¤¤
00:00:00.43\00:00:02.30
¤¤ >> I invite
you to stand for our
00:00:10.71\00:01:23.24
prayer this morning.
Creator God, we are blessed
00:01:23.24\00:01:30.32
because You invite us
to come meet with You.
00:01:30.32\00:01:35.56
So in this space, we gather.
We're glad to see one another,
00:01:35.56\00:01:40.83
but we're more excited because
we get to have an encounter with
00:01:40.83\00:01:45.23
You. In Jesus' name, we pray.
00:01:45.23\00:01:47.54
Amen. >> Remain
standing as we sing
00:01:47.54\00:01:50.57
"What a Friend in Jesus."
The author of these words
00:01:50.57\00:01:53.91
entitled his poem
"Pray Without Ceasing."
00:01:53.91\00:01:58.81
¤¤
00:01:58.81\00:02:00.82
>> Sing with us.
00:03:48.36\00:03:50.36
>> Amen.
00:05:50.58\00:05:52.51
As we sing the next verse, I
want you to think, "What do I
have to surrender to Jesus?
00:11:26.98\00:11:33.79
For five years, the person who
wrote these words struggled with
God about something God was
00:11:33.79\00:11:40.83
asking him to do. For five
years, he was struggling with
00:11:40.83\00:11:45.13
that. And when he surrendered,
this song came out. These words
00:11:45.13\00:11:50.91
came out of him. Think about
that and please stand with us as
we sing the last verse of this.
00:11:50.91\00:11:55.98
>> Well, happy Sabbath, girls
and boys. I am just so glad
00:14:00.87\00:14:08.14
you're here this morning. And
I do have a story for you. But,
00:14:08.14\00:14:13.98
first, a question. How many of
you have ever been a passenger
on a big ocean-going ship?
00:14:13.98\00:14:21.89
You have. Oh,
quite a few of you.
00:14:21.92\00:14:24.29
Wasn't that fun? A few
weeks ago, some friends
00:14:24.29\00:14:28.56
and I were on a big ocean-going
ship named the Norwegian Sun.
00:14:28.56\00:14:33.90
If you look up there on the
screen, there's the Norwegian
00:14:33.94\00:14:37.87
Sun. Isn't she beautiful? Oh,
12 decks high. I tell you -- you
00:14:37.87\00:14:43.58
can see a lot of ocean from 12
decks up. And we were on our way
hundreds of miles south, into
00:14:43.58\00:14:51.32
the South Pacific Ocean. We were
traveling along the coast of
South America, close to
00:14:51.32\00:14:58.99
the country called Chile. And,
again, if you look up there on
the screen, that long, skinny
00:14:58.99\00:15:05.43
country is Chile. In fact,
the nickname is "The Shoestring
00:15:05.43\00:15:12.44
Republic." It does look like a
string, doesn't it? Very narrow,
00:15:12.44\00:15:17.28
very long. We were traveling
along the coast of Chile and we
stopped at an island called
00:15:17.28\00:15:23.45
Magdalena Island. One of
the unique features of Magdalena
00:15:23.45\00:15:30.63
Island is that no people live on
that island. Not a single human
being. Instead, the island is
00:15:30.63\00:15:38.97
full of hundreds and hundreds
of birds. It's what they call a
00:15:38.97\00:15:45.51
bird sanctuary. And most of the
birds are black and white. And
they look like this.
00:15:45.51\00:15:52.71
What is this? It is a penguin.
You're right! You older boys and
00:15:52.71\00:15:59.65
girls know there's several
varieties of penguins. There's
the really big ones down
00:15:59.65\00:16:04.29
there in Antarctica. They're
called the emperor penguins.
00:16:04.29\00:16:08.50
And then slightly smaller are
the king penguins. And then
there's this little
00:16:08.50\00:16:13.64
guy. He's called a
Magellanic penguin.
00:16:13.64\00:16:18.21
Magellanic penguin, because he's
named after Ferdinand Magellan.
Yeah, you can see some of his
00:16:18.21\00:16:26.75
friends up there on the screen.
Magellanic penguins. They're
00:16:26.75\00:16:31.75
only about 16 to 18 inches tall.
They would come up only to your
00:16:31.75\00:16:36.32
waist, okay? But they are
beautiful, beautiful penguins.
There were hundreds of them on
00:16:36.32\00:16:42.40
Magellanic Island. All
right. Our ship stopped there.
00:16:42.40\00:16:47.54
We got off. We walked around
and we saw all those little baby
00:16:47.54\00:16:52.01
penguins and all those mama and
papa penguins. You know what?
00:16:52.01\00:16:56.75
These Magellanic penguins mate
for life. That means mama and
00:16:56.75\00:17:01.92
papa penguin stay together their
whole life, until they die.
Typically, they only have one
00:17:01.92\00:17:07.52
baby. Just one. You
know what we call a baby
00:17:07.52\00:17:12.23
penguin? >> A chick.
>> A chick. You're right.
00:17:12.23\00:17:15.36
A future biology major there. We
call it a chick. You're right.
00:17:15.36\00:17:19.47
'Cause it's a bird, right? Only
one baby chick is normal. So
they really value that little
00:17:19.47\00:17:26.01
baby chick and they dig a hole
in the ground called a burrow,
where the mama penguin lays the
00:17:26.01\00:17:32.21
egg, and when that
egg hatches... [ Gasps ]
00:17:32.21\00:17:34.95
...ooh, they watch over that
baby chick very carefully,
because there are other birds on
00:17:34.95\00:17:40.62
the island, primarily sea gulls,
that like to eat baby chicks. So
the parents watch very
00:17:40.62\00:17:48.03
closely. But, of course, while
one parent is guarding the baby
00:17:48.03\00:17:52.97
chick, the other parent penguin
has to go out and catch some
fish, 'cause that's what baby
00:17:52.97\00:17:58.51
penguins, or chicks, eat is
fish. So, one parent penguin
will swim out in the ocean,
00:17:58.51\00:18:06.11
sometimes for 3 or 4 days, and
try to swallow as many fish,
primarily little ones -- you
00:18:06.11\00:18:14.69
know, sardines -- as he can. And
then he'll come back to the
island and back to the burrow
00:18:14.69\00:18:19.69
and he will regurgitate. All
right, what's that word mean,
00:18:19.69\00:18:26.87
regurgitate? Yes? >> He'll throw
it up. >> He'll throw it up.
00:18:26.87\00:18:29.90
Yuck! Yuck! He'll vomit, or
throw up, his tummyful of fish
00:18:29.90\00:18:37.55
right down the baby chick's
throat. Whoa! Pre-digested
00:18:37.55\00:18:46.52
Gerber sardines. Aren't you glad
your mommy doesn't feed you that
00:18:46.52\00:18:52.76
way? Oh, yuck! Well, as I
mentioned a moment ago,
sometimes, the papa or mama
00:18:52.76\00:18:59.83
penguin has to be out there for
several days -- 3 or 4 days. And
when they're out there, they're
00:18:59.83\00:19:06.61
in great danger, because there's
something else out in the ocean
that eats penguins. Look at the
00:19:06.61\00:19:11.65
screen. What is that? Oh, yes!
It's an orca whale. And the
orcas travel in groups
00:19:11.65\00:19:20.39
called pods, and they like to
eat penguins. So if every mama
00:19:20.39\00:19:26.06
and daddy penguin went fishing
at the same time, many of them
wouldn't come back, because the
00:19:26.06\00:19:32.77
orcas would kill them. So,
here's what happens. One very
00:19:32.77\00:19:41.04
brave penguin volunteers to swim
out into the ocean when there
are orcas out there and lead
00:19:41.04\00:19:51.79
those orcas on a merry chase.
That little penguin will swim as
hard as he can, as fast as he
00:19:51.79\00:20:00.16
can, as far as he can to lead
the orcas away from the island
and his friends back there on
00:20:00.16\00:20:09.34
Magdalena Island. But -- but --
this penguin knows that the
orcas are bigger than
00:20:09.34\00:20:16.14
he. They're stronger than he.
They can swim farther than he.
00:20:16.14\00:20:24.32
And so, in the end, he knows
he's not coming back home. He
00:20:24.32\00:20:32.09
will die. But in giving up his
life, he will save hundreds of
baby chicks and their penguin
00:20:32.09\00:20:42.50
parents back on Magdalena
Island. You know, girls and
boys, when our tour guide on the
00:20:42.50\00:20:49.88
boat told us that story, I
immediately thought of somebody
else who came to this Earth,
00:20:49.88\00:20:57.09
voluntarily, to die for you
and me. Who was that? That was
00:20:57.09\00:21:02.92
Jesus, wasn't it? He didn't have
to come, but He volunteered to
come down here and die on the
00:21:02.92\00:21:10.90
cross for you and me and your
parents. And then, unlike the
penguin, He didn't stay dead,
00:21:10.90\00:21:18.31
right? He rose again from the
tomb on Easter Sunday morning
and He went back to heaven.
00:21:18.31\00:21:24.25
And some day, we hope soon, He's
going to come back again and
take you and your parents to
00:21:24.25\00:21:31.19
heaven with Him. Isn't that a
beautiful thought? I wonder if
00:21:31.19\00:21:35.92
there's a little girl or a
little boy here this morning
that would like to pray and
00:21:35.92\00:21:41.60
thank Jesus -- Would you? Come
on up here. Thank Jesus for
coming to this Earth and dying
00:21:41.60\00:21:48.57
for us so that we can have
everlasting life. Thank you so
much. Let's bow our heads.
00:21:48.57\00:21:56.98
>> Dear Jesus, thank You
for this day. Please help us to
00:21:56.98\00:22:01.62
understand why You died on the
cross and help us to love You
more and help people who don't
00:22:01.62\00:22:07.32
know about You to learn about
You. In the name of Jesus, amen.
00:22:07.32\00:22:10.83
>> Amen. That was a beautiful
prayer. Thank you so much. You
may now go back to your
00:22:10.83\00:22:15.66
seats. Thank you.
00:22:15.66\00:22:18.50
¤¤
00:22:21.90\00:22:23.81
>> ¤ Sing the
wondrous love of Jesus ¤
00:22:34.75\00:22:39.52
¤ Sing His mercy and His grace
¤ In the mansions bright and
00:22:39.55\00:22:49.53
blessed ¤ ¤ He'll prepare for us
a place ¤ I am bound for the
kingdom, will you go to glory
00:22:49.53\00:22:59.67
with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah, praise
the Lord! >> ¤ While we walk the
00:22:59.67\00:23:12.05
pilgrim pathway ¤ ¤ Clouds will
overspread the sky ¤ >> ¤ But
when traveling days are
00:23:12.05\00:23:20.96
over ¤ ¤ Not a shadow, not
a sigh ¤ I am bound for the
00:23:20.96\00:23:29.47
kingdom, will you go to glory
with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah, praise
00:23:29.47\00:23:39.01
the Lord! ¤ Let us then be true
and faithful, trusting, serving
00:23:45.62\00:23:54.86
every day ¤ ¤ Just one glimpse
of Him in glory will the toils
00:23:54.86\00:24:04.64
of life repay ¤ ¤ I am bound for
the kingdom, will you go to
glory with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah,
00:24:04.64\00:24:14.52
praise the Lord! ¤ I am bound
for the kingdom, will you go to
glory with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah,
00:24:14.52\00:24:27.36
praise the Lord! ¤ Onward to the
prize before us! ¤ ¤ Soon, His
00:24:27.36\00:24:34.64
beauty we'll behold ¤ ¤ Soon,
the pearly gates will open ¤
00:24:34.64\00:24:41.91
¤ We shall tread the streets
of gold ¤ ¤ I am bound for the
00:24:41.91\00:24:52.42
kingdom, will you go to glory
with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah, praise
the Lord! ¤ I am bound for the
00:24:52.42\00:25:04.33
kingdom, will you go to glory
with me? ¤ ¤ Hallelujah, praise
the Lord! ¤ Hallelujah, praise
00:25:04.33\00:25:23.25
the Lord! >> Amen! [ Applause ]
00:25:23.25\00:25:26.45
>> Thank you, choir, Sanctuary
Choir. "Hallelujah, praise the
00:25:31.06\00:25:34.76
Lord. I am bound for the
promised land." Let's go there
00:25:34.76\00:25:43.94
together. I want to pray first.
We'll plunge into our teaching
00:25:43.94\00:25:49.21
on exiles. Father, we want to go
there. Hallelujah. We sing with
00:25:49.21\00:25:55.18
the choir. Praise the Lord.
We're still basking in the joy
of those three beautiful
00:25:55.18\00:26:02.52
testimonies, three new friends
of Jesus. And it occurs to me,
00:26:02.52\00:26:09.03
Father, there may be somebody
here who watched those three and
is thinking, "You know what?
00:26:09.03\00:26:12.97
I could do that. I could be
baptized and follow Christ."
00:26:12.97\00:26:18.91
If that's the case, would the
Holy Spirit please take these
next few moments, and maybe you
00:26:18.91\00:26:23.78
and he, you and she talk this
out. Right now, may this story
00:26:23.78\00:26:33.89
come alive for us --
exiles. In Jesus' name. Amen.
00:26:33.89\00:26:40.63
So, how can I possibly tell
you a story you already know?
00:26:40.66\00:26:44.33
Maybe we try this.
Tonight, midnight, your place --
00:26:44.33\00:26:50.61
Could be a house, could be
an apartment, could be a mobile
00:26:50.61\00:26:55.81
home. Tonight, at
midnight, go into a
00:26:55.81\00:26:58.31
closet, shut
the door behind you.
00:26:58.31\00:27:01.35
You've got the closet light on,
of course. Take a couple, three
00:27:01.38\00:27:07.02
deep breaths and then turn the
light out. Pitch-black darkness,
00:27:07.02\00:27:16.70
right? Yeah. And now imagine
that, while you're in that
00:27:16.70\00:27:22.07
position -- dark closet -- the
walls, the four walls, begin to
push in on you. Mm-hmm.
00:27:22.07\00:27:26.41
Suddenly, you feel the walls
touching your shoulders, and you
realize that your arms are
00:27:26.41\00:27:30.58
pinned to your side. Suddenly,
the wall in front of you, which
00:27:30.58\00:27:35.45
you cannot see, is touching your
nose. The wall behind you that
you cannot see is touching your
00:27:35.45\00:27:39.82
head. And if that weren't
claustrophobic enough, let's
00:27:39.82\00:27:45.99
take all fresh air out of that
closet -- that be okay? -- and
replace it with this pungent,
00:27:45.99\00:27:52.97
like, pins-in-the-nostrils
ammonia. And your gut begins to
00:27:52.97\00:28:02.98
twist in advance of a retch. And
while you're there in the dark,
if that weren't enough,
00:28:02.98\00:28:08.32
something is touching you, and
you don't know what it is. Is it
alive? I don't know.
00:28:08.32\00:28:14.72
It's probing your orifices.
Slimy to the touch. Ugh!
00:28:14.72\00:28:23.63
"What are you talking about?"
00:28:23.63\00:28:26.43
Take a look at these
words on the screen, please.
00:28:26.50\00:28:29.60
Who prayed that prayer? Where
did he pray it? In the belly of
00:28:43.55\00:28:49.92
a whale. Of course. You know,
they have this saying, "You can
run, but you can't..."
00:28:49.92\00:28:56.56
You can't hide. I think for
Jonah, the converse is just as
00:28:56.56\00:29:00.34
true. You can hide, but you
can't run. Where can you run in
00:29:00.34\00:29:07.01
a whale's belly? Nowhere. Open
your Bible with me to this
world-loved story of Jonah and
00:29:07.01\00:29:12.41
the whale. We're gonna take
five minutes while you find the
00:29:12.41\00:29:15.82
Book of Jonah, all right? Five
minutes, but that's it. Five
minutes up, we're moving
00:29:15.82\00:29:20.32
on. All right, it's the little,
tiny book tucked into the
00:29:20.32\00:29:24.26
Minor Prophets, the 12 last
prophets in the Old Testament.
All right, Jonah, Jonah, Jonah.
00:29:24.26\00:29:31.97
And, by the way, while you're
finding it, 'cause you're still
00:29:32.00\00:29:34.34
looking, let me put the title
slide on the screen for you.
00:29:34.34\00:29:37.57
We're in this
away-from-our-home-church series
00:29:37.57\00:29:41.21
called "In Exile:
Cadences of Home."
00:29:41.21\00:29:44.08
Title today, "Here
Am I -- Send Them."
00:29:44.08\00:29:47.42
"Yeah, but, Dwight, come on.
Time-out. You can't put Jonah in
00:29:47.45\00:29:51.52
with these exile stories."
Oh, yes, you can. I learned that
00:29:51.52\00:29:57.33
scholars, in fact, define what
they call diasporic -- Oh, big
word. But the Diaspora, you
00:29:57.33\00:30:02.83
know, when the Jews were spread
out, scattered all over the
Roman Empire, diasporic morality
00:30:02.83\00:30:09.04
tales. And scholars believe that
these stories were carefully
00:30:09.04\00:30:13.88
preserved. They were passed
on to exile to exile to exile to
00:30:13.88\00:30:18.15
show you how you can maintain
the faith in the land that is
not your own, to show you how
00:30:18.15\00:30:24.09
your religion can survive exile.
And scholars believe Jonah's
story was a big teaching story.
00:30:24.09\00:30:32.93
So we're including him. All
right, Jonah. Let's go. We're
gonna start at the end of
00:30:32.93\00:30:37.10
the story. So, you've got Jonah.
We'll go to the end of the story
00:30:37.10\00:30:40.50
first -- Jonah 4:1.
00:30:40.50\00:30:43.44
What seemed wrong? What seemed
wrong is that God has just saved
00:30:46.88\00:30:51.41
the entire city of Nineveh. Pff!
00:30:51.41\00:30:54.38
I'm gonna share with you
something now that I have never
00:31:01.29\00:31:03.89
seen before. How many times have
I read -- How many times have I
preached on the Book of Jonah?
00:31:03.89\00:31:07.56
Pff! Have no idea. But I never
saw this till this last week,
00:31:07.56\00:31:12.53
and that's why I'm really jazzed
about passing it on to you,
because watch the next line.
00:31:12.53\00:31:17.57
I'll read it again.
Now, listen to this.
00:31:17.57\00:31:24.18
"That is what I tried
to forestall by fleeing to
00:31:31.62\00:31:38.96
Tarshish." At the end of his
story -- 'Cause Jonah wrote his
00:31:38.96\00:31:41.66
own story. At the end of his
story, he gives us a hint of his
mind-set at the beginning of his
00:31:41.66\00:31:50.44
story. Never saw that before.
I mean, what do we know about
00:31:50.44\00:31:54.91
Jonah? Well, we all know how the
story begins. The story begins
00:31:54.91\00:31:58.48
-- Let's put the first line of
the story up on the screen for
you. Jonah -- tiny, little book.
00:31:58.48\00:32:02.92
You can see it right there.
Jonah 1:3. But Jonah did what?
00:32:02.92\00:32:06.79
Jonah ran away. From
whom? He ran away from the Lord.
00:32:06.79\00:32:10.33
Everybody knows that story. God
comes to the prophet. He says,
00:32:10.33\00:32:17.30
"Yo, Jonah. I have something I
need you to do. I'm sending you
00:32:17.30\00:32:21.14
to the baddest of the bad, the
worst of the worst cities on
Earth. I'm sending you to
00:32:21.14\00:32:25.24
Nineveh. And I want you to take
to them this little message.
Watch me, Jonah. Watch me.
00:32:25.24\00:32:29.61
I want you to tell them that I
am this close -- See that? I am
this close to nuking them.
00:32:29.61\00:32:36.89
Nuking." And Jonah says, "Yes,
Lord. I hear You loud and clear.
00:32:36.89\00:32:43.93
Thank You for those
instructions. Hasta la vista."
00:32:43.93\00:32:46.83
And he's gone. He
runs. [ Chuckles ]
00:32:46.83\00:32:49.96
You know what I used to think? I
used to think that the reason
Jonah ran was because he's a
00:32:49.96\00:32:54.77
fraidycat, just didn't have the
guts to be able to go into that
evil city and proclaim God's
00:32:54.77\00:33:00.14
message. But there hasn't been
a reader around that hasn't come
00:33:00.14\00:33:04.91
to that same conclusion, because
-- let's just admit it -- heard
on the street, the Assyrians are
00:33:04.91\00:33:10.05
the -- Pff! You don't want
the Assyrians living in your
00:33:10.05\00:33:17.33
country. Infamous, famous,
barbaric cruelty. They invented
00:33:17.33\00:33:21.63
impaling. I don't know if they
invented it, but they perfected
it. You know what impaling is?
00:33:21.63\00:33:25.33
You take a pole, you sharpen the
tip, and then you run the pole
straight up the torso this way
00:33:25.33\00:33:31.31
until it comes out somewhere,
and you hang there, beneath the
sun, writhing and dying, until
00:33:31.31\00:33:38.78
you're gone. Readers read the
Book of Jonah and say, "Yeah, I
00:33:38.78\00:33:43.25
know why I would be afraid. I
would never go to Nineveh."
Wrong. Not what you're just
00:33:43.25\00:33:49.36
about to see. Watch this.
Fascinating. Let's read Verse 2
00:33:49.36\00:33:56.60
again. "I was planning
on stopping something from
00:34:06.17\00:34:09.34
happening. Keep reading.
00:34:09.34\00:34:11.01
"I know who You are, and You
have done a exactly what I was
afraid You were gonna do.
00:34:21.12\00:34:30.37
I can't believe this. I know
You -- gracious, compassionate,
00:34:30.37\00:34:35.77
abounding in love. But I got to
tell You something. I read my
contemporary Hosea's
00:34:35.77\00:34:44.08
prediction. And I said, 'That
will never happen in Israel.'"
00:34:44.08\00:34:49.22
Jonah was a patriot. He was
a loyalist and an isolationist.
00:34:49.22\00:34:52.49
We got people like that all
over the planet today. That was
00:34:52.49\00:34:56.66
Jonah. His contemporary put it
on. Hosea 9:3. Hosea, the fellow
00:34:56.66\00:35:02.06
prophet wrote, "They --" That's
talking about the 10 tribes of
Israel. "They will not remain in
00:35:02.06\00:35:08.24
their land." Mnh-mnh.
"Ephraim --" That's the code
00:35:08.24\00:35:10.31
name for them. "Ephraim
will...eat unclean food," from
00:35:10.31\00:35:14.04
where? Jonah says, "This is
a no-brainer. That prediction
00:35:14.04\00:35:17.28
says, "I'm gonna become an exile
one day, and I do not want to be
-- no, thank you -- an exile."
00:35:17.28\00:35:23.62
So when God comes to him and
says, "Come on, Jonah." We got a
00:35:23.62\00:35:26.79
plan." "Nope. Adiós." God
says, "Go east." He goes west.
00:35:26.79\00:35:32.49
"You can run, but you can't
hide. You can hide, but you
00:35:32.49\00:35:37.47
can't run." Yep. Everybody
loves the story of Jonah.
00:35:37.47\00:35:44.04
And the best part is coming up
right now. I am grateful for my
00:35:44.04\00:35:48.94
friend Brian Strayer,
introducing that word,
regurgitate, into our
00:35:48.94\00:35:54.98
consciousness. That's very good,
Brian. Yep. Okay, so, we got to
get Jonah out of the whale,
00:35:54.98\00:35:59.45
'cause that's where we've left
him. He's in the whale. Go to
Verse 10 of Chapter 2.
00:35:59.45\00:36:03.02
"And the Lord commanded the
fish, and it vomited --" This is
00:36:03.02\00:36:08.03
the N.I.V. "It vomited Jonah
onto dry land." Man, that has
00:36:08.03\00:36:13.13
got to be one loud sound when
that took place, 'cause we've
had pet dogs, you know, and you
00:36:13.13\00:36:19.17
just know immediately when it's
about to happen. Can't imagine
00:36:19.17\00:36:23.41
what a whale would sound like.
Okay, go on. Come on. Don't stop
00:36:23.41\00:36:26.25
there. Verse 1, Chapter 3. Boy,
is God merciful or what? Has He
come to you a second
00:36:26.25\00:36:33.39
time? Has He ever
come to you a third time?
00:36:33.39\00:36:36.32
Has He come to you a fourth
time, a fifth time, a sixth
00:36:36.32\00:36:40.13
time? Look at him. The word
of the Lord came to him a second
00:36:40.13\00:36:44.90
time, because He's still a God
of mercy. He says, "All right,
Jonah. I want you to go to that
00:36:44.90\00:36:49.77
great city and
repeat my commission."
00:36:49.77\00:36:52.64
And this time -- yep, you got it
-- Jonah obeys. And he proclaims
00:36:57.61\00:37:04.69
a very short message. In
Hebrew... [ Clears throat ]
00:37:04.69\00:37:06.92
Excuse me. In Hebrew,
it's only five words long.
00:37:06.92\00:37:10.56
So, he goes to that first city
block, because he tells us, in
this chapter, that it takes
00:37:10.56\00:37:14.30
three days to walk across --
Three days to cross the city. So
it must be a big, big city.
00:37:14.30\00:37:19.20
He goes to the first block and
he utters the five words. I
tried to get the message down
00:37:19.20\00:37:23.84
to five words in English, and
here is how it goes. I need to
00:37:23.84\00:37:31.25
look at it to make sure I know.
[ Laughter ] "40 days, you are
00:37:31.25\00:37:41.19
nuked." That's it. Five words
long. He goes to the next block,
stands on the next street corner
00:37:41.19\00:37:46.36
and says, "Yo! 40 days, you
are nuked." He walks to the next
00:37:46.36\00:37:55.14
block. "40 days, you are nuked."
Day after day after day. And
00:37:55.14\00:37:59.64
guess what. Finally, the king
gets the message. You've got to
00:37:59.64\00:38:05.01
read this. This is something
else. Look at Verse 5. "The
Ninevites believed God,"
00:38:05.01\00:38:10.22
thanks to Jonah.
00:38:10.22\00:38:11.92
Keep reading. So,
here comes the royal
00:38:17.26\00:38:32.07
proclamation.
00:38:32.07\00:38:34.21
Sounds like a
preacher, doesn't he?
00:38:53.46\00:38:56.20
That came from the highest
political office in the land.
00:39:03.41\00:39:12.95
Wow. As it was with the exile
Esther, as it was with the exile
Daniel, as it was with the
00:39:12.95\00:39:18.89
exiles Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, so it is in the story
of Jonah. Have you noticed
00:39:18.89\00:39:22.72
there's a little -- there's a
familiar thread running through?
The king gets saved.
00:39:22.72\00:39:29.33
All three of these morality
tales from exiles -- God saves
the highest office, occupier in
00:39:29.33\00:39:39.01
the land. Whoa. "40 days and you
are nuked," and Nineveh repents
00:39:39.01\00:39:44.35
before God. By the way, some
day not far from now, that very
00:39:44.35\00:39:49.15
message -- Slight alteration in
the wording. That very message
00:39:49.15\00:39:52.45
will be proclaimed to the ends
of the Earth. In fact, let's put
00:39:52.45\00:39:56.02
it on the
screen. Revelation 14:7.
00:39:56.02\00:39:58.59
And I say let's read
this out loud together.
00:39:58.63\00:40:01.46
Jesus -- when He was here, how
did He preach? He says, "Repent,
00:40:13.24\00:40:17.81
for the kingdom is at hand.
Repent. Curtain's coming." We're
00:40:17.81\00:40:27.62
about this far." Wow. So, here's
the question for you. Would you
00:40:27.62\00:40:36.77
be upset if this message goes to
all the kings and politicians,
all the presidents and prime
00:40:36.77\00:40:43.17
ministers, all the cities and
all the countries of Earth?
Would you be upset if they chose
00:40:43.17\00:40:49.71
to respond positively to that
appeal? Would you be upset if
00:40:49.71\00:40:57.45
they respond positively, just
like the kings in these exilic
tales, and God says, "Okay.
00:40:57.45\00:41:06.73
I'm calling it off. No
destruction, no judgment." Now,
would you be upset?
00:41:06.73\00:41:17.51
One thing we know about Jonah
-- he was ticked off, right?
00:41:17.51\00:41:22.81
And I think of this little faith
community that I have had the
00:41:22.84\00:41:25.55
privilege of belonging to all my
life, since the day they sang,
00:41:25.55\00:41:28.45
"All to Jesus, I surrender," and
my father baptized me and I came
00:41:28.45\00:41:31.62
up looking
straight into my dad's face.
00:41:31.62\00:41:33.66
That's what I was thinking
about, with tears in my eyes, as
00:41:33.66\00:41:37.26
we sang that hymn a moment ago.
So I've hung around, but I know
00:41:37.26\00:41:44.80
this faith community.
I know people that call
00:41:44.80\00:41:47.64
themselves
Adventists. Ooh! Adventists.
00:41:47.64\00:41:50.67
What's that old word
mean? Oh, people that have the
00:41:50.67\00:41:53.34
expectation of the
soon coming of Christ.
00:41:53.34\00:41:56.11
I know that, in this Adventist
community, there are people who
say, "You know what, God?
00:41:56.14\00:42:02.45
What are You thinking of? Do You
know what time it is?
Hubba-hubba-hubba. Let's go.
00:42:02.45\00:42:09.49
We've been at this thing
for decades. I've been at it."
00:42:09.49\00:42:12.63
And the closer you get to your
demise or ending, the more
urgent becomes that desire.
00:42:12.63\00:42:17.97
"I don't care if -- Listen, nuke
the world. Just get me home.
00:42:17.97\00:42:23.00
We are no better than Jonah.
Nuke Nineveh. I'll be fine."
00:42:23.00\00:42:33.45
Same. Same way. We fall into
that trap and say, "Wrap it up.
00:42:33.45\00:42:38.62
I'm ready." Did it ever occur to
you that you are not the only
one on this planet right now?
00:42:38.62\00:42:43.83
[ Laughs, sighs ] Carly Simon
used to sing that song, "You're
00:42:43.83\00:42:51.17
so vain. You probably think this
song is about you." And I know
00:42:51.17\00:42:57.57
people in my faith community
that think, "That's what this
ending is all about. It's us."
00:42:57.57\00:43:02.31
Are you serious? You can't
be serious. There's a world out
00:43:02.31\00:43:10.95
there. So, would it bother you
if all the politicians that are
in high office that you can
00:43:10.95\00:43:17.26
think of right now converted to
Jesus Christ, became true
believers, and God says, "I'm
00:43:17.26\00:43:22.10
calling off. I can wait."
The only reason He would call it
00:43:22.10\00:43:25.00
off, by the way, is so "I can
reach more people. You've given
00:43:25.00\00:43:28.70
me some time now. Perfect."
Would that bother you? Hmm.
00:43:28.70\00:43:33.78
Okay, well, that's
exactly what God does.
00:43:33.81\00:43:36.34
He calls it off. Verse 10.
00:43:36.34\00:43:38.35
He pulled back.
00:43:43.12\00:43:44.99
Mm-mm. "I told You so. I
told You You were gonna do
00:43:50.13\00:43:53.29
that back when You gave me
the invitation. You did it."
00:43:53.29\00:43:58.57
Pff! "But to Jonah, this
seemed very wrong, and he became
00:43:58.57\00:44:06.11
angry." What's going on here?
Lee Beach, in his inspiring
little book, "The Church in
00:44:06.11\00:44:11.21
Exile: Living in Hope After
Christendom," makes the point
00:44:11.21\00:44:14.65
well. Put the words on the
screen for you. "A key
theological perspective
00:44:14.65\00:44:19.09
reflected in the call for Jonah
to preach in Nineveh is the
potential transformation of
00:44:19.09\00:44:24.83
one's" what? Come on. One's
what? The story is talking about
00:44:24.83\00:44:29.40
your enemies. "The potential
transformation of your enemies."
00:44:29.40\00:44:32.63
You think of the person at
the office that you just can't
00:44:32.63\00:44:35.84
stand. You think of the person
in your school that you just
00:44:35.84\00:44:39.17
cannot stand. You think of
the person in -- the neighbor in
00:44:39.17\00:44:42.74
your neighborhood. You can't
stand him. Those enemies of
yours are the target of God.
00:44:42.74\00:44:51.42
Yeah, Beach is right. Keep
reading. I'll start at the top.
00:44:51.42\00:44:57.06
He knows exactly
what God is doing.
00:45:07.94\00:45:11.01
Now, lookit. Here's how Jonah
was thinking. God says, "I need
00:45:24.45\00:45:27.16
you to go to Nineveh," and Jonah
was thinking to himself, "Man, I
got that Hosea prophecy.
00:45:27.16\00:45:30.69
That means we're gonna end up
in Assyria in exiles. We're not
00:45:30.69\00:45:34.76
gonna do it." What is Jonah
hoping? By not going to Nineveh,
God will be forced to nuke
00:45:34.76\00:45:40.07
Nineveh. And if God nukes
Nineveh, good riddance to bad
rubbish. Gone. One less enemy
00:45:40.07\00:45:47.21
for Israel to have to worry
about. That's what Jonah's
thinking. He thinks he will
00:45:47.21\00:45:54.18
thwart the divine purpose and
plan. Oh! He's ticked. Because
Nineveh, to him, is the
00:45:54.18\00:46:07.46
enemy. You know what
the irony of this story is?
00:46:07.46\00:46:09.76
Listen. The irony of this story
is that Jonah is absolutely
right about God and His
00:46:09.76\00:46:17.34
character. We always treat this
story as, "Well, Jonah's not --
00:46:17.34\00:46:20.51
He doesn't have a good picture
of God, not a clear theological
understanding of God."
00:46:20.51\00:46:23.68
Are you kidding? It is as clear
as they come. When Jonah speaks
00:46:23.68\00:46:27.02
those words -- "I know that
You're gracious and You're
compassionate and I know You're
00:46:27.02\00:46:30.32
abounding in love --" when Jonah
speaks those words, he's quoting
Exodus 34, God's self-revelation
00:46:30.32\00:46:36.06
to Moses. "Moses, this is who
I am." Jonah is quoting that. "I
00:46:36.06\00:46:42.96
know who You are." Jonah knows.
He knows that God is gracious.
And, by the way, He still is.
00:46:42.96\00:46:47.27
Some of you are not sure about
the character of God. You're not
sure that this God --
00:46:47.27\00:46:51.51
you have to let Him get too
close to you, 'cause look at the
stuff that happens to people who
00:46:51.51\00:46:54.98
get close to Him. That is
defective thinking, because He
00:46:54.98\00:47:02.98
still is gracious. He still is
compassionate. He still is slow
to anger. He still does abound
00:47:02.98\00:47:07.59
in love. In fact, saving Nineveh
proves Jonah's picture of God.
He's fighting his own stance.
00:47:07.59\00:47:16.20
Ugh.
00:47:16.20\00:47:18.00
Lee Beach one more
time on the screen.
00:47:24.47\00:47:27.44
Isaiah 45:22 -- God stretches
out His hands and He says, "Come
to me, all you ends of the
00:47:35.45\00:47:40.66
Earth. You come to
me, and I will save you.
00:47:40.66\00:47:45.89
Just come to me." He
says it to the whole planet.
00:47:45.89\00:47:49.96
Sometimes, faith communities get
a little parochial, and they
draw themselves in and they put
00:48:06.75\00:48:11.99
fences around where they are and
they only go out to shop, they
only go out to fill their car
00:48:11.99\00:48:15.96
with gas, but then
they're back inside again. Hmm.
00:48:15.96\00:48:22.43
Wow.
00:48:22.43\00:48:24.30
God cares for our enemies.
And, by the way, that's why He
00:48:28.04\00:48:31.61
invented exiles. You know He's
the one who invented the exiles?
Yeah, He invented them.
00:48:31.61\00:48:36.14
You know why He did
invent exiles? Because God is a
00:48:36.14\00:48:40.58
missionary God. And He has His
heart on more than just His
chosen people, whether you want
00:48:40.58\00:48:43.95
to call them Israel or whether
you want to call them Christians
or you want to call them the
00:48:43.95\00:48:48.36
Remnant. He has a much bigger
vision of rescuing the human
race. Yep. "You probably think
00:48:48.36\00:48:59.17
this song is about you." And
that's why God gives a line to
the exiles -- Oh, I wish
00:48:59.17\00:49:06.54
Jonah had seen this line. If
Jonah had seen this line, we
wouldn't have Jonah's kind of
00:49:06.54\00:49:10.58
melting down the way we have it
in this story. But this didn't
00:49:10.58\00:49:14.25
get released till the other
prophet with a "J," named
Jeremiah, quotes God. And, so, I
00:49:14.25\00:49:18.79
need you to go back in your
Bible. Just go back to Jeremiah
29. You got to see this in your
00:49:18.79\00:49:22.56
own Bible. I know we're gonna
put it on the screen, but do you
00:49:22.56\00:49:25.29
have it there in your Bible? And
then mark this verse up in your
Bible so that you don't
00:49:25.29\00:49:28.03
forget it really is in
our Bibles. Jeremiah 29:7.
00:49:28.03\00:49:33.37
God's speaking.
00:49:33.37\00:49:35.30
Pause button right there. Who
carried them into exile? Who
carried them into exile?
00:49:41.28\00:49:47.32
God did. He had a plan. That's
why you lost a job, by the way.
00:49:47.32\00:49:50.95
You were so happy with that job,
you were making it on that job
and God says, "You know what?
00:49:50.95\00:49:55.79
You're way too comfortable. I
need to move you out. I'm gonna
find another job for
00:49:55.79\00:49:59.96
you, but this one's just gone."
That's why you lost that
friendship, by the way.
00:49:59.96\00:50:03.67
You were so focused on that
friend, who was distracting you
from God's divine will for your
00:50:03.67\00:50:08.74
life, that God says, "That
friendship's over. Adiós. Let's
00:50:08.74\00:50:14.64
talk." That's why you no longer
live in the neighborhood, that
comfort zone you once lived in.
00:50:14.64\00:50:17.81
God said, "You're out of
here. I don't want you in that
00:50:17.81\00:50:20.78
neighborhood. I need you, as an
exile, to be where the world
interfaces with you."
00:50:20.78\00:50:28.49
Wow. But it gets even
better. Oh, I'll read it again.
00:50:28.49\00:50:35.23
"Also, seek the peace and
prosperity of the city to which
I have carried you into exile
00:50:35.23\00:50:39.23
and pray to the Lord for it,
because --" now, here it comes
-- "if it --" What?
00:50:39.23\00:50:45.54
"If it prospers, you too
will" what? You will prosper.
00:50:45.54\00:50:50.65
Can you believe that? It's
almost -- We have a little
reciprocal return going on here.
00:50:50.65\00:50:56.05
It's almost as if in seeking to
save others, we end up saving
ourselves, because if they
00:50:56.05\00:51:05.73
prosper, you too will prosper.
It's almost as if in seeking to
save the Church -- And
00:51:05.73\00:51:09.80
everybody's so preoccupied these
days with saving the Church. Get
00:51:09.80\00:51:13.80
off. God will save the Church.
Jesus is the savior and Lord of
00:51:13.80\00:51:18.64
the Church anyway. But it's
almost as if in seeking to save
the world, we save the Church.
00:51:18.64\00:51:26.38
Because as they prosper,
you too will prosper. That's it.
00:51:26.38\00:51:35.32
Reciprocal return. Testifying
of your faith in Jesus, when You
00:51:35.32\00:51:40.96
set out to save someone's life
-- And I'm talking about someone
00:51:40.96\00:51:43.97
on the job. I'm talking about
someone in the neighborhood. I'm
talking about somebody you
00:51:43.97\00:51:47.80
play with, somebody you study
with, somebody you work with.
Somebody. I don't care who,
00:51:47.80\00:51:53.31
where, when. It doesn't matter.
If you set out to save someone
00:51:53.31\00:51:58.21
else's life -- guess what --
your life gets saved. It's the
00:51:58.21\00:52:06.92
reciprocal return. These three
testimonies, beautiful
testimonies, that we just
00:52:06.92\00:52:11.39
witnessed, I'm so proud of you.
They already are penetrating
00:52:11.39\00:52:18.17
hearts. And these three have
become missionaries now --
exiles -- to communicate the
00:52:18.17\00:52:24.77
good news of the Gospel.
Yep. The reciprocal return of
00:52:24.77\00:52:29.78
witnessing. Jonah thinks, by the
way, that if Nineveh repents,
00:52:29.78\00:52:34.72
Israel is doomed. It could very
well be, in fact, that had
Nineveh not repented,
00:52:34.72\00:52:38.65
the annihilation of Israel would
have been much earlier than it
00:52:38.65\00:52:43.19
was. You don't know the mind of
God. Don't you try to
second-guess. You're in exile.
00:52:43.19\00:52:47.66
You're not home yet, but you're
going home. But God says, "I
00:52:47.66\00:52:52.57
have put you where nobody else
is. There's nobody but you
there. And I'm needing you.
00:52:52.57\00:52:59.94
I'm counting on you. Don't
be intimidated, don't be afraid.
00:52:59.94\00:53:04.48
Lo, I'm with you always."
Oh, what a God. "Because if they
00:53:04.48\00:53:10.45
prosper, you too will prosper."
This last Wednesday evening, I
wish you could have been at
00:53:10.45\00:53:13.05
House of Prayer last Wednesday
evening. Kathy Iwasa led our
00:53:13.05\00:53:19.53
reflection time. Pastor John has
set up a series of narratives
00:53:19.53\00:53:23.63
showing heart transformation.
And, so, she was assigned this,
and she did such a beautiful
00:53:23.63\00:53:28.27
job. It was so tender. I
mean, tears sprang into my
00:53:28.27\00:53:31.11
eyes. And she, with great
transparency, applies this
00:53:31.11\00:53:35.04
story. It's the story about
the early-morning demoniacs.
00:53:35.04\00:53:38.25
You remember the two demoniacs?
Jesus and the Disciples land,
and they come running out of the
00:53:38.25\00:53:42.88
cemetery? You remember that?
She's taking us through that
00:53:42.88\00:53:45.32
story, and as she unpacks it
layer by layer, I'm thinking,
00:53:45.32\00:53:50.79
"Wow." She gets to the end. And
you know what the story is at
00:53:50.79\00:53:54.03
the end? Those two healed
demoniacs, who are now in their
right mind -- do you know what
00:53:54.03\00:53:57.93
they do? They come to Jesus and
they say, "Hey, guess what.
We're Your two newest disciples
00:53:57.93\00:54:01.67
and we're joining the team. That
boat has room for two more, and
we're gonna be on it.
00:54:01.67\00:54:06.21
We're going with You. We got
nothing else to do but be Your
00:54:06.21\00:54:11.05
disciples." And Jesus, without
missing a beat, categorical,
"No, no, no. You're not going
00:54:11.05\00:54:19.42
with me. You go back home to
your family and to your friends
and you tell them what the Lord
00:54:19.42\00:54:25.09
has done for you. You're in
exile. God has put you in that
00:54:25.09\00:54:29.46
neighborhood. Now talk. Talk."
And when Jesus returns -- It's
00:54:29.46\00:54:37.74
unbelievable, but the Gospels
are clear. When He returns,
00:54:37.74\00:54:41.61
thousands greet Him. "You're in
exile. You're in exile from me.
00:54:41.61\00:54:49.15
Talk. I know you read
the word. I know you pray.
00:54:49.15\00:54:55.32
Just talk. Talk for me. Pff! And
then Kathy shared this line from
00:54:55.32\00:55:03.50
"Desire of Ages." I'll put it
on the screen for you. This is
00:55:03.50\00:55:06.90
choice. Isn't that good? "It is
in working to spread the good
news of salvation that we
00:55:13.38\00:55:20.25
are brought near to the Savior."
Lookit, is there anybody here
that doesn't want to be close to
00:55:20.25\00:55:25.32
Christ? You wouldn't be here
today. So, what's gonna take us
00:55:25.32\00:55:31.33
closer? More books? Nope. More
time in prayer? Mm, not really.
00:55:31.33\00:55:37.33
That's two-thirds, but we
need the third third. Work on
00:55:37.33\00:55:43.14
somebody. And as you're working
on that life, something
mysterious happens to you.
00:55:43.14\00:55:47.71
It's the reciprocal return.
As they prosper, you prosper.
00:55:47.71\00:55:53.15
"It is in working to spread the
good news of salvation that we
00:55:53.18\00:55:55.82
are brought near to
the Savior." That's it.
00:55:55.82\00:55:57.82
That's the teaching from Jonah.
And, by the way, did Jonah get
00:55:57.82\00:56:00.99
near Jesus? Are you kidding?
00:56:00.99\00:56:02.72
Did he get near
Jesus? Listen to this.
00:56:02.72\00:56:06.09
Jonah and Jesus track together.
Can I run these five by you?
00:56:06.09\00:56:09.70
And then I'll sit
down. Five. Count them.
00:56:09.70\00:56:14.24
Like Jesus, Jonah
proclaims repentance, right?
00:56:14.24\00:56:20.18
Number two, like Jesus, Jonah
finds a way to win pagan hearts.
00:56:20.18\00:56:25.48
Number three, like Jesus, Jonah
is willing to sacrifice himself
00:56:25.51\00:56:30.25
to save others. "Throw me over
the board. It will save you."
Number four, like Jesus, Jonah
00:56:30.25\00:56:35.42
spends three days and three
nights in the darkness of death.
And, finally, number five, like
00:56:35.42\00:56:42.13
Jesus, Jonah is also delivered
from that death. I'm telling you
00:56:42.13\00:56:47.04
what, ladies and gentlemen...
in saving others, you save
00:56:47.04\00:56:53.07
yourself. Oh, Jesus is
the savior. I know. In saving
00:56:53.07\00:56:57.55
others, you save yourself and
you grow closer and closer to
the Jesus who decided to take
00:56:57.55\00:57:06.99
Jonah's track for his life.
Isn't that great? Just like
Jonah, who's just like
00:57:06.99\00:57:12.56
Jesus.
00:57:12.56\00:57:14.46
I want to take an extra moment
to thank you for joining us in
00:57:16.36\00:57:18.63
worship today. It's
by the continued support
00:57:18.63\00:57:20.40
from viewers like you that we're
able to bring you this program.
00:57:20.40\00:57:23.10
Today, I want to invite you,
though, to share with us how
00:57:23.10\00:57:25.87
this ministry has blessed you.
I get inspiring notes, e-mails
00:57:25.87\00:57:29.04
from viewers literally all over
the world telling me, "Look,
00:57:29.04\00:57:31.78
Dwight, God has been
blessing me this way.
00:57:31.78\00:57:33.52
He's been doing this." I
would love to hear from you,
00:57:33.52\00:57:35.72
as well. Just
visit our website -- you
00:57:35.72\00:57:37.92
know it -- newperceptions.tv,
and click on the contact link at
00:57:37.92\00:57:42.02
the top of the page. Send
me a note, let me know what
00:57:42.02\00:57:44.66
God has been doing
right now in your life.
00:57:44.66\00:57:47.50
Once again, thank you
for being with us today.
00:57:47.50\00:57:50.07
I hope you'll join us right here
next time, and until then, may
00:57:50.07\00:57:53.40
the God of grace journey
with you every step of the way.
00:57:53.40\00:57:59.31
¤¤
00:57:59.31\00:58:01.31