WEBVTT

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 One of the most unbelievable and unbelieved stories in the whole Bible is the story of Jonah.

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 Jonah being swallowed by a big fish and living to tell about it.

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 A little girl discovered that her second grade teacher didn't believe this story.

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 She found it out the day they were studying about whales in school.

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 The little girl asked her teacher if she had ever heard the story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale.

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 The teacher didn't answer the question, but she did say it would be difficult.

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 She said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because the whale's throat was too small.

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 Well, the girl responded matter-of-factly that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

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 The teacher was obviously irritated at her keeping on and repeated her statement that a whale could not swallow a human.

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 It was physically impossible.

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 Well, the little girl was not going to be silent.

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 So she said, when I get to heaven, I'll ask Jonah.

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 The teacher came back, what if Jonah doesn't go to heaven?

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 What if Jonah went to hell?

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 The little girl replied, well, then you can ask him.

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 I pointed out last week that the book of Jonah makes no attempt to convince skeptics like that teacher.

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 It just simply tells the story about God's miraculous and gracious intervention to save Jonah.

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 But we do have a very convincing reason to believe that what happened to Jonah really took place.

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 Jesus believed it.

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 And Jesus even used this story to teach about his own death and resurrection.

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 I pointed it out last week, but it's important for us to see.

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 This is evidence for the reality of what we're reading in Jonah.

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 Look at it again.

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 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.

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 But he, Jesus, answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign,

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 but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

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 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,

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 so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

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 Jesus is telling us it happened.

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 And it is an example, a type really, Jonah is, of what's going to happen to him.

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 Let's look at chapter 2 this morning and see what we can learn from Jonah's experience

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 of running to God in prayer.

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 Read it with me.

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 It actually begins in 1.17.

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 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah,

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 and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

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 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying,

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 and from this point to the end of chapter, or verse 9, this is a psalm.

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 It's written in the form of poetry.

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 In all likelihood, it's very obvious in your Bible.

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 It's laid out that way.

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 Verse 2 is really sort of an introduction and summary of his prayer.

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 He says,

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 I called out to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me.

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 Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

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 Beginning in verse 3, Jonah sort of rehearses his crisis.

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 He goes over what happened to him in his psalm in poetic form.

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 Look at it.

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 For you cast me into the deep, to the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me.

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 All your waves and your billows passed over me.

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 Then I said, I am driven away from your sight, yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.

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 The waters closed in over me to take my life.

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 The deep surrounded me.

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 Weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains.

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 I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever.

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 Now he moves into God's rescue.

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 Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.

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 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you and to your holy temple.

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 The last part of the psalm is really a prayer of thanksgiving and commitment.

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 Verse 8.

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 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

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 But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you what I have vowed I will pay.

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 Salvation belongs to the Lord.

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 And that's the end of the psalm.

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 The prose picks back up in verse 10.

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 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

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 We looked at the first major point of this message last week.

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 And I want to look at it today.

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 A little bit of what we saw last week, and we're going to add a little bit more.

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 God can put us in a position where all we can do is pray.

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 When you read Jonah 1 and 2, and you try to summarize what is happening in chapter 2,

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 God can put us in a position where all we can do is pray.

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 From the beginning of chapter 1, Jonah has been running away from God.

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 Running away from God's call to go to Nineveh and preach to a wicked people that Jonah didn't like,

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 and he didn't want to be saved.

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 He did not want them to turn to God.

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 So he wasn't going to go and preach.

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 Several commentators point out how much the word down is used to describe Jonah's rebellious flight away from God

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 and away from doing God's will.

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 Think about it.

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 He went down to Joppa, down into a ship, down into the depths of the ship.

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 But that's not the end of Jonah's descent, is it?

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 He went further down, what we've been reading now, into the depths of the ocean.

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 Now what we're reading about Jonah is an extreme example.

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 I mean, how many people do you know have disobeyed God and been swallowed by a fish?

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 Not many, are there?

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 So it's an extreme example, but it is a real example of what happens to anyone

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 who rebels against God and just refuses to do God's will.

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 A writer by the name of O. Palmer Robertson, I think he does a good job of explaining this.

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 Look at it.

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 The sinner goes down.

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 He begins the descent by his own acts of folly, foolishness.

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 He tries to run from the will of God and he trips on his own dangling shoelaces.

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 It is just a fact.

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 Nothing can be in its right order when you are living in rebellion against the will of God.

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 The circumstances of life will bring you down.

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 Your own inner spirit will bring you down.

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 The hand of the Lord will bring you down.

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 I think he is profound in what he says here.

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 Nothing can be right in your life when you're not right with God.

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 When you are deliberately disobeying something that he's made clear to you,

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 nothing will be right.

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 Your world will not be right.

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 And sooner or later, especially if you are a child of God,

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 and you're rebelling against him,

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 sooner or later he's going to have enough.

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 And God, as Robertson said,

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 the hand of the Lord will bring you down.

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 I want to say it again.

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 What God did to Jonah was unique.

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 But God does have many ways of getting our attention

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 and putting us in a position where we are willing to turn to him

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 and start obeying him.

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 He can do things like,

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 he can get our attention and work this way in a family crisis,

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 a health scare,

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 financial difficulties.

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 After I preached this this morning,

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 one of our members,

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 Mike Rushton,

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 reminded me,

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 God can break your back

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 to get your attention

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 and call you to himself.

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 Mike gave his testimony here,

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 what,

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 three, four, five years ago,

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 about how he didn't have any use for God.

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 He didn't have any use for people

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 who wanted to talk to him about God.

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 At that time in his life,

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 he was a logger.

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 And one day,

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 he cut a tree and it fell wrong,

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 and it fell on him,

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 and it broke his back,

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 and he wound up in the hospital.

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 And he told me,

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 after the service this morning,

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 and feel free to share it,

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 God has ways

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 of saying enough.

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 God can put us in a position

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 where all we can do

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 is look up,

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 he said,

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 from a hospital bed.

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 And God used that,

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 worked through that

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 to save him

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 and change his life.

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 God knows

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 the best way

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 to get

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 each one of our

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 attentions

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 and turn our hearts

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 toward him.

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 See, God knows you.

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 God knows me.

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 He knows the kinds of things

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 that we care about,

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 we're interested in,

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 things that bother us.

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 And so,

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 if necessary,

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 he will intervene

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 in our lives,

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 where we live,

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 to do whatever it takes

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 to call us

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 to himself,

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 to put us on a path

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 where we are

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 willing to obey him

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 about whatever it is

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 he is

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 working on us

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 and calling us to do.

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 If you're in a situation

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 like that right now,

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 I want you to understand

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 that God does not

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 take pleasure

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 in putting such pressure

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 on his children.

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 I do not think

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 that God

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 was sitting in heaven

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 looking down

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 at Jonah

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 and laughed

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 as they picked him up

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 and threw him overboard.

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 God didn't think

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 it was funny

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 as Jonah struggled

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 for a minute

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 or two

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 or three

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 and then started

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 sinking to the bottom

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 of the ocean.

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 Not at all.

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 Jonah was God's man.

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 God loved Jonah.

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 But God loved him

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 enough to discipline him

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 just like God

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 loves us enough

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 to discipline us

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 severely

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 if necessary

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 to put us

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 in a position

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 where we are

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 willing

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 and ready

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 to stop

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 disobeying him

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 and come back

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 to him

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 in confession,

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 in repentance,

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 in renewed commitment.

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 That's what God

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 did to Jonah.

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 He brought Jonah

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 to the point

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 where he was

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 willing,

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 wanted to pray

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 and God

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 was ready

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 to respond

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 to Jonah's prayer

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 to Jonah

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 in grace,

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 in mercy,

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 not giving him

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 what he deserved.

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 What we see

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 in chapter 2

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 is that we can

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 never run

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 too far

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 for God

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 to hear our prayer

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 of desperation.

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 Look again

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 at verse 2.

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 He says,

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 I called out

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 to the Lord

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 out of my distress

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 and he answered me.

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 Out of the belly

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 of Sheol,

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 the place

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 of the dead,

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 I cried

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 and you heard

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 my voice.

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 What I want us

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 to do now

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 is I want us

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 to look at

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 Jonah's

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 prayer

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 of desperation,

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 the big picture

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 approach.

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 Next week

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 we'll look at it

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 in more detail

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 and finish it up.

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 But let's look now

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 at point number 2.

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 God is ready

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 and able

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 to forgive

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 and restore

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 his rebellious people

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 who turn to him

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 in desperate

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 prayer.

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 Now if you

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 read this,

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 we've just read it,

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 some of you

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 are familiar with it,

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 this is an example

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 of a prayer

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 of someone

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 who is very

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 desperate.

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 And it does show us

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 that God

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 is ready

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 and able

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 to forgive us,

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 forgive you

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 and me.

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 Whenever we

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 have rebelled,

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 whenever we have

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 just said no

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 to him,

00:14:25.180 --> 00:14:25.920
 I'll not do it.

00:14:26.020 --> 00:14:26.340
 That's what

00:14:26.340 --> 00:14:27.060
 Jonah was doing.

00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:29.900
 But we've got

00:14:29.900 --> 00:14:30.780
 to be serious

00:14:30.780 --> 00:14:32.280
 about coming

00:14:32.280 --> 00:14:33.080
 back to God.

00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:33.860
 Let's look.

00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:35.120
 A desperate prayer

00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:35.620
 is a prayer

00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:36.240
 of a desperate

00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:36.820
 person.

00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:39.100
 Throughout chapter 1,

00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:40.840
 Jonah is

00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:41.560
 intentionally

00:14:41.560 --> 00:14:42.480
 disobeying God.

00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:44.460
 I want you

00:14:44.460 --> 00:14:44.840
 to think.

00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:47.440
 Jonah told

00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:48.300
 those sailors

00:14:48.300 --> 00:14:50.340
 to throw him

00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:51.080
 overboard

00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:52.919
 in order

00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:53.360
 to stop

00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:53.919
 the storm.

00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:56.720
 Jonah was

00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:57.500
 running from God.

00:14:57.580 --> 00:14:58.379
 He got on a ship.

00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:00.159
 God sent a storm.

00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:01.039
 He was not

00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:01.860
 going to allow

00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:03.220
 Jonah to get

00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:03.920
 away.

00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:07.180
 Jonah knew

00:15:07.180 --> 00:15:10.540
 the storm

00:15:10.540 --> 00:15:11.320
 is because

00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:11.840
 of me,

00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:12.700
 my rebellion,

00:15:12.820 --> 00:15:13.740
 my disobedience.

00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:15.460
 Jonah knew

00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:16.779
 if I'll just

00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:17.580
 give it up,

00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:19.600
 if I'll just

00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:20.740
 admit

00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:22.279
 my sin,

00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:23.040
 my rebellion,

00:15:23.779 --> 00:15:24.720
 repent now.

00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:26.320
 The storm

00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:27.379
 will stop.

00:15:27.379 --> 00:15:29.659
 I can go

00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:30.120
 back to

00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:30.500
 Joppa.

00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:31.320
 They'll be glad

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:31.740
 to take me

00:15:31.740 --> 00:15:32.600
 back if the storm

00:15:32.600 --> 00:15:33.279
 stops and I

00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:33.899
 explain all this

00:15:33.899 --> 00:15:34.159
 to them.

00:15:34.500 --> 00:15:34.799
 But Jonah

00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:35.200
 wasn't willing

00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:35.759
 to do that.

00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:37.320
 Jonah

00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.799
 was willing

00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:40.860
 to die

00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:42.899
 rather than

00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:43.340
 repent.

00:15:45.899 --> 00:15:46.700
 And so

00:15:46.700 --> 00:15:47.779
 that's why

00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:48.179
 he told the

00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:48.620
 sailors to

00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:48.840
 throw him

00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:49.220
 overboard.

00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:51.879
 Jonah

00:15:51.879 --> 00:15:53.259
 thought

00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:54.740
 he would

00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:55.379
 rather die

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:55.799
 than obey

00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:56.299
 God

00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:57.600
 until

00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.860
 he was

00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:00.419
 knocking on

00:16:00.419 --> 00:16:00.980
 death's

00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:01.500
 door.

00:16:03.220 --> 00:16:03.460
 Jonah

00:16:03.460 --> 00:16:03.939
 was ready

00:16:03.939 --> 00:16:04.439
 to be thrown

00:16:04.439 --> 00:16:04.960
 overboard,

00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:06.000
 but somewhere

00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:06.860
 along the line,

00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:07.600
 maybe when the

00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:08.460
 sailors jerked

00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:08.919
 him up

00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:10.259
 and he knew

00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:10.700
 this was going

00:16:10.700 --> 00:16:11.039
 to happen,

00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:12.100
 maybe when he

00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:12.799
 hit the water

00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:14.419
 or maybe when he

00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:15.439
 started to sink,

00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:16.740
 but somewhere

00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:17.720
 along the line,

00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:18.559
 Jonah changed

00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:19.080
 his mind and

00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:19.279
 thought,

00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:20.080
 I don't want

00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:20.440
 to die.

00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:22.060
 I would

00:16:22.060 --> 00:16:22.780
 rather obey

00:16:22.780 --> 00:16:23.780
 God than

00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:25.639
 drown in

00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:26.280
 this ocean.

00:16:28.900 --> 00:16:29.860
 Leslie Allen,

00:16:29.980 --> 00:16:30.639
 the commentator,

00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:32.600
 describes what

00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:34.040
 God was doing

00:16:34.040 --> 00:16:34.820
 to Jonah

00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:36.160
 during this

00:16:36.160 --> 00:16:36.420
 time.

00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:37.080
 Look at it.

00:16:38.300 --> 00:16:38.960
 Jonah's

00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:40.500
 self-willed

00:16:40.500 --> 00:16:41.960
 flight from

00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:42.960
 God's presence

00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:43.500
 in chapter

00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:44.660
 one had

00:16:44.660 --> 00:16:45.500
 been ratified

00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:46.740
 by God's

00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:48.160
 so be it

00:16:48.160 --> 00:16:49.900
 in banishment

00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:50.659
 from life.

00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:52.039
 The alternative

00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:52.600
 to saying

00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:53.279
 to God,

00:16:53.860 --> 00:16:54.199
 thy will

00:16:54.199 --> 00:16:54.740
 be done,

00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:55.639
 is to hear

00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:56.299
 him say

00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:56.959
 eventually,

00:16:57.879 --> 00:16:58.559
 your will

00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:59.000
 be done.

00:16:59.899 --> 00:17:00.600
 The awful

00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:01.439
 significance

00:17:01.439 --> 00:17:02.059
 of being

00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:02.899
 rejected by

00:17:02.899 --> 00:17:04.319
 God had

00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:05.160
 dawned on

00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:05.400
 him.

00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:07.519
 You see,

00:17:07.700 --> 00:17:08.259
 the whole story

00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:08.559
 of Jonah

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:08.920
 up to this

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:09.200
 point in

00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:09.660
 chapter two,

00:17:10.879 --> 00:17:11.339
 he knows

00:17:11.339 --> 00:17:11.700
 what God

00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:12.039
 wants him

00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:12.400
 to do.

00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:16.180
 And he's

00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:16.460
 just not

00:17:16.460 --> 00:17:16.779
 willing to

00:17:16.779 --> 00:17:17.059
 do it.

00:17:18.259 --> 00:17:18.879
 He knows

00:17:18.879 --> 00:17:19.539
 what God's

00:17:19.539 --> 00:17:20.099
 will is,

00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:20.379
 but it's

00:17:20.379 --> 00:17:20.859
 like Jonah

00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:21.159
 saying

00:17:21.159 --> 00:17:21.379
 throughout

00:17:21.379 --> 00:17:21.980
 chapter one,

00:17:22.099 --> 00:17:22.399
 I'm not

00:17:22.399 --> 00:17:22.559
 going to

00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:22.980
 do God's

00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:23.059
 will.

00:17:23.159 --> 00:17:23.399
 I'm going

00:17:23.399 --> 00:17:23.579
 to do

00:17:23.579 --> 00:17:24.200
 my will.

00:17:24.399 --> 00:17:24.539
 Well,

00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:24.920
 in chapter

00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:25.359
 two,

00:17:26.159 --> 00:17:26.859
 God says

00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:27.359
 to Jonah,

00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:28.559
 do it.

00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:30.819
 You want

00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:31.339
 things your

00:17:31.339 --> 00:17:31.720
 way instead

00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:32.039
 of my

00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:32.259
 way?

00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:32.839
 You've

00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:33.460
 got it.

00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:36.139
 And so

00:17:36.139 --> 00:17:36.399
 he was

00:17:36.399 --> 00:17:36.659
 going to

00:17:36.659 --> 00:17:36.920
 die.

00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:37.339
 He was

00:17:37.339 --> 00:17:37.599
 going to

00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:38.259
 drown in

00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:38.899
 the ocean

00:17:38.899 --> 00:17:42.039
 because he

00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:42.379
 was not

00:17:42.379 --> 00:17:43.180
 willing to

00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.279
 submit to

00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:44.720
 God's

00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:45.000
 will.

00:17:46.879 --> 00:17:47.099
 You know,

00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:47.519
 until he

00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:47.940
 was thrown

00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:48.580
 into the

00:17:48.580 --> 00:17:49.080
 ocean and

00:17:49.080 --> 00:17:49.279
 thought he

00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:49.460
 was going

00:17:49.460 --> 00:17:49.840
 to drown,

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.100
 all he

00:17:52.100 --> 00:17:52.620
 was concerned

00:17:52.620 --> 00:17:53.000
 about was

00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:53.600
 getting away

00:17:53.600 --> 00:17:54.140
 from the

00:17:54.140 --> 00:17:54.759
 presence of

00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:55.100
 the Lord.

00:17:55.460 --> 00:17:55.740
 He didn't

00:17:55.740 --> 00:17:55.960
 want to have

00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:56.240
 anything to

00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:56.460
 do with

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:56.740
 God.

00:17:57.340 --> 00:17:57.740
 Look back

00:17:57.740 --> 00:17:58.059
 in chapter

00:17:58.059 --> 00:17:58.340
 one,

00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:58.539
 verse

00:17:58.539 --> 00:17:58.840
 three.

00:17:59.220 --> 00:17:59.640
 But Jonah

00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:00.440
 arose to

00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:00.779
 flee to

00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:02.019
 Tarshish from

00:18:02.019 --> 00:18:02.759
 the presence

00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:03.680
 of the Lord.

00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:04.160
 Verse

00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:04.519
 ten,

00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:05.340
 for the men

00:18:05.340 --> 00:18:05.820
 knew that he

00:18:05.820 --> 00:18:06.259
 was fleeing

00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:06.680
 from the

00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:07.299
 presence of

00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:07.680
 the Lord

00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:08.320
 because he

00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:08.759
 had told

00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:09.120
 them.

00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:12.080
 When Jonah

00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:12.640
 is thrown

00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:13.480
 overboard and

00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:14.080
 sinks to the

00:18:14.080 --> 00:18:14.580
 bottom of the

00:18:14.580 --> 00:18:14.940
 ocean,

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:17.039
 God is giving

00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:18.879
 Jonah what

00:18:18.879 --> 00:18:19.639
 he asked

00:18:19.639 --> 00:18:20.019
 for.

00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:22.740
 Jonah began

00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:23.339
 to experience

00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:24.519
 the consequences

00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:27.079
 of running

00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:27.420
 from the

00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:27.899
 presence of

00:18:27.899 --> 00:18:28.240
 the Lord.

00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.240
 But it

00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:30.619
 didn't take

00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:31.220
 him long to

00:18:31.220 --> 00:18:31.859
 realize how

00:18:31.859 --> 00:18:34.119
 foolish he

00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:34.779
 was.

00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:36.420
 And that's

00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:36.619
 when he

00:18:36.619 --> 00:18:37.720
 became desperate

00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:38.500
 for God.

00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:40.079
 That's when he

00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:40.740
 became so

00:18:40.740 --> 00:18:43.680
 desperate they

00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:44.200
 started crying

00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:44.779
 out to God

00:18:44.779 --> 00:18:45.259
 in prayer.

00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:47.619
 How would

00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:48.339
 you describe

00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:49.980
 yourself right

00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:50.420
 now,

00:18:50.819 --> 00:18:51.180
 spiritually

00:18:51.180 --> 00:18:51.680
 speaking?

00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:55.039
 Are you

00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:55.980
 running from

00:18:55.980 --> 00:18:56.500
 the presence

00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:57.079
 of the Lord

00:18:57.079 --> 00:18:58.559
 because you

00:18:58.559 --> 00:18:58.980
 don't want to

00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:00.160
 do his will

00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:01.900
 about something

00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:02.680
 he has made

00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:03.839
 clear to you,

00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.920
 maybe in his

00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:06.599
 word, maybe

00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:07.720
 his spirit?

00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:09.059
 And we're not

00:19:09.059 --> 00:19:09.740
 talking about big

00:19:09.740 --> 00:19:09.960
 things.

00:19:10.019 --> 00:19:10.539
 I've tried to

00:19:10.539 --> 00:19:12.519
 help you think.

00:19:12.519 --> 00:19:14.660
 Look, everything

00:19:14.660 --> 00:19:15.980
 matters to God.

00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.160
 Everything

00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:18.839
 doesn't matter to

00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:19.220
 us.

00:19:20.299 --> 00:19:20.839
 But everything

00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:21.460
 matters to God.

00:19:21.539 --> 00:19:22.339
 Our attitudes,

00:19:23.059 --> 00:19:24.079
 our motivations,

00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:26.379
 what we do and

00:19:26.379 --> 00:19:26.980
 don't do.

00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:30.059
 Most of you in

00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:30.740
 this room, you've

00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:31.579
 been in church a

00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:32.359
 long time.

00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:34.480
 You've been exposed

00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:35.460
 to the general

00:19:35.460 --> 00:19:36.480
 teaching of God's

00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:36.799
 word.

00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:38.940
 Most of you know

00:19:38.940 --> 00:19:39.839
 how God wants you

00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.879
 to live in your

00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:41.300
 home.

00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:46.020
 Men, are you

00:19:46.020 --> 00:19:47.340
 being the man

00:19:47.340 --> 00:19:48.100
 that God's called

00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:49.720
 you to be and

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.800
 loving your wife

00:19:50.800 --> 00:19:51.640
 like Christ loves

00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:52.300
 the church?

00:19:54.340 --> 00:19:55.160
 Young people

00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:55.980
 living at home

00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:56.920
 with your parents,

00:19:58.600 --> 00:19:59.900
 are you truly

00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:00.800
 honoring them,

00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:02.040
 respecting them,

00:20:02.420 --> 00:20:03.380
 obeying them

00:20:03.380 --> 00:20:04.380
 with the right

00:20:04.380 --> 00:20:04.700
 attitude?

00:20:04.700 --> 00:20:09.620
 Are you running

00:20:09.620 --> 00:20:10.180
 from something

00:20:10.180 --> 00:20:11.380
 the Lord's calling

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:12.140
 you to do in

00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:13.140
 terms of

00:20:13.140 --> 00:20:16.080
 ethics in your

00:20:16.080 --> 00:20:16.640
 work?

00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:19.019
 Are you

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:19.440
 stealing?

00:20:20.100 --> 00:20:21.160
 Maybe not

00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:21.980
 taking something,

00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:25.340
 but you're

00:20:25.340 --> 00:20:26.420
 stealing time.

00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:28.900
 You're stealing,

00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:31.019
 you're taking from

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:32.460
 what is not

00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:32.960
 yours.

00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:33.019
 others.

00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:35.880
 Are you doing

00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:37.420
 what you know

00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:37.940
 you're supposed

00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:38.579
 to be doing

00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:40.559
 in your school

00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:41.680
 work with your

00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.860
 friends, things you

00:20:42.860 --> 00:20:43.819
 do away from home

00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:44.299
 and away from

00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:44.860
 church?

00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:48.900
 Are you running

00:20:48.900 --> 00:20:50.460
 from God or

00:20:50.460 --> 00:20:52.700
 are you ignoring

00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:54.120
 the presence of

00:20:54.120 --> 00:20:55.620
 the Lord because

00:20:55.620 --> 00:20:56.180
 you're more

00:20:56.180 --> 00:20:56.740
 concerned about

00:20:56.740 --> 00:20:57.440
 other things,

00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.059
 other people in

00:21:00.059 --> 00:21:00.559
 your life?

00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:02.139
 could it be that

00:21:02.139 --> 00:21:02.700
 you would think

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:04.039
 I'm not really

00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:04.899
 disobeying God,

00:21:05.179 --> 00:21:06.240
 I'm just not

00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:06.720
 thinking about

00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:07.000
 God.

00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:09.460
 He's just not

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:11.659
 on the radar

00:21:11.659 --> 00:21:12.240
 right now.

00:21:13.379 --> 00:21:14.179
 I'm thinking

00:21:14.179 --> 00:21:15.619
 about some

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:16.559
 people, some

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.299
 situations.

00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:20.139
 That's what I'm

00:21:20.139 --> 00:21:21.079
 most focused on.

00:21:23.659 --> 00:21:24.279
 Now one way we

00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.019
 can evaluate our

00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:25.700
 attitude toward

00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:26.200
 being in the

00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:26.759
 presence of the

00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:27.539
 Lord is to

00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:28.179
 examine our

00:21:28.179 --> 00:21:29.079
 prayer lives.

00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:29.539
 I'm talking

00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:30.339
 about all of us.

00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:31.980
 How would you

00:21:31.980 --> 00:21:32.559
 describe the

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:33.399
 quality of your

00:21:33.399 --> 00:21:34.539
 prayer life right

00:21:34.539 --> 00:21:35.019
 now?

00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:37.940
 How would you

00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:38.819
 describe the

00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.319
 meaningfulness of

00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:41.519
 it?

00:21:42.519 --> 00:21:44.139
 The value that

00:21:44.139 --> 00:21:45.259
 you place on it?

00:21:46.940 --> 00:21:48.000
 Are you spending

00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:50.579
 time with God in

00:21:50.579 --> 00:21:51.779
 meaningful prayer?

00:21:52.899 --> 00:21:53.759
 For example, like

00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:54.740
 Jesus taught us to

00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:54.980
 pray.

00:21:56.179 --> 00:21:58.220
 Our Father in

00:21:58.220 --> 00:21:59.539
 heaven, hallowed be

00:21:59.539 --> 00:22:00.319
 your name, your

00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.220
 kingdom come, your

00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:02.439
 will be done, your

00:22:02.439 --> 00:22:03.700
 will be done on

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:04.419
 earth as it is in

00:22:04.419 --> 00:22:04.700
 heaven.

00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:07.419
 As you think about

00:22:07.419 --> 00:22:09.859
 your prayer life, do

00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:10.899
 you focus on God

00:22:10.899 --> 00:22:12.700
 really and praise him,

00:22:13.399 --> 00:22:14.819
 worship him personally?

00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:18.859
 Do you thank him for

00:22:18.859 --> 00:22:20.240
 all the many ways he

00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.259
 blesses you?

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:24.419
 Do you confess your

00:22:24.419 --> 00:22:25.740
 sins quickly when you're

00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:27.039
 aware of them?

00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.980
 Are you seeking God's

00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:31.259
 will about the details

00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:32.099
 of your life?

00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.099
 You know, as a

00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:36.859
 general rule, if we

00:22:36.859 --> 00:22:37.639
 don't pray, we don't

00:22:37.639 --> 00:22:38.299
 obey God.

00:22:39.899 --> 00:22:41.339
 If we don't pray, we

00:22:41.339 --> 00:22:42.559
 live selfishly.

00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:45.579
 We do foolish things.

00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:49.299
 Think, if we really

00:22:49.299 --> 00:22:52.899
 don't pray, aren't we

00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:55.660
 more like atheists than

00:22:55.660 --> 00:22:56.060
 Christians?

00:22:56.060 --> 00:22:59.340
 If we don't pray, God's

00:22:59.340 --> 00:23:00.400
 just left out of our

00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:01.000
 lives.

00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:04.600
 Sometimes the best

00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:05.240
 thing that can happen

00:23:05.240 --> 00:23:07.900
 to us is for God to

00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:09.519
 truly let us have our

00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:12.140
 way like he did Jonah.

00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:15.120
 And you think, well,

00:23:15.120 --> 00:23:15.700
 why would you say

00:23:15.700 --> 00:23:16.400
 something like that?

00:23:16.980 --> 00:23:18.960
 Well, the first time we

00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.500
 see Jonah acknowledging

00:23:20.500 --> 00:23:22.279
 God's presence is when

00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:23.059
 he was thrown into the

00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:23.380
 ocean.

00:23:25.019 --> 00:23:26.220
 The first time we see

00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:27.619
 Jonah pray in this book,

00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:28.839
 he's a prophet of God,

00:23:30.180 --> 00:23:31.220
 is when he was in the

00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:32.779
 belly of the fish.

00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:37.000
 Some people have to be

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.680
 humbled, broken, and put

00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:41.319
 in a desperate situation

00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:43.160
 before they realize how

00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:44.480
 much they really and

00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:48.460
 truly need God and are

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:49.799
 willing to call out to

00:23:49.799 --> 00:23:50.399
 him in prayer.

00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:53.639
 Is that true for you?

00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:58.559
 Are you just living your

00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:00.659
 life basically as if God

00:24:00.659 --> 00:24:01.460
 doesn't exist?

00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:04.819
 You don't talk to him,

00:24:04.859 --> 00:24:05.500
 you don't really think

00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:07.279
 about him, you're not

00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:08.759
 concerned about knowing

00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:09.940
 his will, much less doing

00:24:09.940 --> 00:24:10.220
 it.

00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:18.000
 Some people, they've got

00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:19.920
 to be brought down low

00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:23.460
 in order for God to get

00:24:23.460 --> 00:24:23.940
 their attention.

00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:27.500
 Sometimes we have to

00:24:27.500 --> 00:24:28.839
 experience the consequences

00:24:28.839 --> 00:24:31.700
 of our sin and our

00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:32.779
 selfishness, our

00:24:32.779 --> 00:24:35.539
 self-centeredness to wake

00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:37.240
 up and realize how

00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:38.759
 desperately we really and

00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:39.960
 truly do need a

00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:41.259
 relationship with God.

00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:46.480
 Is that going to be what

00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.400
 it takes for you to reap

00:24:49.400 --> 00:24:50.079
 what you sow?

00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:52.839
 To experience the

00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:56.819
 consequences of living with

00:24:56.819 --> 00:24:57.940
 no relationship with God?

00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:00.960
 That's what it took for

00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:02.160
 Jonah, and Jonah really

00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:02.680
 knew better.

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.879
 He was a prophet.

00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:07.340
 That's what it took for

00:25:07.340 --> 00:25:09.200
 Jonah to learn this

00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:10.840
 important lesson about

00:25:10.840 --> 00:25:11.380
 prayer.

00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.180
 Look at next.

00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:15.400
 Desperate prayer is God

00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:15.940
 focused.

00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.100
 Jonah becomes very God

00:25:18.100 --> 00:25:19.800
 focused in the belly of

00:25:19.800 --> 00:25:20.400
 that fish.

00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:23.320
 He recognizes that God is

00:25:23.320 --> 00:25:25.700
 sovereign over all

00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:26.820
 creation.

00:25:27.300 --> 00:25:27.720
 Look at it.

00:25:27.860 --> 00:25:28.960
 He says that it was God

00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:29.880
 who threw him overboard.

00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:31.500
 For you cast me into the

00:25:31.500 --> 00:25:32.540
 deep, into the heart of the

00:25:32.540 --> 00:25:33.000
 seas.

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:35.299
 God worked through the

00:25:35.299 --> 00:25:36.359
 sailors, but it was God

00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:36.880
 who did it.

00:25:37.539 --> 00:25:38.519
 He even said that the

00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:39.960
 waves of the ocean

00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:40.819
 belong to God.

00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:41.220
 Look at it.

00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:43.259
 All your waves and your

00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:44.500
 billows passed over me.

00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:48.559
 The real focus of

00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.900
 Jonah's prayer is God.

00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:56.259
 I want you to think.

00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:58.500
 What is the real focus of

00:25:58.500 --> 00:25:59.200
 your prayers?

00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:03.680
 For some people, the real

00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:05.240
 focus is just themselves.

00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:09.559
 They pray just very

00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:12.500
 selfish, all about me,

00:26:12.600 --> 00:26:14.200
 mine, mine prayers.

00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:18.440
 Is the focus of your prayer

00:26:18.440 --> 00:26:21.580
 yourself, other people,

00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:23.100
 your stuff?

00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:28.459
 Or is God the focus of

00:26:28.459 --> 00:26:28.899
 your prayers?

00:26:31.159 --> 00:26:32.559
 You know, this is really a

00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:34.480
 prayer of thanksgiving, not

00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:35.240
 of complaint.

00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:39.259
 Jonah's not whining here

00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:40.599
 about what God has done to

00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:40.759
 him.

00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:43.779
 He's not accusing God of

00:26:43.779 --> 00:26:44.519
 mistreating him.

00:26:46.099 --> 00:26:47.079
 Jonah understands that

00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:48.299
 everything that happens to

00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:49.659
 him in the ocean and in the

00:26:49.659 --> 00:26:51.980
 fish, it was God intervening

00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:54.220
 and graciously rescuing

00:26:54.220 --> 00:26:54.620
 him.

00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:55.779
 Look at verse six again,

00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:56.360
 the last part.

00:26:56.700 --> 00:26:58.680
 Yet you brought up my life

00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:00.420
 from the pit, O Lord, my

00:27:00.420 --> 00:27:00.759
 God.

00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:04.759
 You know, one way we can

00:27:04.759 --> 00:27:06.680
 evaluate our attitude toward

00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:09.920
 God right now is to

00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:14.079
 evaluate our attitude toward

00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.079
 the suffering that we

00:27:17.079 --> 00:27:18.059
 basically bring upon

00:27:18.059 --> 00:27:18.680
 ourselves.

00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:22.060
 Johnny Erickson Tata is

00:27:22.060 --> 00:27:23.779
 someone uniquely qualified

00:27:23.779 --> 00:27:25.360
 to comment on this.

00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:27.440
 She has spent the last 40

00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:29.680
 to 50 years as a

00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.279
 paraplegic in a wheelchair,

00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:34.380
 came about as a young woman

00:27:34.380 --> 00:27:35.799
 in a diving accident.

00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:37.340
 Look at what she says.

00:27:37.860 --> 00:27:39.519
 When God brings suffering

00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:40.860
 into your life as a

00:27:40.860 --> 00:27:42.740
 Christian, be it mild or

00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:45.420
 drastic, he is forcing you to

00:27:45.420 --> 00:27:48.019
 decide on issues you have

00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:49.700
 been avoiding.

00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:54.180
 That's exactly what God's

00:27:54.180 --> 00:27:55.800
 doing through Jonah's

00:27:55.800 --> 00:27:56.560
 suffering.

00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:01.420
 That may be what God is

00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:02.420
 doing through your suffering

00:28:02.420 --> 00:28:02.920
 right now.

00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.380
 All suffering is not God's

00:28:06.300 --> 00:28:06.700
 discipline.

00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.000
 But if you're suffering right

00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:12.680
 now, if you are suffering right

00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:14.420
 now as a result of your sin,

00:28:14.860 --> 00:28:16.759
 your stubbornness, your

00:28:16.759 --> 00:28:19.460
 rebellion, your lack of love,

00:28:22.120 --> 00:28:23.580
 if that's why you're suffering

00:28:23.580 --> 00:28:25.420
 spiritually, emotionally,

00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:27.380
 physically, mentally, whatever

00:28:27.380 --> 00:28:33.180
 it may be, God is forcing you

00:28:33.180 --> 00:28:35.360
 to come face to face with the

00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:38.820
 issue you're trying to avoid.

00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:42.139
 We're going to come back this

00:28:42.139 --> 00:28:43.639
 next week and conclude the

00:28:43.639 --> 00:28:44.799
 study of Jonah's prayer, but

00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:48.399
 for now, I want us to end this

00:28:48.399 --> 00:28:51.859
 by looking at the turning point

00:28:51.859 --> 00:28:54.839
 in Jonah's life was not the

00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:56.220
 miracle of being swallowed by

00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:56.720
 the fish.

00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:57.879
 Understand that.

00:28:59.179 --> 00:29:01.639
 That was not the key event.

00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:03.559
 The turning point was when Jonah

00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:06.099
 stopped running from God in

00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:08.359
 disobedience and started running

00:29:08.359 --> 00:29:10.099
 to God in desperate,

00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:13.439
 heartfelt prayer.

00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:17.059
 Could that be what you need to

00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:17.740
 do this morning?

00:29:21.259 --> 00:29:22.939
 Are you running from God about

00:29:22.939 --> 00:29:23.359
 something?

00:29:25.879 --> 00:29:26.579
 Stop it.

00:29:28.039 --> 00:29:29.000
 Turn around.

00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:31.679
 Run to God in prayer.

00:29:32.899 --> 00:29:34.240
 Are you ignoring God?

00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:36.140
 I mean, you're living the,

00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:38.259
 you're living a great life.

00:29:38.819 --> 00:29:39.579
 You're living the American

00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:40.120
 dream.

00:29:41.539 --> 00:29:43.160
 You've got a nice family, a good

00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:43.660
 job.

00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:45.299
 You're nice to everybody.

00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:50.160
 But God is really not a part

00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:51.559
 of your life.

00:29:53.880 --> 00:29:57.240
 The turning point for you very

00:29:57.779 --> 00:30:03.539
 well may be when you turn to

00:30:03.539 --> 00:30:03.920
 God.

00:30:04.920 --> 00:30:07.099
 When you start running to God

00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:13.019
 in real, heartfelt, desperate

00:30:13.019 --> 00:30:14.000
 prayer.

00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:16.859
 I want to encourage you right

00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:17.119
 now.

00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:18.700
 Try it.

00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:20.819
 Try it now.

00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:23.639
 And see what God does.

00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:24.740
 Let's pray together.

00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.680
 Father,

00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:25.759
 Father,

00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:32.940
 you know our needs.

00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:37.140
 You know where we need to be

00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:39.640
 broken, where we need to be

00:30:39.640 --> 00:30:42.519
 healed, where we need to be

00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:44.799
 humbled, where we need to be

00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:45.480
 encouraged.

00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:52.320
 Father, help us to not have to

00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:55.700
 learn the kind of lessons Jonah

00:30:55.700 --> 00:30:57.899
 learned, the way he learned

00:30:57.899 --> 00:30:58.119
 them.

00:30:59.679 --> 00:31:01.439
 Help us to learn from his

00:31:01.439 --> 00:31:05.279
 foolishness, sinfulness.

00:31:09.079 --> 00:31:11.579
 Help us, Father, to come to you

00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:12.259
 right now.

00:31:12.259 --> 00:31:14.819
 In confession and repentance of

00:31:14.819 --> 00:31:17.359
 our sins,

00:31:18.899 --> 00:31:24.099
 our sins of omission as well as

00:31:24.099 --> 00:31:24.539
 commission.

00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:29.539
 Help us, Father, to come close to

00:31:29.539 --> 00:31:30.460
 you right now.

00:31:33.139 --> 00:31:34.960
 And let's just all be prayerful,

00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:38.379
 listen to the Lord, and respond to

00:31:38.379 --> 00:31:38.519
 him.

00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:41.319
 I would be happy to pray with you

00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:41.740
 during this time.

00:31:41.779 --> 00:31:42.440
 If there's something you want to

00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:43.700
 pray about here at the front,

00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:45.859
 this moment, you come during this

00:31:45.859 --> 00:31:46.220
 time.

00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:48.240
 But the important thing is that we

00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:52.259
 hear God, we recognize our need,

00:31:52.599 --> 00:31:56.139
 and out of desperation, go to God

00:31:56.139 --> 00:31:56.859
 in prayer about it.

00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:58.440
 Let's pray and you respond.