February 16, 2020 Covenant

Best of what the Old Testament reading should be I presume that when Rick asked me to fill in for him that he did not want me to try to preach his message because ministers have a unique way of wanted to preach the text. So my guess is that he will continue on his serious on Psalms. And so you get to come into the middle of a series that I'm preaching at Allegro on the Book of Jonah. for those of you who forget all you can remember is your children's picture Bibles with the little bubbly whale swallowing Jonah the story of Jonah basically is That there was a prophet of God and Israel who was a National Treasure. He love to proclaim the goodness of God and to make prophetic utterances about God's pleasure in his people and and both his prophecies. If you look real test when I find his his prophetic work outside of the book of this story, you'll find they're all positive and he likes that it's it's kind of the what we see in our modern world. Is there a lot of ministers who want to tell you the good news, but they want to soft-pedal the bad news and That was a way Jonah was someone God said go to none of them and tell them how rotten I know how right they are. I don't like them. I don't want the guy to be nice to them. I don't want to be that person so he took off not Easton of the West. to the uttermost parts of the world add a new recall. He got on board a ship or ship that was manned by idolaters from different nations eat with his own tribal God and with a storm came up and I started to pray this until none of our God's are answering. Where is the guy that is on board and Jonah was asleep brought him up and said you need to pray to your God and he said guys, I'm sorry. That won't work. I'm running away from my God. He and I are not speaking. And this is what we do. You say said when you throw me overboard. Have evenings idolator didn't want to do that thing cast the cargo over the slide to lighten the load. And they said but we don't want to throw you overboard. He says it's the only thing that will work. This storm is my fault throw me overboard and the storm will cease and so they finally did and then Waters even though Jonah was the one in stem Queen from God. They started praying to the god of Israel and made a sacrifice our god of Israel. I just love to know what happened to those guys, but the store for them ends there because then Jonah swallowed by a great fish and I had your heart original sometimes they can you say such and such and we feel like we're back in kindergarten but we he wants to repeat it a couple weeks ago. I have them repeat at Allegro do this. If you must it was not a whale it was a fish. It was not a whale it was a fish it matters because people to say hello is too small to swallow a man. Yeah, you're right and Jonah was in the belly of the fish. And the fish was coming down with Jonah says for the very roots of the mountain the Taps of the sea, they cried out. They cried out closing almost everything. He said in Chapter 2 was a paraphrase or a combination of bits and pieces of the songs. He started quoting the hymns of the church in that day. And finally chapter 2 as Jonah repents and seeks to serve God and be obedient to him. The closest with these profound and poetic words and the fish vomited him out upon dry land. Now that's the way to end a sermon isn't it and know the fish vomited him out. other Island restart chapter 3

We not only remember the thing defied way that he was deposit on the shore, but it's starting to not afraid. Dignified way for a prophet of God who's going on a sacred mission to pick himself up out of this pool of slime the seaweed hanging off of him and him smelling.

And with all the dignity that he can muster heading toward the worst place in the world for a Jew the city of Nineveh.

We are there certain cities that just forever have the stench of sin about them. When it when I say Sodom and Gomorrah, do you say what a lovely place to visit or nothing this God destroyed it. tyre and sidon No, thank you.

How about Babylon the Great? No, thanks. And then if I had that concept Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria and Jose Pagan city as a capital city represented the entire Empire the Assyrians and it was ruled by idolaters. It was inhabited by those who prayed to a fault. God named they gone now if you are students of the Old Testament, you might say that sounds familiar. Someone else worship Vega who was that? It was the Philistines. And you remember that when Samson was captured by the Philistines? All he wanted to do was have an opportunity to bring the temple down on top of Dagon. You may also remember that when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and put it in their Temple every morning they went in and they got has fallen flat on his face the statue of falling over he'll finally fell over and it broke. Some people never learn the ninevites never learned until Jonah arrived. They were shoved a goddamn Dagon was the The Fish Man fisherman The Fish Man part man part fish. I was their belief that from time to time they Gandhi Fishman would be brought to the land to make great pronouncements and speak Oracles of Truth to his worshippers. But what would you do if you are at the beach? And all of a sudden a ginormous fish came up in the shallow water and barfed up a human being. Alive and well a little bit smelly but alive and well would you say well that's interesting. Let's go have lunch or would you be telling people? If it's that interesting, it's not even gossip. It's just you'll never believe what I saw something that travels faster than a profit on foot. Is gossip and a good story? My guess is by the time that Jonah got to Nineveh. The story of him being barfed up upon the shore from the belly of a fish had already gotten none of them and my time Jonah got there to the fact. There was no problem identifying just from the aroma. Of the Prophet that this was the guy we were talking about. It's interesting that God's way of preserving jono, which was humiliating and frightening to Jonah in some perverse Way open the gates and then of it to him. Because they took into quite possibly be the manifestation of their God. You can claim to be better if he came to totally destroy their Pagan ways and tell them the truth of God. Maybe I would have seen thing is that none of us was a 3-Day Walk to get from one side of the city to the other. I don't think I've ever been any place interesting enough where I want to walk 3 days to see the whole city. But it gives you an idea of the expanse of that City. It was a a megalopolis in his day and Jonah who you was just three days in the belly of a whale irony walks one third of the way into the City and he pauses Anna Begins to proclaimed Oracle of God the bad news of God that he didn't want to Proclaim and but he does and he called and he said yet forty days and then I shall be overthrown. Pause here and think for a minute. He's really deep into the city. There's no easy Escape for him. But never bites were known for their violence their cruelty against their enemies and those who would speak against their God and yet here is this profit from Israel a despised enemy and then invite and he comes in to the city surrounded by these idolaters and cries out 40 days and then about will be destroyed.

And the amazing thing is we begin to see the beginning of national repentance. in the Assyrian Empire capital city these people who have despised the god of Israel. Sing Jonah most likely thought he was there on behalf of their Idol. Heard and something touch them. What are things to remember is that Nations don't repent. Repentance is a personal change. That we love to say that America is a Christian country or it was at its founding at least but the reality is is there such thing as a Christian country. There's a country inhabited by Christian people a country that is Guided by Christian principles, but a nation cuz I have a belief of its own it has the belief of its people that's all we talked about National repentance and Assyria. What we talkin about is enough people who changed their minds about the guy they will serve they change their minds about what they believe they turn away from the idolatry and common humble themselves before the one true and living God. That's what happened to Netflix. only individuals can repent but when sufficient numbers of them begin to change the way that they live change the way of their beliefs gradually the whole complexion Invasion changes even among those who don't have a particular religious beliefs. We've seen that through church history. great Awakenings of this country revivals in England I'll tell him it Allegro. They looked at me like they didn't believe what I was telling them and I guess they cannot study church history, but there was a Revival and Awakening if you will, England. In the cold country among the miners that was so overwhelmingly successful of these miners these these hard-drinking swearing miners came to Christ in such great numbers that the bars in northern England closed for lack of business. Now that doesn't mean that Christianity always manifests itself with temperance. But it's hardly manifest itself with a reduction in drunken. We would hope they were so intoxicated if you will with their new faith in Christ. Do they have no need a hang out at bars. This is where they went to ground their problems and get over the labors of the day instead. You know what they use the bars for worship They were having a prayer meetings there the sales of liquor declined, but the priest. And it started a domino effect that changed the culture of that entire nation for a season. That repentance is always individual. But when enough turn back to God something happens to the nation and that's why the story of Jonah and the end of it is so important because we also could use a massive Revival in our nation. so what happened and then Ava well individuals in large enough numbers were so touched by the power of His Proclamation that they began to pray and fast.

It was a real Bible that went across every socioeconomic grouping and then Ava it went through the the working-class folks. The slaves and servants all the way up to what you call the aristocracy because that's the way that the word eventually got to the king himself. You know the average Joe in the street does not get an audience with the King but it travels through enough people to wear the message finally got to the throne room of none of us. And that's when the king responded and the believe what he was hearing. And he proclaimed the entire city a time of prayer and fasting. We're told that the king himself put on sack cloth as the people out in the city had done when they heard and began the process of repentance. And in our modern-day world, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Because we don't went when we are grieving and we go to a funeral service or we go to a visitation and they're surrounded by people. We put on decent clothing because we're meeting with people for the ancient world grief grief for once in Will always marked by taking off your normal clothing and your best clothing and the clothing that makes you proud of your appearance and put it on basically burlap burlap bags. like the worst popper and sitting in the dust and grieving people grieving for lost but grieving also and repentant would throw ashes up in the air it would land on their heads or throw dust of the head and it was a way of basically saying I am nothing but the Dustin ashes of ruin I am nothing more than a creature that was formed from the dust of the Earth. I didn't buy present condition. That's exactly where I will return. I have nothing I worth nothing. And it is an act of humility and the King. Do you want to do this up? Right because his city was at risk and he commanded everybody to pray and fast and wear sackcloth ashes including the animals. Now that really taking it away. I used to read that as well. That's silly. But now we're living in a culture where you turn on a commercial around Christmas time and they're showing you what clothing you should put on your dog. And I think it was part of crazy as I thought if we want our dogs to wear Christmas outfits, I guess it's natural for them to want their animals to wear grieving and repentance Tire. Bubba cover the animals in burlap The animals did not eat or drink in the people do not eat or drink and they went to prayer prayer and notice when you read this passage later. It doesn't just say they pray it so it doesn't say they pray to their God and your Bible is a capital G. They into that lie new the god that Jonah was talking about and they prayed to the god of Israel most of them for the first time their lies. They called out to The God Who created the entire universe. and though the beginning of repentance start in the street. We took the throne room without his Proclamation and little by little people with great sincerity as well as those who are simply obeying the king took on an attitude of repentance and humility. No, we read this sometimes.

And we say it was this a real story or is this one of an analogy story? Is this like a morality play the teachers us need repentance. Well, my answer that first of all, if we believe that this is God's word and he doesn't say that this is a parable we can take it as literal history. But in case you're wondering archaeologists and historians have found the Scrolls of the Assyrian Empire and the the Regal Royal history of the kings of Navarre. And you might be interested to know that history says that the Assyrian King. I'll be there re 3rd, you know him.

between 810 and 782 BC some of his writings in history use evidence of a submarine model theistic religious Revolution. the concurs with the time of Jonah

People say oh you got to you got to show me. I'm not going to resume agent document the people wrote. You got to prove it to me. I believe in science archaeology Society. And that's why it says this took place. And by the way, little sidebar, did you know that according to Egyptian history not Biblical history in Jefferson history. There was a time when the first born of all Egypt died suddenly overnight. And there's also a time and it Gyptian historical documents that say there was a sudden interest in monotheism that they were a group of people in Egypt who had discarded all the many gods of Egypt and they were worshipping one God the creator of all the universe. I believe they refer to him as I'm on which means like that interesting and the only reason I didn't is because the Priestly cultures of the pagan gods of Egypt rose up took over military might and destroyed the leaders of the monotheistic movement, but the history is still there. God always finds people in the midst of idolatrous land and when he does they begin a movement. One heart repents and another one repents and little by little things begin to move like a wave of Revival and that's what happened with Jonah. And we're even told the order of events that caused this to take place on such a huge City wide-scale the first thing we see. in this process of a community or national repentance is humility. I asked questions at at Allegro and most of them do not answer. I think they think it's all rhetorical or they're afraid of getting the wrong answer. So I won't ask a question. If I'm just curious how many of you know the edible logical route for the word humility.

You go like this then. How many of your gardeners? When you compost to enrich the soil and you you mix in the manure and all the organic matter and that rich soil is known as hummus. Hummus the basic substance of growing it's the soil growth. And that is the root for which we get humility. It's coming back to the recognition that in and of ourselves as we are and all of our fallen this that we are just the dust of the earth temporarily in the physical form and we go right back to what we were it's almost a universal concept we say well we understand it because that's what God Said to Adam from the dust you were made to the dust we will return but it seems to be a concept by people of every religious background on no religious background. He will say your pilot chemicals. And last time we didn't ask you what you're worth at 40 bucks.

That's pretty good. It would only work 20 when I was younger. So I'm getting more valuable as time goes on.

The humility is the recognition that in and of myself. I have nothing to offer God. But I am nothing compared to the one who created me.

The king call Rick humility the people call for humility. The sackcloth and Ashes was that demonstration that says as I throw the ashes and dust on my head, I declare I am nothing but a ruin simple person that have no Value with which to go before my God. particular god of the universe There's nothing that I can put on that makes me look decent. So I will wear sackcloth. I will recognize how basic and worthless. I am apart from God and that's the key. In God's heart. We are infinitely valuable away from God. We have no intrinsic worth. Because we live we die.

And we are forever absent on the presence of God. The next day it happened after the humbling themselves was they were called upon to pray and the king of his evic says. Do them call out my delay to God and again capital G. It is not big on there's not any of the other Idols it is the god of Israel the god of their enemy.

And they begin to pray and they praise with one voice. They pray for mercy. But more than anything else in their prayers, they are recognizing who is God and who is not they are not valid before their idle. They are bowing before the Unseen god of the universe and there are praying. And they're seeking God, but what does it mean to seek God? Your God says his word seek by face. What does that mean? Well first it means to believe that he is very very real. He is not some abstract concept he is real and he is personal at all heart when we repent begin to desire him and a desire to know him. I love that passage in in 1st Corinthians 13, which we sometimes think I was a great wedding scripture about love. But I like the in part of it as well where Paul says. All these other things will cease but here's the reality we see now through a mirror dimly. Allegra folks, but I got to the parking lot there. I need to put on my allegro badge with Will magnetic badge and I'm not very coordinated. So I need to see what I was doing. I got out of the car and I looked at the side window of my car, which is it. And I had just this vague outline and I'm at that age where of a outline is just fine. Thank you. I don't need to see too much detail, but I saw my outline I could see the contrast in my shirt the dark I had off and I can see where to put that that bad. But I really couldn't tell you it's almost had to take a look and see what color are your eyes.

Is your hair comb I really can't tell I'm seeing a very vague image. Because it is an imperfect mirror and Paul says we see God through this glass of his mirror Darkly. But his desire he says but someday we will see him face-to-face and we will know him even as we are known by him. What an amazing promise when an amazing desire and so the people who repent are developing better to seek Him who believe in him?

and finally to turn from the evil.

The king says let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Why did Jonah so hate the ninevites but he didn't really want them to repair. Do you want to be destroyed? Because they were so violent. They were so cruel when they would attack a sinus attack is Israeli cities and villages. They would kill all the people. I know somebody that would torture them and it would find unique ways is sort of like the modern-day Isis is not another just have a military Victory. They have to do things that strike Terror in the hearts of people and that's one of us were known for and the King knew that they just turn from your Wicked Ways turn from your evil ways repent turn from the violence that is in your hand and not met turn Andrea lamp and turn from his Fierce anger so that we may not perish

And you heard the rest of the text. That's exactly what happened. There was sufficient critical mass. If you will of people who not only responded the king but responded the message of Jonah. And they repented they humble themselves. They pray they find out the guy they saw the face of God and they turned in a different direction in the way. They're going to live and gods because of that with he'll hold his hand of Destruction now, why is that important to us today? My friends look at the world around us.

Can you find places where people seem to enjoy cruelty? You don't have to look outside our own American borders. There are people who love to hurt other people. There are people who call evil good and good evil. There are people who want everybody to exalt send. The same time they want to belittle.

We are just as much in need of repentance as a nation right here in our city of Tallahassee. And in our nation the United States as was Nineveh.

One of the speakers at the Presbytery meeting said that we are entering into what they called gen Z member Gen X and Gen Y and Boomers and Buster's in every generation gets a name these days but genze is the first generation. That is not charged. with almost no church background Because more and more and we've experienced a confident trying to bring the Next Generation interface and that worked. Well, the world seems to be winning. So what they were saying is that we are dealing with people who don't know the God who created them and they are just as caught up perhaps not in balance before statues. What are the odds Auto tree of comfort success glorifying send looking for a meeting without knowing who the author of life is and so are call to ask God to help bring repentance to it to the nation begins in the same way. 2nd Chronicles summarizes with the story of Jonah demonstrates 2nd Chronicles God says if my people who are called by my name, isn't it interesting? It doesn't start with idolaters. It starts with those of us who say that we are messengers of God. Just as much as Jonah was called To Be A Witness for God so or we we are the people of God who are supposed to be speaking the truth not fleeing from those who are caught in their sin did my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked from having I will forgive their sin and heal their land. It begins with us. Just as surely is as that stinky profit from Israel came through the gates of the Pagan nation and said God is going to judge you. And said it fearlessly. So the voice of God people today needs to be just as clear. If there is not repentance God will judge our nation. If we do not turn to the guy who made us if we do not recognize the gift of his forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Generations will die without Christ in our culture will become a pagan culture. That is based on that Dollar Tree of pleasure and sin.

Jonah's call is ours. We can flee to the uttermost parts of the world. Or we can grab our lines and say I will go boldly into the culture around me and I will make no excuse. I will declare the goodness of God the transforming power of the gospel and I will not yield to be on the righteousness of the age you like to know how the story turns out. Weather weather Jonah was pleased with God's mercy or not. You can always come over to Allegro next week 9:15 and got a double dose and most likely come here and get Psalm 46 and then let's fan sing together are closing song.