Jonah 1:7-10 “Why Is This Happening?”

November 8, 2020
Who’s happy this morning? How are you feeling today? For the most part the election is over. The votes have been counted, and some are going to be re-counted. But how are you feeling? Some may be disappointed. Some may be angry. Some may be worried, anxious about what the future holds. And what if your candidate won, is there any more or less reason to be worshipful this morning? What happened to your peace? Where did it go? You see, I think we have a trust issue. It’s easy to trust God when things are going the way we want. But as soon as things go sideways, well then we can get in a funky mood. I received a phone call this week from my doctor. She was giving me a report of some tissue samples. The report was good, and I thank God for that. But she was sharing how she is struggling with the outcome of the election. And I agreed and said that I too was considering this as I was preparing my sermon. And she said, yes, many are going to need to hear from you, to keep them calm. And I politely disagreed, and shared with her that the people don’t need to hear from me, they need to hear from God. She understood what I was getting at and said she would pray for me and for us. And that indeed is my objective this morning. I’m not going to pat you on the back and say buck up, everything is going to be all right. What I am going to do is point you to God’s word so that you can behold his magnificence, remind you that God is bigger than the circumstances, that He is sovereign. Kingdom perspective, take your eyes off of what is blaring on your tv’s 24/7 and focus on Christ. He is more lovely, He is more worthy, He is more glorious. Who is ready to hear from our Great God who speaks to us from his word? Listen. “A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psa. 23:0–6) You don’t get there by focusing on your circumstances. You don’t get there by listening to some shrink guru pop psychologist. You only get here by trusting God with everything. Everything. “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; (Psa. 31:14–15) Jonah faced a perilous situation. He was asked for his identity. Not only did he identify himself, but he revealed the identity of the One True Living God. May we do as David, and Jonah.
Preacher :
Passage: Jonah 1:7-10
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Jonah 1:1-6 “The Call, The Rejection, The Consequences”

November 1, 2020
The book of Jonah has been described as a book about mission. There is the mission of God in bringing the message of repentance and salvation. But also, there is the mission of self-determined individuals to do what they believe is in their own best interest. And these missions are on a collision course. We will appreciate God’s initiative, His will, His sovereignty, and on the other hand, we will see the will of man, working against the will of God, blatant disregard for God’s command, the will of man in rejecting God’s command. And still God works his will, no one thwarts his will, and ultimately, man eventually chooses to submit to the LORD. For many of us, we will wan to see ourselves in the best light possible, and so we say to ourselves, that Jonah was a bonehead. If it were me, I would have gone, I would have obeyed. No need to throw me overboard, me and God, we’re good. And yet, if we were to examine our hearts closely, we may admit that we too are very much like Jonah. We want to do what’s best for ourselves. We even think we can know God’s heart and presume to know what He is going to do. So why study Jonah? Look at our land. Look at the divisiveness of our country. Look at the divisiveness of the church. Look at the divisiveness of our own families. The mission field is everywhere. Some feel more comfortable talking sports, talking politics, talking cars, talking golf, talking about anything else under the sun, but when will we ever get around to talking about God? The question arises, will we follow Jesus’ command? “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18–20) What’s our excuse? We have been authorized to share the gospel. The command has been made. The call has been issued. It’s not like he said to go to a foreign country and share the gospel, except, oh yeah, he did say all nations. But you might say, I feel more comfortable in my country. But it’s not like he said you would be all alone, in fact, Jesus said he would be with you. We partner with others in the gospel who serve in other countries. So I think as we study Jonah closely, we may find ourselves looking more and more like fish food. We might even say we’re more like fish vomit. God’s word is clear. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) I pray as God reveals your heart, that He also reveals his heart to you and you will love Him even more as we gain greater understanding of God’s mercy and kindness He freely bestows towards us.
Preacher :
Passage: Jonah 1:1-6
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Leviticus 27 “Commitment to Vows”

October 25, 2020
Believe it or not we finish our series in Leviticus today. We started this journey in January of this year. If you missed any, you can find them on our church website. And as we draw our study to a close, I am reminded of how God went to great detail in passing down his instructions to his people for how He is to be worshipped, how the priests were to conduct the worship services and handle the offerings and sacrifices. God had called them to be Holy because He is holy and this revelation was written and passed down for his people to learn and then to obey; to put into practice. As we considered these commands we appreciate how the sacrificial system took place under the Old Covenant, and how amazingly all of this pointed forward to Christ. Jesus fulfilled the Old covenant by himself being priest and sacrifice, Redeemer and Mediator, Savior and Kinsmen. His sacrifice was required, his blood to atone for our sins. And so as the sacrificial system has been abrogated by the once for all, perfect sacrifice of Jesus, yet the many principles undergirding the commands of God still hold true for us in our time as we seek to live in holiness under the New Covenant of Grace. We employ these godly biblical standards to in holiness as a sacrifice of praise to God. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Rom. 12:1) Doing this out of obedience because we love God. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2–3) To walk in holiness, to be holy, is to be obedient to God. This morning we will consider two topics, vows and tithes, where we also need to walk in obedience. At first glance they might seem to be foreign to us, and yet again, we will find these principles to be applicable to our lives. It’s easy to make promises, but to keep them? That’s an altogether different story.
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 27
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Leviticus 26 “Covenantal Blessings and Disciplines”

October 18, 2020
Well, election season is ratcheting up. To debate or not. To mail in ballot or vote in person. Ideas of one side vs the other. This policy vs that policy. What kind of rulers will our nation have? For the Christian, are we able to do as the bible prescribes, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,” (1 Tim. 2:1–3) We ought to pray for our leaders, all three branches of the federal government, as well as our state leaders, down to our local officials. It had been our practice to put the names of our local officials on our prayer list, and I think we need to return to that practice. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to do your civic duty and vote, volunteer and support whichever candidate. But how much more important is prayer? How much more is it our civic duty to live our lives in a godly manner for the benefit of our communities? Because as we consider our text, I ask, Is it possible that God would judge a nation for its sins? Yes, we know that God holds each of us to account for our sins, but would he hold a nation accountable as a whole? And if He judges nations, are we at risk if not already so experiencing it? And if that’s so, what can we do? Is there any hope for our land?
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 26
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Leviticus 25:35-55 “Poverty and Slavery”

October 11, 2020
This morning we deal with two rather difficult subjects, poverty and slavery. It may be less visible here in the country, but in the cities, it’s common to see a panhandler with a sign, begging for money. How does that strike you? Are you moved by compassion? Do you toss a couple of bucks his way and feel rosy inside, a good deed done for the day? Or are you moved by skepticism? Hey, that’s why I pay taxes, so we can have a welfare program and he doesn’t have to beg (and I don’t have to think much about it, I might add). He probably just wants money for alcohol or drugs. What does the Bible say about poverty? Are we supposed to give away all our wealth so that others will have more and get out of poverty? What about slavery? How are we to think about that? Well slavery is bad and that’s that. But are we thinking anachronistically? Are we taking our constitution, our amended constitution which outlaws slavery, and taking this principle and applying it to the Scriptures? There is much judgment and criticism taking place now in society, casting anachronistic judgment on the founding fathers, and other historical figures, and much the same has happened to those historical figures in the Bible. Does the Bible condone slavery as some nonbelievers charge? What does the Bible say about slavery and which, if any, principles might we be able to apply in our times? Let me remind you why God’s word is so important and why we place such high emphasis on it in our worship: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Prov. 30:5) To approach God’s word is to confront the truth. His word is the standard. And it is authoritative for our lives. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Is. 40:8) God doesn’t change his mind. His word is solid and trustworthy. We can rely on his word. And as Christians, as God’s adopted children, we are expected to not only hear God’s word, in our own private readings and gathered worship, but in hearing we are then expected to obey it! Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21) When we encounter the word of God we must then respond. Be doers of the word, not hearers only. So we can approach these challenging subjects, poverty and slavery, and we can be sure that whatever God says, his word is true, authoritative and we are to keep it.
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 25:35-55
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Leviticus 25:1-34 “Sabbath Year and Year of Jubilee”

October 4, 2020
As we’ve been journeying through this book of Leviticus, God has been revealing his holiness and his call for his people to be holy. God says be holy. Why? Because I am holy. God has specified in great detail how he was to be worshipped, how the priests and the people were to conduct themselves in worship, and how they were to live in community with one another. More recently we’ve looked at the feasts of the Lord in ch’s 23-24. And last time we discussed an example given to us in how the people were to handle one who had violated God’s holiness, who had blasphemed and cursed God. In our text this morning we return to the Sabbath principle, but this time it is considered in the context of the promised land. It is the foundational principle for the Sabbath for the land and the Year of Jubilee. God’s holiness in ordaining these was at the heart of each.
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 25:1-34
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Leviticus 24:10-23 “Law and Order: Biblical Justice” (partial audio)

September 27, 2020
Unless you’ve had your head buried under the sand, you might’ve heard there is an election this year. Slogans and pleadings, “this is the most important election in our history,” “if the other party gets power it will be the end of the world as we know it!,” etc. One of the key phrases being seized upon is “law and order.” It plays out on our tv screens every night, riots in major cities, a mob rule mentality, justice it seems is not justice unless it satisfies the mob, under threat of more violence and rioting of course. But where do we go to get a Biblical sense of justice? The Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron announced the charge against one office in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. And it was highly unsatisfactory to some, saying that she deserved justice. And yet, as some facts came out, and still other facts are unknown to the general public, there is an outrage with violence spilling over and two police officers were shot, and others use their vehicles to plow over protesters. Most recent is the family “declaring and demanding” that the AG release the transcripts of grand jury proceedings. Why? The family attorney said, “Did he (AG) present any evidence on Breonna Taylor’s behalf or did he make a unilateral decision to put his thumb on the scales of justice to help try to exonerate and justify the killing of Breonna Taylor by these police officers and in doing so, make sure that Breonna Taylor’s family never got their day in court, never got their chance for due process and in essence denied them justice?” The lawyer went on further to say, “it seems there are two justice systems in America, one for Black America and One for White America?” Emotions are raw, run high, run hot. And no doubt the Taylor family is experiencing grief and loss. And yet this was a prepared statement by the lawyer. And yet, in fact, the AG is himself a Black man. So who are we to believe? What are we to think? So, where is the justice? Can we ever expect to have perfect justice in our system or on this earth for that matter? I don’t know all the details, and don’t pretend to have some kind of inside knowledge. But what I do know is that we have to have a standard when it comes to justice. It is to the Bible, God’s word where we must turn. And this morning in our text, we find the principle and an example of Biblical justice.
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 24:10-23
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Leviticus 22 “Not Qualified”

September 13, 2020
Have you ever applied for a job and then were told you weren’t qualified for that position? Maybe you tried out to make the school team, and you didn’t make it. Or maybe you did make the team, and you were in the game and then you did something that disqualified you, and you were kicked out of the game. Sometimes we try and follow the rules and yet we can still end up in the situation where you’re asked to sit out. When I was in high school I was quite a good trombonist; not bragging, just giving contextual background information. I made the district band, district orchestra, area band and area orchestra. But I never made it to the states. That was just beyond my ability. I never qualified for that elite group of talented musicians. Sometimes you reach your limit. In 7th grade I played linebacker for the school team. Then in 8th grade everyone grew a foot and 30 lbs and all of a sudden I was not qualified to make the team. Sometimes we are qualified, sometimes not, and sometimes we are disqualified. This is life. This also is true for spiritual life. Wouldn’t we all want to be qualified to go to heaven and not hell? But how do you qualify? And is it really something you can do on your own effort? Desire alone does not qualify you. We just remembered the anniversary of 9/11. There were many in that tragedy who desired to live, desired to escape, and yet perished. There’s more to qualifying for eternal life than mere desire. And there’s more to it than mere profession. Jesus was teaching and someone asked him, “And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.(DESIRE) When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ (CLAIMED TO KNOW HIM, CALLED HIM LORD) Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ (WE EVEN HUNG OUT WHERE YOU WERE, WE ATE AND DRANK IN YOUR PRESENCE, WE WENT TO CHURCH FROM TIME TO TIME) But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’” (Luke 13:23–27) You see they were disqualified, they were sinners, workers of iniquity, of sin. So it’s not desire, it’s not professing or proclaiming to be a Christian, and it’s not even doing things, Christian things. Jesus taught that many, MANY, would try to claim they did sufficient good deeds to get into heaven. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matt. 7:21–23) Even though they claimed to be doing God’s work, prophesying in the name of Jesus, casting out demons and lots of other powerful things, like feeding the poor, digging wells, volunteering in the soup kitchen, dropping some money into the red kettle, saying merry Christmas instead of happy holidays, all are good things, but none make you a Christian, none qualify you for the heavenly reward of eternal life and spending eternity with Jesus. You and I cannot qualify ourselves. And this can be unnerving, unsettling. Because if you think your life has been really good til now, you’ve been mostly a good person, mostly doing good instead of bad, then you might be lulled into thinking you are safe with the Big Man upstairs, when in reality you could be dangerously close to your final breath, being disqualified and spending an eternity in hell. If being qualified for the reward of eternal life is your aim, let’s get into the text and hear from God together this morning.
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 22
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Leviticus 21 “Holy Restrictions and Godly Character”

September 6, 2020
A ubiquitous gripe, frequent complaint against Christianity and the Bible is the misperception that it’s all about do’s and don’ts. You have to do this and you can’t do that. It is seen as a limitation on their ability to have fun, to call the shots, to do whatever they please. And they don’t want anyone telling them what they can or cannot do. It is natural to resist authority when you think that you are the supreme authority and the supreme ethic is “I’ll do whatever I darn well please.” Who’s heard that before or known someone like that? Who has been someone like that? But you see that is to fundamentally misunderstand the point of the Bible. God did not supernaturally pass down his Word to us so that he would be the ultimate killjoy. God in his infinite wisdom has given us everything we need in his word to faithfully live for him, to please Him, and for what is truly in our best interest, even when we don’t see the immediate benefit before us. God has called his people to be holy which means we need to possess and reflect His holy character. We need to be godly people. We need to possess godly characters, godly traits. While our text this morning was initially directed towards the priests, I hope you will see an abundance of application in God’s word which is highly relevant to each one of us. Does it matter that God’s people possess godly characters? Does your character matter? Indeed it matters. Will you be described by the adjective godly?
Preacher :
Passage: Leviticus 21
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