Nowhere to Hide EFBC Church Service 2023.03.19

Are all of you who've been in prayer for Brad. Worser and his family. Those of you who could join with us last night, it was wonderful. Those who couldn't? I know that you were praying for him and it's an amazing story of God's Providence. I was just thinking is the deacons and I gathered to pray before service like we do and we're praying for him and how God has plans for him. It is going to be really fun to have Brad standing and share with us some day, how God has guided him and his family through that. Such an amazing, man, and an amazing testimony because of how he grew up in a work space system and found Christ as he turned to the word of God. And then let his entire family to Christ. It's just amazing and just an amazing testimony for him. I'd encourage you to continue to pray for them in the prayer really should be both praise and how God has guided him through this. I mean again I don't want to retell the story. You can I think they've got a pretty decent recap of it, on Facebook, anyway, on social media. So I but I've that's what I hear. So you can look there and I'm sure that it's things. Calm down and you can see that more but also continue to pray for him. This is no small thing, it is going to be a long road to recovery. Now he's still intubated, he's still sedated and those things just don't fix themselves overnight. One of the things somebody grabbed me before I came in here and I'll just remind you, if those some of you've already seen it, I think would like, no visitors for today. At least they're, they're just going through a lot of procedures. They have a large family and really is, I walked up here. I thought, what a great thing that you actually have to announce to your church family. No visitors, right? I mean that the problem is that too many people are coming. And so, I mean, that is it, that is a powerful testimony to how you love one another and that is what Christ says, right. They will know that you are my disciples. By how you love one another, that's the distinguishing feature or should be of Christ Church. That there is a little bit of a of another side though. 22 what happened with Brad? And I don't think we should miss this. For those of you who don't know, I mean the calls, first started coming in late Friday night if you had collapsed, he had no heartbeat and he wasn't breathing. And so that's how far he's come in just a day or two. But I thought of it do driving there and driving back and haven't seen Brad all with more tubes coming out of him. Then I've seen in a person before there is nothing more convicting. There should be nothing more convicting to us than death or near death, right? It should it should strike something in us because it's a reminder of the urgency of life. It's a reminder that every single breath we take and every beat of our heart is a gift from God. It's a gift from God. And yet, we know this Truth at its appointed for man to live once to die once and then comes judgment. So we know with 100% certainty that we will all stand before Christ. Someday we will do the need to his throne. And someone were confronted by these things, it just makes me think and it can fix me and more and more to proclaim the word of God because you know on that final day. Nobody will stand before Christ and stay in their mind. I wish I had prayed less and use that time for something else. Nobody's ever going to say, I wish I had denied, God his rightful worship on the Lord's day. I wish I had skipped church more often to spend it doing something else. No one was ever going to say. I wish I had spoken of Christ, the last with my children, and with my family members and talked more of sports, and hunting and fishing, and all of the distractions of life, We should be reminded of those things. Brad was a young man. We know that when we ask ourselves is not a one of us that can guarantee to another that we will be here tomorrow. They never expected to collapse and his family didn't expect him to collapse. So it's a reminder to us that no one's ever going to be justified saying, I waited. Right. I waited for a long time, I didn't want to become a member of a church and use my gifts to serve others. I was waiting for the perfect Pastor in that guy's not quite right and Friends. There's no perfect Pastor only Jesus Christ. The great Shepherd, the god-man, he's the only perfect Pastor. His word is perfect. Every man who stands in for claims that his fallible. I was waiting for the right structure. I'm not sure I can get on board with that governance and that guy or that there's no perfect Church. There's no perfect Church. We're not perfect. There's no perfect church. We do our best and we follow Christ. But no one's ever going to say that. I placed all my faith and trust in hope in the god-man. The Eternal Son of God who came in The Flash and suffered humiliation. And lived Among Us and suffered and died on the cross. I trust in him. I just don't want to be baptized. No one's going to feel good about that. No one's going to feel Justified about that baptism is a great gift to his people to the church. He commands Us in Matthew 28, go, therefore, and Make Disciples of all Nations, baptizing them, not the other way around. You doesn't command us to go out and baptize everybody. And then hope they become Believers. Go Make Disciples, a part of that process, part of that command. For all who follow Christ is to then be baptized, Jesus was clear. He was crystal clear, his word is Crystal Clear, you will find nothing else in scripture command. For all who trust in him for salvation. It's a privilege because we get to experience physically, and demonstrate to the world. Our Unity with Christ in his death, burial, and Resurrection. Powerful signaling. We worship him. When we see somebody go through this ordinance of baptism, because we know that they're following Christ. It's the initiatory step into a church. It unites all people together who follow Christ cuz it's an expression of our love for the Lord Jesus. He says, if you love me, you will obey my Commandments. We don't obey. We can't obey our way into heaven. Play Stripes up that urge the Holy Spirit does in our hearts to follow him and Obey him. So we follow him in baptism. We do it to express our love for Jesus and our desire to follow him to make public our Union with his death burial. And Resurrection are public Union with his people, his church. And we do that to let the world know that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ Alone, baptism. Has never saved anybody and it will never save anybody. It can't and we won't dwell on it, but I would just tell you, read Acts chapter, 8 sometime if you're struggling with that and see what happened with the baptized, Simon the Magician. Baptism is just an external sign of something. God has already worked in our hearts. He is already made us Knew by faith in Christ. It is his grace poured out upon us, we become a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come and so it gives us a picture. It gives us a physical representation of Salvation. Paul says, this in Romans 6, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ? Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried there for with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. We too might walk in newness of life. It's a symbol. It's a picture if given to us by God's grace. So that is we enter the water we die to self when we go under the water we're buried with him and we come out of that water. We come out new it's all symbolic of what he has done to save us. I'm so excited this morning. That Mary Bishop is going to be baptized going to join the church WIll presenter for membership after they are serving, such a wonderful thing and I would love to stand here and tell you why I think that, but she's actually going to come up and give her testimony. So let me pray for us and then we'll have Mary come out and share with you our gracious. Heavenly Father are merciful Lord, all that we can call upon you as father is such a privilege such a Grace that you have given to us because we know that that is true only because we are reconciled to you by the life death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Any changes your spirit given to all of your followers, who cries out to our spirit, that we are children of God that we can call you father? Baby cry out to you today. And both praise and And calling upon you for your mercy. are we know everyone of us that we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory, you've made us new in Christ. Thank you. We could not imagine such a Greater Grace such a Greater Mercy. We thank you for showing us signs and pictures of your Divine Providence over all things. Good evil They all come to work for your purpose to save your people. We're so grateful to see that even in a small way. That's so big to us in the life of Brad wormser. We do pray that you continue to see will work in his body and heal him. Promises her Mighty and Majestic. You needed us together in our mother's, womb, you numbered our days before as yet, there was even one of them. Are you laid up fireworks before you that those who follow Christ serve you and honor you and glorify you and praise you. And that is why we're gathered here today? Lord. So we pray that you will be glorified today that your spirit will work in our hearts and our minds. if a warship has Mary's baptized Are the angels of heaven with celebrate with us. Pray. This in Jesus name. Amen.

Good morning. You may know me as gra Bishop's Wife. My name is Mary. I'm here to profess my faith in God and be baptized. I've been a Lutheran my entire life. I was blessed with a home where we went to church on Sunday said, prayers at bedtime, before meals was involved. With Luther leg, went to Luther College. I do not remember the moment where I realized Jesus died for me. This knowledge was all around me. As I grew up, I remember as a single 20 year old going to church and getting security from the Liturgy because I knew my family was singing out of the same book. After I was divorced, and my two sons were grown. I moved back home to the family farm and to the congregation where I first learned, the Bible stories. My folks are gone. But when I went to church I could hear my mom. Sing my Dad, read the gospel lessons and see familiar faces from when I was a kid. I feared for the small country churches survival. I wanted more from my home congregation than what I was getting. They realized that they were content with what they were getting. This contentment seems to come from being baptized as an infant and confirmed as a youth. There seemed to be little searching little desire to have a greater relationship with God. So one could say they seem used to being malnourished and it seemed that their bodies were not able or ready to eat meat. I've come to Elgin Baptist for five and a half years, when Gary and I got married, we decided to take turns going to each other's churches. Debunker in Elgin, Baptist. Last November, I decided to go only to Elgin Baptist because we would miss out when we did not go. We would miss out on the sermons that provided us with meat, provided us with good dialogue from our pages of notes from the sermons. We would also miss out on the adult Sunday, school, that provided knowledge of the Old Testament. We are involved in a small group, so we were at a disadvantage when we did not hear the sermon five and a half years is a span of time. During that span of time, I got used to the long sermons.

The praise team and got to love the people.

But the biggest challenge for me was not getting accustomed to the different routines and worship. The biggest challenge for me was realizing things were not going to change for my home, Carnation at least in my lifetime. the wonderful things I saw at Elgin Baptist, I wanted first them under I had said Saturday night church services for one Summer lead. Different Bible studies and expressed my desire for the church to close friends. There my efforts did not go anywhere.

The question for me was and his, how do we spread the love of God? I believe it is in relationships that we spread the word of God to each other. By our conversations or actions. We spread God's love. Our conversations and actions come from our thoughts. We need to feed our thoughts, with the truth of the Bible. I know that I need the meet the sermons, give me at Elgin, Baptist iron sharpens iron. So I know I need the fellowship from Elgin, Baptist as a parent. And as a teacher, I know that life is a process of development, a profession of faith and baptism as an adult is the next step for me, in my face. Walk, I want to continue to learn and grow. I want the Bible to be a condiment or pipeline to guide. My thoughts and my actions. To my relationships. I want to spread the love of God. And I want to express my gratitude to all of you. For my girls and my face watch. Bible says to believe and be baptized, baptism represents the washing away of the old life and the start of a new life with God. I'm showing my obedience today by being baptized

Power on.

Great day. Mary. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God come in the flesh?

We believe that Jesus lived in perfect obedience and went to the Cross died, for your sins and Rose. Three days later from the grave. And if you placed your trust in your faith, in the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, and your Eternal salvation.

Mary. It is my great honor and privilege based on your profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And now baptize you in the name of the Father, the name of the song, and the name of the Holy Spirit and

You can stand and greet one another while they get the worship team, ready?

I don't know about you but my favorite. Why shouldn't see my favorite part? That's not good. One of my favorite parts of Mary's testimony. When I read it was getting used to Long sermons. I love that I love it and I am not to disappoint this morning, so,

It is a great way to start our worship time. This morning when we get to witness the ordinance of baptism. When we get to celebrate a child of God, which anybody with faith in Christ is walking in obedience to him, and following him in the baptismal, Waters, professing faith, and giving us that picture. We are returning to Jonah chapter one as we continue in the way of guess. Here, we preach through the books of the Bible here, we happen to be in Jonah and we're in Jonah, 1:1 ordnung, and so we're returning now to pick up the story where we see this Wayward Prophet, who is broken fellowship with God by his Disobedience, he has disobeyed, the very clear commands of God, commands of God, given to him by his word, which we all actually have. So we don't really turn to a book like Jonah to learn about this eighth Century, BC profit and we don't really turn their to learn what happens to the sailors on the boat. We don't really turn to Jonah to see what happens to the ninevites. We go there. Like we go to all of Holy scripture to learn about God, to learn about who he is and who we are. And where we fit the question 3 of the Westminster Shorter. Catechism asked what do the scriptures principally teach and the answer is the scriptures principally. Teach what man is to believe about God and what Duty God requires of man. The two things we learn, we learn God and we learn how we are to relate to God. God has revealed himself to us so that we can know him and so that we can walk with him so that we can walk pleasing to him. And all of life's toughest questions are answered when we turn to God. Proverbs 17 says, the fear of God is the beginning of all knowledge to fear, God is to worship God to obey God. And to do these things, we must know God, because knowing god is where all of the joy of Life comes from the Prophet. Jeremiah says that says, the Lord. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let nothing by team and post. It is might let not the rich man ghost in his riches, but let him who boasts boasted in this that he understands and knows me Did I am the Lord? Who practices steadfast love Justice and righteousness in the Earth. Did you know God is the Pinnacle of all creation. The Jesus said this is eternal life that they know you. The only God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent as our chief aim. That's a truly know. God, we have to turn to his words that are spoken to us in the Holy Bible. And we left off last week with a very groggy Jonah being woken up in the bowels of a ship, the captain crying out to him, the ship was soon to be destroyed by the hand of God, is he at her? All the storm upon the sea And I'm going to begin. Reading our text in verse 6. Actually, we covered it last week because it's going to give us a clue. We're going through 4:16 this morning as to, what's going on with Jonah, B. What gives you a clue, is what you do? Not see. What you do not see in these verses is prayer. Donut never calls out to God In Prayer. He does not pray until chapter 2. Our text beginning and verse 6. So the captain came and said to him. What do you mean you sleeper arise? Call out to your God, perhaps the God will give a thought to us that we might not perish and they said to one another, let us cast lots that we may know on whose account, this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots in the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him at tell us on whose account, this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? Where is your country? What is your country and of what people are you? And he said to them, I'm a Hebrew and I fear the lord, the god of Heaven who made the sea in the dry land. And the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, what is this that you have done for the men? Knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord because he had told them then they said to him. What should we do to you that the CMA quiet down for us but it's Nedra more and more tempestuous. He said to them, pick me up and hurled me into the sea then to see will quiet down for you. For I know it is because of me that this great Tempest is come upon you. Never the last two men. Rode hard to get back to dry land, but they could not for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them and therefore they called out to the Lord. Oh Lord, let us not perish. For this man's life and laying out on us. Innocent blood for you. Oh Lord have done as it please. You. So they picked up Jonah and hurl them into the sea and the Sea ceased from its raging. And the men feared, the Lord exceedingly and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows let's pray. Heavenly Father, we approach your word with all. Humility that right at the Spirit illuminates, your text to our hearts. That it guides our life and shapes are thinking draws ever nearer to our Lord. Jesus Christ, Our Lord in our savior. Replacing Jesus name, amen. We know that the Book of Jonah is ultimately about God. We have covered that already a couple of times, it is a historical series of events that discloses to us, God's ultimate sovereignty. His control over every single aspect of his creation and yet it points to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You get this, the perfect display of God's holiness. Are you seeing that? That he is both just and merciful at the same time? He is both love. But the outpouring of his holy love is God's Wrath and he is a God who will never lose a single child of him and he will pursue us and he will discipline us at times, but he will always achieve his Redemptive plan for humankind through Jesus Christ. So we look at Jonah is historical event and when we do we look backwards, right? We look Way backwards to remember how God has spoken and how God has acted in his creation and we actually do that because God has commanded us to do that and Isaiah 46. He says, remember this and stand firm remember what God has done. Remember what God has said and stand firm, the more you remember the god, you serve the less you will be prone to compromise. Remember this in stand firm. Recall it to mind you transgressors. Remember, the former things of old for? I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like We look back at the story of Jonah because there is only one God. So we looked there to know him and will cover our text. You have this in your bulletins, underfloor heading into the light, the great confession, the wages of sin and saving grace. Because it's our texts and folds this morning. What you see is Jonah moving, really, being drugged out of the darkness and into the light that he had fled the presence of God. We know he had put himself willingly into spiritual darkness. That no longer was he surrounded by God's people, right? They couldn't remind him of the goodness of God, the Perfection of God, what God had done and call him back into obedience pointing to God's Mighty Works. He had separated himself from the people so that he could try and forget and flee, the presence of God. Same thing people do today when they flee the church, when the word of God can fix them. Get physically moved into darkness as well. And you see this in the story, he'd gone down into the inner part of the ship, he had closed his eyes, he was falling asleep, but that wasn't the end of things. It's never the end of things because there is no peace to be found in hiding from God, and seeding our sins. Try as we might, and we all try to keep them secret, to keep them concealed in the dark. There's a worthy phrase that was spoken by Moses. As he warns the tribes of Reuben and God, before he entered the promised land in numbers 32. Accepted their promises. He reminded them to keep their vows to the Lord, but he warns this in verse 23, but if you will not do so behold, you have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out. Be sure your sin will find you out. And that we all live with Ryan, too, many of you and will know. I don't know if they still make kids, read it in school anymore. The old Edgar Allan Poe, tell Stories to Tell Tale Heart. He'd murdered somebody had hidden the body under the floorboards of the house and please come and they try to interview in they're actually sitting right on top of the body but his guilty conscience knows what he has done and he starts hearing the beating of the heart in his head he hears it so clearly and so loudly that he is convinced that the police hear it and he's fine he blurts out his confession. That's the story in a nutshell. Your sin will find you out until you 10. Jonah felt nice, he's in the bowels of the ship. He thought he'd escape the captain asked him to pray. He doesn't seem to pray. He seems to just follow the captain up into the light of the upper decks of the ship. He's out of the darkness. And I suspect his heart was beating, he's not walking onto a column shift, he's working walking onto a ship, about ready to sink in the stormy seas and the sailors who are fearing for their lives. We read last week, they done every single thing that they could imagine. They would lighten the ship of its cargo. They prayed to their useless, false gods, their idols. And they knew that this storm was different than it was a result of an Angry God sending a storm upon the Seas. And so, this story picks up. Now, with them, casting lots because it had to be someone's fault. It needed to be someone's fault verse 7 says, they said to one another, let us scatter slots that we may know on whose account, this evil has come upon us and had to be someone's fault. And it could not be their own ain't nobody. Could admit that they were the one at fault for so many Lessons In Jonah, we could park here all morning cuz we can't miss seeing just a little bit of ourselves. And the actions of the Pagan Sailors, hate just a little bit, but maybe even of the church, people try to hide their sins that are tempted to hide there. Since we all are tempted in that regard to flee the presence of Christ in his church. we do that because of what Christ has done, Reminded of who he is and John 3 and it says, this is the Judgment. The light Christ has come into the world and people love the darkness rather than the light because their Works were evil. For everyone. Who does wicked things hates the light? Does not come to the light. That's just works. Should be exposed, that's the challenge for all of us, such as the power, the convicting power of the holy spirit, in the word of God. When we submit ourselves to the Light of Christ and exposes it, it cause us to our knees in Repentance against this. Right? We're always looking for something external to blame some other sinner, who is worse than us? Every single person I don't think I've ever met somebody that even a Resolute atheist, who won't admit that they aren't perfect. But everybody knows this intuitively. We know, are we know it deep down inside. We all know that we sin, we all know that we've done wrong. We all know that we've set things wrong, we all know that we've thought things wrong. We're also all very good at deceiving ourselves, a little tiny bit with self-righteousness, might not think of it that way, but we kind of do cuz we think to ourselves that we've done something wrong but nothing so wrong. That it would ever deserve. God's Wrath on me, never something so wrong. That it would deserve God's discipline, never something. So wrong, that it would deserve God's judgment upon his church or upon a nation. Know, it must be the fault of somebody else. Those evil Wicked Dewar's. It couldn't be me. Because we often start their the emotion, we feel when things happen in our lives and around us sit, many become angry with God, a sin. Send me, forget that, he's perfectly good, he's perfectly Jost, he's perfectly. Holy and where none of those things. This is the reason why the gospel must be proclaimed to us everyday to Believers first, then unbelievers and it must be proclaimed in all its truth, with no compromise. And this is what God had called. Jonah to do, go and Proclaim to the ninevites. They're pending destruction. If they did, not repent and turn to God, cuz anyone who's dolled up to the terrible offense of sin against God will naturally look anywhere else other than the saving person and work of Jesus Christ to get them out of it. I just don't see it. It's only when someone sees the Perfection of God his perfect Justice, understands his wrath, that is necessary against all sin than a person's then going to surrender his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ to drink that Full Cup of Wrath for all who will follow him. Now, these Pagan men they couldn't see that they weren't convinced that someone on board could help them in that way. They knew that someone who defended God and so it tells us that they cast lots. If you don't know what those are. You see that all throughout the Old Testament just thank yourself. Throwing dice is probably the easiest way to think about it. They had little stoned or little bones that were different colors. They would, you know, you think of what men wore the, the long gown things. I don't know if they're called, but when I sat down they spread out so they cast lots into the laugh if they're there, right? Close to the cast of those and depending on what came up, they would try to discern the will of God, and that, that work because it was impartial, then it wasn't just because I liked you. So I'm Let you pass, and I'm going to choose this. They cast lots. And before we go any further, I should know you do not need to go to the lot store after church. This is, this is not the way to find out the will of God for you, and you turned to his word, we're warned against the practice of divination. That is looking at Signs That season, like saying hat, the cloud moves that way. I know God wants me to do this. We are told not to do that. And never, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost, have we seen any example of the church relying on Lots, right? This is predated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they cast lots. There's no such thing as chance, we know. There's no such thing as luck, their Pagan Concepts and Jonah knows he's not going to escape notice Proverbs, 16 tells us why the lot is cast into the laugh. At every decision is from the Lord is providential hand is on every aspect of life. I doubt that Jonah was sitting there thinking of the verse in numbers, be sure your sin will find you out, but he knew it and you can only imagine how he felt if these Sailors started casting lots because he knew why the storm have been hurled upon the sea. He knew why everyone was just about ready to die lyrics for says, no creature is hidden from the sight of God, but all are naked and exposed the eyes of him to whom we must give account and Jonah had to have been feeling very naked and very Exposed on that back. He knew his sins and here he was, he was the only has realized he was the only Hebrew among the group of pagans. He was very far away from his people and he was very far away from God in a spiritual sense. It was God's will. That Jonah be exposed to text says the lot fell on Jonah. So what do you do? If your Jonah in that moment, there's nowhere to run. There's nowhere to hide. These are not your people. You're on a sinking ship with unbelievers, but, you know, the truth. All eyes are pointed at you in the questions, come fast and furious, and we shouldn't be surprised. These men are about ready to die and they look at this man is Hebrew that they do not know, and they stayed on his account. This evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What's your country? But what people are are, you remember are pagans or polytheistic? They're thinking themselves. We've prayed to our false god. They've done nothing to help us. You being from a certain country, must have a different God. What did he do? And don't even try to hide at this point. He saw the hand of God at work. Too powerful for him. Instead makes the great confession or second Point. There's nine. He said to them, I'm a Hebrew and I fear the lord, the god of Heaven who made the Sea and the dry land. This is not a generic profession that this is not just point to an unknown, God like all paths lead to the same. Remember when you see Lord and small-caps in your Bible it's translating the Hebrew name of God that he has chosen to reveal to us your way. That's very relevant to these people. He said I fear Yahweh, not some unnamed, God, it's relevant to them. I might argue. It's relevant today as you see more and more and more people trying to profess but whether or not you believe in in a Hindu god or Allah or whatever, that that God will just understand and accept worship, he will not, he will not That's the old testament's about that. So he breaks his profession that these people who believe in many gods and he is proclaiming faith in the one true Living God, The God Who has revealed himself as the great, I am always existing perfectly self-sustaining, The God Who made the sea in the dry land, he says. And that's just like saying I looked high and low, right? It's saying he created everything and Jonah says he fears the Lord, he fears the Lord. It's not like shaking in your boots, afraid when you see this term, not not in most cases in scripture and certainly not hear what it does. Is convey the sense of worship of true worship of approaching God, knowing who we are and who he is and what he has done to save us, approaching him with reverence and respect and trust and being awestruck by his glory and his majesty and his power. He is God, there is no other. This is exactly the same way. Christians must approach, God, but we approach him through the saving work of Jesus Christ. The door has been opened but he still, he's not your grandpa and he's not your buddy up in the sky. He is the creator of all things and he's not only revealed himself as the Creator but his, the Redeemer for, he saves his people through his son. That's our God. But he is a righteous God. He is a holy God. He will leave no sin unpunished. Every single sin will be punished. The question that we have to ask ourselves in face is who will pay the price. Will you pay the price for your sin? I will you trust in the one who's paid it for you. The Lord Jesus Christ. Because God, who is both just and holy also promises to save and forgive all who turned to Jesus Christ and trust him and follow him the pagans on this, but they did not know God, but Jonas profession was very clear that. He's the Creator. He's the ruler of all things. It was somewhat ironic. Isn't it to see Jonah? In this current state making such a wonderful testimony? I need some great disobedience is not in fellowship with God. Did you see that God starts to use this? Because we worship The God Who works all things, according to the counsel of, his will everything good and evil, he is the Lord God and he says, whatever the Lord pleases he does in heaven, and on Earth in the seas and all the Deets on 135 and God is about to show that with his power over this storm. She wants to see his superintending Providence at work here because he is going to see to it that his Redemptive purposes are going to be accomplished even in the face of a very stubborn and a very disobedient. Child like Jonah verse 10 tells us the men were exceedingly afraid. After this confession and they said, what is this that you have done? cinnamon knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because you told them, That he had opened up to them about this, so they knew and the sailors react in a way that's kind of interesting. It should be interesting to us. Why are they now exceedingly afraid? That this testimony simply professed that he feared, he worshipped Yahweh, the one true Living God and they were exceedingly afraid the Hebrew here, as they feared, a great fear. They were truly afraid. Now, Jonah head, not only told them who got is to text tells us, he told them what he had done, he had been running from this God who you profess to be the creator of all things, he was rebelling against the god of the universe. He's rebelling against the God who rules providentially over land and sea and all of his creation and who's he professing it to don't miss this, these are Sailors. They travel the ports all over. I have surely heard at least something of this Hebrew, God! Yahweh wasn't this. The God Who killed all the firstborn in Egypt and then parted the Red Sea to save his people was this the god who caused the sun to stand still in the sky. So that Joshua could decimate the amorites. I remember this other story. This is a list of the god I believe who levelled the walls of the great City Jericho it allowed his people to go wipe it out. What's this? Not The God Who had parted the Waters of the Jordan River so that his people could enter the promised land and defeat, all of the pagans just like these Sailors. Hate of God. This is a powerful. God. He evokes fear in these men who do not know him. They had to have heard some of the stories and they shout? What is this that you have done. What have you brought upon us? They expressed greater fear for the god that they did not know. Then Jonah expressed for the God that he knew so well. This is actually something that should hit us a little bit. That's kind of what happens to us. We become so familiar with God's grace, which is a good thing, God's love for us, which is a good thing. But sometimes we become so accustomed to that, that we lose all reference, all respect for the Majesty of God, for the beauty of Jesus Christ. What are they actually do to save you? And I, you see this in surveys, you can look to see surveys on that's on what a new convert to Christ. They are so excited to share the gospel. But what surveys consistently show is it after two years of being a Christian It becomes extremely rare for a Believer to speak of Christ to anyone. We wonder sometimes when we look at the world around us. Why does the world have no fear of God? Why are they rebelling like they do? I'm going to suggest to you, it is because there is so little fear of God in Christ Church. We're used to it, there's no way for the world to know the beauty of Christ in the fear of God until it's demonstrated by the people who actually know God by Me and You, by people who can go out and Proclaim that message that you can be saved by grace through faith, in the Lord, Jesus Christ turn to him. These Sailors were exceedingly afraid because they saw the outworking of God in the life of Jonah. They saw when we don't often get to see the power of God working in this situation. When the world sees that in the people of God, they begin to ask questions. They begin to know something about Christ. Jonah had made this bold and true profession of who got, is he confessed his sin at least to be Sailors but what didn't happen? This set things, right? Do the storm didn't stop, the storm, keep raging away, the risk of death, didn't go away for these Sailors. And so the fear in this men and these men is getting worse and worse. It's escalating in the face of God's righteous anger and is perfect holiness. Is God can't ignore sent these perfect. It has to be a tone for it has to be paid for. God's Wrath must be a peast. Hebrews 9 tells us without the shedding of blood. Without the death of a substitute, there is no forgiveness of sins. Take us to our next heading the wages of sin. And hopefully, you can see this begins to start pointing to the work of Christ. If Jonah had made the same profession in calm seas, and they're sitting out there on the deck basking in the sun floating around, on a glassy sea, you think it would have caused any fear that any impact it all on these men pay? Just by the way, I worship Yahweh. He created all of this. I think they would have done what so many people do today. That's great for you. Your truth, Your Truth. My truths, my truth. You worship. Your God, I'll worship my God. But that's not what happened. But that is kind of what happens today. If you just go up to a people person and you think that you're reaching him, a half gospel and you just say, hey, you don't like, Jesus loves you unconditionally. It's best. You make them feel good. Most likely you'll just make him feel indifferent. They won't care. I mean most people generally think, why wouldn't he? I'm not as bad as that guy. I'm pretty good. But you have to tell a person, the truth. Then indeed their sense of separated them from a holy God, that they will experience the very fair and eternal punishment of God is rat is fiery for all eternity for every sin, every single sin, they committed, but God loves them. Does he love you? And he loves you enough to send a substitute to stand in your place, he will give his own son for you, and he will pour out his wrath on his son, or there will be punishment for your sin, but you need not bear it, you just ask message. And suddenly, people of the Gospel, They can understand. So do you see something missing in? What Jonah has told these men? He professes God's power, he professes his sovereignty, he professes his Dominion all good so far but he never points these men to Salvation. He never points them to God's grace, he never calls them to repent. He doesn't call them to cast their Idols overboard. He doesn't call them to turn from Sandy. Doesn't call them to cry out to a merciful. God who will hear And that was the message. He was supposed to give all along the ninevites because they were facing the same certain destruction. But you want to just sit there. He keeps silent with these Pagan Sailors. We're about ready to die because of him. Let me just suggest to you that is because he's holding on to say that he's still in active Rebellion against God. Our witness for Jesus Christ. Absolutely drowns in our own hypocrisy. When we love our sin more than we love. Jesus Christ, B, it becomes virtually impossible for us to spit out the words, but you should repent of sin when we know. We won't repent of ours and we're going to hang on to it and hide it and we become so extraordinary week then and calling people to repentance for the Forgiveness of sins and eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, which is such a wonderful message and such a gift from God. I said we kind of thing to ourselves. I'll hang on to it. My sin is different, it's not that bad. Let me go reach that Center. His or hers are way worse than mine, not the way it works. Sin. Always pays its wages and always pays its wages. You don't actually get to hang on to it or donate it for free. The only place, you can leave your sin for free is at the foot of the cross of Christ. Did you call out to him for mercy and forgiveness because God has spoken? He says what the wages of sin is death. Now for sailors, They couldn't run down and grab their Bible and look and say what what what does God have to offer? What must I do to be saved? If he's not at Pentecost talking to Peter and screeching where the men? Cried out, what must we do to be saved and he says, we're kind belief be baptized. Now, they don't have that benefit, they can't look like we can if both the warnings in the promises of scripture, but they are in the midst of a prophet of God, with this time, spoke God's word, so in verses 11 and 12, they say to Jonah, what, what do we do? How can we get to see to quiet down for us to see kept getting more and more tempestuous stormy? I did and he said to them, pick me up and hurled me into the Seas. He'll quiet down for you for I know it is because of me that this great Tempest has come upon you. Jonah knows, right? Jonah knows the wages of sin is death. Just like we did that, he knows god well he's a prophet of God, he knows what God has revealed himself in Exodus 34, right? We know this well he's he's merciful, he's gracious, he's slow to anger is a bounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin. This Is Our God but who will by no means clear the guilty. Never He wouldn't be just, you wouldn't be God. You cannot Overlook one single sin because if he leaves it on punished it means he's on. Just it means he's unfair. It means he's no longer gone. Don't do this, he knew God's holiness, he was a prophet. He was very, very familiar with the fact that to atone for sin, you needed a substitute. You lived in the time, we're guarded Institute of the sacrificial system, which points, of course, to the once for all sacrifice made for sins by Jesus Christ, on the cross, and whom we trust in place. All of our hope in our faith. But that comes later, what Jonah new. Was it once a year, the Hebrews recognize the day of atonement, and Two Goats were chosen, and lots were cast in one. Lot would choose a goat for the Lord and it would be sacrificed. But the other lot fell on what we call the scapegoat, Escape. We use that term all the time and Leviticus 16 says that go till, they're all their sins on itself and you send it to a remote area are in the high priest would take it out and let it go. There's no place more remote right than the depths of the sea. But it would bear the sins of the people. God's anger. But Jonas and Taylor sins and needed to be appeased and Jonah would essentially become the scapegoat cast me overboard. But don't see in this ennoble exercise of Jonah, it's actually a bit of a negative message here because in these lines you actually see instead the hardened heart of Jonah. He does not pray. Once you see him call out to God you do not see him repent you do not see him, ask for God's worst Mercy, you never see him in his testimony, recognizing the God has done nothing but good and that there never was and never would be anything that God would do. That would justify his Disobedience to God.