WEBVTT

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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?

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One of the excuses that someone might make

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and perhaps one of the motivations

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for Jonah to say, "Let me get a boat

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anywhere in the other direction,"

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is because of...? Fear, right?

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I mean, these were a fearful people,

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but if Jonah had remembered something

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of the Lord's work, it might have

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helped him to find freedom from his fears.

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Let's go back to 2 Kings, chapter 19,

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and, Travis, would you be willing to read

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for us 2 Kings 19, verses 32 to 37?

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Sometimes when we

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are tempted to be afraid,

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we need to remember what God has done.

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(Travis) And I'll be reading

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from the New King James Version:

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(Derek) Some of us are very happy

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that <i>you</i> read that text; there were a lot

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of difficult names there, thank you.

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You can go - and I was

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in Israel just recently - and you can see

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reliefs in museums of devastation

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that the Assyrians brought,
even in Israel.

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But, the Lord delivered His people

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there in Jerusalem.

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So, if that memory was there,

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why would the prophet Jonah be so fearful?

00:15:57.722 --> 00:15:59.675
What do you think?

00:15:59.675 --> 00:16:01.975
Leeah, what do you think?

00:16:01.975 --> 00:16:05.625
He knew how God had delivered in the past.

00:16:05.625 --> 00:16:07.451
(Leeah) The Assyrian Kingdom

00:16:07.451 --> 00:16:09.763
continues to resurface, so I think

00:16:09.763 --> 00:16:11.091
there was probably the fear

00:16:11.091 --> 00:16:12.815
that, "Well, why did they come back?

00:16:12.815 --> 00:16:14.537
if God struck them down once,

00:16:14.537 --> 00:16:16.042
why do they keep coming back?"

00:16:16.042 --> 00:16:18.047
There's a lot of fear that comes

00:16:18.047 --> 00:16:19.965
when something kind of "rears

00:16:19.965 --> 00:16:22.753
its ugly head," as we say.

00:16:22.753 --> 00:16:24.178
(Derek) Okay, good point.

00:16:24.178 --> 00:16:25.822
In other words, maybe they're

00:16:25.822 --> 00:16:27.812
coming back for revenge.

00:16:27.812 --> 00:16:30.782
"God delivered us in the past,

00:16:30.782 --> 00:16:32.258
but can we be certain

00:16:32.258 --> 00:16:34.238
that He will deliver again?

00:16:34.238 --> 00:16:37.879
I'm actually going to them now."

00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:39.180
What do you think, Jason?

00:16:39.180 --> 00:16:42.557
(Jason) It can be a combination of fear
and also feeling like they don't

00:16:42.557 --> 00:16:44.317
deserve it because they're so wicked.

00:16:44.317 --> 00:16:45.609
(Derek) We're going to come

00:16:45.609 --> 00:16:47.416
to the "don't deserve it" in a minute,

00:16:47.416 --> 00:16:49.018
but the fear thing would be what?

00:16:49.018 --> 00:16:51.590
You've been in the military, right?

00:16:51.590 --> 00:16:54.420
You hear about these people.

00:16:54.420 --> 00:16:58.137
And you won one battle by the Lord.

00:16:58.137 --> 00:17:00.060
(Jason) Yeah, it gets to be overwhelming

00:17:00.060 --> 00:17:01.586
because of the things you heard

00:17:01.586 --> 00:17:04.088
and feeling like, "I can't do this,"

00:17:04.088 --> 00:17:07.052
feeling inadequate, in that sense.

00:17:07.052 --> 00:17:07.765
(Derek) Nancy.

00:17:07.765 --> 00:17:09.621
(Nancy) I would say there is one of him

00:17:09.621 --> 00:17:12.827
against a whole city, but he's forgetting

00:17:12.827 --> 00:17:13.932
that he's with God,

00:17:13.932 --> 00:17:16.218
and with God on our side...

00:17:16.218 --> 00:17:17.684
(Derek) I mean Sabina read

00:17:17.684 --> 00:17:19.610
that description in Nahum; it was

00:17:19.610 --> 00:17:23.614
pretty overwhelming, wasn't it? Travis?

00:17:23.614 --> 00:17:25.002
(Travis) So, I think if we're

00:17:25.002 --> 00:17:26.238
going to be hard on Jonah,

00:17:26.238 --> 00:17:28.228
we're going to have to be hard on Elijah,

00:17:28.228 --> 00:17:31.286
the same who slew all the prophets of Baal

00:17:31.286 --> 00:17:33.245
and then runs from a queen.

00:17:33.245 --> 00:17:36.550
So, we could be hard on Jonah,

00:17:36.550 --> 00:17:38.100
but there are other prophets.

00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:39.597
I mean, Elijah, he was

00:17:39.597 --> 00:17:40.969
quite a prophet of God,

00:17:40.969 --> 00:17:44.279
and he was afraid of Jezebel.

00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:46.013
(Derek) So, maybe there are times...

00:17:46.013 --> 00:17:47.246
I see your hand raised.

00:17:47.246 --> 00:17:48.950
Because that same Elijah

00:17:48.950 --> 00:17:50.276
would stretch his body

00:17:50.276 --> 00:17:51.546
over a lifeless child,

00:17:51.546 --> 00:17:54.328
and he would be raised to life, right?

00:17:54.328 --> 00:17:57.052
And yet, he does run from Jezebel.

00:17:57.052 --> 00:17:59.077
And yet, later God deals with Jezebel.

00:17:59.077 --> 00:18:01.010
I mean, there's nothing

00:18:01.010 --> 00:18:02.607
too hard for God, right?

00:18:02.607 --> 00:18:03.910
But, you're saying one time

00:18:03.910 --> 00:18:04.920
we might feel strong

00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:07.337
and other times overwhelmed by fear?

00:18:07.337 --> 00:18:09.211
(Stephanie) I think the difference is,

00:18:09.211 --> 00:18:11.184
is where I'm placing my eyes -

00:18:11.184 --> 00:18:12.942
on evidence that God exists,

00:18:12.942 --> 00:18:15.143
and He's led me so far,

00:18:15.143 --> 00:18:17.587
or on what I can see presently,

00:18:17.587 --> 00:18:20.963
which can change in an instant

00:18:20.963 --> 00:18:22.025
when God's in it.

00:18:22.025 --> 00:18:23.762
(Derek) I'm remembering a quotation.

00:18:23.762 --> 00:18:25.510
Lots of hands raised, this is great.

00:18:25.510 --> 00:18:27.113
But, I remember, "We have nothing

00:18:27.113 --> 00:18:28.963
to fear for the future

00:18:28.963 --> 00:18:31.149
except as we shall forget

00:18:31.149 --> 00:18:32.449
the way the Lord has led us

00:18:32.449 --> 00:18:34.622
and His teaching in our past history."

00:18:34.622 --> 00:18:37.217
So, maybe in that moment -

00:18:37.217 --> 00:18:43.061
you talk about focus - we shift our focus

00:18:43.061 --> 00:18:44.220
even though the evidence

00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:46.149
is still there, right?

00:18:46.149 --> 00:18:48.044
Now, a couple more, and then I want

00:18:48.044 --> 00:18:50.919
to ask is there...Travis, you said,

00:18:50.919 --> 00:18:52.323
let's not be too hard on him.

00:18:52.323 --> 00:18:55.073
Can you think of a time when fear

00:18:55.073 --> 00:18:56.550
got the best of you

00:18:56.550 --> 00:18:59.101
in a challenging mission assignment? John.

00:18:59.101 --> 00:19:00.557
(John) Going back to the quote

00:19:00.557 --> 00:19:02.619
that you just recited,

00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:04.352
Jonah must have forgotten

00:19:04.352 --> 00:19:05.965
about the stories of how God

00:19:05.965 --> 00:19:08.889
delivered them from the Assyrians.

00:19:08.889 --> 00:19:13.663
And also, Jonah must have

00:19:13.663 --> 00:19:15.504
thought to himself, I mean God did it,

00:19:15.504 --> 00:19:16.739
even if he had remembered

00:19:16.739 --> 00:19:17.619
God did it before,

00:19:17.619 --> 00:19:19.133
would He do that again?

00:19:19.133 --> 00:19:20.783
And at times in our own lives,

00:19:20.783 --> 00:19:22.475
we think like that, "Okay, yes, God

00:19:22.475 --> 00:19:24.121
gave me that victory back then

00:19:24.121 --> 00:19:25.544
in reaching this person,

00:19:25.544 --> 00:19:27.978
but would He do that again?

00:19:27.978 --> 00:19:29.412
And so, those are some reasons

00:19:29.412 --> 00:19:32.034
that could be why Jonah was fearful.

00:19:32.034 --> 00:19:33.730
(Derek) We're going to have to give

00:19:33.730 --> 00:19:35.851
a testimony time, honest time.

00:19:35.851 --> 00:19:37.093
Some of you have been

00:19:37.093 --> 00:19:39.852
in difficult places on mission trips

00:19:39.852 --> 00:19:43.261
or long-term assignments; Sabina, you're

00:19:43.261 --> 00:19:45.742
in a long-term ministry assignment.

00:19:45.742 --> 00:19:47.183
Can anybody think of a time

00:19:47.183 --> 00:19:48.940
when you felt fear

00:19:48.940 --> 00:19:51.286
kind of well up, like, "Whoa!"

00:19:51.286 --> 00:19:55.645
Adison, you're nodding and smiling.

00:19:55.645 --> 00:19:57.456
(Adison) When I was 13 years old,

00:19:57.456 --> 00:19:59.232
so this was way back now,

00:19:59.232 --> 00:20:00.856
I remember sharing with a group

00:20:00.856 --> 00:20:05.736
of about 50 to 60 people from the public

00:20:05.736 --> 00:20:07.553
about the sanctuary message,

00:20:07.553 --> 00:20:12.601
about Exodus 25 and that important topic,

00:20:12.601 --> 00:20:14.132
and it was one of my first times

00:20:14.132 --> 00:20:15.929
I had ever spoken publicly.

00:20:15.929 --> 00:20:18.661
And I remember human emotion

00:20:18.661 --> 00:20:20.299
taking over in that moment,

00:20:20.299 --> 00:20:21.784
and it was like a paralysis.

00:20:21.784 --> 00:20:24.170
I was just paralyzed with fear.

00:20:24.170 --> 00:20:26.899
And, you know, 13 years old,
there is still...

00:20:26.899 --> 00:20:30.165
Anyway, I love this story about Jonah;
it reminds me of that.

00:20:30.165 --> 00:20:31.274
(Derek) And you weren't

00:20:31.274 --> 00:20:32.818
in Papua New Guinea, you were...

00:20:32.818 --> 00:20:34.113
(Adison) No, I was home.

00:20:34.113 --> 00:20:38.081
Yes, I was on Vancouver Island in Canada.

00:20:38.081 --> 00:20:39.139
(Derek) Sometimes fear

00:20:39.139 --> 00:20:40.911
might come for different reasons,

00:20:40.911 --> 00:20:42.539
but you felt that.

00:20:42.539 --> 00:20:45.327
Anybody else can think of a time? John?

00:20:45.327 --> 00:20:47.188
(John) I'll leave the country unnamed,

00:20:47.188 --> 00:20:48.647
but I was in a certain country

00:20:48.647 --> 00:20:50.677
going door to door

00:20:50.677 --> 00:20:52.190
giving out Christian literature

00:20:52.190 --> 00:20:53.558
and praying with them.

00:20:53.558 --> 00:20:54.745
And soon there were

00:20:54.745 --> 00:20:57.563
some certain other religious extremists

00:20:57.563 --> 00:20:59.420
who came, and they took us

00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:00.943
to the police station.

00:21:00.943 --> 00:21:03.187
And during that time, my friends and I

00:21:03.187 --> 00:21:05.737
were quite fearful as to what was

00:21:05.737 --> 00:21:06.795
going to happen next.

00:21:06.795 --> 00:21:08.885
But, the Lord amazingly delivered

00:21:08.885 --> 00:21:10.236
by sending some other people

00:21:10.236 --> 00:21:11.400
who came to the rescue.

00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:12.647
(Derek) But the fear came?

00:21:12.647 --> 00:21:13.378
(John) Yes.

00:21:13.378 --> 00:21:16.025
(Derek) Sabina, you think of a time.

00:21:16.025 --> 00:21:18.033
(Sabina) Yes, I think that one

00:21:18.033 --> 00:21:20.607
of the times where I felt the most fearful

00:21:20.607 --> 00:21:23.147
was actually when God invited me

00:21:23.147 --> 00:21:28.382
to leave my job, back in the day,

00:21:28.382 --> 00:21:31.033
to go into fulltime ministry.

00:21:31.033 --> 00:21:31.974
And for me, it was

00:21:31.974 --> 00:21:34.167
a very challenging request from God

00:21:34.167 --> 00:21:37.808
because I had lots of uncertainties

00:21:37.808 --> 00:21:39.049
about my future, you know,

00:21:39.049 --> 00:21:40.839
how He would provide for me,

00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:43.038
what ministry would look like for me.

00:21:43.038 --> 00:21:47.452
And it took me maybe about half a year

00:21:47.452 --> 00:21:49.156
to take a step further than He

00:21:49.156 --> 00:21:51.713
had already impressed upon my heart,

00:21:51.713 --> 00:21:53.576
even though I had, like, a strong sense

00:21:53.576 --> 00:21:55.231
of calling since I was a teenager.

00:21:55.231 --> 00:21:57.573
It was at 28 only that I sensed that He

00:21:57.573 --> 00:22:00.496
was directly indicating my next move.

00:22:00.496 --> 00:22:02.903
And for me to respond to this move,

00:22:02.903 --> 00:22:04.035
it took me, as I said,

00:22:04.035 --> 00:22:05.865
more than half a year.

00:22:05.865 --> 00:22:08.209
I asked for some evidence from God,

00:22:08.209 --> 00:22:11.366
and I really had a hard time trusting

00:22:11.366 --> 00:22:12.304
that He was the One

00:22:12.304 --> 00:22:13.491
who was speaking to me.

00:22:13.491 --> 00:22:14.873
So, I eventually responded,

00:22:14.873 --> 00:22:16.945
but I was quite fearful at the time.

00:22:16.945 --> 00:22:17.857
I was quite fearful

00:22:17.857 --> 00:22:19.642
of my family's judgment.

00:22:19.642 --> 00:22:22.352
I was quite fearful of not having enough

00:22:22.352 --> 00:22:24.671
to provide for myself in the future.

00:22:24.671 --> 00:22:25.829
I was quite fearful

00:22:25.829 --> 00:22:28.105
of where all this would end.

00:22:28.105 --> 00:22:29.585
And, you know, I'm thankful;

00:22:29.585 --> 00:22:32.036
now 10 years almost have gone by,

00:22:32.036 --> 00:22:34.288
and God is good.

00:22:34.288 --> 00:22:35.764
(Derek) So, I guess one thing,

00:22:35.764 --> 00:22:37.262
and then we're going to move on

00:22:37.262 --> 00:22:38.073
to another excuse

00:22:38.073 --> 00:22:40.745
after just a moment here.

00:22:40.745 --> 00:22:45.898
We ought to be sympathetic, compassionate

00:22:45.898 --> 00:22:47.393
toward people who may wrestle

00:22:47.393 --> 00:22:49.334
with some fears, because we've

00:22:49.334 --> 00:22:51.644
also wrestled with fears, right?

00:22:51.644 --> 00:22:53.019
So, we're not judging Jonah

00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:54.921
or anyone else, but we're saying

00:22:54.921 --> 00:22:57.106
how do we make it past the fear?

00:22:57.106 --> 00:22:59.250
And that's my final question for us

00:22:59.250 --> 00:23:02.139
before we move to the second excuse.

00:23:02.139 --> 00:23:06.546
Fears will come, right?

00:23:06.546 --> 00:23:08.687
How do I make it past that fear

00:23:08.687 --> 00:23:10.527
if it's clear that God has

00:23:10.527 --> 00:23:11.922
given me a mission?

00:23:11.922 --> 00:23:14.730
God has asked me to do something. Nancy?

00:23:14.730 --> 00:23:16.952
(Nancy) We have to remember

00:23:16.952 --> 00:23:18.429
what we're dealing with,

00:23:18.429 --> 00:23:20.125
the Great Controversy between good

00:23:20.125 --> 00:23:23.372
and evil in the universe is real.

00:23:23.372 --> 00:23:26.147
And so, when we remember what it's about

00:23:26.147 --> 00:23:27.881
and whose side we're on,

00:23:27.881 --> 00:23:29.959
it will give us courage.

00:23:29.959 --> 00:23:35.051
I wanted to mention that one situation

00:23:35.051 --> 00:23:36.540
in which we may feel fearful

00:23:36.540 --> 00:23:39.967
is when we're among peers that have

00:23:39.967 --> 00:23:42.678
the same head knowledge about God

00:23:42.678 --> 00:23:45.282
but perhaps not the same heart knowledge

00:23:45.282 --> 00:23:47.027
and the heart experience.

00:23:47.027 --> 00:23:48.587
And so, we may feel like, "Well,

00:23:48.587 --> 00:23:51.871
it's not cool," maybe, "to stand out

00:23:51.871 --> 00:23:53.575
and be bold for God."

00:23:53.575 --> 00:23:56.435
But when we really understand

00:23:56.435 --> 00:23:58.893
what's happening and what is at stake

00:23:58.893 --> 00:23:59.967
and who's on our side,

00:23:59.967 --> 00:24:02.348
then we will be bold.

00:24:02.348 --> 00:24:03.788
(Derek) I'm going to ask Hope,

00:24:03.788 --> 00:24:05.812
because Hope you're, today,

00:24:05.812 --> 00:24:07.929
the youngest member of our team.

00:24:07.929 --> 00:24:12.694
I know you've done ministry; you've had

00:24:12.694 --> 00:24:15.309
a youth prayer group that you lead,

00:24:15.309 --> 00:24:16.308
were there ever times

00:24:16.308 --> 00:24:17.732
that you felt fearful,

00:24:17.732 --> 00:24:21.368
and if so, how did you make it past that?

00:24:21.368 --> 00:24:22.617
(Hope) One time that comes

00:24:22.617 --> 00:24:25.569
to my mind for sure is when I was

00:24:25.569 --> 00:24:29.519
doing some canvassing, and that is

00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:31.314
selling Christian books door to door.

00:24:31.314 --> 00:24:33.093
And I was in a neighborhood that was

00:24:33.093 --> 00:24:37.772
a little bit lower class, and I remember

00:24:37.772 --> 00:24:39.749
feeling so afraid, and I actually called

00:24:39.749 --> 00:24:42.392
my leader, and I was just like,

00:24:42.392 --> 00:24:44.119
"I can't do this."

00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:46.882
And I remember I just had

00:24:46.882 --> 00:24:49.857
to hold onto the Bible promises,

00:24:49.857 --> 00:24:51.156
and that was the only thing

00:24:51.156 --> 00:24:52.660
that could get me through that.

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:55.326
And one verse that actually sticks out

00:24:55.326 --> 00:24:59.130
in my mind is Psalm 34:4, and it says,

00:24:59.130 --> 00:25:01.054
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

00:25:01.054 --> 00:25:03.789
and delivered me from all my fears."

00:25:03.789 --> 00:25:06.642
And, when we seek God in our fear,

00:25:06.642 --> 00:25:09.495
not waiting until after we've freaked out

00:25:09.495 --> 00:25:11.796
and then coming to Him, but seeking Him

00:25:11.796 --> 00:25:14.078
while we're afraid, I think that's

00:25:14.078 --> 00:25:16.481
something that's really important,

00:25:16.481 --> 00:25:18.293
just keeping that connection with Him,

00:25:18.293 --> 00:25:19.616
because He is the only One

00:25:19.616 --> 00:25:21.430
who can free us from our fears.

00:25:21.430 --> 00:25:22.715
(Derek) Thank you so much.

00:25:22.715 --> 00:25:23.512
Wow, that's one

00:25:23.512 --> 00:25:24.898
of my wife's Scripture songs,

00:25:24.898 --> 00:25:27.308
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

00:25:27.308 --> 00:25:28.689
and delivered me."

00:25:28.689 --> 00:25:30.878
So, how do I find freedom from my fears?

00:25:30.878 --> 00:25:34.896
The answer is not by trying harder, right?

00:25:34.896 --> 00:25:37.192
God is the One who can deliver us

00:25:37.192 --> 00:25:38.707
from all our fears. Samuel?

00:25:38.707 --> 00:25:40.234
(Samuel) Here in the Scriptures

00:25:40.234 --> 00:25:41.730
that we read, a couple of times

00:25:41.730 --> 00:25:43.500
the Bible mentions, "He went away

00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:46.507
from the presence of the Lord."

00:25:46.507 --> 00:25:47.930
And when we go away

00:25:47.930 --> 00:25:49.377
from the presence of the Lord,

00:25:49.377 --> 00:25:50.683
that's when fear creeps in.

00:25:50.683 --> 00:25:53.032
But, we must continue to stay

00:25:53.032 --> 00:25:54.333
in the presence of the Lord

00:25:54.333 --> 00:25:55.409
through faith in Him,

00:25:55.409 --> 00:25:57.084
that He who has called us

00:25:57.084 --> 00:25:59.390
will carry us through. for me.

00:25:59.390 --> 00:26:00.442
(Derek) And maybe not

00:26:00.442 --> 00:26:05.154
that fear crept in, but fear was

00:26:05.154 --> 00:26:08.552
increased, right, exponentially increased.

00:26:08.552 --> 00:26:09.894
The fear was there.

00:26:09.894 --> 00:26:12.453
Hope is saying when you feel the fear,

00:26:12.453 --> 00:26:16.136
run <i>to</i> God rather than away from Him;
He is the One.

00:26:16.136 --> 00:26:17.731
If we run away, the fear

00:26:17.731 --> 00:26:20.713
just increases, right,

00:26:20.713 --> 00:26:22.580
and becomes overwhelming.

00:26:22.580 --> 00:26:24.032
We've got to move to a second.

00:26:24.032 --> 00:26:25.904
I just want us to know then, if someone

00:26:25.904 --> 00:26:27.279
says, "Well, I've been asked

00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:29.652
to do this, but I'm afraid," that we

00:26:29.652 --> 00:26:31.795
would come with compassion, right?

00:26:31.795 --> 00:26:34.027
And maybe even a testimony,

00:26:34.027 --> 00:26:36.475
like we just heard from Hope.

00:26:36.475 --> 00:26:40.798
You know, "Hey, I felt that it was real.

00:26:40.798 --> 00:26:42.381
I checked with my leader,

00:26:42.381 --> 00:26:44.383
but I also remembered the Word

00:26:44.383 --> 00:26:46.465
that God had hidden in my heart

00:26:46.465 --> 00:26:49.110
in Psalm 34 and verse 4."

00:26:49.110 --> 00:26:52.564
A second excuse that we see or discover

00:26:52.564 --> 00:26:56.971
in the story of Jonah is the idea,

00:26:56.971 --> 00:27:00.490
an excuse that, "God, You're saying

00:27:00.490 --> 00:27:01.755
these people need to hear,

00:27:01.755 --> 00:27:03.488
but I don't think those people

00:27:03.488 --> 00:27:07.781
deserve to hear that good news,"

00:27:07.781 --> 00:27:10.379
whether it's a certain neighborhood

00:27:10.379 --> 00:27:12.856
or a certain country

00:27:12.856 --> 00:27:16.437
or a certain socioeconomic level.

00:27:16.437 --> 00:27:18.660
And by the way, there are people who think

00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:20.724
that the homeless don't deserve it,

00:27:20.724 --> 00:27:22.413
but there are also people who think

00:27:22.413 --> 00:27:24.174
the rich don't deserve it.

00:27:24.174 --> 00:27:26.397
We have all of these different ideas.

00:27:26.397 --> 00:27:28.836
Let's take a look at Jonah

00:27:28.836 --> 00:27:32.077
and see if we can learn something

00:27:32.077 --> 00:27:34.018
about his attitude

00:27:34.018 --> 00:27:37.864
and actually his faulty view of God.

00:27:37.864 --> 00:27:40.237
Jonah, chapter 1, I'd like to go

00:27:40.237 --> 00:27:41.770
back to verse 3, Kylynda,

00:27:41.770 --> 00:27:43.227
if you would read that.

00:27:43.227 --> 00:27:44.610
We heard it at the beginning,

00:27:44.610 --> 00:27:48.677
but what faulty view of God

00:27:48.677 --> 00:27:51.842
do you hear in this text?

00:27:51.842 --> 00:27:54.006
(Kylynda) Verse 3, I'm going to be reading

00:27:54.006 --> 00:27:56.505
from the New King James Version:

00:28:12.926 --> 00:28:14.909
(Derek) So, help me, someone.

00:28:14.909 --> 00:28:16.313
You're smiling, Stephanie.

00:28:16.313 --> 00:28:18.244
What faulty view of God

00:28:18.244 --> 00:28:20.578
is in that narrative?

00:28:20.578 --> 00:28:22.091
(Stephanie) The belief that you

00:28:22.091 --> 00:28:23.906
can go away from God; you can run away

00:28:23.906 --> 00:28:24.936
and He won't see you.

00:28:24.936 --> 00:28:26.854
(Derek) You remember the Psalm of David

00:28:26.854 --> 00:28:30.094
where he says, "Where can I..."?

00:28:30.094 --> 00:28:31.258
"...go from Your Spirit?

00:28:31.258 --> 00:28:33.122
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

00:28:33.122 --> 00:28:34.548
If I ascend to heaven...

00:28:34.548 --> 00:28:37.018
or farthest parts of the sea..."

00:28:37.018 --> 00:28:38.267
So, there is a faulty view

00:28:38.267 --> 00:28:39.505
of God there, isn't there?

00:28:39.505 --> 00:28:41.226
We've got to move to the next verse.

00:28:41.226 --> 00:28:42.736
Leeah, if you would read for us

00:28:42.736 --> 00:28:45.351
in the same chapter, 1, verse 12,

00:28:45.351 --> 00:28:47.864
let's see another faulty view of God.

00:28:47.864 --> 00:28:50.804
Listen carefully, because the faulty view

00:28:50.804 --> 00:28:54.653
of God will distort our idea

00:28:54.653 --> 00:28:56.041
about whether people

00:28:56.041 --> 00:28:59.397
deserve His grace or not.

00:28:59.397 --> 00:29:00.540
(Leeah) I'll be reading

00:29:00.540 --> 00:29:02.211
from the English Standard Version,

00:29:02.211 --> 00:29:04.368
Jonah, chapter 1, verse 12:

00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:20.359
(Derek) What's faulty there?
Anybody? Jason?

00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:21.565
(Jason) That God desires,

00:29:21.565 --> 00:29:23.384
like, a sacrifice, like throw himself?

00:29:23.384 --> 00:29:24.673
But, we know the Bible says

00:29:24.673 --> 00:29:26.259
a contrite heart, a broken heart

00:29:26.259 --> 00:29:28.009
is what God wants, not a sacrifice.

00:29:28.009 --> 00:29:29.247
(Derek) Right, so there's

00:29:29.247 --> 00:29:31.019
this distorted view of God

00:29:31.019 --> 00:29:35.535
that somehow, "If you throw me in,

00:29:35.535 --> 00:29:38.048
God will somehow be happy."

00:29:38.048 --> 00:29:39.516
What would bring joy to God

00:29:39.516 --> 00:29:42.455
is to obey the mission assignment, right,

00:29:42.455 --> 00:29:45.002
not to throw him into the sea.

00:29:45.002 --> 00:29:47.174
Well, let's go on to chapter 3

00:29:47.174 --> 00:29:50.600
and verse 4 now, when he finally,

00:29:50.600 --> 00:29:52.025
and you know the story.

00:29:52.025 --> 00:29:53.165
He's thrown overboard.

00:29:53.165 --> 00:29:54.828
God prepares a great fish,

00:29:54.828 --> 00:29:56.528
and I don't know how that happened.

00:29:56.528 --> 00:29:58.270
You say, "That's not normal."

00:29:58.270 --> 00:30:01.161
You're right; that was a miracle.

00:30:01.161 --> 00:30:04.036
"Submarine" catches him,

00:30:04.036 --> 00:30:06.958
an aqua-submarine, and then vomits him

00:30:06.958 --> 00:30:10.129
up on the beach, and God says,

00:30:10.129 --> 00:30:12.948
"I haven't changed my mission plan,

00:30:12.948 --> 00:30:14.760
which is to show My love

00:30:14.760 --> 00:30:16.841
to the people of Nineveh,

00:30:16.841 --> 00:30:18.847
and I want you to go."

00:30:18.847 --> 00:30:24.243
What do you see in chapter 3 and verse 4?

00:30:24.243 --> 00:30:26.532
John, would you read that verse for us?

00:30:26.532 --> 00:30:30.570
Jonah 3 and verse 4,

00:30:30.570 --> 00:30:33.996
and what's missing there?

00:30:33.996 --> 00:30:35.787
(John) Jonah, chapter 3 and verse 4,

00:30:35.787 --> 00:30:38.193
from the English Standard Version:
it says:

00:30:49.532 --> 00:30:50.601
(Derek) What's missing

00:30:50.601 --> 00:30:53.145
in this picture, folks? Adison?

00:30:53.145 --> 00:30:57.600
(Adison) Grace, redemption.

00:30:57.600 --> 00:31:00.737
(Derek) Yeah, "Repent," right,

00:31:00.737 --> 00:31:02.712
"for the Kingdom of God," you remember

00:31:02.712 --> 00:31:04.516
what John the Baptist said, right?

00:31:04.516 --> 00:31:07.343
There's both a word of judgment,

00:31:07.343 --> 00:31:08.959
if you will, but also we need

00:31:08.959 --> 00:31:11.756
a word of...? Grace.

00:31:11.756 --> 00:31:15.097
Why doesn't Jonah say, "If you

00:31:15.097 --> 00:31:19.093
don't repent, this will happen in 40 days,

00:31:19.093 --> 00:31:21.235
but if you repent, God is

00:31:21.235 --> 00:31:23.408
abundant in mercy and kindness

00:31:23.408 --> 00:31:26.191
to all those who call upon Him"?

00:31:26.191 --> 00:31:28.942
Why, why doesn't he say that? Samuel?

00:31:28.942 --> 00:31:30.387
(Samuel) I think the excuse is

00:31:30.387 --> 00:31:31.891
he doesn't want them to repent.

00:31:31.891 --> 00:31:33.797
He doesn't want them to be saved.

00:31:33.797 --> 00:31:37.223
He doesn't want them to have salvation.

00:31:37.223 --> 00:31:42.175
(Derek) He has this thought

00:31:42.175 --> 00:31:44.346
that maybe God is more generous

00:31:44.346 --> 00:31:49.922
and more compassionate than he is, right?

00:31:49.922 --> 00:31:51.384
But, you're right, he doesn't

00:31:51.384 --> 00:31:53.400
want them to be saved.

00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:55.213
So, these distorted pictures.

00:31:55.213 --> 00:31:57.930
Well, it gets even worse,

00:31:57.930 --> 00:32:00.912
and I'm going to ask Adison

00:32:00.912 --> 00:32:05.130
if you'd read Jonah 3, verse 10,

00:32:05.130 --> 00:32:10.192
and chapter 4 through verse 4.

00:32:10.192 --> 00:32:14.679
It's kind of startling, because this is

00:32:14.679 --> 00:32:17.815
from a prophet of God.

00:32:17.815 --> 00:32:19.423
Let's see what he says.

00:32:19.423 --> 00:32:20.594
(Adison) And I'm reading

00:32:20.594 --> 00:32:22.683
from the King James Version, verse 10:

00:33:14.111 --> 00:33:15.072
(Derek) This is one

00:33:15.072 --> 00:33:21.445
of the most successful
evangelistic meetings

00:33:21.445 --> 00:33:24.677
in the history of the planet.

00:33:24.677 --> 00:33:29.120
It's not a very good sermon, right?

00:33:29.120 --> 00:33:30.643
But the Holy Spirit works,

00:33:30.643 --> 00:33:32.949
which is how any life is changed,

00:33:32.949 --> 00:33:36.947
and a whole city repents!

00:33:36.947 --> 00:33:39.820
And Jonah is what?

00:33:39.820 --> 00:33:41.847
(Team) Exceedingly angry.

00:33:41.847 --> 00:33:49.067
(Derek) Exceedingly angry.

00:33:49.067 --> 00:33:50.989
I'm not going to ask you if you were God

00:33:50.989 --> 00:33:52.587
how you would treat that prophet,

00:33:52.587 --> 00:33:54.435
because fortunately God was

00:33:54.435 --> 00:33:58.421
as merciful and gracious as Jonah thought;

00:33:58.421 --> 00:33:59.818
otherwise, he could have lost

00:33:59.818 --> 00:34:02.727
his life right there. John?

00:34:02.727 --> 00:34:05.339
(John) In some ways, I almost think

00:34:05.339 --> 00:34:07.490
that, yes, God was trying to reach

00:34:07.490 --> 00:34:09.069
the city of Nineveh,

00:34:09.069 --> 00:34:11.983
but in bringing Jonah into this mission,

00:34:11.983 --> 00:34:14.048
He's also trying to reach Jonah

00:34:14.048 --> 00:34:17.663
and to show that mercy and compassion.

00:34:17.663 --> 00:34:22.105
(Derek) So, faulty view of God

00:34:22.105 --> 00:34:30.431
or certainly a faulty view of salvation,

00:34:30.431 --> 00:34:32.343
how could that get in the way for us

00:34:32.343 --> 00:34:34.741
in our mission today? Kylynda?

00:34:34.741 --> 00:34:37.736
(Kylynda) I think we all have biases,

00:34:37.736 --> 00:34:41.253
and it's unavoidable, but sometimes we

00:34:41.253 --> 00:34:44.139
want to project these same biases to God.

00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:46.881
We want God to agree with us

00:34:46.881 --> 00:34:49.858
that some people are better than others,

00:34:49.858 --> 00:34:51.786
or we can treat people in some way

00:34:51.786 --> 00:34:54.483
and treat other people in a different way.

00:34:54.483 --> 00:34:57.517
And we have to learn to say, "God,

00:34:57.517 --> 00:34:58.954
how should I look at the world

00:34:58.954 --> 00:35:00.217
through Your views?"

00:35:00.217 --> 00:35:02.785
whether it's intentional

00:35:02.785 --> 00:35:03.794
in the case of Jonah

00:35:03.794 --> 00:35:06.019
or even unintentionally, "Please save me

00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:08.278
from looking at other people

00:35:08.278 --> 00:35:09.606
through biases that I've

00:35:09.606 --> 00:35:11.578
built up in my life."

00:35:11.578 --> 00:35:12.804
(Derek) Can anybody think

00:35:12.804 --> 00:35:14.412
of someone that you met,

00:35:14.412 --> 00:35:16.716
Sabina, I see your hand there,

00:35:16.716 --> 00:35:18.636
can you think of someone that you met

00:35:18.636 --> 00:35:21.049
that your first impression was,

00:35:21.049 --> 00:35:22.967
"There is no way that God

00:35:22.967 --> 00:35:25.749
could save that person"?

00:35:25.749 --> 00:35:28.727
Think about that. Sabina?

00:35:28.727 --> 00:35:30.227
(Sabina) There have been people

00:35:30.227 --> 00:35:32.579
I've encountered in ministry

00:35:32.579 --> 00:35:35.091
and in life in general that I found

00:35:35.091 --> 00:35:39.478
very rooted in ideas or ways

00:35:39.478 --> 00:35:43.114
that definitely were not pleasing to God,

00:35:43.114 --> 00:35:45.896
but I've personally have not thought

00:35:45.896 --> 00:35:47.452
that they were unworthy.

00:35:47.452 --> 00:35:48.931
But, I have found people

00:35:48.931 --> 00:35:52.084
that have thoughts just as you are saying,

00:35:52.084 --> 00:35:54.973
like their ideas about salvation

00:35:54.973 --> 00:35:56.784
are rooted, not in God's grace,

00:35:56.784 --> 00:35:57.929
but in an understanding

00:35:57.929 --> 00:35:59.371
that maybe through their works

00:35:59.371 --> 00:36:01.293
they are going to achieve salvation,

00:36:01.293 --> 00:36:03.648
and that they, because they believe so,

00:36:03.648 --> 00:36:05.545
don't think they are worthy

00:36:05.545 --> 00:36:07.501
of receiving God's grace.

00:36:07.501 --> 00:36:10.685
So, that's also possible, right,

00:36:10.685 --> 00:36:12.736
not only what we think about other people,

00:36:12.736 --> 00:36:14.661
but what we think about God's salvation

00:36:14.661 --> 00:36:17.896
may hinder <i>us</i> from coming to Jesus, right?

00:36:17.896 --> 00:36:19.826
(Derek) I remember one time I was

00:36:19.826 --> 00:36:23.250
speaking in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro,

00:36:23.250 --> 00:36:24.953
and I was speaking in a church.

00:36:24.953 --> 00:36:26.843
And there was a young man,

00:36:26.843 --> 00:36:29.795
and he was a strong young man.

00:36:29.795 --> 00:36:31.663
He looked like a bodybuilder,

00:36:31.663 --> 00:36:35.186
and he had tattoos over almost all

00:36:35.186 --> 00:36:37.691
of his body that I could see.

00:36:37.691 --> 00:36:40.816
And a first impression would be,

00:36:40.816 --> 00:36:42.838
"Why is he even here?"

00:36:42.838 --> 00:36:44.984
But, as he listened to the Word of God,

00:36:44.984 --> 00:36:49.312
he was leaning forward, focusing,

00:36:49.312 --> 00:36:51.914
and when an invitation was given,

00:36:51.914 --> 00:36:54.594
this young man got up and walked forward!

00:36:54.594 --> 00:36:55.990
(Team) Amen.

00:36:55.990 --> 00:36:58.677
(Derek) But sometimes, as Kylynda said,

00:36:58.677 --> 00:37:00.641
we may have biases.

00:37:00.641 --> 00:37:03.615
We say, "Well, that wealthy businesswoman

00:37:03.615 --> 00:37:05.464
is not going to be interested."

00:37:05.464 --> 00:37:08.104
"That homeless teenager

00:37:08.104 --> 00:37:09.887
is not going to be interested."

00:37:09.887 --> 00:37:11.562
But the question is, rather,

00:37:11.562 --> 00:37:15.582
is God interested in <i>them?!</i> Samuel?

00:37:15.582 --> 00:37:17.650
(Samuel) There are two ways that I think

00:37:17.650 --> 00:37:20.691
faulty views can hinder us from mission.

00:37:20.691 --> 00:37:23.380
One view is that there is this notion

00:37:23.380 --> 00:37:24.647
that God doesn't destroy,

00:37:24.647 --> 00:37:25.462
and that everyone

00:37:25.462 --> 00:37:26.678
will be saved at the end.

00:37:26.678 --> 00:37:28.458
So, if everyone is going to be saved,

00:37:28.458 --> 00:37:29.381
why do I need to go

00:37:29.381 --> 00:37:30.537
and share God's mission?

00:37:30.537 --> 00:37:32.689
On the opposite extreme is this view

00:37:32.689 --> 00:37:35.196
that God has already chosen some

00:37:35.196 --> 00:37:37.347
to be saved and some to be lost.

00:37:37.347 --> 00:37:39.202
So, if God has chosen some to be saved,

00:37:39.202 --> 00:37:40.473
why do I go bother

00:37:40.473 --> 00:37:41.806
and share God's mission?

00:37:41.806 --> 00:37:44.122
So, these are some views

00:37:44.122 --> 00:37:46.269
that exist in the world, very much so,

00:37:46.269 --> 00:37:51.888
faulty views that can hinder
from sharing God's mission.

00:37:51.888 --> 00:37:53.759
(Derek) The Word of God challenges that

00:37:53.759 --> 00:37:55.195
when it says, "Today, if you

00:37:55.195 --> 00:37:56.829
hear His voice, don't harden

00:37:56.829 --> 00:37:58.259
your heart," right?

00:37:58.259 --> 00:38:01.417
There is a choice that we make. Jason?

00:38:01.417 --> 00:38:03.124
(Jason) And also, we could tend

00:38:03.124 --> 00:38:04.288
to lean into the point

00:38:04.288 --> 00:38:05.925
of, "It's not my job to do it;

00:38:05.925 --> 00:38:07.575
maybe someone else will come along

00:38:07.575 --> 00:38:09.063
and witness to them," you know,

00:38:09.063 --> 00:38:10.438
and kind of free yourself up

00:38:10.438 --> 00:38:11.938
from trying to do that mission,

00:38:11.938 --> 00:38:14.020
even though God has called you to do it.

00:38:14.020 --> 00:38:15.290
(Derek) We'll come to that

00:38:15.290 --> 00:38:16.972
as another excuse in just a minute.

00:38:16.972 --> 00:38:18.895
That's good; you're moving forward.

00:38:18.895 --> 00:38:22.061
First excuse is...? "I'm afraid."

00:38:22.061 --> 00:38:23.290
And we've all been there,

00:38:23.290 --> 00:38:24.535
and let's be compassionate

00:38:24.535 --> 00:38:25.872
if someone is struggling.

00:38:25.872 --> 00:38:28.020
Second excuse is...?

00:38:28.020 --> 00:38:29.492
"They don't deserve it,"

00:38:29.492 --> 00:38:32.441
because of my faulty view of God.

00:38:32.441 --> 00:38:34.149
Even though in the back of his mind

00:38:34.149 --> 00:38:36.245
he knew better, didn't he?

00:38:36.245 --> 00:38:38.671
But there is a third excuse that I think

00:38:38.671 --> 00:38:42.388
Jonah could definitely have thought about,

00:38:42.388 --> 00:38:44.570
and that is, "That is

00:38:44.570 --> 00:38:47.761
way too difficult for me."

00:38:47.761 --> 00:38:49.710
Someone mentioned, "There's one of me,

00:38:49.710 --> 00:38:51.967
and there's that great city,

00:38:51.967 --> 00:38:53.427
and You're expecting me to go

00:38:53.427 --> 00:38:54.717
into the midst of that city

00:38:54.717 --> 00:38:57.326
that Nahum describes as full of blood,

00:38:57.326 --> 00:38:59.875
corpses stacked up?

00:38:59.875 --> 00:39:01.778
Way too difficult for me."

00:39:01.778 --> 00:39:06.693
Think about a mission assignment

00:39:06.693 --> 00:39:10.694
God may give to you, a difficult one.

00:39:10.694 --> 00:39:13.316
Just imagine it; it may be inner city,

00:39:13.316 --> 00:39:15.256
it may be a foreign country,

00:39:15.256 --> 00:39:17.615
it may be the other side of the world.

00:39:17.615 --> 00:39:20.978
What are some excuses

00:39:20.978 --> 00:39:22.323
that you might come up with?

00:39:22.323 --> 00:39:24.757
I'm going to ask Hope to start with that,

00:39:24.757 --> 00:39:25.895
and God's going to...

00:39:25.895 --> 00:39:27.388
I know, Hope, you're thinking

00:39:27.388 --> 00:39:29.108
about getting some mission training,

00:39:29.108 --> 00:39:30.379
but then God throws you,

00:39:30.379 --> 00:39:34.735
let's say He throws you to Mongolia, okay?

00:39:34.735 --> 00:39:37.999
Mongolia. What are some things

00:39:37.999 --> 00:39:41.207
that might cause you, Hope, to say,

00:39:41.207 --> 00:39:45.338
"That's too difficult for me"?

00:39:45.338 --> 00:39:46.961
(Hope) I don't know the language.

00:39:46.961 --> 00:39:48.780
I don't know the culture.

00:39:48.780 --> 00:39:49.788
I don't know anything

00:39:49.788 --> 00:39:51.995
about any of the people.

00:39:51.995 --> 00:39:53.948
(Derek) Yeah, so I've got two right away.

00:39:53.948 --> 00:39:56.203
I don't speak Mongolian, and I

00:39:56.203 --> 00:39:59.440
don't understand the culture, alright?

00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:01.579
Are those valid concerns?

00:40:01.579 --> 00:40:03.377
(Team) Yes.

00:40:03.377 --> 00:40:05.142
(Derek) Is it too difficult?

00:40:05.142 --> 00:40:06.306
(Stephanie) Not for God.

00:40:06.306 --> 00:40:08.452
(Derek) It depends how I'm looking, right?

00:40:08.452 --> 00:40:10.766
I might have to say, and we've had one

00:40:10.766 --> 00:40:11.681
of our team members

00:40:11.681 --> 00:40:13.871
just recently learn another language.

00:40:13.871 --> 00:40:16.410
I don't even know what it looks like,

00:40:16.410 --> 00:40:18.096
but someone just learned

00:40:18.096 --> 00:40:20.275
the Albanian language, right?

00:40:20.275 --> 00:40:24.043
But, I could say, "That's too difficult

00:40:24.043 --> 00:40:26.649
for me, a language/culture."

00:40:26.649 --> 00:40:29.482
What else might cause me to say,

00:40:29.482 --> 00:40:30.713
"Oh, send somebody else"?

00:40:30.713 --> 00:40:33.023
You said, "Send someone else," right?

00:40:33.023 --> 00:40:35.348
What other...we'd like

00:40:35.348 --> 00:40:37.298
to call them reasons, right,

00:40:37.298 --> 00:40:39.106
but if God's calling us,

00:40:39.106 --> 00:40:41.664
all of His biddings are enabling,

00:40:41.664 --> 00:40:42.894
so He's going to do.

00:40:42.894 --> 00:40:44.855
But from a human perspective,

00:40:44.855 --> 00:40:46.241
what else, John?

00:40:46.241 --> 00:40:48.491
(John) It's not safe for me or my family.

00:40:48.491 --> 00:40:51.450
(Derek) Yes! I mean, sending Hope

00:40:51.450 --> 00:40:55.202
over to Mongolia without bodyguards,

00:40:55.202 --> 00:40:57.420
you know, that's not safe.

00:40:57.420 --> 00:41:00.515
Or, someone, I remember my wife and I

00:41:00.515 --> 00:41:02.450
as a young couple got a call to go

00:41:02.450 --> 00:41:03.965
to a part of the world

00:41:03.965 --> 00:41:07.082
that they called "the white man's grave."

00:41:07.082 --> 00:41:09.669
And I had the fear that I

00:41:09.669 --> 00:41:13.432
would bury children there, right?

00:41:13.432 --> 00:41:14.546
It may not be safe.

00:41:14.546 --> 00:41:17.101
Sabina, you want to respond

00:41:17.101 --> 00:41:18.899
to one of those three,

00:41:18.899 --> 00:41:20.541
or is there something else

00:41:20.541 --> 00:41:23.686
that we might go, "This is too difficult"?

00:41:23.686 --> 00:41:25.657
(Sabina) I'm thinking of something else.

00:41:25.657 --> 00:41:27.098
It relates to what is shared,

00:41:27.098 --> 00:41:28.273
but it's something else,

00:41:28.273 --> 00:41:30.306
like material deprivation, I think, is,

00:41:30.306 --> 00:41:31.936
depending on where you are going,

00:41:31.936 --> 00:41:32.814
how you are going,

00:41:32.814 --> 00:41:34.010
really, you may not have

00:41:34.010 --> 00:41:35.668
the same facilities or amenities

00:41:35.668 --> 00:41:38.219
that you have in your home country, right,

00:41:38.219 --> 00:41:40.114
or even you do, but you are going

00:41:40.114 --> 00:41:42.217
to spend a life with less

00:41:42.217 --> 00:41:44.957
than what you wished.

00:41:44.957 --> 00:41:46.793
(Derek) So, I'm going to ask you

00:41:46.793 --> 00:41:49.766
to share a testimony.

00:41:49.766 --> 00:41:50.731
Travis, you've been

00:41:50.731 --> 00:41:52.587
to a lot of different countries, right,

00:41:52.587 --> 00:41:54.688
and I'm sure there were times

00:41:54.688 --> 00:41:56.410
when some of these...

00:41:56.410 --> 00:41:57.574
We'll call them reasons;

00:41:57.574 --> 00:42:01.321
they become excuses if we what?

00:42:01.321 --> 00:42:02.698
Finish the sentence:

00:42:02.698 --> 00:42:07.713
They become excuses if we...? 
Don't go, right?

00:42:07.713 --> 00:42:10.173
But they may still be reasons,

00:42:10.173 --> 00:42:11.825
right, is that right?

00:42:11.825 --> 00:42:13.054
Don't know the language,

00:42:13.054 --> 00:42:14.883
don't know the culture; it's not safe,

00:42:14.883 --> 00:42:16.274
so those are reasons,

00:42:16.274 --> 00:42:19.249
but we go anyway if we're focusing

00:42:19.249 --> 00:42:22.480
on the Lord and how He's led in the past.

00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:26.209
Can you think of a time when you go,

00:42:26.209 --> 00:42:32.008
"This is difficult, too hard for me"?

00:42:32.008 --> 00:42:34.699
(Travis) Well, Derek, it's interesting

00:42:34.699 --> 00:42:37.143
you ask the question, because, as we're

00:42:37.143 --> 00:42:38.428
going through this study,

00:42:38.428 --> 00:42:40.701
I'm struggling internally,

00:42:40.701 --> 00:42:42.050
because I've just been asked

00:42:42.050 --> 00:42:46.968
to take on an orphanage in Bangladesh.

00:42:46.968 --> 00:42:49.325
And I'm like, "Lord, I have

00:42:49.325 --> 00:42:50.852
way too much going on

00:42:50.852 --> 00:42:52.020
with other orphanages

00:42:52.020 --> 00:42:53.070
and different things."

00:42:53.070 --> 00:42:54.422
Like, I can't handle it.

00:42:54.422 --> 00:42:55.686
(Derek) You shared with us

00:42:55.686 --> 00:42:57.629
in a previous study that you

00:42:57.629 --> 00:42:59.242
actually helped launch

00:42:59.242 --> 00:43:02.330
a new orphanage in Malawi, right?

00:43:02.330 --> 00:43:05.353
Started there, putting roofs on churches,

00:43:05.353 --> 00:43:06.698
because your background

00:43:06.698 --> 00:43:09.964
is in construction.

00:43:09.964 --> 00:43:11.027
But your background

00:43:11.027 --> 00:43:13.852
wasn't in running orphanages, right?

00:43:13.852 --> 00:43:16.566
So, now here this...

00:43:16.566 --> 00:43:18.216
What do you know about Bangladesh?

00:43:18.216 --> 00:43:19.708
(Travis) I don't know anything

00:43:19.708 --> 00:43:21.657
about Bangladesh; I don't know anything.

00:43:21.657 --> 00:43:23.332
I started looking up the tickets,

00:43:23.332 --> 00:43:24.636
and my wife says, "You have

00:43:24.636 --> 00:43:26.127
so much going on!

00:43:26.127 --> 00:43:27.972
Can you really handle this?"

00:43:27.972 --> 00:43:29.603
And so, now I'm thinking, as we're

00:43:29.603 --> 00:43:30.803
going through this study,

00:43:30.803 --> 00:43:34.092
you know, I think about Martha

00:43:34.092 --> 00:43:35.835
being distracted with much serving.

00:43:35.835 --> 00:43:39.101
Is there a balance, because I

00:43:39.101 --> 00:43:40.495
certainly would want to help

00:43:40.495 --> 00:43:42.291
the orphanage in Bangladesh,

00:43:42.291 --> 00:43:43.328
but at the same time,

00:43:43.328 --> 00:43:45.821
can you have too much?

00:43:45.821 --> 00:43:47.731
And that's what I'm struggling with now.

00:43:47.731 --> 00:43:49.256
(Derek) What's the big question?

00:43:49.256 --> 00:43:51.025
This is real, right? It's right now.

00:43:51.025 --> 00:43:53.042
He's thinking about it during this study.

00:43:53.042 --> 00:43:55.849
What is the big question I ask

00:43:55.849 --> 00:43:58.480
when someone says, "I'd like you

00:43:58.480 --> 00:44:01.000
to come and do this"?

00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:02.313
What do you think?

00:44:02.313 --> 00:44:03.760
(Kylynda) Has the Holy Spirit

00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:05.106
called me to go?"

00:44:05.106 --> 00:44:07.775
I think it's very hard,

00:44:07.775 --> 00:44:08.840
because as I mentioned

00:44:08.840 --> 00:44:10.038
we have internal biases,

00:44:10.038 --> 00:44:11.918
but we also have internal thoughts

00:44:11.918 --> 00:44:14.080
about what God might be saying.

00:44:14.080 --> 00:44:18.046
It's really difficult to wisely discern

00:44:18.046 --> 00:44:18.888
the voice of God.

00:44:18.888 --> 00:44:20.753
You need prayer, you need Scripture,

00:44:20.753 --> 00:44:22.047
and you need conversation

00:44:22.047 --> 00:44:24.795
with other people that can help guide you.

00:44:24.795 --> 00:44:26.387
(Derek) There's a lot of counsel

00:44:26.387 --> 00:44:27.620
right there, isn't there?

00:44:27.620 --> 00:44:29.940
Because, sometimes we might even have

00:44:29.940 --> 00:44:31.599
like delusions of grandeur,

00:44:31.599 --> 00:44:35.653
that I'm like the savior of the world.

00:44:35.653 --> 00:44:39.642
And what I'm hearing Kylynda say is,

00:44:39.642 --> 00:44:41.957
"Is this something the Holy Spirit

00:44:41.957 --> 00:44:43.779
is impressing me to do?

00:44:43.779 --> 00:44:46.351
Or, do I join with them in prayer

00:44:46.351 --> 00:44:47.807
that God would bring someone

00:44:47.807 --> 00:44:50.373
just as he brought someone to Malawi?"

00:44:50.373 --> 00:44:52.766
Does that make sense?

00:44:52.766 --> 00:44:54.082
Now, is it possible

00:44:54.082 --> 00:44:56.848
God's asking Travis to do that?

00:44:56.848 --> 00:45:00.002
(Team) Yes.

00:45:00.002 --> 00:45:02.753
(Derek) But we don't know for sure, do we?

00:45:02.753 --> 00:45:03.659
We have to listen.

00:45:03.659 --> 00:45:07.832
Sabina, what are you thinking?

00:45:07.832 --> 00:45:09.927
(Sabina) I believe that, in just going

00:45:09.927 --> 00:45:12.601
with what Travis was sharing,

00:45:12.601 --> 00:45:14.588
there needs to be an inner conviction

00:45:14.588 --> 00:45:16.079
that comes from God

00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:18.421
so that we can move forward.

00:45:18.421 --> 00:45:20.539
But then, as we put the story of Jonah

00:45:20.539 --> 00:45:21.975
in perspective, one could say,

00:45:21.975 --> 00:45:23.977
"Oh, but Jonah was not convicted."

00:45:23.977 --> 00:45:25.282
So, I would say there needs

00:45:25.282 --> 00:45:27.312
to be an inner conviction based also

00:45:27.312 --> 00:45:29.178
on what the Scripture is teaching.

00:45:29.178 --> 00:45:30.854
So, if your reasons

00:45:30.854 --> 00:45:32.683
for not being convicted are

00:45:32.683 --> 00:45:35.590
going against Scripture's wisdom,

00:45:35.590 --> 00:45:37.967
then maybe you should follow

00:45:37.967 --> 00:45:40.986
Scripture's wisdom and respond to God.

00:45:40.986 --> 00:45:43.737
But, maybe if the reasons that you are

00:45:43.737 --> 00:45:45.376
not having that inner conviction

00:45:45.376 --> 00:45:47.251
are aligned also with God's Word,

00:45:47.251 --> 00:45:48.491
just as Travis was saying,

00:45:48.491 --> 00:45:51.401
like, "Maybe I have too much on my plate.

00:45:51.401 --> 00:45:53.431
Do I have enough resources now?

00:45:53.431 --> 00:45:55.402
Am I the right person to do that?"

00:45:55.402 --> 00:45:57.193
So, those are all valid questions

00:45:57.193 --> 00:45:59.906
that we don't want to ignore as well.

00:45:59.906 --> 00:46:00.894
(Derek) We've looked

00:46:00.894 --> 00:46:01.994
at three main excuses,

00:46:01.994 --> 00:46:03.717
and then Jason added a fourth one,

00:46:03.717 --> 00:46:05.256
which I actually wrote down

00:46:05.256 --> 00:46:08.776
as another excuse, but, fear.

00:46:08.776 --> 00:46:12.069
And fear is real; there can be real things

00:46:12.069 --> 00:46:16.620
not just imaginary fear, right, real fear.

00:46:16.620 --> 00:46:18.926
"They don't deserve this," but that

00:46:18.926 --> 00:46:20.864
really comes from a faulty view of God,

00:46:20.864 --> 00:46:22.613
because from God's persepective,

00:46:22.613 --> 00:46:24.772
how many people deserve salvation?

00:46:24.772 --> 00:46:26.406
(Derek, Team) Everyone.

00:46:26.406 --> 00:46:27.711
(Derek) Why are you saying

00:46:27.711 --> 00:46:28.960
they don't deserve it?

00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:31.293
"It's too difficult," that's real.

00:46:31.293 --> 00:46:33.257
I look, I go, "I don't know the language,

00:46:33.257 --> 00:46:37.112
the culture; it's not safe."

00:46:37.112 --> 00:46:38.716
Another one Jason mentioned,

00:46:38.716 --> 00:46:42.450
"Someone else could do it better."

00:46:42.450 --> 00:46:45.461
Have you ever felt that way? Samuel?

00:46:45.461 --> 00:46:47.905
(Samuel) Another excuse I think of,

00:46:47.905 --> 00:46:50.042
particularly here in the story of Jonah,

00:46:50.042 --> 00:46:53.000
is that Jonah was a Jew,

00:46:53.000 --> 00:46:56.684
and the people of Nineveh were Gentiles.

00:46:56.684 --> 00:46:58.874
And so, there is that racial tension,

00:46:58.874 --> 00:47:01.619
which can often hinder us

00:47:01.619 --> 00:47:03.696
from going into missions.

00:47:03.696 --> 00:47:06.262
(Derek) And by the way, those Gentiles,

00:47:06.262 --> 00:47:07.877
as you called them, from Assyria,

00:47:07.877 --> 00:47:09.992
killed a lot of Jewish people.

00:47:09.992 --> 00:47:12.578
They came and slaughtered and destroyed

00:47:12.578 --> 00:47:16.899
a lot of cities, but that's

00:47:16.899 --> 00:47:19.101
an interesting bias to this

00:47:19.101 --> 00:47:20.558
that says, "I don't want them

00:47:20.558 --> 00:47:23.664
to be saved," right?

00:47:23.664 --> 00:47:25.243
As you've listened to the study,

00:47:25.243 --> 00:47:26.487
and I'm going to start

00:47:26.487 --> 00:47:27.997
with some of our remotes;

00:47:27.997 --> 00:47:29.203
Leeah, I'm going to start

00:47:29.203 --> 00:47:30.358
with you if that's okay.

00:47:30.358 --> 00:47:32.925
I don't know the answer to the question,

00:47:32.925 --> 00:47:36.269
but as you hear this story of Jonah,

00:47:36.269 --> 00:47:39.454
we've looked at three or four excuses,

00:47:39.454 --> 00:47:41.525
what do you feel in your heart

00:47:41.525 --> 00:47:43.263
(and I'll give the rest of the team

00:47:43.263 --> 00:47:45.647
time to share) is an excuse

00:47:45.647 --> 00:47:48.373
that you might easily grab onto

00:47:48.373 --> 00:47:50.169
that you need to just give to God?

00:47:50.169 --> 00:47:51.238
Say, "God, I just need

00:47:51.238 --> 00:47:53.327
to give that to You, because I do want

00:47:53.327 --> 00:47:54.684
to join You in Your mission,

00:47:54.684 --> 00:47:57.499
whatever that looks like."

00:47:57.499 --> 00:47:59.055
(Leeah) In anything that God

00:47:59.055 --> 00:48:00.755
has called me to in my life,

00:48:00.755 --> 00:48:03.445
I have felt quite a measurable amount

00:48:03.445 --> 00:48:08.632
of fear, and fear mainly for the unknown.

00:48:08.632 --> 00:48:10.769
Like, we named so many reasons,

00:48:10.769 --> 00:48:13.135
maybe I don't feel like I can afford it,

00:48:13.135 --> 00:48:14.802
or I don't understand the culture,

00:48:14.802 --> 00:48:17.403
or I don't understand the language.

00:48:17.403 --> 00:48:19.396
But, all of these things can be denounced

00:48:19.396 --> 00:48:21.756
when we go to God and when we say,

00:48:21.756 --> 00:48:22.885
"This is my fear."

00:48:22.885 --> 00:48:24.211
God understands that we're

00:48:24.211 --> 00:48:25.483
going to have fear, and He

00:48:25.483 --> 00:48:26.693
probably expects it, too,

00:48:26.693 --> 00:48:29.365
because He knows that we're human.

00:48:29.365 --> 00:48:30.908
But, like somebody said earlier,

00:48:30.908 --> 00:48:32.812
I think in instances where He knows

00:48:32.812 --> 00:48:34.970
we're going to be afraid, or like Jonah,

00:48:34.970 --> 00:48:37.550
when He knows that we're going to resist,

00:48:37.550 --> 00:48:40.129
maybe that call to mission is more for us

00:48:40.129 --> 00:48:42.053
and for our heart change than it is

00:48:42.053 --> 00:48:43.294
for the people that we're

00:48:43.294 --> 00:48:45.555
actually going to witness to.

00:48:45.555 --> 00:48:47.897
(Derek) Alright, so, just letting go
of that fear.

00:48:47.897 --> 00:48:50.313
By the way, I received some healing

00:48:50.313 --> 00:48:52.195
a few years ago where God

00:48:52.195 --> 00:48:54.417
directly said to me, "Derek, I want

00:48:54.417 --> 00:48:57.147
to deliver you from all your fears."

00:48:57.147 --> 00:48:59.685
And I was anointed that day, by the way,

00:48:59.685 --> 00:49:02.115
because I grew up with a lot of fears,

00:49:02.115 --> 00:49:03.132
and some of them were

00:49:03.132 --> 00:49:07.032
from my family of origin, a lot of fears.

00:49:07.032 --> 00:49:09.051
So, I can relate to that.

00:49:09.051 --> 00:49:11.613
Let's show some kindness to Jonah, right?

00:49:11.613 --> 00:49:13.960
Anybody else, as you've looked

00:49:13.960 --> 00:49:16.540
at this study, something you just feel...

00:49:16.540 --> 00:49:18.727
Kylynda, is it the same or something else?

00:49:18.727 --> 00:49:19.692
You just say, "God,

00:49:19.692 --> 00:49:21.002
I want to give that to You.

00:49:21.002 --> 00:49:24.558
I could easily grab onto that

00:49:24.558 --> 00:49:26.320
and make it a reason when actually it

00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:28.477
could be an excuse holding me back."

00:49:28.477 --> 00:49:30.528
(Kylynda) Well briefly, several years ago,

00:49:30.528 --> 00:49:32.746
I had the opportunity to work in a lab

00:49:32.746 --> 00:49:34.373
in a different country.

00:49:34.373 --> 00:49:36.788
So, I'm a scientist; it's my first day,

00:49:36.788 --> 00:49:37.972
and I'm eating lunch

00:49:37.972 --> 00:49:39.741
with my new colleagues, and they say,

00:49:39.741 --> 00:49:41.679
"Well, what are you doing this weekend?"

00:49:41.679 --> 00:49:44.692
And I thought, "Oh, you know,

00:49:44.692 --> 00:49:46.761
maybe I shouldn't mention going to church

00:49:46.761 --> 00:49:49.553
or Sabbath," because in science

00:49:49.553 --> 00:49:51.186
it could be perceived that someone

00:49:51.186 --> 00:49:52.129
who embraces faith

00:49:52.129 --> 00:49:53.950
is not intelligent

00:49:53.950 --> 00:49:56.206
or they're intolerant or bigoted,

00:49:56.206 --> 00:49:58.161
or, you know, maybe it's not appropriate

00:49:58.161 --> 00:50:00.645
in this culture to discuss religion,

00:50:00.645 --> 00:50:02.150
so I said, "Nothing."

00:50:02.150 --> 00:50:04.179
And then someone else came to the table,

00:50:04.179 --> 00:50:05.879
another scientist, sat down,

00:50:05.879 --> 00:50:07.978
not of my faith, and started

00:50:07.978 --> 00:50:09.628
to pray for his food.

00:50:09.628 --> 00:50:11.833
Everyone at the table went silent

00:50:11.833 --> 00:50:13.459
until he finished, and then we all

00:50:13.459 --> 00:50:14.922
started talking again.

00:50:14.922 --> 00:50:17.794
And I think it was like a personal rebuke

00:50:17.794 --> 00:50:19.901
to me because it wasn't

00:50:19.901 --> 00:50:21.676
quite the same shade of fear.

00:50:21.676 --> 00:50:22.916
I wasn't afraid that they

00:50:22.916 --> 00:50:25.894
would hurt me or say things,

00:50:25.894 --> 00:50:29.758
but pride and apathy, they play a role

00:50:29.758 --> 00:50:32.325
in how people might perceive me.

00:50:32.325 --> 00:50:36.005
And I want to ask God's forgiveness

00:50:36.005 --> 00:50:37.664
and grace to say, "What do You

00:50:37.664 --> 00:50:39.373
want me to do, and can I be open

00:50:39.373 --> 00:50:41.632
to do that no matter the circumstance."

00:50:41.632 --> 00:50:44.311
(Derek) And, we need to recognize

00:50:44.311 --> 00:50:45.492
that there is a time

00:50:45.492 --> 00:50:47.073
and place to share more.

00:50:47.073 --> 00:50:48.939
Even Jesus said, "There are some things

00:50:48.939 --> 00:50:50.052
I would share with you,

00:50:50.052 --> 00:50:51.963
but you cannot bear them now."

00:50:51.963 --> 00:50:52.901
So, we don't have

00:50:52.901 --> 00:50:54.383
to share everything right away,

00:50:54.383 --> 00:50:56.587
but you were feeling there,

00:50:56.587 --> 00:50:57.840
you used the word rebuke,

00:50:57.840 --> 00:51:00.301
or at least a loving reminder

00:51:00.301 --> 00:51:02.792
from the Holy Spirit, "When I ask you

00:51:02.792 --> 00:51:05.391
to do something, don't be afraid," right,

00:51:05.391 --> 00:51:08.023
"Don't let that hold you back." Nancy.

00:51:08.023 --> 00:51:09.391
(Nancy) Derek, I'd also like

00:51:09.391 --> 00:51:11.150
to mention comfort.

00:51:11.150 --> 00:51:12.151
Some of us don't want

00:51:12.151 --> 00:51:13.811
to go off somewhere else

00:51:13.811 --> 00:51:15.633
because we're comfortable.

00:51:15.633 --> 00:51:18.744
We know God, we're happy in our church,

00:51:18.744 --> 00:51:23.832
and maybe going off to another country

00:51:23.832 --> 00:51:26.025
with our families, and the grandparents

00:51:26.025 --> 00:51:28.350
won't get to be with the children,

00:51:28.350 --> 00:51:29.907
you know, things like that.

00:51:29.907 --> 00:51:33.084
But, Jesus says, if you can remind me

00:51:33.084 --> 00:51:39.955
of where in Scripture, that sometimes we
are called to leave...

00:51:39.955 --> 00:51:41.220
(Derek) Father and mother?

00:51:41.220 --> 00:51:42.887
(Nancy) Yes, yes, and, "Great

00:51:42.887 --> 00:51:44.504
will be our reward."

00:51:44.504 --> 00:51:47.842
And so, yeah, I wanted to mention comfort.

00:51:47.842 --> 00:51:49.615
(Derek) Comfort, right, because there

00:51:49.615 --> 00:51:51.064
may be bedbugs there or snakes

00:51:51.064 --> 00:51:52.970
that I don't like, or people

00:51:52.970 --> 00:51:53.882
that I don't like.

00:51:53.882 --> 00:51:55.211
There are lots of reasons.

00:51:55.211 --> 00:51:56.923
We need to move to Isaiah,

00:51:56.923 --> 00:51:58.176
and I'll give you a chance

00:51:58.176 --> 00:51:59.323
to share at the end,

00:51:59.323 --> 00:52:02.009
because Isaiah finds

00:52:02.009 --> 00:52:04.437
his way past all excuses.

00:52:04.437 --> 00:52:07.456
And, I think there's a clue,

00:52:07.456 --> 00:52:09.380
and, Stephanie, if you could read for us

00:52:09.380 --> 00:52:12.577
in the book that bears the prophet's name,

00:52:12.577 --> 00:52:16.925
in Isaiah, chapter 6, verses 1 through 7,

00:52:16.925 --> 00:52:21.293
I think there's a clue in this passage

00:52:21.293 --> 00:52:25.256
as to how he abandons all excuses,

00:52:25.256 --> 00:52:28.497
because verse 8 is a verse we'll read

00:52:28.497 --> 00:52:30.464
after you've read 1 through 7.

00:52:30.464 --> 00:52:32.406
(Stephanie) Alright, and I'll be reading

00:52:32.406 --> 00:52:34.045
from the New King James Version:

00:53:57.342 --> 00:53:59.974
(Derek) Now the first half of verse 8.

00:54:08.670 --> 00:54:10.469
(Derek) So, there are lots of excuses

00:54:10.469 --> 00:54:11.908
because he's going to be given

00:54:11.908 --> 00:54:14.122
a difficult assignment,

00:54:14.122 --> 00:54:16.854
but the second half of verse 8,

00:54:16.854 --> 00:54:21.355
how does he respond?

00:54:28.829 --> 00:54:33.098
(Derek) Whew! What was it

00:54:33.098 --> 00:54:35.980
in the first seven verses?

00:54:35.980 --> 00:54:37.761
There's something there, isn't there?

00:54:37.761 --> 00:54:39.887
It makes sense from all the things

00:54:39.887 --> 00:54:42.079
we've been studying.

00:54:42.079 --> 00:54:45.845
What was it in the first seven verses

00:54:45.845 --> 00:54:48.829
that gave him the courage

00:54:48.829 --> 00:54:51.301
to abandon all excuses,

00:54:51.301 --> 00:54:55.016
call them reasons, and say,

00:54:55.016 --> 00:54:58.192
"Here am I, send me"? Adison?

00:54:58.192 --> 00:55:01.754
(Adison) He had an experience with God.

00:55:01.754 --> 00:55:03.233
He saw the glory of the Lord,

00:55:03.233 --> 00:55:04.474
the character of God,

00:55:04.474 --> 00:55:07.483
and that changed him

00:55:07.483 --> 00:55:10.280
and moved upon his heart to say,

00:55:10.280 --> 00:55:13.102
"Here I am, Lord, I want to serve You.

00:55:13.102 --> 00:55:14.478
You are beautiful, amazing."

00:55:14.478 --> 00:55:15.715
(Derek) That's one thing.

00:55:15.715 --> 00:55:16.888
Stay with us now.

00:55:16.888 --> 00:55:18.279
He saw the glory of the Lord.

00:55:18.279 --> 00:55:19.292
He had a revelation

00:55:19.292 --> 00:55:20.967
of the glory of the Lord.

00:55:20.967 --> 00:55:22.313
What else? Samuel?

00:55:22.313 --> 00:55:23.586
(Samuel) I think the verse

00:55:23.586 --> 00:55:25.065
also talks about how your guilt

00:55:25.065 --> 00:55:26.950
is taken away, and your sin atoned for.

00:55:26.950 --> 00:55:28.128
(Derek) So something was

00:55:28.128 --> 00:55:31.699
happening to him spiritually. What else?

00:55:31.699 --> 00:55:33.605
(Nancy) Perspective.

00:55:33.605 --> 00:55:35.129
(Derek) There was something else

00:55:35.129 --> 00:55:36.568
really big that happened there

00:55:36.568 --> 00:55:37.386
in those verses.

00:55:37.386 --> 00:55:39.040
What was it? Yes, Kylynda?

00:55:39.040 --> 00:55:40.252
(Kylynda) He was touched

00:55:40.252 --> 00:55:42.626
by the fire from the altar.

00:55:42.626 --> 00:55:45.406
(Derek) Something supernatural happens

00:55:45.406 --> 00:55:49.002
when we abandon all of our excuses,

00:55:49.002 --> 00:55:50.337
and it comes in the context

00:55:50.337 --> 00:55:51.499
of that encounter

00:55:51.499 --> 00:55:53.733
with the living God, right,

00:55:53.733 --> 00:55:56.847
and the freedom from all of the shame

00:55:56.847 --> 00:55:59.565
and guilt and sin and all of that.

00:55:59.565 --> 00:56:01.678
Something supernatural happens

00:56:01.678 --> 00:56:06.141
that enables us to say....Stephanie?

00:56:06.141 --> 00:56:08.205
(Stephanie) Yes, he recognized who he was

00:56:08.205 --> 00:56:09.841
in the presence of God.

00:56:09.841 --> 00:56:14.445
He understood that he was a human being,

00:56:14.445 --> 00:56:15.709
and he was in the presence

00:56:15.709 --> 00:56:18.053
of the Almighty King.

00:56:18.053 --> 00:56:20.314
(Derek) So, someone's watching today,

00:56:20.314 --> 00:56:25.282
and you're saying, "I want to be the woman

00:56:25.282 --> 00:56:26.518
of God/man of God,

00:56:26.518 --> 00:56:28.464
join God in His mission,

00:56:28.464 --> 00:56:31.955
but I've been...Honestly I

00:56:31.955 --> 00:56:32.912
called them reasons,

00:56:32.912 --> 00:56:34.604
but maybe they're excuses.

00:56:34.604 --> 00:56:38.392
I need a revelation of the glory of God,

00:56:38.392 --> 00:56:40.942
and I need something supernatural

00:56:40.942 --> 00:56:42.632
to happen in me."

00:56:42.632 --> 00:56:46.441
Is God able to do that?

00:56:46.441 --> 00:56:47.943
I hope you're raising your hand

00:56:47.943 --> 00:56:50.628
and saying, "Yes," because He is!

00:56:50.628 --> 00:56:51.974
And He's done it;

00:56:51.974 --> 00:56:53.490
it's recorded in Scripture.

00:56:53.490 --> 00:56:56.033
People, I'm sure Mary, when she was told,

00:56:56.033 --> 00:56:57.812
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,"

00:56:57.812 --> 00:56:59.201
she had to wrestle with fear,

00:56:59.201 --> 00:57:01.164
"This is too difficult,"

00:57:01.164 --> 00:57:04.601
but surrendering and trusting a loving God

00:57:04.601 --> 00:57:08.553
to say, "God, here am I, send me."

00:57:08.553 --> 00:57:11.509
Is that your prayer today?

00:57:11.509 --> 00:57:14.004
I want to pray for you just now.

00:57:14.004 --> 00:57:18.736
Father in Heaven, we didn't just come

00:57:18.736 --> 00:57:21.787
to study today to rebuke people

00:57:21.787 --> 00:57:23.169
for making excuses.

00:57:23.169 --> 00:57:27.140
We came so we could see how easy it is

00:57:27.140 --> 00:57:30.770
to have reasons not to go.

00:57:30.770 --> 00:57:31.659
But, we've learned

00:57:31.659 --> 00:57:32.967
that an encounter with You,

00:57:32.967 --> 00:57:36.258
that, yes, Your supernatural blessing can

00:57:36.258 --> 00:57:39.887
enable us to do whatever You ask us to do.

00:57:39.887 --> 00:57:41.365
Today, we just want to say,

00:57:41.365 --> 00:57:43.282
whatever that looks like in the mission,

00:57:43.282 --> 00:57:45.664
Lord, we're available.

00:57:45.664 --> 00:57:48.639
Here we are, please send us.

00:57:48.639 --> 00:57:49.850
And when we see miracles,

00:57:49.850 --> 00:57:51.523
we will give You all of the praise.

00:57:51.523 --> 00:57:54.441
In Jesus' name. Amen.

00:57:54.441 --> 00:57:56.875
Well, thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

00:57:56.875 --> 00:57:58.442
Go out and be a blessing

00:57:58.442 --> 00:58:00.041
to those around you.

00:58:00.041 --> 00:58:28.635
♪ theme music ♪