to it,

00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:55.560
 unless we confront it.

00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:57.419
 All right.

00:19:57.779 --> 00:19:58.519
 Number four,

00:19:59.539 --> 00:20:00.559
 this revival

00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.359
 started with

00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:03.740
 the common people.

00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:04.819
 Now you,

00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:05.639
 it's very difficult

00:20:05.639 --> 00:20:06.960
 to fool the common people,

00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:07.319
 right?

00:20:07.579 --> 00:20:08.359
 But it started

00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:09.159
 with the common people

00:20:09.159 --> 00:20:10.460
 and it worked its way up

00:20:10.460 --> 00:20:11.599
 and even reached the king.

00:20:11.879 --> 00:20:13.440
 This wasn't a situation

00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.980
 where the religious powers

00:20:14.980 --> 00:20:16.399
 were forcing it down

00:20:16.399 --> 00:20:17.139
 on the people.

00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:19.460
 This was the people responding.

00:20:20.179 --> 00:20:20.700
 And number four,

00:20:20.779 --> 00:20:21.679
 this one is a little bit

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.120
 of a,

00:20:23.320 --> 00:20:24.320
 it can be argued

00:20:24.320 --> 00:20:24.980
 either way,

00:20:25.060 --> 00:20:25.680
 but I just want you

00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.380
 to think with me

00:20:27.380 --> 00:20:28.259
 what we know

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.279
 about James Bartlett.

00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:30.320
 Now imagine

00:20:30.320 --> 00:20:32.380
 Jonah arrived

00:20:32.380 --> 00:20:32.900
 in the city

00:20:32.900 --> 00:20:33.720
 and his skin

00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:34.900
 had been bleached

00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:36.680
 white as well

00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:37.440
 from being inside

00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:37.980
 this whale.

00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:38.900
 And he says,

00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:39.140
 guys,

00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:39.960
 I've been dead

00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:41.180
 for three days

00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:41.980
 and three nights.

00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:43.440
 I think we'd probably

00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:44.220
 listen to him,

00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:44.539
 right?

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:45.960
 There's the sign

00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:46.740
 of Jonah.

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:48.700
 Okay,

00:20:48.779 --> 00:20:49.560
 number five,

00:20:50.080 --> 00:20:50.799
 this is the most

00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:51.359
 important thing

00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.720
 of it all

00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:53.480
 is that God

00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:54.539
 was behind it.

00:20:55.299 --> 00:20:56.460
 When God is behind

00:20:56.460 --> 00:20:57.039
 something,

00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:58.680
 things happen.

00:21:00.659 --> 00:21:01.019
 But you know,

00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:01.819
 all this is

00:21:01.819 --> 00:21:04.220
 not the main story

00:21:04.220 --> 00:21:04.639
 of Jonah.

00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:05.319
 We can become

00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:06.299
 so bogged down

00:21:06.299 --> 00:21:07.419
 and, you know,

00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:08.079
 is it possible

00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:08.639
 for a whale

00:21:08.639 --> 00:21:09.539
 to swallow a man?

00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:10.639
 Could the whole city

00:21:10.639 --> 00:21:11.079
 repent?

00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:12.200
 And we miss

00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:13.319
 the main story

00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:13.759
 of Jonah.

00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:15.119
 We miss the main point.

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.740
 The real question

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:18.819
 we have to ask ourselves

00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:20.259
 is why did

00:21:20.259 --> 00:21:21.759
 Jonah run away?

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:23.519
 Why did he run away?

00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:27.460
 Jonah was

00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:29.420
 very successful.

00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:31.119
 Any evangelist today

00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:31.640
 you told him

00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:32.079
 you're going to go

00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:32.519
 in a city

00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:33.099
 and you're going

00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:33.480
 to preach

00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:34.359
 and everyone's

00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:34.980
 going to repent,

00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:37.059
 they would love that.

00:21:37.140 --> 00:21:37.460
 They would be

00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:38.180
 absolutely thrilled.

00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:38.920
 But not

00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:40.099
 Jonah.

00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:41.319
 And actually

00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:41.839
 there are three

00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:42.819
 reasons for it.

00:21:42.859 --> 00:21:43.339
 One of them

00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:44.099
 is good

00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:44.900
 and two of them

00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:46.660
 are not so good.

00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:47.380
 but we actually

00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:47.840
 need to know

00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:48.220
 a little bit

00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:48.920
 about Jonah

00:21:48.920 --> 00:21:49.880
 before

00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:51.340
 because the first

00:21:51.340 --> 00:21:52.040
 time we hear

00:21:52.040 --> 00:21:52.680
 about Jonah

00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:53.500
 is not actually

00:21:53.500 --> 00:21:54.300
 in the book

00:21:54.300 --> 00:21:54.779
 of Jonah.

00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:55.460
 It's in the book

00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:57.279
 of 2 Kings

00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:58.820
 in chapter 14.

00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:00.540
 Jonah gets

00:22:00.540 --> 00:22:01.360
 this message

00:22:01.360 --> 00:22:02.240
 for the king

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:02.840
 of Israel,

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:03.779
 a king called

00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:05.660
 King Jeroboam II.

00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:07.900
 He was an evil king.

00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:08.860
 It says he did

00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:10.519
 evil in the sight

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.120
 of the Lord.

00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:12.479
 And Jonah

00:22:12.479 --> 00:22:13.119
 gets a message

00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:13.579
 for him

00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:14.659
 to go to

00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:15.319
 this king

00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:17.699
 and tell him

00:22:17.699 --> 00:22:18.679
 that God's

00:22:18.679 --> 00:22:19.399
 going to bless him.

00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:20.259
 God's going

00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:20.799
 to increase

00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:21.459
 his boundary.

00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:21.819
 He's going

00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:22.379
 to increase

00:22:22.379 --> 00:22:23.000
 his wealth.

00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:23.539
 He's going

00:22:23.539 --> 00:22:24.259
 to increase

00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:26.099
 his reputation.

00:22:27.199 --> 00:22:27.899
 Jonah does this.

00:22:27.959 --> 00:22:28.079
 Now,

00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:28.919
 do you think

00:22:28.919 --> 00:22:29.919
 King Jeroboam

00:22:29.919 --> 00:22:30.939
 became better

00:22:30.939 --> 00:22:31.879
 because of this?

00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:33.759
 He didn't.

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:34.919
 He just got worse

00:22:34.919 --> 00:22:35.699
 and worse

00:22:35.699 --> 00:22:36.199
 and worse.

00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:36.719
 And Jonah

00:22:36.719 --> 00:22:37.839
 remembers this.

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:40.099
 And he's saying,

00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:40.599
 God,

00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:41.219
 I don't want

00:22:41.219 --> 00:22:41.980
 people to take

00:22:41.980 --> 00:22:42.699
 advantage of

00:22:42.699 --> 00:22:43.740
 your mercy again

00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:44.959
 because I'm jealous

00:22:44.959 --> 00:22:45.899
 for your name.

00:22:45.959 --> 00:22:46.799
 That's a good thing,

00:22:46.859 --> 00:22:47.119
 right?

00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:48.119
 I'm jealous for you.

00:22:48.139 --> 00:22:48.839
 I don't want to see

00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:49.899
 people take advantage

00:22:49.899 --> 00:22:50.599
 of your mercy

00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:52.379
 like King Jeroboam did.

00:22:53.679 --> 00:22:54.519
 And I think

00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:54.919
 there's something

00:22:54.919 --> 00:22:56.259
 inside each one of us.

00:22:56.919 --> 00:22:58.219
 We also feel that way

00:22:58.219 --> 00:22:59.159
 when you see people

00:22:59.159 --> 00:22:59.859
 take advantage

00:22:59.859 --> 00:23:00.759
 of God's mercy.

00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:01.119
 Like,

00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:02.500
 they treat it

00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:04.039
 like it's pocket change.

00:23:04.199 --> 00:23:04.299
 Just,

00:23:04.379 --> 00:23:04.480
 oh,

00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:05.099
 thanks God.

00:23:05.219 --> 00:23:05.359
 Oh,

00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:05.500
 yeah,

00:23:05.679 --> 00:23:05.959
 thanks.

00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.819
 And Jonah

00:23:08.819 --> 00:23:09.539
 is jealous

00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:10.799
 for God's name.

00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:10.920
 Now,

00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:12.000
 that's the good reason.

00:23:12.139 --> 00:23:13.019
 And unfortunately,

00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.740
 there are two other reasons

00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:16.000
 which are not so good.

00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:18.740
 And the other one

00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:19.319
 is that

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:21.420
 Jonah

00:23:21.420 --> 00:23:23.879
 is really saying,

00:23:24.159 --> 00:23:24.379
 God,

00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:25.220
 I don't want you

00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:26.139
 to be like this.

00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:28.460
 I want you to be

00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:30.599
 like how I want you

00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:31.740
 to respond.

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:32.339
 God,

00:23:32.339 --> 00:23:33.279
 God,

00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:37.480
 I want you

00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:40.079
 to judge them,

00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:40.279
 right?

00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:40.960
 That's what really

00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:41.579
 Jonah wants,

00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:41.700
 right?

00:23:41.700 --> 00:23:42.559
 He doesn't want them

00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:43.039
 to repent.

00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:43.960
 He wants them

00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:45.120
 to be destroyed.

00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:46.700
 Jonah says,

00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:47.000
 you know,

00:23:47.120 --> 00:23:47.700
 for me,

00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:48.920
 I can run away.

00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.960
 I don't have to listen

00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:50.460
 to you,

00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:51.559
 and I want mercy.

00:23:52.099 --> 00:23:53.359
 You ask me to do something,

00:23:53.579 --> 00:23:54.200
 I run away,

00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:54.940
 I want mercy.

00:23:55.380 --> 00:23:56.240
 But for that city

00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:56.799
 of Nineveh,

00:23:56.980 --> 00:23:57.900
 I want judgment,

00:23:58.079 --> 00:23:59.039
 I want justice.

00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:01.339
 And it's the same

00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:01.839
 for us,

00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:02.159
 right?

00:24:02.399 --> 00:24:03.240
 Have you ever done that?

00:24:03.299 --> 00:24:03.899
 You want mercy

00:24:03.899 --> 00:24:04.700
 for yourself,

00:24:05.299 --> 00:24:05.859
 but judgment

00:24:05.859 --> 00:24:06.619
 for others?

00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:08.240
 I'm like that.

00:24:09.659 --> 00:24:10.839
 A few months ago,

00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:12.240
 this was quite a while ago,

00:24:12.379 --> 00:24:13.220
 I was talking

00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:14.700
 to a friend of mine

00:24:14.700 --> 00:24:16.599
 who loves cycling.

00:24:17.139 --> 00:24:17.920
 And we were talking

00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:19.319
 about Lance Armstrong.

00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:19.579
 Now,

00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:20.000
 you guys know

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:20.279
 the story

00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:20.920
 of Lance Armstrong.

00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:23.079
 He was a Texan,

00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:24.500
 those dodgy Texans,

00:24:24.599 --> 00:24:24.799
 right?

00:24:26.659 --> 00:24:28.000
 So he was a Texan.

00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.140
 He rode in seven

00:24:30.140 --> 00:24:31.079
 tours de France's

00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:32.339
 and he cheated,

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:33.599
 he deceived people,

00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:34.220
 and he became

00:24:34.220 --> 00:24:34.779
 very wealthy

00:24:34.779 --> 00:24:35.079
 because,

00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:35.720
 and we were talking

00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:36.059
 about this,

00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:37.200
 and my friend

00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:38.019
 is a passionate,

00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:38.960
 he's passionate

00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:39.720
 about cycling.

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:40.720
 I don't know why,

00:24:40.819 --> 00:24:41.380
 but he is,

00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:41.700
 okay?

00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:43.619
 And he was so

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:44.619
 devastated by this.

00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:45.319
 He was the type

00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:46.319
 of guy who supported

00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:47.140
 Lance Armstrong

00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:48.039
 when everyone else

00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:48.799
 was accusing him

00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.779
 of cheating.

00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:50.539
 He was saying,

00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:51.119
 no ways,

00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:51.960
 he didn't do it,

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:52.240
 you know,

00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:53.539
 he's an honest sportsman.

00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:55.839
 And then when he came

00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:56.660
 out with a confession,

00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:57.559
 my friend was,

00:24:57.559 --> 00:24:58.440
 he was just totally

00:24:58.440 --> 00:24:59.099
 devastated.

00:24:59.299 --> 00:24:59.980
 And he was like saying,

00:25:00.659 --> 00:25:00.919
 you know,

00:25:01.019 --> 00:25:01.980
 we should just lock

00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:02.839
 Armstrong away

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:04.220
 and throw away the key.

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:05.879
 He's that evil,

00:25:05.960 --> 00:25:06.379
 that wicked.

00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:07.740
 And we were talking

00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:08.759
 and I said,

00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:09.079
 you know,

00:25:09.139 --> 00:25:10.779
 we all kind of cheat

00:25:10.779 --> 00:25:12.579
 in some way or another.

00:25:13.019 --> 00:25:13.859
 And he said,

00:25:13.940 --> 00:25:14.059
 yeah,

00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:14.720
 but it's different

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.419
 because it was

00:25:15.419 --> 00:25:16.740
 Lance Armstrong's job.

00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:17.819
 I said,

00:25:17.879 --> 00:25:17.980
 no,

00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:18.119
 no,

00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:18.220
 no,

00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:18.419
 well,

00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:19.079
 do you cheat

00:25:19.079 --> 00:25:19.619
 in your job

00:25:19.619 --> 00:25:20.240
 sometimes,

00:25:20.339 --> 00:25:20.639
 do we?

00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:20.919
 Like,

00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:22.319
 do you take a sick day

00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:23.159
 which isn't really

00:25:23.159 --> 00:25:23.839
 a sick day?

00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:25.480
 Do you help yourself

00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:26.599
 to things

00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.319
 which you shouldn't

00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:28.420
 really help yourself to?

00:25:29.140 --> 00:25:29.660
 And then he looks

00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:29.940
 and he goes,

00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:30.059
 oh,

00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:30.559
 but it's different.

00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:31.200
 Lance Armstrong

00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:32.259
 was very rich.

00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:33.599
 He didn't need to cheat.

00:25:34.380 --> 00:25:34.759
 Okay,

00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:35.740
 so let's think this through.

00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:36.660
 If you're very rich,

00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:37.519
 then you don't need

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.079
 to cheat,

00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:38.360
 right?

00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:39.740
 So I'm going

00:25:39.740 --> 00:25:40.380
 to start cheating.

00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:41.680
 But it depends.

00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:42.420
 Where do you define

00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:43.079
 that line?

00:25:43.360 --> 00:25:43.700
 We're like,

00:25:43.900 --> 00:25:44.440
 am I rich

00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:45.440
 or am I not rich?

00:25:46.120 --> 00:25:46.880
 That kind of thing.

00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:47.740
 But it's still

00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:48.680
 this essence

00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:51.120
 of judgment

00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.660
 for them,

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.059
 mercy for me,

00:25:55.140 --> 00:25:55.259
 right?

00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:56.059
 When they do it,

00:25:56.100 --> 00:25:57.100
 it's really bad

00:25:57.100 --> 00:25:58.200
 and they should be punished.

00:25:58.299 --> 00:25:59.100
 They should have justice.

00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:00.220
 When I do it,

00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:02.259
 it's actually not so bad.

00:26:02.380 --> 00:26:03.059
 Give me mercy.

00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:03.940
 And,

00:26:04.100 --> 00:26:04.279
 you know,

00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:05.580
 we can think about Hong Kong.

00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:06.799
 You know,

00:26:06.840 --> 00:26:07.500
 there was a story

00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:09.039
 about our chief executive

00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:10.140
 just before the elections

00:26:10.140 --> 00:26:11.559
 where he did some

00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:12.539
 illegal structures

00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:13.700
 to his home

00:26:13.700 --> 00:26:16.400
 and I know

00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:16.900
 a lot of people

00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:17.400
 in Hong Kong

00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:18.059
 that have lots

00:26:18.059 --> 00:26:19.100
 of illegal structures

00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:20.059
 and things that they do

00:26:20.059 --> 00:26:20.640
 to their homes

00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:21.340
 that they shouldn't really do.

00:26:21.600 --> 00:26:22.779
 But he does it

00:26:22.779 --> 00:26:23.700
 and it's terrible.

00:26:24.120 --> 00:26:25.920
 We can't elect that man.

00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:26.680
 He's not honest.

00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:27.400
 He's not right.

00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:29.299
 But we do the same thing.

00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:30.460
 Oh, well,

00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:32.279
 that's mercy for me,

00:26:32.340 --> 00:26:32.600
 right?

00:26:33.620 --> 00:26:34.319
 That's Jonah.

00:26:34.519 --> 00:26:35.440
 And the friend,

00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:36.400
 this conversation

00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.380
 I had with my friend,

00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:38.720
 it ended,

00:26:38.860 --> 00:26:39.299
 he said,

00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:40.600
 we ended up talking

00:26:40.600 --> 00:26:41.019
 about God

00:26:41.019 --> 00:26:41.660
 and he said,

00:26:42.100 --> 00:26:42.220
 well,

00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:43.380
 why doesn't God

00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:44.340
 just get rid

00:26:44.340 --> 00:26:45.580
 of all the bad people

00:26:45.580 --> 00:26:46.360
 and then

00:26:46.360 --> 00:26:47.440
 we can be okay?

00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:49.000
 You know,

00:26:49.040 --> 00:26:49.700
 there's an assumption

00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:50.580
 in that question.

00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:52.960
 Which side do you think

00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:54.000
 he put himself on,

00:26:54.040 --> 00:26:54.240
 right?

00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:55.420
 Let's get rid

00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:56.440
 of all the bad people.

00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:59.100
 But we think of ourselves,

00:26:59.580 --> 00:27:00.540
 we're the good people

00:27:00.540 --> 00:27:02.700
 and they're the bad people.

00:27:04.100 --> 00:27:05.260
 Then there's a third reason

00:27:05.260 --> 00:27:05.900
 and this

00:27:05.900 --> 00:27:08.020
 is the most

00:27:08.020 --> 00:27:10.040
 important one.

00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:11.579
 you see,

00:27:11.659 --> 00:27:13.500
 Jonah was looking

00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:15.059
 and he was making God

00:27:15.059 --> 00:27:16.559
 how he wanted him to be

00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:19.480
 and that's idolatry,

00:27:19.579 --> 00:27:19.879
 right?

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:20.740
 Like,

00:27:20.899 --> 00:27:22.859
 we might not be physically

00:27:22.859 --> 00:27:24.960
 making an idol

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:25.839
 out of wood

00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:26.559
 and stone,

00:27:26.740 --> 00:27:27.420
 a little idol

00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:28.680
 that cannot move,

00:27:28.819 --> 00:27:29.480
 cannot think,

00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:30.240
 cannot talk.

00:27:30.299 --> 00:27:31.119
 If you want to go anywhere,

00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:31.879
 you have to pick it up

00:27:31.879 --> 00:27:32.720
 and take it with you.

00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:34.359
 We might not be doing that,

00:27:34.399 --> 00:27:35.379
 but we might be creating

00:27:35.380 --> 00:27:37.360
 a mental image

00:27:37.360 --> 00:27:39.600
 of how we want God to be

00:27:39.600 --> 00:27:41.360
 and it happens

00:27:41.360 --> 00:27:42.440
 all the time.

00:27:42.520 --> 00:27:43.540
 It happens when people

00:27:43.540 --> 00:27:44.440
 start a sentence

00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:46.320
 with things like this.

00:27:46.800 --> 00:27:48.460
 I don't think God

00:27:48.460 --> 00:27:50.740
 is like this.

00:27:51.020 --> 00:27:52.160
 I don't think God

00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:53.900
 would send anyone to hell.

00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:56.200
 If I were God,

00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:57.880
 I wouldn't allow that to happen.

00:27:58.320 --> 00:27:59.360
 It's kind of like saying,

00:27:59.460 --> 00:27:59.620
 you know,

00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:00.900
 if I would do a better job

00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:01.440
 of being God

00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:02.780
 than God is doing right now.

00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:05.579
 And you hear it like,

00:28:06.399 --> 00:28:07.379
 there can't be a God.

00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:08.099
 If there was a God,

00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:10.899
 He wouldn't allow earthquakes.

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.980
 He wouldn't allow tsunamis.

00:28:13.139 --> 00:28:15.119
 He wouldn't allow murderers.

00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:16.960
 He wouldn't allow liars.

00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:17.399
 Oh wait,

00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:18.539
 I'm a liar.

00:28:18.619 --> 00:28:18.779
 Okay,

00:28:18.819 --> 00:28:19.839
 He would allow liars.

00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:22.200
 See how our mind works?

00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.480
 But the biggest part of Jonah

00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:27.819
 is that he just misses

00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:30.139
 God's compassion

00:28:30.139 --> 00:28:32.139
 and mercy.

00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:36.160
 Jonah is upset

00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:37.960
 over his success.

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:40.000
 You know,

00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:41.539
 he doesn't see

00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:42.700
 that God

00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:44.619
 is concerned with people,

00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:45.899
 that God has compassion

00:28:45.899 --> 00:28:47.200
 on people.

00:28:47.619 --> 00:28:47.839
 You know,

00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:48.839
 he says it.

00:28:48.879 --> 00:28:49.519
 He says it.

00:28:49.559 --> 00:28:50.079
 In the words,

00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:50.440
 he says,

00:28:50.740 --> 00:28:50.920
 God,

00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:52.019
 I knew you like this.

00:28:52.099 --> 00:28:53.339
 I know that you are full

00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:54.619
 of grace and mercy,

00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:55.740
 abounding in love.

00:28:55.819 --> 00:28:57.440
 You relent from bringing calamity.

00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.240
 Slow to anger.

00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:00.859
 It's like,

00:29:00.859 --> 00:29:02.199
 I know you like this,

00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.240
 but I just miss the point

00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:04.899
 of it, right?

00:29:04.959 --> 00:29:06.019
 I miss the fact

00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:08.039
 that you care

00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:09.819
 about people.

00:29:10.619 --> 00:29:12.299
 You care about them.

00:29:12.779 --> 00:29:14.339
 You're concerned about them.

00:29:14.379 --> 00:29:15.240
 You're even concerned

00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:16.199
 about the animals.

00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:18.539
 It just misses

00:29:18.539 --> 00:29:20.119
 the heart of God.

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:22.259
 We can do that,

00:29:22.299 --> 00:29:22.500
 right?

00:29:25.219 --> 00:29:25.619
 Now,

00:29:26.179 --> 00:29:26.859
 Martin Luther

00:29:26.859 --> 00:29:28.179
 once famously said,

00:29:28.239 --> 00:29:28.479
 he said,

00:29:28.579 --> 00:29:29.459
 if I were God,

00:29:29.659 --> 00:29:30.359
 I would have kicked

00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:31.359
 the world to pieces

00:29:31.359 --> 00:29:32.279
 long ago.

00:29:32.979 --> 00:29:33.199
 Well,

00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:33.759
 thank God

00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:34.359
 Martin Luther

00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:35.199
 wasn't God,

00:29:35.899 --> 00:29:36.619
 but,

00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:37.439
 you know,

00:29:37.539 --> 00:29:38.659
 we don't understand

00:29:38.659 --> 00:29:39.500
 the patience

00:29:39.500 --> 00:29:40.419
 and the long

00:29:40.419 --> 00:29:40.979
 suffering

00:29:40.979 --> 00:29:42.559
 of God.

00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:43.919
 We miss it.

00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:46.139
 We can be like

00:29:46.139 --> 00:29:46.739
 Martin Luther.

00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:47.419
 We just want to kick

00:29:47.419 --> 00:29:48.500
 the world to pieces.

00:29:48.500 --> 00:29:50.759
 We miss the fact

00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:51.880
 that God is patient,

00:29:52.099 --> 00:29:53.099
 wanting people

00:29:53.099 --> 00:29:54.420
 to come to him,

00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:55.240
 wanting people

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:56.519
 to turn to him,

00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:57.299
 and he's waiting

00:29:57.299 --> 00:29:58.319
 patiently.

00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:03.920
 Now,

00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:05.000
 that doesn't mean

00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:06.059
 that God

00:30:06.059 --> 00:30:06.799
 is not

00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:07.640
 just.

00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:09.359
 See,

00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:09.940
 unfortunately,

00:30:10.240 --> 00:30:10.680
 today,

00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:11.859
 there's a lot of people

00:30:11.859 --> 00:30:13.339
 we just want God

00:30:13.339 --> 00:30:14.079
 to be

00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:15.099
 all mercy,

00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:16.000
 all mercy,

00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:16.779
 no justice,

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:17.420
 no judgment,

00:30:17.539 --> 00:30:19.039
 just all mercy,

00:30:19.420 --> 00:30:20.720
 and we kind of want

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:22.480
 Santa Claus

00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:24.519
 rather than Jesus Christ.

00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:26.799
 You know,

00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:27.519
 we want to live

00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:28.339
 how we want to live.

00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:29.140
 We want to treat him

00:30:29.140 --> 00:30:30.240
 how we want to treat him.

00:30:30.380 --> 00:30:31.200
 We ignore him

00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:32.180
 until there's a problem,

00:30:32.599 --> 00:30:33.660
 and then we say,

00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:34.579
 God,

00:30:34.740 --> 00:30:34.880
 come,

00:30:35.059 --> 00:30:35.640
 I need your help.

00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:36.099
 Quickly,

00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:36.759
 I'll say my prayer.

00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:37.099
 All right,

00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:37.880
 now help me.

00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:38.059
 All right,

00:30:38.119 --> 00:30:38.420
 now bye-bye,

00:30:38.500 --> 00:30:39.140
 and I'll go off,

00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.319
 and I'll live exactly

00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:42.599
 how I want to live

00:30:42.599 --> 00:30:43.859
 again,

00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:45.519
 and all the while,

00:30:45.639 --> 00:30:46.459
 we just want God

00:30:46.459 --> 00:30:47.219
 to be with us,

00:30:47.299 --> 00:30:48.059
 pat us on the head

00:30:48.059 --> 00:30:48.500
 and say,

00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:49.139
 now,

00:30:49.219 --> 00:30:49.419
 now,

00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:49.639
 there,

00:30:49.740 --> 00:30:49.959
 there,

00:30:49.959 --> 00:30:51.119
 boys will be boys,

00:30:51.419 --> 00:30:52.659
 and that's it.

00:30:53.479 --> 00:30:54.559
 And we just want God

00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:55.399
 to be all mercy,

00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:56.039
 and we forget

00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:57.579
 that he is a God

00:30:57.579 --> 00:30:58.379
 of justice

00:30:58.379 --> 00:30:59.259
 and righteousness,

00:30:59.559 --> 00:31:00.419
 and that makes

00:31:00.419 --> 00:31:01.879
 him holy,

00:31:02.379 --> 00:31:03.979
 even in the city

00:31:03.979 --> 00:31:04.859
 of Nineveh,

00:31:04.939 --> 00:31:06.159
 because in Nineveh,

00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:09.179
 150 years later,

00:31:09.479 --> 00:31:11.059
 God sent another prophet,

00:31:11.159 --> 00:31:12.119
 a prophet called Nahum.

00:31:12.199 --> 00:31:13.379
 I hope you hear about Nahum

00:31:13.380 --> 00:31:14.040
 over the summer,

00:31:14.760 --> 00:31:15.720
 and Nahum said,

00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:16.980
 enough is enough,

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:20.340
 150 years of mercy

00:31:20.340 --> 00:31:21.380
 and compassion,

00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:23.140
 and they didn't change.

00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:24.160
 It didn't last,

00:31:24.800 --> 00:31:25.400
 and eventually,

00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:26.540
 God says,

00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:27.700
 enough is enough.

00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:29.800
 It's time for justice,

00:31:29.900 --> 00:31:30.440
 and today,

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:32.120
 there is nothing left

00:31:32.120 --> 00:31:32.680
 of Nineveh.

00:31:32.800 --> 00:31:34.320
 It's a bunch of rubble

00:31:34.320 --> 00:31:35.140
 and ruins.

00:31:37.600 --> 00:31:38.860
 Let's go back to Jonah.

00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:41.460
 He ran away

00:31:41.460 --> 00:31:43.880
 because of his past experience.

00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.980
 Jonah had been burnt.

00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:47.000
 Okay?

00:31:47.140 --> 00:31:48.019
 He had been burnt.

00:31:49.100 --> 00:31:49.519
 Also,

00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:51.079
 he thought he knew

00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:52.079
 God's business

00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:53.759
 better than God.

00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:56.340
 And third one

00:31:56.340 --> 00:31:57.640
 could have been

00:31:57.640 --> 00:31:58.740
 that Jonah was

00:31:58.740 --> 00:32:00.140
 scared to go,

00:32:00.259 --> 00:32:00.480
 right?

00:32:00.539 --> 00:32:01.400
 He probably knew

00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:01.900
 the reputation

00:32:01.900 --> 00:32:02.860
 of the Assyrians,

00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:04.000
 and he was scared to go,

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:05.039
 but this is the same guy

00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:05.400
 that said,

00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:06.460
 throw me overboard.

00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:07.240
 So,

00:32:07.380 --> 00:32:07.839
 I don't know

00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:08.839
 if he was scared or not,

00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:09.960
 but he could have been scared.

00:32:10.480 --> 00:32:11.599
 But the real question

00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:12.720
 we have to ask ourselves

00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:13.440
 today is,

00:32:14.779 --> 00:32:16.000
 why are you

00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:18.140
 running away from God?

00:32:23.259 --> 00:32:23.720
 Now,

00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:25.180
 we might not physically

00:32:25.180 --> 00:32:27.140
 be running away from God,

00:32:27.220 --> 00:32:28.180
 but what is it

00:32:28.180 --> 00:32:29.779
 that God

00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:31.440
 has asked you to do?

00:32:32.279 --> 00:32:33.000
 What is it

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:33.400
 that God

00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:34.000
 has asked you

00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:35.380
 to change?

00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:36.600
 What is it

00:32:36.600 --> 00:32:36.980
 that God

00:32:36.980 --> 00:32:37.700
 has asked you

00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:39.100
 to be

00:32:39.100 --> 00:32:40.500
 that you're

00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:41.340
 running away from?

00:32:43.840 --> 00:32:44.320
 Now,

00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:44.740
 there might be

00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:45.480
 some people here

00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:45.900
 today

00:32:45.900 --> 00:32:47.000
 who

00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:49.259
 don't yet

00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:49.960
 believe

00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:50.820
 or don't yet

00:32:50.820 --> 00:32:52.100
 trust Jesus,

00:32:52.660 --> 00:32:55.080
 and he's calling you.

00:32:55.360 --> 00:32:55.799
 You know

00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:56.779
 he's calling you,

00:32:57.080 --> 00:32:57.759
 and yet

00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:59.120
 you're running,

00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:00.459
 and you're thinking,

00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:01.879
 not now,

00:33:02.059 --> 00:33:02.739
 not now,

00:33:02.859 --> 00:33:03.099
 okay?

00:33:03.219 --> 00:33:03.439
 Or,

00:33:03.679 --> 00:33:04.359
 what will people

00:33:04.359 --> 00:33:05.039
 think of me

00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:06.699
 if I follow this man

00:33:06.699 --> 00:33:08.679
 called Jesus Christ?

00:33:09.099 --> 00:33:09.599
 Or,

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:11.519
 maybe it can wait

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.259
 until I'm older

00:33:12.259 --> 00:33:12.939
 when I'm not

00:33:12.939 --> 00:33:14.259
 so busy,

00:33:14.719 --> 00:33:15.879
 but the truth is

00:33:15.879 --> 00:33:16.699
 we're just

00:33:16.699 --> 00:33:17.619
 running.

00:33:20.339 --> 00:33:21.439
 At the beginning

00:33:21.439 --> 00:33:22.239
 of the sermon,

00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:23.219
 I asked you

00:33:23.219 --> 00:33:25.000
 if you believed

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:26.579
 if Jonah was

00:33:26.579 --> 00:33:27.259
 fact

00:33:27.259 --> 00:33:28.660
 or fiction,

00:33:28.879 --> 00:33:29.379
 but I'm really

00:33:29.379 --> 00:33:30.119
 asking a much

00:33:30.119 --> 00:33:30.960
 deeper question.

00:33:31.879 --> 00:33:32.299
 What do you

00:33:32.299 --> 00:33:33.019
 think God

00:33:33.019 --> 00:33:34.319
 is like?

00:33:35.379 --> 00:33:36.440
 Is he good?

00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:38.000
 Is he strong?

00:33:39.019 --> 00:33:40.059
 Can he be trusted?

00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:42.500
 Is he worth it?

00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:43.920
 Is he worth

00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:44.859
 your life?

00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:47.240
 Is he really

00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:48.039
 God

00:33:48.039 --> 00:33:49.400
 in your life?

00:33:52.579 --> 00:33:53.779
 I have a ball here,

00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:54.379
 okay?

00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:55.700
 It's a squash ball.

00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:56.720
 Okay,

00:33:56.740 --> 00:33:57.779
 I like to play squash.

00:33:57.900 --> 00:33:58.700
 I'm not very good,

00:33:59.259 --> 00:34:01.240
 but I once played

00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:02.160
 with an American

00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:02.900
 friend of mine

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.860
 and he played

00:34:03.860 --> 00:34:05.039
 racquetball beforehand

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:06.600
 and we played squash

00:34:06.600 --> 00:34:07.440
 in the same sort

00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:08.039
 of small room

00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:08.679
 and he got in

00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:09.500
 and he took the ball

00:34:09.500 --> 00:34:09.679
 and said,

00:34:09.740 --> 00:34:09.900
 all right,

00:34:09.940 --> 00:34:10.320
 let's go

00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:10.780
 and he took the ball

00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:11.400
 and he just dropped it

00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:12.179
 and if you know

00:34:12.179 --> 00:34:13.159
 anything about a squash ball,

00:34:13.220 --> 00:34:14.579
 it just doesn't bounce.

00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:15.220
 Okay,

00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:15.720
 so it just went

00:34:15.720 --> 00:34:16.920
 like a little piece

00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:17.559
 of blue tack

00:34:17.559 --> 00:34:18.400
 on the floor.

00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:19.079
 So,

00:34:19.659 --> 00:34:20.320
 it's a very

00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:21.079
 insignificant

00:34:21.079 --> 00:34:22.500
 little ball

00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:25.259
 but I want you

00:34:25.259 --> 00:34:26.179
 to think of this

00:34:26.179 --> 00:34:28.460
 as our home,

00:34:28.799 --> 00:34:29.019
 all right,

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:29.759
 our little planet

00:34:29.759 --> 00:34:30.539
 and I want you

00:34:30.539 --> 00:34:32.039
 to find yourself

00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:33.340
 on there,

00:34:33.619 --> 00:34:33.819
 okay?

00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:34.940
 There's Hong Kong

00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:36.599
 and kind of picture

00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:37.659
 yourself on there

00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:39.059
 and I kind of see

00:34:39.059 --> 00:34:40.679
 myself on this

00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:42.099
 tiny little ball

00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:43.819
 and sometimes

00:34:43.820 --> 00:34:46.160
 I just think,

00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:46.480
 you know,

00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:48.100
 my life

00:34:48.100 --> 00:34:49.539
 and my career

00:34:49.539 --> 00:34:50.880
 and my family

00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:52.240
 and my children's education,

00:34:52.740 --> 00:34:54.420
 I need to hold on to them,

00:34:54.500 --> 00:34:55.620
 I need to control them,

00:34:55.940 --> 00:34:56.640
 I kind of,

00:34:56.880 --> 00:34:57.660
 you know what I'm doing?

00:34:58.720 --> 00:34:59.700
 I'm making God

00:34:59.700 --> 00:35:01.080
 even a smaller speck

00:35:01.080 --> 00:35:01.840
 than me,

00:35:02.059 --> 00:35:03.180
 this tiny little thing

00:35:03.180 --> 00:35:04.300
 and I'm making him

00:35:04.300 --> 00:35:04.700
 very,

00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:05.160
 very,

00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:05.920
 very small

00:35:05.920 --> 00:35:08.220
 and the whole time

00:35:08.220 --> 00:35:09.019
 I can just imagine

00:35:09.019 --> 00:35:09.400
 God,

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:10.039
 he's sitting there

00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:10.360
 and he's,

00:35:11.580 --> 00:35:12.000
 Graham,

00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:14.519
 what are you doing?

00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:15.699
 Now,

00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:16.480
 what are you doing?

00:35:17.260 --> 00:35:18.139
 Just look at me,

00:35:18.699 --> 00:35:19.380
 look at me.

00:35:19.860 --> 00:35:19.960
 Now,

00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:21.159
 suddenly,

00:35:21.380 --> 00:35:23.219
 God is so big,

00:35:23.300 --> 00:35:23.840
 we forget

00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:25.059
 his power,

00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:26.559
 we forget his size,

00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:27.340
 we forget that

00:35:27.340 --> 00:35:28.880
 he is God

00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:29.800
 almighty

00:35:29.800 --> 00:35:30.559
 and instead

00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:31.340
 we make him

00:35:31.340 --> 00:35:32.539
 a smaller speck

00:35:32.539 --> 00:35:33.920
 than he is

00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:35.039
 and we don't trust him

00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:37.119
 and also,

00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:38.079
 we forget about

00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:39.300
 God's grace,

00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:40.619
 we forget the fact

00:35:40.619 --> 00:35:41.820
 that God said

00:35:41.820 --> 00:35:42.720
 the word came

00:35:42.720 --> 00:35:43.420
 to Jonah

00:35:43.420 --> 00:35:45.519
 a second time.

00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:47.640
 Okay,

00:35:47.680 --> 00:35:48.160
 now Jonah,

00:35:48.500 --> 00:35:49.100
 God could have

00:35:49.100 --> 00:35:49.720
 looked at Jonah

00:35:49.720 --> 00:35:50.019
 and said,

00:35:50.100 --> 00:35:50.200
 alright,

00:35:50.300 --> 00:35:51.380
 you want to run away

00:35:51.380 --> 00:35:52.220
 and do your thing,

00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:53.300
 that's fine,

00:35:53.640 --> 00:35:54.820
 I'll find someone else

00:35:54.820 --> 00:35:55.960
 who does want to go,

00:35:56.160 --> 00:35:57.180
 who does want to do the thing.

00:35:57.740 --> 00:35:58.780
 God wasn't like that,

00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:00.800
 God pursued Jonah.

00:36:02.140 --> 00:36:02.360
 It says,

00:36:02.519 --> 00:36:03.400
 the word of the Lord

00:36:03.400 --> 00:36:04.260
 came to Jonah

00:36:04.260 --> 00:36:06.460
 a second time.

00:36:09.080 --> 00:36:10.220
 You know when things

00:36:10.220 --> 00:36:11.380
 changed for Jonah?

00:36:11.380 --> 00:36:11.480
 Jonah,

00:36:11.780 --> 00:36:13.980
 was when he prayed.

00:36:16.280 --> 00:36:17.320
 In humility,

00:36:17.539 --> 00:36:18.380
 he just cried out

00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:18.780
 to God

00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:19.579
 and he prayed.

00:36:20.300 --> 00:36:21.019
 He didn't

00:36:21.019 --> 00:36:22.480
 go to a monastery

00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:23.260
 and spend

00:36:23.260 --> 00:36:24.200
 seven years

00:36:24.200 --> 00:36:24.860
 up there

00:36:24.860 --> 00:36:27.119
 just meditating

00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:27.740
 and stuff

00:36:27.740 --> 00:36:28.860
 before he was right

00:36:28.860 --> 00:36:29.519
 before God,

00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:30.400
 he just

00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:31.380
 prayed

00:36:31.380 --> 00:36:32.980
 and he connected

00:36:32.980 --> 00:36:34.180
 with his God again.

00:36:34.179 --> 00:36:39.199
 in humility,

00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:40.519
 he cried out

00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:41.759
 to God.

00:36:44.859 --> 00:36:46.559
 Because in Jonah,

00:36:46.919 --> 00:36:48.460
 we see Jesus.

00:36:49.819 --> 00:36:50.460
 Jonah said,

00:36:50.579 --> 00:36:51.779
 you need to kill me,

00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:53.139
 you need to throw me

00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:53.779
 overboard,

00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:55.079
 that the righteous

00:36:55.079 --> 00:36:56.179
 anger of God

00:36:56.179 --> 00:36:57.239
 will be turned away,

00:36:57.339 --> 00:36:57.819
 that the sea

00:36:57.819 --> 00:36:58.619
 will become calm

00:36:58.619 --> 00:36:59.460
 and that you

00:36:59.460 --> 00:37:00.559
 will be saved.

00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:00.619
 saved.

00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:02.519
 In Jesus,

00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:04.599
 we see the Son

00:37:04.599 --> 00:37:05.039
 of God

00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:05.880
 saying to the Father,

00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:06.759
 I will be

00:37:06.759 --> 00:37:07.659
 the pure,

00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:08.559
 innocent sacrifice.

00:37:09.420 --> 00:37:11.019
 I will sacrifice

00:37:11.019 --> 00:37:12.579
 in order to turn away

00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:13.739
 the righteous

00:37:13.739 --> 00:37:14.559
 anger

00:37:14.559 --> 00:37:15.480
 of God

00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:16.599
 that many

00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:18.039
 will be saved.

00:37:18.119 --> 00:37:19.460
 Whoever believes

00:37:19.460 --> 00:37:21.739
 will be saved.

00:37:21.739 --> 00:37:22.879
 In Jonah,

00:37:23.019 --> 00:37:24.079
 we see a man

00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:24.839
 who was dead

00:37:24.839 --> 00:37:25.839
 for three days

00:37:25.839 --> 00:37:26.779
 and three nights

00:37:26.779 --> 00:37:27.839
 in a whale

00:37:27.839 --> 00:37:29.199
 and after three days

00:37:29.199 --> 00:37:29.819
 and three nights

00:37:29.819 --> 00:37:30.759
 was reunited

00:37:30.759 --> 00:37:32.179
 body and spirit,

00:37:32.279 --> 00:37:32.979
 his old body

00:37:32.979 --> 00:37:33.719
 and his spirit.

00:37:33.979 --> 00:37:34.639
 In Jesus,

00:37:34.959 --> 00:37:37.119
 we see the Son of God

00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:38.519
 after three days

00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:39.500
 and three nights

00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:41.779
 being raised

00:37:41.779 --> 00:37:42.479
 from the dead

00:37:42.479 --> 00:37:43.659
 but this time

00:37:43.659 --> 00:37:44.879
 with a new body.

00:37:45.379 --> 00:37:46.219
 That is our hope.

00:37:46.359 --> 00:37:47.099
 That is our hope.

00:37:47.500 --> 00:37:48.699
 Jesus has been raised.

00:37:48.699 --> 00:37:51.719
 In Jonah,

00:37:52.099 --> 00:37:53.839
 we see a whole city

00:37:53.839 --> 00:37:54.739
 rejoicing

00:37:54.739 --> 00:37:56.139
 because of Jonah's obedience.

00:37:56.819 --> 00:37:58.099
 We see a whole city

00:37:58.099 --> 00:37:59.319
 that was saved

00:37:59.319 --> 00:38:00.239
 from calamity.

00:38:01.339 --> 00:38:02.019
 In Jesus,

00:38:02.379 --> 00:38:03.500
 we see nations,

00:38:03.719 --> 00:38:05.299
 we see the multitudes

00:38:05.299 --> 00:38:06.559
 rejoicing

00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:07.739
 in the fact

00:38:07.739 --> 00:38:09.179
 that he was obedient

00:38:09.179 --> 00:38:10.019
 to his Father.

00:38:10.019 --> 00:38:16.139
 Do you believe

00:38:16.139 --> 00:38:16.820
 Jonah

00:38:16.820 --> 00:38:18.280
 is fact

00:38:18.280 --> 00:38:19.000
 or fiction?

00:38:20.619 --> 00:38:21.900
 Do you believe

00:38:21.900 --> 00:38:22.960
 God resurrected

00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:24.179
 Jonah from the dead?

00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:26.400
 Do you believe

00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:27.360
 God raised

00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:28.679
 his only Son

00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:30.780
 to eternal life?

00:38:31.659 --> 00:38:33.139
 Do you believe

00:38:33.139 --> 00:38:35.019
 one day

00:38:35.019 --> 00:38:35.900
 you

00:38:35.900 --> 00:38:37.719
 will be raised

00:38:37.719 --> 00:38:38.380
 from the dead

00:38:38.380 --> 00:38:39.000
 and I

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:40.180
 will be raised

00:38:40.180 --> 00:38:40.660
 from the dead?

00:38:40.740 --> 00:38:41.440
 Do you believe

00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:42.320
 one day

00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:44.140
 you will stand

00:38:44.140 --> 00:38:46.440
 before God?

00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:48.740
 Do you believe

00:38:48.740 --> 00:38:49.460
 he is

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:50.840
 almighty God,

00:38:51.200 --> 00:38:52.480
 a God who saves?

00:38:53.960 --> 00:38:55.340
 Do you believe

00:38:55.340 --> 00:38:57.260
 he is good?

00:39:02.740 --> 00:39:03.260
 Watermark,

00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:04.240
 if there's anything

00:39:04.240 --> 00:39:05.119
 you leave with today,

00:39:05.200 --> 00:39:06.180
 I want you to see

00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:08.639
 that God is good.

00:39:09.819 --> 00:39:11.379
 God can be trusted.

00:39:12.619 --> 00:39:13.119
 And as much

00:39:13.119 --> 00:39:13.679
 as you're running

00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:14.359
 away from God,

00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:14.980
 God is running

00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:15.539
 after you.

00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:17.359
 He's pursuing you.

00:39:17.859 --> 00:39:18.759
 He's calling to you.

00:39:19.319 --> 00:39:20.539
 My plea with you

00:39:20.539 --> 00:39:21.480
 is that

00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:22.779
 he's good

00:39:22.779 --> 00:39:23.799
 and he's gracious.

00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:24.659
 Instead of running

00:39:24.659 --> 00:39:25.379
 away from him,

00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:26.379
 let's run to him.

00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:27.399
 Let's run with him.

00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:31.639
 Can I pray

00:39:31.639 --> 00:39:32.440
 for you guys?

00:39:33.619 --> 00:39:34.559
 Can we stand?

00:39:34.559 --> 00:39:37.019
 Father God,

00:39:37.079 --> 00:39:38.039
 we come before you

00:39:38.039 --> 00:39:38.639
 this morning

00:39:38.639 --> 00:39:39.639
 as your people.

00:39:39.860 --> 00:39:40.239
 We come

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:41.980
 to praise you

00:39:41.980 --> 00:39:43.400
 as the Holy One,

00:39:43.480 --> 00:39:44.799
 as the King of Kings

00:39:44.799 --> 00:39:46.000
 and the Lord of Lords,

00:39:46.360 --> 00:39:47.119
 the God

00:39:47.119 --> 00:39:47.940
 of all

00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:48.900
 creation.

00:39:49.519 --> 00:39:50.719
 We praise you

00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:51.880
 and we thank you

00:39:51.880 --> 00:39:53.400
 for your mercy,

00:39:53.579 --> 00:39:54.019
 Lord God.

00:39:54.099 --> 00:39:54.820
 We thank you

00:39:54.820 --> 00:39:55.940
 that you are a God

00:39:55.940 --> 00:39:57.079
 who is rich

00:39:57.079 --> 00:39:57.980
 in mercy,

00:39:58.279 --> 00:39:59.139
 who's slow

00:39:59.139 --> 00:40:00.559
 to anger.

00:40:00.739 --> 00:40:00.980
 And Lord,

00:40:01.019 --> 00:40:01.659
 we thank you

00:40:01.659 --> 00:40:03.259
 for your justice

00:40:03.259 --> 00:40:05.460
 and we trust

00:40:05.460 --> 00:40:05.879
 in that,

00:40:05.980 --> 00:40:06.440
 Lord God.

00:40:07.059 --> 00:40:07.319
 Father,

00:40:07.399 --> 00:40:08.339
 I pray for us

00:40:08.339 --> 00:40:09.039
 as a church

00:40:09.039 --> 00:40:09.819
 and as a people

00:40:09.819 --> 00:40:11.039
 that as we go out

00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:11.759
 into the world

00:40:11.759 --> 00:40:12.819
 that we might be

00:40:12.819 --> 00:40:13.339
 a people

00:40:13.339 --> 00:40:15.019
 that your mercy

00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:16.279
 flows through us

00:40:16.279 --> 00:40:17.279
 like electricity

00:40:17.279 --> 00:40:19.059
 into this world.

00:40:19.759 --> 00:40:20.719
 I pray for us

00:40:20.719 --> 00:40:22.159
 that we will see you

00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:23.980
 for who you really are.

00:40:24.219 --> 00:40:25.339
 We will see you

00:40:25.339 --> 00:40:28.500
 as almighty God,

00:40:28.500 --> 00:40:30.099
 big God

00:40:30.099 --> 00:40:31.179
 who can be trusted

00:40:31.179 --> 00:40:31.860
 and loved

00:40:31.860 --> 00:40:32.699
 and served.

00:40:33.539 --> 00:40:33.679
 Father,

00:40:33.800 --> 00:40:34.400
 thank you

00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:35.280
 that we're this

00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:35.760
 tiny,

00:40:35.900 --> 00:40:36.239
 tiny,

00:40:36.340 --> 00:40:37.079
 tiny speck

00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:38.699
 and yet you make

00:40:38.699 --> 00:40:39.400
 much of us

00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:40.880
 and yet you care

00:40:40.880 --> 00:40:42.079
 for us

00:40:42.079 --> 00:40:44.219
 and yet you love us

00:40:44.219 --> 00:40:45.500
 and you are concerned

00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:46.840
 about us.

00:40:48.119 --> 00:40:49.340
 In Jesus' name,

00:40:50.039 --> 00:40:50.280
 Amen.