2020-05-03-LIVE OAKS - Part 2

I just was shamed by my own forgetfulness in remembering that Jonah is a book of the Bible too short one, but it is a book. It's not just a story that exist in flannel alone or animated vegetables. It is a powerful story in the scriptures and we think we know the story because it's what I usually do we call the story of Jonah and little kids on a full grown human beings. We think we know the story based on our own pre dispositions and our story book remembrance is a Recollections. The story of Jonah we believe is about basically about four or five Big Ideas here. Like we got a vengeful righteous God that wants to Smite Nineveh. We have a prophet who is scared of his assignment because if you don't invite turn mean and we have an overboard pause happy crew of sailors, you know that love to Chuck stuff over the side and we have a A scientifically dubious twist ending involving a very large fish. That's that's what we think we know and and prayerfully last week maybe the the story of Jonah starts to take on new flesh in form in spirit as we dive more deeply into the actual word and not just the story. This is not just a story best learned in the basement of your childhood church. This book is more than you can imagine its history its poetry its Revelation and it's one of Jesus's favorites. We might not know it nearly as we think we do. The four themes that are going to shine out prayerfully through every week of this series for themes one God's absolute sovereignty over all things God is Sovereign Lee in charge. Number to God's Mighty compassion toward the dramatically undeserving.

If you don't put yourself in that column, we got we got we got more sermons to preach. We are all dramatically undeserving of God's Mighty compassion number three Gods unwavering commitment to his own plan. God makes a plan. He will see it through. A number for the purpose and power and promised result of repentance.

Repentance makes something happened. God make something happen in Repentance. And it's a mighty theme that will show up prayerfully time and time again in our study. Not a catch up on what we covered last week in the story. We don't have to work that hard. We only got through three versus. So let me to read those three versus right now Jonah chapter one starting in first one. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of amittai saying arise go to Nineveh that great City and call out against it for their evil has come up before me but Jonah Rose to flee to tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa found a ship going to tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. To God has a purpose and a plan and motive for sending Jonah to Nineveh. We think we know what that purpose and plan is we might be surprised and Jonah has a plan and a purpose and a motive for going in the opposite direction and we think we know his motive perfectly. Well, maybe we'll be surprised also. So what we have here is a conflict of wills and as we talked about last week in a battle of wills between God's Will and anything else is who wins who wins God's will or ours they're both free, but I'm thinking God's might be a bit Freer than mine. So what exactly are Nineveh sins?

Bibles. Clear Nineveh is destroyed later years later Nineveh is destroyed and there are a couple profits that speak of none of his destruction so we can infer some about none of his sins and then but we don't really know clearly what none of his sins are right now, but there's an interesting thing that happens and it's just interesting Nugget In Jonah 1 verse 2 When When God Says for Jonah to arise go to Nineveh that great City call out against it for their evil has come up before me the Hebrew word for evil also means disaster. Sagada saying their disaster has come up before me but when you think about a prophet you think about a prophet going to warn about disaster God is saying the disaster is Nineveh right now. What is the Hebrew word for evil in Hebrew for disaster is is is the same what do we do with that? Do we sometimes translated evil? Do we sometimes translated disaster or do we take it a step further and say there really is no difference between evil and disaster there one in the same thing.

I like that the Book of Jonah doesn't tell us exactly what none of his sins are not tell you why. If God says go to Nineveh preach out against them because they are unkind. the old ladies I would say. Thank the Lord. I am not unkind of old ladies. I love old ladies. There's some of my favorite people in the world. I was taught the story of Jonah by old ladies. I had old lady baked me things for my birthday. Just left them on my doorstep growing up old ladies in my church to when we have a covered dish dinner at Friedberg Moravian Church. Shout out to you guys as the little just cute pastor's kid would just Sidle up just right towards the front of the line at the covered dish dinner and little Carmel Livengood or Tell me would you like to stand in line with me? Oh, well, I suppose.

I'm glad that God doesn't tell us what was so detestable in his eyes and his nostrils and in his ears about none of us cuz I don't want that easy out. I don't want to so easily say well. Alright send another barn license.

Are our sins. All right. Well, at least our nation isn't sending the same way. God just says they are a disaster.

They're evil. They are a disaster, but we can't so easily say well least I'm not that guy. We like to measure our righteousness against the relative wickedness of those to whom we compare ourselves. At least. I'm not him. At least I'm not her at least. I'm not that bad. What is the Bible tell us? You know it Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all that guy. We are all a disaster. And then if it doesn't have the market cornered on disaster neither to Sodom neither does Gamora.

We are all a disaster. There's another way maybe here's a paraphrase of Romans 3:23. If you'll you'll permit me for all people are disasters compared to God. If we compare ourselves to one another if we compare our church to another church, if we compare our town our country our nation our family against something else we love. Just being able to will relatively.

I've heard it said the comparison is the thief of Joy. I don't know. I don't know if I can pin something right off the top of my head.

Comparison can also be a false comfort. We're all a disaster compared to God and he is the standard. Nothing outside of him is the standard. He is the standard he is righteous he is perfect. He is Holy. He is glorious and we've all fallen short of the glory. Amen. all of us so there are no high horses upon which to saddle. This morning, right? We're all a disaster. My godson's Jonah that silly senseless death of a man. God sends Jonah. Let's move forward a verse in Jonah. Shall we?

Jonah 1:4

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea. John says no tarshis. That's where I'm going. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea. And there was a mighty Tempest on the sea so that the ship threatened to break up. Now I do I I freely admit that my mind works differently than most for some reason when I when I hear the word hurled it. It just makes me laugh and the word hurled is used for different times in quick succession in in in different versus here in Jonah 1. The Lord of curled a great wind upon the sea and we'll see that word pop back up here in another few verses. The word hurled it it kind of like it. It's like shut you know like God. Shut A Mighty Wind against the sea. Hurled A Mighty Wind and in cause the sea to to to to become tempestuous will read here in a second. There was a mighty Tempest on the sea so that the ship threatened to break up.

That is absolutely Sovereign and I love this. It describes the way that God makes the storm is that he caused the wind to blow. So Gods Wind Gods will blow against the wind the wind blows against the sea the sea blows against the ship and the reality of the storm blows against all who are on the ship. God's will Auburn Lee sucking his will towards people what is going to happen? Jonah 1:5, then the Mariners were afraid. I like the old English they were sore afraid.

Then the Mariners were afraid and each cried out to his God and they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them to see I I just I love the author of Jonah cuz he's saying got her old the wind against the sea. The Mariners just curled stuff out of the boat into the sea. This is a battle of wills and they're doing anything within Arm's Reach to save themselves against the will of God being hurled against them. God's shocking will their checking stuff everyone's afraid.

but Jonah but Jonah It's another thing. Maybe I should make that V theme but Jonah. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship had Lain down and was fast asleep. Jonah was night. Jonah is just catching some z's. What were the Mariners doing right here? They cried out to his God. They didn't cry out to God. They cried out to his God and His gotten his God and His gotten his God and His God. They were all crying out to their own Gods. And check it. That's what all people do. Everyone in the middle of a such as this weather literal or metaphorical they all cry out. We all cry out to our gods.

No matter who your God is you cry out to have you heard the expression. There are no atheists in foxholes.

A beautiful expression as long as you know, the soldiers in the Foxhole crying out to vgod. But they certainly will cry out to a god no matter who you are. You will cry out to a God as a matter of fact, it's the storm that reveals who your God is.

The storm comes to whom are you crying? That's your God atheist agnostic switch a really just got this atheist. Materialist Satanist perverts animist environmentalist Prosperity is as a big squiggly red line under that in my word processor. I I guess I coined it.

Play cry out to health and prosperity. They all cry out to their gods. Those are gods.

And no matter what the it is. No matter what the if you want to write it down if you want to categorize your God if you want to name your God if it's false they all boil down to one. the one true God little G self

self in a thousand different different impostures forms self posing as God declaring self to be God.

And if the god to whom you cry isn't Christ your prayer goes only as far as the sound of your own voice.

No physics will tell you. That if your ship is heavy laden and you're in the middle of a storm and thus the ship is being swamped by water. If you Chuck heavy stuff out of your ship. This will help. So you can even you could even say that these murders were crying out to science. I mean, isn't that a cry of our day of our time? Call out to science science will save us what did science tell us about this virus 6 weeks ago 5 weeks ago 4 weeks ago 3 weeks ago two weeks ago 1 week. What is science tell you about the weather tomorrow. How often is it wrong? But yet we cry out that science is going to tell us what the weather is going to be a hundred years from now. And and what should we drive? And what should we eat to make sure the temperature is Right a hundred years from now science. That's that cannot be a God either. Right as we'll see as well as when he was already happened. What caused the storm. Science the will of God? Maybe God works through science. I mean he invented it right but I mean can't he can't he or she can?

We'll see. We'll see what happens. We'll see if this is a good strategy, but we'll see if it see if the Mariners call out tube to physics and science will save them.

First let's talk about Jonah.

Get the get to Sleepy at here. Jonah asleep in his bunk and remember from last week the Hebrew there for going down into his cabin. He's going down to the death. He's he's dead in the belly of the ship. Write the East edge of the storm heat. He's trying to be dead to the will of God. He's dead to the to the to the cries and screams and in fruitless prayers of his fellow Mariners Jonas Dead 2 at all. In the middle of the Tempest as the sailors cry out in vain to death imposter Gods chucking everything at their disposal in a fruitless attempt to find Salvation. The one on board with the answer is asleep. He's dead to it all.

Does that describe me in my neighborhood?

Does that describe you in your family? at your office

Are you dead to the cries and screams of those around you crying out for salvation? You are the one with the answer, but are you dead to it? Are you asleep? am I

John 1:6, so the captain came and said to him Jonah what do you mean you sleeper? Arise call out to your God. Perhaps the God will give a thought to us. Grab. The guy you cry out to will will give a thought to us that we may not perish.

You can see that. this just the captain just finds this unfathomable detestable irksome. He's bothered. Yeah, he didn't know Jonah. He doesn't even true love will find you in a minute. Didn't know what country he's from does it know toot-toot to which God he prays? He's just just completely dumbfounded that he wouldn't be crying out to some God.

Is there like an admirable thing? The captain is not like impressed by this? Is flummoxed by it? How can you be asleep to get asked how can I be asleep? How can you be asleep in the middle of a storm that is present. Look out the window. How can you be asleep? How can you be dead to the price of of your family of your co-workers of your neighborhood?

Ephesians 5:14 B says awake o sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.

and of Christ Shines on you

Christ Will Shine from you

1st Thessalonians 5 Verse 6 it's you won't see it on the screen. sabonis

Paul says so let us not sleep as others do. But let us keep awake and sober.

Jonah 1-6 the captain came and said to him. What do you mean you sleeper arise call out to your God, perhaps the God will give a thought to us that we may not perish.

The captain is in a Believer. He's just desperate. He doesn't want to die.

can understand like Jonah seems to not. care

do you not care? That's your own life. Do you not have cared about my life? Do not care about the lives of the other men on this ship?

We're perishing and you can't be bothered, you know, at least grab a bucket start bailing out.

I'm sure I'd use this in a sermon before it's it's a really well-known interview with a really well-known atheist by the name of Penn jillette, you know his pain and tell her The Illusionist. He's a he's a very well very outspoken atheist in an in an interview. He talks about a Christian that one of his shows giving him a Bible. And in his response to be being given a Bible it is is really amazing and I have him quoted here. I'm going to read it. So this is Penn jillette atheist talkin about being given a Bible in person. Pencil that says I've always said that I don't respect people who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and a hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life and you think it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward. An atheist you think people shouldn't proselytize and who just just you know who say just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself. How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytise? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that. I mean if I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe that truck was bearing down on you. There's a certain point where I tackle you and this is more important than that. This is an atheist Shane Christian. If you really believe that I am going to hell how much would you have to hate me to not tell me?

Jonas thinking. This is my this is my Rebellion. This is my sin. It only affects me.

Look outside yourself Jonah. Look outside the ship.

No, such thing as private sin.

So who's on board your ship? I don't I don't mean to make too much of an analogy out of this but I have to ask a question who's on your ship.

The captain is saying I don't care what God does the save does the saving I just want to be saved? Why don't you pray to that guy? So he released them this story. Seems the patient's care more believer. You don't even know that Jonah is a believer. And isn't that a problem?

For all the righteous Stones, we could throw at the world. Doesn't it seem sometimes they be right in accusing us of not even caring.

Many times the world end. I know they get it wrong and their motive can be kooky. Riding in the end goal could be asked you. Did I tell you how many times the world shames the church when it comes to caring? When it comes to trying to do something least they're chucking stuff overboard trying to save the whole ship. Not badly bit below deck just you know grab a little shut-eye.

This whole storm at sea thing it it feels familiar. It was really I was having a hard time shaking the familiarity there. And obviously it's the same type of thing happens with Jesus and his disciples on a boat at Sea storm etcetera. It's in Matthew 8 starting verse 23, let's read it. We got into the boat his disciples followed him and behold there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep and they went and woke him saying save us or we are perishing and he said to them why are you afraid o you of little faith then he rose and rebuke the winds in the sea and there was a great calm. And then marbles saying what sort of man is this that even the wind's and the Sea obey him? But this is not the same situation for a lot of different reasons and I don't have time to 2 to talk about all of them. I'm the first of all of these are Disciples of Jesus and a boat. This isn't a you know, this isn't a mixed bag of of pagans and Prophets. Dessert near disciples no claiming to to believe claiming to follow claiming to trust Christ in and they're in Christ's presence and yet they're still shaken by something like a storm. They already know this story. Write the grouping could Jewish households running this story. They already know that God is Sovereign Over the Sea where's their faith? So just there I told you I was going to talk about all the differences.

Jonah wasn't peacefully resting by faith in the middle of a tempest. He was in ic Rebellion against God with callous disregard for the lives of those around him.

Forgive me but his nap with a giant middle finger. t'god

to his fellow sailors to the ship to the Sea

to the souls of those who were going to be peppered with the shrapnel. Of the Tempest of God's righteousness. He just doesn't care.

But joy comes to his senses.

Any yaa confesses his Rebellion any rallies his Shipmates to confess their own sins and and help turn the ship around and Faithfully fulfill his mission now, that's not what he does it all he does nothing. Even after the captain's rebuke Joan and does nothing.

Jonah 1:7 Davis the sailors They said they want another come let us cast lots that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots in the lot fell on Jonah surprise.

Numbers 32:23 says but if you will not do so behold, you have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out.

For Jonah who who could have called it dice gave him up. dice point the finger to him and from last week Proverbs 16:33 the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord.

Storm Jonas notes and get your attention dice Maybe.

Jonah you silly scents list of

Jonah 1 verse 8

then they said to him. Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where you come from? What is your country of what people are you? Now they know. The Jonas the one spill it Jonah spill it. What have you done to bring this evil on us?

Check out Jonas. I think really. That's where I'm at to call. It bold response there other ways to fold responses. What with Jonah? He says any set of them. I'm a Hebrew and I fear the lord the god of Heaven who made the Sea and the dry land. He goes, I'm Hebrew. I'm still going to go way you always in charge of the see if that's of any interest to you at all in this current situation.

I mean just I know that he kind of doesn't have I mean he's kind of backed in a corner here, but I mean look at this is what he has to this is the truth. This is what he has to spill. I serve the god. Who caused the storm? And I've been sleeping. While you've been crying out for your very lives. I've been asleep. Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him. This is him verse 10. What is this that you have done for the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord because he had told them there's more the conversation that Jonah doesn't record but but he told them the full thing. He must have gone to the great detail about how God called him to go to Nineveh. But he said no and hopped on this ship paid his fare to tarshish. I'm a prophet rebelliously running from the God who makes storms at Sea. That's me. That's who I am. Then continues in John 1:11. Then then they said to him what shall we do to you that the seam a quiet down for us for the Seagram more and more tempestuous. He said to pick me up. Hurl me into the sea. shock me overboard Boise That's what you got to do. Then the sea will quiet down for you for I know it is because of me that this great Tempest has come upon you. And we would have responded good plan. Yes guys. We got a plan. Right. Give me a hand with her and Jonah. It'll stop the storm. sleeping dogs getting shocked

This is when the book just surprised me and continues to I I did not know this. Jonah 1:13, nevertheless the men rode hard to get back to dry land.

Are you not moved by that?

these Pagan sailors Right. I know I know what Pagan sailor means because sometimes I hit my thumb with a hammer. Right, and it comes out.

Taking Sailors who pray to false gods and do who-knows-what. They heard the truth. They were told what has to happen. You have to you have to throw me into the semen. That's what you have to do to get to throw me into the ocean Chuck me overboard. And they said we'll go harder. They don't know this man. Passion and commitment. They have to Kim shames me.

Nevertheless the men rode hard and more tempestuous against them.

in spite of their like the laudable efforts What is God do?

He just blows the wind of his will even harder against the sea because what God has a plan he's not going to divert from it.

God has a will Jonah has a will these men have a will Captain has a will which will wins. God's every single time for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them verse 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord. Oh Lord, let us not perish for this man's life. And lay not on us innocent blood for you. Oh Lord have done as it pleased you. So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea. And the Sea ceased from its raging.

They weren't crying out to a god they cried out to the god.

Oh Lord, in the heat. They said Yahweh.

Capital O capital O capital L capital O capital r capital D. That means Yahweh. They're crying out to Yahweh in his own name.

Not a God be God out of faults God Yahweh the one and only they're crying out take him in his own name.

I can imagine they know Psalm 135. But apparently they know the truth of it Psalm 135 verse 6, whatever the Lord pleases he does. In heaven and on Earth in the seas and all deeps. Yahweh and some 13056 Yahweh. Does what he pleases and these men these Pagan men.

They saw it. So they cried out. If you allow another paraphrase they cried out Yahweh. You are sovereign be just Have Your Way. Is because look again put back if you can. The recording of their prayer in a inverse 1400 Lord parish for this man's life and lay not on us innocent blood for you. Oh Lord have done is it please do their acknowledging that he is Sovereign that he's going to do whatever he's going to do. They're asking him to be just They're asking to be just to let get against they stumbled on truth and it what you want to be like all boys. You're praying for y'all way to be just that's his bag. Get this brand. He invented Justice your prayer is going to be so answered. He is just you asked him to be who he is. The purity of that prayer is so beautiful and again at 8. I mean it calls into question my own prayers. It calls into question the prayers of our church even hard are the content of our prayers that pure. Yahweh God in heaven be who you are. Do what you're going to do be just be right have your way.

Tempest or peace have your way with my life with this ship with this C have your way?

Give me ask him to be just can we ask him be kind to me asking be gracious to me asking to be loving? That's who he is.

And we've been blessed with so much more knowledge of him than these Sailors to Let's lean on that knowledge and let's just let's just pray for free I talked about before let's let's talk about it again next week. How do we close our prayers in Jesus name? Amen in Christ name on then? What does that mean? It's not magic words. What we are asking is that the content of this prayer is the content of his will

Do this when we when we do things out of church, we say we do things in Christ name. It doesn't just mean we tack the brand Jesus on our activities.

It means we are praying we are hoping we are believing that what we are doing with our hands and our feet is what Christ would do with his hand and with his feet in his name.

We work. We cry out. We pray we sing We preach we preach in his name.

That's how we know a prayer will be answered because we are asking God to do what God will do.

Whatever the Lord pleases he does in heaven and on Earth in the seas and all. the deeps

Yahweh you are sovereign he just have your way.

To what y'all way? I'm sure responded now. That's a printer. I can answer.

Jonah 1:16, then the men feared the Lord exceedingly. And they offered as sacrifice to the Lord and made vows based only on what they witnessed.

They speared him greatly. They offered sacrifices. I didn't describe what kind of sacrifice they said. They probably did it in the wrong fashion. I'm sure they did right but what was going on in their hearts is they had seen on display not just the might and power of God, but the reality of his character. Matt brought them to their knees they offer the sacrifice and made vows.

Based only on what they witnessed. All they needed was the name.

They saw the hand they learned and experienced the character and the will and the power. All they needed was the name. Yahweh

maybe sometimes the world doesn't need to be told what's happening to them. Maybe they just need to know whose name to cry.

Yahweh Jesus

Jesus is the way.

Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the light Jesus is the name.

The man is drowning. Do you need to point out of him? Tell him he's drowning.

He knows he's drowning.

Maybe maybe I just need a name. Did we order the name do we cry out in that name that we represent the name? Do we live the name?

Cuz there is no other name. There is no other name by which we are saved.

from our sin from the storms that come upon us. We have one name to cry and that name is Jesus.

spray

Let us pray Jesus in your name.

Have your way with us today?

Be who you are.

But have your way.

In your name we pray amen.

We have an opportunity to continue and worship by the giving of his ties in our offerings and also being that this is the first Sunday of the month dear sister came in case you haven't picked up on this. There's a small handful of folks it coming. So I'm not just praying to a camera lens and They lift up the church. They lift up you they looked at me in prayer and it's your sister this morning came brought communion for us to share its communion Sunday. You're going to have a lunch of some kind today. You're going to have a meal take a moment and pray over that meal pray over the the bread pray over the juice whatever it is and be reminded that it is Christ. Who sustains us, it's Christ who fills us, it's his name. In Christ name break bread this afternoon call it communion cuz it can be in it will be us as a church in a lot of different homes gathered together around the Lord's table celebrating his death until he comes.