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♪ theme music ♪

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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

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an in-depth, interactive study

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of the Word of God.

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We're in the middle of a series,

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<i>God's Mission - My Mission,</i>

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seeing the heart of God

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to bring a revelation of His love

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to everyone on planet Earth

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and save as many as possible,

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as many as will believe

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in His grace and mercy.

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Our topic today, well, we're looking

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at an ancient prophet named Jonah

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and <i>Excuses to Avoid Mission.</i>

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That's not to give you ideas,

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but to see how we can make it

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past those excuses.

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So, welcome to Hope Sabbath School

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and welcome to the team.

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Good to be together again.

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Take a look at each other there.

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You look like the whole world,

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and that's what Hope Sabbath School

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is about, isn't it, every nation,

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kindred, tongue and people coming together

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to study the Word of God.

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We've got some team members

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joining us remotely.

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Sabina, great to have you back with us,

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glad you're here today.

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Leeah, good to see you again.

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And Hope, good to see you, Hope.

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We're glad you're here

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for Hope Sabbath School today.

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And we've got emails

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from a few people around the world,

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and can I ask <i>you</i> to write to us:

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sshope@hopetv.org.

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Share with us how you're blessed.

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You can even send us a digital picture

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of your family, maybe a study group

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that you're leading.

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We want to see how God is blessing you

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through a study of His Word.

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Here's a note from Virginia

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in the United States of America.

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Denise writes and says, "I've wanted

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to send you a message for a while,

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so while watching Hope Sabbath School

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this Friday evening,

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it seemed like a perfect time.

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I've so enjoyed the different teachers

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on Hope Sabbath School."

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Well, I happen to be teaching today,

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but there are quite a few teachers

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even in our group today.

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"I have to admit, it's taken a while

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for me to get used to the new set..."

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Well, you're right; we used a set

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for about 10 years until it

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started falling apart,

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and we have an amazing new set.

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"...took a while, but I think it was

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probably time for an update," said Denise.

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I think the people that moved

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the old set around would agree with you.

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"Hope Channel has

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always had beautiful sets

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and such professional filming
and programming.

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I consider it an honor to help

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in a small way with electronic giving.

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May God continue to lead

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and guide you all."

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Well, Denise, thanks for writing

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to us from Virginia

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here in the United States of America.

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Well, across the ocean, in Zambia,

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Letty writes, and she says,

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"Greetings, Hope Sabbath School family,"

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we gave Letty the wave; she says,

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"and the whole Hope Sabbath School family

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around the world

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and the entire production team."

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So, we want to wave to them, too.

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"The study of the Bible

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has been a huge blessing in my life.

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I put it upon myself to download

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the weekly programs and to share them

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on many platforms with my friends,

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family and the entire church!"

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(Team) Amen!

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(Derek) What do we call that?

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That's joining God in His mission, right?

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That's what this series is all about.

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"If it will ever be possible,"

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writes Letty from Zambia,

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"I would love to be part of the team.

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May God bless your ministry.

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Pray for me as I also pray for you."

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Well, I want to tell you, Letty,

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and I know the team agrees,

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you <i>are</i> part of the team, right?

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You're doing, there in Zambia,

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what we can't do in this country

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for your people.

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Thank you for writing to us.

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Here's a note from a donor couple

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in Jamaica, and they write and say,

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"Christian greetings

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from the beautiful island of Jamaica.

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My husband and I are pensioners,"

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that means that they are on retirement,

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"but we're thankful to the Lord

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for the work He has done

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raising up Hope Channel around the world.

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We are positive that many souls

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are being blessed daily

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by the various programs,

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especially Hope Sabbath School."

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Wow, that's why they wrote to us.

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"Thank you for your commitment
and dedication.

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Enclosed is a contribution

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toward the evangelistic outreach,"

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that's why we exist, right?

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"May the Lord continue to bless

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Hope Channel and the leaders

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as you continue to allow the Holy Spirit

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to use you for God's honor

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and glory. Amen."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) And a donation of 100 dollars

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to bless the ministry.

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Thank you, Jamaica, for being part

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of the great miracle,

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and thank you to each one of you

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who say, "I want to be part."

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Maybe you've been thinking about it.

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You can go to our website,

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hopetv.org/hopess.

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Some of you watch the program there.

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Click on the Donate button

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and say, "Dear Lord, bless

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the global evangelistic media ministry

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of Hope Sabbath School."

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One last note, I don't remember

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the last time we got an email from Cuba,

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not the first time, I know, but...

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"Hello, Hope Sabbath School team,"

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writes Adiel from Cuba.

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"I've been watching your progam,

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and I'm glad God is using you

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for the precious work

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of sharing His message.

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God bless you; Jesus is coming soon."

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Well, Adiel, thanks for writing

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to us from Cuba.

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Doesn't it encourage you

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to hear from all these different parts
of the world?

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It really is amazing.

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We realize that many are listening

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in a second language,

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which is why, those of you

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who are watching from around the world,

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we try to speak slowly and clearly

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because we want to thank you

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for listening to us in maybe a language

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that may be your second or third language.

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But, the Holy Spirit helps us, doesn't He,

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as we study the Word together.

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Well, right now we need your help

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to sing our theme song.

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It's a 3,000-year-old Scripture song.

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My wife put a new tune to it;

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it's kind of a happy tune,

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and it speaks about mission,

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because it says in Psalm 9,

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verses 1 and 2, "I will praise You,

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O Lord, with my whole heart;

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I will tell of all Your marvelous works."

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We join God in His mission.

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Let's sing it together.

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♪ music ♪

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(Derek) Well, we're going to study today

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about a prophet who didn't want

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to tell of all God's marvelous works.

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In fact, he wasn't glad and rejoicing

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in the Lord either,

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but I think there'll be some lessons

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that will help us

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to join God in His mission.

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Let's sing our song together again.

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♪ music ♪

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(Derek) Amen. Let's pray together.

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Father in Heaven, what a privilege it is,

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not only to praise You

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with our whole hearts

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for You are worthy of our praise,

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but also to tell

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of all Your marvelous works,

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to join You in Your mission to share

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Your immeasurable, unfailing love

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with the world.

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Today, as we look

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at an ancient prophet, Jonah,

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and excuses for mission,

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I pray that You would help us

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to find freedom from those things

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that hinder us from being the witnesses

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that You've called us to be for You.

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I thank You in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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(Team) Amen.

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(Derek) Well, we're considering Jonah,

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and we'll learn about him primarily

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in the book that bears his name,

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the book of Jonah.

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It's a small book near the end

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of the Hebrew Scriptures.

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I was in the city of Joppa just recently,

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and several important things

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happened in Joppa.

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One of them was someone was raised

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from the dead by the power of Jesus' name.

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Do you remember who that was?

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It was Dorcas, raised to life in Joppa.

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What else happened?

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Well, Peter had a vision in Joppa

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that he should not call any person unclean

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when a message came

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from a centurion, you remember?

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But, perhaps Joppa is best known as being

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a place where Jonah went

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to try to run away from God.

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And we're going to consider

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the excuses he made and the excuses

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some others may make to avoid mission,

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but hopefully we can get past them.

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We might even identify some excuses

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that we have made in the past

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or may still make.

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So, Jonah, chapter 1, Samuel, if you

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could begin our study today in Jonah,

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chapter 1, and read for us

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the first three verses.

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(Samuel) I'm reading

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from the English Standard Version,
and it reads:

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(Derek) Now what do we know

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about the Ninevites, the Assyrian Empire?

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What did Jonah probably know

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about them, too?

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Well, if we just had these verses,

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what do we know?

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The Lord says something; what do we know?

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(Team) Wicked.

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(Derek) They were wicked, right.

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So, even if we didn't have any details,

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we would say they were very wicked.

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But, Sabina, I'm going to ask you

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to find another little book;

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it's right there in the Minor Prophets

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after the book of Jonah,

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Micah, and then Nahum.

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Some of these little books

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are hard to find, but Nahum,

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chapter 1 and verse 1,

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and then I'll have you read

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chapter 3, verses 1 to 4.

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We learn a little more about Nineveh.

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(Sabina) Okay, so I'll be reading

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from the New International Version

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and Nahum, verse 1, says:

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And then chapter 3, verses 1 to 4 say:

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(Derek) What do you think about this city?

275
00:13:07,552 --> 00:13:10,229
One of the excuses that someone might make

276
00:13:10,229 --> 00:13:13,363
and perhaps one of the motivations

277
00:13:13,363 --> 00:13:15,706
for Jonah to say, "Let me get a boat

278
00:13:15,706 --> 00:13:19,321
anywhere in the other direction,"

279
00:13:19,321 --> 00:13:23,133
is because of...? Fear, right?

280
00:13:23,133 --> 00:13:25,654
I mean, these were a fearful people,

281
00:13:25,654 --> 00:13:30,070
but if Jonah had remembered something

282
00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:32,571
of the Lord's work, it might have

283
00:13:32,571 --> 00:13:36,638
helped him to find freedom from his fears.

284
00:13:36,638 --> 00:13:42,673
Let's go back to 2 Kings, chapter 19,

285
00:13:42,673 --> 00:13:45,150
and, Travis, would you be willing to read

286
00:13:45,150 --> 00:13:53,572
for us 2 Kings 19, verses 32 to 37?

287
00:13:53,572 --> 00:13:54,788
Sometimes when we

288
00:13:54,788 --> 00:13:57,578
are tempted to be afraid,

289
00:13:57,578 --> 00:14:02,747
we need to remember what God has done.

290
00:14:02,747 --> 00:14:04,087
(Travis) And I'll be reading

291
00:14:04,087 --> 00:14:06,065
from the New King James Version:

292
00:15:20,609 --> 00:15:22,180
(Derek) Some of us are very happy

293
00:15:22,180 --> 00:15:24,234
that <i>you</i> read that text; there were a lot

294
00:15:24,234 --> 00:15:27,727
of difficult names there, thank you.

295
00:15:27,727 --> 00:15:29,840
You can go - and I was

296
00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,211
in Israel just recently - and you can see

297
00:15:33,211 --> 00:15:37,024
reliefs in museums of devastation

298
00:15:37,024 --> 00:15:40,898
that the Assyrians brought,
even in Israel.

299
00:15:40,898 --> 00:15:44,603
But, the Lord delivered His people

300
00:15:44,603 --> 00:15:46,803
there in Jerusalem.

301
00:15:46,803 --> 00:15:53,231
So, if that memory was there,

302
00:15:53,231 --> 00:15:57,722
why would the prophet Jonah be so fearful?

303
00:15:57,722 --> 00:15:59,675
What do you think?

304
00:15:59,675 --> 00:16:01,975
Leeah, what do you think?

305
00:16:01,975 --> 00:16:05,625
He knew how God had delivered in the past.

306
00:16:05,625 --> 00:16:07,451
(Leeah) The Assyrian Kingdom

307
00:16:07,451 --> 00:16:09,763
continues to resurface, so I think

308
00:16:09,763 --> 00:16:11,091
there was probably the fear

309
00:16:11,091 --> 00:16:12,815
that, "Well, why did they come back?

310
00:16:12,815 --> 00:16:14,537
if God struck them down once,

311
00:16:14,537 --> 00:16:16,042
why do they keep coming back?"

312
00:16:16,042 --> 00:16:18,047
There's a lot of fear that comes

313
00:16:18,047 --> 00:16:19,965
when something kind of "rears

314
00:16:19,965 --> 00:16:22,753
its ugly head," as we say.

315
00:16:22,753 --> 00:16:24,178
(Derek) Okay, good point.

316
00:16:24,178 --> 00:16:25,822
In other words, maybe they're

317
00:16:25,822 --> 00:16:27,812
coming back for revenge.

318
00:16:27,812 --> 00:16:30,782
"God delivered us in the past,

319
00:16:30,782 --> 00:16:32,258
but can we be certain

320
00:16:32,258 --> 00:16:34,238
that He will deliver again?

321
00:16:34,238 --> 00:16:37,879
I'm actually going to them now."

322
00:16:37,879 --> 00:16:39,180
What do you think, Jason?

323
00:16:39,180 --> 00:16:42,557
(Jason) It can be a combination of fear
and also feeling like they don't

324
00:16:42,557 --> 00:16:44,317
deserve it because they're so wicked.

325
00:16:44,317 --> 00:16:45,609
(Derek) We're going to come

326
00:16:45,609 --> 00:16:47,416
to the "don't deserve it" in a minute,

327
00:16:47,416 --> 00:16:49,018
but the fear thing would be what?

328
00:16:49,018 --> 00:16:51,590
You've been in the military, right?

329
00:16:51,590 --> 00:16:54,420
You hear about these people.

330
00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:58,137
And you won one battle by the Lord.

331
00:16:58,137 --> 00:17:00,060
(Jason) Yeah, it gets to be overwhelming

332
00:17:00,060 --> 00:17:01,586
because of the things you heard

333
00:17:01,586 --> 00:17:04,088
and feeling like, "I can't do this,"

334
00:17:04,088 --> 00:17:07,052
feeling inadequate, in that sense.

335
00:17:07,052 --> 00:17:07,765
(Derek) Nancy.

336
00:17:07,765 --> 00:17:09,621
(Nancy) I would say there is one of him

337
00:17:09,621 --> 00:17:12,827
against a whole city, but he's forgetting

338
00:17:12,827 --> 00:17:13,932
that he's with God,

339
00:17:13,932 --> 00:17:16,218
and with God on our side...

340
00:17:16,218 --> 00:17:17,684
(Derek) I mean Sabina read

341
00:17:17,684 --> 00:17:19,610
that description in Nahum; it was

342
00:17:19,610 --> 00:17:23,614
pretty overwhelming, wasn't it? Travis?

343
00:17:23,614 --> 00:17:25,002
(Travis) So, I think if we're

344
00:17:25,002 --> 00:17:26,238
going to be hard on Jonah,

345
00:17:26,238 --> 00:17:28,228
we're going to have to be hard on Elijah,

346
00:17:28,228 --> 00:17:31,286
the same who slew all the prophets of Baal

347
00:17:31,286 --> 00:17:33,245
and then runs from a queen.

348
00:17:33,245 --> 00:17:36,550
So, we could be hard on Jonah,

349
00:17:36,550 --> 00:17:38,100
but there are other prophets.

350
00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:39,597
I mean, Elijah, he was

351
00:17:39,597 --> 00:17:40,969
quite a prophet of God,

352
00:17:40,969 --> 00:17:44,279
and he was afraid of Jezebel.

353
00:17:44,279 --> 00:17:46,013
(Derek) So, maybe there are times...

354
00:17:46,013 --> 00:17:47,246
I see your hand raised.

355
00:17:47,246 --> 00:17:48,950
Because that same Elijah

356
00:17:48,950 --> 00:17:50,276
would stretch his body

357
00:17:50,276 --> 00:17:51,546
over a lifeless child,

358
00:17:51,546 --> 00:17:54,328
and he would be raised to life, right?

359
00:17:54,328 --> 00:17:57,052
And yet, he does run from Jezebel.

360
00:17:57,052 --> 00:17:59,077
And yet, later God deals with Jezebel.

361
00:17:59,077 --> 00:18:01,010
I mean, there's nothing

362
00:18:01,010 --> 00:18:02,607
too hard for God, right?

363
00:18:02,607 --> 00:18:03,910
But, you're saying one time

364
00:18:03,910 --> 00:18:04,920
we might feel strong

365
00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,337
and other times overwhelmed by fear?

366
00:18:07,337 --> 00:18:09,211
(Stephanie) I think the difference is,

367
00:18:09,211 --> 00:18:11,184
is where I'm placing my eyes -

368
00:18:11,184 --> 00:18:12,942
on evidence that God exists,

369
00:18:12,942 --> 00:18:15,143
and He's led me so far,

370
00:18:15,143 --> 00:18:17,587
or on what I can see presently,

371
00:18:17,587 --> 00:18:20,963
which can change in an instant

372
00:18:20,963 --> 00:18:22,025
when God's in it.

373
00:18:22,025 --> 00:18:23,762
(Derek) I'm remembering a quotation.

374
00:18:23,762 --> 00:18:25,510
Lots of hands raised, this is great.

375
00:18:25,510 --> 00:18:27,113
But, I remember, "We have nothing

376
00:18:27,113 --> 00:18:28,963
to fear for the future

377
00:18:28,963 --> 00:18:31,149
except as we shall forget

378
00:18:31,149 --> 00:18:32,449
the way the Lord has led us

379
00:18:32,449 --> 00:18:34,622
and His teaching in our past history."

380
00:18:34,622 --> 00:18:37,217
So, maybe in that moment -

381
00:18:37,217 --> 00:18:43,061
you talk about focus - we shift our focus

382
00:18:43,061 --> 00:18:44,220
even though the evidence

383
00:18:44,220 --> 00:18:46,149
is still there, right?

384
00:18:46,149 --> 00:18:48,044
Now, a couple more, and then I want

385
00:18:48,044 --> 00:18:50,919
to ask is there...Travis, you said,

386
00:18:50,919 --> 00:18:52,323
let's not be too hard on him.

387
00:18:52,323 --> 00:18:55,073
Can you think of a time when fear

388
00:18:55,073 --> 00:18:56,550
got the best of you

389
00:18:56,550 --> 00:18:59,101
in a challenging mission assignment? John.

390
00:18:59,101 --> 00:19:00,557
(John) Going back to the quote

391
00:19:00,557 --> 00:19:02,619
that you just recited,

392
00:19:02,619 --> 00:19:04,352
Jonah must have forgotten

393
00:19:04,352 --> 00:19:05,965
about the stories of how God

394
00:19:05,965 --> 00:19:08,889
delivered them from the Assyrians.

395
00:19:08,889 --> 00:19:13,663
And also, Jonah must have

396
00:19:13,663 --> 00:19:15,504
thought to himself, I mean God did it,

397
00:19:15,504 --> 00:19:16,739
even if he had remembered

398
00:19:16,739 --> 00:19:17,619
God did it before,

399
00:19:17,619 --> 00:19:19,133
would He do that again?

400
00:19:19,133 --> 00:19:20,783
And at times in our own lives,

401
00:19:20,783 --> 00:19:22,475
we think like that, "Okay, yes, God

402
00:19:22,475 --> 00:19:24,121
gave me that victory back then

403
00:19:24,121 --> 00:19:25,544
in reaching this person,

404
00:19:25,544 --> 00:19:27,978
but would He do that again?

405
00:19:27,978 --> 00:19:29,412
And so, those are some reasons

406
00:19:29,412 --> 00:19:32,034
that could be why Jonah was fearful.

407
00:19:32,034 --> 00:19:33,730
(Derek) We're going to have to give

408
00:19:33,730 --> 00:19:35,851
a testimony time, honest time.

409
00:19:35,851 --> 00:19:37,093
Some of you have been

410
00:19:37,093 --> 00:19:39,852
in difficult places on mission trips

411
00:19:39,852 --> 00:19:43,261
or long-term assignments; Sabina, you're

412
00:19:43,261 --> 00:19:45,742
in a long-term ministry assignment.

413
00:19:45,742 --> 00:19:47,183
Can anybody think of a time

414
00:19:47,183 --> 00:19:48,940
when you felt fear

415
00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:51,286
kind of well up, like, "Whoa!"

416
00:19:51,286 --> 00:19:55,645
Adison, you're nodding and smiling.

417
00:19:55,645 --> 00:19:57,456
(Adison) When I was 13 years old,

418
00:19:57,456 --> 00:19:59,232
so this was way back now,

419
00:19:59,232 --> 00:20:00,856
I remember sharing with a group

420
00:20:00,856 --> 00:20:05,736
of about 50 to 60 people from the public

421
00:20:05,736 --> 00:20:07,553
about the sanctuary message,

422
00:20:07,553 --> 00:20:12,601
about Exodus 25 and that important topic,

423
00:20:12,601 --> 00:20:14,132
and it was one of my first times

424
00:20:14,132 --> 00:20:15,929
I had ever spoken publicly.

425
00:20:15,929 --> 00:20:18,661
And I remember human emotion

426
00:20:18,661 --> 00:20:20,299
taking over in that moment,

427
00:20:20,299 --> 00:20:21,784
and it was like a paralysis.

428
00:20:21,784 --> 00:20:24,170
I was just paralyzed with fear.

429
00:20:24,170 --> 00:20:26,899
And, you know, 13 years old,
there is still...

430
00:20:26,899 --> 00:20:30,165
Anyway, I love this story about Jonah;
it reminds me of that.

431
00:20:30,165 --> 00:20:31,274
(Derek) And you weren't

432
00:20:31,274 --> 00:20:32,818
in Papua New Guinea, you were...

433
00:20:32,818 --> 00:20:34,113
(Adison) No, I was home.

434
00:20:34,113 --> 00:20:38,081
Yes, I was on Vancouver Island in Canada.

435
00:20:38,081 --> 00:20:39,139
(Derek) Sometimes fear

436
00:20:39,139 --> 00:20:40,911
might come for different reasons,

437
00:20:40,911 --> 00:20:42,539
but you felt that.

438
00:20:42,539 --> 00:20:45,327
Anybody else can think of a time? John?

439
00:20:45,327 --> 00:20:47,188
(John) I'll leave the country unnamed,

440
00:20:47,188 --> 00:20:48,647
but I was in a certain country

441
00:20:48,647 --> 00:20:50,677
going door to door

442
00:20:50,677 --> 00:20:52,190
giving out Christian literature

443
00:20:52,190 --> 00:20:53,558
and praying with them.

444
00:20:53,558 --> 00:20:54,745
And soon there were

445
00:20:54,745 --> 00:20:57,563
some certain other religious extremists

446
00:20:57,563 --> 00:20:59,420
who came, and they took us

447
00:20:59,420 --> 00:21:00,943
to the police station.

448
00:21:00,943 --> 00:21:03,187
And during that time, my friends and I

449
00:21:03,187 --> 00:21:05,737
were quite fearful as to what was

450
00:21:05,737 --> 00:21:06,795
going to happen next.

451
00:21:06,795 --> 00:21:08,885
But, the Lord amazingly delivered

452
00:21:08,885 --> 00:21:10,236
by sending some other people

453
00:21:10,236 --> 00:21:11,400
who came to the rescue.

454
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:12,647
(Derek) But the fear came?

455
00:21:12,647 --> 00:21:13,378
(John) Yes.

456
00:21:13,378 --> 00:21:16,025
(Derek) Sabina, you think of a time.

457
00:21:16,025 --> 00:21:18,033
(Sabina) Yes, I think that one

458
00:21:18,033 --> 00:21:20,607
of the times where I felt the most fearful

459
00:21:20,607 --> 00:21:23,147
was actually when God invited me

460
00:21:23,147 --> 00:21:28,382
to leave my job, back in the day,

461
00:21:28,382 --> 00:21:31,033
to go into fulltime ministry.

462
00:21:31,033 --> 00:21:31,974
And for me, it was

463
00:21:31,974 --> 00:21:34,167
a very challenging request from God

464
00:21:34,167 --> 00:21:37,808
because I had lots of uncertainties

465
00:21:37,808 --> 00:21:39,049
about my future, you know,

466
00:21:39,049 --> 00:21:40,839
how He would provide for me,

467
00:21:40,839 --> 00:21:43,038
what ministry would look like for me.

468
00:21:43,038 --> 00:21:47,452
And it took me maybe about half a year

469
00:21:47,452 --> 00:21:49,156
to take a step further than He

470
00:21:49,156 --> 00:21:51,713
had already impressed upon my heart,

471
00:21:51,713 --> 00:21:53,576
even though I had, like, a strong sense

472
00:21:53,576 --> 00:21:55,231
of calling since I was a teenager.

473
00:21:55,231 --> 00:21:57,573
It was at 28 only that I sensed that He

474
00:21:57,573 --> 00:22:00,496
was directly indicating my next move.

475
00:22:00,496 --> 00:22:02,903
And for me to respond to this move,

476
00:22:02,903 --> 00:22:04,035
it took me, as I said,

477
00:22:04,035 --> 00:22:05,865
more than half a year.

478
00:22:05,865 --> 00:22:08,209
I asked for some evidence from God,

479
00:22:08,209 --> 00:22:11,366
and I really had a hard time trusting

480
00:22:11,366 --> 00:22:12,304
that He was the One

481
00:22:12,304 --> 00:22:13,491
who was speaking to me.

482
00:22:13,491 --> 00:22:14,873
So, I eventually responded,

483
00:22:14,873 --> 00:22:16,945
but I was quite fearful at the time.

484
00:22:16,945 --> 00:22:17,857
I was quite fearful

485
00:22:17,857 --> 00:22:19,642
of my family's judgment.

486
00:22:19,642 --> 00:22:22,352
I was quite fearful of not having enough

487
00:22:22,352 --> 00:22:24,671
to provide for myself in the future.

488
00:22:24,671 --> 00:22:25,829
I was quite fearful

489
00:22:25,829 --> 00:22:28,105
of where all this would end.

490
00:22:28,105 --> 00:22:29,585
And, you know, I'm thankful;

491
00:22:29,585 --> 00:22:32,036
now 10 years almost have gone by,

492
00:22:32,036 --> 00:22:34,288
and God is good.

493
00:22:34,288 --> 00:22:35,764
(Derek) So, I guess one thing,

494
00:22:35,764 --> 00:22:37,262
and then we're going to move on

495
00:22:37,262 --> 00:22:38,073
to another excuse

496
00:22:38,073 --> 00:22:40,745
after just a moment here.

497
00:22:40,745 --> 00:22:45,898
We ought to be sympathetic, compassionate

498
00:22:45,898 --> 00:22:47,393
toward people who may wrestle

499
00:22:47,393 --> 00:22:49,334
with some fears, because we've

500
00:22:49,334 --> 00:22:51,644
also wrestled with fears, right?

501
00:22:51,644 --> 00:22:53,019
So, we're not judging Jonah

502
00:22:53,019 --> 00:22:54,921
or anyone else, but we're saying

503
00:22:54,921 --> 00:22:57,106
how do we make it past the fear?

504
00:22:57,106 --> 00:22:59,250
And that's my final question for us

505
00:22:59,250 --> 00:23:02,139
before we move to the second excuse.

506
00:23:02,139 --> 00:23:06,546
Fears will come, right?

507
00:23:06,546 --> 00:23:08,687
How do I make it past that fear

508
00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:10,527
if it's clear that God has

509
00:23:10,527 --> 00:23:11,922
given me a mission?

510
00:23:11,922 --> 00:23:14,730
God has asked me to do something. Nancy?

511
00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:16,952
(Nancy) We have to remember

512
00:23:16,952 --> 00:23:18,429
what we're dealing with,

513
00:23:18,429 --> 00:23:20,125
the Great Controversy between good

514
00:23:20,125 --> 00:23:23,372
and evil in the universe is real.

515
00:23:23,372 --> 00:23:26,147
And so, when we remember what it's about

516
00:23:26,147 --> 00:23:27,881
and whose side we're on,

517
00:23:27,881 --> 00:23:29,959
it will give us courage.

518
00:23:29,959 --> 00:23:35,051
I wanted to mention that one situation

519
00:23:35,051 --> 00:23:36,540
in which we may feel fearful

520
00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:39,967
is when we're among peers that have

521
00:23:39,967 --> 00:23:42,678
the same head knowledge about God

522
00:23:42,678 --> 00:23:45,282
but perhaps not the same heart knowledge

523
00:23:45,282 --> 00:23:47,027
and the heart experience.

524
00:23:47,027 --> 00:23:48,587
And so, we may feel like, "Well,

525
00:23:48,587 --> 00:23:51,871
it's not cool," maybe, "to stand out

526
00:23:51,871 --> 00:23:53,575
and be bold for God."

527
00:23:53,575 --> 00:23:56,435
But when we really understand

528
00:23:56,435 --> 00:23:58,893
what's happening and what is at stake

529
00:23:58,893 --> 00:23:59,967
and who's on our side,

530
00:23:59,967 --> 00:24:02,348
then we will be bold.

531
00:24:02,348 --> 00:24:03,788
(Derek) I'm going to ask Hope,

532
00:24:03,788 --> 00:24:05,812
because Hope you're, today,

533
00:24:05,812 --> 00:24:07,929
the youngest member of our team.

534
00:24:07,929 --> 00:24:12,694
I know you've done ministry; you've had

535
00:24:12,694 --> 00:24:15,309
a youth prayer group that you lead,

536
00:24:15,309 --> 00:24:16,308
were there ever times

537
00:24:16,308 --> 00:24:17,732
that you felt fearful,

538
00:24:17,732 --> 00:24:21,368
and if so, how did you make it past that?

539
00:24:21,368 --> 00:24:22,617
(Hope) One time that comes

540
00:24:22,617 --> 00:24:25,569
to my mind for sure is when I was

541
00:24:25,569 --> 00:24:29,519
doing some canvassing, and that is

542
00:24:29,519 --> 00:24:31,314
selling Christian books door to door.

543
00:24:31,314 --> 00:24:33,093
And I was in a neighborhood that was

544
00:24:33,093 --> 00:24:37,772
a little bit lower class, and I remember

545
00:24:37,772 --> 00:24:39,749
feeling so afraid, and I actually called

546
00:24:39,749 --> 00:24:42,392
my leader, and I was just like,

547
00:24:42,392 --> 00:24:44,119
"I can't do this."

548
00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,882
And I remember I just had

549
00:24:46,882 --> 00:24:49,857
to hold onto the Bible promises,

550
00:24:49,857 --> 00:24:51,156
and that was the only thing

551
00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:52,660
that could get me through that.

552
00:24:52,660 --> 00:24:55,326
And one verse that actually sticks out

553
00:24:55,326 --> 00:24:59,130
in my mind is Psalm 34:4, and it says,

554
00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:01,054
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

555
00:25:01,054 --> 00:25:03,789
and delivered me from all my fears."

556
00:25:03,789 --> 00:25:06,642
And, when we seek God in our fear,

557
00:25:06,642 --> 00:25:09,495
not waiting until after we've freaked out

558
00:25:09,495 --> 00:25:11,796
and then coming to Him, but seeking Him

559
00:25:11,796 --> 00:25:14,078
while we're afraid, I think that's

560
00:25:14,078 --> 00:25:16,481
something that's really important,

561
00:25:16,481 --> 00:25:18,293
just keeping that connection with Him,

562
00:25:18,293 --> 00:25:19,616
because He is the only One

563
00:25:19,616 --> 00:25:21,430
who can free us from our fears.

564
00:25:21,430 --> 00:25:22,715
(Derek) Thank you so much.

565
00:25:22,715 --> 00:25:23,512
Wow, that's one

566
00:25:23,512 --> 00:25:24,898
of my wife's Scripture songs,

567
00:25:24,898 --> 00:25:27,308
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

568
00:25:27,308 --> 00:25:28,689
and delivered me."

569
00:25:28,689 --> 00:25:30,878
So, how do I find freedom from my fears?

570
00:25:30,878 --> 00:25:34,896
The answer is not by trying harder, right?

571
00:25:34,896 --> 00:25:37,192
God is the One who can deliver us

572
00:25:37,192 --> 00:25:38,707
from all our fears. Samuel?

573
00:25:38,707 --> 00:25:40,234
(Samuel) Here in the Scriptures

574
00:25:40,234 --> 00:25:41,730
that we read, a couple of times

575
00:25:41,730 --> 00:25:43,500
the Bible mentions, "He went away

576
00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,507
from the presence of the Lord."

577
00:25:46,507 --> 00:25:47,930
And when we go away

578
00:25:47,930 --> 00:25:49,377
from the presence of the Lord,

579
00:25:49,377 --> 00:25:50,683
that's when fear creeps in.

580
00:25:50,683 --> 00:25:53,032
But, we must continue to stay

581
00:25:53,032 --> 00:25:54,333
in the presence of the Lord

582
00:25:54,333 --> 00:25:55,409
through faith in Him,

583
00:25:55,409 --> 00:25:57,084
that He who has called us

584
00:25:57,084 --> 00:25:59,390
will carry us through. for me.

585
00:25:59,390 --> 00:26:00,442
(Derek) And maybe not

586
00:26:00,442 --> 00:26:05,154
that fear crept in, but fear was

587
00:26:05,154 --> 00:26:08,552
increased, right, exponentially increased.

588
00:26:08,552 --> 00:26:09,894
The fear was there.

589
00:26:09,894 --> 00:26:12,453
Hope is saying when you feel the fear,

590
00:26:12,453 --> 00:26:16,136
run <i>to</i> God rather than away from Him;
He is the One.

591
00:26:16,136 --> 00:26:17,731
If we run away, the fear

592
00:26:17,731 --> 00:26:20,713
just increases, right,

593
00:26:20,713 --> 00:26:22,580
and becomes overwhelming.

594
00:26:22,580 --> 00:26:24,032
We've got to move to a second.

595
00:26:24,032 --> 00:26:25,904
I just want us to know then, if someone

596
00:26:25,904 --> 00:26:27,279
says, "Well, I've been asked

597
00:26:27,279 --> 00:26:29,652
to do this, but I'm afraid," that we

598
00:26:29,652 --> 00:26:31,795
would come with compassion, right?

599
00:26:31,795 --> 00:26:34,027
And maybe even a testimony,

600
00:26:34,027 --> 00:26:36,475
like we just heard from Hope.

601
00:26:36,475 --> 00:26:40,798
You know, "Hey, I felt that it was real.

602
00:26:40,798 --> 00:26:42,381
I checked with my leader,

603
00:26:42,381 --> 00:26:44,383
but I also remembered the Word

604
00:26:44,383 --> 00:26:46,465
that God had hidden in my heart

605
00:26:46,465 --> 00:26:49,110
in Psalm 34 and verse 4."

606
00:26:49,110 --> 00:26:52,564
A second excuse that we see or discover

607
00:26:52,564 --> 00:26:56,971
in the story of Jonah is the idea,

608
00:26:56,971 --> 00:27:00,490
an excuse that, "God, You're saying

609
00:27:00,490 --> 00:27:01,755
these people need to hear,

610
00:27:01,755 --> 00:27:03,488
but I don't think those people

611
00:27:03,488 --> 00:27:07,781
deserve to hear that good news,"

612
00:27:07,781 --> 00:27:10,379
whether it's a certain neighborhood

613
00:27:10,379 --> 00:27:12,856
or a certain country

614
00:27:12,856 --> 00:27:16,437
or a certain socioeconomic level.

615
00:27:16,437 --> 00:27:18,660
And by the way, there are people who think

616
00:27:18,660 --> 00:27:20,724
that the homeless don't deserve it,

617
00:27:20,724 --> 00:27:22,413
but there are also people who think

618
00:27:22,413 --> 00:27:24,174
the rich don't deserve it.

619
00:27:24,174 --> 00:27:26,397
We have all of these different ideas.

620
00:27:26,397 --> 00:27:28,836
Let's take a look at Jonah

621
00:27:28,836 --> 00:27:32,077
and see if we can learn something

622
00:27:32,077 --> 00:27:34,018
about his attitude

623
00:27:34,018 --> 00:27:37,864
and actually his faulty view of God.

624
00:27:37,864 --> 00:27:40,237
Jonah, chapter 1, I'd like to go

625
00:27:40,237 --> 00:27:41,770
back to verse 3, Kylynda,

626
00:27:41,770 --> 00:27:43,227
if you would read that.

627
00:27:43,227 --> 00:27:44,610
We heard it at the beginning,

628
00:27:44,610 --> 00:27:48,677
but what faulty view of God

629
00:27:48,677 --> 00:27:51,842
do you hear in this text?

630
00:27:51,842 --> 00:27:54,006
(Kylynda) Verse 3, I'm going to be reading

631
00:27:54,006 --> 00:27:56,505
from the New King James Version:

632
00:28:12,926 --> 00:28:14,909
(Derek) So, help me, someone.

633
00:28:14,909 --> 00:28:16,313
You're smiling, Stephanie.

634
00:28:16,313 --> 00:28:18,244
What faulty view of God

635
00:28:18,244 --> 00:28:20,578
is in that narrative?

636
00:28:20,578 --> 00:28:22,091
(Stephanie) The belief that you

637
00:28:22,091 --> 00:28:23,906
can go away from God; you can run away

638
00:28:23,906 --> 00:28:24,936
and He won't see you.

639
00:28:24,936 --> 00:28:26,854
(Derek) You remember the Psalm of David

640
00:28:26,854 --> 00:28:30,094
where he says, "Where can I..."?

641
00:28:30,094 --> 00:28:31,258
"...go from Your Spirit?

642
00:28:31,258 --> 00:28:33,122
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

643
00:28:33,122 --> 00:28:34,548
If I ascend to heaven...

644
00:28:34,548 --> 00:28:37,018
or farthest parts of the sea..."

645
00:28:37,018 --> 00:28:38,267
So, there is a faulty view

646
00:28:38,267 --> 00:28:39,505
of God there, isn't there?

647
00:28:39,505 --> 00:28:41,226
We've got to move to the next verse.

648
00:28:41,226 --> 00:28:42,736
Leeah, if you would read for us

649
00:28:42,736 --> 00:28:45,351
in the same chapter, 1, verse 12,

650
00:28:45,351 --> 00:28:47,864
let's see another faulty view of God.

651
00:28:47,864 --> 00:28:50,804
Listen carefully, because the faulty view

652
00:28:50,804 --> 00:28:54,653
of God will distort our idea

653
00:28:54,653 --> 00:28:56,041
about whether people

654
00:28:56,041 --> 00:28:59,397
deserve His grace or not.

655
00:28:59,397 --> 00:29:00,540
(Leeah) I'll be reading

656
00:29:00,540 --> 00:29:02,211
from the English Standard Version,

657
00:29:02,211 --> 00:29:04,368
Jonah, chapter 1, verse 12:

658
00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:20,359
(Derek) What's faulty there?
Anybody? Jason?

659
00:29:20,359 --> 00:29:21,565
(Jason) That God desires,

660
00:29:21,565 --> 00:29:23,384
like, a sacrifice, like throw himself?

661
00:29:23,384 --> 00:29:24,673
But, we know the Bible says

662
00:29:24,673 --> 00:29:26,259
a contrite heart, a broken heart

663
00:29:26,259 --> 00:29:28,009
is what God wants, not a sacrifice.

664
00:29:28,009 --> 00:29:29,247
(Derek) Right, so there's

665
00:29:29,247 --> 00:29:31,019
this distorted view of God

666
00:29:31,019 --> 00:29:35,535
that somehow, "If you throw me in,

667
00:29:35,535 --> 00:29:38,048
God will somehow be happy."

668
00:29:38,048 --> 00:29:39,516
What would bring joy to God

669
00:29:39,516 --> 00:29:42,455
is to obey the mission assignment, right,

670
00:29:42,455 --> 00:29:45,002
not to throw him into the sea.

671
00:29:45,002 --> 00:29:47,174
Well, let's go on to chapter 3

672
00:29:47,174 --> 00:29:50,600
and verse 4 now, when he finally,

673
00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:52,025
and you know the story.

674
00:29:52,025 --> 00:29:53,165
He's thrown overboard.

675
00:29:53,165 --> 00:29:54,828
God prepares a great fish,

676
00:29:54,828 --> 00:29:56,528
and I don't know how that happened.

677
00:29:56,528 --> 00:29:58,270
You say, "That's not normal."

678
00:29:58,270 --> 00:30:01,161
You're right; that was a miracle.

679
00:30:01,161 --> 00:30:04,036
"Submarine" catches him,

680
00:30:04,036 --> 00:30:06,958
an aqua-submarine, and then vomits him

681
00:30:06,958 --> 00:30:10,129
up on the beach, and God says,

682
00:30:10,129 --> 00:30:12,948
"I haven't changed my mission plan,

683
00:30:12,948 --> 00:30:14,760
which is to show My love

684
00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,841
to the people of Nineveh,

685
00:30:16,841 --> 00:30:18,847
and I want you to go."

686
00:30:18,847 --> 00:30:24,243
What do you see in chapter 3 and verse 4?

687
00:30:24,243 --> 00:30:26,532
John, would you read that verse for us?

688
00:30:26,532 --> 00:30:30,570
Jonah 3 and verse 4,

689
00:30:30,570 --> 00:30:33,996
and what's missing there?

690
00:30:33,996 --> 00:30:35,787
(John) Jonah, chapter 3 and verse 4,

691
00:30:35,787 --> 00:30:38,193
from the English Standard Version:
it says:

692
00:30:49,532 --> 00:30:50,601
(Derek) What's missing

693
00:30:50,601 --> 00:30:53,145
in this picture, folks? Adison?

694
00:30:53,145 --> 00:30:57,600
(Adison) Grace, redemption.

695
00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,737
(Derek) Yeah, "Repent," right,

696
00:31:00,737 --> 00:31:02,712
"for the Kingdom of God," you remember

697
00:31:02,712 --> 00:31:04,516
what John the Baptist said, right?

698
00:31:04,516 --> 00:31:07,343
There's both a word of judgment,

699
00:31:07,343 --> 00:31:08,959
if you will, but also we need

700
00:31:08,959 --> 00:31:11,756
a word of...? Grace.

701
00:31:11,756 --> 00:31:15,097
Why doesn't Jonah say, "If you

702
00:31:15,097 --> 00:31:19,093
don't repent, this will happen in 40 days,

703
00:31:19,093 --> 00:31:21,235
but if you repent, God is

704
00:31:21,235 --> 00:31:23,408
abundant in mercy and kindness

705
00:31:23,408 --> 00:31:26,191
to all those who call upon Him"?

706
00:31:26,191 --> 00:31:28,942
Why, why doesn't he say that? Samuel?

707
00:31:28,942 --> 00:31:30,387
(Samuel) I think the excuse is

708
00:31:30,387 --> 00:31:31,891
he doesn't want them to repent.

709
00:31:31,891 --> 00:31:33,797
He doesn't want them to be saved.

710
00:31:33,797 --> 00:31:37,223
He doesn't want them to have salvation.

711
00:31:37,223 --> 00:31:42,175
(Derek) He has this thought

712
00:31:42,175 --> 00:31:44,346
that maybe God is more generous

713
00:31:44,346 --> 00:31:49,922
and more compassionate than he is, right?

714
00:31:49,922 --> 00:31:51,384
But, you're right, he doesn't

715
00:31:51,384 --> 00:31:53,400
want them to be saved.

716
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,213
So, these distorted pictures.

717
00:31:55,213 --> 00:31:57,930
Well, it gets even worse,

718
00:31:57,930 --> 00:32:00,912
and I'm going to ask Adison

719
00:32:00,912 --> 00:32:05,130
if you'd read Jonah 3, verse 10,

720
00:32:05,130 --> 00:32:10,192
and chapter 4 through verse 4.

721
00:32:10,192 --> 00:32:14,679
It's kind of startling, because this is

722
00:32:14,679 --> 00:32:17,815
from a prophet of God.

723
00:32:17,815 --> 00:32:19,423
Let's see what he says.

724
00:32:19,423 --> 00:32:20,594
(Adison) And I'm reading

725
00:32:20,594 --> 00:32:22,683
from the King James Version, verse 10:

726
00:33:14,111 --> 00:33:15,072
(Derek) This is one

727
00:33:15,072 --> 00:33:21,445
of the most successful
evangelistic meetings

728
00:33:21,445 --> 00:33:24,677
in the history of the planet.

729
00:33:24,677 --> 00:33:29,120
It's not a very good sermon, right?

730
00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:30,643
But the Holy Spirit works,

731
00:33:30,643 --> 00:33:32,949
which is how any life is changed,

732
00:33:32,949 --> 00:33:36,947
and a whole city repents!

733
00:33:36,947 --> 00:33:39,820
And Jonah is what?

734
00:33:39,820 --> 00:33:41,847
(Team) Exceedingly angry.

735
00:33:41,847 --> 00:33:49,067
(Derek) Exceedingly angry.

736
00:33:49,067 --> 00:33:50,989
I'm not going to ask you if you were God

737
00:33:50,989 --> 00:33:52,587
how you would treat that prophet,

738
00:33:52,587 --> 00:33:54,435
because fortunately God was

739
00:33:54,435 --> 00:33:58,421
as merciful and gracious as Jonah thought;

740
00:33:58,421 --> 00:33:59,818
otherwise, he could have lost

741
00:33:59,818 --> 00:34:02,727
his life right there. John?

742
00:34:02,727 --> 00:34:05,339
(John) In some ways, I almost think

743
00:34:05,339 --> 00:34:07,490
that, yes, God was trying to reach

744
00:34:07,490 --> 00:34:09,069
the city of Nineveh,

745
00:34:09,069 --> 00:34:11,983
but in bringing Jonah into this mission,

746
00:34:11,983 --> 00:34:14,048
He's also trying to reach Jonah

747
00:34:14,048 --> 00:34:17,663
and to show that mercy and compassion.

748
00:34:17,663 --> 00:34:22,105
(Derek) So, faulty view of God

749
00:34:22,105 --> 00:34:30,431
or certainly a faulty view of salvation,

750
00:34:30,431 --> 00:34:32,343
how could that get in the way for us

751
00:34:32,343 --> 00:34:34,741
in our mission today? Kylynda?

752
00:34:34,741 --> 00:34:37,736
(Kylynda) I think we all have biases,

753
00:34:37,736 --> 00:34:41,253
and it's unavoidable, but sometimes we

754
00:34:41,253 --> 00:34:44,139
want to project these same biases to God.

755
00:34:44,139 --> 00:34:46,881
We want God to agree with us

756
00:34:46,881 --> 00:34:49,858
that some people are better than others,

757
00:34:49,858 --> 00:34:51,786
or we can treat people in some way

758
00:34:51,786 --> 00:34:54,483
and treat other people in a different way.

759
00:34:54,483 --> 00:34:57,517
And we have to learn to say, "God,

760
00:34:57,517 --> 00:34:58,954
how should I look at the world

761
00:34:58,954 --> 00:35:00,217
through Your views?"

762
00:35:00,217 --> 00:35:02,785
whether it's intentional

763
00:35:02,785 --> 00:35:03,794
in the case of Jonah

764
00:35:03,794 --> 00:35:06,019
or even unintentionally, "Please save me

765
00:35:06,019 --> 00:35:08,278
from looking at other people

766
00:35:08,278 --> 00:35:09,606
through biases that I've

767
00:35:09,606 --> 00:35:11,578
built up in my life."

768
00:35:11,578 --> 00:35:12,804
(Derek) Can anybody think

769
00:35:12,804 --> 00:35:14,412
of someone that you met,

770
00:35:14,412 --> 00:35:16,716
Sabina, I see your hand there,

771
00:35:16,716 --> 00:35:18,636
can you think of someone that you met

772
00:35:18,636 --> 00:35:21,049
that your first impression was,

773
00:35:21,049 --> 00:35:22,967
"There is no way that God

774
00:35:22,967 --> 00:35:25,749
could save that person"?

775
00:35:25,749 --> 00:35:28,727
Think about that. Sabina?

776
00:35:28,727 --> 00:35:30,227
(Sabina) There have been people

777
00:35:30,227 --> 00:35:32,579
I've encountered in ministry

778
00:35:32,579 --> 00:35:35,091
and in life in general that I found

779
00:35:35,091 --> 00:35:39,478
very rooted in ideas or ways

780
00:35:39,478 --> 00:35:43,114
that definitely were not pleasing to God,

781
00:35:43,114 --> 00:35:45,896
but I've personally have not thought

782
00:35:45,896 --> 00:35:47,452
that they were unworthy.

783
00:35:47,452 --> 00:35:48,931
But, I have found people

784
00:35:48,931 --> 00:35:52,084
that have thoughts just as you are saying,

785
00:35:52,084 --> 00:35:54,973
like their ideas about salvation

786
00:35:54,973 --> 00:35:56,784
are rooted, not in God's grace,

787
00:35:56,784 --> 00:35:57,929
but in an understanding

788
00:35:57,929 --> 00:35:59,371
that maybe through their works

789
00:35:59,371 --> 00:36:01,293
they are going to achieve salvation,

790
00:36:01,293 --> 00:36:03,648
and that they, because they believe so,

791
00:36:03,648 --> 00:36:05,545
don't think they are worthy

792
00:36:05,545 --> 00:36:07,501
of receiving God's grace.

793
00:36:07,501 --> 00:36:10,685
So, that's also possible, right,

794
00:36:10,685 --> 00:36:12,736
not only what we think about other people,

795
00:36:12,736 --> 00:36:14,661
but what we think about God's salvation

796
00:36:14,661 --> 00:36:17,896
may hinder <i>us</i> from coming to Jesus, right?

797
00:36:17,896 --> 00:36:19,826
(Derek) I remember one time I was

798
00:36:19,826 --> 00:36:23,250
speaking in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro,

799
00:36:23,250 --> 00:36:24,953
and I was speaking in a church.

800
00:36:24,953 --> 00:36:26,843
And there was a young man,

801
00:36:26,843 --> 00:36:29,795
and he was a strong young man.

802
00:36:29,795 --> 00:36:31,663
He looked like a bodybuilder,

803
00:36:31,663 --> 00:36:35,186
and he had tattoos over almost all

804
00:36:35,186 --> 00:36:37,691
of his body that I could see.

805
00:36:37,691 --> 00:36:40,816
And a first impression would be,

806
00:36:40,816 --> 00:36:42,838
"Why is he even here?"

807
00:36:42,838 --> 00:36:44,984
But, as he listened to the Word of God,

808
00:36:44,984 --> 00:36:49,312
he was leaning forward, focusing,

809
00:36:49,312 --> 00:36:51,914
and when an invitation was given,

810
00:36:51,914 --> 00:36:54,594
this young man got up and walked forward!

811
00:36:54,594 --> 00:36:55,990
(Team) Amen.

812
00:36:55,990 --> 00:36:58,677
(Derek) But sometimes, as Kylynda said,

813
00:36:58,677 --> 00:37:00,641
we may have biases.

814
00:37:00,641 --> 00:37:03,615
We say, "Well, that wealthy businesswoman

815
00:37:03,615 --> 00:37:05,464
is not going to be interested."

816
00:37:05,464 --> 00:37:08,104
"That homeless teenager

817
00:37:08,104 --> 00:37:09,887
is not going to be interested."

818
00:37:09,887 --> 00:37:11,562
But the question is, rather,

819
00:37:11,562 --> 00:37:15,582
is God interested in <i>them?!</i> Samuel?

820
00:37:15,582 --> 00:37:17,650
(Samuel) There are two ways that I think

821
00:37:17,650 --> 00:37:20,691
faulty views can hinder us from mission.

822
00:37:20,691 --> 00:37:23,380
One view is that there is this notion

823
00:37:23,380 --> 00:37:24,647
that God doesn't destroy,

824
00:37:24,647 --> 00:37:25,462
and that everyone

825
00:37:25,462 --> 00:37:26,678
will be saved at the end.

826
00:37:26,678 --> 00:37:28,458
So, if everyone is going to be saved,

827
00:37:28,458 --> 00:37:29,381
why do I need to go

828
00:37:29,381 --> 00:37:30,537
and share God's mission?

829
00:37:30,537 --> 00:37:32,689
On the opposite extreme is this view

830
00:37:32,689 --> 00:37:35,196
that God has already chosen some

831
00:37:35,196 --> 00:37:37,347
to be saved and some to be lost.

832
00:37:37,347 --> 00:37:39,202
So, if God has chosen some to be saved,

833
00:37:39,202 --> 00:37:40,473
why do I go bother

834
00:37:40,473 --> 00:37:41,806
and share God's mission?

835
00:37:41,806 --> 00:37:44,122
So, these are some views

836
00:37:44,122 --> 00:37:46,269
that exist in the world, very much so,

837
00:37:46,269 --> 00:37:51,888
faulty views that can hinder
from sharing God's mission.

838
00:37:51,888 --> 00:37:53,759
(Derek) The Word of God challenges that

839
00:37:53,759 --> 00:37:55,195
when it says, "Today, if you

840
00:37:55,195 --> 00:37:56,829
hear His voice, don't harden

841
00:37:56,829 --> 00:37:58,259
your heart," right?

842
00:37:58,259 --> 00:38:01,417
There is a choice that we make. Jason?

843
00:38:01,417 --> 00:38:03,124
(Jason) And also, we could tend

844
00:38:03,124 --> 00:38:04,288
to lean into the point

845
00:38:04,288 --> 00:38:05,925
of, "It's not my job to do it;

846
00:38:05,925 --> 00:38:07,575
maybe someone else will come along

847
00:38:07,575 --> 00:38:09,063
and witness to them," you know,

848
00:38:09,063 --> 00:38:10,438
and kind of free yourself up

849
00:38:10,438 --> 00:38:11,938
from trying to do that mission,

850
00:38:11,938 --> 00:38:14,020
even though God has called you to do it.

851
00:38:14,020 --> 00:38:15,290
(Derek) We'll come to that

852
00:38:15,290 --> 00:38:16,972
as another excuse in just a minute.

853
00:38:16,972 --> 00:38:18,895
That's good; you're moving forward.

854
00:38:18,895 --> 00:38:22,061
First excuse is...? "I'm afraid."

855
00:38:22,061 --> 00:38:23,290
And we've all been there,

856
00:38:23,290 --> 00:38:24,535
and let's be compassionate

857
00:38:24,535 --> 00:38:25,872
if someone is struggling.

858
00:38:25,872 --> 00:38:28,020
Second excuse is...?

859
00:38:28,020 --> 00:38:29,492
"They don't deserve it,"

860
00:38:29,492 --> 00:38:32,441
because of my faulty view of God.

861
00:38:32,441 --> 00:38:34,149
Even though in the back of his mind

862
00:38:34,149 --> 00:38:36,245
he knew better, didn't he?

863
00:38:36,245 --> 00:38:38,671
But there is a third excuse that I think

864
00:38:38,671 --> 00:38:42,388
Jonah could definitely have thought about,

865
00:38:42,388 --> 00:38:44,570
and that is, "That is

866
00:38:44,570 --> 00:38:47,761
way too difficult for me."

867
00:38:47,761 --> 00:38:49,710
Someone mentioned, "There's one of me,

868
00:38:49,710 --> 00:38:51,967
and there's that great city,

869
00:38:51,967 --> 00:38:53,427
and You're expecting me to go

870
00:38:53,427 --> 00:38:54,717
into the midst of that city

871
00:38:54,717 --> 00:38:57,326
that Nahum describes as full of blood,

872
00:38:57,326 --> 00:38:59,875
corpses stacked up?

873
00:38:59,875 --> 00:39:01,778
Way too difficult for me."

874
00:39:01,778 --> 00:39:06,693
Think about a mission assignment

875
00:39:06,693 --> 00:39:10,694
God may give to you, a difficult one.

876
00:39:10,694 --> 00:39:13,316
Just imagine it; it may be inner city,

877
00:39:13,316 --> 00:39:15,256
it may be a foreign country,

878
00:39:15,256 --> 00:39:17,615
it may be the other side of the world.

879
00:39:17,615 --> 00:39:20,978
What are some excuses

880
00:39:20,978 --> 00:39:22,323
that you might come up with?

881
00:39:22,323 --> 00:39:24,757
I'm going to ask Hope to start with that,

882
00:39:24,757 --> 00:39:25,895
and God's going to...

883
00:39:25,895 --> 00:39:27,388
I know, Hope, you're thinking

884
00:39:27,388 --> 00:39:29,108
about getting some mission training,

885
00:39:29,108 --> 00:39:30,379
but then God throws you,

886
00:39:30,379 --> 00:39:34,735
let's say He throws you to Mongolia, okay?

887
00:39:34,735 --> 00:39:37,999
Mongolia. What are some things

888
00:39:37,999 --> 00:39:41,207
that might cause you, Hope, to say,

889
00:39:41,207 --> 00:39:45,338
"That's too difficult for me"?

890
00:39:45,338 --> 00:39:46,961
(Hope) I don't know the language.

891
00:39:46,961 --> 00:39:48,780
I don't know the culture.

892
00:39:48,780 --> 00:39:49,788
I don't know anything

893
00:39:49,788 --> 00:39:51,995
about any of the people.

894
00:39:51,995 --> 00:39:53,948
(Derek) Yeah, so I've got two right away.

895
00:39:53,948 --> 00:39:56,203
I don't speak Mongolian, and I

896
00:39:56,203 --> 00:39:59,440
don't understand the culture, alright?

897
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,579
Are those valid concerns?

898
00:40:01,579 --> 00:40:03,377
(Team) Yes.

899
00:40:03,377 --> 00:40:05,142
(Derek) Is it too difficult?

900
00:40:05,142 --> 00:40:06,306
(Stephanie) Not for God.

901
00:40:06,306 --> 00:40:08,452
(Derek) It depends how I'm looking, right?

902
00:40:08,452 --> 00:40:10,766
I might have to say, and we've had one

903
00:40:10,766 --> 00:40:11,681
of our team members

904
00:40:11,681 --> 00:40:13,871
just recently learn another language.

905
00:40:13,871 --> 00:40:16,410
I don't even know what it looks like,

906
00:40:16,410 --> 00:40:18,096
but someone just learned

907
00:40:18,096 --> 00:40:20,275
the Albanian language, right?

908
00:40:20,275 --> 00:40:24,043
But, I could say, "That's too difficult

909
00:40:24,043 --> 00:40:26,649
for me, a language/culture."

910
00:40:26,649 --> 00:40:29,482
What else might cause me to say,

911
00:40:29,482 --> 00:40:30,713
"Oh, send somebody else"?

912
00:40:30,713 --> 00:40:33,023
You said, "Send someone else," right?

913
00:40:33,023 --> 00:40:35,348
What other...we'd like

914
00:40:35,348 --> 00:40:37,298
to call them reasons, right,

915
00:40:37,298 --> 00:40:39,106
but if God's calling us,

916
00:40:39,106 --> 00:40:41,664
all of His biddings are enabling,

917
00:40:41,664 --> 00:40:42,894
so He's going to do.

918
00:40:42,894 --> 00:40:44,855
But from a human perspective,

919
00:40:44,855 --> 00:40:46,241
what else, John?

920
00:40:46,241 --> 00:40:48,491
(John) It's not safe for me or my family.

921
00:40:48,491 --> 00:40:51,450
(Derek) Yes! I mean, sending Hope

922
00:40:51,450 --> 00:40:55,202
over to Mongolia without bodyguards,

923
00:40:55,202 --> 00:40:57,420
you know, that's not safe.

924
00:40:57,420 --> 00:41:00,515
Or, someone, I remember my wife and I

925
00:41:00,515 --> 00:41:02,450
as a young couple got a call to go

926
00:41:02,450 --> 00:41:03,965
to a part of the world

927
00:41:03,965 --> 00:41:07,082
that they called "the white man's grave."

928
00:41:07,082 --> 00:41:09,669
And I had the fear that I

929
00:41:09,669 --> 00:41:13,432
would bury children there, right?

930
00:41:13,432 --> 00:41:14,546
It may not be safe.

931
00:41:14,546 --> 00:41:17,101
Sabina, you want to respond

932
00:41:17,101 --> 00:41:18,899
to one of those three,

933
00:41:18,899 --> 00:41:20,541
or is there something else

934
00:41:20,541 --> 00:41:23,686
that we might go, "This is too difficult"?

935
00:41:23,686 --> 00:41:25,657
(Sabina) I'm thinking of something else.

936
00:41:25,657 --> 00:41:27,098
It relates to what is shared,

937
00:41:27,098 --> 00:41:28,273
but it's something else,

938
00:41:28,273 --> 00:41:30,306
like material deprivation, I think, is,

939
00:41:30,306 --> 00:41:31,936
depending on where you are going,

940
00:41:31,936 --> 00:41:32,814
how you are going,

941
00:41:32,814 --> 00:41:34,010
really, you may not have

942
00:41:34,010 --> 00:41:35,668
the same facilities or amenities

943
00:41:35,668 --> 00:41:38,219
that you have in your home country, right,

944
00:41:38,219 --> 00:41:40,114
or even you do, but you are going

945
00:41:40,114 --> 00:41:42,217
to spend a life with less

946
00:41:42,217 --> 00:41:44,957
than what you wished.

947
00:41:44,957 --> 00:41:46,793
(Derek) So, I'm going to ask you

948
00:41:46,793 --> 00:41:49,766
to share a testimony.

949
00:41:49,766 --> 00:41:50,731
Travis, you've been

950
00:41:50,731 --> 00:41:52,587
to a lot of different countries, right,

951
00:41:52,587 --> 00:41:54,688
and I'm sure there were times

952
00:41:54,688 --> 00:41:56,410
when some of these...

953
00:41:56,410 --> 00:41:57,574
We'll call them reasons;

954
00:41:57,574 --> 00:42:01,321
they become excuses if we what?

955
00:42:01,321 --> 00:42:02,698
Finish the sentence:

956
00:42:02,698 --> 00:42:07,713
They become excuses if we...? 
Don't go, right?

957
00:42:07,713 --> 00:42:10,173
But they may still be reasons,

958
00:42:10,173 --> 00:42:11,825
right, is that right?

959
00:42:11,825 --> 00:42:13,054
Don't know the language,

960
00:42:13,054 --> 00:42:14,883
don't know the culture; it's not safe,

961
00:42:14,883 --> 00:42:16,274
so those are reasons,

962
00:42:16,274 --> 00:42:19,249
but we go anyway if we're focusing

963
00:42:19,249 --> 00:42:22,480
on the Lord and how He's led in the past.

964
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:26,209
Can you think of a time when you go,

965
00:42:26,209 --> 00:42:32,008
"This is difficult, too hard for me"?

966
00:42:32,008 --> 00:42:34,699
(Travis) Well, Derek, it's interesting

967
00:42:34,699 --> 00:42:37,143
you ask the question, because, as we're

968
00:42:37,143 --> 00:42:38,428
going through this study,

969
00:42:38,428 --> 00:42:40,701
I'm struggling internally,

970
00:42:40,701 --> 00:42:42,050
because I've just been asked

971
00:42:42,050 --> 00:42:46,968
to take on an orphanage in Bangladesh.

972
00:42:46,968 --> 00:42:49,325
And I'm like, "Lord, I have

973
00:42:49,325 --> 00:42:50,852
way too much going on

974
00:42:50,852 --> 00:42:52,020
with other orphanages

975
00:42:52,020 --> 00:42:53,070
and different things."

976
00:42:53,070 --> 00:42:54,422
Like, I can't handle it.

977
00:42:54,422 --> 00:42:55,686
(Derek) You shared with us

978
00:42:55,686 --> 00:42:57,629
in a previous study that you

979
00:42:57,629 --> 00:42:59,242
actually helped launch

980
00:42:59,242 --> 00:43:02,330
a new orphanage in Malawi, right?

981
00:43:02,330 --> 00:43:05,353
Started there, putting roofs on churches,

982
00:43:05,353 --> 00:43:06,698
because your background

983
00:43:06,698 --> 00:43:09,964
is in construction.

984
00:43:09,964 --> 00:43:11,027
But your background

985
00:43:11,027 --> 00:43:13,852
wasn't in running orphanages, right?

986
00:43:13,852 --> 00:43:16,566
So, now here this...

987
00:43:16,566 --> 00:43:18,216
What do you know about Bangladesh?

988
00:43:18,216 --> 00:43:19,708
(Travis) I don't know anything

989
00:43:19,708 --> 00:43:21,657
about Bangladesh; I don't know anything.

990
00:43:21,657 --> 00:43:23,332
I started looking up the tickets,

991
00:43:23,332 --> 00:43:24,636
and my wife says, "You have

992
00:43:24,636 --> 00:43:26,127
so much going on!

993
00:43:26,127 --> 00:43:27,972
Can you really handle this?"

994
00:43:27,972 --> 00:43:29,603
And so, now I'm thinking, as we're

995
00:43:29,603 --> 00:43:30,803
going through this study,

996
00:43:30,803 --> 00:43:34,092
you know, I think about Martha

997
00:43:34,092 --> 00:43:35,835
being distracted with much serving.

998
00:43:35,835 --> 00:43:39,101
Is there a balance, because I

999
00:43:39,101 --> 00:43:40,495
certainly would want to help

1000
00:43:40,495 --> 00:43:42,291
the orphanage in Bangladesh,

1001
00:43:42,291 --> 00:43:43,328
but at the same time,

1002
00:43:43,328 --> 00:43:45,821
can you have too much?

1003
00:43:45,821 --> 00:43:47,731
And that's what I'm struggling with now.

1004
00:43:47,731 --> 00:43:49,256
(Derek) What's the big question?

1005
00:43:49,256 --> 00:43:51,025
This is real, right? It's right now.

1006
00:43:51,025 --> 00:43:53,042
He's thinking about it during this study.

1007
00:43:53,042 --> 00:43:55,849
What is the big question I ask

1008
00:43:55,849 --> 00:43:58,480
when someone says, "I'd like you

1009
00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,000
to come and do this"?

1010
00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,313
What do you think?

1011
00:44:02,313 --> 00:44:03,760
(Kylynda) Has the Holy Spirit

1012
00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:05,106
called me to go?"

1013
00:44:05,106 --> 00:44:07,775
I think it's very hard,

1014
00:44:07,775 --> 00:44:08,840
because as I mentioned

1015
00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:10,038
we have internal biases,

1016
00:44:10,038 --> 00:44:11,918
but we also have internal thoughts

1017
00:44:11,918 --> 00:44:14,080
about what God might be saying.

1018
00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:18,046
It's really difficult to wisely discern

1019
00:44:18,046 --> 00:44:18,888
the voice of God.

1020
00:44:18,888 --> 00:44:20,753
You need prayer, you need Scripture,

1021
00:44:20,753 --> 00:44:22,047
and you need conversation

1022
00:44:22,047 --> 00:44:24,795
with other people that can help guide you.

1023
00:44:24,795 --> 00:44:26,387
(Derek) There's a lot of counsel

1024
00:44:26,387 --> 00:44:27,620
right there, isn't there?

1025
00:44:27,620 --> 00:44:29,940
Because, sometimes we might even have

1026
00:44:29,940 --> 00:44:31,599
like delusions of grandeur,

1027
00:44:31,599 --> 00:44:35,653
that I'm like the savior of the world.

1028
00:44:35,653 --> 00:44:39,642
And what I'm hearing Kylynda say is,

1029
00:44:39,642 --> 00:44:41,957
"Is this something the Holy Spirit

1030
00:44:41,957 --> 00:44:43,779
is impressing me to do?

1031
00:44:43,779 --> 00:44:46,351
Or, do I join with them in prayer

1032
00:44:46,351 --> 00:44:47,807
that God would bring someone

1033
00:44:47,807 --> 00:44:50,373
just as he brought someone to Malawi?"

1034
00:44:50,373 --> 00:44:52,766
Does that make sense?

1035
00:44:52,766 --> 00:44:54,082
Now, is it possible

1036
00:44:54,082 --> 00:44:56,848
God's asking Travis to do that?

1037
00:44:56,848 --> 00:45:00,002
(Team) Yes.

1038
00:45:00,002 --> 00:45:02,753
(Derek) But we don't know for sure, do we?

1039
00:45:02,753 --> 00:45:03,659
We have to listen.

1040
00:45:03,659 --> 00:45:07,832
Sabina, what are you thinking?

1041
00:45:07,832 --> 00:45:09,927
(Sabina) I believe that, in just going

1042
00:45:09,927 --> 00:45:12,601
with what Travis was sharing,

1043
00:45:12,601 --> 00:45:14,588
there needs to be an inner conviction

1044
00:45:14,588 --> 00:45:16,079
that comes from God

1045
00:45:16,079 --> 00:45:18,421
so that we can move forward.

1046
00:45:18,421 --> 00:45:20,539
But then, as we put the story of Jonah

1047
00:45:20,539 --> 00:45:21,975
in perspective, one could say,

1048
00:45:21,975 --> 00:45:23,977
"Oh, but Jonah was not convicted."

1049
00:45:23,977 --> 00:45:25,282
So, I would say there needs

1050
00:45:25,282 --> 00:45:27,312
to be an inner conviction based also

1051
00:45:27,312 --> 00:45:29,178
on what the Scripture is teaching.

1052
00:45:29,178 --> 00:45:30,854
So, if your reasons

1053
00:45:30,854 --> 00:45:32,683
for not being convicted are

1054
00:45:32,683 --> 00:45:35,590
going against Scripture's wisdom,

1055
00:45:35,590 --> 00:45:37,967
then maybe you should follow

1056
00:45:37,967 --> 00:45:40,986
Scripture's wisdom and respond to God.

1057
00:45:40,986 --> 00:45:43,737
But, maybe if the reasons that you are

1058
00:45:43,737 --> 00:45:45,376
not having that inner conviction

1059
00:45:45,376 --> 00:45:47,251
are aligned also with God's Word,

1060
00:45:47,251 --> 00:45:48,491
just as Travis was saying,

1061
00:45:48,491 --> 00:45:51,401
like, "Maybe I have too much on my plate.

1062
00:45:51,401 --> 00:45:53,431
Do I have enough resources now?

1063
00:45:53,431 --> 00:45:55,402
Am I the right person to do that?"

1064
00:45:55,402 --> 00:45:57,193
So, those are all valid questions

1065
00:45:57,193 --> 00:45:59,906
that we don't want to ignore as well.

1066
00:45:59,906 --> 00:46:00,894
(Derek) We've looked

1067
00:46:00,894 --> 00:46:01,994
at three main excuses,

1068
00:46:01,994 --> 00:46:03,717
and then Jason added a fourth one,

1069
00:46:03,717 --> 00:46:05,256
which I actually wrote down

1070
00:46:05,256 --> 00:46:08,776
as another excuse, but, fear.

1071
00:46:08,776 --> 00:46:12,069
And fear is real; there can be real things

1072
00:46:12,069 --> 00:46:16,620
not just imaginary fear, right, real fear.

1073
00:46:16,620 --> 00:46:18,926
"They don't deserve this," but that

1074
00:46:18,926 --> 00:46:20,864
really comes from a faulty view of God,

1075
00:46:20,864 --> 00:46:22,613
because from God's persepective,

1076
00:46:22,613 --> 00:46:24,772
how many people deserve salvation?

1077
00:46:24,772 --> 00:46:26,406
(Derek, Team) Everyone.

1078
00:46:26,406 --> 00:46:27,711
(Derek) Why are you saying

1079
00:46:27,711 --> 00:46:28,960
they don't deserve it?

1080
00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,293
"It's too difficult," that's real.

1081
00:46:31,293 --> 00:46:33,257
I look, I go, "I don't know the language,

1082
00:46:33,257 --> 00:46:37,112
the culture; it's not safe."

1083
00:46:37,112 --> 00:46:38,716
Another one Jason mentioned,

1084
00:46:38,716 --> 00:46:42,450
"Someone else could do it better."

1085
00:46:42,450 --> 00:46:45,461
Have you ever felt that way? Samuel?

1086
00:46:45,461 --> 00:46:47,905
(Samuel) Another excuse I think of,

1087
00:46:47,905 --> 00:46:50,042
particularly here in the story of Jonah,

1088
00:46:50,042 --> 00:46:53,000
is that Jonah was a Jew,

1089
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:56,684
and the people of Nineveh were Gentiles.

1090
00:46:56,684 --> 00:46:58,874
And so, there is that racial tension,

1091
00:46:58,874 --> 00:47:01,619
which can often hinder us

1092
00:47:01,619 --> 00:47:03,696
from going into missions.

1093
00:47:03,696 --> 00:47:06,262
(Derek) And by the way, those Gentiles,

1094
00:47:06,262 --> 00:47:07,877
as you called them, from Assyria,

1095
00:47:07,877 --> 00:47:09,992
killed a lot of Jewish people.

1096
00:47:09,992 --> 00:47:12,578
They came and slaughtered and destroyed

1097
00:47:12,578 --> 00:47:16,899
a lot of cities, but that's

1098
00:47:16,899 --> 00:47:19,101
an interesting bias to this

1099
00:47:19,101 --> 00:47:20,558
that says, "I don't want them

1100
00:47:20,558 --> 00:47:23,664
to be saved," right?

1101
00:47:23,664 --> 00:47:25,243
As you've listened to the study,

1102
00:47:25,243 --> 00:47:26,487
and I'm going to start

1103
00:47:26,487 --> 00:47:27,997
with some of our remotes;

1104
00:47:27,997 --> 00:47:29,203
Leeah, I'm going to start

1105
00:47:29,203 --> 00:47:30,358
with you if that's okay.

1106
00:47:30,358 --> 00:47:32,925
I don't know the answer to the question,

1107
00:47:32,925 --> 00:47:36,269
but as you hear this story of Jonah,

1108
00:47:36,269 --> 00:47:39,454
we've looked at three or four excuses,

1109
00:47:39,454 --> 00:47:41,525
what do you feel in your heart

1110
00:47:41,525 --> 00:47:43,263
(and I'll give the rest of the team

1111
00:47:43,263 --> 00:47:45,647
time to share) is an excuse

1112
00:47:45,647 --> 00:47:48,373
that you might easily grab onto

1113
00:47:48,373 --> 00:47:50,169
that you need to just give to God?

1114
00:47:50,169 --> 00:47:51,238
Say, "God, I just need

1115
00:47:51,238 --> 00:47:53,327
to give that to You, because I do want

1116
00:47:53,327 --> 00:47:54,684
to join You in Your mission,

1117
00:47:54,684 --> 00:47:57,499
whatever that looks like."

1118
00:47:57,499 --> 00:47:59,055
(Leeah) In anything that God

1119
00:47:59,055 --> 00:48:00,755
has called me to in my life,

1120
00:48:00,755 --> 00:48:03,445
I have felt quite a measurable amount

1121
00:48:03,445 --> 00:48:08,632
of fear, and fear mainly for the unknown.

1122
00:48:08,632 --> 00:48:10,769
Like, we named so many reasons,

1123
00:48:10,769 --> 00:48:13,135
maybe I don't feel like I can afford it,

1124
00:48:13,135 --> 00:48:14,802
or I don't understand the culture,

1125
00:48:14,802 --> 00:48:17,403
or I don't understand the language.

1126
00:48:17,403 --> 00:48:19,396
But, all of these things can be denounced

1127
00:48:19,396 --> 00:48:21,756
when we go to God and when we say,

1128
00:48:21,756 --> 00:48:22,885
"This is my fear."

1129
00:48:22,885 --> 00:48:24,211
God understands that we're

1130
00:48:24,211 --> 00:48:25,483
going to have fear, and He

1131
00:48:25,483 --> 00:48:26,693
probably expects it, too,

1132
00:48:26,693 --> 00:48:29,365
because He knows that we're human.

1133
00:48:29,365 --> 00:48:30,908
But, like somebody said earlier,

1134
00:48:30,908 --> 00:48:32,812
I think in instances where He knows

1135
00:48:32,812 --> 00:48:34,970
we're going to be afraid, or like Jonah,

1136
00:48:34,970 --> 00:48:37,550
when He knows that we're going to resist,

1137
00:48:37,550 --> 00:48:40,129
maybe that call to mission is more for us

1138
00:48:40,129 --> 00:48:42,053
and for our heart change than it is

1139
00:48:42,053 --> 00:48:43,294
for the people that we're

1140
00:48:43,294 --> 00:48:45,555
actually going to witness to.

1141
00:48:45,555 --> 00:48:47,897
(Derek) Alright, so, just letting go
of that fear.

1142
00:48:47,897 --> 00:48:50,313
By the way, I received some healing

1143
00:48:50,313 --> 00:48:52,195
a few years ago where God

1144
00:48:52,195 --> 00:48:54,417
directly said to me, "Derek, I want

1145
00:48:54,417 --> 00:48:57,147
to deliver you from all your fears."

1146
00:48:57,147 --> 00:48:59,685
And I was anointed that day, by the way,

1147
00:48:59,685 --> 00:49:02,115
because I grew up with a lot of fears,

1148
00:49:02,115 --> 00:49:03,132
and some of them were

1149
00:49:03,132 --> 00:49:07,032
from my family of origin, a lot of fears.

1150
00:49:07,032 --> 00:49:09,051
So, I can relate to that.

1151
00:49:09,051 --> 00:49:11,613
Let's show some kindness to Jonah, right?

1152
00:49:11,613 --> 00:49:13,960
Anybody else, as you've looked

1153
00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:16,540
at this study, something you just feel...

1154
00:49:16,540 --> 00:49:18,727
Kylynda, is it the same or something else?

1155
00:49:18,727 --> 00:49:19,692
You just say, "God,

1156
00:49:19,692 --> 00:49:21,002
I want to give that to You.

1157
00:49:21,002 --> 00:49:24,558
I could easily grab onto that

1158
00:49:24,558 --> 00:49:26,320
and make it a reason when actually it

1159
00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,477
could be an excuse holding me back."

1160
00:49:28,477 --> 00:49:30,528
(Kylynda) Well briefly, several years ago,

1161
00:49:30,528 --> 00:49:32,746
I had the opportunity to work in a lab

1162
00:49:32,746 --> 00:49:34,373
in a different country.

1163
00:49:34,373 --> 00:49:36,788
So, I'm a scientist; it's my first day,

1164
00:49:36,788 --> 00:49:37,972
and I'm eating lunch

1165
00:49:37,972 --> 00:49:39,741
with my new colleagues, and they say,

1166
00:49:39,741 --> 00:49:41,679
"Well, what are you doing this weekend?"

1167
00:49:41,679 --> 00:49:44,692
And I thought, "Oh, you know,

1168
00:49:44,692 --> 00:49:46,761
maybe I shouldn't mention going to church

1169
00:49:46,761 --> 00:49:49,553
or Sabbath," because in science

1170
00:49:49,553 --> 00:49:51,186
it could be perceived that someone

1171
00:49:51,186 --> 00:49:52,129
who embraces faith

1172
00:49:52,129 --> 00:49:53,950
is not intelligent

1173
00:49:53,950 --> 00:49:56,206
or they're intolerant or bigoted,

1174
00:49:56,206 --> 00:49:58,161
or, you know, maybe it's not appropriate

1175
00:49:58,161 --> 00:50:00,645
in this culture to discuss religion,

1176
00:50:00,645 --> 00:50:02,150
so I said, "Nothing."

1177
00:50:02,150 --> 00:50:04,179
And then someone else came to the table,

1178
00:50:04,179 --> 00:50:05,879
another scientist, sat down,

1179
00:50:05,879 --> 00:50:07,978
not of my faith, and started

1180
00:50:07,978 --> 00:50:09,628
to pray for his food.

1181
00:50:09,628 --> 00:50:11,833
Everyone at the table went silent

1182
00:50:11,833 --> 00:50:13,459
until he finished, and then we all

1183
00:50:13,459 --> 00:50:14,922
started talking again.

1184
00:50:14,922 --> 00:50:17,794
And I think it was like a personal rebuke

1185
00:50:17,794 --> 00:50:19,901
to me because it wasn't

1186
00:50:19,901 --> 00:50:21,676
quite the same shade of fear.

1187
00:50:21,676 --> 00:50:22,916
I wasn't afraid that they

1188
00:50:22,916 --> 00:50:25,894
would hurt me or say things,

1189
00:50:25,894 --> 00:50:29,758
but pride and apathy, they play a role

1190
00:50:29,758 --> 00:50:32,325
in how people might perceive me.

1191
00:50:32,325 --> 00:50:36,005
And I want to ask God's forgiveness

1192
00:50:36,005 --> 00:50:37,664
and grace to say, "What do You

1193
00:50:37,664 --> 00:50:39,373
want me to do, and can I be open

1194
00:50:39,373 --> 00:50:41,632
to do that no matter the circumstance."

1195
00:50:41,632 --> 00:50:44,311
(Derek) And, we need to recognize

1196
00:50:44,311 --> 00:50:45,492
that there is a time

1197
00:50:45,492 --> 00:50:47,073
and place to share more.

1198
00:50:47,073 --> 00:50:48,939
Even Jesus said, "There are some things

1199
00:50:48,939 --> 00:50:50,052
I would share with you,

1200
00:50:50,052 --> 00:50:51,963
but you cannot bear them now."

1201
00:50:51,963 --> 00:50:52,901
So, we don't have

1202
00:50:52,901 --> 00:50:54,383
to share everything right away,

1203
00:50:54,383 --> 00:50:56,587
but you were feeling there,

1204
00:50:56,587 --> 00:50:57,840
you used the word rebuke,

1205
00:50:57,840 --> 00:51:00,301
or at least a loving reminder

1206
00:51:00,301 --> 00:51:02,792
from the Holy Spirit, "When I ask you

1207
00:51:02,792 --> 00:51:05,391
to do something, don't be afraid," right,

1208
00:51:05,391 --> 00:51:08,023
"Don't let that hold you back." Nancy.

1209
00:51:08,023 --> 00:51:09,391
(Nancy) Derek, I'd also like

1210
00:51:09,391 --> 00:51:11,150
to mention comfort.

1211
00:51:11,150 --> 00:51:12,151
Some of us don't want

1212
00:51:12,151 --> 00:51:13,811
to go off somewhere else

1213
00:51:13,811 --> 00:51:15,633
because we're comfortable.

1214
00:51:15,633 --> 00:51:18,744
We know God, we're happy in our church,

1215
00:51:18,744 --> 00:51:23,832
and maybe going off to another country

1216
00:51:23,832 --> 00:51:26,025
with our families, and the grandparents

1217
00:51:26,025 --> 00:51:28,350
won't get to be with the children,

1218
00:51:28,350 --> 00:51:29,907
you know, things like that.

1219
00:51:29,907 --> 00:51:33,084
But, Jesus says, if you can remind me

1220
00:51:33,084 --> 00:51:39,955
of where in Scripture, that sometimes we
are called to leave...

1221
00:51:39,955 --> 00:51:41,220
(Derek) Father and mother?

1222
00:51:41,220 --> 00:51:42,887
(Nancy) Yes, yes, and, "Great

1223
00:51:42,887 --> 00:51:44,504
will be our reward."

1224
00:51:44,504 --> 00:51:47,842
And so, yeah, I wanted to mention comfort.

1225
00:51:47,842 --> 00:51:49,615
(Derek) Comfort, right, because there

1226
00:51:49,615 --> 00:51:51,064
may be bedbugs there or snakes

1227
00:51:51,064 --> 00:51:52,970
that I don't like, or people

1228
00:51:52,970 --> 00:51:53,882
that I don't like.

1229
00:51:53,882 --> 00:51:55,211
There are lots of reasons.

1230
00:51:55,211 --> 00:51:56,923
We need to move to Isaiah,

1231
00:51:56,923 --> 00:51:58,176
and I'll give you a chance

1232
00:51:58,176 --> 00:51:59,323
to share at the end,

1233
00:51:59,323 --> 00:52:02,009
because Isaiah finds

1234
00:52:02,009 --> 00:52:04,437
his way past all excuses.

1235
00:52:04,437 --> 00:52:07,456
And, I think there's a clue,

1236
00:52:07,456 --> 00:52:09,380
and, Stephanie, if you could read for us

1237
00:52:09,380 --> 00:52:12,577
in the book that bears the prophet's name,

1238
00:52:12,577 --> 00:52:16,925
in Isaiah, chapter 6, verses 1 through 7,

1239
00:52:16,925 --> 00:52:21,293
I think there's a clue in this passage

1240
00:52:21,293 --> 00:52:25,256
as to how he abandons all excuses,

1241
00:52:25,256 --> 00:52:28,497
because verse 8 is a verse we'll read

1242
00:52:28,497 --> 00:52:30,464
after you've read 1 through 7.

1243
00:52:30,464 --> 00:52:32,406
(Stephanie) Alright, and I'll be reading

1244
00:52:32,406 --> 00:52:34,045
from the New King James Version:

1245
00:53:57,342 --> 00:53:59,974
(Derek) Now the first half of verse 8.

1246
00:54:08,670 --> 00:54:10,469
(Derek) So, there are lots of excuses

1247
00:54:10,469 --> 00:54:11,908
because he's going to be given

1248
00:54:11,908 --> 00:54:14,122
a difficult assignment,

1249
00:54:14,122 --> 00:54:16,854
but the second half of verse 8,

1250
00:54:16,854 --> 00:54:21,355
how does he respond?

1251
00:54:28,829 --> 00:54:33,098
(Derek) Whew! What was it

1252
00:54:33,098 --> 00:54:35,980
in the first seven verses?

1253
00:54:35,980 --> 00:54:37,761
There's something there, isn't there?

1254
00:54:37,761 --> 00:54:39,887
It makes sense from all the things

1255
00:54:39,887 --> 00:54:42,079
we've been studying.

1256
00:54:42,079 --> 00:54:45,845
What was it in the first seven verses

1257
00:54:45,845 --> 00:54:48,829
that gave him the courage

1258
00:54:48,829 --> 00:54:51,301
to abandon all excuses,

1259
00:54:51,301 --> 00:54:55,016
call them reasons, and say,

1260
00:54:55,016 --> 00:54:58,192
"Here am I, send me"? Adison?

1261
00:54:58,192 --> 00:55:01,754
(Adison) He had an experience with God.

1262
00:55:01,754 --> 00:55:03,233
He saw the glory of the Lord,

1263
00:55:03,233 --> 00:55:04,474
the character of God,

1264
00:55:04,474 --> 00:55:07,483
and that changed him

1265
00:55:07,483 --> 00:55:10,280
and moved upon his heart to say,

1266
00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:13,102
"Here I am, Lord, I want to serve You.

1267
00:55:13,102 --> 00:55:14,478
You are beautiful, amazing."

1268
00:55:14,478 --> 00:55:15,715
(Derek) That's one thing.

1269
00:55:15,715 --> 00:55:16,888
Stay with us now.

1270
00:55:16,888 --> 00:55:18,279
He saw the glory of the Lord.

1271
00:55:18,279 --> 00:55:19,292
He had a revelation

1272
00:55:19,292 --> 00:55:20,967
of the glory of the Lord.

1273
00:55:20,967 --> 00:55:22,313
What else? Samuel?

1274
00:55:22,313 --> 00:55:23,586
(Samuel) I think the verse

1275
00:55:23,586 --> 00:55:25,065
also talks about how your guilt

1276
00:55:25,065 --> 00:55:26,950
is taken away, and your sin atoned for.

1277
00:55:26,950 --> 00:55:28,128
(Derek) So something was

1278
00:55:28,128 --> 00:55:31,699
happening to him spiritually. What else?

1279
00:55:31,699 --> 00:55:33,605
(Nancy) Perspective.

1280
00:55:33,605 --> 00:55:35,129
(Derek) There was something else

1281
00:55:35,129 --> 00:55:36,568
really big that happened there

1282
00:55:36,568 --> 00:55:37,386
in those verses.

1283
00:55:37,386 --> 00:55:39,040
What was it? Yes, Kylynda?

1284
00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:40,252
(Kylynda) He was touched

1285
00:55:40,252 --> 00:55:42,626
by the fire from the altar.

1286
00:55:42,626 --> 00:55:45,406
(Derek) Something supernatural happens

1287
00:55:45,406 --> 00:55:49,002
when we abandon all of our excuses,

1288
00:55:49,002 --> 00:55:50,337
and it comes in the context

1289
00:55:50,337 --> 00:55:51,499
of that encounter

1290
00:55:51,499 --> 00:55:53,733
with the living God, right,

1291
00:55:53,733 --> 00:55:56,847
and the freedom from all of the shame

1292
00:55:56,847 --> 00:55:59,565
and guilt and sin and all of that.

1293
00:55:59,565 --> 00:56:01,678
Something supernatural happens

1294
00:56:01,678 --> 00:56:06,141
that enables us to say....Stephanie?

1295
00:56:06,141 --> 00:56:08,205
(Stephanie) Yes, he recognized who he was

1296
00:56:08,205 --> 00:56:09,841
in the presence of God.

1297
00:56:09,841 --> 00:56:14,445
He understood that he was a human being,

1298
00:56:14,445 --> 00:56:15,709
and he was in the presence

1299
00:56:15,709 --> 00:56:18,053
of the Almighty King.

1300
00:56:18,053 --> 00:56:20,314
(Derek) So, someone's watching today,

1301
00:56:20,314 --> 00:56:25,282
and you're saying, "I want to be the woman

1302
00:56:25,282 --> 00:56:26,518
of God/man of God,

1303
00:56:26,518 --> 00:56:28,464
join God in His mission,

1304
00:56:28,464 --> 00:56:31,955
but I've been...Honestly I

1305
00:56:31,955 --> 00:56:32,912
called them reasons,

1306
00:56:32,912 --> 00:56:34,604
but maybe they're excuses.

1307
00:56:34,604 --> 00:56:38,392
I need a revelation of the glory of God,

1308
00:56:38,392 --> 00:56:40,942
and I need something supernatural

1309
00:56:40,942 --> 00:56:42,632
to happen in me."

1310
00:56:42,632 --> 00:56:46,441
Is God able to do that?

1311
00:56:46,441 --> 00:56:47,943
I hope you're raising your hand

1312
00:56:47,943 --> 00:56:50,628
and saying, "Yes," because He is!

1313
00:56:50,628 --> 00:56:51,974
And He's done it;

1314
00:56:51,974 --> 00:56:53,490
it's recorded in Scripture.

1315
00:56:53,490 --> 00:56:56,033
People, I'm sure Mary, when she was told,

1316
00:56:56,033 --> 00:56:57,812
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,"

1317
00:56:57,812 --> 00:56:59,201
she had to wrestle with fear,

1318
00:56:59,201 --> 00:57:01,164
"This is too difficult,"

1319
00:57:01,164 --> 00:57:04,601
but surrendering and trusting a loving God

1320
00:57:04,601 --> 00:57:08,553
to say, "God, here am I, send me."

1321
00:57:08,553 --> 00:57:11,509
Is that your prayer today?

1322
00:57:11,509 --> 00:57:14,004
I want to pray for you just now.

1323
00:57:14,004 --> 00:57:18,736
Father in Heaven, we didn't just come

1324
00:57:18,736 --> 00:57:21,787
to study today to rebuke people

1325
00:57:21,787 --> 00:57:23,169
for making excuses.

1326
00:57:23,169 --> 00:57:27,140
We came so we could see how easy it is

1327
00:57:27,140 --> 00:57:30,770
to have reasons not to go.

1328
00:57:30,770 --> 00:57:31,659
But, we've learned

1329
00:57:31,659 --> 00:57:32,967
that an encounter with You,

1330
00:57:32,967 --> 00:57:36,258
that, yes, Your supernatural blessing can

1331
00:57:36,258 --> 00:57:39,887
enable us to do whatever You ask us to do.

1332
00:57:39,887 --> 00:57:41,365
Today, we just want to say,

1333
00:57:41,365 --> 00:57:43,282
whatever that looks like in the mission,

1334
00:57:43,282 --> 00:57:45,664
Lord, we're available.

1335
00:57:45,664 --> 00:57:48,639
Here we are, please send us.

1336
00:57:48,639 --> 00:57:49,850
And when we see miracles,

1337
00:57:49,850 --> 00:57:51,523
we will give You all of the praise.

1338
00:57:51,523 --> 00:57:54,441
In Jesus' name. Amen.

1339
00:57:54,441 --> 00:57:56,875
Well, thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

1340
00:57:56,875 --> 00:57:58,442
Go out and be a blessing

1341
00:57:58,442 --> 00:58:00,041
to those around you.

1342
00:58:00,041 --> 00:58:28,635
♪ theme music ♪