When you think you're too far gone to get on the bus
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Dedicate to Honouring My Mother - Amazing Testimony - Share next week - It’s a bit raw right now - She went to be wiht Jesus Early Friday Morning | Overwhelming Grief | Honestly say, Overwhelming Love from Jesus - Amazing Stories out of it | We want to say a massive THANK YOU | We want to build a community of believers that show the love of Jesus - The last few days, we have felt it.
Question - When you go on a Trip, what do you bring? Cause you know | you’ll Bring stuff back - Treva + America + Bring back Marshmellow’s.
Marshmello’s | Etc etc ETc |
Sometimes, When God asks you to step on HIS BUS | He wants you to LET GO of some things | He wants you to take some things, and He is going to give you some things |
Got those Non-Negotiables - Toothbrush etc.
It’s better to have less of what doesn’t matter, more of what does
One thing GOD wants us to take “A heart that is in tune with His”
Message Title: The essential thing you need to pack
**Pray**
Last week - Introduced the Year series | In Transit - On the Move | Big Faith where we are going |
Maybe explain
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
550 BC | Captivity | God saying c’cmon | use what I did to build faith but expect NEW THING | Don’t idolise old stuff | Use it, but don’t Idolise it | Forget the Former -Look Forward.
You don’t need to percieve it to believe it.
You need to know who He Is | The Isrealites FORGOT | Sometimes we can FORGEET | We have more faith in men failing than God succeeding.
If we are to go on Journey > Tcertain things we need to pack > Certain things we need to leave behind > Certain things we will GET | One thing is certain;
We need a heart for the will of God
Need HEART chases after, surrenders to, and in tune with the heart of God.
Was going to be FAITH STORIES - Coming - But God said STOP - make sure - We take right Luggage, leave behind what we do not need and we are prepared, for what God might do.
What we going to do? Gave us plan, New Plan | This what God does - CREATES - Overview of Jonah - Might Dive in Deeper in following weeks.
Context: Jonah was in “Kings” - 782-753 BC - Lived under Jeraboam - Evil - But God expanded Isreal - Means Jonah saw more of God’s grace than anyone else - Important . SO much more than “Fish Story”. Different to other prophets - Focuses on Jonah, not the message. Jesus referred to Jonah
Little Soundbites today - Let’s go.
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
On face of it; Jonah might be justified - Remmeber, Jonah, had already seen God’s grace work on Him and His People. Ninevites where Evil - Capital of Assyria - Conquer Isreal in next 30 years - Brutal cruel people -
Running was a BIG DEAL -
What was problem? Jonah couldn’t rationalise God’s Grace.
If you try and Rationalise it, You will run from it.
Adam and Eve - Serpent - Did he REALLY say - What is serpent doing - Asking them to RATIONALISE GOD - One of Values - Irrationally Generous - not just buzz word -state of heart. And it’s HARDEST, when you don’t understand = That’s the point.
Red sea - God said “Go Forward” - Where is God asking you to “Go Forward?”
Develop an attitude that says “It’s Ok that I don’t understand” or “It’s all G, if I don’t get it”
Instead of Rationalise = Look at who God is = All things for Good and ask “Who are you calling me to be” - Answer every time ;
“Disciple of Christ”.
So Jonah tries to Run - Gets on this Boat - (We gonna unpack this another time) - Storm hits - They all praying to their god’s - Jonah has antidote to Problem - Where Jona?
Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
Asleep - Captain merciful - Called him “Sleeper” | Pagans showed Him Grace | Jonah tells them his fault | They still say “Let’s row” - They cast Lots - Jonah got thrown overboard - And these Pagans worshipped the Lord - YWHW - Covenant God
Don’t underestimate the impact of one small act of Obedience
Jonah get’s thrown overboard - Big Fish - Rationalise - Turns story to Fiction - Stomach Acid - How? Oxygen, how? BUT GOD - Could be only fish ever created for THIS PURPOSE |
Jonah remembers what in fish? Grace that was given - Says this long prayer - Go through some of it at some point; Things like;
at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
Love for God huge - In the valley remembers | Get’s spewed out - want to be there.
God tells him “You blew it” - nope because God is PATIENT WIT YOU - Said ARISE - Go to CITY - He says - Yep, ok sounds groovy | Jonah 3:4
Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
What does he not do? Doesn’t call them to repent | Goodness of God | Mercy of God | Character of God | His Testimony | His experience |
Why? Wants to give them no way out | he wants to do the BARE MINIMUM to fulfil His assignment - Why?
Because deep down, Jonah didn’t want them to be saved but more importantly - Didnt want to give them the same grace he had recieved.
So what happened?
They repented | More than that | Sat in Sack cloth | King took off robes, sat in sack cloth, in ashes | Sack cloth, terrible itchy stuff | Begged God | Declared a Fast - Imagine this | They weren’t confident look
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
God remembers (acts on) his promise;
Jeremiah 18:7–8 (ESV)
If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
What does God do?
Acts on his promise
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
So Chapter 4 about Celebration | hapiness | no…
And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah sets up Booth - He still has Hope - Hope that God will destroy them | Sat there and said to God - See, I knew it - I knew you were merciful - They should have got what they deserved | Argh| take my life | Plant comes up, then God takes plant away - We going to go through that;
Inspo and Close
Inspo and Close
Jonah saw Isreal expand under evil Rule | Jonah saw Pagans show HIM GRACE (kept rowing, didn’t throw overboard), Remembered grace in Fish - But couldn’t extend Grace to the ninevites when they RECIEVED THE TRUTH.
It wasn’t enough - The root of Biterness was too Deep.
Here’s the point;
Remember the grace that pulled you out of the darkness - when you judge why they haven’t got a light on.
It has been a hugely difficult time - God has shown himself in extrodinary ways - But God asked me to let go of some stuff - And I think we need to let go of it together.
Going on a journey - Leave some things behind;
Fear | Bitterness | Judgement | Anxiety | Worry
Things we are taking;
Faith | Grace and Gratitude | Truth | Love | Unity | Honour
jesus unlike jonah, looked at us, amd instead of bitterness, he wemt to the cross.
We are going to get some things; Empty Suitcase.
When I was in the Hospital - Got doctors reports - Could have been 24 hours , longer, slow heart - Jesus said to me; “I am taking her home tonight”
I thought I would be angry | I had peace - Not minimising, One of the hardest things we are walking through as a family | but;
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Even there, Jesus was with me, and with Mum - Lead me, Held me, and I got to share the following passage in Mums finals moments, and we will do good to remember that this is God’s heart for all, and we should align with it. What’s the essential thing we need to take? a Heart that is in tune with God’s;
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.