100:00:00,960 –> 00:00:04,680Jonah was a prophet.200:00:04,680 –> 00:00:06,400He was a man with a great ministry.300:00:06,400 –> 00:00:11,160He spoke the Word of God and God used him to change a whole city.400:00:11,160 –> 00:00:15,100This man experienced miracles in his life.500:00:15,100 –> 00:00:20,620You would think that a man perhaps with that kind of experience might move beyond the struggles600:00:20,620 –> 00:00:26,600that ordinary Christians have, but the book of Jonah tells us something different.700:00:26,600 –> 00:00:30,980Welcome to Open The Bible, with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, and Colin,800:00:30,980 –> 00:00:35,259that does rather beg the question, what does the book of Jonah tell us?900:00:35,259 –> 00:00:39,200It tells us that even if you are a preacher, you still have struggles in your own heart,1000:00:39,200 –> 00:00:44,799and that was revealed when God called Jonah to do something different from what he loved.1100:00:44,799 –> 00:00:50,919We’re calling this series on Jonah, how to avoid a God-centered life, and we often think1200:00:50,919 –> 00:00:54,480it’s non-Christians who are avoiding the God-centered life.1300:00:55,480 –> 00:00:58,939But as you point out, it’s something that every Christian can struggle with.1400:00:58,939 –> 00:00:59,939Yeah, that’s right.1500:00:59,939 –> 00:01:02,160We’ve become used to what we’re doing for the Lord.1600:01:02,160 –> 00:01:07,080Jonah had a ministry in Gates Heffer, become comfortable in what he was doing,1700:01:07,080 –> 00:01:11,879this is my service, this is my role, and God says to him, well, now I’ve got something1800:01:11,879 –> 00:01:18,400else for you to do, then it becomes very apparent that Jonah actually wants to control his life1900:01:18,400 –> 00:01:22,940much more than he wants to release it to the authority of God.2000:01:23,099 –> 00:01:27,339So join us if you can in Jonah 1 verses 1to 32100:01:27,339 –> 00:01:31,959as we begin the message, Resist God’s Call to Something New.2200:01:31,959 –> 00:01:33,300Here’s Colin.2300:01:33,300 –> 00:01:37,639Now most of us, I realize, know the story of Jonah pretty well.2400:01:37,639 –> 00:01:40,620If you are not familiar with it, let me rehearse its outline.2500:01:40,620 –> 00:01:47,040A man by the name of Jonah was called by God to go and preach in a pagan city.2600:01:47,040 –> 00:01:52,220He did not like the idea, so he got on a ship and went in the opposite direction.2700:01:52,279 –> 00:01:57,199The ship sailed into a storm and Jonah was thrown overboard.2800:01:57,199 –> 00:02:03,639Then God rescued Jonah in a most remarkable way by providing a saving fish.2900:02:03,639 –> 00:02:09,419I love the savior fish that delivered this man’s life from certain death.3000:02:09,419 –> 00:02:14,800And God provided the savior fish, which when Jonah began to pray, the fish conveniently3100:02:14,800 –> 00:02:16,960spat him out on the beach.3200:02:16,960 –> 00:02:20,660And Jonah then decided that he really ought to do what God had told him to do, so he went3300:02:20,660 –> 00:02:25,479to Nineveh, preached the word of God, the people there repented of their sins and were3400:02:25,479 –> 00:02:30,940saved from an imminent judgment that was to come.3500:02:30,940 –> 00:02:37,500It’s a great story and most of us, I think, already know it very well.3600:02:37,500 –> 00:02:43,759What I hope that we will discover over these eight weeks is that it is so much more than3700:02:43,759 –> 00:02:44,880a story.3800:02:45,720 –> 00:02:51,440I want to set some expectations and for you to know what’s in my mind as we come to this3900:02:51,440 –> 00:02:53,320part of the Bible.4000:02:53,320 –> 00:02:56,899And for us to be looking for certain things together.4100:02:56,899 –> 00:03:00,080Here’s the first, there are three.4200:03:00,080 –> 00:03:01,080Number one.4300:03:01,080 –> 00:03:08,479As we come to this part of the Bible, please expect to see yourself in Jonah.4400:03:08,479 –> 00:03:15,240This is a book about the unraveling of a believing man’s inner life.4500:03:15,240 –> 00:03:22,220It shows us how a man or a woman can be serving God, but under the surface there is a battle4600:03:22,220 –> 00:03:25,380going on in your heart.4700:03:25,380 –> 00:03:30,339Jonah loves God, but he also struggles with God.4800:03:30,339 –> 00:03:34,440And even just saying that, you may quickly say, I think I recognize that.4900:03:34,440 –> 00:03:39,300I think I know something about that in my own life.5000:03:39,300 –> 00:03:44,820This book then, perhaps uniquely, gives a window on the spiritual conflict that goes5100:03:44,820 –> 00:03:47,600on inside a Christian believer.5200:03:47,600 –> 00:03:49,899Now remember, Jonah was a prophet.5300:03:49,899 –> 00:03:52,259He was a man with a great ministry.5400:03:52,259 –> 00:03:56,380He spoke the word of God, and God used him to change a whole city.5500:03:56,380 –> 00:04:00,720This man experienced miracles in his life.5600:04:00,720 –> 00:04:05,500You would think that a man, perhaps, with that kind of experience might move beyond5700:04:05,500 –> 00:04:11,500the struggles that ordinary Christians have, but the Book of Jonah tells us something different.5800:04:11,500 –> 00:04:18,519It’s very fascinating, at the end of the book, even after the miracle of being saved5900:04:18,519 –> 00:04:25,100by the fish, even after the triumph of a whole city, turning in repentance towards God, even6000:04:25,100 –> 00:04:30,359after all these miracles and being used in such a singular way by God, you find that6100:04:30,500 –> 00:04:38,820this man Jonah is angry, he is dissatisfied with his life and he is out of sorts with6200:04:38,820 –> 00:04:41,160God.6300:04:41,160 –> 00:04:48,880Now that takes us into a surprising truth that those who throw themselves most fully6400:04:48,880 –> 00:05:00,119into the service of Jesus Christ often experience inner conflict more intensely than others.6500:05:00,239 –> 00:05:07,540When you get into the heart of spiritual conflict in ministry like Jonah was, you will find6600:05:07,540 –> 00:05:11,899more inner struggle not less.6700:05:11,899 –> 00:05:17,540Read the lives of any of the great Saints of history, any of the great Christian leaders,6800:05:17,540 –> 00:05:27,100read the life of a man like Augustine or Martin Luther and you will find as you read the lives6900:05:27,100 –> 00:05:34,519of great Christians that they experienced intense struggle in their inner lives, more7000:05:34,519 –> 00:05:38,559intense than many others.7100:05:38,559 –> 00:05:48,480So this is a great book for missionaries, for Christian leaders, for anyone who is surprised7200:05:48,480 –> 00:05:58,079at the intensity of your own inner struggle as you are serving Jesus Christ.7300:05:58,079 –> 00:06:03,760And by the way, let’s get this clearly in our minds that if in these coming weeks you7400:06:03,760 –> 00:06:08,359become more deeply committed to Jesus Christ, expect that your inner struggles will increase7500:06:08,359 –> 00:06:11,679not decrease.7600:06:11,679 –> 00:06:17,059The more useful you are to our Lord, the more you will experience intense struggles in your7700:06:17,059 –> 00:06:18,399inner life.7800:06:19,200 –> 00:06:26,399And that is just one reason why we need to pray in a special way for missionaries, for7900:06:26,399 –> 00:06:34,179pastors, and for all who are on the frontline of the work of evangelism.8000:06:34,179 –> 00:06:40,799So this is a fascinating book because Jonah explores the inner life of a mature Christian8100:06:40,799 –> 00:06:46,140believer at the center of extraordinary ministry.8200:06:46,140 –> 00:06:52,739And I have to tell you that as I have looked into the book of Jonah and pondered it, preparing8300:06:52,739 –> 00:06:59,579this series, as I look at Jonah I see myself.8400:06:59,579 –> 00:07:03,000And I think as we move into the book you’re going to see yourself too.8500:07:03,000 –> 00:07:12,799So that’s the first thing, expect to see yourself in this man and in this remarkable8600:07:12,799 –> 00:07:15,119book of the Bible.8700:07:15,119 –> 00:07:22,920Here’s the second thing, expect to be disturbed by God’s passion for the world.8800:07:22,920 –> 00:07:25,119You see, that’s really what happened to Jonah.8900:07:25,119 –> 00:07:32,519So we’re going to see that this man actually had a very successful, comfortable life, worshiping9000:07:32,519 –> 00:07:34,160and serving God.9100:07:34,160 –> 00:07:39,040He had a well established, recognized and much appreciated ministry among the people9200:07:39,040 –> 00:07:40,959of God.9300:07:40,959 –> 00:07:45,619Then at one point in his life God came to him and said, Jonah, I want you to go and9400:07:45,619 –> 00:07:51,100minister to people of another race, people who speak another language, people who live9500:07:51,100 –> 00:07:57,839in another country, and I want you to go because they matter to Me as much as you do.9600:07:57,839 –> 00:08:05,200And at that point Jonah’s life was revealed and he discovered just how selfish he really9700:08:05,200 –> 00:08:10,480was even while he was engaged in a ministry of God’s word.9800:08:11,399 –> 00:08:18,920Many Christians and many churches can exist comfortably for a long time with an inward9900:08:18,920 –> 00:08:20,859looking faith.10000:08:20,859 –> 00:08:23,160You know, God is there for me.10100:08:23,160 –> 00:08:26,239God is here for us.10200:08:26,239 –> 00:08:32,940And nothing is more disturbing to a comfortable faith, or a comfortable church, than God’s10300:08:32,940 –> 00:08:36,840passion for the world.10400:08:36,840 –> 00:08:44,099God called Jonah to leave the people and the life that he loved in order to reach the people10500:08:44,099 –> 00:08:49,780with the life of God because God loved these other people in Nineveh also.10600:08:49,780 –> 00:08:57,159And God’s call to something new really revealed the degree to which Jonah was ruled by selfishness10700:08:57,159 –> 00:08:58,400in his own heart.10800:08:58,400 –> 00:09:01,080So this book is deeply disturbing.10900:09:01,859 –> 00:09:06,859You need to discover some things that are uncomfortable about yourself in this book11000:09:07,119 –> 00:09:13,820because God’s passion for lost people can turn a Christian believer upside-down and11100:09:13,820 –> 00:09:21,440God’s passion for lost people can turn a church, even a church like this, upside down.11200:09:21,440 –> 00:09:26,679Here’s the third expectation, expect to be surprised by just how much God cares for11300:09:26,679 –> 00:09:27,859his own servants.11400:09:28,299 –> 00:09:32,200It’s a wonderful theme in Jonah.11500:09:32,200 –> 00:09:39,979Think about it this way, of all the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, all the11600:09:39,979 –> 00:09:50,260minor prophets, the prophets are all about God’s message, but this book uniquely is11700:09:50,260 –> 00:09:53,739about God’s man.11800:09:53,820 –> 00:09:58,960Now that tells us something very important, which is that God cares not only about his11900:09:58,960 –> 00:10:02,440work but also about his workers.12000:10:02,440 –> 00:10:09,080God cares not only about his mission but also about his missionaries.12100:10:09,080 –> 00:10:13,460If God cared only about his work, he could have ditched Jonah and got someone else to12200:10:13,460 –> 00:10:16,500do the work for him.12300:10:16,500 –> 00:10:20,979But God cares about Jonah, that’s why he patiently perseveres with Jonah and never12400:10:21,020 –> 00:10:23,619gives up on him.12500:10:23,619 –> 00:10:30,619God cares about you even more than the work you’re doing for him.12600:10:30,619 –> 00:10:35,859Some of us get the idea that God really is interested in whatever service we offer, but12700:10:35,859 –> 00:10:36,940God really care about us.12800:10:36,940 –> 00:10:40,280God cares about you more than the work you’re doing for him.12900:10:40,280 –> 00:10:43,440It’s a great lesson from the book of Jonah.13000:10:43,440 –> 00:10:48,780In fact, it’s interesting, isn’t it, that in God’s mercy, a whole city, a vast pagan13100:10:48,780 –> 00:10:53,539city with thousands of people in Ninevah was saved from judgment.13200:10:53,539 –> 00:10:55,460These people turned in repentance towards God.13300:10:55,460 –> 00:10:58,260There was this great revival and so forth.13400:10:58,260 –> 00:11:03,380And yet actually what happened in Nineveh gets relatively little attention in the book.13500:11:03,380 –> 00:11:04,380Why?13600:11:04,380 –> 00:11:06,739Because the book’s not really about God’s work in Nineveh.13700:11:06,739 –> 00:11:10,700The book is about God’s work in Jonah.13800:11:10,700 –> 00:11:18,359God’s presence, God’s patience, God’s perseverance, God’s fatherly care over a troubled,13900:11:18,359 –> 00:11:25,239mixed up servant who experienced so many inner conflicts in his own life.14000:11:25,239 –> 00:11:31,059God cares about Jonah.14100:11:31,059 –> 00:11:32,400He cares about you.14200:11:32,400 –> 00:11:34,219You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we’re pausing the message14300:11:34,219 –> 00:11:37,239briefly there but we’ll be back very shortly.14400:11:37,239 –> 00:11:39,840The message is called Resist God’s Call.14500:11:39,840 –> 00:11:45,559And it’s part of the series How To Avoid A God Centred Life based on the book of Jonah.14600:11:45,559 –> 00:11:49,760If you ever miss one of the messages in the series it’s very easy to catch up and go14700:11:49,760 –> 00:11:55,520back and listen again by coming online to our website openthebible.org.uk.14800:11:55,520 –> 00:12:02,200Also, you can find Pastor Colin’s messages as a podcast on all the main podcast sites.14900:12:02,200 –> 00:12:07,440You can find them by searching for Open The Bible UK or by following the link from our15000:12:07,440 –> 00:12:08,539website.15100:12:08,539 –> 00:12:10,020Back to the message now.15200:12:10,020 –> 00:12:11,200Here again is Colin.15300:12:11,799 –> 00:12:17,239Well now I’ve given the series the unusual title How to Avoid a God-Centered Life and15400:12:17,239 –> 00:12:21,640I chose that because I really think that is what Jonah was doing not just at one moment15500:12:21,640 –> 00:12:25,880in his life when he got on the ship and went to Tarshish but actually that he was avoiding15600:12:25,880 –> 00:12:29,219God for a very large part of his life.15700:12:29,219 –> 00:12:33,719The reason that I say that is that not only was Jonah running from God at the beginning15800:12:33,719 –> 00:12:38,400of the story, chapter one and verse three, but when you go over to chapter four at the15900:12:38,400 –> 00:12:42,239end of the story, you find that he was arguing with God.16000:12:42,239 –> 00:12:46,520So running from God at the beginning, arguing with God at the end.16100:12:46,520 –> 00:12:53,260And even after God has used him to evangelize this pagan city with extraordinarily wonderful16200:12:53,260 –> 00:12:57,919results, he is still out of sorts with God.16300:12:57,919 –> 00:13:00,200Now that raises an interesting question.16400:13:00,200 –> 00:13:05,960The book ends with Jonah still arguing with God.16500:13:05,960 –> 00:13:08,940So when did he write this book?16600:13:08,940 –> 00:13:12,080Because I’m working on the assumption that you cannot write under the inspiration of16700:13:12,080 –> 00:13:17,020the Holy Spirit while you’re in the process of arguing with God, right?16800:13:17,020 –> 00:13:24,119So I’m making the assumption that Jonah wrote this book later in his life, as an older man16900:13:24,119 –> 00:13:31,960reflecting on the course of his days and the great patience and perseverance of God with17000:13:31,960 –> 00:13:33,599him.17100:13:33,700 –> 00:13:35,880And what he’s saying to us is really this.17200:13:35,880 –> 00:13:38,119Look, look at my life story.17300:13:38,119 –> 00:13:42,760What people perhaps know about me was that God used me in a remarkable way to bring revival17400:13:42,760 –> 00:13:45,260to the pagan city of Nineveh.17500:13:45,260 –> 00:13:48,919But I want to tell you the real story.17600:13:48,919 –> 00:13:54,119The real story of my inner life is that I honestly, even while I was serving God and17700:13:54,119 –> 00:14:00,080preaching God’s Word, I was actually avoiding God, the God I purported to serve.17800:14:00,080 –> 00:14:03,900And I want you to know that I spent a large part of my life doing that and I want to tell17900:14:03,900 –> 00:14:08,200you this story so that you will not do the same.18000:14:08,200 –> 00:14:14,719The great irony of Jonah’s life is that while he was preaching the Word of God, he was actually18100:14:14,719 –> 00:14:18,739avoiding the call of God.18200:14:18,739 –> 00:14:24,119And the story is written so that he is able to say, don’t, don’t live your life like18300:14:24,119 –> 00:14:26,239that.18400:14:26,239 –> 00:14:29,880Because although God used me so very wonderfully what was going on inside of me?18500:14:30,719 –> 00:14:34,119It’s not where you want to be.18600:14:34,140 –> 00:14:36,820So that’s the reason for this unusual title.18700:14:36,820 –> 00:14:40,679Now I’d like you to turn to just one cross-reference here today.18800:14:40,679 –> 00:14:48,239And that’s back in the 2nd Book of Kings, Chapter 14.18900:14:48,239 –> 00:14:52,700And it’s the one place in the Bible outside of the Book of Jonah where we learn a little19000:14:52,700 –> 00:14:55,380more about this man.19100:14:55,380 –> 00:14:58,1192nd Kings Chapter 14.19200:14:58,140 –> 00:15:02,880And if you brought your Bible and you’re marking up as we’re going through, you’ve got a little19300:15:02,880 –> 00:15:04,760touch in Kings here.19400:15:04,760 –> 00:15:07,919And you’re going to get a little touch or we’re going to get a little touch in Nahum19500:15:07,919 –> 00:15:10,559in a few moments’ time as well.19600:15:10,559 –> 00:15:12,3592nd Kings 14, 23.19700:15:12,359 –> 00:15:18,820You notice that Jonah’s ministry is dated in the time of Jeroboam the Second, who was19800:15:18,820 –> 00:15:21,000king in the Northern part.19900:15:21,000 –> 00:15:25,119That’s the Northern part Israel where the 10 tribes were.20000:15:25,640 –> 00:15:33,559He was around the years of 790 B.C. to about 750 Before Christ.20100:15:33,559 –> 00:15:37,520Verse 24 he did evil in the eyes of the Lord that king.20200:15:37,520 –> 00:15:43,080But there was 1 good thing that happened during his reign.20300:15:43,080 –> 00:15:49,119And that’s in verse 25, He, Jeroboam the Second, was the one who restored the boundaries of20400:15:49,119 –> 00:15:53,440Israel from Lebohamuth to the sea of Arabah.20500:15:53,880 –> 00:15:55,559So, Boundaries are restored.20600:15:55,559 –> 00:16:00,479The promised land is extended back to its full boundaries.20700:16:00,479 –> 00:16:06,719And this restoration happened, verse 25, in accordance with the word of the Lord the God20800:16:06,719 –> 00:16:18,080of Israel, spoken through His servant Jonah, son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hefer.20900:16:18,320 –> 00:16:26,039So, Jonah is introduced here in Kings as one of the spiritual leaders of his day.21000:16:26,039 –> 00:16:35,520He is introduced, notice the words, as God’s servant Jonah, the prophet from Gath-hefer,21100:16:35,520 –> 00:16:42,280not just a prophet, as if he was one among many, but in his generation he was the person21200:16:42,359 –> 00:16:48,000who was known in Israel for bringing the word of God and the prophecies that he brought21300:16:48,000 –> 00:16:51,460were vindicated because they so wonderfully came true.21400:16:51,460 –> 00:16:56,880In particular, everyone knew that Jonah was the guy who had publicly stated that God would21500:16:56,880 –> 00:17:02,880restore the full borders of Israel during the time of Jeroboam, and this came true,21600:17:02,880 –> 00:17:08,500in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken through his servant, Jonah.21700:17:09,140 –> 00:17:16,520So here is a man then that is widely respected, recognized, the prophet from Gath Hefer.21800:17:16,520 –> 00:17:22,560This is a man who God’s people esteem highly because he walks in the presence of God, ministers21900:17:22,560 –> 00:17:25,420the word of God, is filled with the spirit of God.22000:17:25,420 –> 00:17:26,959He is God’s servant.22100:17:26,959 –> 00:17:29,560Jonah, he is the prophet from Gath Hefer.22200:17:30,500 –> 00:17:37,560I want you to get the sense of the profile, the esteem, the acclaim, the wonderful positive22300:17:37,560 –> 00:17:45,239prophecy that this man brings, and the regard in which he is held as a spiritual leader22400:17:45,239 –> 00:17:50,619among this great nation of people who are known by the name of the Lord.22500:17:50,619 –> 00:17:53,599Now Back to Jonah in chapter one.22600:17:53,599 –> 00:17:59,920The word of the Lord comes to Jonah, the son of Ammidai, go to the great city of Nineveh22700:17:59,920 –> 00:18:06,619and preach against it, because its great wickedness has come up before me.22800:18:06,619 –> 00:18:16,520Now it really is very hard for us to grasp how shocking this must have been for Jonah.22900:18:17,280 –> 00:18:27,699See, in Jonah’s lifetime, there was one world superpower that was the terror of all the23000:18:27,699 –> 00:18:30,459nations around.23100:18:30,459 –> 00:18:39,319That one world superpower was Assyria, the Assyrians, and they were known for their brutality.23200:18:39,319 –> 00:18:44,959In fact, it’s a matter of history that you can research for yourself, though I do not23300:18:45,540 –> 00:18:48,300you do it, especially if you’re squeamish.23400:18:48,300 –> 00:18:55,739They had refined the art of torture in extraordinary ways.23500:18:55,739 –> 00:19:02,339Matter of history–the Assyrians, they were the terror of the time, and nations around23600:19:02,339 –> 00:19:09,459Assyria lived in fear that the might of Assyria would occupy them, or devastate them.23700:19:10,400 –> 00:19:13,540Of course that is what ultimately happened in Israel.23800:19:13,540 –> 00:19:18,119When the ten tribes were evicted, that happens later in the second book of Kings.23900:19:18,119 –> 00:19:24,140But that was after Jonah’s lifetime, a generation or so later.24000:19:24,140 –> 00:19:29,420Nineveh was one of the great Assyrian cities.24100:19:29,420 –> 00:19:35,239In fact, if you turn over just a few pages, get some yellow in the book of Nahum here.24200:19:35,780 –> 00:19:43,060In Nahum 3 and verse 1, notice how he describes Nineveh.24300:19:43,060 –> 00:19:46,339This is a wo to Nineveh, Nahum 3 and verse 1.24400:19:46,339 –> 00:19:55,199Wo to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, and never without victims.24500:19:55,199 –> 00:20:01,260Now can you imagine, you’re planning your vacation and you open your Sunny vacation24600:20:01,260 –> 00:20:05,000brochure and it says, come to Nineveh.24700:20:05,000 –> 00:20:08,719You know, we have flights every day for your convenience.24800:20:08,719 –> 00:20:13,739Come and visit us in the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, and never without24900:20:13,739 –> 00:20:15,760victims.25000:20:15,760 –> 00:20:18,339I don’t think you’re going to go there.25100:20:18,339 –> 00:20:21,319And Jonah didn’t want to go there either.25200:20:21,319 –> 00:20:27,060Can you imagine the kind of struggle that this man is thrown into as God’s word comes25300:20:27,060 –> 00:20:31,119to him, this man who’s highly esteemed, giving wonderfully positive prophecies to25400:20:31,119 –> 00:20:35,300the people of God, that come true and expand the borders of God?25500:20:35,300 –> 00:20:38,979He’s settled and happy in what he’s doing, in dear oldivGath Heather, lovely country25600:20:38,979 –> 00:20:39,979town.25700:20:39,979 –> 00:20:44,199And suddenly God says, I want you to go to Nineveh.25800:20:44,199 –> 00:20:46,859And the music stops in Jonah’s life.25900:20:46,859 –> 00:20:49,880Lord, I’m really happy in the ministry you’ve given me here.26000:20:49,880 –> 00:20:51,900And it was you that called me to this ministry.26100:20:51,900 –> 00:20:56,160Yes, I know, but I want you to go somewhere else.26200:20:56,160 –> 00:20:59,640You want me to leave the ministry that I love?26300:20:59,680 –> 00:21:00,680That’s right.26400:21:00,680 –> 00:21:02,520Where do you want me to go?26500:21:02,520 –> 00:21:03,579Nineveh.26600:21:03,579 –> 00:21:08,180Nineveh, that is in Assyria.26700:21:08,180 –> 00:21:11,859There are terrorists and torturers there.26800:21:11,859 –> 00:21:14,859What do you want me to say?26900:21:14,859 –> 00:21:19,099You don’t want me to tell them that their borders will be extended, do you?27000:21:19,099 –> 00:21:22,180No, I want you to preach against that city.27100:21:22,180 –> 00:21:25,459That’s what they will do to me if I preach against that city.27200:21:26,339 –> 00:21:30,839Their wickedness has come up before me, God says.27300:21:30,839 –> 00:21:32,959I’m not surprised, Lord.27400:21:32,959 –> 00:21:34,520Everyone knows their wickedness.27500:21:34,520 –> 00:21:37,160I’m glad you do.27600:21:37,160 –> 00:21:38,739Why don’t you judge them for it?27700:21:38,739 –> 00:21:42,760Because if you judge them for it and take away the power from Assyria, all the nations27800:21:42,760 –> 00:21:47,640around will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.27900:21:47,640 –> 00:21:50,239They are our nightmare.28000:21:50,239 –> 00:21:53,319Put yourself in Jonah’s shoes.28100:21:53,979 –> 00:21:58,420Successful ministry among God’s people known for prophesying good things like extending28200:21:58,420 –> 00:21:59,680the borders of Israel.28300:21:59,680 –> 00:22:05,099Good life, good work, good place.28400:22:05,099 –> 00:22:13,959And now the Word of the Lord disturbs this man’s comfortable life.28500:22:13,959 –> 00:22:18,199See our culture says live your dream.28600:22:18,219 –> 00:22:23,280But our God disturbs our dreams.28700:22:23,280 –> 00:22:27,939You’re listening to Open The Bible with Pastor Collin Smear and the first part of our message28800:22:27,939 –> 00:22:29,819Resist God’s Call.28900:22:29,819 –> 00:22:35,380It’s part of our series, how to avoid a God-centered life, based on the book of Jonah.29000:22:35,380 –> 00:22:39,500And if you ever miss one of our messages, you can easily catch up or go back and listen29100:22:39,500 –> 00:22:47,099again by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk, or find us as a podcast on all the main29200:22:47,099 –> 00:22:48,579podcast sites.29300:22:48,579 –> 00:22:51,579Search for OPEN THE BIBLE UK.29400:22:51,579 –> 00:22:55,140Open the Bible is supported financially by our listeners.29500:22:55,140 –> 00:23:00,339It’s donations from people just like you, which keeps Open the Bible on the air and29600:23:00,339 –> 00:23:01,660on the internet.29700:23:01,660 –> 00:23:05,540So if you already give to support the work, thank you so much.29800:23:05,540 –> 00:23:09,780If that’s something that you’ve been thinking of doing, either with a one-off gift or 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00:24:03,359is, why he came and the kind of love that he offers, a love that pursues us, forgives31000:24:03,359 –> 00:24:06,800us, restores us and never lets go.31100:24:06,800 –> 00:24:11,380I think it’s a wonderful book to use in your own quiet time or to share with a friend31200:24:11,380 –> 00:24:14,260or even to read in a small group.31300:24:14,439 –> 00:24:18,819Especially this February it’s been a reminder to me that the truest love31400:24:18,819 –> 00:24:21,739isn’t something we achieve or buy.31500:24:21,739 –> 00:24:24,939It’s something we receive in Christ.31600:24:24,939 –> 00:24:29,880Gospel Stories is our free thank you gift when you give a one-off donation of at least31700:24:29,880 –> 00:24:35,739£50 or when you set-up a new direct debit of just £5 a month.31800:24:35,739 –> 00:24:41,920But please do remember to include your name and address when you donate so we can send31900:24:41,920 –> 00:24:43,719your copy out to you.32000:24:43,719 –> 00:24:49,280So that offer is available all this month and you can find full terms and conditions32100:24:49,280 –> 00:24:55,180and you can give on line at our website www.openthebible.org.uk32200:24:55,180 –> 00:24:59,439And again if you give through the website please remember to give your full name and32300:24:59,439 –> 00:25:02,380address so we can send you your gift.32400:25:02,380 –> 00:25:06,900For Pastor Colin Smith and Open the Bible I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us32500:25:06,900 –> 00:25:07,800again next time.32600:25:14,640 –> 00:25:18,479Our culture tells us to live our dream.32700:25:18,479 –> 00:25:23,459What happens when God’s wake up call interrupts your dream?32800:25:23,459 –> 00:25:25,500Find out next time on Open the Bible.