1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,200 Thank you for listening to Riverbend Churches Podcast. 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,560 To find out more about this message or Riverbend Church, 3 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,920 connect with us online at Riverbend Church dot live. 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:23,160 I want to jump right back into a series that we started a few 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,480 weeks ago. It's called God's Mercy on my 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,160 Master, where we're doing an in depth exploration and a walk 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,240 through the book of Jonah. Now, thematically, the book of 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:38,520 Jonah is the, the, the whole overarching truth or theme is 9 00:00:39,160 --> 00:00:42,760 and a reminder is your story isn't over that, that with God, 10 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,240 your story, it is, it isn't over. 11 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,400 It doesn't matter who you are or where you've been or what you've 12 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,600 done or even what you're still struggling with. 13 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,400 Your story isn't isn't over. That's the overarching theme of 14 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:57,640 the entire book of Jonah. But one of the things that that 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,760 we've really honed into is really a main principle or a 16 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:07,600 core truth of what we call a big idea that has set up this entire 17 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,520 series in this entire conversation through the book of 18 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,800 Jonah. So if you're taking notes with 19 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,840 us, let me go ahead and let's go back to our big idea throughout 20 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,080 this series, just to make sure that we're all on the same page. 21 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,800 God's mercy is greater than my mess. 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,880 God's mercy is greater than a mess. 23 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,800 No matter what type of mess you're in, no matter if it if 24 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,360 it's of your own making or it is a mess that you found yourself 25 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,000 in. I think that we would all agree, 26 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,200 whether you're in the room with us or we're online with us, that 27 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,000 we've all found ourselves and maybe even this morning, you 28 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,800 find yourself in, in what you would describe as a, as a mess. 29 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:48,600 And, and here's the thing about about messes is a lot of times 30 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,880 we start to assume that that mess is, is bigger than our God, 31 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,680 that the consequences of that mess is, are greater than the 32 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,920 power of, of our God. So one of the things that we've 33 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,680 been doing is we've been walking through the book of Jonah. 34 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:09,240 We've been exposed losing some common laws that we that we 35 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,400 believe is Speaking of, of being in a mess or finding yourself in 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,200 a mess. This past week I had the 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:20,920 opportunity to to get away for a few days up and up in Ellijay 38 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,760 to, to, to pray and to write and to, you know, just do like 39 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,880 pastor spiritual things, right? So it was just it was just me 40 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,360 sitting there on the on the couch in a in a cabin, me, my 41 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,400 Bible, a journal, my iPad, some coffee. 42 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,000 And I started hearing some rustling outside and I just 43 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,280 assumed that it was somebody that made a wrong turn that 44 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,280 turned down the wrong driveway. Because just a few minutes 45 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,360 before, probably about an hour before, I had made that same 46 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:51,600 mistake. I turned down the wrong 47 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,800 driveway, realized I was at the wrong house and backed out and 48 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,760 found the right house. So I just assumed somebody made 49 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,360 the same mistake that I did. However, the noise kept going 50 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,000 and I thought, well, if somebody made the wrong turn, then what 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,720 are they doing hanging out on my porch? 52 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,880 So anyway, I pulled the blinds open and and this is this is 53 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:18,480 what I saw. He's opening the gate. 54 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,080 So there he is. That's the enhanced AI version. 55 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,200 However, the thing that the enhanced AI version doesn't have 56 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,600 quite right is I think it it it widened the smile, it shrunk the 57 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,240 claws and it got rid of the blood around. 58 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,720 I mean, this was not this was not Winnie the Pooh, right? 59 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,040 This was not like a care bear and this was not Smokey the bear 60 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,240 coming to remind me that only I can prevent forest fires like 61 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:54,400 this was a hey, this may be how it ends for you type of bear. 62 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,400 So anyway, I immediately went from a mode of God, please speak 63 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,520 to me to God, please keep quiet. I don't want that thing to know 64 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:07,800 that we're in here type of mode. And I, I, I appeared out and, 65 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,320 and, and just watched this thing and you know, I've legitimately 66 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,000 thought I legitimately thought this. 67 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,800 I mean, if I'm lying, I'm dying. I didn't realize this is how it 68 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,440 was going to end for me. Can you imagine like and I 69 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,840 immediately thought like, man, people are never going to 70 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:30,560 believe like Ben died, how like he got attacked by a bear. 71 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,400 And listen, I know that that's like spoiler alert, that didn't 72 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,080 happen. You know, in case you want to 73 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,400 know how the story ended. But in that how like big 74 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,840 situations or big messes like they, they, they tend to do in 75 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:47,760 our minds, they, they, they, they just blow up and, and, and 76 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,800 they become like looking back in hindsight, they become almost 77 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,200 like overly dramatic. But in the moment it can become 78 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,960 pretty paralyzing, right? And, and I think that that 79 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:02,600 exposes, that exposes kind of a lie that we often believe when 80 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,640 we find ourselves in a mess. I'm not talking about a bear on 81 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,800 your porch type of mess, but I'm talking about like a, a mess to 82 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,560 where you feel that like you've hit rock bottom. 83 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,080 And, and here's the lie that I believe that we often believe 84 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,200 when it comes to rock bottom, rock bottom's the end. 85 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,440 Rock bottom is the end. Let me ask you a question. 86 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,440 Have you ever, if you find, if you find yourself and maybe 87 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,560 maybe you're here with us this morning in the room and online 88 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:36,160 to where your thought is. I never thought I would be here, 89 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,960 whatever the here is like. I never thought that I would be 90 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,680 feeling this. I never thought that I would be 91 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,840 walking through this. I never thought that like that 92 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:48,560 it would all catch up to me. I never thought that I would be 93 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,720 at rock bottom. And maybe you've said things 94 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:58,160 like it's over think things will never change. 95 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,880 Where I am and how I am right now is where I'll always be and 96 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,080 how how I will always be. Or maybe in your mind you've 97 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,920 thought or you're thinking, if the people near me really knew, 98 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,240 really knew what I was going through and really know and 99 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,040 really knew what's going through my mind and the thoughts going 100 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,800 through my mind, they would have nothing to do with me. 101 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,760 Or maybe you're here with us this morning and you have 102 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,560 convinced yourself that God is done with you. 103 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,520 That's rock bottom. That's rock bottom. 104 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,440 And one of the things that we're going to do this morning is I 105 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,880 want to show you through the book of Jonah how God wants to 106 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:43,200 completely tear apart that lie and show us the truth. 107 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:45,840 Show us the truth that he has for us. 108 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:48,360 And it doesn't matter. Again, it doesn't matter who you 109 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,040 are, where you've been, what you've done, and it doesn't 110 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:52,720 matter what you're still struggling with. 111 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,960 God is not finished with you. So I want to encourage you, if 112 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,440 you have a Bible with you, find Jonah chapter 1. 113 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:03,480 We're going to pick it up in verse 17 this morning, and verse 114 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,920 17 is going to be kind of an overlap of where we left off 115 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,280 last week. Jonah chapter 1 is really about 116 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:16,880 God giving God, Jonah, a prophet, a call for him to leave 117 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:22,400 his hometown in Israel and to travel 500 miles east to the 118 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,680 capital city of Assyria, a city called Nineveh. 119 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,400 And Jonah essentially said no, not going to do it. 120 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,680 I don't want to go there. I don't like those people. 121 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,240 So Jonah goes down to the near seaport, up a seaport called 122 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,560 Joppa. He hops onto a ship heading to 123 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:46,560 Tarshish, which is modern day Spain, 2500 miles West from 124 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,240 where he was trying to outrun God. 125 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:54,160 And we read at the very end of Jonah chapter 1 where God really 126 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,320 sent a storm to get Jonah's attention and to get him 127 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:04,880 rerouted back on, back on track. By the time we get to Jonah 117, 128 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,760 the sailors of the ship, they don't know what to do in this 129 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,520 storm. And Jonah says, hey, listen, if 130 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,680 you throw me overboard, then the storm will stop. 131 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,200 And they're kind of uneasy with that. 132 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:18,480 But eventually, that's sure enough. 133 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,480 That's what they do. They throw them overboard. 134 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,440 And where we pick it up. And Jonah 117 is Jonah's just 135 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,960 like hanging out in the sea. We don't know the length that 136 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,160 he's hanging out in the sea, but I don't think that it is very 137 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,320 long. Here's how Jonah 117 starts. 138 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,440 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. 139 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:40,400 And Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and three 140 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,159 nights. Then Jonah prayed. 141 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:44,440 Chapter 2, verse one. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord 142 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:48,680 his God from the belly of the fish, saying, I called out to 143 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:52,320 the Lord out of my distress. And he answered me out of the 144 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:54,040 belly of Sheol. I cried. 145 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,040 And you, Lord, you God, you heard my voice. 146 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,840 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the Seas. 147 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,200 And the flood surrounded me. All your waves and your billows 148 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,400 passed over me. Then I said, I'm driven away 149 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,480 from your sight, yet I shall again look upon your holy 150 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,560 temple. I want you to notice in verse 5, 151 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:18,080 Verse 5 is going to start. If you feel that you've kind of 152 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:21,760 hit this rock bottom to where you feel that you're really 153 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,440 running low on hope, see if this resonates with you. 154 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,640 Jonah said the waters closed in over me to take my life. 155 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:34,000 The deep surrounded me, weeds were wrapped about my head. 156 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,320 He goes on to say, at the roots of the mountains I went down to 157 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,600 the land whose bars closed up on me, upon me forever. 158 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,960 Yet you brought up my life from the pit. 159 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,760 O Lord my God, when my life was fainting away, I remember the 160 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,560 Lord and my prayer came to you into your holy temple. 161 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:55,400 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of 162 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:59,000 steadfast love. Then he continues on. 163 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,880 But I, with the voice of Thanksgiving, will sacrifice to 164 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,000 you what I have vowed I will pay. 165 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:10,240 Salvation belongs to the Lord. And the Lord spoke to the fish, 166 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,560 and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. 167 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,480 Now let's get a couple things out in the open before we go any 168 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,560 further. First thing that we need to get 169 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:24,600 out in the open. Do I believe that there was 170 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,720 literally a giant fish, a great fish that literally swallowed a 171 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,600 man by the name of Jonah, and that man literally lived in the 172 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,920 belly of that fish for three days and three nights? 173 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:41,320 Yes, yes I do. I do for several reasons #1 174 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,200 Jesus himself referenced Jonah three different times in his 175 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,720 earthly ministry. And one of those times he even 176 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,800 referenced him while in the belly of the fish. 177 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:57,680 And, and of those three times, Jesus never alluded to that to, 178 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:01,800 to any hint or even hinted at that it was some type of like 179 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,240 fable or Jewish fairy tale or some type of metaphor to Jesus. 180 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,280 Jesus spoke of Jonah as a historical man and Jonah being 181 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,800 swallowed by this fish as a historical event. 182 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,720 And I just happened to believe that Jesus is a pretty credible 183 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:23,200 source #2 I also choose to believe that if it is in the 184 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:28,560 Bible, I choose to believe it and, and, and, and that is not 185 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:30,680 me checking my brain at the door. 186 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,720 By the way, just because I don't understand it doesn't mean that 187 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,440 I shouldn't choose to believe it. 188 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:38,760 Here's here's where I'm getting at. 189 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,880 I believe that it's really the height of arrogance and hubris 190 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,160 to cherry pick the passages of the Bible that I like and that I 191 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:51,040 understand and to accept those. But to reject the passages that 192 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,320 I don't like or that I don't understand and push those to the 193 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,040 side. And just for the sake of like 194 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:02,960 intellectual honesty, if I do not believe Jonah 117, then what 195 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:07,480 gives me any credence or hope in believing John 316? 196 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:13,880 The third reason that I believe that this was a historical event 197 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,920 is again, just because I don't understand it doesn't mean that 198 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:19,600 I'm going to choose not to believe it. 199 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,520 I don't understand electricity, but I'm not going to sit in the 200 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:29,480 dark or in a not air conditioned room until I do, right? 201 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:34,560 So I just choose that the Bible has it in it, then I choose to 202 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:37,240 believe it. The second thing that we need to 203 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:43,280 get out in the open is super religious people, sanctimonious, 204 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:48,040 holier than thou, super judgmental people do not and 205 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,680 will not like the message of Jonah chapter 2. 206 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,280 They won't. And if he any point in time in 207 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:59,520 the room or online, you start to feel yourself kind of getting 208 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,200 riled up or ticked off or the words. 209 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,960 But what about can't seem to like stay inside of you? 210 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:11,880 Then as lovingly, compassionately and pastorally 211 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:17,800 as I possibly can, I want to encourage you to surrender that 212 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:24,440 to God, to repent of that spirit, and to ask God to soften 213 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,840 your heart towards his being in alignment with his heart. 214 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,960 Because you my friend, have become almost dangerously close, 215 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,160 like the second brother, the older brother in Jesus parable 216 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,280 of the prodigal son. Super religious people do not 217 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,040 like the message of Jonah chapter 2. 218 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,600 Because the the message of Jonah chapter 2 is there is grace at 219 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,680 rock bottom and grace does not make sense. 220 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,840 It is all based on God's favor, God's love, God's heart, God's 221 00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:01,120 character, not our effort. Now let's move on to more 222 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,240 uplifting things like hitting rock bottom. 223 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:08,240 All right, did you know that if you're at rock bottom, did you 224 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:13,360 know that we have three choices that we face if while at rock 225 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,520 bottom? And again, rock bottom can be 226 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:19,040 can be defined like for for for Jonah, it was obviously being in 227 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,080 the belly of a whale or being in the belly of a fish for three 228 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,120 days and three nights. That's pretty easy to spot his 229 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,960 rock bottom. But for rock bottom for us, it 230 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,880 could be the IT could be the loss or the fracture of a, of a 231 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,600 marital relationship or something going on within your 232 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:37,120 family. It could be the passing or the 233 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,960 loss of a, of a loved one. It could be a it could be an 234 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,280 addiction that has that has come to light. 235 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,320 It could be a financial crisis in your life. 236 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,440 It could be a mental or an emotional breakdown. 237 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,280 Rock bottom may look differently for for for different ones of 238 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,960 us, but for every single one of us, we all have three options 239 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,600 when we hit rock bottom. If you're taking notes with us, 240 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,960 here's the first one. We do have the option to stay 241 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,080 down. We do have the option to stay 242 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,800 down. You see Jonah while in the belly 243 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,120 of the fish for three days and three nights, he could have had 244 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,120 the most disgusting, smelliest pity party in all of history. 245 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,760 He could have just sat there and went, well, I'm here, nothing I 246 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,280 can do. Lost all hope. 247 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,240 Did you know that you and I, we also have that choice to where 248 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,440 when we hit rock bottom, we can make the decision just to sit in 249 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:37,120 it. Just to sit in it and sitting in 250 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:42,760 it basically is this attitude of, hey, nothing will ever 251 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,440 change. I'm here, I've blown it, God's 252 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,440 done with me, other people are done with me. 253 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:53,040 My life is over. This is how it is going to end 254 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:59,400 that that's, that's staying, staying down here. 255 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:04,960 Here's the problem with staying down is staying down puts us 256 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:09,920 into a mindset of defeat. And it's that mindset of defeat 257 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,640 and not God that will take us out. 258 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,240 It's that mindset of defeat, not God, that will take us out. 259 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,320 So, but make no mistake about it, we do have the option just 260 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:23,000 to stay down at rock bottom. We also have the option #2 we 261 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,800 have the option to spiral down. We have the option to spiral 262 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,960 down. In Jonah's case, Jonah had the 263 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:33,280 option to double down on his anger and his attitude while in 264 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,520 the belly of a fish. I would even argue it's pretty 265 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,400 easy to double down on that anger and attitude while in the 266 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:43,360 belly of a fish. You and I, we also have the 267 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,080 option to continue to make things worse. 268 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,560 It is possible that when we are at rock bottom to take on the 269 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,480 attitude of I'm just going to double down on the things that 270 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,880 got me here. I'm just going to continue 271 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:02,760 doubling down, disconnecting myself from a sense of community 272 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,960 and, and, and accountability. I'm just going to double down on 273 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,960 doing my own thing and, and what makes sense in my own eyes and 274 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,520 what makes sense in my own brain. 275 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,599 I'm just going to double down on taking the advice of, of some 276 00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:21,480 ungodly people that the wisdom of God is not coming from them 277 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:24,560 at all. And, and we, we take on that 278 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,320 attitude and we find ourselves saying things like, Hey, while 279 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,360 I'm here, I might as well as if nothing's ever going to change. 280 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:38,560 And make no mistake about it, things can get worse. 281 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,800 Things can get worse if we choose to spiral down. 282 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:47,120 So we can choose to stay down, We can choose to spiral down. 283 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,440 Or our third option is we can choose to surrender up. 284 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,200 We can choose to surrender up. Jonah could have stayed down, 285 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,680 could have spiraled down, but he chose to pray up. 286 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,480 He chose to surrender up. And the same thing's true for, 287 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,840 for, for you and I. And, and what it looks like for 288 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,200 us to surrender up when we're at rock bottom is if we find 289 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,480 ourselves in a situation or when we find ourselves at rock bottom 290 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,240 because of the consequences of our own making. 291 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,880 This is what it looks like for us to surrender up to own it. 292 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:23,920 God, you know that I've made some really bad mistakes. 293 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,560 Confess it, God, those mistakes weren't just mistakes. 294 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:32,160 They were sin to to to give it over to God and to ask for his 295 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:37,120 forgiveness and then to say, Hey, God, I don't have the 296 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,280 answers of how to get out of rock bottom, but I know that 297 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,640 you're here with me and I know that you don't want to keep me 298 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,640 here. That's, that's surrendering up, 299 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,160 that's surrendering up. And once we surrender up, not 300 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:57,520 stay down, not spiral down, but surrender up, then God can teach 301 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,720 us a lie. He can, He can break us from the 302 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,600 lie. He can teach us the truth. 303 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,280 He can break us from the lie that rock bottom is the end and 304 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:09,680 he can expose us to this truth. Rock bottom often feels final, 305 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,600 but it's often where God starts the rebuilding, even though rock 306 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,760 bottom feels final. And I don't know your story, 307 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,440 there's no way for me to know everybody's story in the room 308 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,240 online. But my guess is, is there's some 309 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,240 of us that are here this morning that you feel like you're giving 310 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:31,240 God like one last shot. And intellectually, you know the 311 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,680 God of the Bible and you know that he's got your soul and you 312 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:39,400 know that following his will and his words and his ways for your 313 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,040 life are best. But you're just kind of blinded 314 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:45,680 and overwhelmed by everything that's going on in your life, 315 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,440 and you feel like it will never change. 316 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,640 Can I give you some hope this morning? 317 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,240 Even though rock bottom feels final, it's often where God 318 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:02,680 starts the rebuilding. I can't imagine how final it 319 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:07,800 must have felt for Jonah. In the belly of a fish, in the 320 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:12,840 depths of the sea. Dark, smelly, isolated. 321 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:18,240 Always wondering not only how did I get here, but like, how 322 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,160 will anything ever change for me? 323 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,040 I think that some of us, even though we're don't, we don't 324 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,040 find ourselves literally in the belly of a fish. 325 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,400 Some of us, we find ourselves with kind of with that same 326 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,240 mindset, with those same questions, don't we? 327 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,920 How will things ever change? Can I tell you something? 328 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:38,240 What may feel like a dismantling of your life may very well be 329 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,880 God rebuilding your life in the right way. 330 00:20:42,120 --> 00:20:47,320 What may feel like everything being torn down may be God 331 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,960 building up a new foundation in your life. 332 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,400 So how do we take that hope and turn it into reality? 333 00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:59,240 I think that there are three things that you and I, we've got 334 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,600 to keep in mind when we are facing and when we find 335 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,720 ourselves at rock bottom. Here's the first one that I want 336 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,560 to introduce you to. I get to decide the depth of my 337 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:15,320 rock bottom. I get to decide the depth of my 338 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,360 rock bottom. If you've been with us 339 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:23,720 throughout this series, I wonder if you've noticed something so 340 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:25,440 far. And we we've only gone through, 341 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,440 you know, today we'll make Jonah chapter 2. 342 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:33,080 But I wonder if you've noticed this pattern when you read 343 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:39,040 through Jonah, Jonah one, and on into chapter 2 about the 344 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:44,000 direction Jonah's heading. Have you noticed that there's a 345 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,720 dissension, there's a descending nature about Jonah? 346 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:52,880 For example, in Jonah chapter one, verse 3, the Bible tells us 347 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:58,080 that Jonah went down to Joppa. In that same verse it says that 348 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:01,320 Jonah found a ship in Joppa that was heading to Tarshish and it 349 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:06,520 said that he went down into the ship in Jonah 15. 350 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,920 We're told that Jonah went down into the inner part of the ship 351 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,520 to to take a nap during the storm. 352 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:19,800 And Jonah 2 verse 6 where we read where Jonah went down into 353 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,640 the depths of the sea. You may say OK like that, that's 354 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,800 pretty interesting, but what, what's your point? 355 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,360 Here's the point. Jonah didn't just wake up 1 356 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:32,200 morning and find himself at rock bottom. 357 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:38,480 Jonah being at rock bottom was the destination for a direction 358 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,760 that he'd been heading in for a long time. 359 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,960 Can I say this to you again as lovingly, compassionately, 360 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,320 compassionately, and pastorally as I possibly can? 361 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:54,600 A lot of times when we find ourselves at rock bottom, we 362 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:59,000 don't just wake up there. We, we, we gradually drift 363 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,720 towards rock bottom and then the lights turn on and we realize 364 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,280 that we're at rock bottom again. It can be like making a 365 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,560 compromise here or there. It could be making like some bad 366 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:13,720 decisions or some choices here or there. 367 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,360 It could, it could be, it could be any number of things. 368 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:21,640 But here's the great hope, and I hope that doesn't come across, 369 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,920 that didn't come across as condemning or anything like 370 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,720 that. But here's the great hope. 371 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:30,320 Just because you may find yourself at rock bottom now, it 372 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,520 doesn't mean that you have to keep digging further down. 373 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:35,920 It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean that your rock 374 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,320 bottom has to keep going deeper. You guys say, well, Ben, how did 375 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,640 how can I keep my rock bottom from going deeper again, go back 376 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,240 to the three choices that we face. 377 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,160 We can stay in it. We can spot or we can stay down. 378 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,120 We can spiral down or we can surrender up. 379 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:58,720 I love what Jonah said in What God's word says in Jonah chapter 380 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,000 one verse 2. I called out to the Lord at out 381 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,880 of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of Sheol. 382 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,400 I cried and you, God heard my voice. 383 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,600 Can I tell you this? If you find yourself at rock 384 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:16,080 bottom this morning, that same invitation is open for you. 385 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:21,000 Turn your attention up to God. I called out to the Lord out of 386 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:25,520 my distress. Jonah called out to God in fish 387 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,680 guts and awe, called out to God and guess what, God answered. 388 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:34,000 Listen, if you call out to God in the midst of your mess, you 389 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,240 do not have to wait to clean yourself up. 390 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:41,960 He will answer you and He will welcome you with open arms. 391 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,440 You and I, we get to, we actually get to decide the depth 392 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:50,200 of our rock bottom. The second thing that I want to 393 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,640 show you is this. There are no elements of my rock 394 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,680 bottom that are outside of the control of God. 395 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,880 There are no elements of my rock bottom that are outside the 396 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:04,080 control of God. Again, let's go back to Jonah. 397 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:08,080 Jonah must have felt like everything was just completely 398 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,920 out of control, right? That he had no control over any 399 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,160 of it. But I want to read through that 400 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,720 passage and I want to keep going back, keep going into verse 3 401 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,000 where it says I called out Jonah said I called out to the Lord 402 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,200 out of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of 403 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,280 Sheol. I cried and you God heard my 404 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,800 voice. That is not just information for 405 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,400 us about Jonah. That's an invitation for us to 406 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,960 surrender to God. Check this out though, verse 3 407 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:41,400 for you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the Seas, and 408 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:46,240 the flood surrounded me. All your billows, all your waves 409 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:48,960 passed over me. Here's what I want to get you to 410 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:50,800 do. Look at the note sheet that you 411 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,880 received on your way in. At the top of that note sheet is 412 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,680 the passage that we just read all of Jonah chapter 2 and then 413 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,720 throwing in Jonah 117. I want you to circle a few words 414 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,720 there. I want you to circle the words. 415 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:09,000 Find the words your waves and your billows, your waves and 416 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:15,080 your billows. Then after you circle them or 417 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,480 underline them, why don't you look up here? 418 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,280 Whose waves and whose billows gods? 419 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:30,440 Whose storm and whose wind gods? Whose great sea gods? 420 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:36,480 Whose great fish gods? Nothing was out of the control 421 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,560 of God. You know, Jonah looked around 422 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:47,200 and he had no control. And I would even argue that when 423 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,920 Jonah looked around and he focused on all the things that 424 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:53,200 he had no control over, everything was chaotic. 425 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,360 But then when he started to realize and he makes this 426 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:01,240 turning point, his prayer in verse 3, your waves and your 427 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:05,960 billows start to realize God, I have no control over it, but 428 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:07,920 you've never lost control over it. 429 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,520 Guess what? The chaos turned to surrender. 430 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,680 The chaos turned to surrender. Here's what I want you to know. 431 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,040 If you find yourself at rock bottom or if there's somebody 432 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:20,240 that you know that finds himself at rock bottom facing a 433 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:24,560 situation that they have no idea how to get out of and they've 434 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,040 they're, they're, they're teetering on just giving up is 435 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,440 remind them. And maybe this is a reminder to 436 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:36,200 you that what you don't have control over, God never lost 437 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,280 control over. And when you start to realize 438 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,400 that, that thought begins to pivot to surrender, and it 439 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,720 begins to pivot your attention because when you look at all the 440 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,840 things that you can't control, what do we do? 441 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,000 We panic. When we look at the things that 442 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,920 are always in God's control, what do we do? 443 00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:57,920 We pray. There's a huge difference there, 444 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,000 but make no mistake about it, there's no element of our rock 445 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,440 bottom that is outside of God's control. 446 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,240 And the reason that that is such great news and gives us great 447 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,960 hope this morning is because we don't have to focus in on all 448 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:12,560 the things that we don't have control over. 449 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,880 We just got to focus in on all that He has control over. 450 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,800 It's a huge, huge hope. And once we realize that there's 451 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:26,400 no element of our life that God does not have complete control 452 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,200 over man, that changes everything. 453 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,200 That changes everything. And then it leads us to the 454 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:35,160 third and final point that we're going to talk about this 455 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:39,360 morning, Where I lack God names himself. 456 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:45,960 Where I lack God names himself. Did you know that there are two 457 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,280 elements, 2 elements to surrendering to God, 458 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:56,160 acknowledging where I lack, and turning to the God that doesn't. 459 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:02,320 That's it. God, I lack the capacity or the 460 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,200 ability to change anything about this situation, but you don't. 461 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:11,360 God, I lack the capacity and the ability to change that person's 462 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:16,960 heart or mind, but you don't. God, I lack the capacity or the 463 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,760 ability to change anything about this circumstance, but you 464 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,520 don't. God, I'm struggling because I 465 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:26,480 lack the ability and the capacity to, to change how I 466 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:28,400 feel about everything that's going on. 467 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:33,880 But you don't. And once I realize, once I 468 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:38,800 realize what I lack and that there is a God that does not 469 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,960 lack in that area, that leads to surrender. 470 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:45,640 Let me kind of put some boots on what surrender means for us. 471 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:51,720 It means that we call out to God specifically call out to God, 472 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,520 not not these, not these template prayers, not these 473 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,080 like, you know, God bless the gift and the giver type of 474 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,520 prayers or or not, not like the, the, the, the rope prayers. 475 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,680 I'm talking about like getting super, super specific. 476 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:06,840 And I want to give you some tools this morning. 477 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,520 Did you know throughout the Bible there's certain names, 478 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,440 There are different names given to God. 479 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:19,200 Now, the overarching name given to God is Yahweh or Jehovah. 480 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,960 But there's certain names that list not only who he is, but 481 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,760 what he does. And I think that it's really 482 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:30,640 important for us to call out specifically to that God and 483 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:35,240 name him specifically. So, for example, I want to show 484 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,640 you some of the names Jehovah Jireh. 485 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,000 Jehovah Jireh, if you were struggling, if you're struggling 486 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:49,920 with need this morning, not want but but legitimately need, call 487 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:54,080 upon the God who provides his name is Jehovah Jireh. 488 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:58,680 Here's another one. Jehovah Rapha, do you need 489 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,680 healing? Physical, mental, emotional, 490 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,920 spiritual? Do you need healing? 491 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,960 Jehovah Rapha, He is the God who heals. 492 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:16,920 How about this one, Jehovah Shalom. 493 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:23,000 Are you struggling with with anxiety to where when you go to 494 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,400 bed at night, you lay your head down, you close your eyes, but 495 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,320 even though you want your body to turn off, your mind is just 496 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,280 racing? You struggling with stress and 497 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:38,200 anxiety and worry. Are you trying to, to, to, to 498 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,680 solve today? What's tomorrow's problems? 499 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,480 Do you, do you need that sense of peace and and calm to come 500 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:52,440 over your over your mind? Jehovah Shalom, the God of 501 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:56,480 peace. If you're struggling with 502 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:02,760 loneliness, Jehovah Shema. Jehovah Shema literally means 503 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,560 the God who is there, the God who is there. 504 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:14,480 Wherever you are. Jehovah Shema, he is there. 505 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:19,560 If you're struggling with timidity, with fear, with 506 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:24,760 feeling lesser than insecurity. Jehovah Nisi, the Lord, is my 507 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:29,880 banner, that I am not here on my own strength, on my own accord. 508 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:32,520 I am here in the name of the Lord Most High. 509 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,000 I am a son. I'm a daughter of the king 510 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:41,160 Jehovah Nisi. If you're struggling with past 511 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:48,480 guilt or shame, Jehovah Secondu. Jehovah Secondu is the Lord is 512 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:52,640 my righteousness. You ever felt that whisper of 513 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:56,760 like when you hear somebody that says, hey, God wants to do great 514 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,000 things through you. God's not finished with you 515 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,000 almost hear that whisper of accusation. 516 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:05,240 He's not talking to you. If people knew what you've done 517 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,120 in your past, you'd be disqualified. 518 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,280 If people know what you still struggle with, you'd be 519 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,800 disqualified. Jehovah Secondu is the Lord is 520 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,440 my righteousness. My righteousness is not based on 521 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,800 me. It is based on what has been 522 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:24,040 bestowed upon me because of what Jesus has done for me. 523 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:30,200 I stand covered in his blood and I stand in his righteousness, 524 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:34,680 not on my own resume. If you struggle this morning 525 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:40,760 with sinful strongholds, Jehovah and Kadesh, Jehovah and Kadesh 526 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:46,960 is the Lord who sanctifies you. Struggling with a habit or 527 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:48,480 you're struggling with an addiction. 528 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,000 You're struggling with a stronghold. 529 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:54,440 You're struggling with a strong pull to go back to what Jesus 530 00:33:54,440 --> 00:34:00,600 has set you free from Jehovah M Kadesh God, you are the one that 531 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,160 sanctifies God. Would you sanctify me? 532 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,360 Sanctifies just another way of saying that I am in process of 533 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:10,840 becoming who God created me to be. 534 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:16,760 God, would you continue processing me forward in 535 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:20,320 righteousness? And then this morning, if you're 536 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:24,320 struggling with a lack of direction and you need guidance, 537 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,400 Jehovah Raha, the Lord is my shepherd. 538 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:32,280 I shall not want. Let me ask you a question this 539 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:35,960 morning in the room online. Here's the question. 540 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,040 Who do you need to turn to? How do you need to turn to God 541 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:43,239 and how do you need to call upon God this morning? 542 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,639 How do you need to specifically turn to God? 543 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:52,639 Listen, in just a moment, I'm going to pray over us and we'll 544 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:55,000 have another opportunity to stand and to worship God through 545 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,960 Psalm. But it's really an invitation 546 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,000 for you to respond. And we're all going to respond 547 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:04,320 in one of three ways. We will respond by staying down. 548 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:09,760 We will respond by continuing to spiral down, or we will respond 549 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:13,680 by surrendering up. God puts the ball in our court 550 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:18,880 and allows us to the side. Listen, what seems chaotic to 551 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:23,480 you right now is still in the control of God Almighty. 552 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,520 My encouragement, I beg you, and I plead with you to turn it over 553 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,960 to Him. Surrender up to him. 554 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,920 And how that looks is if you want to come down and pray with 555 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:35,920 a pastor, we'll have pastors down here. 556 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,920 If you want to come down and just kneel down at the front and 557 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,360 spend some time in prayer and maybe even bring somebody with 558 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:45,520 you, then come down and pray. Surrender up to God. 559 00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:49,360 The way that we surrender up is most often on our knees. 560 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,000 So this morning, will you stay down? 561 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,960 Will you spiral down, spiral down, or will you surrender up? 562 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,000 God, we thank you and we love you for your word. 563 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:03,480 God, we thank you that you have given us the life and the 564 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:09,160 writings of this prophet Jonah that reminds us that no matter 565 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:12,760 how far we may have run from you, no matter how fast we have 566 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:15,840 tried to run from you, God, we can never outrun you. 567 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:20,320 We can never outrun your love. We can never outlaw outrun your 568 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,520 plans for us. God, the plans that you desire 569 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,760 for us are good. They are for our good and for 570 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:33,520 your glory. God, many of us this morning, we 571 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:40,920 either find ourselves at a rock bottom or God, we find ourselves 572 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:45,480 in the life of someone else that we're close to, that they are at 573 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,840 a rock bottom. So God, whether it is us, 574 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:54,640 ourselves or us, on behalf of someone that we love, God, I 575 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:59,640 pray that you would break down any hesitations, any walls, any 576 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:05,720 hesitations for us to surrender up to you, God, for us to look 577 00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:10,560 at all the things that we don't have control over and to 578 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:12,640 understand. If we focus on that God, we 579 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,760 panic. But if we focus in on all the 580 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,880 things that we have no control over but the those things, those 581 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:23,040 same things you've never lost control over, God, that gives us 582 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:26,480 a sense of hope that no amount of money can ever buy. 583 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,840 And God, that knowledge that what may be chaotic to me is 584 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:36,200 always in can in your control. God, it's under that guise and 585 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,280 it's through that lens that we surrender to you this morning. 586 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,920 So God, I pray that you would move in, in, in might. 587 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:45,320 God, I pray that you would move in freedom. 588 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,800 God, I pray that you would go to the deep and the secret places 589 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,800 of all of our hearts and our minds this morning to do what 590 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:55,400 only your Holy Spirit can do to provide freedom. 591 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,360 God, remind us that you are not finished with a single one of us 592 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,440 yet. God, may we be surrendered to 593 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:04,240 you. And it's in Jesus name that we 594 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:05,600 pray. Amen. 595 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:11,520 Thank you for listening to the Riverbend Church Podcast. 596 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,440 Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect. 597 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,200 You can head over to our website, Riverbend Church dot 598 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:17,440 Life.