WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.179 Well, Dwight Schrute says that our world needs a spiritual revolution. 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:15.839 Dwight Schrute, of course, if you have seen the classic TV show The Office, is that nerdy, 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:23.440 quirky character at the paper company, Dunder Mifflin, who has all kinds of quirks and crazy 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:25.320 things that he does and that happened to him. 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:28.640 And Dwight Schrute is played by the actor Rainn Wilson. 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:36.659 And Rainn Wilson recently came out with a book this year called Soul Boom, Why We Need 00:00:36.659 --> 00:00:37.799 a Spiritual Revolution. 00:00:38.579 --> 00:00:47.640 And I read it recently, and in the intro, he describes his own spiritual journey from adolescence 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:48.620 into adulthood. 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:55.359 Growing up in Seattle in the 1960s and 70s, he says that his childhood was filled with 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:58.380 two things, art and spirituality. 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:02.920 His mom was an actress in experimental theater. 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:08.460 His dad was a painter of abstract art and an author of science fiction novels. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:13.460 They were the classic hippie family in the 1960s and 70s. 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:17.159 His parents were also members of the Baha'i Faith. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.560 The Baha'i Faith is a religion that incorporates practices and insights from all the different 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:23.579 world religions. 00:01:23.579 --> 00:01:28.739 And so they would have these gatherings at their home in Seattle with Buddhists and Sikhs and 00:01:28.739 --> 00:01:30.140 Muslims and Mormons and Christians. 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:35.739 And they would pray and meditate and study holy texts from all sorts of faith and spiritual 00:01:35.739 --> 00:01:36.500 traditions. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:44.780 And so Rainn Wilson says that he grew up with lots of influences of spirituality on his life. 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:52.620 But despite growing up with lots of spirituality in his life, he, as he became older, he walked 00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:54.180 away from all of it. 00:01:55.180 --> 00:02:00.760 He walked away from it for a time until later in his life as an adult, in his late 20s and 00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:05.760 30s, when he says that he hit the bottom of his life. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:10.360 He experienced a lot of pain and hardship and difficult things. 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.020 He experienced struggles with mental health and depression. 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.240 He experienced addictions to drugs and alcohol. 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:23.540 And it was being in that place in his life at the bottom that started his own spiritual 00:02:23.540 --> 00:02:23.900 journey. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:27.920 And it's part of what led him to write a number of books, including his most recent book, 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:28.420 Soul Boom. 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:33.780 And this is what he says in his book as he thinks about our culture. 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:35.060 He says, 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:09.140 Culture, rather than being political or economic or legislative, is primarily spiritual as well. 00:03:09.219 --> 00:03:14.060 And perhaps the key to healing the world's chaos and pain lies on a spiritual path. 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:19.599 Perhaps there are spiritual tools and religious concepts out there that can help us on a societal 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:24.080 level as well in our own spiritual transformation. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:33.200 And this insight from Dwight Schrute, also known as Rainn Wilson, lines up very well with our study of Jonah. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:40.640 The world needs a spiritual revolution, and we need to experience spiritual transformation. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:45.039 We are in a series where we're looking at the book of Jonah. 00:03:45.099 --> 00:03:50.899 And last week, we looked at Jonah chapter 1, where we saw that God calls Jonah, a prophet in northern 00:03:50.899 --> 00:03:54.559 Israel, to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:04:02.339 But what we see is that for a variety of reasons, Jonah runs from God in direct disobedience to him 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:10.060 in the complete opposite direction, and he finds himself headed west on a ship to Tarshish across the 00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:10.699 Mediterranean Sea. 00:04:10.780 --> 00:04:14.319 And as he's in the middle of the sea, God sends a storm into his life. 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:21.139 And it's in the middle of the storm that Jonah learned something about God and has an encounter 00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:22.879 with his mercy and his grace. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:26.379 At the beginning of chapter 1, we see Jonah running from God. 00:04:26.379 --> 00:04:34.100 And at the end of chapter 2, which we just read, we see Jonah singing about God's love 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:35.139 and about his mercy. 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:40.719 And somewhere in the middle, somewhere between him running and him singing, something happened 00:04:40.719 --> 00:04:41.500 in Jonah's heart. 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:46.319 He had some sort of experience with God that transformed him. 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:50.180 And so what happened in the belly of the fish? 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:51.620 And how did it happen? 00:04:51.740 --> 00:04:53.899 And how can we experience the same thing? 00:04:54.459 --> 00:04:58.099 How can we experience a spiritual transformation in our own lives? 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:00.199 And so that's what we're going to be looking at this morning. 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:03.699 We're going to be looking at Jonah's transformation and our transformation. 00:05:04.459 --> 00:05:08.219 But before we do, raise your hand if you are in elementary school. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:10.399 Who here is in elementary school? 00:05:10.539 --> 00:05:10.859 Awesome. 00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:15.879 You should have received some papers and some colored pencils on the way in. 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:17.839 If you haven't, they're there for you in the back. 00:05:18.539 --> 00:05:22.239 And so hopefully you have those, and you've got a few different things that you can do. 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:24.939 You can color some stuff in and draw some things. 00:05:25.460 --> 00:05:29.560 And if you'd like to draw a picture, if you'd like to draw a picture on one of the pages, 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:31.660 I want to give you a picture to draw. 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:39.259 And I would encourage you to draw a picture of a large fish or a whale and draw a picture 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:41.879 of Jonah inside the whale. 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:43.800 But don't just draw Jonah. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:46.259 Draw him praying a prayer to God. 00:05:47.219 --> 00:05:50.319 So if you want to draw a picture, that's a picture to draw. 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:53.899 And if you do draw it, I want to see it after the service, okay? 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:54.800 So come show it to me. 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:55.379 All right. 00:05:56.420 --> 00:05:58.099 So we're going to look at two things. 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.159 We're going to look at Jonah's transformation, and we're going to look at our transformation. 00:06:02.659 --> 00:06:05.519 Jonah's transformation starts with a storm. 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:10.919 And that's what we looked at last week, that Jonah's story shows us something really important, 00:06:11.099 --> 00:06:19.120 that storms in our life are not always the result of sin and disobedience, but sometimes 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:19.539 they are. 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:27.279 In a fallen world, lots of people who love and trust and obey and worship God suffer greatly. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:33.299 And it has nothing to do because of their sin or disobedience, but because they live, we 00:06:33.299 --> 00:06:35.539 live in a fallen and broken world. 00:06:36.019 --> 00:06:39.699 But if we are in a place in our lives where we are running from him, if we are living a 00:06:39.699 --> 00:06:45.519 life in direct disobedience to him and to his word, sometimes the most loving and gracious 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:52.239 thing that God can do in our lives is to send a storm into our lives, to wake us up and 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:56.180 to help us to see our sin and to help us to see our need for him and his mercy. 00:06:57.220 --> 00:06:58.699 And this is what happens to Jonah. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:03.840 God sends a storm into his life, and as we looked at last week, he realizes the storm out 00:07:03.840 --> 00:07:05.019 in the middle of the sea is because of him. 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:10.879 And so he decides to save the lives of the sailors, that he's going to plunge himself into 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:12.980 the heart of the sea so the storm can stop. 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:20.680 And Jonah is headed his way down into the bottom of the sea when God rescues him through a large 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:21.900 marine creature. 00:07:21.899 --> 00:07:27.099 We don't know if it was a whale or some other really big fish, but he's rescued by a large 00:07:27.099 --> 00:07:27.459 fish. 00:07:28.219 --> 00:07:31.459 And he prays this prayer in Jonah chapter 2 in the belly of the fish. 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:32.919 Chapter 2, verse 3, 00:07:33.019 --> 00:07:36.459 For you cast me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas. 00:07:37.219 --> 00:07:40.519 In the flood surrounded me all your waves and your billows passed over me. 00:07:41.019 --> 00:07:43.399 The waters closed in over me to take my life. 00:07:43.939 --> 00:07:45.359 The deep surrounded me. 00:07:45.419 --> 00:07:48.439 The weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:53.199 I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:08:09.199 The way that people imagined in the ancient world, the way that people imagined Sheol or the land of the dead is they imagined it as a place that when you entered it, that the bars of the gates locked behind you. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:15.740 And so therefore, the land of the dead was not a place that you could escape from or return from. 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.079 And Jonah says, that's where I was going. 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:18.939 That was where I was headed. 00:08:19.019 --> 00:08:22.279 The bars of the gates were about to lock behind me. 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:28.799 And similar to Rainn Wilson's story, Jonah is at the lowest point in his life. 00:08:28.859 --> 00:08:31.399 He's at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. 00:08:31.539 --> 00:08:33.839 Seaweed is wrapped around his body. 00:08:33.959 --> 00:08:39.620 He knows he's about to die physically, and he also knows spiritually it's the farthest from God he's ever been. 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:45.000 He's experiencing the natural consequences of his sin and disobedience, separation from God. 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:51.000 And in that place of great need, Jonah turns to the Lord in prayer. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:53.039 In verse 7, he says, 00:08:53.179 --> 00:08:58.759 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you in your holy temple. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:05.919 At the literal, spiritual, and physical bottom of his life, Jonah cries out to God. 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:10.779 And this is a turning point, not only in this story, but in Jonah's life. 00:09:10.779 --> 00:09:16.159 Because in this moment, Jonah realizes that not only is he in need of rescue, 00:09:16.899 --> 00:09:21.279 but that he can't rely on anyone or anything else. 00:09:21.319 --> 00:09:28.199 He can't rely on wealth or status or success, not in being a good religious or moral person. 00:09:28.339 --> 00:09:31.500 He can't rely on his race or nationality or culture. 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:39.360 That even he, a prophet from Israel, God's prophet, is in need of divine mercy. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:45.340 And it's this realization that brings about spiritual renewal in Jonah's heart. 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:49.500 And we see that renewal happen throughout this prayer in Jonah chapter 2, 00:09:49.539 --> 00:09:52.820 but we see it specifically in verses 8 and 9. 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.279 In verse 8, Jonah prays, 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:01.919 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:03.720 What's an idol? 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:06.340 Well, there's a lot that we could say. 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:12.800 In the ancient world, an idol was often a literal statue that people would bow down 00:10:12.800 --> 00:10:16.879 and worship the God who was represented in the statue. 00:10:18.160 --> 00:10:24.160 But we can also think about an idol as whatever is at the center of our lives, 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.820 whatever we put at the center of our lives as a functional savior, 00:10:29.540 --> 00:10:30.639 as a functional savior. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:36.279 A functional savior that gives us meaning, that gives us purpose, that gives us identity, 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:37.819 that gives us significance. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:44.399 And it's also a functional savior that we turn to whenever we realize we're in need of rescue, 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:48.220 whenever we realize that we are in need of outside help. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:52.100 It's whatever we turn to whenever we're trying to find comfort, 00:10:53.100 --> 00:10:55.720 whenever we're trying to find relief, whenever we're trying to find escape, 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.460 wherever we're trying to find a way out. 00:10:58.460 --> 00:10:59.660 That's what an idol is. 00:10:59.680 --> 00:11:00.560 It's a functional savior. 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:07.259 And Jonah realizes that at the bottom of the sea, he realizes something about idols. 00:11:07.400 --> 00:11:11.840 He says he realizes that his functional savior, his functional saviors, 00:11:12.379 --> 00:11:17.780 can promise him a lot of things, but they rarely ever deliver. 00:11:19.180 --> 00:11:20.780 Idols promise, but they can't deliver. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:25.400 We might look to money or a career or success or even a marriage 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:28.399 to give us a sense of ultimate purpose and meaning. 00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:32.079 We might look to things like food or alcohol 00:11:32.079 --> 00:11:36.559 to help us find a sense of relief or comfort or escape. 00:11:37.319 --> 00:11:41.039 But when you realize that you are at the rock bottom in your life, 00:11:41.079 --> 00:11:43.799 when there is seaweed wrapped around your head, 00:11:44.419 --> 00:11:48.199 you realize those things can't actually rescue you. 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:54.620 When you're drowning, it doesn't matter how much money is in your bank account 00:11:54.620 --> 00:11:57.040 or what your resume says. 00:11:58.280 --> 00:12:02.080 Idols, like money and success and comfort, are great motivators. 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:05.500 They can get you to work hard and do lots of things, 00:12:06.040 --> 00:12:08.600 but they're terrible saviors. 00:12:09.560 --> 00:12:10.780 They're terrible saviors. 00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:18.100 Verse 8, Jonah prays, those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 00:12:18.579 --> 00:12:23.379 Now, this word, steadfast love, is a big word in the Old Testament. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.000 It's the Hebrew word, hesed. 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:30.699 And this Hebrew word, hesed, is this rich, multifaceted word 00:12:30.699 --> 00:12:32.279 that we see all over the Old Testament. 00:12:32.819 --> 00:12:34.399 It can refer to a number of things. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:39.939 It can refer to acts of kindness towards someone who's in need. 00:12:39.940 --> 00:12:44.580 It can refer to the spousal love between a husband and a wife. 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:50.000 And both of these things refer to God's covenant love, 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:54.880 his covenant loyalty to his people and his faithfulness 00:12:54.880 --> 00:12:59.780 to love his people and to keep the promises that he has made to them. 00:12:59.880 --> 00:13:03.080 This is God's steadfast love, his hesed. 00:13:03.920 --> 00:13:07.520 Perhaps one of the best descriptions of God's steadfast love 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:11.439 comes from the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:13.919 And in the Jesus Storybook Bible, 00:13:14.340 --> 00:13:17.259 she describes God's steadfast love 00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:19.980 as his never stopping, 00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:21.679 never giving up, 00:13:22.419 --> 00:13:22.980 unbreaking, 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:24.899 always and forever love. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:27.079 It's God's never stopping, 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:27.960 never giving up, 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:28.939 unbreaking, 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.079 always and forever love. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.180 It's the kind of love that we all long for 00:13:35.180 --> 00:13:36.960 because it's the kind of love that we were made for. 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:39.300 And it's at the bottom of the sea 00:13:39.300 --> 00:13:42.920 that Jonah's spiritual sight becomes crystal clear. 00:13:43.040 --> 00:13:45.840 He realizes it's not just that all of my idols 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:49.180 and functional saviors can't rescue me from the bottom of life. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:54.160 It's also that they can't fulfill the deepest longings of my heart. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.519 The deepest longings of my heart 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.480 for the steadfast love of the Lord, 00:13:58.559 --> 00:13:59.319 his never stopping, 00:13:59.699 --> 00:14:00.639 his never giving up, 00:14:00.699 --> 00:14:01.199 his unbreaking, 00:14:01.339 --> 00:14:03.980 his always and forever love. 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.519 And Jonah ends his prayer in verse 9 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:09.740 with a shout of praise. 00:14:10.439 --> 00:14:11.159 And he says, 00:14:11.419 --> 00:14:13.299 salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:16.139 Salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:14:17.179 --> 00:14:20.919 And this prayer is Jonah's journey of repentance. 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:21.199 Repentance. 00:14:21.740 --> 00:14:24.500 Repentance involves turning from our sin, 00:14:24.579 --> 00:14:25.360 our disobedience, 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:28.819 but also turning from our functional saviors 00:14:28.819 --> 00:14:32.179 that we look to to fill our hearts, 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:34.939 to fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts. 00:14:35.379 --> 00:14:36.500 And so repentance involves 00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:38.360 turning from our functional saviors 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:40.959 and turning to putting all of our hope 00:14:40.959 --> 00:14:41.759 and all of our trust 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.699 in the steadfast love of the Lord. 00:14:45.099 --> 00:14:47.259 And this is what produces 00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:50.339 spiritual transformation in Jonah's life. 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:51.639 It's repentance. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:54.279 It's not new insights 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:57.099 about what he can do to find salvation. 00:14:58.479 --> 00:14:59.839 But it's the realization 00:14:59.839 --> 00:15:04.539 that salvation has come and found him. 00:15:05.339 --> 00:15:07.479 That salvation has come and found him. 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:08.879 And this is the central message 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:10.199 of the whole Bible. 00:15:10.779 --> 00:15:13.319 That salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:15.259 That though we have all run from God 00:15:15.259 --> 00:15:17.099 in direct disobedience to him 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:19.300 and are eternally separated from him, 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:22.100 that in Jesus Christ, 00:15:22.899 --> 00:15:25.379 God has come running after us 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:27.399 in steadfast love 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:29.320 and done everything necessary 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:32.080 to reconcile us back to him. 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:35.840 Salvation is not 50% things that we do 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:37.639 and 50% things that God does. 00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:40.440 It's 100% all from him. 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.720 Salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:44.879 That's the gospel. 00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:46.279 It's the central message of the Bible. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:47.300 It's the heart of our faith. 00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:50.940 And this is what Jonah realizes 00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:52.600 in the belly of the fish. 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:54.899 And so he, after three days and three nights, 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:57.540 he comes out onto dry land. 00:15:58.500 --> 00:15:59.940 And you have to imagine 00:15:59.940 --> 00:16:02.980 that those first few breaths 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:05.460 of fresh air that he breathed 00:16:05.460 --> 00:16:07.560 were incredibly sweet. 00:16:07.800 --> 00:16:09.600 After being three days and three nights 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:11.240 in the belly of a large fish, 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:12.919 he comes out onto dry land 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:15.060 with a mind that's renewed 00:16:15.060 --> 00:16:17.060 with fresh insight about God. 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:19.299 He comes out with a heart 00:16:19.299 --> 00:16:21.019 that is renewed through repentance 00:16:21.019 --> 00:16:22.200 and worship towards God. 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:24.419 And his will is renewed 00:16:24.419 --> 00:16:26.879 in love and obedience towards God. 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:30.820 And this transformation in Jonah's life 00:16:30.820 --> 00:16:34.960 is the journey of spiritual transformation 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.139 through death and resurrection. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.799 Through death and resurrection, 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:41.819 the storm takes Jonah down 00:16:41.819 --> 00:16:44.859 to the place of spiritual and literal death. 00:16:45.439 --> 00:16:46.679 And at the bottom, 00:16:46.859 --> 00:16:48.259 he comes to the end of himself. 00:16:49.299 --> 00:16:50.859 He acknowledges his need. 00:16:50.959 --> 00:16:52.179 He cries out to the Lord in repentance. 00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:54.959 And the Lord rescues him 00:16:54.959 --> 00:16:56.079 and the Lord renews him. 00:16:57.319 --> 00:17:00.359 Down in death and up in resurrection. 00:17:00.959 --> 00:17:02.419 Down in death, up in resurrection. 00:17:02.579 --> 00:17:03.359 And that's the key 00:17:03.359 --> 00:17:05.500 to Jonah's spiritual transformation. 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:07.160 And that is the key 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.400 to our spiritual transformation. 00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:11.720 So that's what we're gonna look at. 00:17:12.059 --> 00:17:14.000 Secondly, is our transformation. 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:17.000 How do we experience the kind of renewal 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:18.579 and the kind of transformation 00:17:18.579 --> 00:17:20.900 that Jonah experienced in his life? 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.420 How can we experience God's grace 00:17:23.420 --> 00:17:24.880 in a way that causes us 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:29.259 to pray and to sing Jonah 2 prayers? 00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:31.579 Well, we experience it 00:17:31.579 --> 00:17:34.139 by experiencing death and resurrection 00:17:34.139 --> 00:17:34.960 in our lives. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:38.599 Author Paul Miller wrote a great book on this 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:40.319 called The J Curve. 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:42.839 And if you can imagine the shape of a J, 00:17:43.939 --> 00:17:48.139 the shape of a J goes down and goes up. 00:17:48.899 --> 00:17:50.740 The J starts here and it goes up. 00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:53.419 And the J curve is a picture 00:17:53.419 --> 00:17:55.359 of how the New Testament talks 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:56.919 about how our relationship with Jesus 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:58.900 not only rescues us, 00:17:58.940 --> 00:17:59.920 but transforms us. 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:02.860 And we see this all over the New Testament. 00:18:03.800 --> 00:18:06.680 But we see it in places like Philippians 3.10. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:08.940 So in Philippians 3.10, Paul says, 00:18:09.820 --> 00:18:11.820 I want to know Christ. 00:18:13.140 --> 00:18:14.539 What does it mean to know Christ? 00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:17.660 To know the power of his resurrection 00:18:17.660 --> 00:18:20.360 and participation in his sufferings, 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:22.740 becoming like him in his death, 00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:25.420 and so somehow attaining 00:18:25.420 --> 00:18:27.500 the resurrection from the dead. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:30.140 Did you see the J curve? 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:32.460 He says, I want to know Christ. 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:36.000 And knowing Christ takes me down in suffering, 00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:37.160 down in death, 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:38.880 and up through resurrection. 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:39.779 That's the J curve. 00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:41.299 Paul's logic is, 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:43.200 if Jesus rescued me 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:44.799 through his death and resurrection, 00:18:45.620 --> 00:18:48.460 then that is also how Jesus changes me, 00:18:48.579 --> 00:18:49.420 by his spirit. 00:18:50.120 --> 00:18:51.440 Through his death and resurrection, 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.559 as I participate by the Holy Spirit, 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:56.460 by grace through faith, 00:18:57.140 --> 00:18:59.519 in his death and resurrection in the present. 00:18:59.620 --> 00:19:00.559 That's the Christian life. 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:03.980 Another way to say it 00:19:03.980 --> 00:19:08.180 is that the same grace that rescues us 00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:12.180 is also the grace that transforms us. 00:19:12.820 --> 00:19:14.559 The same grace that rescues us 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.120 is also the grace that transforms us. 00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:18.960 So what does this, 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.000 what does that practically look like in our lives? 00:19:23.340 --> 00:19:25.460 Well, I think there's a thousand different ways 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:26.059 in our lives 00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:29.200 to experience spiritual transformation 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:31.380 through death and resurrection, 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:33.500 to follow the J curve in our lives. 00:19:34.220 --> 00:19:35.680 There's a million opportunities 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.660 every week to experience that. 00:19:39.120 --> 00:19:39.620 But we're gonna look, 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:40.480 I just wanna look at one. 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:43.319 And I wanna look at one example 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.519 that we're all familiar with. 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:47.679 Conflict. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:49.599 Conflict. 00:19:49.700 --> 00:19:50.039 And you're like, 00:19:50.139 --> 00:19:51.619 can we use a different example? 00:19:51.859 --> 00:19:52.759 Can we use, 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.960 I don't wanna talk about conflict right now, 00:19:55.099 --> 00:19:55.980 because I'm in the middle of one. 00:19:56.859 --> 00:19:58.099 No, we're gonna talk about it, 00:19:58.139 --> 00:19:58.819 because here's, 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:00.960 if you can figure out 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.839 how to apply the grace of the gospel 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:04.799 in the middle of conflict, 00:20:05.339 --> 00:20:06.819 I think you can learn to apply it 00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:08.259 in virtually every aspect of your life. 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:11.960 Because conflict is such a difficult thing. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:13.940 A situation, 00:20:14.119 --> 00:20:15.960 a conversation happens at work, 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:17.160 or at home, 00:20:17.220 --> 00:20:17.700 or at church, 00:20:17.779 --> 00:20:19.240 or on social media, 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:20.160 God forbid. 00:20:21.059 --> 00:20:22.180 There's disagreements. 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:24.180 We're at odds with someone. 00:20:25.379 --> 00:20:26.279 Emotions are rising. 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:26.859 There's tension. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:27.619 There's anxiety. 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:28.819 Maybe even there's anger. 00:20:30.819 --> 00:20:31.559 What's happening? 00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:34.400 I'll tell you what's happening. 00:20:35.379 --> 00:20:35.779 Death. 00:20:36.599 --> 00:20:37.460 Death is happening. 00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:39.019 And for many of us, 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:39.740 including myself, 00:20:40.120 --> 00:20:41.559 conflict feels like death, 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:42.039 doesn't it? 00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:44.000 Especially for those 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:45.180 who are conflict avoiders. 00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:46.180 And I'm a conflict avoider. 00:20:46.380 --> 00:20:48.720 Conflict feels like death. 00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:49.940 Why is that? 00:20:51.299 --> 00:20:52.380 Because it's a storm. 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:54.840 And the storm of conflict 00:20:54.840 --> 00:20:56.980 is taking you down to the bottom. 00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:57.819 It's taking you down 00:20:57.819 --> 00:20:59.039 to the bottom of the J-curve. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:01.779 And it's at the bottom of the J-curve 00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:03.480 that many of us freak out. 00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:06.400 We freak out because it doesn't feel good, 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:07.440 because it feels like death. 00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:10.000 But we shouldn't freak out. 00:21:11.120 --> 00:21:12.279 We shouldn't freak out 00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:13.720 because it's at the bottom 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:14.600 of the J-curve. 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:16.259 It's in the middle of death 00:21:16.259 --> 00:21:18.180 that we are transformed 00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:19.980 and where we experience God's grace. 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:21.900 Because at the bottom, 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:23.920 we have a choice to make. 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:27.059 Does salvation belong to me? 00:21:29.600 --> 00:21:30.940 Does salvation exist 00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:32.259 in one of my functional saviors? 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.480 Or does salvation belong to the Lord? 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:37.220 And here is where the rubber meets the road 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:38.599 in the Christian life. 00:21:38.779 --> 00:21:40.140 Even though many of us 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:43.099 would say salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:44.339 Even though many of us would say, 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:46.839 Jesus Christ has saved me from my sins. 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:47.759 We've trusted Him 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:50.119 for eternal salvation. 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:52.579 Even though many of us would say 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:54.059 salvation belongs to the Lord, 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:56.420 there are still parts of our hearts, 00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:58.960 there are still blind spots 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:00.700 where the reality of grace 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:02.060 has yet to sink in. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:03.900 At the bottom of the J-curve, 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:05.279 we're all tempted to say, 00:22:06.180 --> 00:22:07.420 salvation belongs to me. 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:09.759 And to turn to strategies, 00:22:09.960 --> 00:22:12.279 turn to functional saviors in our life. 00:22:12.460 --> 00:22:14.500 And in my own life, 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.000 when it comes to conflict, 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.319 some of the functional saviors 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:20.640 that I have been tempted to turn to 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:24.940 are the idols of power and control. 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:28.279 If I can just control the outcome, 00:22:28.759 --> 00:22:29.920 if I can be in charge, 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:31.400 if I can win the argument, 00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:33.599 then the tension will end 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:35.140 and then I'll have escape. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:36.859 And the idols, 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:38.839 the functional saviors of power and control, 00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:40.640 seem to offer a way out. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.200 They seem to offer a way of salvation. 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.539 But turning to our functional saviors 00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:46.660 of power and control 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:49.500 can lead us to do lots of crazy things. 00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:51.700 They can lead us to defensiveness 00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:54.200 and criticism of the other person. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:55.860 They can lead us to lie 00:22:55.860 --> 00:22:57.259 and distort the truth. 00:22:58.100 --> 00:22:59.519 They can even lead us to manipulate 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:01.160 or even dominate other people. 00:23:02.380 --> 00:23:03.420 And all of these things 00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:05.220 can become embedded patterns 00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:06.600 in our lives 00:23:06.600 --> 00:23:07.980 that end up being the way, 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:09.140 the default way 00:23:09.140 --> 00:23:11.059 that we relate to other people. 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:15.279 Now, if you approach conflict like this 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:15.759 in your life, 00:23:15.819 --> 00:23:17.700 it may benefit you at first. 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:19.940 It may offer some rewards 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:20.920 and benefits at first. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.519 But eventually, 00:23:21.840 --> 00:23:23.360 if this becomes the default pattern 00:23:23.360 --> 00:23:23.920 in your life, 00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:25.840 it'll bring chaos. 00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:27.640 It'll cause breakdown 00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:28.400 in your relationships. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:30.519 It will lead you to burn bridges. 00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:33.900 It'll lead you to be hard and cynical. 00:23:34.059 --> 00:23:35.019 It'll lead you away 00:23:35.019 --> 00:23:37.000 from relationships of love. 00:23:37.080 --> 00:23:37.380 Why? 00:23:37.380 --> 00:23:40.700 Because the idols of power 00:23:40.700 --> 00:23:41.400 and control 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:43.020 can promise, 00:23:43.820 --> 00:23:45.360 but they can't deliver. 00:23:46.020 --> 00:23:46.820 They can promise, 00:23:46.940 --> 00:23:47.600 but they can't deliver. 00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:48.800 They're functional saviors. 00:23:49.020 --> 00:23:50.740 They're terrible saviors. 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:53.120 They can't actually rescue you. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:55.600 So what's the alternative? 00:23:57.240 --> 00:23:58.300 The alternative 00:23:58.300 --> 00:24:00.400 is to say, 00:24:01.320 --> 00:24:02.460 salvation doesn't belong to me, 00:24:02.520 --> 00:24:03.760 but salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.740 The alternative is repentance. 00:24:06.859 --> 00:24:07.579 Repentance involves 00:24:07.579 --> 00:24:09.160 turning from our functional saviors 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:10.140 and believing 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:12.099 at the bottom of the J-curve 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:14.700 that salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:24:14.879 --> 00:24:16.400 Even though part of us 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.140 wants to win. 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:20.900 Even though part of us 00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:22.220 wants to have control. 00:24:23.259 --> 00:24:23.920 What do we do? 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:28.640 We look at Jesus 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:31.880 and we see 00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:34.200 that the one 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:35.019 who has 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:37.400 all authority 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:39.120 and power 00:24:39.120 --> 00:24:40.580 in heaven and on earth 00:24:40.580 --> 00:24:44.039 laid all of it 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:44.720 down. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:46.980 We see in places 00:24:46.980 --> 00:24:47.740 like Philippians 2 00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:48.300 that though 00:24:48.300 --> 00:24:49.560 he was God, 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:51.620 he did not consider 00:24:51.620 --> 00:24:53.140 equality with God 00:24:53.140 --> 00:24:54.240 something to be grasped. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.140 But he emptied himself. 00:24:57.520 --> 00:24:58.200 He emptied himself 00:24:58.200 --> 00:24:59.080 of power and authority. 00:24:59.820 --> 00:25:00.720 He became a servant 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:01.880 and he experienced 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:03.480 utter powerlessness 00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:05.720 through death on the cross. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.340 And it was through that death, 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:08.280 it was through that humility, 00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.440 it was through that powerlessness 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:10.400 that salvation 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:12.080 came into the world 00:25:12.080 --> 00:25:13.220 and into you and me. 00:25:14.300 --> 00:25:15.080 And Philippians 2 says 00:25:15.080 --> 00:25:16.240 that God exalted him 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.620 to the right hand 00:25:17.620 --> 00:25:18.180 of the Father. 00:25:18.820 --> 00:25:19.680 That in the name of Jesus 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:20.920 every tongue shall confess 00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:23.180 that Jesus is Lord 00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:24.220 to the glory of God 00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:25.080 the Father 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:26.600 and that in Jesus Christ 00:25:26.600 --> 00:25:27.240 and in his 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:28.500 exalted resurrection 00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:30.300 we ourselves 00:25:30.300 --> 00:25:31.160 share 00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:32.740 in his power 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:33.500 and glory 00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:34.279 and authority 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:35.940 over sin 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:37.279 and death 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:37.800 and evil. 00:25:38.019 --> 00:25:38.680 That's the gospel. 00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.840 And so because 00:25:41.840 --> 00:25:42.420 therefore 00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:44.100 salvation belongs 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:44.640 to the Lord 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:46.980 and because we share 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:48.259 in Christ's authority 00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:48.759 and power 00:25:48.759 --> 00:25:50.019 we can afford 00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:52.539 to give earthly power away. 00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:54.279 We can afford 00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:54.819 when we're in the middle 00:25:54.819 --> 00:25:55.259 of conflict 00:25:55.259 --> 00:25:56.400 to give control 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:57.279 away 00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:58.200 because in Jesus 00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:59.319 we have access 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:01.099 to all of the power 00:26:01.099 --> 00:26:02.279 that we could ever 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:03.460 long for. 00:26:03.579 --> 00:26:04.160 And so repentance 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:04.759 means 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:06.599 turning away 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:07.599 from seeking salvation 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:08.420 in ourself 00:26:08.420 --> 00:26:11.019 and turning towards 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.980 seeing salvation 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:12.579 in the Lord. 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:14.579 And we can 00:26:14.579 --> 00:26:15.759 give power away, 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:16.220 we can 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:18.079 approach the other person 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:18.600 with humility, 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:21.819 we can be open 00:26:21.819 --> 00:26:23.079 to receiving feedback, 00:26:23.380 --> 00:26:24.100 even criticism 00:26:24.100 --> 00:26:24.640 and critique, 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.319 we can approach 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:26.860 the situation 00:26:26.860 --> 00:26:27.839 not trying to control 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:28.500 or manipulate 00:26:28.500 --> 00:26:29.180 the other person, 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:31.380 but by seeking 00:26:31.380 --> 00:26:31.980 the good 00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:32.779 of the other person, 00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:33.740 by putting 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:34.860 the other person's good 00:26:34.860 --> 00:26:36.620 in front of our own, 00:26:37.579 --> 00:26:38.680 by seeking to love, 00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:40.519 by seeking to reflect 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:42.240 and even experience 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:42.680 ourselves 00:26:42.680 --> 00:26:43.779 the steadfast love 00:26:43.779 --> 00:26:44.799 of the Lord. 00:26:44.900 --> 00:26:45.819 And if we do that, 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:48.339 we can, 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:49.759 maybe not instantaneously, 00:26:49.860 --> 00:26:50.480 but through a process, 00:26:50.600 --> 00:26:50.839 we can, 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:51.400 by the power 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:51.860 of the Spirit, 00:26:52.299 --> 00:26:52.799 experience 00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:54.779 a real-time resurrection. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.940 We can experience growth, 00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:57.799 we can experience change, 00:26:57.860 --> 00:26:58.799 we can even experience 00:26:58.799 --> 00:26:59.860 a deeper, 00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:00.720 closer relationship 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:01.640 with that other person. 00:27:03.100 --> 00:27:04.920 But it's at that bottom, 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:05.740 it's at the bottom 00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:06.279 of the J-curve 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:07.700 that we learn 00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:08.700 to pray 00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:10.279 Jonah 2 prayers. 00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:13.259 When a storm 00:27:13.259 --> 00:27:14.640 comes into our life 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:16.420 and we cry out 00:27:16.420 --> 00:27:17.220 and we acknowledge 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:18.240 our rescue 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:18.960 and we wrestle 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:20.240 through our own temptations 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:20.759 and we wrestle 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:22.200 through our own tendencies 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:24.400 to pursue functional saviors. 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:26.580 But in prayer, 00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:27.680 we seek salvation 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:28.280 not in them, 00:27:28.340 --> 00:27:29.200 but we seek salvation 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:30.480 in the Lord 00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:31.540 because salvation 00:27:31.540 --> 00:27:33.180 belongs to Him. 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:33.980 And in Jesus, 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:36.200 we already have access 00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:38.020 to everything 00:27:38.020 --> 00:27:39.080 that we long for 00:27:39.080 --> 00:27:40.020 and need. 00:27:40.080 --> 00:27:41.040 And we trust Him 00:27:41.040 --> 00:27:41.620 by the power 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:42.219 of His Spirit 00:27:42.219 --> 00:27:43.500 to bring about 00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:45.919 a real-time transformation, 00:27:46.199 --> 00:27:47.239 a real-time resurrection 00:27:47.239 --> 00:27:48.639 in our lives 00:27:48.639 --> 00:27:49.559 and in our relationships. 00:27:51.099 --> 00:27:52.099 And I think it's important 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:52.559 to clarify, 00:27:52.719 --> 00:27:53.719 this is not a technique, 00:27:55.019 --> 00:27:56.099 this is not a recipe, 00:27:56.279 --> 00:27:57.079 this is not a formula, 00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:58.139 but this is 00:27:58.139 --> 00:28:00.119 a sovereign work 00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:01.019 of God's Spirit 00:28:01.019 --> 00:28:01.599 in us. 00:28:02.959 --> 00:28:04.179 But it's through prayer 00:28:04.179 --> 00:28:06.519 and it's through 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:07.500 spiritual disciplines 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:10.160 that we open up ourselves 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:11.680 to that sovereign work 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:12.279 of God's Spirit 00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:12.640 in us, 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:13.319 to change us 00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:14.740 and transform us 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:15.619 through death 00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:16.119 and resurrection. 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:18.680 The same grace 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:19.960 that rescues us 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:22.279 is also the grace 00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:24.079 that transforms us. 00:28:25.559 --> 00:28:26.279 And somebody 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:27.759 who experienced that 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:29.920 was a man named 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:32.000 John Newton 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:34.240 who is famous 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:35.640 for writing the hymn 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:36.799 that many of us know 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:37.919 called Amazing Grace 00:28:37.919 --> 00:28:39.919 who, like Jonah, 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:41.359 had an encounter 00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:42.259 with God's grace 00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:44.319 while on a ship 00:28:44.319 --> 00:28:45.599 in a storm at sea. 00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:47.039 And this version 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:48.019 of John Newton's story 00:28:48.019 --> 00:28:49.940 comes from the website 00:28:49.940 --> 00:28:51.180 of Geneva College. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:53.440 Following in his father's footsteps, 00:28:53.639 --> 00:28:54.079 John Newton 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:55.319 began his career 00:28:55.319 --> 00:28:55.960 by joining 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:57.519 the British Royal Navy. 00:28:58.339 --> 00:28:59.519 And as a Navy sailor, 00:29:00.059 --> 00:29:01.039 Newton became known 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.019 for his arrogance 00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:04.960 and his immorality 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:06.579 and his insubordinate 00:29:06.579 --> 00:29:07.160 behavior 00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:08.500 as a sailor. 00:29:09.579 --> 00:29:10.880 And later in his life, 00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:12.400 reflecting on his early days 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:13.079 as a young man, 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:14.220 Newton would say 00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:14.960 about himself, 00:29:15.620 --> 00:29:17.140 I sinned with a high hand 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:18.900 and I made it my study 00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:19.480 to tempt 00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.519 and seduce 00:29:20.519 --> 00:29:21.480 others. 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:22.680 And this became 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:23.220 a pattern 00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:24.079 in his life 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:25.759 and he would eventually 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:27.700 try to escape 00:29:27.700 --> 00:29:29.000 his military duty. 00:29:29.120 --> 00:29:29.920 He would eventually 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:30.600 try to escape 00:29:30.600 --> 00:29:31.180 his post 00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:32.420 as a sailor, 00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:33.960 but he was eventually 00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:35.259 caught by Navy officers 00:29:35.259 --> 00:29:36.820 and he was caught 00:29:36.820 --> 00:29:38.560 for being a deserter 00:29:38.560 --> 00:29:39.519 and he was arrested 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:40.440 and flogged 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:42.120 and put in irons 00:29:42.120 --> 00:29:42.900 and he was chained 00:29:42.900 --> 00:29:43.460 to the deck 00:29:43.460 --> 00:29:44.180 of a Navy ship. 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:46.440 But chained 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:46.860 to the deck 00:29:46.860 --> 00:29:47.420 of a Navy ship, 00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:48.080 Newton convinced 00:29:48.080 --> 00:29:48.900 his commanding officers 00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:49.660 to let him go 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:51.019 by assigning him 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:51.660 to be a captain 00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:52.539 of a slave ship. 00:29:53.560 --> 00:29:54.680 And he would spend years 00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:55.600 sailing up and down 00:29:55.600 --> 00:29:56.380 the African coast 00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:57.660 searching for slaves 00:29:57.660 --> 00:29:58.140 to capture 00:29:58.140 --> 00:29:59.200 and eventually to sell 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:00.200 for profit. 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:01.920 And on one journey, 00:30:02.380 --> 00:30:03.000 one of these journeys, 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:03.940 Newton and his crew 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:04.940 encountered a storm 00:30:04.940 --> 00:30:06.380 that swept some 00:30:06.380 --> 00:30:07.440 of his men overboard 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:08.740 and left others 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:09.360 with the likelihood 00:30:09.360 --> 00:30:10.000 of drowning. 00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:11.799 And at first, 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:12.680 Newton was convinced 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:14.200 that he was too great 00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:14.600 of a sinner, 00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:15.880 that he had sinned 00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:16.799 too greatly for God 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:17.580 to rescue him 00:30:17.580 --> 00:30:18.700 and save him. 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:19.960 And yet, 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.460 as the storm 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:21.039 kept raging, 00:30:21.980 --> 00:30:23.279 he thought he was 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:23.920 going to die. 00:30:25.019 --> 00:30:25.640 And he finally 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:26.420 gave in to believing 00:30:26.420 --> 00:30:27.500 what he had heard 00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:27.960 in the Bible 00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:28.920 as a young child, 00:30:28.920 --> 00:30:31.000 that God saves sinners, 00:30:31.700 --> 00:30:33.580 even sinners like him. 00:30:34.340 --> 00:30:35.279 And with both hands 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:36.420 fastened onto the wheel 00:30:36.420 --> 00:30:36.740 of the boat, 00:30:36.860 --> 00:30:38.160 Newton cried out to God 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:38.420 saying, 00:30:38.560 --> 00:30:39.840 Lord, have mercy on us. 00:30:41.080 --> 00:30:42.500 And after 11 hours 00:30:42.500 --> 00:30:43.700 of steering the ship 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:44.580 and bailing water, 00:30:44.700 --> 00:30:45.940 the crew found safety 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:46.820 when the storm 00:30:46.820 --> 00:30:48.240 finally died down. 00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:50.259 And it was in this moment 00:30:50.259 --> 00:30:52.160 that Newton's heart 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:52.680 was changed, 00:30:52.740 --> 00:30:53.380 that he was converted 00:30:53.380 --> 00:30:54.160 by God's grace. 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:54.860 And it was a moment 00:30:54.860 --> 00:30:55.940 that he would later 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:57.340 refer back to, 00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:58.380 it was a moment 00:30:58.380 --> 00:30:58.940 that would later 00:30:58.940 --> 00:31:00.120 inspire him to write 00:31:00.120 --> 00:31:01.120 the famous hymn 00:31:01.120 --> 00:31:01.740 that we all know. 00:31:02.900 --> 00:31:04.180 And while Newton's views 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:04.880 on slavery 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.260 didn't change overnight, 00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:07.460 eventually he became 00:31:07.460 --> 00:31:08.740 convinced that to be 00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:10.160 saved by God's grace 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.480 meant to be against 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:12.140 the slave trade. 00:31:12.980 --> 00:31:13.700 Newton was eventually 00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:14.700 ordained as an Anglican 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:15.580 pastor and he began 00:31:15.580 --> 00:31:16.440 to lead his own church 00:31:16.440 --> 00:31:17.760 and he started writing 00:31:17.760 --> 00:31:18.580 and publishing essays 00:31:18.580 --> 00:31:19.040 and books 00:31:19.040 --> 00:31:20.980 against the slave trade. 00:31:21.060 --> 00:31:21.780 And one of the people 00:31:21.780 --> 00:31:22.780 who read his works 00:31:22.780 --> 00:31:24.620 was a young member 00:31:24.620 --> 00:31:25.120 of Parliament 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:27.159 named William Wilberforce 00:31:27.159 --> 00:31:29.139 who led the legal fight 00:31:29.139 --> 00:31:30.099 against slavery in England. 00:31:31.059 --> 00:31:32.179 And years later 00:31:32.179 --> 00:31:32.699 as Parliament 00:31:32.699 --> 00:31:33.639 was debating this issue, 00:31:33.739 --> 00:31:34.139 one of the people 00:31:34.139 --> 00:31:35.799 who stood on the floor 00:31:35.799 --> 00:31:36.779 of Parliament 00:31:36.779 --> 00:31:37.839 to testify about 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:38.419 the horrors 00:31:38.419 --> 00:31:39.559 and the evils of slavery 00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:41.599 was John Newton 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:43.459 who testified about it 00:31:43.459 --> 00:31:43.879 firsthand. 00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:45.500 God changed him 00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:45.959 from a man 00:31:45.959 --> 00:31:46.619 who was the captain 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:47.339 of a slave ship 00:31:47.339 --> 00:31:48.059 to a man 00:31:48.059 --> 00:31:48.659 who was actively 00:31:48.659 --> 00:31:49.979 working towards 00:31:49.979 --> 00:31:51.539 abolishing slavery. 00:31:51.539 --> 00:31:53.319 And as he got older 00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:54.740 Newton began 00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:56.519 to lose his memory 00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:57.480 and although his thoughts 00:31:57.480 --> 00:31:57.960 were limited 00:31:57.960 --> 00:31:59.619 Newton said he could 00:31:59.619 --> 00:32:00.180 always remember 00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:00.879 two things. 00:32:02.700 --> 00:32:04.159 That I am a great sinner 00:32:04.159 --> 00:32:06.359 and that Christ 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:07.099 is a great savior. 00:32:09.259 --> 00:32:10.519 The same grace 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:12.619 that rescued John Newton 00:32:12.619 --> 00:32:13.599 and converted him 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:15.859 was also the grace 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:17.279 that transformed him. 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:19.579 It was the grace found 00:32:19.579 --> 00:32:21.599 not on the mountaintop. 00:32:21.659 --> 00:32:22.480 It was grace found 00:32:22.480 --> 00:32:23.039 at the bottom. 00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:27.480 Dwight Schrute says 00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:29.539 our world needs 00:32:29.539 --> 00:32:30.899 a spiritual revolution. 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:32.119 Do you want to experience 00:32:32.119 --> 00:32:34.000 spiritual transformation 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:35.379 in your life? 00:32:35.439 --> 00:32:37.240 Do you want to experience 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:37.759 greater depths 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:38.439 of God's grace? 00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:41.299 The place where you can 00:32:41.299 --> 00:32:41.859 experience it 00:32:41.859 --> 00:32:42.539 is at the bottom 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:44.339 in death 00:32:44.339 --> 00:32:45.599 and resurrection. 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:46.480 And the good news 00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:47.119 for us 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:49.259 is though sometimes 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:49.839 it does take 00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:50.679 hitting rock bottom 00:32:50.679 --> 00:32:51.739 for us to experience that. 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:53.799 We don't all have to wait 00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:55.339 to hit rock bottom. 00:32:55.399 --> 00:32:56.139 We don't all have to wait 00:32:56.139 --> 00:32:57.239 to face a storm 00:32:57.239 --> 00:32:58.279 like Jonah did. 00:32:58.339 --> 00:32:59.399 We don't all have to wait 00:32:59.399 --> 00:33:00.259 to face a storm 00:33:00.259 --> 00:33:01.539 like John Newton did 00:33:01.539 --> 00:33:02.419 in order to experience 00:33:02.419 --> 00:33:03.299 the depths of God's grace. 00:33:03.399 --> 00:33:03.639 Why? 00:33:04.639 --> 00:33:06.000 Because there's all sorts 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:06.799 of mini storms 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:07.839 that come into our life 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:09.419 on a daily basis. 00:33:10.659 --> 00:33:11.539 Like conflict. 00:33:12.659 --> 00:33:13.459 Like failure. 00:33:14.459 --> 00:33:15.359 Like criticism. 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:16.759 Like anger. 00:33:16.899 --> 00:33:17.419 Like suffering. 00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:19.459 That can take us 00:33:19.459 --> 00:33:20.359 down into death 00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:22.359 and up in resurrection. 00:33:23.419 --> 00:33:24.299 Because it's there 00:33:24.299 --> 00:33:24.959 where we see 00:33:24.959 --> 00:33:27.119 that salvation 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:28.139 belongs 00:33:28.139 --> 00:33:29.219 to the Lord. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:31.359 The one who died 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:32.439 and the one who was raised 00:33:32.439 --> 00:33:33.559 for us. 00:33:34.279 --> 00:33:34.799 Let's pray. 00:33:37.919 --> 00:33:38.879 Our God and Father 00:33:38.879 --> 00:33:39.819 thank you for 00:33:39.819 --> 00:33:41.679 the grace 00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:43.680 that transformed 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.539 Jonah 00:33:44.539 --> 00:33:45.480 at the bottom 00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:46.299 of the ocean. 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:47.380 Thank you for the grace 00:33:47.380 --> 00:33:48.140 that transformed 00:33:48.140 --> 00:33:49.000 John Newton. 00:33:49.140 --> 00:33:49.940 Thank you that the grace 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:51.240 that rescues us 00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:52.160 is also the grace 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:53.640 that transforms us. 00:33:53.740 --> 00:33:54.779 Lord, I pray that you would 00:33:54.779 --> 00:33:55.840 help us 00:33:55.840 --> 00:33:57.420 in the middle 00:33:57.420 --> 00:33:58.060 of the storms 00:33:58.060 --> 00:33:58.680 in our life 00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:01.519 to follow you 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:02.700 on the path 00:34:02.700 --> 00:34:04.080 to death 00:34:04.080 --> 00:34:05.299 and repentance 00:34:05.299 --> 00:34:06.620 and resurrection. 00:34:06.900 --> 00:34:07.480 Would you do 00:34:07.480 --> 00:34:08.180 that sovereign 00:34:08.180 --> 00:34:10.360 work of your spirit 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:10.599 in us? 00:34:10.640 --> 00:34:11.400 Would you teach us 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:11.860 to pray 00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:13.099 at the bottom? 00:34:14.380 --> 00:34:14.920 In the name 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:15.320 of the Father 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:15.820 and the Son 00:34:15.820 --> 00:34:16.900 and the Holy Spirit. 00:34:17.500 --> 00:34:17.740 Amen.