Well, we do welcome
each and every one of you
00:00:49.11\00:00:51.85
who have traveled from so
far to be with us here today.
00:00:52.05\00:00:54.58
We also welcome you if
you're watching by television
00:00:54.78\00:00:57.55
or by Internet or
listening on the radio.
00:00:57.75\00:01:00.66
We are having a
good time, are we not?
00:01:00.86\00:01:02.76
Have you been blessed?
00:01:03.16\00:01:04.63
Amen... amen.
00:01:04.83\00:01:06.46
Well, those blessings
will continue this hour
00:01:06.70\00:01:10.43
because we have
our own C. A. Murray.
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And Pastor Murray -
I'll just call him C.A. -
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he's a dear
friend. He's a godly man.
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But he has some of the
most unique sermon titles
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I've ever heard.
Today it is iWorm.
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You know, like
iPad, iPhone... iWorm.
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But he's going to be talking
to you about Jonah I believe
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and the Laodicean church.
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And it is... he's told me
just a little of his sermon
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the other day. It's going to
be a "barn-burner" I believe.
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So we're going to turn that
over to him in just a moment
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but you know
something? We heard you all sing
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last night. We liked it!
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So Tim Parton is going to lead
us in a congregational song:
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Bless the Lord, O My Soul.
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And then the next voice you hear
will be Pastor C. A. Murray.
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Thank you.
00:02:06.19\00:02:07.56
The Psalmist
declared in Psalm 103
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Bless the Lord, O my soul,
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and all that is within
me bless His holy name.
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And he goes on to say:
Forget not all of His benefits.
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I love benefits!
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But I love my Lord even more,
and I love to bless His name.
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And He loves to hear you sing,
so I want us all to lift our
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voice as we sing
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
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Bless His holy name.
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Sing it out now.
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Amen.
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I'm not familiar with
that arrangement. Well done!
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Good morning yet again.
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Good morning! I'm
sure that you have been
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vociferously welcomed...
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so I will not
take much more time.
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If you're not welcome by
now then you won't be welcome.
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Turn with me, if you
will, to the book of Jonah.
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There are only four chapters,
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and we want to
consider the last of the four.
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So that will be Jonah chapter 4.
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Take you a moment to find
it because it is not long.
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If you find
Obadiah, you can find Jonah.
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But Obadiah is no easy trek.
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And if you can find
Jonah, you can find Micah.
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And Micah is no easy trek.
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Jonah chapter 4.
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And I want to
read the last verse
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in the book of Jonah
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and that will set the stage
for what we want to talk about.
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Shall we pray? Father God,
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there is so much
in Your Word for us.
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It is so
wonderful and deep and wide.
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Help us, dear Lord,
again as we open Your Word
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to understand Your
will for our lives.
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To prepare ourselves to take
one more step along that road
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that leads to glory. For surely
00:08:00.41\00:08:02.51
we would hear a word
from the Lord this day.
00:08:02.91\00:08:05.21
And we thank you, dear
Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.
00:08:06.85\00:08:11.22
I've been listening to Pastor
Kenny and Shelley this morning
00:08:11.89\00:08:17.06
and Pastor Ivor on last
evening, and I see a thread,
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a theme that is running
through all of these messages.
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And we hope to continue in
that theme even as we speak.
00:08:28.40\00:08:31.34
I'm in Jonah chapter 4
00:08:31.54\00:08:33.51
and let's pick it
up at verse 10 and 11
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which are the last
two verses in the book.
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The Bible says:
"But the Lord said
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'You have had pity on the plant
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for which you have not labored
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nor made it grow
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which came up in a
night and perished in a night.
00:08:59.13\00:09:04.24
And should I not pity Nineveh,
00:09:05.91\00:09:10.41
that great city, in
which are more than 120,000
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persons... ' I'm
reading from the New King James.
00:09:16.65\00:09:18.89
'who cannot discern
between their right hand
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and their left and
much livestock? ' "
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His name means
dove... D - O - V - E.
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Dove. Now there are
a number of theories -
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almost as many as
there are theologians -
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as to how that
applies to this man.
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In Bible times
names meant a lot.
00:09:52.32\00:09:55.49
And the name as a rule
had something to do with
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the character of the person:
00:10:02.03\00:10:03.53
how they related to heaven,
and how heaven relates to them.
00:10:04.90\00:10:09.17
So this name Dove is an
interesting name for this man
00:10:11.57\00:10:15.94
Jonah. In Hosea
chapter 7 verse 11
00:10:16.14\00:10:20.52
Ephraim is a synonym
for the 10 northern tribes.
00:10:21.45\00:10:25.62
And Ephraim is
also called a dove.
00:10:26.65\00:10:32.23
Easily deceived and senseless.
00:10:33.26\00:10:36.90
So we get a little clue as
to how Hosea is used by God.
00:10:38.57\00:10:44.31
In Hosea chapter 4 verse 17
00:10:44.71\00:10:46.74
the Bible says: "Ephraim
is chained to his idols...
00:10:46.94\00:10:49.58
just leave him alone. "
00:10:49.98\00:10:51.31
So there are some theologians
that equate this name Dove
00:10:53.68\00:10:58.35
to chicken. Yeah,
that kind of chicken.
00:10:58.75\00:11:03.86
Like when you say:
"I dare you, chicken! "
00:11:04.69\00:11:08.56
And if we look at Jonah's life,
00:11:10.03\00:11:13.50
it kind of fits
because among other things
00:11:14.44\00:11:19.14
he was chicken.
00:11:19.64\00:11:21.18
And we get to see
that in just a little bit.
00:11:22.58\00:11:24.51
The evidence for that is
not sure, so a lot of this is
00:11:27.48\00:11:29.95
speculation. And theologians
do lot of speculating sometimes
00:11:30.15\00:11:33.15
when the don't have hard
evidence. But it is interesting
00:11:33.36\00:11:35.92
that his name would be
called Dove. Not something
00:11:36.12\00:11:39.26
exalted like Hosea...
whose name means salvation
00:11:39.46\00:11:41.46
or God has saved. Dove.
00:11:41.66\00:11:44.10
Why would you call a guy
Dove unless he's chicken?
00:11:44.30\00:11:49.14
Most scholars say that
the book is written by the man
00:11:53.14\00:11:56.04
whose name it bears. And if
it was, then he wasn't really
00:11:56.24\00:12:00.42
that much chicken because
it takes a lot to talk about
00:12:00.62\00:12:02.72
yourself the way Jonah talked
about himself in his book.
00:12:02.92\00:12:06.52
Now we all know the
story of Jonah and the whale.
00:12:07.46\00:12:10.23
And of course there is some
theological debate about Jonah
00:12:11.19\00:12:14.63
and the whale because
most scientists will tell you
00:12:14.83\00:12:18.67
that whales are so built
that they can't swallow people.
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.24
Although they are the
largest of the animals
00:12:22.54\00:12:25.51
whales eat by
straining small bits of food
00:12:25.91\00:12:30.25
through their baleen and
they have very small throats.
00:12:30.45\00:12:34.38
So even if they could get
their mouth open wide enough
00:12:34.58\00:12:37.95
to swallow a man he
could never get down the throat
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.22
because though
they are big animals
00:12:40.42\00:12:42.06
they have very small throats.
00:12:42.26\00:12:43.59
What the scientists forget
00:12:43.89\00:12:46.03
is that God can
do anything He wants!
00:12:46.23\00:12:48.66
So if God can prepare a
fish with a big mouth...
00:12:50.70\00:12:54.17
I mean, you've
got a lot of people
00:12:55.40\00:12:57.24
with big mouths...
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.14
um-hmm...
00:13:04.45\00:13:05.98
So if He could
prepare people with big mouths
00:13:06.82\00:13:09.55
then you can have a
fish with a big mouth.
00:13:09.75\00:13:11.15
God can do whatever He wants.
00:13:11.35\00:13:13.69
Amen.
00:13:14.19\00:13:15.52
I said Amen. Amen!
00:13:16.12\00:13:17.99
That's what I said.
00:13:18.73\00:13:20.10
So today I want to
take a look at Jonah in just
00:13:24.70\00:13:27.60
a slightly different
context. I want to see Jonah
00:13:27.74\00:13:31.74
as a metaphor for
Laodicean Adventism.
00:13:31.94\00:13:36.28
Um-hmm.
00:13:37.55\00:13:38.88
I think in looking
at the story of Jonah
00:13:40.18\00:13:42.32
if we just look at it as
an isolated incident in the
00:13:42.52\00:13:45.49
Old Testament we miss
the import of the book
00:13:45.69\00:13:48.29
because really there's a lot
in Jonah that looks a whole lot
00:13:48.49\00:13:51.86
like what we see in
the mirror every morning.
00:13:52.06\00:13:54.56
The metaphor for
Laodicean Adventism
00:13:56.00\00:14:01.30
in light of a Great Commission.
00:14:02.64\00:14:04.41
This sometimes listless attitude
00:14:06.21\00:14:12.18
that we have towards evangelism
00:14:12.38\00:14:14.58
and our relationship with God
00:14:14.78\00:14:16.62
is bespoken in
the book of Jonah.
00:14:17.62\00:14:21.02
The story of
Jonah is then OUR story.
00:14:22.92\00:14:26.73
Last night Pastor Ivor
said that we are Joseph.
00:14:27.13\00:14:30.07
This morning I'm
telling you you are also Jonah.
00:14:30.57\00:14:32.53
Jonah is an anti-hero.
00:14:35.30\00:14:38.31
We don't often see
it but the book of Jonah
00:14:40.38\00:14:43.85
is the preeminent missionary
book in the Old Testament
00:14:44.05\00:14:47.65
and other than the book of
Acts perhaps the whole Bible.
00:14:47.85\00:14:50.15
But Jonah is not someone that we
should hold up as a role model.
00:14:52.22\00:14:56.59
He is an anti-hero.
00:14:57.76\00:15:00.23
This book
highlights among other things
00:15:00.43\00:15:03.06
God's desire to share
the message with everyone.
00:15:03.26\00:15:08.10
It tells you why God
calls a people, a church,
00:15:10.11\00:15:14.38
or a person. There was
never ever a time, brothers
00:15:14.58\00:15:17.75
and sisters, when God did not
want to save the whole world.
00:15:17.95\00:15:20.52
Old Testament and New.
00:15:20.72\00:15:22.25
God has never been exclusive.
00:15:22.75\00:15:24.99
He's never been
One who didn't care.
00:15:25.49\00:15:28.06
Evangelism is not a
New Testament phenomenon.
00:15:31.66\00:15:35.20
It's a "God phenomenon" through-
out the books of the Bible.
00:15:35.40\00:15:39.43
Just like the commandments
existed before Mt. Sinai;
00:15:40.97\00:15:44.44
just like the vision of
clean and unclean animals
00:15:44.64\00:15:47.54
existed before Leviticus 11;
00:15:47.71\00:15:49.81
the active targeting
of missionary activity
00:15:50.01\00:15:53.62
to people of heathen communities
00:15:54.02\00:15:56.25
did not originate with Christ's
Great Commission in Matthew 28.
00:15:56.45\00:15:59.89
Elijah and Elisha had
ministries outside of Israel.
00:16:01.72\00:16:06.33
They had
ministries to heathen people.
00:16:06.53\00:16:08.63
Two senior figures in the
Old Testament spent significant
00:16:09.56\00:16:13.34
amounts of time
trying to evangelize
00:16:13.54\00:16:16.71
the wider non-Jewish community.
00:16:17.21\00:16:19.57
It is a mistake to think
that God doesn't love them
00:16:19.87\00:16:24.58
as much as He loves us.
00:16:24.78\00:16:27.15
Amen. I said "Amen. "
00:16:27.95\00:16:30.89
Amen. That's what I said.
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.82
Jonah was called to
minister to a people
00:16:37.63\00:16:40.70
who were not only non-Jews
00:16:40.96\00:16:43.73
but they were
enemies of the Jewish nation.
00:16:44.13\00:16:46.84
Now that's tough to go
and share God with people
00:16:47.04\00:16:50.21
who hate your guts.
00:16:50.41\00:16:51.97
But that's what
he was called to do.
00:16:53.01\00:16:54.68
A hundred years
after Jonah's mission
00:16:56.18\00:16:59.05
Assyria destroyed
the 10 northern kingdoms.
00:16:59.25\00:17:02.45
It disappears in 722
BC and did not re-appear
00:17:03.62\00:17:08.12
until AD 1948.
00:17:08.32\00:17:11.83
Three millennia, but the
truth is, brothers and sisters,
00:17:14.93\00:17:19.10
God doesn't hate anyone. Amen?
00:17:19.30\00:17:24.37
God loves everyone.
00:17:24.57\00:17:27.28
God is no respecter of persons.
00:17:30.38\00:17:33.15
And I keep having to say this
because there are those who hold
00:17:34.78\00:17:38.02
this atavistic thought
that because you are vegan
00:17:38.22\00:17:41.96
you are more
acceptable with God.
00:17:42.16\00:17:43.83
Being vegan doesn't
bring you closer to the Lord.
00:17:49.76\00:17:51.97
Amen.
00:17:55.47\00:17:57.94
God loves everyone.
00:18:00.61\00:18:03.14
God is a God of love and mercy,
00:18:03.58\00:18:06.85
and God is not willing
that ANY should perish.
00:18:07.05\00:18:10.82
God calls out a people
00:18:11.02\00:18:14.12
so that those called-out
people can call out people
00:18:14.32\00:18:18.26
by calling others.
00:18:18.56\00:18:20.63
Amen.
00:18:23.20\00:18:25.23
I said "Amen. "
Amen! That's what I said.
00:18:27.04\00:18:30.91
God called you to call others.
00:18:31.31\00:18:33.61
That's why you were called out.
You were called out to call out.
00:18:33.81\00:18:37.48
And if the called
out don't call out
00:18:38.31\00:18:41.18
there's no reason
for being called out.
00:18:41.38\00:18:44.55
Not called out to
sit here and say "Amen. "
00:18:47.86\00:18:50.03
Amen.
00:18:52.33\00:18:54.83
Called out to call others out.
00:18:55.70\00:18:57.47
It is the purpose of God
that the plan of salvation
00:19:02.17\00:19:06.37
shall not be wrought
out independent of human
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.24
instrumentality. Amen.
00:19:09.44\00:19:11.95
God planned it for you to
have a part in calling others.
00:19:12.15\00:19:17.12
He has not chosen angels
00:19:19.89\00:19:22.22
but men of like
passion as ourselves
00:19:22.42\00:19:25.99
to proclaim the
gospel to the human race.
00:19:26.19\00:19:28.53
It is important that
all who have been partakers
00:19:28.73\00:19:32.10
of this great
salvation communicate to others
00:19:32.30\00:19:35.80
that which has been made known
to them. Review and Herald 1886.
00:19:36.00\00:19:40.31
God has planned it that you
have a part in the salvation
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.61
of your fellow human beings.
00:19:44.81\00:19:46.38
God could do it all by Himself
00:19:46.58\00:19:49.55
if He wished to...
but He doesn't want to.
00:19:50.52\00:19:53.56
He wants you to have a
part in laboring with Him.
00:19:54.46\00:19:57.76
So God calls out
people for many reasons...
00:19:58.69\00:20:02.80
two of which I will give
you. One: He calls out people
00:20:03.00\00:20:06.53
so that they can be saved.
00:20:06.74\00:20:09.37
You're working for
others enhances the prospects
00:20:10.27\00:20:15.31
of your being saved. Amen.
00:20:15.51\00:20:18.38
Yes. Like someone said yesterday
00:20:19.28\00:20:21.05
in our Board
meeting. He said: "I could be
00:20:21.25\00:20:24.59
a Christian as a
monk in a cave. "
00:20:24.79\00:20:28.46
Maybe... but
that's not God's will.
00:20:29.72\00:20:32.96
God's will is
that you come to Him
00:20:34.03\00:20:37.40
and then go and help others.
00:20:37.57\00:20:39.17
Another reason He calls
us is that He can use us
00:20:42.50\00:20:46.07
as agents of
salvation for other individuals.
00:20:46.27\00:20:50.48
In Genesis chapter 6
verse 3 the Bible says
00:20:50.68\00:20:52.91
that "My Spirit will not
always strive with mankind. "
00:20:54.15\00:20:58.49
Now the implication
is that in that text
00:20:59.39\00:21:03.19
is that God's Spirit IS
going to strive with mankind
00:21:03.43\00:21:06.36
for a while. We're
part of that striving.
00:21:06.56\00:21:10.73
Let me use a couple big words.
00:21:11.70\00:21:13.03
There are two
realities to that text
00:21:13.07\00:21:14.84
"My Spirit shall not
always strive with mankind. "
00:21:14.94\00:21:17.51
There is an ontological reality
00:21:17.61\00:21:19.57
and there is an
eschatology reality.
00:21:19.77\00:21:21.81
Actually there's a third
reality, but if I said that
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.41
I'd just be showing off.
If I said that there was also
00:21:24.61\00:21:26.28
an epistemological
reality that's just showing off
00:21:26.48\00:21:28.75
and I don't want to do that.
00:21:28.95\00:21:30.45
But there are two realities.
One is an ontological reality.
00:21:33.19\00:21:36.12
That means that when the Bible
says: "My Spirit will not always
00:21:36.32\00:21:39.43
strive with mankind" it means
that for you as an individual
00:21:39.63\00:21:42.83
God's not always
going to work with you.
00:21:43.03\00:21:45.03
Now... praise the Lord He
will work with you as long as
00:21:45.43\00:21:49.27
you are alive. Amen.
00:21:49.47\00:21:51.84
But sooner or later
you're going to die.
00:21:52.74\00:21:56.14
There is nobody here... there is
nobody walking the earth today;
00:21:58.11\00:22:01.25
there is nobody alive who
is beyond the reach of God.
00:22:01.45\00:22:04.85
Do not worry yourself
unnecessarily about the
00:22:05.05\00:22:07.72
unpardonable sin.
If you're here today,
00:22:07.92\00:22:10.06
you may not have a perfect life
but you are not beyond the reach
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.16
of God. Amen? If
you're bad, you can get good;
00:22:13.40\00:22:17.43
if you're good,
you can get better;
00:22:17.60\00:22:19.03
and if you're better, you
can get even better than that.
00:22:19.23\00:22:21.10
Amen? So don't worry
about unpardonable sin.
00:22:21.50\00:22:24.54
That's not for
you... that's not for now.
00:22:24.74\00:22:26.64
Rid yourself of that.
00:22:26.94\00:22:28.28
If you feel a little something
going on in your heart,
00:22:28.58\00:22:30.61
if you want to get better,
if you want to hear the Word
00:22:30.81\00:22:32.85
of God, you're not too
far for God to reach you.
00:22:33.05\00:22:36.15
And even if you think
you're beyond the reach of God
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.85
you probably are not.
00:22:39.05\00:22:40.52
Amen? Amen! So that's
the ontological reality.
00:22:40.72\00:22:44.13
The other is the
eschatological reality.
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.70
That means that the Spirit
of God is not always going to
00:22:47.10\00:22:49.36
be here on the earth
trying to convert people.
00:22:49.56\00:22:52.20
Sooner or later
God is going to say
00:22:52.40\00:22:54.17
"Let him who is
just be just still;
00:22:54.30\00:22:56.27
let him who is
filthy be filthy still;
00:22:56.67\00:22:58.27
let him who is
righteous be righteous still;
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.28
let him who is unrighteous
be unrighteous still. "
00:23:00.58\00:23:02.14
Whatever you want...
that's what you're going to get.
00:23:02.34\00:23:04.68
"For My Spirit will not always
strive... " But for here and now
00:23:06.72\00:23:09.12
God's Spirit IS striving.
00:23:09.32\00:23:11.12
And we are part
of that striving.
00:23:12.09\00:23:14.49
I Peter 3 verses 18 and
20 talk about the Spirit
00:23:15.36\00:23:19.73
of God or the preaching of
the antediluvians to the spirits
00:23:19.93\00:23:24.30
in prison... which simply means
that those souls who were in
00:23:24.50\00:23:27.00
prison to sin: God
wanted to save them too.
00:23:27.20\00:23:30.31
God has always
wanted to save people.
00:23:30.61\00:23:32.84
So Jonah now is called
00:23:33.94\00:23:36.41
as an agent...
an arm of salvation.
00:23:36.81\00:23:40.92
He is called to do God's bidding
00:23:42.45\00:23:45.45
just as you and I are
called to do God's bidding.
00:23:45.65\00:23:50.19
He is a prophet of God.
00:23:50.89\00:23:53.56
He is a representative of God.
00:23:53.76\00:23:55.83
More than a representative,
he is a soldier in the army of
00:23:56.03\00:23:59.87
God. But when God calls him
to get up out of his comfortable
00:24:00.14\00:24:03.81
house and go to
the Assyrian community
00:24:04.01\00:24:07.18
Jonah refuses!
00:24:07.38\00:24:09.81
We see Jonah as narrow,
00:24:13.52\00:24:17.59
stubborn, hypocritical,
00:24:17.72\00:24:21.52
and graceless.
00:24:22.29\00:24:24.26
And he's a representative
of the kingdom of grace!
00:24:26.39\00:24:31.17
But more than
that, his sin lay in
00:24:35.74\00:24:40.34
not only the lack of godly love
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.41
for a dying and lost people
00:24:43.81\00:24:45.95
but an
inordinate love of himself,
00:24:46.88\00:24:50.99
his comfort, and
his own world view.
00:24:51.39\00:24:56.19
Ladies and gentlemen:
that is the textbook definition
00:24:56.59\00:25:01.10
for the Laodicean church.
00:25:01.50\00:25:03.57
As a prophet now he
parallels the status
00:25:06.74\00:25:10.51
of God's people today.
00:25:10.71\00:25:12.44
Christ in His
message to Laodicea
00:25:17.55\00:25:19.85
has no commendation.
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.92
You know that.
There are two churches
00:25:23.12\00:25:24.95
to which He has
nothing good to say:
00:25:25.15\00:25:26.86
Sardis and Laodicea.
00:25:27.26\00:25:29.69
Nothing good. Sardis
because they are hypocritical.
00:25:30.76\00:25:36.83
He says: "You
look like you're alive
00:25:37.23\00:25:39.87
but you're really dead. "
00:25:40.10\00:25:41.54
And Laodicea because "you're
neither dead nor alive. "
00:25:44.41\00:25:49.14
"You're lukewarm. " The term
Laodicea means a people judged,
00:25:50.41\00:25:55.18
a people judged by God.
00:25:55.38\00:25:57.55
And as God judged
His prophet so God is now
00:25:58.45\00:26:02.09
judging His church.
00:26:02.29\00:26:04.16
Listen to what Ellen White says.
00:26:04.96\00:26:06.39
"To those who are
indifferent at this time
00:26:07.13\00:26:10.67
Christ's warning is:
'Because thou art lukewarm,
00:26:11.23\00:26:15.97
neither hot nor cold, I will
spew you out of My mouth. ' "
00:26:16.17\00:26:20.78
Now if that were not bad
enough, listen to what she says
00:26:21.18\00:26:24.31
further: "The figure of
spewing out of His mouth
00:26:24.51\00:26:30.39
means that He cannot
offer up your prayers
00:26:30.79\00:26:36.56
or your expressions of
love to God. " That's serious!
00:26:36.96\00:26:40.10
Let me read it again.
00:26:41.13\00:26:42.46
"The figure of
spewing out of His mouth
00:26:44.47\00:26:47.67
means that He cannot
offer up your prayers
00:26:47.87\00:26:52.21
or your
expressions of love to God. "
00:26:52.61\00:26:56.64
"He cannot endorse
your teaching of His Word
00:26:58.21\00:27:02.02
or your spiritual
work in anywise. "
00:27:02.42\00:27:07.52
So if you're in a listless,
backslidden, Laodicean...
00:27:08.92\00:27:13.26
Laodicean condition,
00:27:13.66\00:27:15.96
even your works in His
behalf get you no credit.
00:27:17.30\00:27:23.10
You know, Ellen White uses
the expression - I read this
00:27:25.17\00:27:27.38
years ago - of a dishcloth:
how a dishcloth cleans
00:27:27.58\00:27:31.58
dishes while it
itself is getting dirty.
00:27:31.78\00:27:34.55
She says God can
use the unconverted
00:27:35.65\00:27:38.49
to convert folk.
00:27:38.89\00:27:40.26
So just because folk
are coming to the Lord
00:27:43.26\00:27:46.23
through a particular
preacher or preaching
00:27:46.43\00:27:48.80
doesn't mean that
God endorses that person.
00:27:49.10\00:27:53.44
See, the power is in the Word.
00:27:54.74\00:27:57.47
And God can clean up
others using a dirty rag!
00:27:58.41\00:28:04.18
Um-hmm. Now when you
get a rag that's dirty
00:28:06.18\00:28:11.59
you've got two
choices: either wash the rag
00:28:11.79\00:28:15.12
or throw it out.
00:28:15.52\00:28:17.09
Yeah. Use a
towel one or two days
00:28:18.73\00:28:21.40
then it's time to
change the towel. Amen?
00:28:21.80\00:28:25.70
Cause as you're getting clean
what's happening to the towel?
00:28:25.90\00:28:29.04
Yeah. So either wash the towel
00:28:29.90\00:28:32.14
or get rid of it. So
God can get clean results
00:28:32.94\00:28:38.01
using imperfect instruments.
00:28:38.21\00:28:41.38
By the way, if God had
to wait for the church to be
00:28:41.78\00:28:43.69
totally clean before He used it
00:28:43.89\00:28:45.22
the church would
never get anything done.
00:28:45.25\00:28:47.06
He's not waiting
for you to get perfect.
00:28:50.73\00:28:52.93
In using you He is
perfecting you. Amen?
00:28:53.33\00:28:58.43
So if you refuse to get used -
00:28:58.73\00:29:01.07
yeah -
00:29:01.77\00:29:03.44
if you refuse to get
used you are getting dirty.
00:29:03.64\00:29:09.08
And God's going to
either have to wash you -
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.78
in hot water by the way -
00:29:11.98\00:29:13.85
or throw you out!
00:29:17.05\00:29:18.52
Amen!
00:29:19.35\00:29:21.02
So He cannot endorse
your teaching of His Word
00:29:25.86\00:29:28.53
or your
spiritual work in anywise.
00:29:28.83\00:29:30.77
"He cannot present
your religious exercises
00:29:30.97\00:29:33.87
with the request
that grace be given you. "
00:29:34.07\00:29:36.60
That's rough.
00:29:37.01\00:29:38.47
That's frightening.
00:29:38.67\00:29:40.21
Sixth volume of the Testimonies
page 408 paragraph 2:
00:29:40.61\00:29:46.21
"Could the
curtain be rolled back,
00:29:49.22\00:29:51.72
could you discern
the purposes of God
00:29:52.82\00:29:55.66
and the judgments that are about
to fall upon a doomed world... "
00:29:55.86\00:30:00.40
You know, this world is
about to go through some "stuff"
00:30:00.80\00:30:02.86
ladies and gentlemen.
00:30:03.06\00:30:04.53
The judgments of God are coming!
00:30:06.50\00:30:09.04
So could you... "could
the curtain be rolled back,
00:30:10.07\00:30:13.48
could you discern
the purposes of God
00:30:13.68\00:30:16.08
and the judgments that are about
to fall upon a doomed world,
00:30:16.28\00:30:19.81
could you but see
your own attitude,
00:30:20.02\00:30:24.15
you would fear and
tremble for your own soul
00:30:25.89\00:30:30.39
and for the souls
of your fellow men. "
00:30:30.79\00:30:35.40
"Earnest prayers of
heart-rending anguish
00:30:37.10\00:30:40.97
would go up to heaven;
00:30:41.27\00:30:43.64
you would weep between
the porch and the altar
00:30:43.84\00:30:47.91
confessing your spiritual
blindness and backsliding. "
00:30:48.11\00:30:53.35
Again, sixth
volume of the Testimonies
00:30:53.55\00:30:57.05
page 408.
00:30:57.25\00:31:00.99
So if we are indeed lukewarm,
00:31:02.16\00:31:04.96
neither hot nor cold,
00:31:05.16\00:31:07.86
and unacceptable
to God in that state,
00:31:08.06\00:31:11.83
if the Laodicean church
is indeed a church devoid
00:31:12.23\00:31:15.97
of commendation, what
then was the relationship
00:31:16.17\00:31:20.64
between God and Jonah when he
was in the belly of that fish?
00:31:20.84\00:31:25.75
And what if he
had died in that fish?
00:31:31.29\00:31:34.72
And what if he had
died on the way to Tarshish?
00:31:36.39\00:31:40.16
So the Bible says
that Jonah "cried out. "
00:31:42.16\00:31:45.60
So let me ask you a question:
00:31:47.77\00:31:49.50
what did he cry out for?
00:31:50.67\00:31:52.21
Did he cry out for Nineveh?
00:31:54.01\00:31:56.61
Unh-umm.
00:31:57.31\00:31:58.65
Cried out for Jonah.
00:31:59.45\00:32:01.15
He cried out for himself.
00:32:02.38\00:32:03.92
It was a selfish
cry for deliverance.
00:32:04.32\00:32:08.16
An argument could be proffered -
00:32:11.26\00:32:13.40
and argument,
indeed, could be made -
00:32:13.60\00:32:15.83
that running
from the will of God -
00:32:18.07\00:32:20.80
an unacceptable
activity of Jonah -
00:32:22.10\00:32:26.51
parallels the miserable,
spiritually blind and naked
00:32:27.61\00:32:33.48
Laodicean message.
00:32:33.68\00:32:35.22
Aren't you glad
that we serve a God
00:32:36.55\00:32:40.12
who's always the same?
00:32:40.42\00:32:41.99
Amen! I mean... seriously. Amen!
00:32:42.19\00:32:45.43
He's being punished.
00:32:45.83\00:32:47.60
He's in the belly of a fish
00:32:47.83\00:32:51.03
and he cries out for
God... not that God would
00:32:51.63\00:32:55.40
deliver him or deliver Nineveh.
00:32:55.60\00:32:59.44
"I just want to
get out of this mess! "
00:32:59.74\00:33:01.51
Ellen White says when
Satan saw what his sin had done
00:33:02.88\00:33:05.38
in heaven he felt bad.
00:33:05.58\00:33:07.82
Didn't feel bad for heaven...
00:33:08.98\00:33:12.25
felt bad that he got kicked out!
00:33:12.65\00:33:14.79
When we were kids it was
easy to get us to repent.
00:33:16.32\00:33:20.60
When my father did this...
00:33:22.46\00:33:24.37
easy to repent!
00:33:26.50\00:33:28.34
You know, when the
hammer's going to come down
00:33:30.11\00:33:32.41
it's easy to get sorry
00:33:32.81\00:33:34.28
when you're about to get yours.
00:33:34.48\00:33:36.91
So Jonah now cries
out for deliverance...
00:33:38.68\00:33:41.75
not for Nineveh... for himself!
00:33:41.95\00:33:43.95
And yet with that
God heard his plea.
00:33:44.35\00:33:48.76
That's why I'm so
glad I'm not godless.
00:33:50.59\00:33:52.53
God has said: "What
you calling Me now for? "
00:33:53.80\00:33:55.73
But God heard his plea.
00:33:58.00\00:34:00.24
And I'm so glad that we serve
a God... every time you go to
00:34:01.47\00:34:04.54
God you get the same God.
00:34:04.74\00:34:06.68
Every time!
00:34:08.28\00:34:09.81
God never has a bad day.
00:34:10.25\00:34:12.68
Amen. And I'll
tell you the truth:
00:34:13.72\00:34:16.72
I do.
00:34:17.12\00:34:18.45
Um-hmm.
00:34:19.42\00:34:21.56
I have days when I
want to be bothered
00:34:21.76\00:34:23.63
and I have days when I
don't want to be bothered.
00:34:27.96\00:34:31.80
Amen... I said "Amen. "
Amen. That's what I said.
00:34:33.30\00:34:37.81
But God never has a bad day.
00:34:39.04\00:34:41.51
Never has a bad day!
00:34:41.71\00:34:43.31
Every time you go to
God you get the same God.
00:34:43.71\00:34:46.45
And so Jonah
selfishly calls out to God
00:34:46.68\00:34:49.78
from the belly of the
whale. Not for the Ninevites
00:34:49.98\00:34:52.49
but for himself.
00:34:52.69\00:34:54.52
And God hears that
prayer and God delivers him.
00:34:55.76\00:35:00.63
I wonder if it's going to
take a whale of an experience
00:35:01.90\00:35:04.87
to get the Adventist
church where God wants it to be?
00:35:06.03\00:35:08.67
To get us ready to
do the work of God.
00:35:12.07\00:35:14.68
Christ said of
the Laodicean church
00:35:16.01\00:35:19.01
"I wish that you
were hot or cold. "
00:35:19.21\00:35:21.42
And that wish - the word is
ethelo - is not... is not just
00:35:21.62\00:35:26.29
"I wish. " It's... it's:
"You ought to be hot or cold.
00:35:26.49\00:35:29.39
You MUST be hot or cold.
00:35:29.59\00:35:31.13
You have to be hot or cold. "
00:35:31.33\00:35:32.66
The worst thing you
can be in the church of God
00:35:33.06\00:35:36.23
is indecision.
00:35:36.43\00:35:38.17
Be indecisive.
00:35:39.33\00:35:40.90
Decide!
00:35:41.97\00:35:43.71
On or off... but not lukewarm.
00:35:44.11\00:35:47.71
The Laodicean message, by
the way, brothers and sisters,
00:35:52.05\00:35:54.78
we are told in the first volume
of the Testimonies page 187
00:35:55.18\00:35:58.55
is an individual message.
00:35:58.75\00:36:00.79
It's not a church
message because everybody in the
00:36:01.39\00:36:04.36
Laodicean church is not
in the Laodicean condition.
00:36:04.56\00:36:07.03
Praise God! Amen! There
are some people who are on fire
00:36:07.46\00:36:11.47
for the Lord. The problem is:
00:36:11.67\00:36:14.14
not enough people
are on fire for the Lord.
00:36:14.30\00:36:20.08
So the Laodicean message
is an individual message.
00:36:20.68\00:36:24.28
Galatians says: "Let
a man examine himself
00:36:24.48\00:36:28.25
to see whether they're
in the faith. " That's why
00:36:29.72\00:36:31.79
most people come to
church they bring two tools:
00:36:31.99\00:36:33.99
a rake and a shovel.
00:36:34.19\00:36:36.19
And usually when folk
are screaming "Amen... "
00:36:37.63\00:36:39.53
they've got the shovel out.
00:36:39.73\00:36:41.40
"Church needs to get
right. " "Amen, Pastor. "
00:36:41.80\00:36:44.83
"Amen. " Shoveling it
onto the person next to them.
00:36:45.03\00:36:47.67
And you ought to have
a rake: "Amen... amen...
00:36:47.87\00:36:50.51
amen... amen. "
00:36:50.71\00:36:52.24
Using the wrong tool.
00:36:52.74\00:36:54.28
Here's what Ellen White says:
00:37:00.35\00:37:02.35
"It would be more
pleasurable to the Lord
00:37:02.55\00:37:04.92
if lukewarm
professors of religion had never
00:37:05.12\00:37:08.72
named the name of Jesus. "
00:37:08.92\00:37:11.03
That's hard!
00:37:11.33\00:37:12.79
"It would be more
pleasurable to the Lord
00:37:13.66\00:37:16.06
if lukewarm professors
of religion had never named
00:37:16.26\00:37:20.44
the name... named His name.
00:37:20.64\00:37:23.61
They are a continual weight
to those who would be faithful
00:37:23.81\00:37:27.84
followers of Jesus. " So
for those who want to run
00:37:28.04\00:37:31.35
if you're just shuffling,
they've got to drag you
00:37:31.55\00:37:34.32
with them. "They
are a stumbling block
00:37:34.48\00:37:39.12
to unbelievers. " The late
C. D. Brooks used to say there
00:37:39.32\00:37:42.92
are some people so
useless God can't use them
00:37:43.12\00:37:45.69
and the devil
doesn't even want them.
00:37:45.89\00:37:47.30
That's first volume of
the Testimonies page 188.
00:37:49.16\00:37:51.83
"They are a weight to
believers and a stumbling block
00:37:52.03\00:37:55.57
to unbelievers. " So
they're not helping the church
00:37:55.77\00:37:59.11
and they're keeping folk
from coming in the church.
00:37:59.31\00:38:03.08
Ellen White said
that the Laodicean message
00:38:03.48\00:38:07.68
is applicable to all who
profess to be Christians.
00:38:07.88\00:38:11.52
And James White repeated
that statement in the Review
00:38:11.92\00:38:14.32
and Herald in 1856.
Christ said: "I would you ought
00:38:14.52\00:38:19.36
to be hot or cold.
" It is an obligation
00:38:19.56\00:38:23.47
for you to decide whose
side you're going to be on.
00:38:23.67\00:38:26.43
And let me say
this to you quickly:
00:38:26.63\00:38:28.10
everybody - every Christian
- sooner or later in your walk
00:38:28.94\00:38:31.57
with Jesus is going to
have to answer the question
00:38:31.77\00:38:33.98
"How much is
Jesus worth to me? "
00:38:34.18\00:38:37.25
And it will determine
if you will go forward
00:38:39.05\00:38:41.95
or if you will just tread water.
00:38:42.15\00:38:44.09
You've gotta
answer that question.
00:38:45.32\00:38:46.65
How much am I willing
to sacrifice for the Lord?
00:38:47.69\00:38:50.33
How much of my comfort
am I willing to give up
00:38:51.36\00:38:53.43
for the Lord?
00:38:53.63\00:38:54.93
How much of my life am I willing
to re-arrange for the Lord?
00:38:55.03\00:38:58.30
Every Christian will
have to answer that question.
00:38:58.60\00:39:01.17
It is a duty to be hot or cold.
00:39:01.37\00:39:04.24
Jonah cried and prayed for
himself, not for the lost souls
00:39:04.41\00:39:09.28
of Nineveh. He
didn't care about them.
00:39:09.48\00:39:14.05
Let me read you something
from the book Evangelism.
00:39:14.25\00:39:15.78
I date all my books.
That's a habit I have.
00:39:16.18\00:39:18.85
Put my name on the
bottom and the date on the top.
00:39:19.25\00:39:21.52
I bought this May 1, 1973.
00:39:21.72\00:39:27.03
Couple days ago.
00:39:27.40\00:39:28.83
Ellen White... this is page 34.
00:39:34.07\00:39:36.47
"I appeal to our brethren
who have heard the message
00:39:37.21\00:39:40.48
for many years: it is
time to wake up the watchmen.
00:39:40.68\00:39:43.75
I have expended my strength
00:39:43.95\00:39:47.95
in giving the message
the Lord has given me.
00:39:48.15\00:39:50.92
The burden of the
needs of our cities
00:39:51.32\00:39:54.32
has rested so heavily upon me
00:39:54.52\00:39:56.73
that it has sometimes
seemed that I should die. "
00:39:56.93\00:40:01.76
That's powerful!
00:40:03.63\00:40:05.37
I've done
evangelism over the years.
00:40:07.40\00:40:09.47
I've done maybe
35 or 40 meetings.
00:40:09.87\00:40:13.84
And I've done long
evangelistic meetings.
00:40:14.74\00:40:16.48
I've preached 6, 7, 8 weeks.
00:40:16.71\00:40:18.38
I started preaching
right after 4th of July
00:40:18.58\00:40:20.52
and preached straight
through till after Labor Day
00:40:20.72\00:40:22.55
many times in New York City.
00:40:22.75\00:40:25.69
I preached so hard I
preached myself in the hospital
00:40:25.89\00:40:27.99
on two occasions.
Fasting and praying for souls
00:40:28.19\00:40:30.53
and you're preaching, not
eating. You're running back
00:40:30.73\00:40:32.53
and forth. On two occasions.
00:40:32.73\00:40:34.73
Evangelism used to be my weight
control when I was pastoring.
00:40:35.10\00:40:38.13
I would lose 22 pounds
every summer doing evangelism.
00:40:39.13\00:40:42.47
So I could fatten up
during the winter and lose it
00:40:42.87\00:40:45.44
during the summer.
00:40:45.64\00:40:47.04
At least 30 meetings.
00:40:49.04\00:40:50.91
I baptized my mom,
00:40:51.98\00:40:55.02
my dad,
00:40:56.02\00:40:57.35
my wife...
00:40:58.55\00:41:00.06
Amen...
00:41:03.63\00:41:05.09
step-son, step-daughter,
00:41:05.93\00:41:07.40
and a lot of other folk.
00:41:09.50\00:41:11.37
But I have never felt
like I was going to die.
00:41:13.44\00:41:18.07
I never had that
burden that I feel sometimes
00:41:19.67\00:41:22.78
like I'm going to die.
00:41:22.98\00:41:24.45
How about you?
00:41:25.45\00:41:26.78
Do you think you're going to
die if you don't take the gospel
00:41:27.75\00:41:30.35
to your next-door neighbor?
00:41:30.55\00:41:31.89
Do you feel like you're going
to die if you don't share the
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.39
gospel with the
people that you work with?
00:41:35.59\00:41:37.89
Or worse... people who con-
sider themselves your enemies?
00:41:40.56\00:41:43.90
Are you going to die if
they don't get the gospel?
00:41:44.10\00:41:46.70
Never felt that.
00:41:48.90\00:41:50.87
But Ellen White says:
"I agonized over the cities
00:41:52.17\00:41:56.21
to the point I
feel I'm going to die. "
00:41:56.41\00:41:58.65
And Jonah didn't feel like
he was going to die for Nineveh!
00:41:59.35\00:42:04.52
He prayed for Jonah
00:42:05.82\00:42:07.66
and was only
concerned about Jonah.
00:42:09.36\00:42:12.56
Praise God the Lord
graciously heard and answered
00:42:13.93\00:42:19.33
his prayer. You see
brothers and sisters,
00:42:19.53\00:42:24.11
God is undoubtedly
blessing the church.
00:42:24.31\00:42:26.17
There's no doubt that
God is blessing the church.
00:42:27.04\00:42:29.28
But that doesn't mean
that the church is perfect.
00:42:29.58\00:42:32.25
Doesn't mean that the
church is not making mistakes.
00:42:36.85\00:42:39.32
Doesn't mean the
church can't do better.
00:42:40.02\00:42:42.79
Doesn't mean the
church has a ways to go.
00:42:42.99\00:42:46.09
You see, the
Laodicea's said to themselves
00:42:47.13\00:42:49.50
"We are rich and
increased with goods"
00:42:49.70\00:42:52.17
and they were telling the truth!
00:42:52.37\00:42:55.94
They were rich... they
were increased with goods.
00:42:56.14\00:43:00.58
But that thinking can
get in the way sometimes.
00:43:02.01\00:43:06.08
And Ellen White says:
"Don't neglect the warning. "
00:43:06.82\00:43:10.29
"Since you've got
all of this stuff,
00:43:12.12\00:43:14.36
don't let the stuff
delude you into thinking
00:43:15.46\00:43:18.99
that you're perfect with God.
00:43:19.19\00:43:20.80
Luke chapter 12 verse 15
00:43:21.23\00:43:23.47
"A man's life does not
consist of the things that
00:43:23.67\00:43:26.57
he possesses. " The good-
ness of the Adventist church
00:43:26.80\00:43:29.37
does not consist of
"the stuff we got. "
00:43:29.57\00:43:32.41
Got a great educational system.
00:43:33.58\00:43:35.38
Got a great hospital system.
00:43:35.78\00:43:37.35
It's a blessing to
the church as is 3ABN!
00:43:38.65\00:43:42.12
Amen. Amen!
00:43:44.45\00:43:46.82
I said "Amen. "
Amen! That's what I said.
00:43:47.72\00:43:50.79
Don't let that delude you into
thinking that you don't need
00:43:57.30\00:43:59.60
anything else.
00:43:59.83\00:44:01.57
Christ is saying
beneath all of this stuff
00:44:02.64\00:44:06.04
you may be wretched and
miserable and poor and blind
00:44:06.88\00:44:11.61
and naked.
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.82
So Christ is calling
us to a higher standard.
00:44:14.72\00:44:17.32
He's calling us to
"gold tried in the fire. "
00:44:19.22\00:44:22.09
Translation: faith tested
in the flames of affliction.
00:44:22.29\00:44:27.40
We need our faith tested.
00:44:29.90\00:44:31.97
Jonah bemoaned his fate
00:44:32.87\00:44:34.94
but did not reaffirm his faith.
00:44:35.34\00:44:38.81
One of the things to be sorry...
00:44:40.04\00:44:41.88
It is one thing, rather, to
be sorry for the consequences of
00:44:42.08\00:44:44.35
your sin and quite another
to be sorry for the sin itself.
00:44:44.55\00:44:48.25
As children of God
00:44:48.85\00:44:54.06
we must be sorry
for the sin itself.
00:44:55.26\00:44:57.96
Satan, says Ellen White, when
he got "jettisoned" from heaven
00:44:58.16\00:45:01.23
was sorry for the
results... not for the sin.
00:45:01.53\00:45:04.60
So now Jonah begins to
preach. Praise the Lord!
00:45:05.50\00:45:09.40
But his heart wasn't in it.
00:45:09.80\00:45:11.57
And the reason we know
that his heart wasn't in it
00:45:11.97\00:45:14.91
is because when
the people repented
00:45:15.31\00:45:18.61
from the greatest to the least,
00:45:19.88\00:45:22.45
when the revival
that he wanted happened
00:45:22.85\00:45:27.19
Jonah got upset.
00:45:27.69\00:45:29.56
Chapter 4 verse 10
we see what's going on
00:45:31.63\00:45:36.63
in Jonah's mind.
00:45:36.83\00:45:38.37
You see, if you
have the mind of Christ
00:45:39.10\00:45:41.04
and you preach Christ and
people respond to your preaching
00:45:41.24\00:45:44.74
that ought to
make you glad. Amen?
00:45:44.94\00:45:48.08
When souls are
turned away from destruction
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.65
you ought to be happy.
00:45:51.05\00:45:52.55
But the Bible says in
Jonah chapter 4 verse 1
00:45:53.48\00:45:58.65
"But it
displeased Jonah exceedingly
00:45:59.05\00:46:02.69
and he became angry. "
00:46:02.89\00:46:04.36
Now what kind of mind
gets mad when God has mercy?
00:46:05.43\00:46:09.03
You say: "Fear
God... give glory to Him
00:46:10.97\00:46:15.37
because judgment is coming, "
00:46:15.77\00:46:17.61
and the people fear
God and give glory to Him
00:46:17.81\00:46:21.18
and you're all
"bent out of shape? "
00:46:21.58\00:46:23.45
Does that make sense?
00:46:25.81\00:46:27.42
You got what you wanted!
00:46:27.95\00:46:30.99
And you ought to be
happy and you ought to rejoice.
00:46:32.15\00:46:35.96
Acts chapter 17 verse 11 says:
00:46:37.06\00:46:39.23
"The Lord takes no pleasure
in the death of the wicked
00:46:39.43\00:46:42.10
but rather that they
turn from their sin. " Amen!
00:46:42.50\00:46:46.33
That's repeated in II
Chronicles 7, Jeremiah 25,
00:46:46.53\00:46:49.80
Zechariah 1:4...
over and over again.
00:46:50.01\00:46:52.67
God doesn't get any
kicks out of killing folk.
00:46:53.07\00:46:55.51
He wants us to turn and live!
00:46:55.71\00:46:58.08
So if you preach
Christ and they turn and live,
00:46:58.28\00:47:01.18
what's the problem?
00:47:01.38\00:47:03.08
So God had on
Nineveh the same mercy
00:47:06.79\00:47:09.86
that God had on Jonah. Amen?
00:47:10.06\00:47:14.30
See, you've got to
look at it that way.
00:47:14.73\00:47:16.03
When you want God to punish your
neighbor for doing bad stuff
00:47:16.40\00:47:20.17
to you... you've got to remember
00:47:20.37\00:47:24.71
that maybe God is
holding back the bad stuff
00:47:24.91\00:47:27.28
on you for what
you've done to somebody else.
00:47:27.58\00:47:30.78
Amen? You know, I had
a teacher in school...
00:47:31.88\00:47:34.15
he used to tell us... and I
didn't understand it till I got
00:47:34.35\00:47:37.12
out of Oakwood College,
graduated with my degree...
00:47:37.32\00:47:39.69
he used to say: "As
bad as it is to breathe
00:47:39.89\00:47:42.42
second-hand smoke, it's worse to
blow smoke up your own nose. "
00:47:42.62\00:47:47.30
And it took me
years to understand that.
00:47:48.80\00:47:51.23
So be honest with yourself.
00:47:53.00\00:47:54.77
God forgives them just
like God is forgiving you!
00:47:55.17\00:48:00.31
So when God has mercy on them
00:48:01.38\00:48:03.78
remember it's the same God
00:48:03.98\00:48:06.08
who's having mercy on you.
00:48:06.28\00:48:08.38
Amen?
00:48:08.78\00:48:10.12
So God has mercy on Nineveh
00:48:10.35\00:48:13.39
and Jonah is upset.
He says: "That's why
00:48:13.59\00:48:17.69
I didn't go in
the first place. "
00:48:17.89\00:48:19.49
"That's why I didn't... 'cause
I knew... I knew You, God!
00:48:19.69\00:48:23.10
I knew You! "
00:48:24.43\00:48:26.17
"I knew You were going
to repent; I knew You were
00:48:26.37\00:48:28.67
going to give them a
break. I don't like those people
00:48:28.87\00:48:30.91
anyway! I don't like
them and they don't like me.
00:48:31.04\00:48:33.38
I knew You were
going to do that.
00:48:33.58\00:48:34.91
You're going to repent; You're
going to make a liar out of me.
00:48:34.94\00:48:37.68
You're going to
forgive them and embarrass me!
00:48:37.88\00:48:40.62
I wish I was dead! "
00:48:43.99\00:48:46.52
"Sick of it!
Preaching, preaching, preaching.
00:48:47.99\00:48:51.59
telling them that
hell is going to come,
00:48:51.79\00:48:53.26
going to be
destroyed. And here You go:
00:48:53.50\00:48:55.40
You repent...
making me look bad! "
00:48:55.60\00:48:58.40
"I just want to
die... I wish I was dead! "
00:48:59.73\00:49:02.50
"I knew You were going to
pull some stunt like that! "
00:49:10.41\00:49:12.61
And it's interesting...
00:49:16.22\00:49:17.92
because there is someone else
who said "Just kill me, " too.
00:49:19.75\00:49:22.52
Interesting,
interesting, interesting
00:49:24.19\00:49:26.93
juxtaposition.
00:49:27.76\00:49:29.50
Moses... Moses said
the same thing to God.
00:49:30.37\00:49:33.34
"Lord, just kill
me... just kill me. "
00:49:33.54\00:49:37.41
But Moses was in
response to God saying
00:49:38.27\00:49:41.18
"This is a stiff-necked
people. Hard-headed.
00:49:41.38\00:49:44.98
Why don't I just blot them out
00:49:45.18\00:49:47.42
and start over with you? "
00:49:47.62\00:49:48.95
Moses said: "No,
don't do that... kill me
00:49:50.09\00:49:53.22
and let them live. "
00:49:53.66\00:49:54.99
Now Jonah says
00:49:56.73\00:49:58.73
"OK, Lord, You didn't
kill them so kill me. "
00:49:59.13\00:50:04.47
You see the difference?
00:50:05.73\00:50:07.20
One is somebody
acting like Christ;
00:50:07.60\00:50:10.27
the other is somebody
acting like... um-hmm.
00:50:10.77\00:50:15.04
Like the devil!
00:50:15.44\00:50:16.81
Same words, but they're coming
from two totally different
00:50:17.51\00:50:21.52
perspectives. Moses is
saying: "Save them, take me. "
00:50:21.72\00:50:25.22
Jonah is saying: "If
You're not going to kill them,
00:50:26.72\00:50:29.62
You might as well kill me
'cause I can't take it anymore.
00:50:29.82\00:50:33.29
I can't take it; I
can't take it. Just kill me.
00:50:33.50\00:50:35.56
My life is over...
I can't stand it. "
00:50:35.76\00:50:37.43
See, that's why I'm saying I'm
so glad we serve the kind of God
00:50:40.67\00:50:43.34
we serve because he asks
two times in that conversation,
00:50:43.54\00:50:46.51
he said: "I want to
die... just kill me. "
00:50:46.71\00:50:48.94
See me... I would have
given him what he wanted.
00:50:51.21\00:50:54.98
You ask me twice in
the same conversation
00:50:58.79\00:51:01.79
"I want to
die... just kill me. "
00:51:02.19\00:51:04.46
"Oooh K. "
00:51:05.76\00:51:07.30
But aren't you glad we
serve a merciful God? Amen!
00:51:14.10\00:51:16.87
Who doesn't always give
you what you want or even
00:51:17.27\00:51:19.31
what you ask for. He
gives you what you need.
00:51:19.51\00:51:22.11
So God is
wrestling with this guy.
00:51:23.61\00:51:26.11
This ought to give us all
hope because he's in God's fate.
00:51:26.31\00:51:31.59
Two times... kill him.
00:51:33.22\00:51:37.93
And then the Bible says
he stomps out of the city
00:51:38.43\00:51:41.26
and sits down on the ground
to see if God will finally
00:51:41.46\00:51:43.63
change His mind and kill them.
00:51:43.83\00:51:46.03
He's mad. Sun
beatin' down on him
00:51:46.53\00:51:49.24
and God still has mercy.
00:51:49.44\00:51:50.77
During the night God
allows a plant to grow up.
00:51:51.01\00:51:53.31
The Bible calls it a gourd.
00:51:53.71\00:51:55.14
And there's some theological
variants on what it is, but it
00:51:55.34\00:51:57.88
grew up big enough to cover him.
00:51:58.08\00:51:59.58
And it grew up in one
night. That's a miracle of God.
00:51:59.78\00:52:02.28
You go to sleep one night.
The next morning a plant's
00:52:03.79\00:52:05.65
big enough to cover
your whole body from the sun.
00:52:05.85\00:52:07.69
And one night later God
has a worm kill that plant.
00:52:08.76\00:52:12.06
Another miracle!
00:52:12.26\00:52:14.30
Now Jonah's hot.
00:52:14.93\00:52:16.73
"God, what is
the matter with You?
00:52:17.83\00:52:19.60
You killed my plant? "
00:52:22.24\00:52:24.27
"That's my plant,
Man... that's my plant! "
00:52:30.01\00:52:32.38
"You took out my... You save
them and You kill my plant? "
00:52:35.65\00:52:40.02
And then God says:
"What are you whining about?
00:52:43.59\00:52:46.29
You didn't plant that plant.
00:52:49.10\00:52:50.70
You didn't water that plant.
00:52:53.70\00:52:55.07
You didn't fertilize that plant.
00:52:56.14\00:52:57.54
You had nothing to
do with that plant.
00:52:57.71\00:52:59.44
My plant.
00:52:59.77\00:53:01.41
So I sent a worm
to kill the plant
00:53:03.35\00:53:05.48
because I'm trying to
get you to see yourself.
00:53:07.02\00:53:09.12
You're in My face
over a plant that I let die
00:53:10.52\00:53:15.32
and you're angry
over a whole nation
00:53:15.72\00:53:19.16
that I let live. "
00:53:19.56\00:53:21.36
See, that's a warning
to the Adventist church.
00:53:23.47\00:53:25.77
"Get your priorities straight. "
00:53:26.70\00:53:28.97
I was on the phone
with a pastor the other day.
00:53:30.07\00:53:32.07
He was asking for some counsel
00:53:32.37\00:53:34.28
'cause he's got a
little issue in his church.
00:53:34.48\00:53:36.81
Folk up in arms over stuff.
E- mails flying back and forth.
00:53:37.95\00:53:41.42
Facebook, texts...
all kinds of stuff.
00:53:41.62\00:53:43.65
And I was telling him:
"If your people had the same
00:53:47.69\00:53:51.99
energy to fight the devil
00:53:52.19\00:53:54.76
like they're
fighting each other... "
00:53:57.93\00:53:59.37
I mean, you've got hot
texts flying back and forth.
00:53:59.57\00:54:02.00
Folk getting bent out of shape.
00:54:02.40\00:54:04.31
Elders walking out of meetings.
00:54:04.47\00:54:06.51
Could put that
energy in fighting Satan!
00:54:07.81\00:54:09.78
If you fought the devil like you
fight your brother and sister
00:54:11.25\00:54:13.52
in church, Christ would
have been here long ago! Amen!
00:54:13.72\00:54:18.45
Gettin' bent out of
shape over a plant...
00:54:19.25\00:54:22.96
and there's a whole
world out there dying.
00:54:25.63\00:54:28.00
And that's what's wrong
with the Laodicean church.
00:54:31.27\00:54:34.64
Lazy... listless.
00:54:36.67\00:54:40.24
Focused on the wrong thing.
00:54:40.64\00:54:44.21
Jesus is coming soon. Amen!
00:54:44.85\00:54:48.48
And we're majoring in minors
00:54:50.75\00:54:53.62
and we've gotten
our eyes off of Christ.
00:54:53.82\00:54:56.99
That's why 3ABN has pivoted
into front-line evangelism.
00:54:57.59\00:55:03.10
Because there's no more
time to sit and talk about doing
00:55:05.10\00:55:07.67
the will of God or think
about doing the will of God.
00:55:07.87\00:55:11.47
It's time to DO
the will of God! Amen!
00:55:12.31\00:55:17.38
Amen? Amen! And
the Laodicean message
00:55:17.88\00:55:20.72
I repeat is an
individual message.
00:55:20.92\00:55:24.09
Every member has to ask himself
00:55:25.49\00:55:28.99
"Lord, is it I? "
00:55:30.46\00:55:31.99
"Am I doing Your will or
am I not doing Your will? "
00:55:33.03\00:55:36.87
And the sad truth of this
book... You see how it ends.
00:55:37.97\00:55:40.94
It just ends.
00:55:41.14\00:55:43.67
It ends with a
nation that is converted
00:55:44.17\00:55:48.74
and a prophet who is not.
00:55:50.01\00:55:53.62
It just ends.
00:55:54.82\00:55:56.28
Nineveh is saved.
00:55:57.15\00:55:59.69
Jonah is lost.
00:56:00.89\00:56:03.89
The last line is
him arguing with God.
00:56:05.66\00:56:10.77
"Where's my
plant? I want my plant! "
00:56:12.87\00:56:17.61
And he didn't know
that just beyond the wall
00:56:20.91\00:56:23.11
a whole nation
had turned to God.
00:56:24.71\00:56:27.98
And he's focused on the plant.
00:56:29.48\00:56:31.62
And so God says: "Is it
right for you to be mad? "
00:56:31.82\00:56:35.66
You know what
Jonah's response is?
00:56:36.06\00:56:38.59
"Yeah, it's
right for me to be mad!
00:56:39.83\00:56:41.23
I'm so mad I could die! "
00:56:41.63\00:56:43.83
That's the last
thing he said to God.
00:56:48.37\00:56:50.41
And the Bible ends
the story right there.
00:56:51.27\00:56:54.54
I wonder if he
ever got right with God.
00:56:56.61\00:56:58.51
I wonder if he
ever came to his senses.
00:56:59.81\00:57:01.92
I don't know.
00:57:03.32\00:57:04.85
Let's ask God
when we get to heaven.
00:57:05.99\00:57:11.06
Amen? Amen.
00:57:11.43\00:57:13.56
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Amen!
00:57:13.76\00:57:17.37