¤¤ ¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:00.20\00:00:03.06
¤¤
00:00:03.06\00:00:03.23
>> Would you stand with me
as we sing "Indescribable"?
00:00:08.54\00:00:11.61
[ Congregation sings ]
00:00:19.28\00:00:21.85
Isn't He good? ¤¤
00:03:27.10\00:03:32.01
[ Congregation sings ]
00:03:39.21\00:03:41.75
"Our God."
00:04:14.35\00:04:16.62
Let's sing it
again. How does He help us?
00:04:39.87\00:04:43.21
And "out of the ashes."
00:04:46.28\00:04:49.08
None like Him.
00:04:53.39\00:04:55.49
Tell Him.
00:05:51.35\00:05:53.52
Do you believe it?
00:05:56.18\00:05:58.55
Our God. Our God is so
great, and He's so wonderful.
00:07:06.29\00:07:11.43
And as we continue to sing
"Breathe," as we remember that
God is the one that we seek,
00:07:11.43\00:07:17.23
that is the one that we seek
desperately, and as we continue
to be an example for our sisters
00:07:17.23\00:07:23.51
and them seeking Him desperately
and searching for Him each and
every day, it's a blessing to
00:07:23.51\00:07:29.78
have God. ¤¤
00:07:29.78\00:07:33.52
[ Congregation sings ]
00:08:09.78\00:08:12.52
God's very word.
00:10:00.93\00:10:03.26
Spoken. Do we not need Him?
00:10:06.27\00:10:12.67
Are we not desperate for Him?
00:10:12.67\00:10:14.88
This is the time that if you
would like to give your
petitions to the Lord that you
00:11:02.79\00:11:08.10
come forward, come before the
throne and let Him hear those
things that are on your heart
00:11:08.10\00:11:13.74
and let Him feel His holy
presence with your body, His
00:11:13.74\00:11:18.84
temple. So now's the time. Come
forward. Lay your burdens down
00:11:18.84\00:11:23.61
before the Lord. ¤¤
[ Congregation sings ]
00:11:23.78\00:11:30.22
¤ Jesus ¤
00:11:37.43\00:11:39.79
Oh, Lord. [ Congregation sings ]
00:12:22.34\00:12:27.34
>> Well, good morning, boys
and girls. Happy Sabbath on this
00:13:39.88\00:13:44.29
June... >> 10th. >> 10 --
Thank you. Nice to see you out.
00:13:44.29\00:13:48.59
Summer's coming at last, and
you're looking very summery.
Glad to have you here.
00:13:48.59\00:13:55.36
Oh, just the perfect story!
Anybody heard about Bodega Bay?
There's a place in California
00:13:55.36\00:14:06.51
called Bodega Bay. And one
morning early just a few weeks
ago, one morning early,
00:14:06.51\00:14:13.25
the fishermen got on their boat.
They said, "Okay, today's the
00:14:13.25\00:14:16.82
day. We're gonna catch crab." So
they're crab fishermen. They're
gonna drop their little
00:14:16.82\00:14:21.09
traps down into the ocean, grab
those little crabs -- tch, tch,
tch, tch, tch, tch!
00:14:21.09\00:14:25.33
So they got in their boat, the
Legacy. Let's see if we've got
00:14:25.33\00:14:29.16
the boat Legacyhere. Oh, there
it is. That's quite a fishing
00:14:29.16\00:14:32.50
boat. So the skipper -- that
would be the captain -- he's up
there in this area.
00:14:32.50\00:14:36.77
He has the till in his hand.
He's gonna steer this boat --
tch, tch, tch, tch.
00:14:36.77\00:14:41.81
[ Imitates engine ] ...out
into the harbor of Bodega Bay.
00:14:41.81\00:14:48.55
There they go. Three fishermen,
including the skipper.
00:14:48.55\00:14:52.22
They're riding out. Tch,
tch, tch, tch, tch, tch, tch.
00:14:52.22\00:14:54.89
"Oh, I wonder what we're gonna
catch today. I wonder what we're
00:14:54.89\00:14:57.83
gonna catch today." When all
of a sudden, the skipper came on
00:14:57.83\00:15:00.26
the P.A. "Hey, guys, guys, guys,
guys, guys. Off on the starboard
00:15:00.26\00:15:02.93
side, look, look, look, look,
look, look. You see that over
there?" They all looked over
00:15:02.93\00:15:07.17
there. "Yeah, I see some old
crab traps floating on the
water, but..." "No, no, no, no,
00:15:07.17\00:15:12.97
guys. I'm gonna bring us just
a little closer. Come on. Look
00:15:12.97\00:15:16.11
carefully. Can you see what
those traps are woven around?
They're caught on something."
00:15:16.11\00:15:22.82
The boat -- tch, tch, tch, tch,
tch -- here comes theLegacy.
Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch, tch.
00:15:22.82\00:15:25.62
Just a little closer.
[ Gasps ] "Stand back!
00:15:25.62\00:15:28.42
Skipper, quick, pull back! Pull
back!" Because wrapped in those
00:15:28.42\00:15:34.66
crab traps was a huge whale.
A whale. "Oh, skipper, don't get
00:15:34.66\00:15:43.07
close. Hey, skipper, skipper,
yo, yo, yo, yo, yo! Don't forget
00:15:43.07\00:15:46.34
they got a tail!" Pkt, pkt, pkt!
"Guys, I'm gonna -- Guys, I'm
gonna pull over just a little
00:15:46.34\00:15:51.05
closer. I want you
to take a look at this.
00:15:51.05\00:15:53.58
See what you see." And as they
pulled beside the whale who's
00:15:53.58\00:15:58.62
now beginning to tremble, he
knows somebody's near -- let's
see a picture of that whale, by
00:15:58.62\00:16:02.12
the way. As they pull beside the
whale -- Oh, there they are.
Let's put it on the big screens,
00:16:02.12\00:16:07.13
too, guys. Thank
you. There they are.
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.90
There are the traps wrapped
around the whale. You see those
00:16:09.90\00:16:15.90
crab floating traps? Oh, oh, oh.
"All right, guys, I'm gonna keep
00:16:15.90\00:16:20.01
the boat right here. Grab the
boat hooks. I want you to pull
00:16:20.01\00:16:23.91
those ropes up." And so they
reached in with their boat
hooks, and they begin
00:16:23.91\00:16:27.52
to pull the lines up that were
tied to the traps that were
stuck on the whale.
00:16:27.52\00:16:31.72
"Okay, guys, get your knives."
Knives came out. Tch! Tch! Tch!
00:16:31.72\00:16:37.39
Tch! "Oh, skipper, there are all
kinds of tangled lines!" "Keep
00:16:37.39\00:16:41.86
cutting!" Tch! Tch! Tch! The
whale finally realized somebody
was here to help him.
00:16:41.86\00:16:48.10
And you know what that
whale did? He said, "Okay, okay,
00:16:48.10\00:16:51.27
okay." The whale said in his own
little language, "I'm gonna roll
over," and he rolled over.
00:16:51.27\00:16:55.51
He said, "Look at all this stuck
on my bottom." "Oh, good night.
00:16:55.51\00:16:58.85
Look at all the traps. Cut
down there." Tch! Tch! Tch! Tch!
00:16:58.85\00:17:05.89
When they finally had cut the
last trap off, do you know what
00:17:05.89\00:17:10.76
that whale did? He must have
been trying to say thank you,
because he began to circle
00:17:10.76\00:17:16.33
'round and 'round the boat. And
as the boat began to chug off,
the whale was right there
00:17:16.33\00:17:19.80
beside them. "You saved my life.
The sharks would have eaten me.
00:17:19.80\00:17:23.07
You saved my life." Aww.
Let me see the picture of the
00:17:23.07\00:17:29.88
whale now. Ooh.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
00:17:29.88\00:17:35.35
Look at what whale
underwater now. He's free.
00:17:35.35\00:17:38.62
Oh, my, oh, my. When I saw that
story, I said, "Look at that.
00:17:38.62\00:17:42.52
God took three men" -- Shhh.
God took three men to save one
00:17:42.52\00:17:49.23
whale. We're about to share a
story where God took one whale
00:17:49.23\00:17:54.97
to save one man. God is in the
business of saving. That's what
00:17:54.97\00:17:58.14
He does. He just loves to
save. Aren't you glad Jesus is a
00:17:58.14\00:18:02.81
savior? How many want to say
thank you, Jesus? Thank you for
00:18:02.81\00:18:06.72
getting close to us and cutting
all the ties that are holding us
down. Thank you for snip, snip,
00:18:06.72\00:18:11.32
snip. Thank you for dying for
us. I had a young lady who
prayed in prayer service.
00:18:11.32\00:18:17.29
Do we have a young man to pray
in second service? Sir, I saw
00:18:17.29\00:18:21.46
your hand come up. You bet. You
make your way down there without
stepping on anybody's
00:18:21.46\00:18:25.17
hands. Oh, this could be
embarrassing. Oh, you got it.
00:18:25.17\00:18:29.60
Good. Let me get a microphone
for you. Is this the microphone
00:18:29.60\00:18:33.64
here? Is it on? All right, thank
you. All right, let's close our
eyes and fold our hands.
00:18:33.64\00:18:37.65
What's your first
name? >> Daniel. >> What?
00:18:37.65\00:18:40.25
>> Daniel. >> Daniel. That's a
great name. All right, so let's
00:18:40.25\00:18:44.22
close our eyes, fold our hands.
Daniel's gonna thank God for
00:18:44.22\00:18:48.99
being our savior. I'll hold it.
Okay. >> Dear heavenly father,
thank you for this wonderful day
00:18:48.99\00:18:53.23
and thank you that today's your
Sabbath. Thank you that Jesus
00:18:53.23\00:18:56.40
saved us. In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen. >> Amen. Beautiful prayer,
00:18:56.40\00:18:59.47
Daniel. Thank you. And thank
you, boys and girls, as you go
quietly and reverently
00:18:59.47\00:19:03.30
back to your seats. You
can say what Daniel just said.
00:19:03.30\00:19:06.27
Thank you, Jesus, for being
my savior. Happy Sabbath to you.
00:19:06.27\00:19:13.52
[ Organ plays ]
00:19:13.52\00:19:16.02
>> Speaking of fishing, have you
ever heard the idiom, "You've
00:19:41.88\00:19:45.11
got to either fish or
cut bait"? Ever heard that?
00:19:45.11\00:19:47.35
Fish or cut bait? Now,
in the nomenclature of this
00:19:47.35\00:19:53.62
land, when you say you either
got to fish or cut bait, what
00:19:53.62\00:19:56.73
you're really saying is either
proceed with this activity or
00:19:56.73\00:19:59.86
just knock it off.
00:19:59.86\00:20:01.23
Just quit. You got to
either fish or cut bait.
00:20:01.40\00:20:03.60
You can't be wandering back and
forth, "Shall I, shall I not,
00:20:03.60\00:20:06.87
shall I not?" Either evangelize
the lost or abandon them. Either
evangelize our cities in
00:20:06.87\00:20:11.74
this nation or abandon them. You
got to either fish or cut bait.
00:20:11.74\00:20:16.95
So what should we do? Well, I'll
tell you what. Don't ask God.
00:20:16.95\00:20:21.92
Don't ask God, because He has a
very uncomfortable way of making
Himself very clear.
00:20:21.92\00:20:28.09
Just ask Jonah. Open your Bible
with me, please, to Jonah 1:1.
00:20:28.09\00:20:33.16
Jonah, the first
line of Jonah. Jonah 1:1.
00:20:33.16\00:20:36.36
We'll put the website on the
screen for you, those who are
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.97
watching right now
maybe on a television.
00:20:38.97\00:20:40.77
If you're live streaming, you
already know where the website
00:20:40.77\00:20:43.27
is. There is a
study guide today.
00:20:43.27\00:20:44.81
You may take the study
guide if you wish, ushers.
00:20:44.81\00:20:46.91
It's not a fill in the blanks,
but you're gonna like the
00:20:46.91\00:20:49.84
quotations that are
there. So grab your study guide.
00:20:49.84\00:20:53.25
Jonah Chapter 1. Jonah 1:1.
00:20:53.25\00:20:56.69
Oh, it's a tough book to find.
Almost need a page number for
00:20:56.69\00:21:00.49
it, but if you don't have
a Bible, grab the pew Bible.
00:21:00.49\00:21:03.89
It would be page 623.
I'm in the New International
00:21:03.89\00:21:07.56
Version. Whatever
you have, it's fine by
00:21:07.56\00:21:09.66
me. Just keep your hands up.
00:21:09.66\00:21:11.23
They'll find you. Jonah 1:1.
00:21:11.23\00:21:13.03
The word of the Lord came
to Jonah, son of Amittai."
00:21:13.03\00:21:16.24
Verse 2 -- "'Go to the
great city of Nineveh.'"
00:21:16.24\00:21:19.17
Hit the pause
button right there.
00:21:19.17\00:21:22.01
What's the big deal about
cities? Do you know what it is?
00:21:22.18\00:21:25.35
Listen, the reason God is so big
on cities is because cities are
the largest human containers on
00:21:25.35\00:21:32.82
Earth that contain lost people.
The biggest container on Earth
that contains lost people.
00:21:32.82\00:21:39.09
That would be a city. Do we
have cities? Are you kidding?
00:21:39.09\00:21:43.80
I got a list right here. So I
went to Google. I said, "Okay,
00:21:43.80\00:21:47.74
Google, find me the top 10
biggest cities in the United
States." I bet you you know
00:21:47.74\00:21:51.54
them. Number one. What do
you suppose number one is?
00:21:51.54\00:21:54.14
New York. You got it
right. Number two. L.A.
00:21:54.14\00:21:58.38
Number three. We're very
close. Chicago. And then it goes
00:21:58.38\00:22:03.52
Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia,
San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas,
00:22:03.52\00:22:07.96
San Jose. Is it "Jo-say" or
"Ho-say"? "Ho-say." Okay. San
00:22:07.96\00:22:12.03
Jose. [ Chuckles ] Those are
just the top 10. Detroit's
number 23, by the way.
00:22:12.03\00:22:16.90
The only city that's had this
kind of a drop -- 5.67% since
00:22:16.90\00:22:20.97
last year. They're just kind of
leaving Detroit. Oh, by the way,
00:22:20.97\00:22:26.54
not only in the U.S. of A, guess
what the largest urban sprawls
are on this planet bar none?
00:22:26.54\00:22:33.21
Hmm? The largest. The largest
on the planet. 10 of them.
00:22:33.21\00:22:36.65
Hmm? Got them right here. The
land, the city where I was born,
00:22:36.65\00:22:41.99
Tokyo/Yokohama. It's continuous
city. 37.9 million human beings
in that nonstop city, the
00:22:41.99\00:22:48.93
largest on Earth. Number
2, Jakarta. Number 3, Delhi.
00:22:48.93\00:22:51.93
Number 4, Manila. Number
5, Seoul. Number 6, Karachi.
00:22:51.93\00:22:55.34
Number 7, Shanghai. Number
8, Mumbai. India's got two.
00:22:55.34\00:22:59.34
Number 9, New York. And number
10, Sao Paolo, those of you from
00:22:59.34\00:23:05.08
Brazil. Yeah. What's
God's big deal about cities?
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.78
They are the largest
Earth container filled with lost
00:23:07.78\00:23:13.05
people. Listen, if they were
your children and they had run
away from home, wouldn't you be
00:23:13.05\00:23:17.89
staying up all night long
worrying, fretting about them,
"How can I save them?"
00:23:17.89\00:23:24.03
By the year 2050, if time should
last, by the year 2050,
according to the United Nations,
00:23:24.03\00:23:28.84
2/3 of the human race will be
packed into one of those
containers called a city on the
00:23:28.84\00:23:35.94
planet. God is huge
on cities. Of course.
00:23:35.94\00:23:40.75
All right, so God comes -- Let's
pick it up again in verse 2. God
00:23:40.75\00:23:46.25
says to Jonah... What did Jonah
do? "Adios. I'm out of here."
00:23:53.16\00:23:56.67
Instead of going
east, he goes west.
00:24:00.44\00:24:07.21
Stop it right there. I got
to ask you. Do you really think
00:24:14.98\00:24:18.72
that Jonah thinks, believes,
that he can get away from the
physical presence of God?
00:24:18.72\00:24:22.62
True or false -- Do you think
he believes it? [ Chuckles ] Are
00:24:22.62\00:24:26.29
you kidding? Jonah knows he
can't get away from God. But you
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.96
know what Jonah's running from?
He's running away from God's "go
for Me, boy" command.
00:24:28.96\00:24:35.67
Jonah has no interest in
fishing, no fishing at all.
Zero, nada, nothing.
00:24:35.67\00:24:40.88
"I don't fish. I'm not
worried about lost people.
00:24:40.88\00:24:44.51
I live with the saved, and
that's all I need to do." [
00:24:44.51\00:24:48.05
Scoffs ] Apparently Jonah thinks
with the hot breath of the
divine hound of heaven on his
00:24:48.05\00:24:57.79
neck, racing up that gangplank
into the ship, down into the
belly of the ship, Jonah thinks
00:24:57.79\00:25:06.27
that God will take no for an
answer. You never take no for an
answer if He's asking you to
00:25:06.27\00:25:13.01
fish. Never, never, never.
So what happens? Well, verse 4.
00:25:13.01\00:25:19.05
Ooh, boy.
00:25:19.05\00:25:21.18
[ Scoffs ] Only two people I
know that have ever slept in the
00:25:37.37\00:25:41.00
middle of a storm. That would
be Jesus and Jonah. Deep sleep.
00:25:41.00\00:25:47.01
And the captain.
00:25:47.01\00:25:48.54
The captain -- verse 6 --
went to him and said, "Yo!"
00:25:48.71\00:25:51.75
Of course, by now
we got pyrotechnics.
00:25:51.75\00:25:54.28
We got exploding lightning and
thunder, and the ship -- this
00:25:54.28\00:25:57.99
little Phoenician fishing
skiff -- is just being tossed
00:25:57.99\00:26:01.86
from crest to crest like they're
playing badminton back and
00:26:01.86\00:26:05.99
forth. The captain was obviously
00:26:05.99\00:26:09.13
yelling at the top
of his lungs to Jonah.
00:26:09.13\00:26:12.57
The boat is going down in a
cyclone of a storm, and Jonah is
00:26:19.57\00:26:26.72
sound asleep. You can't believe
it. Which, by the way, only goes
to show that when you're
00:26:26.72\00:26:35.39
disobeying the will of God,
sometimes you can still sleep
like a baby. [ Chuckles ]
00:26:35.39\00:26:41.93
Haddon Robinson in the book
"Preaching to a Shifting
Culture" makes this very astute
00:26:41.93\00:26:45.40
observation about Jonah. Put
the words on the screen for you.
00:26:45.40\00:26:48.60
If you get the study guide,
you have all these quotes.
00:26:48.77\00:26:51.84
Are you at peace right now in
your life about saying no to
something you know is God's will
00:27:32.51\00:27:37.42
for your life? That peace is
not a sign you made the right
00:27:37.42\00:27:43.76
decision at all. Jonah staggers
up top. He has not made a godly
00:27:43.76\00:27:53.13
decision. And by the way, may I
remind you, he just now has been
00:27:53.13\00:27:56.30
served. He missed it totally. He
has been served one of those
"knock it out of the park" home
00:27:56.30\00:28:00.48
run pitches as an evangelist.
Because this would be the
perfect moment for Jonah to look
00:28:00.48\00:28:04.71
in the face of that Pagan
captain, say, "All right. You
00:28:04.71\00:28:08.65
pray to your God. Then I'm gonna
pray to my God. The God that
stops this storm is
00:28:08.82\00:28:11.69
the God we ought to
worship." He could have done it.
00:28:11.69\00:28:14.09
Elijah did it. But
Jonah has quieted his
00:28:14.09\00:28:18.96
conscience. He's not
of much use right now.
00:28:18.96\00:28:26.47
Verse 7. Oh, we
know the story so well.
00:28:26.47\00:28:28.80
"Then the sailors said to each
other" -- They're yelling at the
00:28:28.80\00:28:31.17
top of their lungs,
you understand this.
00:28:31.17\00:28:32.84
"'Come, let's cast lots to find
out who is responsible for this
00:28:32.84\00:28:35.44
calamity.' They cast
lots," and bingo, it's
00:28:35.44\00:28:37.35
you, sir. What's your name?
00:28:37.35\00:28:38.65
Here they go. A
series of five questions.
00:28:38.65\00:28:41.25
When they'd stopped to breathe,
yelling above the fury of the
gale, Jonah announces to them...
00:28:52.33\00:28:59.30
"That's who I am." By the way,
Jonah has just quoted the fourth
00:29:06.01\00:29:10.95
commandment. For in six days,
the Lord God made heaven and
earth, the sea and all that is
00:29:10.95\00:29:16.12
in them. He doesn't know it, but
Jonah has just quoted the first
00:29:16.12\00:29:20.09
angel's message. Fear God and
give glory to Him, for the hour
of His judgment is now, and
00:29:20.09\00:29:25.09
worship Him who made heaven, the
earth, the sea, and the
fountains of waters." Wow.
00:29:25.09\00:29:32.77
"I am a God-loving,
creator-worshiping Sabbatarian
who's running away from what he
00:29:32.77\00:29:40.11
knows he is supposed to be
doing." Well, at least we're in
00:29:40.11\00:29:44.61
good company, right? Verse 10.
00:29:44.61\00:29:51.99
Jonah said...
00:30:14.94\00:30:17.58
It's called mea culpa. "It's
my fault." You got to hand it to
00:30:27.22\00:30:31.99
Jonah. He has a whole basket
full of traits we don't admire,
but you have to hand it to him
00:30:31.99\00:30:40.64
here. He's right there. And by
the way, he has the chutzpah to
00:30:40.64\00:30:45.84
one day tell the story on
himself. No P.R. firm to varnish
over with some kind of slick
00:30:45.84\00:30:50.58
veneer that nobody knows except
your very best traits. No, he
00:30:50.58\00:30:55.15
tells the story on himself. And
because he does, there's
something for you and me here.
00:30:55.15\00:31:01.09
We know what happens next. Drop
down to verse 15. So they did.
00:31:01.09\00:31:05.89
They took Jonah, one, two,
three, heave! [ Imitates throw,
00:31:05.89\00:31:10.87
impact ] Because this is a
movie. And then when the camera
drops beneath the surface of the
00:31:10.87\00:31:14.77
water, the moment it goes
beneath the surface of the
00:31:14.77\00:31:19.37
water, it's quiet. There's no
sound down there. Just
[gurgling]... As Jonah's going
00:31:19.37\00:31:26.38
down. And then the camera pans
away from Jonah in that quiet,
00:31:26.38\00:31:30.75
and it looks down. And out of
the black bosom of the
Mediterranean come two eyes
00:31:30.75\00:31:38.53
glowing, and a massive monster
with his mouth open. Kkrt! Wow.
00:31:38.53\00:31:48.47
And the raging sea grew calm the
moment he hits the water. The
raging sea -- shwoom! --
00:31:48.47\00:31:54.64
smooth as glass. [ Gasps ]
These Pagan sailors are so awed.
00:31:54.64\00:31:59.45
You're not gonna believe what
you're about to read. The very
next verse, verse 16,
00:31:59.45\00:32:02.95
is in the Bible. "And at this,
the Pagan men greatly feared the
00:32:02.95\00:32:11.26
Lord, and they offered a
sacrifice to the Lord and" --
get this. They didn't just offer
00:32:11.26\00:32:17.53
a sacrifice. They made
vows. "I will worship you.
00:32:17.53\00:32:19.67
I will follow you. I will
live for you forever and ever.
00:32:19.67\00:32:22.17
Amen." That's how profound that
impact. One supernatural act of
00:32:22.17\00:32:29.31
God. Can you believe this? And
the Pagan sailors become
believers in the most high
00:32:29.31\00:32:33.55
creator God of the universe.
Could it be -- Hey, listen,
listen, listen, listen.
00:32:33.55\00:32:37.42
Could it be that we've made this
trying to reach seculars a whole
lot harder than God thinks it
00:32:37.42\00:32:43.43
is? We have house of prayer 7:00
in the morning, 7:00 at night.
00:32:43.43\00:32:50.30
I meet with a prayer partner
every Wednesday night, after the
evening, in my office.
00:32:50.30\00:32:55.14
So my friend was telling me just
a few days ago, he said, "You
know something, Dwight?
00:32:55.14\00:33:00.14
The problem is, the root problem
of what we need is inside our
00:33:00.14\00:33:07.58
souls. It's this ego thing. It's
this self-promotion thing. It's
this self-dependence thing.
00:33:07.58\00:33:14.89
Academia thrives on it.
We're in control." I know.
00:33:14.89\00:33:19.83
The world thrives on it. Every
heart here thrives on it. But my
friend said, "Look,
00:33:19.83\00:33:24.40
Dwight, what would happen if
God, through the power of the
Holy Spirit, could get into our
00:33:24.40\00:33:29.34
hearts and just push ego and
pride and self-dependence, just
push it right out and fill the
00:33:29.34\00:33:34.31
vacuum with Himself?" Because
the Bible says, quoting God, "I
will share my glory with
00:33:34.31\00:33:42.32
no one." And now that Jonah is
swallowed by a whale, God says,
00:33:42.32\00:33:46.92
"Let me show you something.
Ever seen this before?" Shhh!
00:33:46.92\00:33:52.13
"I just did that." Wow!
And Pagans bow down and worship
00:33:52.13\00:33:58.57
Him. The Book of Acts is replete
with what they call signs and
00:33:58.57\00:34:02.47
wonders. Why? Because
God says, "You just let
00:34:02.47\00:34:05.21
Me be front and center. You let
Me be, and the dead are raised,
the sick are healed, men
00:34:05.21\00:34:14.95
are reading people's minds and
getting it right." What would
00:34:14.95\00:34:23.12
happen if we just pushed the
Holy Spirit, just push it out?
Apparently it's not so hard as
00:34:23.12\00:34:28.56
we thought in reaching Pagan
seculars, because they're still
awed by the supernatural.
00:34:28.56\00:34:35.50
Something just
happens. What was that?
00:34:35.50\00:34:40.51
And Jonah -- kklooom! -- ...was
in the belly of a whale. And at
the very end of his
00:34:47.28\00:34:55.32
prayer in the belly of that
dark, dark whale, Jonah prays
the theme to the entire Book of
00:34:55.32\00:35:03.50
Jonah. It's one line. I
want you to read the last line
00:35:03.50\00:35:05.93
of his prayer. It's
verse 9, Chapter 2, verse 9.
00:35:05.93\00:35:08.80
From the belly of the whale,
"But I" -- Jonah crying out to
00:35:08.97\00:35:11.97
God...
00:35:11.97\00:35:14.24
Let's put that on the screen.
"Salvation comes from the Lord."
00:35:21.65\00:35:26.05
"We've heard a joyful sound."
¤ Jesus saves, Jesus saves ¤
00:35:26.05\00:35:31.99
¤ Spread the
gladness all around ¤
00:35:31.99\00:35:34.76
¤ Jesus saves, Jesus saves ¤
00:35:34.76\00:35:37.73
That's it. That's the whole
theme of the Book of Jonah.
00:35:37.90\00:35:41.10
You think about what God has
just done. The Pagan sailors get
00:35:41.10\00:35:44.97
saved. The Sabbatarian prophet
gets saved. The Pagan city of
00:35:44.97\00:35:48.71
Nineveh gets saved. In fact, in
this entire narrative, there's
00:35:48.71\00:35:51.51
only one person that doesn't get
saved. There's only one creation
of God that does not get saved.
00:35:51.51\00:35:58.32
Bet you can't guess it.
Yep. When Jonah trudges through
00:35:58.32\00:36:05.89
Nineveh and cries out, "40 days
and you're gonna be toast, nuked
by the God of the universe,"
00:36:05.89\00:36:14.00
when Jonah preaches judgment,
guess what? The only thing that
00:36:14.00\00:36:20.84
dies, because from the highest
king to the lowest slave, the
entire city repents.
00:36:20.84\00:36:24.48
The entire city. One measly,
little runaway 'fraidy cat, and
00:36:24.48\00:36:31.92
God saves an entire city.
00:36:31.92\00:36:33.15
[ Scoffs ] The
only one that doesn't
00:36:33.32\00:36:36.93
survive is a little
leafy gourd. You remember that?
00:36:36.93\00:36:41.00
'Cause Jonah goes up on
the hillside, says, "Okay, God.
00:36:41.00\00:36:44.00
You may change your
mind. Show me the fireworks.
00:36:44.00\00:36:46.63
I'm here." And the
hot Assyrian sun is
00:36:46.63\00:36:48.84
burning down on him,
and God says, "Poor Jonah.
00:36:48.84\00:36:51.77
I have mercy on Jonah.
Little plant, grow." Pbbbbbt!
00:36:51.94\00:36:55.71
Boy, that was a fast grow. How'd
You do that? And now Jonah says,
00:36:55.71\00:37:01.42
"Oh, thank you, God. Oh, I
needed that shade." Next
morning, wake up, God puts
00:37:01.42\00:37:05.32
a little worm in that plant.
Tch, tch, tch, poof! Tkkkkt!
00:37:05.32\00:37:09.52
And Jonah now is ticked to high
heavens again. The plant is the
00:37:09.52\00:37:18.03
only thing that dies in this
story. God even saves the worm!
00:37:18.03\00:37:25.94
Did you know that? He saved
the worm. You say, "Oh, Dwight,
00:37:25.94\00:37:28.21
that's too trite." No, it's not
too trite. Look at God. Look at
what God says right
00:37:28.21\00:37:30.61
here.
00:37:30.61\00:37:31.51
The last line of the
book, Chapter 4, verse 10.
00:37:31.68\00:37:35.58
Now here comes the last verse.
The book ends with a question
00:37:45.29\00:37:48.80
mark.
00:37:48.80\00:37:50.93
Little, tiny creatures.
"Shouldn't I be concerned?"
Apparently saving the worm was
00:38:01.94\00:38:07.88
not an aberration. He
wanted to save them all. Man.
00:38:07.88\00:38:13.92
We really missed the truth about
Him, haven't we? He'll save
00:38:13.92\00:38:19.83
anybody. You breathe -- "You
breathing, boy? Let Me save you.
00:38:19.83\00:38:23.63
You want Me?" Wow.
Incidentally, scholars, by the
00:38:23.63\00:38:29.74
way, who have been having
a little trouble with this --
00:38:29.74\00:38:33.21
120,000 people. Can anybody
figure out what 120,000 people
are about? Scholars now believe,
00:38:33.21\00:38:37.21
many of them, anyway, that what
God is describing when He says
people don't know their right
00:38:37.21\00:38:42.08
hand from their left hand, God
is describing two years old and
00:38:42.08\00:38:44.52
under. 'Cause if I got a little
2-year-old standing up here who
wanted into the children's
00:38:44.52\00:38:47.72
story, and I said, "Honey, show
me your left hand," she would
not know which one.
00:38:47.72\00:38:50.89
She'd go, "Hmm, hmm, hmm,
hmm, hmm." So you have 120,000
00:38:50.89\00:38:57.53
children. Then you have kids.
Then you have teens. Then you
00:38:57.53\00:39:00.77
have young adults. Then you have
adults. Then you have
middle-aged adults.
00:39:00.77\00:39:03.41
Then you have senior citizens.
Some scholars now believe that
the population of Nineveh was
00:39:03.41\00:39:07.28
between 600,000 and 2 million
human beings. And one runaway
00:39:07.28\00:39:17.32
messenger was God's instrument
for saving that Pagan citadel. I
00:39:17.32\00:39:23.69
can't believe it. "Should I not
be concerned for that great
city?" And in one glorious
00:39:23.69\00:39:30.00
moment, He saves them all,
everybody. The end. ¤ We have
heard a joyful sound ¤
00:39:30.00\00:39:36.04
¤ Jesus saves, Jesus saves ¤ The
end. That's it. So what's this
00:39:36.04\00:39:42.38
mean for you and me? Friend
of mine named Cheryl Logan, she
00:39:42.38\00:39:48.32
would be the wife of the
minister of music. Four weeks
ago, gave me a book. She says,
00:39:48.32\00:39:52.99
"My mother found this working
down in Neighbor to Neighbor,"
which is a community service
00:39:52.99\00:39:57.39
center here in town. "She found
it in an old box full of used
books. She pulled it out.
00:39:57.39\00:40:00.83
She gave it to me. I'm
giving it to you." And oh, my.
00:40:00.83\00:40:04.07
I will be grateful forever for
that act of kindness. Title of
the book, by the way,
00:40:04.07\00:40:10.61
is "God in the Garden: The
Amazing Story of Billy Graham's
First New York Crusade."
00:40:10.61\00:40:16.91
That's Madison Square Garden.
All you sports buffs know where
00:40:16.91\00:40:23.95
that place is. 16 unforgettable
weeks from May 15 through
00:40:23.95\00:40:28.52
September 1, 1957. Do the
arithmetic. So this is 2017.
Right now, how many years ago
00:40:28.52\00:40:32.73
right now -- '57 to now,
'57 to now. I'll save you the
00:40:32.73\00:40:36.70
arithmetic. 60 years. 60 years
ago, this very second, it was in
the evening Saturday
00:40:36.70\00:40:41.87
nights, and maybe Monday
and Wednesday or something like
00:40:41.87\00:40:47.38
that, Friday. 60 years ago. You
know what? Billy Graham had been
00:40:47.38\00:40:51.21
warned by all the naysayers.
"Oh, let me tell you something
about New York City.
00:40:51.21\00:40:54.35
It is the graveyard of Christian
effort. Incalcitrant, secular
00:40:54.35\00:41:00.49
city, won't be touched, can't
be reached." Billy Graham said,
00:41:00.49\00:41:06.09
"Let's try anyway." And bathed
with thousands of prayers,
00:41:06.09\00:41:11.23
literally globally thousands
upon thousands of little
Christians on this planet
00:41:11.23\00:41:17.04
saying, "The man's going in.
Let's cover him." With hundreds
and thousands of volunteers, the
00:41:17.04\00:41:21.64
stats that came out of that
series absolutely blow your
mind. Here they are.
00:41:21.64\00:41:25.21
Let me run a few of them by you.
More than 2 million people heard
Billy Graham preach in the
00:41:25.21\00:41:30.22
Madison Square Garden and
at outside rallies. More than 2
00:41:30.22\00:41:34.49
million. More than 56,000 made
decisions for Christ, of whom
20,000 were teenagers.
00:41:34.49\00:41:39.29
20,000 teenagers came to Christ.
Hmm. An estimated -- Because ABC
00:41:39.29\00:41:44.17
television said, "We'll carry
you Saturday nights." For six
weeks they carried him.
00:41:44.17\00:41:47.90
96 million people saw the
meetings coming out of Madison
00:41:47.90\00:41:53.61
Square Garden. Unbelievable. By
the way, they were gonna quit at
00:41:53.61\00:41:56.14
the end of June. So many people
were coming. They said, "Well,
let's just go just to the end of
00:41:56.14\00:41:59.35
the July. Then we'll cut it
off." End of July, they're still
00:41:59.35\00:42:01.68
coming. They decided to go all
the way to September 1 when
125,000 people crowded into
00:42:01.68\00:42:08.42
Times Square to hear Billy
Graham's final sermon. A secular
Pagan bastion that is
00:42:08.42\00:42:14.56
no place for God to
work. "Excuse me? Excuse me?
00:42:14.56\00:42:23.34
Do I love cities? Are
these My children?" Yeah.
00:42:23.34\00:42:30.21
Wow. Anyway, one fascinating
-- I want you to get this.
00:42:30.21\00:42:33.48
One fascinating diary entry --
because he gave -- Billy Graham
gave to the author here -- the
00:42:33.48\00:42:42.02
author of the book is Curtis
Mitchell -- he gave to him his
diary that was written
00:42:42.02\00:42:47.23
during the crusade itself.
He said, "Take these and see if
00:42:47.23\00:42:50.73
they're any help." One night
he's come back exhausted, sweaty
from a fishing expedition in
00:42:50.73\00:42:55.10
Madison Square Garden. He
collapses into his bed and
writes into his diary these
00:42:55.10\00:42:58.67
words.
00:42:58.67\00:42:59.57
I'll put them on
the screen for you.
00:42:59.74\00:43:03.18
Preachers know
exactly what he's describing.
00:43:06.45\00:43:09.65
What were God's instructions to
Jonah? "Don't tell them about My
00:43:35.68\00:43:38.61
love and these touchy, feely,
fuzzy moments. You just tell
00:43:38.61\00:43:41.65
them, 'You got 40 days and it's
over. Do you understand that?
00:43:41.65\00:43:46.69
You're toast.'" Apparently Pagan
seculars don't have to be wooed
and pampered to maybe giving God
00:43:46.69\00:43:54.36
a passing fancy. Maybe God can
connect with even America, the
00:43:54.36\00:44:01.14
cities of this nation. Maybe
Billy is right. What did God say
00:44:01.14\00:44:09.08
to Jonah? What did he say here?
"Go to the great city of Nineveh
and preach against it because
00:44:09.08\00:44:13.21
its wickedness has come up
before Me." Could it be our
00:44:13.21\00:44:17.39
cities? Could it be our nations
are rife for God's saving grace?
According to Ralph Moore in his
00:44:17.39\00:44:21.89
book, "How to Grow Your Church,"
"How to Multiply Your Church,"
rather, listen to this line.
00:44:21.89\00:44:28.10
More than 25 million people in
the United States today have
never heard the Gospel.
00:44:28.10\00:44:33.84
25 million in this
Christian country. "Christian."
00:44:33.84\00:44:38.54
And how about the millions and
millions who grew up as kids
hearing a little bit about
00:44:38.54\00:44:43.38
"Jesus loves me, this I know."
But it's long since banished any
notion of that and are now
00:44:43.38\00:44:48.38
walking the streets of our
cities today. How about them?
00:44:48.38\00:44:54.12
"We've heard a joyful sound.
Jesus saves, Jesus saves." Ellen
White, in that book
00:44:54.12\00:45:01.83
"Prophets and Kings," telling
the story of Jonah and Nineveh.
00:45:01.83\00:45:05.30
Put these words on
the screen for you.
00:45:05.47\00:45:08.70
Boy, if you had your study guide
out right now, man, circle it.
00:45:08.70\00:45:12.87
Many now. Every city. "We've
heard a joyful sound. Spread the
gladness all around."
00:45:27.82\00:45:35.80
So what should we do? I'm
talking about you and me now.
00:45:35.80\00:45:38.10
Forget Jonah. Forget Billy
Graham. By the way, the world
00:45:38.10\00:45:40.80
will wake up one day soon
perhaps, and it'll be announced
to us by the news media that
00:45:40.80\00:45:45.61
Reverend Billy Graham died
overnight. And it will be a
00:45:45.61\00:45:53.28
great loss for this nation. The
preachers that have followed in
his wake are fine people, I'm
00:45:53.28\00:45:58.62
sure. But somehow not the heart,
not the soul and the passion of
00:45:58.62\00:46:05.39
Billy Graham. It'll be a
sad day. But this isn't about
00:46:05.39\00:46:10.90
Billy Graham now. This is about
you and me living in our
professional careers and
00:46:10.90\00:46:15.27
still trying to go to school and
raise a little family and what
00:46:15.27\00:46:20.44
about us? Ralph Moore again. His
words on the screen. "How to
Multiply Your Church."
00:46:20.44\00:46:24.01
Here we go.
00:46:24.01\00:46:26.01
Think about that line -- you and
I need to become fishers of
people on a much broader scale.
00:47:25.24\00:47:34.02
Say, "What are you talking
about, Dwight?" I'm talking
00:47:34.02\00:47:37.05
about this. Maybe you and I have
settled for this little hook on
a line. Maybe God -- I'll catch
00:47:37.05\00:47:44.09
a fish at this point in my life.
Maybe I'll go another 20 years.
I'll catch another fish for you,
00:47:44.09\00:47:47.93
Jesus. Maybe what we're dreaming
of has no segue or interface
00:47:47.93\00:47:56.77
with the dream God has for you.
What if God's dream for you is
not one -- no, no, no, no, no.
00:47:56.77\00:48:00.91
Not one. I need 10 from you. I
need 10 from you here, and then
when you go over here, I'm
00:48:00.91\00:48:05.21
gonna get 50 from you. And when
you go over here, I'm gonna get
00:48:05.21\00:48:08.35
100 from you. Remember, one
little runaway believer in God
turned around became God's
00:48:08.35\00:48:17.16
instrument to bring down an
entire Pagan bastion and save
the entire city from the king to
00:48:17.16\00:48:21.93
the slave. Just one. Just one.
Maybe we ought to quit selling
00:48:21.93\00:48:28.77
ourselves so short. Well, maybe
I'll get one from a class I
00:48:28.77\00:48:31.74
teach. Man, I'll spend a few
years, but I did get one. I do
00:48:31.74\00:48:34.54
remember. I said, "Glory.
Hallelujah. Thank you, God."
Maybe instead of one here and
00:48:34.54\00:48:38.71
one then there, what if we
started asking God -- what if we
started asking God, "Didn't
00:48:38.71\00:48:43.92
Jesus say, 'Cast your net on the
other side'? He didn't say cast
00:48:43.92\00:48:47.72
your hook. He didn't say cast
your line. He said cast your
net. Why? Because a net catches
00:48:47.72\00:48:52.09
a lot of fish. That's why."
What if we started asking God
00:48:52.09\00:48:54.73
for nets full, nets full of lost
men, women, and children for the
God who died to save them?
00:48:54.73\00:49:06.44
What if we asked for more? What
are you asking for? One? You
want just one in your life?
00:49:06.44\00:49:11.18
What if you started asking God,
"Give me a hundred. Give me a
00:49:11.18\00:49:16.05
hundred of these. I need them
for You." It's not about me.
00:49:16.05\00:49:19.82
But if You can use little wimpy
Jonah, You surely could use me.
00:49:19.99\00:49:23.73
You see, this
isn't about Billy Graham.
00:49:23.73\00:49:27.20
This isn't about clergy, by
the way. "Well, Dwight, I'm sure
00:49:27.36\00:49:29.80
glad you're preaching this
sermon, 'cause I hope you get
00:49:29.80\00:49:33.13
the point." This is not about
clergy. This is about the God
who says, "If you follow me,
00:49:33.13\00:49:38.64
I'll make you a fisher of
people. You just come on, girl.
00:49:38.64\00:49:42.61
Come on. Get that net ready.
We're moving out of the deep
00:49:42.61\00:49:45.45
waters." Speaking of deep
waters, I want you to read these
words from Oswald Chambers.
00:49:45.45\00:49:49.12
Put them on the screen, please,
from his classic "My Utmost For
00:49:49.12\00:49:53.29
His Highest." Wow.
"If you do not cut the
00:49:53.46\00:49:55.59
moorings" -- That's old Scottish
'cause he was a Scotsman --
00:49:55.59\00:49:58.66
"If you do not cut the moorings,
the ropes that tie you to the
00:49:58.66\00:50:01.36
shore," your little
fishing skiff in the harbor" --
00:50:01.36\00:50:06.00
If you do not cut the moorings,
God will have to break them by
00:50:06.00\00:50:09.24
a" -- what? By a what?
00:50:09.24\00:50:11.34
"By a storm." By the
way, God can get your
00:50:11.34\00:50:14.48
attention and mine, and He can
mobilize us, but I sure wouldn't
00:50:14.48\00:50:18.48
want to wait
till the storm for it.
00:50:18.48\00:50:20.35
It'll work, perhaps, but
even Jonah slept through it.
00:50:20.35\00:50:26.62
Go out and do
some deep-sea fishing.
00:50:47.44\00:50:50.75
Don't take a line.
Take a net. Take a net.
00:50:50.91\00:50:58.59
I'm that desperate. I am that
passionate with a capital P.
00:50:58.59\00:51:03.69
I am that passionate. Take
a net. I'll catch the fish.
00:51:03.69\00:51:07.76
You take the net. Go
for me. Just go for me.
00:51:07.76\00:51:14.97
There may be a massive Nineveh
that God has your name, yellow
post-it noted -- tch!
00:51:14.97\00:51:23.71
"That's where I want her to go.
Hey, Gabriel, look at that.
That's where I want her to go.
00:51:23.71\00:51:28.38
Look at her. She has a heart
for me. She knows 'I will put my
00:51:28.38\00:51:32.39
trust in Him.' It's the
seven-word creed to live by.
00:51:32.39\00:51:35.42
She knows that. Look at her. She
doesn't know I put her name on
that city, but I've chosen
00:51:35.42\00:51:39.56
her for that city." You may be
the one. He has a city for you.
00:51:39.56\00:51:47.17
He has a city for you if you're
willing. It's fun to live in a
00:51:47.17\00:51:54.31
little village where nothing
happens, but Taco Bell changing
its menu every eight weeks.
00:51:54.31\00:52:01.12
But there has to be
more to life than that.
00:52:01.12\00:52:04.65
The Pharisees once asked Jesus,
"Yo, you! Prove to us you are
00:52:09.86\00:52:16.13
who you are. Give us a sign."
Jesus looked back into those
00:52:16.13\00:52:19.73
haughty faces. He said, "I'll
give you a sign. I'll give you
the sign of Jonah. As Jonah was
00:52:19.73\00:52:26.74
in the belly of a whale three
days and three nights, I, the
Son of Man, will be in the belly
00:52:26.74\00:52:30.25
of the Earth three days and
three nights. But I, when I am
lifted up, I will draw all
00:52:30.25\00:52:37.35
people to me. So go. As the
Father has sent me, I'm sending
00:52:37.35\00:52:41.29
you. You go. Go." Who will
go for us? Who will go for us?
00:52:41.29\00:52:51.20
And a little voice on the last
pew of a long church, a little
00:52:51.20\00:53:03.75
voice, "Here I am. Send me." And
that's all it takes. He'll do
00:53:03.75\00:53:11.85
the rest. He will do
the rest. Here am I. Please.
00:53:11.85\00:53:20.30
I'll go. Send me.
00:53:20.30\00:53:22.53
Dear God, wow. Jonah was always
about Jonah, and Billy Graham
00:53:28.30\00:53:35.08
and all, you know, the people
that got to do this for a
living, but it's rather -- it's
00:53:35.08\00:53:43.08
rather daunting to think that
little, old us -- are you
serious, for the cities? Dear
00:53:43.08\00:53:52.76
Father, whatever you're saying
to a heart that's listening to
You right now, on television,
00:53:52.76\00:53:58.80
online, who knows where, but
whatever You're saying, be loud.
00:53:58.80\00:54:05.91
Be clear. May she hear the call.
May he hear the call. Back row,
00:54:05.91\00:54:12.78
little finger up, "Here am I.
Send me." We've heard a joyful
sound. Jesus saves.
00:54:12.78\00:54:21.99
Help us to spread the gladness
all around. I humbly pray in our
00:54:21.99\00:54:27.30
Lord's name.
Amen. [ Organ plays ]
00:54:27.30\00:54:33.47
[ Congregation sings ]
00:54:47.38\00:54:50.02
Now may the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the
00:56:35.26\00:56:41.90
Holy Spirit be with you
all. Amen. [ Organ plays ]
00:56:41.90\00:56:47.97
I'd like to take one more moment
with you here at the end of our
00:56:57.58\00:57:00.32
program to offer you something
I think is really special.
00:57:00.32\00:57:02.72
I want to send to you
this little book called
00:57:02.72\00:57:05.12
"Story of Hope."
00:57:05.12\00:57:06.52
In this sweeping look at the
story of the Bible, you're gonna
journey from the dawn of the
00:57:06.69\00:57:10.33
human race in the Garden of Eden
through the stunning narratives
of the ancient patriarchs and
00:57:10.33\00:57:14.83
prophets and kings straight
to the breathtaking story of our
00:57:14.83\00:57:18.73
Lord Jesus. And then beyond the
New Testament, the prophetic
story of how life on this planet
00:57:18.73\00:57:22.84
ends and then begins again. With
my team of leaders, we are
reading through this book every
00:57:22.84\00:57:28.41
Monday afternoon, and I promise
you, you're gonna get blessed. I
want to make sure you get this
00:57:28.41\00:57:32.75
book. No charge to you.
00:57:32.75\00:57:34.42
So grab your phone and dial our
toll-free number, 877 and then
00:57:34.58\00:57:38.65
the two words "his
will." That's 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:38.65\00:57:44.56
Just give one of our friendly
operators your name and mailing
00:57:44.56\00:57:47.46
address, and the
book will be in the mail.
00:57:47.46\00:57:49.56
So be blessed. And
until the next time we meet,
00:57:49.56\00:57:52.57
may the peace of our
Lord Jesus go with you.
00:57:52.57\00:57:57.61
¤¤
00:57:57.61\00:58:00.58