1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,400 Crossing Family, I am so glad that you are here today because 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:08,000 our preacher is none other than our very own Chuck Hetzler. 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,640 Chuck and Karen have been a part of our church for a while, been 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,720 in ministry for a really long time, and you'd be hard pressed 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,800 to find a better man of God, a better marriage, and a better 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,480 family in our entire region. Chuck and Karen recently came on 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,680 staff and they've been the key drivers behind the Discovery 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,440 Bible studies, behind the outlet and what you experience at the 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,800 New Here booth in all of our lobbies. 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,440 God has used both of them not just to encourage me, but to 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,120 challenge me and to raise the spiritual awareness of our staff 12 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,600 and hopefully of our church. So would you put your hands 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,000 together and welcome our very own Chuck Hetzler? 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:58,440 1600 years ago, Ireland was a lawless land of tribal kingdoms 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,600 and Celtic paganism. These kingdoms would feud with 16 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,120 one another. Sometimes they would even. 17 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,400 Cross the sea to Britain to raid villages there. 18 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,240 On one particular occasion, an Irish clan took a Christian boy 19 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,760 captive a 16 year old, from his Christian family back to Pagan 20 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:20,200 Ireland. There the boy was made a slave. 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,720 To be a shepherd. Living out in the fields day and 22 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,080 night. He would say later that he would 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,800 pray. Over 100 times every day, one 24 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,080 night. God spoke to the boy. 25 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,520 And God said go. To the shore. 26 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,120 There's a ship there ready. To take you home to Britain. 27 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,280 The boy obeyed the voice of God, and he fled for the coast. 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:42,720 And there he found it. Just. 29 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,800 As God had said, a ship to carry him. 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,320 Back to Britain, he reunited with his family and he was eager 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,400 to enter himself into full time Christian ministry. 32 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,680 In light of God's. Miraculous work in his life as 33 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,360 he was in the. Course of his studies. 34 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,000 The young man heard the. Voice of God A. 35 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:04,680 Second time, this time the. Voice of God said. 36 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,920 To him I want. You to go back to. 37 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,479 Ireland. Back to those. 38 00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:13,240 Who made you slaves and preach to them the good news. 39 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:18,360 Of Jesus Christ, Patrick obeyed the voice. 40 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,800 And he went to Ireland and there he ministered to the Irish. 41 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,360 People for over 30 years. Starting over 300 churches, 42 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,680 leading thousands upon thousands of pagans to faith in Jesus 43 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,960 Christ and transforming the future of Ireland. 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,840 And you may not know it. But a few weeks ago, you 45 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,960 celebrated. Patrick's obedience to. 46 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,760 The call of God. And the conversion of the Irish 47 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:48,200 people on Saint Patrick's Day. It is my honor to be a. 48 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,160 Part of this church to get to. Bring this message to you today 49 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,240 and to welcome all. Twelve of our. 50 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,480 Locations, those joining online and inside. 51 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,640 God is doing some incredible things around here and we praise 52 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:03,680 Him for that. And if you're new around here, 53 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,080 we would. Love for you to. 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,480 Stop by the new Here booth at the the conclusion. 55 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:10,760 Of this service at your. Location There's somebody 56 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,800 waiting for you to get to know you and to get to journey 57 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,360 alongside of you and what God's doing in your life and in a 58 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:18,160 couple. Of weeks. 59 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,600 It's going to be Easter. We are going to have an 60 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,840 incredible time and there are going to be tons of people here. 61 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,880 So I want to make sure that you're planning ahead #1 pray #2 62 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,480 make sure you know your service times at your location. 63 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,600 Arrive early. Park far away. 64 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,400 And bring somebody with you. And I just want to say a quick 65 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,440 word in light of Clayton's. Video Any praise goes. 66 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,440 To God, and I could say it 100 times back in his direction and 67 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,400 all of the people that I've been able to work. 68 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,440 Here with at the. Crossing, it's been a blessing 69 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,760 for me to be a part of it for my wife or our family. 70 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,840 So I just. Got to tell you guys though, I 71 00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,800 got a confession. Before I get into the rest of my 72 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,480 message, I'm not as funny as Clayton and. 73 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,320 It just grieves. Me that I'm not, and you know, I 74 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,040 wrote. A joke and I. 75 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,800 Gave it to my family and they my kids are like dad don't force it 76 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,000 just. Just. 77 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,000 Just let it happen naturally. So we'll see what? 78 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,519 Happens in that regard. But guys, I'm so excited. 79 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:22,800 To be able to give this word. From the book of Jonah, we have 80 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,200 been going through this series and as was mentioned before, 81 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,480 it's an incredible. Book We subtitled this series. 82 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,120 The unusual path of grace. Because of all the crazy. 83 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,840 Almost incredible and unbelievable things that God 84 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,480 does and that Jonah does and that we're about to see happens 85 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:40,800 in. Chapter 3 so let's. 86 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,560 Get into it, Jonah. Chapter 3 Verses. 87 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,240 One and two say this, then the. Word of the Lord. 88 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,440 Came to Jonah a second time. Go to the Great. 89 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,920 City of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message. 90 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,560 I give you. Now, if you haven't been with. 91 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,000 Us, I got to give you the recap, the word of. 92 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,440 God came to him the second time. Well, what happens is at the 93 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,120 very beginning of the book, God speaks to him the first time. 94 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,160 God speaks to his servant. Jonah, Jonah, it's a prophet. 95 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:09,880 He's supposed to go and do. The will of God. 96 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,000 He's supposed to go. And speak the message. 97 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,080 Of God, right? That's his. 98 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,080 Job, well, the assignment is. This God says to. 99 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh and preach against that 100 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,520 wicked city. Jonah doesn't like the calling 101 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,120 because first of all, Nineveh. Is a big. 102 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,400 Global powerhouse. Second of all, they're the enemy 103 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,280 of Jonah and the people of God. And thirdly, they're incredibly 104 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:36,600 wicked, cruel and lawless people. 105 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,320 This is not the place Jonah wants to go. 106 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,640 And so Jonah says, you know what, this is a nice time for me 107 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,960 to take a nice long vacation in the South of Spain. 108 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,000 And so he books a. Ship headed westward to go to 109 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,760 Tarshish. 2500 miles in the opposite direction, and there 110 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,600 God says, Not so fast, Jonah, he sends. 111 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,960 Us a storm to the ship where he. Is on the sea and Jonah says 112 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:02,040 guys, it's my fault, the only way. 113 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,080 You're getting out of this. Is if you throw me overboard 114 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,040 because God's after me and that's what the storm's about. 115 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:07,640 This the sailors that he's with, they. 116 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:09,800 Reluctantly say OK. We'll do it. 117 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,160 Jonah's sinking down and he's about to drown, and God sends a 118 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,920 great fish. Not to. 119 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:18,400 Kill him. But to preserve his. 120 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,080 Life and while he's in the belly of this. 121 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:21,640 Fish. Believe it or not, for three 122 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,480 days and three nights he finally repents, finally says God, I was 123 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,240 wrong, you're right. And God speaks to the fish and 124 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,360 says, all right, vomit him up on dry land. 125 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,440 We're starting over. And that's where we find 126 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,800 ourselves in Jonah chapter 3. Now look at what God. 127 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:42,200 Does he comes to him and he says a second time, I'm giving you a 128 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,800 second chance. Because God is a. 129 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:50,760 God of second chances, how many of you need a second chance, a 130 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,800 third chance, a fourth chance, 100th chance? 131 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,800 I'm telling you tonight that God. 132 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,600 Is a God of. Second chances. 133 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,720 The way that the devil. Tries to undermine us and keep 134 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,480 us away from God and our purpose and God the most is by trying 135 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,080 to. Lie to us about who God really 136 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,200 is. And some of you have been under 137 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:12,880 that. Lie to believe that God. 138 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,720 Won't give you a second chance. And the other way that the devil 139 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,640 tries to lie to us is for us to believe lies about our self. 140 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,600 And he? Says to us, Oh, you're too. 141 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,080 Far gone. You're too this. 142 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,160 You're too. That for God to want you, he 143 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,360 doesn't want you. But I'm here to tell you tonight 144 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,760 that God is a God of second chances and the Bible. 145 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:41,320 Is full of people just like. You and me who needed second 146 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,040 chances. For the rich, there's Zacchaeus. 147 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,160 For the poor, there's the. Widow in the temple. 148 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,920 For the blue collars. There's the fisherman, James and 149 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:52,920 John. For the white collars, there's 150 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,640 Doctor Luke for the. Sexually immoral? 151 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,640 There's the woman caught in. Adultery. 152 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,280 For the sexually pure, there's Joseph. 153 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,480 For the political radicals, there's. 154 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,040 Simon the Zealot. For the sick. 155 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,360 There's the woman with the. Issue of blood for the. 156 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,240 Demonized, there's the Gathering. 157 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:10,520 Demoniac. For the heartbroken, there's 158 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,200 Mary. For the outsiders, there's the. 159 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,920 Samaritan woman at the well. For the insiders, there's. 160 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:18,800 Paul for the old. There's Abraham for the young. 161 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:20,960 There's David for the timid. There's Moses. 162 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,480 For the bold, there's Peter. It doesn't matter who you are. 163 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:29,120 God is for you, and He is. Giving you a second chance? 164 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,640 Don't. Rule yourself out if God. 165 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:38,840 Has not and I'm. Here to say he. 166 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:40,919 Is not ruling. You out, he could. 167 00:08:40,919 --> 00:08:42,960 Have come to Jonah and chastised him. 168 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,320 He could have come to Jonah and said look at all the things you 169 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,840 just did wrong. But he comes and he says a 170 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:52,080 second time go to Nineveh. And preach there what I tell you 171 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,080 to. Say, here's the other thing 172 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,400 about God's second call. Is that? 173 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,680 Even though God gave him another chance, he didn't give him 174 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:07,000 another assignment. Sometimes we know that God's 175 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,920 calling us to do something. We feel that tug. 176 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,320 And that pull on our hearts. You might have already been 177 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,400 feeling it. Today as you're. 178 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,640 Here in this service, but you don't like what he's asking you 179 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,800 to do and you're stalling and you're avoiding in hopes that 180 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,880 he's going to give you something that is more desirable in your 181 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:26,760 eyes. And so you put. 182 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,480 It off but. God, even though he is. 183 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,960 Full of. Grace and He gives us time and 184 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,200 opportunity to respond. He is still a God of truth. 185 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,040 And he's still calling you to the same thing. 186 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,240 And sometimes the reason that we don't want to do that thing that 187 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,360 God has been calling us to. Do is because we. 188 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,480 Can't see on the. Other side of it. 189 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,560 We can't see what God's going to do when we make the choice to 190 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:54,200 obey Him, but tonight we're going to see what happened when 191 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,360 Jonah obeyed God in verse. Three, we pick back up. 192 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:03,840 And it says this Jonah. Obeyed the word of the. 193 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:09,040 Lord and went to Nineveh. Give it up for Jonah. 194 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,760 I mean, how many of us are like Jonah, though? 195 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,680 We've been running from God, We've been going as far as we 196 00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:17,320 can, and we finally like, OK, God, I. 197 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,000 Give. I'll do it. 198 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,520 Jonas still had a big. Journey ahead of him. 199 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,920 You know, the fish didn't vomit him up on the doorstep of 200 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,080 Nineveh. Remember Nineveh you saw earlier 201 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,520 on the graphic, It's inland. The Mediterranean coast is at 202 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,800 least 500 miles away, depending on where the fish vomited him 203 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,200 up. And so he's still got 500 mile 204 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,480 journey, probably on foot to this enemy, people who are 205 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,760 wicked and cruel. And he wonders if he's going to 206 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:46,120 escape with his life. Obedience is hard. 207 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:51,800 And so it's worth celebrating. Obedience is hard, but you need 208 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:53,760 people in your corner. Who are you rooting you on? 209 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,320 One of the things I. Love about this church is 210 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,840 celebrating all the. Wind stories all the steps of 211 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,720 obedience, all the baptisms, all the. 212 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,400 Ways that people are. Reaching out. 213 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,200 I, I, I love coming to this place because. 214 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:08,880 Every time I get to talk to somebody. 215 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:10,760 Like I got to talk. To somebody tonight as I'm 216 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,240 coming in here and they're saying I just started my DBS my. 217 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,880 Discovery Bible study this week. I'm starting mine on Sunday and 218 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,840 I told somebody else my workplace they should start one. 219 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,320 Because it's a way for us to make disciples. 220 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:24,920 It's a way for us to reach. Out and make. 221 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,680 This place, the hardest place. On planet Earth, to get to hell 222 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:33,160 from obedience is hard. And here's the thing about 223 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,000 Jonah's story is that obedience is better late than never. 224 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:42,560 You know, Jonah messed up the first time and he could have 225 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:44,800 said, you know what? I just missed this and I screwed 226 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,120 up and he could have beat himself down and just not 227 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:51,120 obeyed. I wonder how many people who are 228 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:55,000 feeling that way tonight. You feel like. 229 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,240 I just keep struggling with the same sin. 230 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,760 I keep finding myself in the same spot. 231 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,280 I can't break this addiction. It's too hard, it's too heavy. 232 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,800 It's impossible. This is just who I am. 233 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:15,040 But you can obey. God can give you the power to 234 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,160 obey, and it's. Better to obey late. 235 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:23,760 Than never and I'm praying as we go through this message that 236 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,600 you're going to see what the Ninevites do and you're going to 237 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,640 see yourself in them and you're going to say in your heart and 238 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:31,840 really. Believe it what we. 239 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,160 Sang, which was I was made for more than where I am right now. 240 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:37,840 God has. More for you, but it's. 241 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,320 Only on the other side of your obedience. 242 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,120 It's better to obey. Late than never if you're saying 243 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,360 man, I wish. That I was a good. 244 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,400 Dad, when my kids were little and I could have raised them up 245 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,920 to know God, I could have not been so angry with them. 246 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:54,280 I could have. Could have, could have, could 247 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:56,200 have. And you just beat yourself down 248 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,080 and you stay in that spot and you feel like that's where I'm 249 00:12:58,080 --> 00:12:59,080 stuck. But you're not. 250 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:00,960 You can obey now and it's better. 251 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:05,480 To obey late as a as a dad who's got kids who are. 20 than to 252 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,920 never obey God and never be that dad. 253 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:10,000 Who is a spiritual? Leader in your household. 254 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:12,800 It's better. To obey late than never, and 255 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:14,400 tonight's your night. To say yes. 256 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:15,960 To what God's been calling you to do. 257 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,800 And it's better, it's best so if it's better to obey. 258 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,200 Late than never, it's best. To obey the first. 259 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,000 Time we got to. Say that as well. 260 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,400 Look at all that Jonah could have avoided in his. 261 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,640 Life, all the heartache. That he went through that other 262 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,520 people went through if. He just would have obeyed. 263 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,280 The first time and So what I want to say. 264 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,560 Is to those of you. Who are young here? 265 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:38,880 Those of you. Who are young watching online? 266 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,240 I just encourage you. My mom would tell me this. 267 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,400 As AI was the third of three. Boys and she would say, Chuck, 268 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,320 learn from the mistakes. Of your older brother so you 269 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,640 don't repeat those. And I can't. 270 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,920 Say that I always did. And I made my own set of 271 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,640 mistakes. But. 272 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,920 I became a Christian when I was 16. 273 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:01,560 What happened in my life was I grew up here in Quincy and when 274 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:07,280 we were 14 we moved from Quincy to Charlotte, NC and I, I thank 275 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,320 God so much that he intervened in my life that we moved. 276 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,440 It was the the worst. Thing in the world that happened 277 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:14,520 to me at the time and I did not want to leave Quincy. 278 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:16,520 And go to this. Foreign place. 279 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,880 It's like none of it to me and. Yet that's what God did. 280 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,320 And I hated it. But as I look back. 281 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,840 I so many times thank God that he intervened in my life in the 282 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,760 way that he did at that time, because at 14 and Quincy, I was 283 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,000 looking down a path of doing all the wrong things, making all the 284 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:38,040 wrong choices, and I saved myself a lot of regret. 285 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:39,520 God saved me a lot of. Regret. 286 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,680 Regret because not perfectly, but a lot of. 287 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,080 Times I was. Able to obey the. 288 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,040 First time. And so if you're in that boat, 289 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,320 if you're younger, obey the first time. 290 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,400 All right, Jonah finally gets to Nineveh. 291 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,080 This. Is what we've been waiting for, 292 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:56,200 right? This whole book, it's like. 293 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:57,840 Jonah, go to Nineveh. Jonah, go to Nineveh. 294 00:14:57,840 --> 00:14:59,160 Stop running away. Go to Nineveh. 295 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:03,600 Here's what happens now. Nineveh. 296 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,680 Was a very large city. It took three days to go through 297 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,080 it. Jonah began by doing, going a 298 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:15,040 day's journey into the city, proclaiming 40 more days and 299 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:22,360 Nineveh will be overthrown. The Ninevites believed God a. 300 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,560 Fast was proclaimed and all of them from the greatest. 301 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:31,600 To the least put. On sackcloth this is. 302 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,120 Absolutely historic. What just happened? 303 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,520 It's incredible and the. Thing that gets me. 304 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,200 About what just happened. Is there's only two verses? 305 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,640 About what Jonas said and did, and it doesn't even sound very 306 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,880 good. I mean, this is what it says he 307 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:48,360 did. He goes about a day's. 308 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,520 Journey through the city proclaims 40 more days and 309 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:52,920 Nineveh will be overthrown. So Can you imagine this? 310 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,560 He's going around the city, this foreigner, this guy who doesn't 311 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,920 know anybody and I don't know how he's doing it. 312 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,000 Is he like shouting? Is he like 40 more days Nineveh 313 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,680 is going to be overthrown or is he like kind of like 40 more 314 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:07,200 days none of us going to be overthrown? 315 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,240 Like just having side conversations with people. 316 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,760 I, I don't know, like. I wish God would have. 317 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:13,800 Given us a lot more. Detail, especially as a 318 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:15,040 preacher. I'm like, how did this guy 319 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,480 convert a whole city? But it gives me a lot of hope 320 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:23,040 that if he could just say this. Pretty sour message and 120,000 321 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:25,800 people repent and come to God. That. 322 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,960 He can do something with my message and he can do something 323 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,560 with your message. I think that the. 324 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,440 Way that God tells the story is very purposeful. 325 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,480 For us to know. That what was right about. 326 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,560 This and what was. Powerful about this. 327 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,800 Was that Jonah obeyed and told him what? 328 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:48,400 Told the people. God told. 329 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,960 Him to tell him it's not so much the powers, not so much in the 330 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,120 messenger. The power is in the message. 331 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:02,760 And that's true for you and me. The power is not just. 332 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,240 How you say it, but it's that you say it. 333 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,640 Jesus told a story on a parable to teach this lesson. 334 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:16,560 It's called the Parable of the Sower. 335 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,520 Maybe you've heard of it. He says that a farmer, a sower 336 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:20,880 goes. Out to sow his seeds he's got 337 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,200 this bag of seed he's. He's sowing it like this, you 338 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:24,560 know, It's not planting in the ground. 339 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,960 It's like sowing it like this and so is he sowing the seed it 340 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,080 the seed lands on. Four different types of soil. 341 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,840 The first one, it lands on the path, The Walking path. 342 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,280 The second one, it lands on the rocky soil where there's some, 343 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:38,360 you know, there's some soil, but there's rock, a lot of rocks in 344 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:40,600 it there. It's the third one, it lands 345 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,720 among thorns and weeds. And then the 4th one, it finally 346 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,080 lands on the good soil. The well tilled soil. 347 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:52,520 And Jesus says as what you would imagine that only the. 4th Soil. 348 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:54,560 Only the soil that was. Ready to receive the? 349 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,920 Word and that didn't have any other things going on in it. 350 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,640 Was able to produce the. Crop and bring it to maturity, 351 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,760 and even multiply 3060 a hundredfold as much. 352 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,200 But what happened to the seed that fell on the three other 353 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,120 soils? They didn't make it on the path, 354 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:12,880 it can't even penetrate the ground so. 355 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:14,960 The birds just. Eat it up among the. 356 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,520 Rocks the root Can't really. Can't get deep because there's 357 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,840 not enough room for it to take. And then among the weeds. 358 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,080 The. Plant starts to spring up, but 359 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,400 the weeds and the thorns, they choke it out, so it can't reach 360 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,200 maturity and it can't produce what it's intended to produce 361 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,400 and. Jesus says this is the. 362 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,440 Point the seed. Is the word of God. 363 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:36,880 The seed is the message. The seed. 364 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,480 Is the. Good news about Jesus Christ, 365 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,200 the soil. That's how people respond. 366 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,960 That's the hearts of the people who hear. 367 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:53,160 And what we see God doing through Jonah is that Jonah 368 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,360 finally goes and he. Gives the seed he gives. 369 00:18:55,360 --> 00:19:00,280 The message and the Ninevites. They happen to be the 4th soil. 370 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,600 And what does this mean? For you and for me, it means 371 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,360 that we need. To sow the seed. 372 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:12,240 If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you've got a better 373 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,920 story, a far better sermon to give. 374 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,960 Than 40 more days and Nineveh. 'S overthrown. 375 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:21,960 You've got a story of. Life and hope and purpose and 376 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,760 power and change. We've got a story where. 377 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,560 You can say to somebody, even though you're not good enough. 378 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,480 God loves you and. None of us are good enough. 379 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:34,120 God. Loves you and he loves you so 380 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:36,200 much He sent his own son to earth. 381 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,160 To. Show us how much he loved us. 382 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,040 To prove that he was God and that he's the. 383 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,640 Only person who could save us from our sins and in fact. 384 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,960 He went to the cross. Willingly and died in our. 385 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,200 Place so that we could. Experience a great exchange we 386 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,120 could give him our crappy life and we. 387 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:58,960 Could take his perfect life. And we could have abundant life 388 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,600 on this earth and experience everything that God wants for us 389 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:03,560 now and. For all of. 390 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,960 Eternity and escape the judgement that our sins deserve. 391 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:12,280 In hell, we've got a. Great story, but are we? 392 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,480 Giving it out? Or are we being like Jonah and 393 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,200 being silent? If Jonah think about this, if 394 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:24,080 Jonah would not have gone and given the message 120,000. 395 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:29,520 People would have perished. How many people in our. 396 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,440 Lives are perishing. Or don't. 397 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:37,040 Have the hope or the opportunity because we're not giving them 398 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,800 the seed. Maybe your Easter invites? 399 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:47,400 For a couple weeks. From now are to Nineveh, maybe 400 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,400 you don't only just ask your best friends and your family 401 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,120 members that you love. Maybe you ask your enemies, 402 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,640 Maybe you. Ask the people that. 403 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:01,720 Seem farthest from God. I want you to think about who 404 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:03,960 are the family members? Who are the people you work 405 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:05,520 with? Who are the people that you do 406 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,520 life with that? Go to the same places. 407 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,600 That you go. And I want you to target them 408 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,760 and say these are my Nineveh and I'm inviting them. 409 00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:19,720 To Easter. And some of you might be saying, 410 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,640 man, this sounds great and I'd like to be sowing the. 411 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,520 Seed, but I have absolutely. No idea what to say. 412 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,960 I can't preach like you can't. I don't know the Bible like you 413 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:30,880 can. Can I just say you need to come 414 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,400 to the? Outlet at the outlet. 415 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:34,800 You're going to learn. How to give a? 416 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,560 15 second testimony that everybody in this room. 417 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,920 Could give if. You learn what it is, but here's 418 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,480 the other thing. Not only is. 419 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:45,960 The word of God powerful as that seed. 420 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:51,200 But you've got to ask yourself. And I've got to ask myself, what 421 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:55,680 soil am I? Some of you might be saying, you 422 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,600 know, I come here every week and I'm seeing. 423 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,160 God do lots. Of things in other people. 424 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,880 I'm seeing powerful life change. I'm seeing people come to the 425 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,520 steps. Some people seeing people pray 426 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,840 together, I'm seeing people get baptized, I'm seeing. 427 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,600 People get involved, I'm seeing. People start their own Bible. 428 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,280 Studies so that they can reach their friends. 429 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,560 I'm seeing all these things happen with the people around me 430 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,400 but it's not happening to me. And maybe at the same time 431 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,040 you're saying and I just don't know about this church. 432 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,680 I don't know if I don't really like that one worship song and 433 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,400 it's kind of loud and the worst. I mean the messages are on point 434 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:33,040 usually, but not all the time. And I didn't mean it that way 435 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,400 but maybe it's not a seed problem. 436 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,960 Maybe it's a soil problem. What's the condition of your 437 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:45,560 heart? And I say. 438 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,680 That to those of. Us who've been walking with 439 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:48,960 Jesus for a long time, and those. 440 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:50,920 Of us who are just here for the 1st. 441 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,160 Time and thinking about it. Think about those three types of 442 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,400 soil. Are you the path that's so just? 443 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,000 Your heart is so hard that you can't receive. 444 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,320 You're just you're. Stubborn. 445 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,440 You're prideful, you're right, and nobody else is. 446 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,680 I want you to repent of that tonight. 447 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,320 So that you can receive what God has for you. 448 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,800 So that. You can experience the. 449 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,480 Power of the word of. God are you the rocky soil and 450 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,240 you're you start to. Get excited about what God. 451 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,240 'S doing, but you got a lot of other things going on in your 452 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:26,560 life. You can't. 453 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:28,320 I'm like, I don't have time. I can't. 454 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:30,240 I can't make time to go to. Adbs. 455 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,080 Group, I can't make time to read my Bible and pray. 456 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:34,840 I can't make time to invest in other people. 457 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,840 I can't be I can't make time to serve around here. 458 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:38,800 Maybe you got to. Get rid of some. 459 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,480 Rocks in your life? Maybe works taking up too much 460 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:43,520 time Maybe. Other relationship, whatever 461 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,280 that hobbies. Maybe. 462 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,840 Maybe you're the third soil. And. 463 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,480 I see a lot of this sadly that. And in it, and we all have to 464 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:54,160 watch out for myself included, but. 465 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,480 God's work starts to. Happen in your life, the plant 466 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,680 starts to grow but things choke it out. 467 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,400 And Jesus said some of those things are desire for worldly 468 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,720 things. The cares of life like. 469 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,040 I got to pay my bills and I'm really worried about it and I 470 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,160 can't, you know, I got to work extra because I can't and I 471 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,440 can't make time for the Lord and all this sort of stuff. 472 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,880 Things are choking out. What do you need to? 473 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:16,080 Root out of your life. What do you need to? 474 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,560 Root out of the soil of your life today. 475 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,840 God's given you a second chance. I want to look more at Nineveh's 476 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:26,920 conversion. This is absolutely incredible. 477 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,480 It goes on. The story says this and in. 478 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,040 Chapter 3, verse 6 it. Says when Jonah's warning 479 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,040 reached the king of Nineveh. He rose from his throne. 480 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:36,920 He. Took off his royal robes he 481 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,120 covered. Himself in sackcloth and sat 482 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:41,720 down in the dust. This. 483 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,960 Is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh. 484 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:48,320 By the decree of the. King and his nobles do not let 485 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,840 people or animals. Herds or flocks taste. 486 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:57,040 Anything do not let them eat or drink, but let people and 487 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:59,240 animals. Be covered with sackcloth. 488 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,160 Let. Everyone call urgently on God, 489 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:05,200 let them give. Up their evil. 490 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,440 Ways and their violence, who knows? 491 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:12,960 Who knows? God may yet relent, and with 492 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,440 compassion turn from his fierce anger, so that we will not 493 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:22,160 perish. The Ninevites repented. 494 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,880 I mean they repented. They fasted, They didn't eat. 495 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,920 They put on sackcloth. Which is a really rough. 496 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,840 Material and they did that. Because have you ever hurt 497 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,720 somebody so bad? And you've been so grieved. 498 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,000 About it that you just. Feel like you can't go on with 499 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,600 life. You just feel like I can't eat. 500 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:40,560 I can't even get up and do my normal. 501 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,080 Activities because I just feel so bad about. 502 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,120 What I've done to that person, that's how they. 503 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,640 Felt about God, they realized that God was a offended by. 504 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,560 What they were doing and they cared enough about him to say 505 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:52,680 God. Please. 506 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,040 Forgive us and we're trying to do everything we can do to. 507 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,320 Show you that we're serious. About our repentance. 508 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,640 Not only that, but they called urgently. 509 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,160 On God, they they started. Praying and they took prayer 510 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,200 urgently and they started. You just call urgently upon God. 511 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,280 They're just like God hear us. Oh God spare us. 512 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,800 Oh God, have mercy. On us, Oh God, we need. 513 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:14,200 You. Oh God, we're sorry. 514 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,440 These kinds of prayers. And I think those are the best. 515 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,080 Kinds of prayers to pray. Sometimes it's not the litany of 516 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,120 things that you say, it's not how you say it. 517 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,000 How eloquent it. Is it's that if you pray to. 518 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,920 God from a heart of desperation. The Bible says you will find God 519 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:34,160 when you seek Him and when you seek him with all your heart. 520 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,800 And they did. And then it also says that they 521 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,240 changed their lives. They didn't. 522 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,280 Just do religious, spiritual. Things they said, we got to. 523 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,080 We got to reform what we're doing. 524 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:45,880 We got to stop doing the violence. 525 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,600 We got to stop doing the evil. You got to actually. 526 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,520 Change what you're doing if they're. 527 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,280 Areas of your life that are outside of God's will. 528 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,960 If you want to repent, it means you need to change those things. 529 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,280 And I'm not saying you got to become perfect overnight because 530 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,480 nobody will, but the things that you're seeing. 531 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,800 You got to. Bring that into alignment with 532 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,440 God and this is the kind of faith that. 533 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:15,520 They had it says this. Who knows, God may relent. 534 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,800 I love that you don't have to have this. 535 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:20,560 Perfect. Pure. 536 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:22,360 Pristine. Faith where you're like, hey, I 537 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:24,240 know that God. 'S going to save me when you 538 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:25,760 know. You just. 539 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,640 Have to have a who knows kind of faith. 540 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:30,680 Who knows? Like if I come up. 541 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,480 Here tonight and I respond. Maybe some of you've been here 542 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,120 for 20 years and you've been sitting in the same seat and 543 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:39,280 you've never responded. If you respond tonight, who 544 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:40,600 knows? What God will do? 545 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,880 Who knows? I remember feeling that way when 546 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:47,800 I was contemplating following Jesus I. 547 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:48,640 Remember. And I felt. 548 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,040 Bad about this at the time but this verse really helps me to 549 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,720 feel like hey this is right. I just felt like nothing. 550 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,240 Else is working in life. I'm going to try Jesus. 551 00:27:58,840 --> 00:27:59,840 That's a who knows? Kind of. 552 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,640 Faith and Jesus said all you need. 553 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:03,800 Is. Faith the size. 554 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:08,200 Of a mustard seed. And it will move mountains. 555 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:16,480 A mountain was moved in Nineveh, and God moves mountains like 556 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,240 that. And I want to tell. 557 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,400 You a few stories because. Some of you might say. 558 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:22,560 This is another tall tale from Nineveh that I just can't 559 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:26,560 believe that a whole city. A whole huge global city that 560 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:28,600 was against God. Is all of a sudden for God? 561 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,560 Yeah, right. It's happened hundreds. 562 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,040 Of times in world history. It's happened. 563 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,600 Dozens of times in our. Nation's history. 564 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,080 There's an Oxford educated historian named J Edwin Orr who 565 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,440 tells dozens of these stories, and I want to share some with 566 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:48,680 you. In 18. 56 and 1857 more than 567 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:52,600 1,000,000 people in the US came to faith in Jesus Christ out of 568 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,640 a population of 30 million. Whole. 569 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:02,080 Cities New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland and others. 570 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:07,280 Would come to a halt at noon so that people could go and pray 571 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:13,160 from noon to 1:00 PM in New York City, a newspaper reporter. 572 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,000 Went to go. Find out how many people were 573 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,240 actually praying. He only made it to 12 churches. 574 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,320 Within the hour from. 12:00 to 1:00 because he couldn't make it 575 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:26,680 to all the others and he counted 6100 people in prayer. 576 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,680 Pastors in New York. City were saying that during 577 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:35,240 that time period 10,000 people were coming to faith in Jesus 578 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:40,920 Christ each week in Atlantic City NJ Yes that Atlantic City 579 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:44,720 NJ known for its gambling and casino and lawlessness, this 580 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:46,880 city had a 50. 1000 people at the time. 581 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,520 Them Christian ministers were working together to share the 582 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,840 gospel, and they had documented that only 50 adults were. 583 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,240 Left who had not. Yet put their faith in Jesus 584 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,360 Christ. Nothing is. 585 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:03,640 Too hard for God, God saved. Nineveh through Jonah, God saved 586 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:08,440 Ireland through Patrick, and God wants to save our region through 587 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,960 you and through me. We want to make this. 588 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,240 Place the hardest. Place on planet Earth to. 589 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,920 Get to hell from and it takes us getting the seed out of the bag 590 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,800 and sharing the powerful message of Jesus Christ. 591 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,320 We've been seeing this. Story through Jonah's lens and 592 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,600 through the people of Nineveh's lens God gave Jonah a second 593 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,640 chance and we saw how he responded God gave the. 594 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,040 Ninevites a second. Chance we saw, they responded. 595 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,200 What was God thinking through all of this? 596 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:42,800 The final verse says this when God saw. 597 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:46,560 What they did, how they. Turned from their evil ways, he 598 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,840 relented and did not bring on them the disaster, the 599 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:56,840 destruction he had threatened. God saw what they did. 600 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,720 If you've been around here. Recently you've been hearing 601 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:05,160 Clayton talk about how our faith and our obedience work together. 602 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:09,120 You can't have one without the other it. 603 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,120 Says in verse. Five they believed God, but 604 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:12,720 they. Put that faith into practice. 605 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,120 And obedience, as we saw a few moments ago. 606 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,760 And God looked and he saw what they did. 607 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,520 God. Is looking to see. 608 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:22,000 What you're going to do about what you've. 609 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,120 Heard and about the. Second chance he's given you. 610 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:28,840 But here's the other thing that I want to say is that God saw. 611 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,760 God is a God who sees, and he's not the. 612 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,320 One who sees and is. Looking to. 613 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,800 Pounce on you when you do evil or when you do. 614 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,120 Bad, he's the one who's. Looking to give you mercy? 615 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,440 When you choose him. This is what Second Chronicles 616 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:52,000 chapter 16, verse 9 says. For the eyes of the Lord range 617 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,520 throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts 618 00:31:55,560 --> 00:32:00,160 are fully committed to Him. You can just see it as it were, 619 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:01,080 God. Sitting on the. 620 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,760 Edge of his throne in heaven, looking out. 621 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,720 And he's scanning the continents, He's scanning the 622 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:07,920 countries, he's scanning the cities, he's scanning the rules, 623 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,040 he's scanning this room, he's scanning the rooms of all of our 624 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:12,120 locations. He's scanning. 625 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,400 Those who are online and he's just looking and he's saying is 626 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,280 this one going to choose me? Is this one going to give me his 627 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,040 heart? Is this one going to give me her 628 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:21,440 life? And he's just. 629 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,320 Ready to pour out his strength and his presence. 630 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,680 And His love and His grace in your life, more than you can 631 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:34,600 possibly imagine. God's given us second. 632 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,320 Chances and the last thing that I want to say. 633 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,320 Is I don't want you to leave. Here and say this is great, 634 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:44,520 God's got a second. Chances. 635 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:45,040 You know what? I. 636 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:46,560 Think I'll take my chance tomorrow. 637 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:48,880 I. Think I'll take my next. 638 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,120 Year, You don't want to have a little bit of fun. 639 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:53,880 Tell Jonah. Ask Jonah how that fun goes in 640 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,000 chapter 1. It's not so fun. 641 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:02,120 God's given you a. 2nd. Chance today. 642 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,680 I can't promise you. What tomorrow holds, and I don't 643 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:09,960 say that to be threatening or to be morbid, but just because I 644 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:10,520 don't. Know. 645 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:12,480 I don't know what tomorrow brings. 646 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,720 Jonah's message to the Ninevites was 40 days I. 647 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:17,320 Don't know why it was. 40 days, but that's what God. 648 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:18,920 Told him to say. They had 40. 649 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:23,640 Days, the Book of James. Says don't boast about tomorrow 650 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:25,720 because you don't know what tomorrow's going to bring. 651 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:28,760 Do what you. Know you? 652 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,800 Need to do today. God is a God of second chances. 653 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,320 And I'm praying that you're going to take his chance today. 654 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:39,360 As we move to this. Time of decision. 655 00:33:48,630 --> 00:33:50,470 I want to take a. Moment and speak directly to the 656 00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:52,470 people. Who have not chosen Jesus? 657 00:33:52,470 --> 00:33:55,510 Christ as your Lord and Savior. Yet I've been there. 658 00:33:56,270 --> 00:33:58,710 We've all been there. I want. 659 00:33:58,710 --> 00:34:03,360 To let you. Know I have 100% confidence that 660 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:07,080 God. Has called you to this place. 661 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:13,239 Tonight to hear this message. God, if you've been. 662 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:14,760 Hearing. The story of Jonah, he's not a 663 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,639 God of accidents. You might think that storm was 664 00:34:17,639 --> 00:34:19,800 an accident. It was God chasing Nona Nineveh, 665 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,280 or I mean Jonah. You might think no big deal, 666 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,239 that I'm here tonight. I just came with my friend. 667 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:26,960 I just came because this is what I normally do. 668 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:32,600 This is a divine appointment. And God has a plan. 669 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:39,320 For the world. In second Peter. 39 says before. 670 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,120 He sends. Jesus back that day's. 671 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:43,800 Coming but. Before he. 672 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,440 Sends him back he's. Waiting. 673 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,600 It's like God is just saying not yet Jesus. 674 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,320 The father's saying not. Yet Jesus, Not yet Jesus, not 675 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,960 yet Jesus. Because I am wanting everyone to 676 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,640 come to repentance. I'm wanting everybody to choose 677 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,440 me. Today is. 678 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:05,680 Your chance to choose Jesus Christ and if God. 679 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,520 Is pulling on your heart, even just a little bit? 680 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,760 That's just. More of him drawing you in. 681 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:17,320 I don't want you to mistake that still small voice for just like 682 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:18,240 I. Wonder if I should do? 683 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:21,360 It I'm just like, I'm not sure is this like you're rationing 684 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,280 and you're rationalizing in your mind, but if you're feeling 685 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,240 that, that's the voice of. God speaking to you. 686 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:30,120 Jump on it. I have a friend, a pastor 687 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,240 friend, who says God really puts. 688 00:35:32,240 --> 00:35:34,360 Things in your. Lap, but he puts. 689 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:35,280 Them in your. Reach. 690 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,320 God's calling you. And he's given you these signs, 691 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:45,360 these these words, these feelings you got to reach. 692 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,480 For it and So what? I'm asking you to do today if 693 00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:52,040 you want to reach for it, if you want to find out all the God is 694 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:54,640 and all that He has for you. In just a moment. 695 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,000 We're going to sing another song, people. 696 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:58,320 Who comes forward to the steps to? 697 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,440 Pray there'll be somebody. A pastor right over. 698 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,720 Here under. This screen by the Baptistry. 699 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:07,440 I want to ask. You to go and talk to them and 700 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,080 let them know what God's doing in your life. 701 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,320 You can talk to the person. Who brought you if? 702 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:13,160 You'd rather do that? But talk to. 703 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:17,080 Somebody make a move today. Don't let this day escape. 704 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:21,320 Without you responding to God. For those of us who. 705 00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:25,840 Are followers of Jesus Christ. Man, we have a powerful message. 706 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:31,600 We have an awesome message. And even myself, I got to 707 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,440 repent. God, I keep the seed in the. 708 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:38,440 Bag too much, I pre decide. Oh, is this person interested? 709 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,520 Or that person interested? No, we're supposed to cast the. 710 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:42,000 Seed. We're not. 711 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,280 Supposed to judge soil. So stop judging. 712 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:50,680 Soil and say God during this time, God give me the strength 713 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,680 and decide who it is that you're going to invite to Easter. 714 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:56,960 And maybe again it's. That nine of a person, that 715 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:59,200 person you wouldn't have thought, but God's. 716 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:00,880 Calling you to go to. Those that you would. 717 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:02,440 Have never thought about. Who are? 718 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:06,120 Close to you, but far from him. So during this time of response, 719 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:08,800 pray for that person. Pray that God would. 720 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:12,800 Set up the appointment the. Time when you run into that 721 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,560 person and talk to them and that you would be prepared. 722 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:17,760 And ready. To share an invite with them. 723 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,840 God's calling us and man, we don't have to be afraid of what 724 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:23,720 he's calling us. Into. 725 00:37:23,720 --> 00:37:26,800 We have to be excited because he's ready to do. 726 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:28,920 Incredible things on the. Other side of our obedience 727 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:39,110 would you stand and pray? Would you just look? 728 00:37:39,430 --> 00:37:42,990 Jesus in the face. In your mind. 729 00:37:43,150 --> 00:37:51,510 Did you look at him? What's he calling you to do and 730 00:37:51,510 --> 00:37:56,320 would you respond? God. 731 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,320 Thank you for all you're. Doing and we just say more Lord, 732 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,480 please God. We want our friends and. 733 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:06,720 Family to know you we want people who aren't our friends 734 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:09,040 and family to know you God because you're an incredible God 735 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:10,600 so we just. Say, have your way tonight. 736 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,320 God and do something here through us in this place that 737 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:15,080 would. Move. 738 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,160 The needle in our Nineveh God we. 739 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:22,440 Love you moving us right? Now in Jesus name, Amen.