WEBVTT

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 I'm going to start a new series.

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 We have, we had, we had the privilege of having Johnny, talking about next generation, we

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! had the privilege of Johnny and Brayden, who's young and well, Johnny's not young, Johnny's

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! Johnny's very old, but Brayden is young and we were blessed by you Brayden last week.

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 Thank you.

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 You know, that wasn't easy.

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 Can we just give you another round of applause for that?

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 That's something.

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 But we're going to start a new series.

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 We're going to start a new series and we're actually going to go into the Old Testament,

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 the Old Testament is, we, well, we believe this whole book is the word of God.

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 This is the word of God that points us towards Christ.

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 In fact, well, everything, everything points towards him.

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 He is the image of the invisible God.

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 He is the firstborn of all creation.

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 Everything was created through him and ultimately for him.

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 We recognize that, right?

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 And this book points that in John, in Matthew, of course, in Revelation, those are easy.

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 We can see Jesus front and center there.

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 But even in the Old Testament, even in Lamentations, even in Leviticus and Numbers, Christ is there.

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 And we're pointing towards Christ and it's our job to find it.

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 And that's the message that we're looking for today.

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 And we're going to start a new series in the Old Testament.

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 A nice, easy one is on Jonah.

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 So we're going to go through these next few months on the book of Jonah.

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 When I say Jonah, what comes through your mind?

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 What thoughts do you have?

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 Gabs, I want to pick on you first.

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 What do you think of when you hear Jonah?

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 Big fish.

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 It's always about the fish.

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 The fish is something for sure.

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 What else is there about Jonah that comes to mind for you?

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 There will be a little bit of uncomfortable me looking around asking to see who wants to answer something.

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 Birthday boy, Vincent, I want to hear from you.

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 When I tell you Jonah, what do you think of?

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 Fish has already been taken.

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 Fish has already been taken.

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 Fish has already been taken.

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 Huh?

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 I see what you did there.

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 That does not count.

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 A giant whale.

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 A giant whale.

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 Okay.

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 All right.

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 A giant whale.

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 Okay.

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 So.

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 Enough of the fish.

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 Of course, Jonah isn't about just the fish.

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 But of course, that's a big topic.

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 That's something that we all think of.

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 Jonah, if you don't do what God says, you'll get swallowed up by a big fish.

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 And of course, some people are like, well, how can you guys believe that kind of story?

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 How can you guys believe that God sent a fish to swallow someone up and they stayed in there for three days?

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 Like, but the thing is, those are often the very same people who are like, hey, I can't believe in God until I see a miracle.

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 Until I see something crazy happen, I can't believe in God.

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 I've got to tell you that you can't have it both ways.

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 You can't have it both ways.

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 Either God can do these kinds of crazy things or he can't.

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 And actually, if you are a follower of Christ, if you believe in the existence of Jesus, and if you believe that he actually died and he rose again, that's actually a bigger miracle.

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 So therefore, the fish is actually not such a big deal.

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 So let's not get distracted so much by the fish.

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 But let's think about what Jonah really is about.

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 I think the book of Jonah really is about sin.

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 Sin.

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 But then the next question, well, what is sin?

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 Well, really what is sin is running away from God.

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 It's choosing our own way.

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 And there is a prime example here in the Old Testament of sin, of running away from God that we see in the book of Jonah.

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 And as we look through this, my encouragement to you is think, pray.

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 Maybe there are things that you have to unlearn about God because of your perception or your experience of the book of Jonah.

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 Jonah, don't do what God says, swallow it up by a big fish.

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 But if we're honest, Jonah is much more than that.

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 It's so much more rich than that.

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 There's so many more things to learn from Jonah himself.

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 And here's my invite to you as we go through this Jonah in the next few months.

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 Have a think.

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 What is there of Jonah that's in me?

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 And what can I actually learn about God through this book?

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 And we're just going to go through verse by verse, actually.

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 We're going to do the first six verses today.

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 And we're going to see what God really has in store for us when it comes.

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 So I want to invite you, if you've got a paper Bible, which we very much advocate for here because there are no distractions.

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 Do not disturb is baked into this book.

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 So can you bring out your Bibles?

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 Or if there's an app, yeah, you might maybe a little bit louder.

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 And can I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord?

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 God, we come before you.

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 We open up your word.

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 This is precious to us.

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 This word gives life.

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 So would you prepare our hearts for this?

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 Would you prepare our hearts, Holy Spirit?

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 Would you soften our hearts, allow us to hear what it is that you want us to hear from this book?

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 If there are things that we have learned as children about this, Lord, that aren't of you, will help us to unlearn them.

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 We come to you with open hearts and open minds.

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 And we receive your word now.

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 The book of Jonah, chapter one, verse one to six.

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 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.

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 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

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 He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.

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 So he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

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 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

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 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his God.

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 And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them.

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 But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had laid down and was fast asleep.

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 So the captain came and said to him, What do you mean, you sleeper?

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 Arise, call out to your God.

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 Perhaps the God will give a thought to us that we may not perish.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Please take a seat.

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 Am I loud enough?

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 Can you guys hear me at the back?

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 We're good?

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 Okay, good.

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 Now that the word of the Lord came to Jonah, that's how this book starts.

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 Who here wants to hear from God?

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 Put your hand up if you want to hear from God.

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 It's not a trick question.

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 I'm not.

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 My second question is, do you really?

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 Do you really want to hear from God?

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 And are you ready for him to say what he wants to say?

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 I find so often we want to hear from God to tell us about the things that we want him to tell us about.

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 Jonah, can you tell me which job I should take?

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 Can you tell me which place I should go to for holiday?

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 Can you tell me which car I should get?

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 Can you tell me which person you prepared for me as a spouse?

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 Can you tell me this?

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 Can you tell me what to think about the LGBTQ stance?

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 Can you tell me what to think about politics?

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 Can you tell me?

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 And suddenly, maybe that's, we've got the angle wrong.

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 There's a theologian that said, hey, let's think not what we want to hear from God about.

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 Let's just ask for what God wants to say to us full stop.

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 Because he's God in heaven and here we are on earth.

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 But the problem is, I don't know how often we really actually genuinely want to hear from God.

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 And whether we're actually prepared for the message that he's about to give us.

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 I see Jonah is about to get a message that he does not want to hear.

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 And it lands him into big trouble.

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 But my question for you is, if you put your hand up and say, hey, I want to hear from God.

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 My question to you is, well, do you really?

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 Do you really want to hear from God?

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 I think about when Christina was pregnant with Ruben, she heard from God.

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 She was a cardiac physiologist in the hospital in the UK.

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 I was a teacher.

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 She heard from God.

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 Once we found out we were going to have a star family, she heard from God and said, hey, both of you, I want you to dedicate your whole life to serving me.

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 She did not want to hear that message.

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 You can ask her about it.

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 Two years, she wrestled with that message.

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 And there were tears every Sunday during worship.

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 Because I'll tell you, if you're trying to follow God or you're trying to run away from him, worship songs are not helpful.

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 Because worship songs are all about, I trust you.

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 I give you everything.

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 I surrender.

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 And you're just wrestling.

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 And every Sunday, I'd look beside me and she's just crying.

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 She's just in tears.

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 And I'm thinking, what did I do?

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 And of course, then finally, I hear the same thing from God.

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 And I'm like, man, I love my job.

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 I love teaching.

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 I remember driving to work in my car.

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 I just hear, just feeling, okay, this is going to happen.

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 This has to happen.

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 I'm just in tears.

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 The most dangerous drive of my life.

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 But I'm like, I don't want this.

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 So I ask you again, do you actually want to hear from God?

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 You see, what we see here is actually Jonah really has a God of his own making.

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 We often create our own gods so that he can tell us the things that we want to hear.

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 But in truth, in reality, God is so much bigger, so much bigger.

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 And he has such a bigger plan.

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 That's something that I want us to challenge with us today is do we have that?

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 And the second thing I see from here is he's about to send Jonah on this missionary journey.

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 And even this first verse alone, the word of the Lord came to Jonah, tells me another thing.

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 All missionary activity comes from God and is driven by God.

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 Jonah doesn't choose to do this himself.

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 God is the ultimate, only real missionary.

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 You see, he's the one who's telling Jonah, hey, do this, go there.

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 It makes me think of Acts.

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 It makes me think of Acts 8.

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 Philip, I've told you, one of my favorite stories.

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 Philip is just spreading the gospel and just God zaps him and takes him somewhere else to continue the missionary activity.

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 It makes me think of Acts 10, where you are Peter and Cornelius.

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 Again, God just intervenes, talks to people.

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 He's pulling strings.

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 He's orchestrating in the background.

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 He is the source of all missionary activity.

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 I think of Acts 16, where Paul has a dream about Macedonia.

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 So he heads there.

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 But before that, he's constantly blocked.

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 Don't go here.

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 Don't go there.

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 Don't go to Asia, even though that's where the food is at.

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 I want you to go to Europe.

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 I want you to start the church there.

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 Go there.

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 God is the one who's behind all missionary activity.

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 It makes me think of just what it means to even scatter.

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 We talk about gathering and when we talk about scattering, scattering really is just to follow God's lead, to do what he wants us to do.

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 I think about surfers like Aidan.

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 Apparently Aidan is a really good surfer.

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 Are you?

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 And humble.

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 And humble.

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 What is surfing?

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 Surfing is getting yourself to a place where you're basically submitting to the waves.

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 And you're like, you're just getting yourself out there.

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 But what happens?

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 It just happens.

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 You're just on the waves.

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 That is missionary activity.

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 Can you get yourself into the ocean, onto the waves, get the necessary equipment that you need?

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 Yes.

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 But then God will take you.

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 And it'll be fun.

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 He's the one who drives all of it.

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 The word of the Lord came to Jonah.

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 And here's the problem.

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 He goes to Jonah and he gets a message.

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 Arise.

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 Arise.

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 Go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.

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 Whew.

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 I need you to understand a little bit about Nineveh.

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 Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire.

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 A lot of commentators, a lot of historians are agreed on it is the most evil empire that has existed in the history of mankind.

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 I had one friend of mine who compared it to, you know what it is like?

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 A modern example of this empire, the Assyrian Empire, is probably the methods of ISIS with the power of the US.

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 That's what it was.

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 Okay?

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 Very powerful.

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 Very evil.

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 There's cases where when they would fight enemies, they would chop off all the limbs and leave just one arm.

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 So that they can mock and ridicule them and shake their hands before they die.

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 This was the kind of empire that we were talking about.

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 And this empire was coming on a head-on collision course with the Israelites.

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 Something else I want you to know.

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 Jonah, the son of Amittai, is all it says here.

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 But he is mentioned before.

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 Jonah was an interesting character that I don't think we, well, at least I wasn't fully aware of.

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 And actually, I'll tell you something else.

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 Why are we going through Jonah?

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 I'm preaching to you through Jonah from the fullness of my heart.

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 Because it's what the Lord has used to speak to me these last few months.

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 To challenge me.

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 To actually go, James, you are more like Jonah than you realize.

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 And so that's why we're preaching this.

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 And I want you to find out, understand something about Jonah here.

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 He was a nationalist.

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 In 2 Kings, 2 Kings chapter 14, verse 25, it talks about Jonah being the prophet to the king Jeroboam.

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 Who, again, did evil in the sight of God.

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 Because why?

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 Because Jeroboam had an expansion policy.

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 He was trying to invade neighboring countries to expand the kingdom of Israel, to expand his own kingdom through war.

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 Jonah was his wise prophet.

00:12:53.979 --> 00:12:54.120
 Okay?

00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:59.259
 So Jonah was, he was a nationalist.

00:12:59.620 --> 00:13:01.620
 He was a partisan patriot.

00:13:02.419 --> 00:13:03.599
 He loved Israel.

00:13:04.659 --> 00:13:05.719
 That's interesting.

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:08.859
 Because what, because now we're adding a bit of context.

00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:10.899
 What's God asking Jonah to do?

00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:17.600
 He's asking Jonah to go into enemy territory and call them to repent.

00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:19.559
 A modern parallel.

00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:28.100
 He's asking a Jew to go into Berlin, Nazi Germany in 1941 to call the Germans to repentance.

00:13:29.539 --> 00:13:31.899
 Do you understand a little bit more how he ended up in the fish?

00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:35.360
 Jonah heard from God.

00:13:35.819 --> 00:13:38.639
 Jonah did not like what he heard from God.

00:13:38.699 --> 00:13:40.100
 He was called to his enemy.

00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:41.879
 Now understand the complexity of this.

00:13:42.060 --> 00:13:42.700
 He's called.

00:13:43.040 --> 00:13:45.920
 God tells him, hey, go to Nineveh and warn them.

00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:46.480
 What does that mean?

00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:48.220
 That means there's a chance of repentance.

00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:50.440
 That means God is giving them a chance.

00:13:51.040 --> 00:13:55.399
 Can you think from Jonah's perspective, who was supporting King Jeroboam's expansion policy?

00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:57.460
 You've got this enemy who's coming.

00:13:57.560 --> 00:14:04.620
 And wait, you want me to go into Nazi Germany and call them to repentance with the chance that they might actually repent?

00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:07.039
 And that means they won't be destroyed.

00:14:07.220 --> 00:14:08.139
 Which means what?

00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:10.019
 We will be destroyed.

00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:13.379
 Because if they survive, they're coming for us.

00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:15.600
 If they're coming for us, that means the Israelites will be gone.

00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:20.100
 Can you see Jonah's dilemma here as he hears from God?

00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:24.399
 Do you really want to hear God's voice?

00:14:24.920 --> 00:14:26.360
 What if we were called to our enemies?

00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:32.720
 What if God told you today, hey, do you know that worker that really frustrates you in the office?

00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:38.040
 I want you to go to them, and I want you to tell them how much you appreciate them.

00:14:39.060 --> 00:14:40.800
 How loved they are by me.

00:14:41.160 --> 00:14:43.560
 How they're going to get the promotion that you want.

00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:50.680
 And this isn't even, well, I hope your colleagues, co-workers are not trying to kill you.

00:14:50.920 --> 00:14:52.800
 But this isn't even that.

00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:54.840
 This is just people that we're frustrated with.

00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:56.320
 This is just people that we're annoyed with.

00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:57.899
 This is just people that we don't like talking to.

00:14:57.899 --> 00:15:03.100
 We struggle to talk to people during a DBS sermon here sometimes.

00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:05.539
 Because they're like people, oh, we don't really vibe very well.

00:15:05.579 --> 00:15:06.159
 We don't really talk.

00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:07.679
 We don't have good conversation.

00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:12.039
 Man, what Jonah's being asked to do here is something that we cannot fathom.

00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:17.299
 It is to the level of a Jew going into Nazi Germany and calling the Germans to repentance.

00:15:17.500 --> 00:15:18.399
 That's what this is.

00:15:18.959 --> 00:15:19.720
 And Jonah struggles.

00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:21.360
 Because he loves Israel.

00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:22.939
 He wants to fight this war.

00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:25.079
 He is so, so for Israel.

00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.300
 And yet here we have him being called to that.

00:15:28.420 --> 00:15:29.160
 It is not easy.

00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:33.160
 So suddenly what Jonah then does seems fairly reasonable.

00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:33.720
 Verse three.

00:15:33.900 --> 00:15:34.560
 This is what he says.

00:15:35.280 --> 00:15:39.860
 The scripture says, but Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.580
 So Jonah hears this, says, arise, go to Nineveh.

00:15:44.660 --> 00:15:49.379
 And then the next thing he does is rise up and then go the opposite direction.

00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:50.440
 He leaves.

00:15:50.500 --> 00:15:52.440
 And now we understand a little bit more why.

00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.960
 Because actually, you know what he might even be thinking?

00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:56.140
 There might be an even, you know what?

00:15:56.280 --> 00:15:57.560
 I'm going to take one for the team.

00:15:58.220 --> 00:15:59.240
 I'm going to ignore God.

00:15:59.700 --> 00:16:03.680
 I'm not going to not save the Assyrians so that the Israelites can be saved.

00:16:03.920 --> 00:16:04.780
 Man, I am noble.

00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:06.200
 I am sacrificial.

00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:07.620
 And so he goes.

00:16:08.140 --> 00:16:08.540
 He goes.

00:16:08.620 --> 00:16:08.980
 And it's funny.

00:16:09.140 --> 00:16:10.500
 It says he goes down.

00:16:10.800 --> 00:16:11.080
 He goes.

00:16:11.160 --> 00:16:13.380
 He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.

00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:17.660
 So he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

00:16:17.659 --> 00:16:20.000
 It seems like running away from God often is easy.

00:16:20.199 --> 00:16:22.100
 It's easier than going towards God.

00:16:22.179 --> 00:16:22.759
 Going downhill.

00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:24.379
 Down to the pier.

00:16:24.719 --> 00:16:25.639
 Down to the boat.

00:16:25.939 --> 00:16:26.519
 Paying the fare.

00:16:26.839 --> 00:16:27.319
 And heading off.

00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:28.120
 And I've said this before.

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.219
 Often when we're trying to run away from God, the devil is the one that provides the transportation.

00:16:33.100 --> 00:16:33.779
 It's easier.

00:16:34.219 --> 00:16:35.579
 There's always an easier way.

00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:37.860
 But the way towards God.

00:16:38.339 --> 00:16:39.399
 The way to hear.

00:16:39.779 --> 00:16:41.139
 To follow what God says.

00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:42.519
 Often is the uphill battle.

00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:43.279
 It's the hard one.

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:44.039
 Do we have that?

00:16:44.439 --> 00:16:45.919
 Do we pick the easy way out sometimes?

00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:46.659
 Because you know what?

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:48.179
 It's Monday night.

00:16:48.339 --> 00:16:48.899
 I'm just tired.

00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:49.339
 This is.

00:16:49.860 --> 00:16:50.719
 I'm just going to do this.

00:16:51.819 --> 00:16:52.179
 You know what?

00:16:52.219 --> 00:16:52.539
 You know what?

00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:53.179
 It's Tuesday night.

00:16:54.099 --> 00:16:54.659
 I'm tired.

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:55.319
 I'm busy.

00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:56.779
 It's going to be.

00:16:56.819 --> 00:16:57.179
 You know what?

00:16:57.500 --> 00:16:57.919
 You know what?

00:16:57.939 --> 00:16:58.299
 It's Wednesday.

00:16:58.399 --> 00:16:58.919
 It's middle of the week.

00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.939
 Like I should just do this.

00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:01.419
 It's easier.

00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.259
 Often the will of God requires us to go uphill.

00:17:07.420 --> 00:17:10.359
 Often requires us to head up into a place that we wouldn't actually go.

00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:11.899
 That's why he's commanding us to go that way.

00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:13.339
 Because it's against again.

00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:14.039
 Like last week.

00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:16.079
 It's going against our natural selves here.

00:17:16.919 --> 00:17:17.539
 And he was running.

00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:19.980
 It's harder to actually follow God.

00:17:21.099 --> 00:17:21.799
 Jonah had a problem.

00:17:22.419 --> 00:17:24.839
 He had a problem with the job that he was given.

00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:25.159
 Right?

00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:26.919
 To go into enemy territory.

00:17:27.099 --> 00:17:28.839
 But he actually had a bigger problem.

00:17:29.139 --> 00:17:30.059
 What was that bigger problem?

00:17:32.179 --> 00:17:35.500
 The bigger problem wasn't the job that he was given.

00:17:35.819 --> 00:17:37.240
 It was the one who gave him the job.

00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:42.440
 Because really, if you keep peeling back why he runs away.

00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.660
 If you keep peeling back why he decides to do this.

00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:46.880
 And we'll find out more later.

00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:49.839
 We're going to try and reveal bit by bit and go through the chapters as we go.

00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:52.259
 But you'll find out why he ran away.

00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:54.059
 And it wasn't really just because of the job.

00:17:54.279 --> 00:17:55.819
 It was because actually he doesn't trust God.

00:17:56.819 --> 00:17:58.500
 And he gets angry at God later.

00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:00.200
 But we'll talk about that later.

00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:02.400
 Come to the heart of it.

00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:03.779
 Why is the book of Jonah about sin?

00:18:05.340 --> 00:18:06.380
 What is sin?

00:18:06.620 --> 00:18:07.580
 It's running away from God.

00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:08.279
 Why is it?

00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:09.740
 If you go all the way back to Adam and Eve.

00:18:09.819 --> 00:18:10.299
 What is it?

00:18:11.100 --> 00:18:11.779
 Sin is really.

00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:12.539
 God.

00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:14.799
 I don't know if I trust you.

00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.240
 I don't know if I trust you.

00:18:20.860 --> 00:18:24.180
 Did God really tell you not to eat that apple?

00:18:24.620 --> 00:18:25.720
 Did God really tell you that?

00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:25.880
 Oh.

00:18:26.980 --> 00:18:28.000
 He told you that?

00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:35.759
 That seed of doubt into God's character is what started all of this off.

00:18:36.980 --> 00:18:39.700
 The question for us is do we have that same thing?

00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:43.059
 I was talking to a friend recently.

00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:45.620
 And his company got given a big job.

00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.799
 And he was praying for that job for this big client.

00:18:49.059 --> 00:18:49.660
 And he got it.

00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:50.600
 And he's like, oh, God's so happy.

00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:51.900
 And I was like, how can we pray now?

00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:53.039
 He's like, just pray.

00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.380
 Pray that God doesn't.

00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:55.620
 Pray that I don't lose that customer.

00:18:56.539 --> 00:18:57.360
 Don't we have that?

00:18:58.059 --> 00:18:58.779
 God, pray.

00:18:58.900 --> 00:18:59.660
 Can you give me that job?

00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:00.420
 I really want this job.

00:19:00.460 --> 00:19:01.000
 Oh, I got the job.

00:19:01.080 --> 00:19:02.300
 Oh, pray that I don't lose the job.

00:19:02.580 --> 00:19:03.880
 And I'm like, I switched.

00:19:03.980 --> 00:19:06.259
 I'm like, just pretend if you have God's perspective.

00:19:06.340 --> 00:19:06.480
 Wait.

00:19:07.500 --> 00:19:08.460
 I gave you that job.

00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:10.300
 And now you're worried I'm going to take it away.

00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:12.180
 I gave you that client.

00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:15.980
 And now all you think about, all you pray about is that I don't give you that client away.

00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:16.940
 You know what that tells me?

00:19:17.019 --> 00:19:18.140
 You don't actually know who I am.

00:19:18.940 --> 00:19:20.040
 I'm the one who gave it to you.

00:19:20.060 --> 00:19:21.060
 I know what's best for you.

00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:25.859
 And I know that there will be some things that I give to you that will bring you, draw you closer to me so you can experience my goodness.

00:19:25.859 --> 00:19:31.719
 But there will be things that I'm going to have to take away from you just so you can, again, draw you in and experience so you can experience my goodness.

00:19:31.719 --> 00:19:38.879
 The moment you focus on the thing that God is trying to give you, then actually what you're saying is, oh, actually, I don't know if I can trust you.

00:19:38.959 --> 00:19:43.799
 Think about my friend who got this client from God and now is worried that he's going to lose this client.

00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:48.159
 What does that tell you about his perception of God?

00:19:49.099 --> 00:19:49.399
 Right?

00:19:50.139 --> 00:19:52.159
 And before you go, oh, that's not good.

00:19:52.220 --> 00:19:52.779
 That's weak faith.

00:19:52.859 --> 00:19:54.119
 Well, don't we all have that?

00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:57.779
 Don't we all have that moment where we're like, oh, God, I've got such a good thing.

00:19:57.819 --> 00:19:58.680
 I just want to keep on to it.

00:19:58.899 --> 00:20:04.299
 The truth is, if we keep peeling it back, there is a deep mistrust of God in what we have.

00:20:05.919 --> 00:20:06.839
 Do we have that?

00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:12.339
 Jonah says, hey, I don't trust you in this because actually if I follow you to do this, this could be the demise of my nation.

00:20:14.099 --> 00:20:15.599
 That's what he's really worrying about.

00:20:16.139 --> 00:20:19.960
 Since sin is choosing our own way and saying, hey, actually, God, I don't trust you.

00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:20.899
 I'm going to choose my own way.

00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:23.500
 It's Eve and Adam doing that and going, hey, God, you know what?

00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:25.339
 I know what you said, but actually I think we know best.

00:20:25.639 --> 00:20:26.299
 That is sin.

00:20:27.319 --> 00:20:29.299
 Saying, God, your way is not better than my way.

00:20:29.419 --> 00:20:30.399
 And I'm going to do that.

00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:31.720
 And of course, it isn't just actions.

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:32.779
 It's the heart.

00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:36.960
 Jonah was a prophet, a leader of a nation.

00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:39.759
 On the surface, he ticked all the boxes.

00:20:40.899 --> 00:20:42.159
 Do you tick all the boxes?

00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:46.980
 Are you sat here at church on a Sunday because it's the right thing to do?

00:20:47.340 --> 00:20:49.880
 Do you go to a midweek group because it's the right thing to do?

00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:51.980
 Do you give to charities because it's the right thing to do?

00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:52.960
 Do you do all these?

00:20:53.040 --> 00:20:55.500
 Do you not do certain things because it's the right thing to do?

00:20:55.640 --> 00:21:00.720
 You see, when it comes to sin, when it comes to mistrust, it's really about the heart.

00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:02.700
 Jonah's heart.

00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:04.940
 Jonah's mistrust of God.

00:21:05.300 --> 00:21:09.860
 We may tick all the boxes on the outside, but the truth is there is something on the inside.

00:21:09.859 --> 00:21:12.519
 Jonah is outraged, and we'll see later.

00:21:12.639 --> 00:21:14.699
 He is completely outraged of this thing.

00:21:14.779 --> 00:21:17.959
 And now he eventually does it because of the whole fish thing.

00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:23.159
 But even then, afterwards, it's not a good show on his character.

00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:24.419
 It's not a show.

00:21:24.619 --> 00:21:25.979
 You actually see his heart.

00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:30.639
 But before we point our fingers, before I pointed my finger, I realized, man, there is Jonah in me.

00:21:31.419 --> 00:21:33.859
 Because I'm judging and I'm looking at other people.

00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:35.199
 I'm looking at other nations.

00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.279
 I'm like, that is not godly.

00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:38.019
 That is not godly.

00:21:38.019 --> 00:21:38.980
 They need to be destroyed.

00:21:39.139 --> 00:21:40.879
 Wait, I'm not going to go save them.

00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:42.799
 They don't deserve a second chance.

00:21:42.879 --> 00:21:43.920
 Do you know how evil they are?

00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:48.160
 Though a lot of it is the evil that is within us.

00:21:48.379 --> 00:21:49.180
 And then something happens.

00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:49.680
 Verse 4.

00:21:51.259 --> 00:21:54.160
 Funny, when he's running away, he doesn't just disobey the command.

00:21:54.299 --> 00:21:55.160
 It actually says twice.

00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:57.440
 He's running from the presence of the Lord.

00:21:57.920 --> 00:21:59.539
 He's actually running from God himself.

00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:02.019
 This isn't just an instruction that he's trying to avoid.

00:22:02.379 --> 00:22:03.819
 This is actually God's very presence.

00:22:03.879 --> 00:22:04.839
 This is God himself.

00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:10.519
 I think we need to understand that as we monitor and just evaluate our behavior.

00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:12.059
 The things that we do.

00:22:13.199 --> 00:22:14.699
 Recognizing actually it's deeper than that.

00:22:14.939 --> 00:22:15.539
 It's deeper than that.

00:22:15.559 --> 00:22:19.379
 If you keep peeling back, there's actually a mistrust of God's presence and his character.

00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:20.559
 So verse 4.

00:22:20.699 --> 00:22:26.459
 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:30.279
 So Jonah runs away, and then a storm comes.

00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:36.799
 A storm comes that actually the Lord brings on because he's running away from his presence.

00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:39.440
 And what this tells me is actually sin.

00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:43.480
 When we choose to go our own way, often, always, storm follows.

00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.259
 Now, it doesn't mean that every storm in your life is because of sin.

00:22:47.500 --> 00:22:49.079
 But every sin does lead to storm.

00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.279
 Can I just say that again just to clarify?

00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:56.359
 Now, every storm that comes in your life isn't just because of sin.

00:22:56.759 --> 00:22:59.599
 Jesus says the sun shines on the evil and the righteous.

00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:01.619
 The rain falls on the evil and the righteous.

00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:02.619
 Things just happen.

00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:04.379
 It's just the natural order here.

00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:06.379
 But sin always leads to storm.

00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:13.079
 The consequences of choosing our own way, of choosing our own way and not trusting God, always leads to storm.

00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:16.740
 The good news here is often storms come to do a couple things for us.

00:23:16.859 --> 00:23:18.319
 One, it helps wake us up.

00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:21.460
 Jonah falls fast asleep, and it's the storm that actually wakes him up.

00:23:21.500 --> 00:23:27.759
 And I found this over and over again, that actually it's the storms in my life that actually allow me to wake up and to grow.

00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:29.759
 And it's after our formation.

00:23:31.339 --> 00:23:32.539
 You know, and Peter, he talks about this.

00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.500
 Don't be surprised at the fiery trials that you face.

00:23:34.659 --> 00:23:38.319
 We're always shocked, always shocked when bad things happen to us.

00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:39.039
 Correct?

00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:46.480
 Like when an injury happens or when someone suddenly gets sick or when we suddenly lose this job or this project goes bad.

00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:48.720
 Like, whoa, that's not supposed to happen.

00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:49.240
 Well, no.

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.140
 That's just part of life.

00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:55.039
 But then God uses those storms.

00:23:55.180 --> 00:23:56.160
 And I've told you time and time.

00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.579
 Like for me, every time I've been in the hospital, it just brings me closer to God.

00:24:00.620 --> 00:24:02.160
 It brings me more in touch with my humanity.

00:24:02.380 --> 00:24:08.240
 And halfway through the hospital trip, I'm leaning in, and I love it even more than just being out in the world doing the normal thing.

00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:09.860
 Because I'm like, this reminds me.

00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:11.380
 This keeps me going.

00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:12.299
 James chapter 1.

00:24:12.299 --> 00:24:14.500
 And count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds.

00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:14.680
 Why?

00:24:14.779 --> 00:24:20.039
 Because it's through the testing of your faith that your faith will become perfect and lacking in nothing.

00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:21.379
 Right?

00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:22.700
 1 Peter 1 talks about that.

00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:24.639
 Of course, it's the refining.

00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:27.899
 It's the refining that causes you to have a faith that just shines.

00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:32.139
 Often God uses those storms to wake us up, to grow.

00:24:32.779 --> 00:24:35.740
 Last night we were watching Hamilton.

00:24:36.159 --> 00:24:38.200
 Our kids love Hamilton.

00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:41.440
 And so we were watching our Disney+.

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.740
 And you know what?

00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:43.620
 It reminded me.

00:24:43.779 --> 00:24:47.519
 Because we watched it during, because actually it released on Disney+, during the COVID years.

00:24:47.580 --> 00:24:47.720
 You remember?

00:24:48.340 --> 00:24:51.960
 I was getting a little bit of anxiety because it reminded me of those years.

00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:56.000
 I was like, man, Hamilton walked us through COVID.

00:24:56.500 --> 00:24:57.680
 Like our family, at least.

00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:01.640
 I was just eating dinner.

00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:04.059
 I was like, oh, I feel, this feels weird.

00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:05.759
 And of course, Lin-Manuel is just a genius.

00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:09.740
 But I'm like, man, but I don't regret those times.

00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:13.700
 In fact, it reminded me of how much we tried.

00:25:14.159 --> 00:25:16.419
 It was completely out of our control.

00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:20.960
 Do you remember when you'd open up SEMP and how many cases there were every day?

00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:22.200
 And that was the thing that we would be following.

00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:25.319
 And when they announced, oh, the quarantine is going to be two weeks.

00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:26.720
 The quarantine is going to be seven days.

00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:28.819
 Oh, the quarantine is going to be 21 days.

00:25:28.819 --> 00:25:33.019
 Do you remember just that constant anxiety that was going on?

00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:35.859
 And through the backdrop and not being able to go out and all these things.

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.019
 We were just watching and listening to Hamilton nonstop.

00:25:38.179 --> 00:25:39.339
 And so I was just, man.

00:25:41.139 --> 00:25:43.279
 I actually appreciated those times.

00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:45.220
 It brought me back.

00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:46.139
 Oh, that was a storm.

00:25:46.939 --> 00:25:48.579
 It was out of control.

00:25:49.419 --> 00:25:50.399
 But man, I grew in it.

00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:54.299
 I learned how to cling on to God in all of that.

00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:58.460
 I wouldn't swap those storms for anything.

00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:03.639
 What storms do you have that the Lord's using to grow you?

00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:06.220
 The Lord is using to grow you.

00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:12.200
 Because actually, you don't learn how to navigate things until you go through some of these things.

00:26:12.879 --> 00:26:15.200
 We got to celebrate Danny's birthday the other day.

00:26:15.399 --> 00:26:17.759
 And Danny and I are the same age, but I look so much older.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.819
 And I'm just like, man, I'm a...

00:26:21.819 --> 00:26:23.779
 How old am I?

00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:24.740
 How old are we, Danny?

00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:26.480
 38.

00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:26.960
 I'm 38.

00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:27.919
 I'm going to be 38.

00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:28.660
 I'm an old...

00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:29.800
 I feel like an old 38.

00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:35.380
 Just because it's just the times we've just had all sorts of things happen to us.

00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:39.200
 And I was like, but you know, I wouldn't give those up for anything.

00:26:40.120 --> 00:26:41.380
 They make me who I am.

00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.140
 All those moments you have to navigate what it means to lose a loved one every time you have to navigate.

00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:50.940
 In the hospital, waiting for the hospital, waiting for the doctor to come and visit you on your ward.

00:26:51.040 --> 00:26:54.820
 And then, like, and you're completely subject to them in every single way.

00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.160
 And you're completely helpless.

00:26:56.800 --> 00:27:00.000
 Watching your daughter be in ICU.

00:27:00.180 --> 00:27:01.340
 You're like, I don't know if she's going to make it.

00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.000
 Like, all these things.

00:27:02.020 --> 00:27:04.820
 And I look back and I'm like, man, God used them all to grow.

00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:08.059
 And it made me think where God is in the perspective of everything.

00:27:08.059 --> 00:27:17.059
 Often we think God is completely invested in my comfort and tranquility and peace.

00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:18.740
 And he's not.

00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:21.279
 Imagine where God sits.

00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.879
 What do you think he's thinking about when he looks at you?

00:27:25.899 --> 00:27:26.720
 Is he like, you know what?

00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:36.000
 I just want to make sure that Ken is as comfortable and as happy as he can be in those few years that he has on planet Earth.

00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.759
 Is that what he's thinking?

00:27:38.380 --> 00:27:43.039
 Or is he thinking, man, I can't wait for Ken to join me here.

00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:50.740
 And I'm going to use these few years with the few storms to mold him so that he would trust me.

00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:55.200
 So that he can come join me in eternity.

00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:59.440
 So I'm going to give him, I'm going to allow things to happen.

00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:01.740
 I'm even going to let the enemy do certain things.

00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:05.599
 And what the enemy means for evil, I will turn for good.

00:28:06.900 --> 00:28:15.000
 Because my ultimate priority for Ken, for you, for me, is not that we would have comfort in this temporary space.

00:28:15.380 --> 00:28:19.059
 It's that we would be prepared for eternity with him.

00:28:20.519 --> 00:28:22.140
 So what storms do you have in your own life?

00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:22.819
 Are you asleep?

00:28:22.819 --> 00:28:29.439
 Are you asleep because you don't even know what's going on and you just sleepwalking through life?

00:28:29.779 --> 00:28:34.119
 Then God might even just allow some storms to come into you just to keep you awake.

00:28:34.919 --> 00:28:36.259
 Just to keep you alert.

00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:37.579
 Just to grow you.

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:42.119
 He's with you in that storm.

00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:44.099
 And it's funny, verse 5.

00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:45.759
 We're nearly at the end if you're tracking.

00:28:46.159 --> 00:28:46.960
 Verse 6 is the end.

00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:48.100
 Verse 5.

00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:50.680
 Then the mariners were afraid and each cried out to his God.

00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:51.600
 Isn't that interesting?

00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:59.000
 God tells Jonah, hey, I want you to go and preach the gospel, basically, to these pagans who are evil.

00:28:59.600 --> 00:29:00.220
 Turn them around.

00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:01.960
 Jonah says, no, because I don't.

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:02.960
 I hate those pagans.

00:29:03.120 --> 00:29:04.680
 So I want to go and run in this direction.

00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:06.620
 And he runs in this direction.

00:29:06.680 --> 00:29:07.380
 And who does he meet?

00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:08.160
 Pagans.

00:29:09.600 --> 00:29:09.920
 Pagans.

00:29:10.019 --> 00:29:10.819
 And he meets a storm.

00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:13.660
 And those pagans each cries out to his own God.

00:29:13.700 --> 00:29:14.340
 What does that tell me?

00:29:14.339 --> 00:29:19.039
 It tells me that whether you are Christian or not, whether you are religious or not, we are all inherently religious.

00:29:19.919 --> 00:29:23.819
 The moment we face something that is out of our control, we all cry out to something.

00:29:24.699 --> 00:29:26.779
 We all know that we're not in control here.

00:29:26.959 --> 00:29:27.699
 So we're all crying.

00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:29.139
 Each cries out to his own God.

00:29:29.199 --> 00:29:29.919
 Isn't that interesting?

00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:34.359
 I think in this city, I think in this room, there are people who are crying out to their own God.

00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:38.299
 Whatever circumstances you're going through, you're crying out to your own God.

00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.039
 It's just that sometimes your own God are your stocks.

00:29:42.299 --> 00:29:43.059
 Is your bank account.

00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:45.399
 Are the relationships that you have.

00:29:45.919 --> 00:29:48.359
 Your God is your boss when you're in trouble.

00:29:48.460 --> 00:29:52.379
 Because you think that your boss is your only chance of survival.

00:29:53.940 --> 00:29:55.339
 Each cries out to his own God.

00:29:55.399 --> 00:29:57.779
 And it tells me that society is inherently religious.

00:29:58.500 --> 00:30:00.039
 We're all looking for answers.

00:30:00.139 --> 00:30:02.399
 We're all looking for a savior here.

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.980
 The mariners were all crying out to their own God.

00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:09.259
 This tells me something else.

00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:13.500
 Jonah runs away from God's instruction to reach the pagans.

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:15.700
 Ends up ministering to pagans.

00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:16.940
 It tells me something.

00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:18.640
 God does whatever he wants to do.

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.279
 It's just, I mean, from our perspective, we're like trying to hide and we're trying to run from him.

00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:26.000
 But there is no refuge from God.

00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:27.660
 There is only refuge in God.

00:30:28.660 --> 00:30:29.059
 Right?

00:30:29.059 --> 00:30:30.460
 So you can't hide from him.

00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:32.720
 And he's still going to do whatever he wants to do.

00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:40.559
 So would we just grab our surfboards and we just enjoy and trust in the one who's calling us to do the things that he's calling us to do?

00:30:41.399 --> 00:30:42.319
 And each cries out.

00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:44.480
 The worst thing is they try these attempts.

00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:45.500
 Each cries out to his own God.

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:46.539
 And then they try something else.

00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:46.859
 You know what?

00:30:46.980 --> 00:30:47.879
 Let's just lighten the load.

00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:50.419
 Now remember, these guys were sailors who were very experienced.

00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:52.059
 They dealt with these things regularly.

00:30:53.059 --> 00:30:55.099
 But they knew something was different about this one.

00:30:55.539 --> 00:30:56.639
 This storm was different.

00:30:56.740 --> 00:30:57.819
 It was built different.

00:30:58.279 --> 00:31:00.359
 And so they're like, okay, something is wrong here.

00:31:00.639 --> 00:31:02.700
 We need to throw all the cargo off the ship.

00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:03.240
 We've got to try.

00:31:03.500 --> 00:31:03.940
 What is that?

00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:05.919
 That is their own attempts at trying to save themselves.

00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:08.059
 And we have that too.

00:31:08.139 --> 00:31:10.440
 We cry out to our own gods and then we try and fix things ourselves.

00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:12.839
 Maybe if I do this, I'll fix it.

00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:14.740
 Maybe if I do this, I'll be a better person.

00:31:14.819 --> 00:31:16.659
 Maybe if I do this, maybe if I have this, I'll be better.

00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:19.379
 All of them are our own attempts.

00:31:19.379 --> 00:31:21.859
 And that goes against the good news of Jesus Christ.

00:31:22.899 --> 00:31:29.879
 When we are constantly attempting to save ourselves, changing the furniture, moving the furniture around, doing all these things, what is that saying?

00:31:30.059 --> 00:31:31.779
 That we actually don't understand what grace is.

00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:38.139
 We don't understand that as we are drowning, as we are sinking, there is only really one hope and then it doesn't come from us.

00:31:38.919 --> 00:31:41.859
 But we can try all of our own attempts and it won't get us anywhere.

00:31:42.220 --> 00:31:47.079
 Now, as they're doing all this and they're scrambling and they're throwing stuff, they're like, wait a minute, where's that other guy?

00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:50.759
 Where's that other guy who didn't really talk, who seemed to be quite a grumpy old man?

00:31:50.819 --> 00:31:51.179
 Where was he?

00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:52.799
 Oh, he's inside.

00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:54.019
 Oh, he's napping.

00:31:55.080 --> 00:32:01.000
 Now, again, just I try and give Jonah the benefit of the doubt here because the Lord used Jonah to remind me that, man, there's Jonah in you.

00:32:01.100 --> 00:32:02.519
 I'm like, I can imagine that.

00:32:02.580 --> 00:32:03.460
 Have you ever run from God?

00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:04.799
 Have you ever hid from him?

00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:08.619
 Or maybe, have you ever had an argument with someone?

00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:10.480
 Like, you just want to hide.

00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:12.879
 You just want to close your eyes and just hope it all goes away.

00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:20.799
 Commentators say Jonah goes into the deepest cabin and enters the deepest sleep of grief and sorrow because he knows he's running away from God.

00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:24.279
 And so he's just in there and he's just blocking everything out.

00:32:24.279 --> 00:32:28.819
 Funny, the mariners, they see, they think about him and they go and wake him up.

00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:31.200
 It's like, dude, we're going to die here.

00:32:31.220 --> 00:32:31.920
 What are you doing?

00:32:32.519 --> 00:32:33.859
 Why are you still asleep?

00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:35.720
 Can you cry out to your God?

00:32:36.399 --> 00:32:40.000
 What is, hey, you're clearly a religious man.

00:32:40.420 --> 00:32:43.980
 Why aren't you crying out to your God so that we could be saved as well?

00:32:44.980 --> 00:32:45.279
 I don't know.

00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:47.500
 Sometimes that reminds me there's a world out there that is sinking.

00:32:47.619 --> 00:32:51.819
 There is a world out there that is fighting and they're looking at us going, hey, you have a God.

00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:56.200
 Why does your private faith not do any public good?

00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:06.160
 Why does your personal private faith that you seem to be diligent about do no good for the rest of us?

00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:13.820
 Other people have said that, hey, we are often heavenly minded, but we are of no earthly good.

00:33:15.259 --> 00:33:16.120
 Can we be both?

00:33:16.180 --> 00:33:17.820
 Can we be heavenly minded and earthly good?

00:33:17.860 --> 00:33:21.420
 So the others who look around us go, okay, well, I don't believe what that person believes,

00:33:21.420 --> 00:33:26.259
 but that person provides something into our team, into our work, into this context here.

00:33:26.460 --> 00:33:27.480
 But man, that is good.

00:33:29.019 --> 00:33:32.779
 The sailor looks at Jonah and go, hey, you might have a private faith, but it is not doing us any good right now.

00:33:32.900 --> 00:33:34.040
 Can you come out and help us?

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:36.720
 Do you have that kind of setting?

00:33:36.899 --> 00:33:37.559
 Do you have that kind of people?

00:33:37.619 --> 00:33:40.039
 Are people looking at you and go, oh, that person is a nice guy.

00:33:41.019 --> 00:33:42.379
 She's a nice person to work with.

00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:47.460
 I think it's because she goes to church, but it doesn't really impact me or in any way.

00:33:48.539 --> 00:33:52.659
 Wouldn't it be great if we had colleagues and friends and family who maybe they don't know Jesus just yet,

00:33:52.659 --> 00:33:55.359
 but they look at us and go, okay, well, he or she knows Jesus.

00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:57.220
 Man, they bless me.

00:33:58.700 --> 00:34:00.519
 It doesn't make sense, and I don't deserve it.

00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:05.980
 And it's not the right, it doesn't seem natural, but somehow they bless me and they bring out good in me.

00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:07.740
 Wouldn't that be the dream?

00:34:08.820 --> 00:34:10.039
 Wouldn't that be what we're supposed to do?

00:34:10.179 --> 00:34:13.079
 I think that's what the sailor is trying to call out in Jonah.

00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:14.759
 Hey, why are you sleeping?

00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:15.860
 Come and help.

00:34:16.119 --> 00:34:17.920
 Maybe your God will be the one that saves us.

00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:24.940
 Is our faith a private faith or is it one that can actually have public good as well?

00:34:25.519 --> 00:34:26.680
 So the captain comes to him.

00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:27.680
 He cries out.

00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:29.340
 And it's funny.

00:34:29.740 --> 00:34:30.880
 He runs away from pagan.

00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:34.099
 Then it's the pagans that end up telling him, go and call out to your God.

00:34:35.860 --> 00:34:36.960
 Isn't it just ironic?

00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:38.880
 Isn't it just fascinating?

00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:44.660
 But again, before we point fingers, is that in us?

00:34:45.820 --> 00:34:48.420
 Is that what we actually have in ourselves?

00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:49.599
 Jonah was selfish.

00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.720
 He was self-absorbed in his own thing.

00:34:53.059 --> 00:34:58.340
 He's like, but what about all the years I've put in, campaigning for standing beside King Jeroboam

00:34:58.340 --> 00:35:03.740
 so we could carry out this expansion policy so Israel can be the kingdom, the mightiest kingdom in the world,

00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:05.140
 God's chosen nation.

00:35:05.139 --> 00:35:10.279
 And then he's told to go and help call the other side to repentance,

00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:15.839
 knowing that his God could and will forgive if they repented.

00:35:19.079 --> 00:35:21.699
 What we don't realize is actually we are that person.

00:35:22.599 --> 00:35:23.719
 You know what a Christian is?

00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:28.339
 A Christian is someone who finally comes to the realization that you've been running from God.

00:35:30.019 --> 00:35:32.159
 That you have been running from God.

00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:37.099
 And you finally come to the realization that you can run no more.

00:35:37.719 --> 00:35:41.159
 And that his goodness, his mercy will follow you all the days of your life.

00:35:41.199 --> 00:35:42.379
 That you cannot run from him.

00:35:42.699 --> 00:35:44.099
 You can only hide in him.

00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:46.239
 That is what a Christian is.

00:35:46.279 --> 00:35:52.039
 When you finally realize that you need God and that you have been the one that is running away from him.

00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:52.940
 Jonah had a problem.

00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:55.799
 He was looking at the Assyrians and going, you're evil.

00:35:56.199 --> 00:35:56.799
 We're not.

00:35:57.119 --> 00:35:58.739
 You need to be destroyed.

00:35:59.399 --> 00:36:00.019
 I do not.

00:36:00.019 --> 00:36:03.480
 That's the pride that comes in all of us.

00:36:03.739 --> 00:36:06.079
 Now you're sat here because you're seeking or you're a follower of Christ.

00:36:06.900 --> 00:36:11.679
 My urge to you is don't look at the people on the outside and go, man, you guys are pagans.

00:36:12.679 --> 00:36:13.619
 You guys don't know.

00:36:13.739 --> 00:36:15.380
 Hey, they don't follow Jesus.

00:36:15.500 --> 00:36:17.360
 They're entitled to do whatever they want to.

00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:21.840
 But us followers of Christ, we have to act differently.

00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:23.019
 We have to live differently.

00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:27.500
 By first and foremost, acknowledging that we were dead in our own sins.

00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:29.139
 Ephesians 2 talks about this, right?

00:36:29.219 --> 00:36:30.679
 Time and time again, we come back to this.

00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:32.639
 That we were dead in the sins.

00:36:32.719 --> 00:36:34.940
 That we were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.

00:36:35.159 --> 00:36:37.079
 That we were strangers to the promises of God.

00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:39.880
 But God, rich in mercy, kind.

00:36:41.320 --> 00:36:42.980
 Because of his great love for us.

00:36:44.659 --> 00:36:45.440
 Saved us.

00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:52.039
 The moment you look and go, them and us, that's when we've gone wrong.

00:36:52.500 --> 00:36:54.980
 There is only all of us here.

00:36:55.840 --> 00:37:00.159
 A Christian is someone who finally realizes that we were actually the ones that are running away from God.

00:37:00.460 --> 00:37:01.480
 Jonah hadn't realized that.

00:37:01.700 --> 00:37:02.700
 He was running away from God.

00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:04.380
 He was looking on the other side.

00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:06.920
 And he didn't realize that actually he was the one that was heading to death.

00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:16.800
 Because when we choose our own way, when we choose our own flesh, Romans 8 tells us, for to set your mind on the flesh leads to what?

00:37:17.079 --> 00:37:17.519
 Death.

00:37:18.639 --> 00:37:26.180
 But until you realize that, until we realize that, until we know that we have Jonah inside us, we have no good to anyone.

00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:32.699
 Of course, the mariner goes, hey, cry out to your God.

00:37:32.879 --> 00:37:35.659
 If maybe he will spare a thought for us.

00:37:36.179 --> 00:37:39.799
 And of course, the truth is, our God did more than just spare a thought for us.

00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:42.879
 He did not even spare his own son for us.

00:37:43.799 --> 00:37:47.699
 When we realize that we've been running from God, that we're in a storm that we can't actually get out of.

00:37:47.759 --> 00:37:49.819
 However hard, however good you are at swimming.

00:37:50.699 --> 00:37:54.940
 However many flotation devices you have around you, you will not be able to save yourself.

00:37:54.940 --> 00:38:02.599
 And the only way that you were saved, the only way that we're sat here, is because someone jumped into the storm for us and gave his life so that we could live.

00:38:03.539 --> 00:38:05.039
 And we understand that.

00:38:05.780 --> 00:38:08.780
 Because it seeps everywhere into our culture.

00:38:09.039 --> 00:38:12.519
 We just haven't been able to put words to it or we're struggling with the religious aspect.

00:38:12.720 --> 00:38:13.860
 But we see it everywhere.

00:38:13.980 --> 00:38:18.500
 We understand the concept of someone has to die in order for someone to live.

00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:21.619
 We understand that concept.

00:38:21.619 --> 00:38:24.960
 That's why Lion King is so successful.

00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:27.920
 Because of Mufasa and what he did for Simba.

00:38:29.539 --> 00:38:33.079
 It's why Marvel gets to keep churning out rubbish movies.

00:38:33.259 --> 00:38:38.079
 It's because Tony Stark gave up his life for the rest of the Avengers to continue.

00:38:38.079 --> 00:38:47.279
 It's baked in to our being that we know someone died for us in order the others would live.

00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:49.480
 And really that's it.

00:38:50.440 --> 00:38:54.159
 Jonah's God did and was able to save them all.

00:38:54.960 --> 00:38:57.219
 And you fast forward, this is how it points to Christ.

00:38:57.500 --> 00:39:01.960
 Because moving forward, Christ was the one that was thrown into the storm for us.

00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:05.280
 So that we could live.

00:39:07.380 --> 00:39:10.940
 Now, can we keep that in the forefront of our minds?

00:39:11.559 --> 00:39:13.079
 Recognize that one, we were drowning.

00:39:14.139 --> 00:39:14.840
 All of us.

00:39:15.639 --> 00:39:19.740
 Even those who you look on the outside and go, oh, that seems to be a righteous, holy person.

00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:22.619
 No, that person was running from God and was drowning.

00:39:22.720 --> 00:39:24.320
 That's what the Bible teaches us.

00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.699
 That's what we know we all are.

00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:29.159
 From the moment we are born, we're filled with sin.

00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:33.619
 I'll tell you, I think Mike is the youngest one here right now.

00:39:34.099 --> 00:39:34.639
 My baby.

00:39:34.899 --> 00:39:35.719
 Man, that guy's a sinner.

00:39:37.139 --> 00:39:37.699
 Absolute sinner.

00:39:38.379 --> 00:39:39.500
 Cares just for himself.

00:39:39.839 --> 00:39:40.920
 Doesn't care for what God wants.

00:39:41.579 --> 00:39:42.399
 We're all born in sin.

00:39:44.579 --> 00:39:46.940
 But yeah, because his parents are sinners.

00:39:48.879 --> 00:39:52.019
 The first thing that we have to do, if you're thinking, okay, okay, what does this all mean for me now?

00:39:52.059 --> 00:39:53.259
 Well, first of all, it's actually simple.

00:39:53.319 --> 00:39:54.719
 Just recognize that you were drowning.

00:39:55.139 --> 00:39:56.460
 Recognize that you were running from God.

00:39:56.579 --> 00:39:57.559
 That's just step number one.

00:39:57.559 --> 00:40:00.400
 Let's learn from Jonah here that we all were running from God.

00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:02.739
 We were all drowning and that we can't save ourselves.

00:40:03.139 --> 00:40:04.679
 That we needed outside help.

00:40:05.139 --> 00:40:13.679
 I remember a few years ago, we were in a swimming pool with Ruben and he was slowly kind of learning how to swim, but he wasn't super confident yet.

00:40:13.900 --> 00:40:20.739
 And there was a moment where I, as a parent, was maybe six feet away from him, which for a small man like me is quite the distance.

00:40:20.739 --> 00:40:23.639
 And he was struggling.

00:40:23.639 --> 00:40:25.639
 And he wasn't able to get out.

00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:30.239
 Man, within seconds, the lifeguard just hurls himself in.

00:40:30.659 --> 00:40:37.739
 Do you know those lifeguards, those teenagers that are going to do it for a summer job, who's playing on his phone half the time so I wasn't even confident he'd even see things happen like this?

00:40:38.139 --> 00:40:43.359
 But man, the moment it came, this guy just dropped his phone, paused his game, no doubt, first.

00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:48.900
 Runs and hurls himself off and jumps straight into the pool to save Ruben.

00:40:49.460 --> 00:40:50.800
 I'm like, man, I'm grateful for that guy.

00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:54.760
 Recognize that we ourselves are drowning.

00:40:55.300 --> 00:40:56.019
 We were drowning.

00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:57.480
 That we were running from God.

00:40:57.860 --> 00:40:58.960
 That we couldn't save ourselves.

00:40:59.220 --> 00:40:59.519
 No way.

00:40:59.579 --> 00:41:01.760
 However good a swimmer you are, however good a surfer you are.

00:41:01.760 --> 00:41:05.480
 I'm reminded of a sad story.

00:41:05.580 --> 00:41:14.360
 Actually, a friend of Joe and mine, and we have a friend that grew up in England, and him and his family went on holiday together, and three boys.

00:41:15.180 --> 00:41:19.920
 Because our friend was the middle one, and at this point he's mid-20s.

00:41:20.740 --> 00:41:24.820
 They go to Florida and they have a great time, and his younger brother goes out into the ocean.

00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:28.160
 They swim to that middle boy bit where you can chill for a while.

00:41:28.159 --> 00:41:30.719
 But as he was going, he was just trapped in the undercurrent.

00:41:31.960 --> 00:41:36.960
 And then so the older brother, who's near him, scrambles and tries to save him, pushes him on.

00:41:37.239 --> 00:41:41.739
 But actually the older brother then loses strength himself and ends up passing away.

00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:43.579
 And I'm like, man.

00:41:43.699 --> 00:41:46.480
 And we were devastated and distraught for our friend.

00:41:46.739 --> 00:41:50.139
 And I don't know even to this day whether we're fully recovered from all of that.

00:41:51.879 --> 00:41:55.539
 And I'm not saying that just as an emotional, sentimental story, but essentially that's what we believe.

00:41:55.539 --> 00:42:06.860
 That we couldn't save ourselves, and yet someone hurled themselves into a storm, lifted us up so we could find safety, but in doing so sacrificed.

00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:12.239
 Until you get that, until you understand that bit, you'll struggle to love the people around you.

00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:16.519
 Until you get that bit, you'll be like Jonah when you look at the Assyrians and go, them.

00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:17.820
 They're such evil people.

00:42:19.019 --> 00:42:22.119
 Until you get that, you won't know how to love.

00:42:22.119 --> 00:42:33.119
 But the moment you get that, the moment you get that God loved you so much that he held his son into the sea to save you, man, that unlocks a whole host of opportunities for you to love and serve.

00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:36.980
 Because you recognize that you were drowning.

00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:38.619
 You recognize that you couldn't save yourself.

00:42:38.859 --> 00:42:41.500
 You recognize that someone jumped in and gave up their life.

00:42:42.779 --> 00:42:43.579
 That you could live.

00:42:44.940 --> 00:42:46.960
 So anyway, my conclusion, my questions for you.

00:42:47.900 --> 00:42:49.359
 Are you really ready to hear from God?

00:42:49.360 --> 00:42:54.980
 Can we be a people who are ready to hear from God whatever he says?

00:42:55.800 --> 00:43:02.220
 I'll finish with that story that Christina and I, we first heard about going into ministry from God those years ago.

00:43:02.280 --> 00:43:05.620
 And we wrestled, and she wrestled for all those years.

00:43:05.980 --> 00:43:06.860
 Eventually, we did it.

00:43:07.120 --> 00:43:07.720
 And we're like, oh, what?

00:43:07.960 --> 00:43:09.880
 Again, just our parents didn't understand.

00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:13.039
 Why would you quit your jobs to do this?

00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:18.019
 But you know, I'll tell you, we just got blessed time and time and time again.

00:43:18.019 --> 00:43:25.340
 Every time we hurled ourselves into the sea because we trusted him, God just came back and just like, man, you just unlocked the next level.

00:43:25.460 --> 00:43:29.480
 You just unlocked the next level of goodness that you can experience from me.

00:43:29.759 --> 00:43:31.599
 And we just got blessed no end.

00:43:32.739 --> 00:43:33.599
 We had another kid.

00:43:33.639 --> 00:43:34.840
 We had a bigger house somehow.

00:43:34.840 --> 00:43:39.220
 We had all these things that we got to do over there.

00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:40.400
 And then God asked us again.

00:43:40.960 --> 00:43:41.660
 Hey, actually, now.

00:43:43.579 --> 00:43:46.519
 All those, do you remember, James, all those things that I gifted you when you trusted me?

00:43:46.740 --> 00:43:47.280
 Oh, yeah, yeah.

00:43:47.579 --> 00:43:48.280
 Good things.

00:43:48.660 --> 00:43:49.300
 Great things.

00:43:50.220 --> 00:43:52.220
 All the people, the home, the massage chair.

00:43:52.360 --> 00:43:53.280
 Oh, the massage chair.

00:43:53.280 --> 00:43:53.320
 Yeah.

00:43:56.560 --> 00:43:59.100
 It's like, hey, those good things, I want you to remember those good things.

00:43:59.560 --> 00:44:00.760
 And I want you to let them go now.

00:44:01.460 --> 00:44:03.040
 I want you to move your family to Hong Kong.

00:44:04.280 --> 00:44:10.440
 Ah, when you experience God's goodness, I think he says, let it go.

00:44:11.960 --> 00:44:13.580
 Because I want you to trust me.

00:44:15.040 --> 00:44:16.300
 Not the gifts I give you.

00:44:16.940 --> 00:44:18.540
 Not the provisions I have for you.

00:44:18.920 --> 00:44:19.600
 Just me.

00:44:20.560 --> 00:44:21.560
 Trust me.

00:44:21.560 --> 00:44:21.620
 Trust me.

00:44:23.280 --> 00:44:27.100
 Are you ready to hear from God?

00:44:28.600 --> 00:44:30.240
 Are you ready to experience his goodness?

00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:32.600
 Because he can be trusted.

00:44:33.580 --> 00:44:34.360
 Let us not be Jonah.

00:44:35.100 --> 00:44:40.040
 Let us not have a God of our own making where we just want him to speak to us about the things that we want him to speak about.

00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:42.640
 Let him call us to the things that he wants to call us to.

00:44:42.700 --> 00:44:44.160
 He's God in heaven and here we are on earth.

00:44:44.580 --> 00:44:45.420
 Let our words be few.

00:44:45.500 --> 00:44:46.400
 Let our dreams be few.

00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:50.100
 And are you running from God?

00:44:50.099 --> 00:44:53.900
 Are you choosing the easier way?

00:44:55.119 --> 00:44:57.920
 Have you bought into the enemy's lies that, hey, this way is easier.

00:44:58.059 --> 00:44:58.980
 I've even got you tickets.

00:44:59.079 --> 00:44:59.920
 I've got you a boat ride.

00:45:00.420 --> 00:45:01.039
 Go this way.

00:45:01.599 --> 00:45:03.779
 If you have, then I'll just say, stop.

00:45:04.159 --> 00:45:05.139
 There's a fish coming.

00:45:05.139 --> 00:45:09.539
 There's a fish coming to remind you of his goodness again.

00:45:10.179 --> 00:45:11.420
 There is a storm coming.

00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:15.879
 If you are choosing sin in your life, that sin will lead to a storm.

00:45:16.019 --> 00:45:16.779
 I assure you.

00:45:16.859 --> 00:45:17.819
 I guarantee you.

00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:19.500
 Repent now.

00:45:20.960 --> 00:45:21.859
 Turn around now.

00:45:23.319 --> 00:45:25.019
 Trust in him now.

00:45:25.019 --> 00:45:37.199
 And finally, if you're doing all of those things in your own faith, then my last question for you is, is your private faith doing any public good?

00:45:38.539 --> 00:45:43.619
 Are others looking at you, those who are inherently religious, who are crying out for a savior?

00:45:43.619 --> 00:45:45.719
 And you have your savior.

00:45:47.759 --> 00:45:49.659
 Is it doing any good to those around you?

00:45:51.099 --> 00:45:59.139
 Because I'd like to think my prayer is that my faith, my personal private faith, which actually isn't very personal and private at all, because I have you guys.

00:46:01.019 --> 00:46:03.759
 That there is a good that leads you to the people outside.

00:46:04.659 --> 00:46:06.579
 And you might not realize this.

00:46:06.579 --> 00:46:13.279
 Because we're so, maybe if you've been in the church all the time and you're doing two, three, four nights with Christians, you don't realize how you're changing.

00:46:14.699 --> 00:46:20.539
 But to the rest of the world outside who are watching, who are crying out, they'll see a different, oh, you volunteer.

00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:21.699
 Oh, why do you volunteer?

00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:24.500
 Oh, why do you care for teen moms?

00:46:24.619 --> 00:46:26.500
 Wait, what's this alpha thing?

00:46:26.719 --> 00:46:30.179
 Why are you willing to spend time with other people to talk through them?

00:46:32.380 --> 00:46:33.960
 Because I trust in the goodness of God.

00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:35.819
 Because I was running from him.

00:46:35.820 --> 00:46:36.900
 I was dead.

00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:38.340
 I was drowning.

00:46:39.580 --> 00:46:40.539
 But he saved me.

00:46:41.080 --> 00:46:43.920
 So everything from here is house money.

00:46:44.800 --> 00:46:48.300
 Everything here is gain for me.

00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:50.780
 And I want you to have the same thing.

00:46:52.260 --> 00:46:53.840
 Invite Kelly and the team up now.

00:46:54.640 --> 00:46:57.380
 We're going to finish with a song to reflect on.

00:46:57.460 --> 00:46:57.860
 I don't know.

00:46:59.140 --> 00:47:01.100
 I don't know how good we are at this.

00:47:01.620 --> 00:47:02.940
 The song is, Lord, I need you.

00:47:02.940 --> 00:47:07.380
 I don't know how good we are at saying, Lord, I need you.

00:47:07.380 --> 00:47:14.380
 Because I think sometimes we say it and we're going to sing it because we're used to singing in church because it's kind of like karaoke.

00:47:14.640 --> 00:47:16.320
 And we're Chinese, so we like karaoke.

00:47:16.320 --> 00:47:20.920
 But to actually say, Lord, I need you.

00:47:21.780 --> 00:47:23.180
 And take it from the one-legged man.

00:47:23.580 --> 00:47:26.680
 Don't take even steps walking for granted.

00:47:27.460 --> 00:47:28.740
 You think, oh, no, I'm actually okay.

00:47:29.660 --> 00:47:30.300
 Got the job.

00:47:30.380 --> 00:47:30.700
 Got this.

00:47:30.780 --> 00:47:31.000
 Got that.

00:47:31.080 --> 00:47:32.019
 I'm like, no, no, no, no.

00:47:32.539 --> 00:47:34.019
 Those things could disappear in a second.

00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:35.500
 You could not walk in a second.

00:47:35.500 --> 00:47:40.699
 You could be going up for a dunk and your Achilles will pop, just like me.

00:47:42.500 --> 00:47:43.219
 You okay, Jay?

00:47:48.219 --> 00:47:49.519
 Don't take anything for granted.

00:47:50.860 --> 00:47:51.639
 God is good.

00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:57.639
 The very fact that we're breathing, that we're sat here, that we have a bone structure that supports us to sip,

00:47:57.639 --> 00:48:05.219
 that we have ears to hear, that we have mouths that we get to feed later for lunch.

00:48:05.759 --> 00:48:07.199
 That is all the goodness of God.

00:48:08.019 --> 00:48:12.000
 So if you need help remembering that, remember those things.

00:48:13.460 --> 00:48:15.940
 That whilst you were running and whilst you were drowning, you were saved.

00:48:16.579 --> 00:48:17.500
 And would you join me?

00:48:17.599 --> 00:48:21.659
 Would you join us as this family in declaring together, Lord, we need you.

00:48:22.940 --> 00:48:25.059
 Every hour, every moment.

00:48:25.059 --> 00:48:30.539
 My sin runs deep, but your grace is more.

00:48:32.079 --> 00:48:35.460
 My sin runs deep, but your grace is more.

00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:46.299
 Lord Jesus, we sit here and ask for your forgiveness.

00:48:49.940 --> 00:48:53.380
 So often it's like we're sat by the poolside having just been saved.

00:48:55.059 --> 00:48:59.259
 And yet we're showing no gratitude to the lifeguard who saved us.

00:49:00.579 --> 00:49:02.659
 Immediately we're consumed by the other things.

00:49:12.880 --> 00:49:17.279
 But Lord, would you remind us once again of our depravity and of your generosity?

00:49:17.280 --> 00:49:21.320
 Would you remind us again of our sin and your grace?

00:49:33.200 --> 00:49:34.740
 For those of us who are going through storms,

00:49:35.740 --> 00:49:42.460
 would you use them to wake us up from our deep slumber?

00:49:42.460 --> 00:49:46.119
 Would you use them to grow us for your glory?

00:49:51.199 --> 00:49:52.039
 Prepare us, Lord,

00:49:52.500 --> 00:49:55.059
 for eternity with you.

00:49:55.840 --> 00:49:56.539
 Make us holy.

00:49:59.260 --> 00:49:59.800
 Mould us

00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:04.539
 to be more like you.

00:50:04.699 --> 00:50:04.699


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00:50:04.699 --> 00:50:34.679
 Thank you.