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[0:00] Good morning everybody and welcome to our morning service here. A special welcome to visitors who are with us. I noticed a few of you coming in.

[0:10] As we were in the room at the side there. Our services today and the next couple of weeks are being taken by Will Burkhart, who is a great friend of the congregation.

[0:21] I shall leave him to introduce himself when he comes forward in a short while. To say for visitors we have a holiday Sunday school, which is open to all children of primary school age, so please feel free to allow your kids to join that.

[0:38] The young ones will be called down to the front for a children's talk and then they will leave after the hymn at the end of the children's talk to go to their Sunday school.

[0:50] And with tea and coffee served, be brought in on a trolley in here. At the end of the service, so please do stay if you can to join the rest of us for a time of fellowship at the end of the service.

[1:02] The evening service are usual at 6pm and that will be taken by Will once again. And then the other meetings during the week, Ladies' Fellowship on Monday night, Little Fishers on Tuesday morning, Road to Recovery on Tuesday evening.

[1:18] For all of those who are struggling with any addiction, and you're very welcome to come for a confidential time of support and formal fellowship and a short time of prayer.

[1:28] So please, if that applies to you or to anybody you know, do be encouraged or encourage others to come along to that meeting. The prayer meeting, as usual, will be in person here in the building and on Zoom on Wednesday at 7.30.

[1:45] And our Minister David is away on holiday till the 31st of July. So if you have any pastoral issues that require ministerial support, Reverend Ian McRitchie will be available for that.

[1:59] So please speak to me or one of the other elders and we'll help you in those circumstances. And a reminder that I just hope to have a holiday club week beginning the 7th of August.

[2:12] 7th and 9th of August. Helpers are still needed, so if you're willing to volunteer and have time available that particular week, if you can please give your name to myself or to David Cameron, that would be very helpful.

[2:25] Okay, these are all the intimations, so I'll just ask Will to come forward and lead us in our worship. Thank you. Well, good morning and welcome.

[2:42] My, what a wild church. As has been mentioned, my name is Wilf Erkert. My wife, Pat, is playing the music for the service.

[2:56] I used to be a postie. You'll know what a postie is, don't you? We all do that. In Inverness, I was a number of years there. My wife is a primary school teacher, and we've had the privilege of serving the Lord in Burkina Faso in West Africa for some 19 years.

[3:18] So it's a privilege to be here today, to be invited by your minister to share. I feel very inadequate because I am inadequate, but my adequacy is of the Lord.

[3:32] So the Lord will undertake, and the Lord will bless the service today. God's word says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

[3:52] Let's praise God by singing from Mission Praise, number 31. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

[4:07] I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, I now I see. And I hope that's your testimony as well. Let's sing to God's praise.

[4:19] Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

[4:41] I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.

[4:57] Oh, grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fear to believe.

[5:09] How precious did that pains appear, the hour I first believed.

[5:24] Through many dangers, toils and spears, I have already know.

[5:38] I have already know. T'is grace that taught me save thus far, and grace will lead me home.

[5:53] When we be there a thousand years, like shining as the sun, with no...

[6:11] But when we first began...

[6:23] Let's pray. Amen. Amen.

[6:37] Our Father and our God, it is with thanksgiving that we come into your presence this morning. We thank you for your goodness to us.

[6:48] We thank you for that sacrifice made by the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf on Calvary. Thank you that we're redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot or blemish.

[7:12] And Father, we thank you that we can come into your presence, not because we're good, but because you have redeemed us. You have saved us.

[7:23] You have set us free. You have made us new creatures in Christ. And Father, as we gather this morning, we give you our thanks and our praise for all that you have done, for the work of salvation, for the fact that we can be here in your presence, that we can call you our Father.

[7:47] And Lord, we give you thanks for all that you've done in our lives. Thank you, Lord, that you know us, you care for us. Thank you, Lord, that you have brought us out of the pit of sin and you have made us new creatures in Christ.

[8:07] And as we're gathered here this morning, we come, as is our want to come every Lord's Day, into your presence. You know us, Lord.

[8:18] You know our needs. You know the things that we stand most in need of. And Father, as we come this morning, we know that we come to the one who can and who will and who wants to meet our every need.

[8:36] Lord, we give you the praise and the thanksgiving of our hearts. We worship you for all that you've done.

[8:47] We thank you for your love demonstrated on Calvary. Thank you, Lord, for your word demonstrated for us through your word.

[9:00] Thank you that you so loved the world that you gave your only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but should have everlasting life.

[9:16] And Father, we thank you this morning that the work of Calvary is a complete work. thank you, Lord. We do not need to add anything to it.

[9:30] We cannot add anything to it. Thank you, Lord, that what you did on Calvary saves a sinner completely.

[9:44] And Father, we just want to worship you this morning and give you the thanks of our hearts. Lord, as we are here this morning, we just pray for a real sense of your presence.

[9:59] Take from our minds anything and everything that would disturb us and help us, Lord, to listen to your voice, not just to a preacher but to your voice speaking through him, through your word, through the hymns and psalms that we sing.

[10:23] Lord, may our hearts be in tune with you this morning to hear what you're saying to us. And so, our Father, we give you the praise and the thanksgiving of our hearts and we commend ourselves and we commend this service into your hand.

[10:43] Use it to speak to us, we pray, for we ask it in the name and through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

[10:54] Now I see some boys and girls hidden here and there and I'm going to ask my wife to come and say hello to you boys and girls.

[11:11] Hello boys and girls. More than that? Oh, more than that. Okay. Boys and girls, I don't know if you usually come forward when David's here, but whatever.

[11:22] But, do you? Yeah? Well, come on then. I can't speak to people over there. Come on.

[11:34] Right. Okay. I think it was quite a few on holiday, eh? Really? Okay. Do I need to be near here to be heard or anything? Yes. Better if I am, isn't it?

[11:46] Okay. Okay. All right. Well, Wilf mentioned that we used to work in a country called Burkina Faso. I don't know if we mentioned that, but we did anyway.

[11:57] And we lived there, and I want to tell you about the people that we met there, because the people there did not know anything about you.

[12:09] Right? They didn't know anything. And these people that lived in Burkina Faso, there's a lot of them, they're called, they used to be called tribes, but now they're called people groups.

[12:22] All right? So each people group have their own kind of set of things that they believe about how the world goes on. And this people group called the Burkina Faso that we went to, they believed that when God made the world, it was perfect.

[12:42] Well, we think that too, don't we? God made the world and it was perfect. But then sin came in, and sin spoiled the whole thing, didn't it?

[12:53] And that's why Jesus came to sort that out. The Burkina Faso believe that God made the world and it was perfect, but he got so fed up with mankind who was so horrible and bad and wicked to each other, they started making their own idols.

[13:21] So they made idols out of all kinds of things. near and near the kind of idols that we saw. I mean, we saw bits of stick and this and this was an idol and they would sacrifice.

[13:32] They would take animals, hens, or goats, or whatever, and they seemed to know that they had to sacrifice to try and gain the favour of God back.

[13:46] So they did all kinds of rituals, all kinds of things to try and help them to get back to God. So, there was a man called Ben who lived in Ireland, John Bennington, and the Lord said to him, there's a lot of people there who haven't heard about Jesus.

[14:04] Go and find out who they are. Right? So he and some friends went all the way to Burkina Pass, it was called Upper Falta in those days, and he went and he looked and searched for people.

[14:19] He found the Lobby people, he found, I could tell you all the names of them, but there was the Lobby ones, the first ones, and then there were the Birrafurs. Right? The Birrafurs.

[14:30] Don't ever forget the Birrafurs. They are so important, well, to me, and to God. So, he went on a trail and he really felt he should go to Malba.

[14:44] So Ben and his little troop went trekking out from Borum-Borum, they went trekking out to this village in the middle of nowhere called Malba.

[14:56] Called all the people together and he said, right, I've got something good to tell you. And because he had learnt a bit of the language and he managed to get it through interpretations from this other man that was with him, he told them about Jesus.

[15:13] He said, yes, God made the world and it was perfect and he sent Jesus to make it all right and it was just amazing.

[15:26] And, you know, that night, Sander came to the world to give his heart to Jesus. He said, I want to follow Jesus.

[15:38] In the morning after Ben and the others had had the service, they slept the night in the village and they left and there was Sander left on his own.

[15:50] What did he do? Well, he had learnt that he could talk to God, right, and he said, hear God, please send me somebody to help.

[16:02] And they started praying and next Sunday, if you're here, you'll hear how God answers that prayer for Sander. Okay? All right, got it.

[16:16] What was his name? I'm a... I don't know. What's his name? Okay, we're going to sing mission praise number 459.

[16:28] Master, speak, thy servant heareth, waiting for thy gracious word, longing for thy voice that cheareth, Master, let it now be heard.

[16:43] I am listening, Lord, for thee, what hast thou to say to me? May sir, speak, thy servant heareth, waiting for thy gracious word, longing for thy voice that cheareth, master, Let it now be heard I am listening Lord for Thee What hast Thou to say to me Speak to me Thy name, O Master Let me know it is to me

[17:45] Speak that I may follow faster With a step more firm and clean Where the shepherd leads the floor In the shadow of the rock Master, see your least of lowest Let me not turn earthy far Master, see God, O Thou knowest All the yearning on my heart Knowest all is truest me Speak and make me blessed in Thee Master, see God, make me ready

[18:47] When Thy voice is truly heard With obedience, but I'm steady Still to follow every word I am listening Lord for Thee Master, see God, speak to me Okay, bye-bye boys and girls Our reading this morning comes from the book of Jonah Next Sunday, the book of Jonah

[19:49] The following Sunday, the book of Jonah So you do need to find it The book of Jonah It's not the easiest book to find It's in that section of the Bible At the end of the Old Testament Old Testament Where the minor prophets are to be found So you'll find it tucked away in there On my Bible it's just got one spread of my Bible There are only four short chapters in it And we're going to read the first chapter This morning This is the word of God Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah The son of Amittai saying Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city And call out against it For their evil has come up before me But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish

[20:53] From the presence of the Lord He went down to Joppa And found a ship going to Tarshish So he paid the fare Went down into it To go with them to Tarshish Away from the presence of the Lord But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea And there was a mighty tempest on the sea So that the ship threatened to break up Then the mariners or sailors were afraid And each cried out to his God And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship Into the sea to lighten it for them But Jonah had gone down Into the inner part of the ship And had lain down and was fast asleep So the captain came and said to him What do you mean you sleeper?

[21:47] Arise, call out to your God Perhaps the God will give a thought to us That we may not perish And they said to one another Come, let us cast lots That we may know On whose account this evil has come upon us So they cast lots And the lot fell on Jonah Then they said to him Tell us On whose account this evil has come upon us What's your occupation?

[22:19] Where do you come from? What's your country? Of what people are you? And he said to them I am a Hebrew And I fear the Lord The God of heaven Who made the sea and the dry land Then the men were Excuse me Were exceedingly afraid And said to him What is this that you have done?

[22:43] For the men knew that he was fleeing From the presence of the Lord Because he had told them Then they said to him What shall we do to you That the sea may quiet down for us?

[22:57] For the sea grew more and more tempestuous He said to them Pick me up Hurl me into the sea Then the sea will quiet down for you For I know It is because of me That this great tempest Has come upon you Nevertheless The men rode hard To get back to dry land But they couldn't For the sea grew more And more tempestuous against them Therefore they called out to the Lord O Lord Let us not perish for this man's life And lay not on us innocent blood For you O Lord Have done as it pleased you So they picked up Jonah And hurled him into the sea And the sea ceased from its raging Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly And they offered a sacrifice to the Lord And made vows And the Lord

[23:57] Appointed a great fish To swallow up Jonah And Jonah Was in the belly of the fish Three days And three nights Amen May God Bless to us The reading Of his word Let's pray Our Father We thank you for your word We thank you Lord That we are able to read it And with the help And inspiration Of your Holy Spirit Understand it And Father We thank you that You have given us This revelation Of yourself And Lord We want to thank you for it We know that There are many people

[24:58] Across the world Who don't have the Bible Many thousands Millions of people Who have no access To your word And Father This morning We want to pray For such And we pray Lord For those who are Seeking to translate Your word And make it Available to yet Another people group And Father We pray that you would Undertake for them We know it's a difficult A difficult task And demands A lot of concentration And a lot of linguistic Accuracy and ability And Father We pray for those Who are doing it That you would Help them to see The end in sight That yet another People group Will have your word For themselves And Lord We commit that work

[25:59] Into your hand And Father We pray for the Ministry of the gospel As it spreads out Across the world Far and wide And we thank you Lord For those who have Taken your word To primitive places Gone to places Where missionaries Have never been before Where the gospel Has never been preached Before And Father We pray that you Would be with them And encourage them And help them Lord As they seek to Adapt to the people Group that you've Sent them to Help them as they Seek to make your word Understandable To those people And Father We pray for the Spread of your word Across the world And Father We pray for your Blessing to be upon it We have had your word Since we were born And yet there are millions Who still don't have it

[27:01] And Father And Father we pray That soon There will be your word Made available To more And more People groups And so Father We commit that work Into your hand We pray Lord For your gospel As it is preached Across our own Beloved land We pray for it As it is preached Across the Island chain And we pray That you would Bless your word And prosper it And pray for your word As it reaches Into areas Where it is not known And Lord We pray that there You would bless Encourage And strengthen Your servants Who have gone To make Your word known And so our Father We commend The work of the gospel Into your hand And we pray Lord For your blessing To be upon it And Father Now we commend Our own service Into your hand You know each one

[28:02] Of us You know our needs You know what we Most stand in need of And Father We pray that your word Would minister To us today And speak to us Because we ask it In the precious And in the worthy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen And now we're going To sing Two verses Gaelic Psalm From Psalm 130 And we'll sing Verses 1 and 2 Psalm 130 Lord from the depths To thee I cried My voice Lord Do thou hear And to my supplications Voice Give an attentive ear Verses from Psalm 130 goes the

[29:11] Gospel Oh Satsang with Mooji Thank you.

[30:26] Thank you.

[30:56] Thank you.

[31:26] Thank you.

[31:56] Thank you.

[32:26] Thank you.

[32:56] Thank you.

[33:25] Thank you. Amen.

[33:57] This book of Jonah is a wonderful book.

[34:10] Many people discounted because there are elements in it that they disagree with or they can't accept.

[34:23] But I accept the book of Jonah 100% because Jesus did. Jesus accepted the book of Jonah without question whatsoever.

[34:39] Jesus accepted it. He accepted it. For just as Jonah was, it's about a man who was, and it's about a different direction.

[36:12] He was, it's about a different direction because he was frightened. God was sending him to Nineveh. Now, Nineveh had a fearsome reputation. They were God's reputation.

[36:23] They were God's people. They were 100% against God's people. They were 100% against God's people.

[36:36] God's people. And yet, God called Jonah. And yet, God called Jonah to go to them. Can you understand why he was frightened? I can quite easily.

[36:48] He was going to the arch enemies of his own people. And God was calling him to go.

[36:59] It wasn't any man that called him. It was God. The word of the Lord came to Jonah. Arise, go to Nineveh.

[37:10] God spoke to him. And I got wondering, how does God speak to us today?

[37:22] How does God speak to you? How does God speak to me? And probably you, same as me, would understand that there are quite a number of different ways.

[37:36] God can speak to us through events. I was driven to Christ by a tragic accident that claimed the lives of four of the nearest and dearest in my family.

[37:54] And that particular morning, on the 14th of June, 1958, I was for committing suicide. Sixteen years old.

[38:05] My life was crushed. This event had overtaken me. My parents' car fell into the Caledonian Canal.

[38:18] And they, along with my brother and my auntie, were drowned. And between my parents on the back seat, there was a space where I should have been.

[38:35] But my boss in the post office wouldn't allow me off. He wouldn't allow me to go with my parents on that particular day.

[38:46] And that is why I'm here today. Because God spared me. God's ways are amazing.

[38:57] God calls us to do things at times that we would not choose ourselves. Do you think Jonah wanted to go to Nineveh?

[39:09] One hundred percent no. Because those were his enemies. And yet God said, Arise.

[39:22] Go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it. The message that God had given to him for them was a message of judgment.

[39:33] Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be destroyed. A message of judgment. If it had been a message of hope, peace, encouragement, maybe that would be acceptable.

[39:48] But no, this was a message of judgment. And that's the message that God gave to Jonah for the people of Nineveh.

[40:01] And of course, Jonah was afraid. And Jonah ran away in the opposite direction. Got on board a ship. Went and hid down underneath.

[40:14] And fell asleep. How could he possibly go to sleep when he knew that he was disobeying God? I don't understand that.

[40:27] He was doing what God did not tell him to do. And was refusing to do what God had told him to do. And then he went down into that ship.

[40:44] And fell fast asleep. He was a Hebrew prophet. His ministry was during the reign of Jeroboam II.

[40:56] Some 800, 750 years before Christ. Long, long time ago. He is mentioned in 2 Kings 14, 25.

[41:11] Where it says, He restored the border of Israel from Lebohamath. As far as the Sea of the Arabah. According to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel.

[41:24] Which he spoke by his servant Jonah. Son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gathhefer. Jonah hides himself down inside the ship.

[41:42] Who was he hiding from? Twice in the opening paragraph, the impossible is stated. He tried to flee from the presence of the Lord.

[41:56] Twice it's mentioned in the opening paragraph. To flee away from the presence of the Lord. You can't do that. Wherever you go, you will never get away from the presence of the Lord.

[42:13] He is there. Wherever you want to go, God is there. There. And Jonah tried to hide in that ship.

[42:29] Who was he hiding from? Probably hiding from the sailors. He was certainly trying to hide from God. Because he knew that God had called him to go to a people.

[42:44] Who didn't want to hear God's word. A people who were against anything to do with God. And Jonah did not want to go to those people.

[42:59] Yet God was sending him there. Sometimes we find it difficult to speak up for the Lord.

[43:11] Sometimes in ordinary conversation. Or like for instance, last night we were at a restaurant.

[43:23] And we had a very nice meal. And a charming young lady called Maddie from Scalpe. Was serving us.

[43:35] And we invited her to come to the meeting today. But I don't see her. Do you see her? She's not here. Often we invite people to come.

[43:49] But they don't come. But sometimes we invite people to come. And they do come. Never give up inviting. Invite people to come.

[44:04] I see empty chairs. Empty chairs. That so many empty chairs. Okay, the children were sitting on a lot of them. But there are empty chairs. There is room for a lot more people.

[44:19] And sometimes when God challenges us to speak to someone. We're scared. He was. He was scared. He was scared to go to Nineveh.

[44:30] Because they were his enemies. Because they were his enemies. And yet. The gospel. Is for whosoever will.

[44:43] It's for you. It's for me. It's for everyone on the face of the earth. God's word. Is for whosoever will.

[44:54] Jonah. Jonah. Didn't accept. God's word. And you know. When we. Disobey God. There are consequences.

[45:08] If I do. Or go against. What God has challenged me to do. There are consequences. Things will happen.

[45:20] Things will go wrong. If I choose. To disobey God. And that. Is what happened. To Jonah.

[45:33] He fled. To Tarshish. He fled away. From God's plan. And God's purpose. And I remember as.

[45:46] As a young Christian. In Inverness. I. Attended the YMCA. Which is. Next door. To the Free North Church.

[45:57] On the Riverside. And I. Remember. On numerous occasions. Missionaries coming.

[46:09] And speaking at our. After church rally. At eight o'clock. On a Sunday evening. And so. Often. There was a challenge. From God's word.

[46:20] To go. And to do. What God. Had. For you. Because God. Has a plan. And a purpose. For the life. Of every.

[46:31] Single. One of us. To some. He's given. A beautiful voice. To present. To others. He's given. A gift. To play. To others.

[46:42] He's given. Being able. To talk. To people. I'm not good. At that. At all. In fact. I'm hopeless. At it. But then.

[46:53] I've got a wife. That's very good. At it. So. One. One. Compliments. The other. The other. Jonah.

[47:04] Fled. From the plan. Of God. Jonah. Fled. As he thought. From the presence. Of the Lord. But he didn't get away. From the presence.

[47:15] Of the Lord. Because the presence. Of the Lord. Followed him. And when he was on that ship. And when that storm. Began to rage.

[47:27] A storm. The like of which. The sailors. Had never seen before. That was some storm. Now you people. Who live on.

[47:38] Live on an island. You know. What it is. To sail. On troubled seas. Now I see one or two smiles.

[47:49] You know. What it is. To get on. To the MV. Hebrides. And to go across. To Uig. You know. What it is. Like.

[48:00] To have. The ship. Going like this. That. Is what. Was happening. Here. Exactly. What was happening. Here. But Jonah.

[48:11] I don't think. Was afraid. Of the storm. Jonah. Was fleeing. From God. The plan. And the purpose. Of God. And God.

[48:22] Was following him. Now. I firmly believe. That God. Has a plan. And a purpose.

[48:33] For every. Single. One of us. Every one of us. Those who name. The name of Christ. God's got a plan.

[48:44] For us. Now. I don't know. What that plan. Is for you. But. One thing. I am. Certain of. That.

[48:55] That plan. For every. One of us. Is that. We share. Our faith. With. Other. People. And that. Is what.

[49:06] Jonah. Was. Frightened. Of. Because he was being. Sent. By God. For some people. Nineveh. Had a dreadful.

[49:17] Reputation. Nineveh. Of its day. Was renowned. For its wickedness. It's. It's. It's. Disobedience.

[49:28] To everything. That was of God. And yet. God. Was sending. Jonah.

[49:39] To that people. People. Why. Would. God. Send. Jonah. To a people. Who didn't. Want him.

[49:50] Why. Would. God. Send. Missionaries. To parts. Of the world. Where there is. No interest. In the Christian. Gospel.

[50:01] It's. Because. God. So. Loved. The world. That he gave. His only. Begotten son. Not. Perish.

[50:12] But should have. Everlasting. Life. God. Has. A plan. For our lives. And when I began. Way back.

[50:24] 65 years ago. To understand. The beginning. Of God's plan. For me. I was frightened. As a postman.

[50:35] In Inverness. Inverness. I was well. Placed. I had all. That I needed. All that I wanted. And yet. God. Was calling me. By these missionaries.

[50:46] Who kept. Coming. And who. Always. Told. The story of. We need. More missionaries. We need.

[50:58] More people. To come. To help us. To share. And that. Was. Eventually.

[51:09] I gave in. And I said. Lord. Whatever you will. I'm willing. And God.

[51:20] Called me. To go to France. And to learn French. Well. I had difficulty. With English. In school. And I was.

[51:31] To go to France. To learn French. And I was there. For a year. And I was. Utterly. Amazed.

[51:42] That at the end. Of that year. I could speak. Quite easily. And freely. In French. God. Undertakes. Yes.

[51:54] We can be frightened. Yes. We can be concerned. Yes. We can feel. Inadequate. And it's not wrong. To feel inadequate. In fact.

[52:05] If you feel. Adequate. For the task. Maybe. There's a warning there. Because you are not. Adequate. Without God.

[52:16] We are adequate. In God. And he enables us. To do what he has called us to do. And Jonah. To do. And Jonah.

[52:27] Was fleeing. From what God. Had said to him. Go. To Nineveh. And share my word. I don't know what God has said to you.

[52:41] As I look over you. There are all ages. There might even be some as old as I am. And some of you possibly a wee bit more. And I'm only 81.

[52:52] But whatever our age. Whatever our stage. God. Has got a work. For us. To do.

[53:03] To do. Just as I mentioned. A little while ago. That. When we were at that. Meal last night. And Pat invited. Maddie from Scalpy.

[53:15] To come. She's not here. But that doesn't mean. That we've got to stop asking people. Many people will refuse.

[53:27] In fact. Probably. Most people will refuse. But God. Will nonetheless. Speak into the lives. Of those. Whom he is calling.

[53:39] And Jonah. Was frightened. He is. Demasked. Eventually. There.

[53:50] On the deck of the ship. In that. Fearsome storm. And the sailors are trying to find out. On whose account. This. Tragedy. Has fallen upon them.

[54:03] And. Jonah. Is singled out. And he tells them. What he has done.

[54:16] And he tells them. The only way. That you can get the sea. To calm down for you. Is to throw me. Into.

[54:27] The sea. The sailors. The sailors. Were. Understandably. Unwilling. To do that. They didn't want. To do it. To do it. But then it turned out.

[54:42] There was no other way. Jonah said. Throw me overboard. And the sea. The sea. Will calm down. For you. I mentioned.

[54:53] Earlier. That there are. Consequences. For disobedience. Very simple. Let me put it this way.

[55:04] If. You're sitting in your car. And you're sitting. At a red light. And they're very annoying. These red lights. But they're there. For a reason. And you get fed up.

[55:17] And you just let the clutch out. And away you go. And you come to the first corner. And there's a police car sitting there. You're caught. There are consequences.

[55:31] For disobedience. And if we. Deliberately. Disobey. What God is saying to us. There will be consequences. Consequences. And I knew.

[55:42] As a young Christian. When God called me. I had no alternative. But to obey. Because his call. Was so clear. On so many.

[55:54] Different occasions. That I was not left. In any doubt. Whatsoever. And Jonah. Fled.

[56:05] From the Lord. And we're going to have to leave Jonah. Jonah. Because he was cast. Into the sea. And he was swallowed. By this great.

[56:17] Sea creature. Some people have said it's a whale. I doubt that very much. But it was a large sea creature.

[56:28] And Jonah was swallowed. By it. And we leave Jonah. In verse 17. The Lord appointed. A great fish.

[56:39] To swallow up Jonah. And Jonah. Was in the belly of the fish. Three days. And three nights. There.

[56:50] Are. Consequences. For disobedience. If I. Go against. What God has said to me. There. Will be.

[57:01] Consequences. Look. What happened to Jonah. He was swallowed. Thrown overboard. Swallowed. By this great fish. And we leave him here. Going down.

[57:12] Into the depths. Of the sea. Inside that great fish. It need. Not. Have happened. It didn't.

[57:24] Have to happen. But it did happen. Because Jonah. Disobeyed. God. God. And my friends. We leave it there.

[57:36] I know. It's an unsatisfactory place. To leave it. But I plan. To pick it up again. Next Lord's Day. Morning. To see.

[57:47] What happened. But meanwhile. We leave Jonah. Inside this. Great fish. Down. In the depths of the sea. See. Why?

[57:59] Because. He disobeyed God. There are consequences. For disobedience. Let's pray.

[58:10] Our Father. We thank you. For your word. We thank you.

[58:22] Even though. Your word. Today. Has been a difficult. Word. For us. A word. Which. Maybe. We would. Shy away from.

[58:33] But yet. Lord. For us. If we are considering. Disobedience. Lord. Help us. To realize. That. Is never.

[58:44] Ever. The right path. Help us. Lord. To. Walk. In obedience. To you. Whatever you say.

[58:55] To us. Give us. That. Willing. That says. Not. My will. But. Thine. Be done. We ask.

[59:06] In Jesus name. Amen. We'll draw our service. To a close. By. Singing. The last three verses. From Psalm.

[59:17] 72. Psalm. 72. Verses. 17. 18. And. 19. His name. Forever.

[59:28] Shall endure. Last. Like the sun. It shall. Men shall be blessed. In him. And. And. Blessed. All nations. Shall.

[59:39] Him. Call. And. Blessed. All nations. Shall. All nations. Shall. Shall. Endure. Endure.

[59:50] Last. Like. The sun. It shall. Men. It shall. Men. Shall. Be. Blessed. In him.

[60:01] And. Blessed. In him. And. Blessed. All nations. Shall. In. Call. Now. Blessed.

[60:12] Me. The. The. The. The. Lord. Our. The. God. Of.

[60:23] Is. Is. For. He. All. Doth. Wondrous. Works.

[60:34] In. In glory that excel. And blessed be his glorious name.

[60:49] To all eternity. The whole earth let his glory fill.

[61:03] Amen. So let it be. Now unto him who is able to keep you from folly.

[61:16] And to present you faultless before the presence of his glory. With exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Savior. Be glory and majesty.

[61:28]  Dominion and power. Both now and evermore. Amen.