Respond in Faith

Well, welcome to you all. Um, welcome to the guests we have and it's a pleasure to be here. Beautiful day. I know we got a lot of rain this week at where I live and so this is really nice. But like Mark, my throat's kind of feeling funny, too. So I might have to invest in a few cough drops while we're going here.

So hang on. [clears throat] On December 7th, 1941, that was over 84 years ago, the Japanese Empire struck a crippling blow to the US Navy. Even though the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was extremely destructive, what it actually did was to wake up a sleeping giant, a pro-isolationist country. And it propelled us into World War II with a purpose.

The response to this common enemy and threat was incredible. Americans across the nation geared up. They sacrificed. They worked together to produce what was necessary to defeat the enemy. I'm sure we all have parents, grandparents, maybe even friends who have talked about what it was like to be there during that period.

Most of the young men were gone off in the war and women were doing their jobs and the factories and there was rationing of many things like gas, tires, many food products. I even have my dad's ration book and there's even a card in there with my name on it. So I maybe for diapers. I'm not sure what it was, but it was it was December 7th was a day to be remembered, much like 9/11 is remembered now.

We were forced into world leadership that has lasted these 84 years. And I wonder if this nation will ever be as responsive as they were following that event so long ago. Responsive can mean to react in accord or harmony. And I don't see much of that in our nation today. Even even in regards to 911, very little agreement or sacrifice.

We live in a me first society. Now you might get a reaction, you know, if the Dow Jones fluctuates or uh maybe your 401 retirement uh account is affected. But it's very interesting to study and to the way people respond to various actions or events as they unfold in their lives. And that's exactly what I want to do today.

And the title of this sermon is respond in faith. Respond in faith. Respond. Response [clears throat] means a reply, a reaction or to answer. Now from a more scientific angle, it's the behavior of an organism resulting from a stimulus. In other words, a reaction to a stimulus. From the word response, we get responsive.

Responsible, responsibility, which means to be accountable or answerable. So we could say going back to response when we reply or answer for our actions one becomes responsible or takes responsibility and that is a sign of maturity that that's slowly surely lacking in this society. No one seems to be want to be responsible for anything.

Uh everyone's a victim. Blame everything on someone else. The only people nowadays seems to claim responsibility for anything are terrorists when they uh call in after a bombing. Now, how perverse is that? You know, to claim responsibility for a for a heinous cowardly act. You know, the world is just totally upside down. But often there's the group think or the crowd mentality.

Here people divide the responsibility by the number involved. If there are only two involved then you're only half responsible. You you might think of Adam and Eve you know they they blame Satan and well ultimately they blame God. If a hundred people are involved in some something, then you're only 1% responsible or even less maybe if one of those 100 was some leader type because he bears more responsibility, right? So you can get your your responsibility down to a fraction of a percent.

That's dangerous thinking. I'll just read Romans 14 um where it says Romans 14:11 and 12 says for it is written as I live says the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God and then each of us shall give account of himself to God. [clears throat] Every one of us is accountable for our actions.

We are responsible are answerable individually one-on-one with God. You know, will God accept 1% or a fraction of a percent? No. We're each 100% responsible for our actions. Now, a mature Christian owns up to his actions and he takes responsibility. It's something that, you know, we need to pass on to our children through practice and through example.

We need to teach children the concept of stimulus and response. the the idea that they can choose and must choose proper responses. You know, physically at first and then as they mature spiritually, you know, a tantrum in the grocery store is not the proper response for not getting a toy or a piece of candy.

Lack of guidance and training at this age can grow and fester and it can boil forth into the responses that we see in many of the youth of this world. If we don't teach proper responses, then the world will teach them the responses that we see pushed very vigorously on TV, on radio, on uh music, social media.

You could go on and on about, you know, the things that these young people are learning and responding to. Life is made up of stimuli and response. And, you know, there are many functions of our body that act automatically. And that's called autonomic, which means responding or reacting independently of the whole.

You know, this would pertain to like nutrative or vascular or reproductive uh activities of our body. And they're designed specifically by God to keep us alive. They're they're very complex. In fact, um scientists don't even really completely understand all the things that are going on in our bodies. You know, we would be in a lot of trouble if we had to consciously tell our heart to beat each time.

you know, are our lungs to expand and contract with each breath or maybe our our stomach to produce an enzyme to break down the foods. You know, if you if you poke yourself with a pen, there's a response. Usually, it's an autonomic response. You pull away, you know, there's pain, there's blood, and often there's a a verbal response.

But not all responses are automatic and same for different individuals. Like in that verbal response, you poke yourself with a pen. That can be a choice. You know, as humans, you know, God helps us. It's an amazing thing. Have you ever been around a person who swears a lot? Like every other word, he responds to pain or frustration with a stream of aged in which our response is to wse or blush or not be around that person too much.

Yet when that same person maybe is around children or or women, they don't respond with that same language. And why is that? Their response is a choice, but it become it can become more and more automatic and uh they can become callous to to uh offensiveness. And besides, women and children are not too far behind on the bad language category.

You know, a friend of mine um uh was in the Navy during the Vietnam era and he was out to sea for many months at a time and his parents were very religious Southern Baptist and he had lived with him up to enlisting. In fact, I even lived with these this same people just before I was married. But he managed to make it home on leave after one extended tour.

He was he was sitting around the dinner at table time. I mean around the table at dinner time. He got a piece of bread and then asked for someone to pass the exploitative deleted butter. It wasn't done on purpose but it become habitual. You know by exploitative deleted you understand what he probably said.

Needless to say the rest of the dinner was a little bit tense. The world has made God in its own image so that they can justify responding in carnal name uh carnal ways without feeling guilty. Let's look at Romans 1:18. Romans 1:18-2 Romans 1:18, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness.

Because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead. So they are without excuse because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God and are were thankful but became futile and their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened.

See, they responded in all the wrong ways. Thank you. Verse 22. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible men and birds and forfeooted animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen.

You see, God says they are without excuse. Okay, you know me, but reject me and my ways. Therefore, you're on your own. It almost seems as if a certain restraining property in the spirit and man has been removed. Verse 28, well verse 28 through32 is really a a rather gruesome list describing those who reject God.

You know be it wars, relationships, laws, whatever man becomes involved in away from God, he rationalizes the truth away so that he may react or respond in his own way or his own interpretation of good and evil. Likewise, 2 Timothy 3 1-6 is this long list of carnal activities that are rampant in the last days.

I'll jump to verse 7 of of 2 Timothy 3 verse 7-9 says they're always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Janss and Jambbras resisted Moses so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds disapproved concerning the faith. But they will progress no further for their folly will be manifest to all as theirs also was.

See they have come to a point of not being able to respond in the right way. The Bible says the human heart or the mind is deceitful above all things. also says the whole world is deceived. What what makes us able to respond differently in a right way or a godly way? What can we do to not be on those lists that I read in Romans and Timothy? Man reacts carnally, but with the receipt of God's Holy Spirit at baptism, we can begin to walk a path of godly responses to see things differently, to see the world differently, to see how we react

differently, to see that it does matter what we do and how we do it. Romans 6 verse 1-7. Romans 6 1-7 [clears throat] [clears throat] verse one. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, even so we also should walk in

newness of life. Different responses. Verse five, for we have been united together in the likeness of his death. Certainly, we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin. See, we become a new man. And with that new man, there will be new responses. A true freedom. That's freedom. Satan no longer controls our responses. Down to verse 12. [clears throat] Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lust.

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. We must present our members as instruments of righteousness to God. In other words, in everything we do, all the responses that our bodies make that we have a choice on must be done in a godly manner.

A godly manner, you know, and that's that's a tough assign assignment even for a human with God's spirit. It takes a lot of prayer. It takes a lot of meditation and an inward examination of the heart to be able to do that. One must believe that there is a God and what he says is true and obey. In other words, faith and belief.

Belief in that city to come. Hebrews 11:6. Hebrews 11:6. Without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. You know, it's it's impossible to please God without faith. James [clears throat] in the book of James covers this topic very well.

He says that faith without works is dead. It's not really faith at all. Now, you know you for the purpose of this sermon, you can exchange works [clears throat] with godly responses. Responses equals actions. It's not just thought. Faith must do something as and is demonstrated by obedience and is a response to the promise of God.

Let me re repeat that. Faith must do something and is demonstrated by obedience and his response to the promise of God. Let's look at James. James [clears throat] 1:19. James 1:19 through 25. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. This describes the righteous response to a stimulus.

Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. You know, be it a test, a trial, a frustration, what is what is your response? swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Carnal responses will separate you from God. but be doers of the word, responding in righteous obedience to God. Verse 23, for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself, he goes away and immediately forgets what man kind of man he was.

But he looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it. is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does. God's responses to our responses [snorts] is that we will be blessed in what we do. That's how God responds to us. All five chapters of James go on to describe various aspects uh of faith in our life.

Um, [clears throat] let's look at James 2 14. James 2:14-18 [clears throat] just as an example. What does it profit my brethren if someone says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace.

Be warmed and filled." But you do not give them the things that are needed for the body, what does it profit? If if your response is just thinking warm thoughts, you know what good is that? That's that's not even a response really. You see a lot of you see a lot of that in politics today. You know, symbolism without substance.

Talk a lot without really doing anything. There's a lot of posturing, rhetoric, shallow solutions, but there's no leadership accepting responsibility and getting something done. Verse 17, thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, you have faith and I have works.

Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. We can show our faith by responding with action. Down to James, let's go down to James 5 verse 13- 15. James 5:13. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. You know, are these are these your responses when suffering? Verse 14. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. is your first response when getting sick to go to God and ask for healing. Verse 15, and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

God's response forgiven and raised up. Faith inspires action. It produces and manifests itself in works. Let's look at Hebrews 11 for just a few minutes. That's the faith chapter. And we can see how God's servants of old responded through faith to events in their lives and then God's response to them. Hebrews 11 verse4 by faith Abel offered to God.

Now I don't have you know time to read this whole thing but just just note the verbs as I go through these the verbs are are actions or responses pleasing God obeying God is the stimulus their actions and faith are the responses. So here we have God offered Abel offered to God and God testified of his righteousness and made sure he would be remembered as a good example through time.

Noah, I'll just skim down. Noah moved with godly fear. He prepared an ark. He condemned the world. And God's response to that saved his household and he became an heir of righteousness. Verse verse eight, by faith Abraham obeyed and he went out not knowing where he was going. Verse nine, by faith he dwelt in the land of promise, dwelling in tents.

Verse 10, for he waited for the city which has foundations. See, these are all the responses of the things that they were going through. Those were all actions that they did, responses. By faith, Abraham also offered up Isaac. And God responded to Abraham by multiplying his seed and he became heirs of the promise.

On to verse 24. Just skim me down. By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose rather to suffer affliction. Esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king endured.

By faith he kept the Passover. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as the dry land loaded with verbs of action. But all by faith. All of them. Down to verse 33. who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, became valiant in battle, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

[clears throat] And God's response to all those heroes and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise. They obtained a good testimony. And I hope I [clears throat] hope that is God's response to my actions. You know what more could we want in this life? >> [clears throat] >> Well done, good and faithful servants.

The the promise the promises will come later. These people responded with incredible courage and perseverance to events probably unimaginable to us. How would we respond to some of the things that they went through? The Bible was written for us to learn and to apply godly principles. You know, you can turn to just about any page and read examples of stimulus, response, action, reaction, cause and effect.

And I want to look just at a few of those. In Proverbs, uh, in Proverbs, the first chapter kind of sets the stage for the rest of the book. you know, certain themes and points that uh he wants to make from chapter 10 on is contrasting the godly with the wicked. The result of godly responses ver versus wicked responses.

And so just a couple of examples to get the idea. Proverbs 15:1 Proverbs 15:1. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. You know, if you respond to some stimulus such as maybe a taunting or a provocation by someone and if you respond with a soft answer, your godly response becomes a stimulus for another response, the turning away of wrath.

However, if you respond harshly, the the results or the secondary response is anger. You know, there's all kind of lessons that we can learn from proverbs like that. Proverbs 14 23. In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. See the stimulus there is providing for the needs of you and your family.

And if your response is doing whatever is necessary to you know you'll profit any kind of job whatever if your response is just to talk about it and make excuses you know there's a lion in the street or whatever then you'll end up in poverty. Let's look at one more. Proverbs 25. Proverbs 25 21. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat.

If he's thirsty, give him water to drink. So the stimulus here is someone who hates you needs help. What is your response? Do you return evil for evil? No. you overcome evil with good. You know, you may not have an opportunity to feed them, but uh that same principle of what you do. Um I'll just refer to in Matthew 5:43. Matthew 5:43.

It says, "You have heard that is said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do [clears throat] good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. And God's response responses back in Proverbs, if you respond in a godly way, for so you will heat coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

He will reward you for blessing your enemy. And you know, unless that person uh repents, he is sealing his fate through his own actions and responses. You know, if if you could read the whole Bible with the idea of the concept of stimulus and response of mind, you know, we could glean all kind of examples from what someone did or what someone said and the results or what God says and what man's responses and the results.

These are all lessons that we can apply to our lives, you know, to use the Bible to learn learn those things. It's like it's like [clears throat] teaching a small child about hot. You can train them to avoid touching hot things even though they don't really understand why. You know, they don't understand what that oven is or that stove is.

[clears throat] Better to obey and learn the easy way than to have to explain through the uh the trial of pain and suffering if you teach them not to touch. Galatians 5:19 through 21. This is kind of a list of works of the flesh. We've probably heard these many times, but the the works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lwdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath of selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envys, murders, drunkenness, rivalries, and the like.

of which I tell you beforehand just as I told you in times past that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. God is saying okay children these actions will burn your fingers. If this is the way you respond to temptations or events in your life, then the result is not inherent and you'll probably burn more than your fingers.

The carnal response is thinking of the self. The carnal response is the getway. We've heard this down through the years in the church. The spiritual response is thinking of others. the giveway. That's two of the major concepts in this world that we've learned. Giveway and the getway. Think of forgiveness as a response.

Do we forgive others as they forgive us? Those are godly responses. Or do we hold grudges or get revenge? That's a carnal response. Christ died for us while still sinners. God forgave us first. That is the stimulus. What is our response? Colossians 3:13. Colossians 3:13, [clears throat] bearing [clears throat] with one another, and forgiving one another.

If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. That has to be our response. But again, we need faith to do this. [clears throat] One of the main themes of First Peter is is the proper response to persecution, trials, and suffering. They are not meant as punishment but a means of bringing us to perfection.

You know, do we understand that? Do we understand what what that's all about? And therefore, do we respond with rejoicing and patience to this persecution and suffering? Or do we respond with anxiety and bitterness? Your response determines the results. Let's look at second Peter. [clears throat] This is like a lesson plan for proper responses. And it begins with faith.

Second Peter 1 5-9. >> [clears throat] >> Second Peter 1:5, "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, [clears throat] to knowledge, self-control, to self-control, perseverance, to perseverance, godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. See that's this is spiritual responsiveness. Godly responses dealing with relationships and how they build one upon the other.

It it's like a like a chain reaction or a chain response. And God has started one in us. How you respond provokes further responses in yourself and others. And it goes on and on one to the other. Now there are there are carnal chain reactions too and the stimulus for that was Satan and he started his in the garden of Eden. It began with Eve responding to a temptation from Satan.

She responded responded carnally thinking only of self and then even then refused to take responsibility for her actions. And it was the same for Adam. He responded to Eve and also refused to take responsibility. You know, the world [clears throat] the world responds to Satan's broadcast like puppets on a string.

You know, you you pull Satan pulls a string and you know, a hand goes up in a fist. Usually a fist at God or maybe another string to move the lips, you know, usually cursing God. Satan's just like puppets. It's been downhill from the Garden of Eden from Cain killing from Cain killing Abel all the way down to Genesis 6:5.

You we you've heard this before. I'll just read it. [clears throat] Genesis 6:5. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Finally, there were no godly responses except from Jonah, I mean Noah. So God poured water on that first carnal chain reaction several miles deep.

But in [clears throat] those who survived, there were still some embers in their members and the reaction reignited. In other words, it wasn't totally quenched. But that wasn't a mistake by God. God knows exactly what he's doing. Carnal responses such as hate and greed and envy ultimately lead up to the blowing apart of civilization, the destruction of all mankind.

And frankly, that reaction seems to be nearing critical mass. But the spiritual chain reaction whose stimulus in God began in us at Christ's death and our baptism, our acceptance of his sacrifice and his holy spirit in us. And God says he will shorten those days so that not all of mankind will be destroyed. It takes faith to believe that God is going to bring all this about and has already began you know that process in us to be a part of that that spiritual chain reaction that was started cannot be stopped because

Christ's death will not be in vain. It will continue whether we believe it or continue it in ourselves. But he will call enough to fulfill his purpose. And we're a very small group. But God is not interested really in numbers right now. He wants obedient, faithful doers. Now, it's infinitely more powerful than carnal reactions which destroy God's creates.

I want to look just briefly at a couple of examples in the Bible of both good and bad responses and see what we can learn from them. [clears throat] Well, 1 Corinthians 10, now all these things happened to them as examples and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

So these examples, you know, were put in the Bible so that we could learn from them. There are so many examples in the Old Testament. There are the good and bad examples of responding to sexual temptations. A good example, let's start with that is Joseph with Piper's wife. We see that in in Psalms 39, I mean Genesis 39. [clears throat] Piper's wife kept trying to get Joseph to lie with her, but but he was very focused.

He knew what sin was and who it was against. God. He dealt with repeated temptations and exercised tremendous strength of character. He fled. He fled. What a good response. Then we read a series of responses. Anger and lies from others, but not from Joseph. There was no anger or bitterness or self-pity.

He just continued on being a really good example in prison. And what was God's response? Genesis 39:21. But the Lord was with Joseph, showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

So that was God's response to Joseph's response. Now let's flip the page a little bit. A bad a bad example is David with Basheba. A story is found in 2 Samuel. I'm sure we've all heard it, so I won't turn there. But basically, David, instead of fleeing, as Joseph did, responded with lust. And there began a series of wrong responses, even ending up with a man being murdered.

But at least David finally responds correctly to God's rebuke through Nathan and does finally repent. God's response is mercy, even though there were many physical consequences that he had to endure through the rest of his life. Now, we live in a world that basically has gone crazy with sex. The clothing, the language, entertainment, music, it's all constantly in our face.

You can't get away from it. The temptations to get caught up in some way are constantly dangling there before us. is even more compounded by leaders who set bad examples and even psychologists who say, "Well, it's not wrong and it may be even good for you. It might help your marriage if you know you go out on a little fling or something.

" We need to stick our noses in the Bible on this subject and believe God when he says to flee fornication. That principle is said forcefully in many scriptures in many ways. And that is the response that he demands. He demands it. Why? Why does he demand that? [clears throat] Because he loves us.

And he knows what surrender to those powerful forces will do to you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Again, David, a man after God's own heart, at a weak moment, yielded to sexual temptations that eventually led to murder. Are we exempt from those reactions? Those who think they stand, take heed lest they fall. You know, we could talk about Exodus 35 where the people of Israel re willingly responded so vigorously to a call for offering for the temple construction that they had to be told to stop.

Wouldn't that be nice today? Or Daniel's response to the the king's [music] decree? Or how about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneo? response to the king's image or Abraham offering his son Isaac. Let's look at one more example. Jonah in Jonah 1 verse 1 and 2 Jonah 1 verse 1 and 2 [clears throat] Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amiti saying Arise go to Nineveh that great city and cry out against it further wickedness has come up before me.

See the initial stimulus I is the word of God. We have a prophet of God being told of by God to go to the city city of Nineveh and warn them that their wickedness had reached to high heaven. Now Nineveh was one of the greatest cities of that time of the ancient time. So it was so large that it took three days to go through or around it.

But it was it was as wicked as it was large. Kind of reminds me of some of the major cities that we have today. Jonah's response to the word of God telling what to do. [clears throat] Jonah's response, flee to Tarsus. Instead of 500 miles northeast of Nineveh, he heads 2,000 miles due west. I think maybe a lot of people plug their ears and run the other way when God calls.

Well, God sent a large tempest and the ship was about to sink and the sailors threw Jonah into the sea and the sea immediately became calm. So eventually God responded to Jonah's fleeing by having a large fish swallow him. Jonah repented in chapter 2 and eventually ended up in Nineveh after properly responding to God's second call to go.

Jonah 3:4 [clears throat] and Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. And he cried out and said, "Yeah, 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." He began to warn them that the city would be overthrown or, you know, destroyed in 40 days. What was their response? They believed the message from God.

They fasted with sackcloth from the king, even down to the animals, and they cried mightily to God. It was the greatest revival in in recorded history. They believed God. And what was God's response to their response? God saw their works was verse 10. That they turned from their evil way. And God relented from the disaster that he had said would bring upon them and he did not do it.

Fantastic. [clears throat] Jonah must have been pleased to see all those lives saved. Let's see. Let's look at his response to God's relenting to their destruction. Jonah 4 verse 1-3. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he became angry. He was angry. He began to feel sorry for himself, even suicidal.

He was pouting, probably a little embarrassed, thinking only of self. Those were all carnal responses to God's response. Well, God responded through a gentle rebuke and straighten them out to what a godly response would be. Pity, mercy, thinking of others. So, what can we learn and apply to our lives? I've got four quick points.

Four quick points here. Point one, you can't run from God. [clears throat] You can't run from God. As he calls us and sets us in his church, each each with individual talents and each with a purpose making up the whole body, he desires us to respond to that calling. our response to obey him, to grow in grace and knowledge, to use our abilities to serve others and to do the work.

Many are called, but many run the other way. [clears throat] Examine yourself to see if you're yielding to the lead of his Holy Spirit. Are you limiting God's ability to work through you? Moses had excuses lined up when God wanted to use him also. [clears throat] I won't turn there, but Exodus 3 and 4, these are responses from God when uh from Moses when God wanted to use him.

Moses saying, "Who am I? They won't believe me. They won't listen to me. I'm not eloquent. I'm slow of speech and tongue. Send someone else. God responded patiently, but you know, he was beginning to get a little angry. Anyway, they finally worked out a solution and the rest is history. I think a lot of us are kind of like Moses and Jonah.

We shouldn't be though. We have God's Holy Spirit of which one of the fruits is faith. And remember our Hebrew 11 action heroes, the doers and what they accomplished through faith. Okay. The second second thing maybe we can learn is even when you feel separated from God through sin or neglect, call upon him in repentance and he will hear.

Chapter 2 of Jonah is a prayer to God while in the great fish. Jonah 2:2 he said this is what Jonah said. I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction and he answered me. Out of the belly of Shaw I cried and you heard my voice. You and what an affliction. Can you imagine being inside of a fish's belly? I mean, probably dark, hot, smelly, slimy, not really at that time knowing for sure what your fa fate would be.

But God heard and God responded. Another example, you know, David in many many uh psalms express that same that same concept expressed about faith. Psalm 31 verse 22 is Psalm uh this is David. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before your eyes. Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to you.

Oh, love the Lord, all you saints, for the Lord preserves the faithful and fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage and he will strengthen your heart all of you who hope in the Lord. See, if we respond with supplications, humble prayers, God will respond. He will hear our voice and strengthen our heart.

You know, Satan would love love love for you to be discouraged and make you believe that God has forsaken you because you're a sinner. He tries to get you to respond in moods or or self-pity maybe or bitterness or to just give up. You know, the Christian life is just too hard. But don't fall for that.

You know, we all we all fall down. fall down flat on our faces often, but our response should be to work our way back up onto our knees, repent, and know that God loves us, and then jump up with joy and get back to the work. Point three, don't get angry [clears throat] and question how God God is working out his plan.

Don't get angry and question how God is working out his plan. >> [clears throat] >> You know, it's it's easy to wonder how someone who had lived through the things that Jonah had just encountered could get angry at God. I mean, but when pride or self-justification or fear is stirred up, the human mind can respond very carnally.

The the initial reaction by many to the death of a loved one is anger at God. How could you? How could you? Job had complaints about God also against God. Job had just lost everything. God answered Job out of a whirlwind and through a series of questions totally silenced him, showing how ignorance, how helpless, and how small he was compared to God.

The ways of God are just so far above us that it even amazes me that he can use us for anything. I think that too is is a big miracle. As David said, you know, when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him? God is mindful of us and he has a purpose for each and every one of us.

Point four, [clears throat] God is very merciful and we need to have that same attitude to those in the world. God is very merciful and we need to have that same attitude to those in the world. See, if we're not careful, we can respond in self-righteous ways and think we're better than those in the world. Without God's mercy and calling us, forgiving us, and giving his Holy Spirit to us, we would be just as confused and separated from God's ways as they are.

Sin separates man from God, and we're all sinners. Yet we've mercif mercifully been shown the way to have those sins forgiven. Our response should be to pray for this world and be motivated even more to get ourselves right with God so that we might be used to help this world be freed from the misery that engulfs us.

So once mankind gets past the terrible days of tribulation ahead and Satan is restrained as a negative stimulus, what can we expect regarding man's responses and God's responses? Zechariah Zechariah 13:9 Zechariah 13:9 [clears throat] I will bring onethird through the fire [clears throat] will I will bring one-third through the fire will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested.

They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say this is my people [clears throat] and each one will say the Lord is my God. [clears throat] That's a beautiful picture, isn't it? At one and and mutually responsive. Hosea 2:20-23 from the New Living Translation. Hosea 2 20-23 20 uh uh verse 20.

I will be faithful to you and make you mine and you will finally know me as the Lord. In that day, says the Lord, I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds which pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. The earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together, Jezreel, God plants.

Then I will sew her for myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who have not obtained mercy. Then I will say to those who are not my people, you are my people. and they shall say, "You are my God." Even [clears throat] the heavens and the earth will be responsive to the relationship between God and man.

And one final scripture, Isaiah 59 verse 21. Isaiah 59 verse 21. As for me, says the Lord, this is my covenant with them. [clears throat] My spirit who is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants descendants, says the Lord, from this time and forever, forever more.

This is the ultimate in responsiveness totally internalized speaking the very words of God through his spirit. That's something to look forward to. But you know, in the meantime, we're still in this crazy society where we have to fight constantly to keep ourselves unspotted and blameless. Everything we do, everything we say is a sort of response.

They can be good and they can be bad. God watches the choices. He watches the reactions or the responses we make. And I'm sure he is pleased with most of them, but maybe some of them disappoint him. God's spirit should lead us to different responses that than we used to make when we were carnally motivated. You know, how do you respond now to criticism and to maybe being counseledled uh by the minister or maybe the work's needs or maybe to the income? We should be encouraged by God's mercy and love for us and his desire for us to

overcome this world and to be the first fruits in his kingdom. So in all aspects of our lives, let's honor God and believe [music] him and make a habit of of responding with faith.