Jonah “Mercy for Runaways”

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Kids, love for you to come up here on the stairs with me this morning.

We're going to talk a little bit more about God's love.

I don't know if you all know which story we're talking about this morning.

But this might be a hint.

Jonah.

Oh, more excitement than that.

Jonah.

Jonah, that's right.

Eleven years ago, I preached on the book of Jonah for several weeks.

Do you all remember that?

Yeah?

You don't remember that?

All of them remember that.

That's an orca.

It may be.

We're not really sure exactly what kind of fish it was, are we?

This is Hanaj, okay?

This is my friend Hanaj.

That's Jonah spelled backwards, okay?

You think about that.

Yes.

And he helped us learn back then that Jonah wasn't really about Jonah.

The story of Jonah wasn't even about the fish that swallowed Jonah.

The story of Jonah is really about God, okay?

It's about God's love for us, what we were just singing about.

Now, does getting swallowed by a fish sound like love to you?

It doesn't really seem like that, does it?

But this is very important to Hanaj, okay?

He was helping God out.

He was actually helping God rescue Jonah, okay?

He wasn't doing something mean to Jonah.

He was helping God rescue Jonah.

Why did God have to rescue Jonah?

Because he was swallowed.

Okay, even before that, why did God need to send the whale?

Did God tell Jonah to go somewhere?

And which way did Jonah go?

He ran the other way, didn't he?

When God told him to go somewhere and he went, have you ever run the other way?

When like maybe your parents have told you to clean your room or eat broccoli or be nice

to a kid who's mean to you?

Have you ever run the other way?

We all have, haven't we?

And when, when we run away from God, we really need to be rescued, don't we?

When we're running away from God.

This reminded me, I was talking with Hanaj this week about another animal.

Do you know this book?

No.

Has anybody ever seen this book?

It's called The Runaway Bunny.

If you've never read it before, I'm going to tell you what happens and I'll show you some

of the pictures.

Some of you have read this one before, okay?

And I'll show you the pictures of the big book.

But this, there's this little bunny and he decides that he wants to run away from his

mother.

He tries becoming all sorts of different things to get away from her, like a rock.

He tries becoming a boat.

He tries becoming a little boy.

All things that a little bunny is not supposed to be, right?

Who does that sound like?

Does that sound like Jonah to you?

Well, here's the best part of this story.

I'll show you the pictures.

No matter what he does, his mother always comes to find him.

So when he becomes a rock on a mountain, she becomes a mountain climber and climbs up to

find him on the mountainside.

And then when he becomes a boat, his mother becomes the wind and blows him right back to her.

And then he becomes a little boy.

And she becomes a mother and catches him in her arms and hugs him.

That's how the story goes.

No matter what he does, the mother bunny always finds him and always loves him.

You know, that's what Jonah's story is about too.

We're going to talk about it this morning.

And what you're going to see is no matter how Jonah runs away, and he does it some different

ways, God never stops loving Jonah, does he?

God even sends a whale to rescue Jonah because he loves him so much to keep him from drowning

in the sea.

Even when we disobey and run away from God, do you think he stops loving us?

He doesn't, does he?

Never stops.

And Hanaj reminds us that even if God has to send a whale, even if God has to send his own

son, Jesus, to die, he will never stop loving us.

We remember that?

Let's pray for just a minute, and then you can go back to your seats.

Jesus, we're so thankful that no matter what we do, you come after us and you don't stop

loving us.

Would you teach us that this morning?

Would these kids know more of your love today?

Would you make us people who so are grateful for how you love us, that we love others that

way?

Teach us now as we look at your word, in Jesus' name, amen.

All right, you can go back to your seats, or some of you are going to kids' worship with

Miss Afton right back there.

Hey, Aaliyah, will you hold on to Hanaj for me during the sermon?

Make sure he doesn't get out of control, okay?

I have that exact whale, but a smaller one.

Oh, you got a smaller one?

It's a good one.

Thank you.

We are skipping forward about a hundred years this morning as we've been walking through

the Old Testament and God's stories and what he's doing.

We're moving all the way from the prophet Elijah, who's calling God's people back from

idols into relationship with the one true God, to the prophet Jonah, serving in the rebellious

kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC.

And he's calling God's people back to him again.

Like all of the prophets, this is what they do.

God sends them to say, come back, come back.

You're running away.

You've forgotten who you are and who I am.

But this time, God sends Jonah to another kingdom, to the Assyrian kingdom, to their capital, Nineveh.

He sends them to Nineveh to call them to repentance from their evil ways.

And Jonah famously says, no, to God.

This is how it starts.

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 from the presence of the Lord.

He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare and went on board

to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

You get the point, don't you?

Away from the presence of the Lord.

We'll see later, Jonah didn't want these enemies of Israel to repent, to experience the mercy

and forgiveness of God.

Jonah wanted to get away from God's command, yes, but even more from God's presence altogether.

He didn't want to be around him anymore, so he runs away.

But it's not just ancient prophets or modern kids who run away from God, is it?

You know, you don't have to board a ship and sail the opposite direction God sends you in order

to run away from him.

Many, of course, run away from God in just licentious living, living however they want,

not how God wants.

Living for self, not for others.

No care about anything else, just whatever feels good.

But, you know, closer to a parallel with Jonah's running away, you can run away from God even

by running into church.

Where I'm going to look and feel religious, but I won't have to deal with God personally.

I can just kind of be there and look the part.

Sometimes we fool even ourselves, don't we?

Or we can run away from God in our relationships.

I think if you're in a relationship like this, where you're refusing to forgive a family member,

where you're refusing to reconcile with a friend who has hurt you,

where you're refusing to love an enemy, yeah, that's so old-fashioned.

That's not how we do it anymore.

We just argue online, and we just, if we don't agree with them, we don't like them.

Love your enemy, that's so out of date.

Well, we may go to church on Sunday and celebrate and sing about God's heart full of mercy.

I need that for me, right?

He forgives my sins.

But then we refuse to consider whether our hearts have the same shape as his Monday through Saturday,

or whether there's perhaps unforgiveness still lurking there.

It's imprisoning us in anger.

It shows up like that.

It shows up as bitterness sometimes.

Because that's what happens in our hearts, the book of Jonah is written to God's people.

It's written to really do two things.

First, to show us God's heart.

What's he like?

How does his heart beat?

What does he love?

And to help us run, as it were, a heart cath on ourselves.

Does my heart beat like God's?

Have I been so overwhelmed by his mercy that I've personally begun to share it?

Or am I actually living distant from God, focused only on myself, freezing out others?

Commentator Colin Smith writes,

Jonah is about the disturbing possibility that having pledged our life to God,

we could end up spending much of that life avoiding the God we set out to serve.

You may have already discovered this strange contradiction that lies at the heart of all Christian experience.

While loving Christ, you find yourself turning from him.

While trusting Christ, you often battle fear and anxiety.

While serving Christ, you sometimes struggle with disappointment about certain events in your life.

You are not alone.

So did Jonah.

Okay, we're going to start with God's heart.

Jonah, prophet Jonah, show us God's heart.

What do we learn about him?

Just look through this story at all the people God's mercy chases after.

In the first chapter, God, of course, has to chase after his runaway prophet.

But while so doing, we see his mercy to some sailors.

These sailors were pagans with a variety of gods, we find out.

Even these sailors seem to reflect God's heart more than Jonah.

They are more concerned about the welfare of this prophet they've never met than he is about theirs.

They try hard not to throw him overboard, don't they?

They row hard, but to no avail.

And so even when they do have to throw Jonah over, they cry out to Yahweh, to Jonah's God.

Please don't hold it against us.

Verse 14.

They called out to Yahweh,

O Yahweh, let us not perish for this man's life,

and lay not on us innocent blood.

For you, O Yahweh, 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 Yahweh exceedingly,

and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.

How do they respond?

When the storms calmed down,

they worship,

sacrifices,

vows to the one true God.

I mean, here these men were,

just minding their own business,

just sailing to Tarshish again,

got to do some business,

make a little money,

living their lives with no consideration

of the one true God.

God.

And all of a sudden,

God's mercy boards their boat

through this prophet.

This is what happens, by the way,

people of God,

wherever He sends you.

Even when you're not in a good place with Him,

He's using you.

His mercy's flowing.

His mercy just starts sloshing

over the sides of their boat,

so to speak, doesn't it?

God really does love to rescue people,

doesn't He?

In spite of us, sometimes.

Remember, we keep seeing through this big story

in the Old Testament

how God is restoring people

to relationship with Him

because that's what He made them for,

and His love is so big.

Even when you think He's just going after Nineveh,

He's got sailors He's going to save along the way.

The sailors' lives are changed forever.

But God is specifically pursuing

His runaway prophet, isn't He?

This is the fish part.

This is the part you know.

End of the chapter, verse 17.

And the Lord appointed a great fish

to swallow up Jonah.

And Jonah was in the belly of the fish

three days and three nights.

I think most of us hear the story of Jonah

and assume that getting eaten by a fish

is punishment for his runaway disobedience.

That seems to make sense, right?

And they are certainly connected.

But the storm that God sends

because He controls all of creation,

and then the fish that He sovereignly directs

to swallow Jonah

aren't so much painful punishment

to get back at Jonah,

but painful providence

to get Jonah back,

to bring him home.

God's discipline in our lives,

it's often painful.

But those hardships are crafted by Him

to track down our runaway hearts,

to remind us of our absolute dependence upon Him.

You can't go anywhere, Jonah.

What were you thinking?

God's coming to get you back.

Jonah actually sees this.

That's one of the reasons

we know it's what's happening.

In fact, Jonah has the clearest vision

that he gets in the whole story.

When?

When he's in the belly of a whale.

Something about difficult circumstances,

isn't there?

It helps us see more clearly.

Have you had that happen in your life?

Oh, it's reminding me

what really matters.

Who's really in charge and in control?

Where's life really found?

Oh, I'm starting to see it.

I'd lost sight of it.

And it's these hard things

that come into my life

that God uses

to show me that.

How far

will this crazy,

merciful God go

to make sure

that just one of His chosen people

sees and shares His heart?

I mean, we've seen God

do all sorts of things

to rescue

in all sorts of situations.

Bringing Israel out of Egypt

through the Red Sea.

That was amazing.

Gentile Rahab

in Jericho.

Little David

before the giant Goliath.

God keeps rescuing,

bringing people

into relationship with Him.

But we've never seen

someone rescued

with a whale

until now.

God can use

anything.

And He does.

Doesn't He?

I've talked to some of you

lately.

I know He

uses shutdowns

to slow us down.

To call our hearts

back to Himself.

He uses illness

to remind us

of dependence on Him.

Of how every breath

we have comes from Him.

To call our hearts back.

to remind us

that we need

His people

around us.

He uses even death.

The great enemy

that He hates.

But He uses it

to give us

a clear vision

of eternity.

Doesn't He?

The relative brevity

of life here

where we so often

try to find meaning

and purpose

and hope.

And He reminds us

there's only one

secure place

to find hope.

What a great mercy.

Even when it hurts

as it does.

See Jonah cries out

from the depths

of despair.

You've never been

in the belly

of a fish

but can you imagine

it's not an encouraging

place to be.

He's as low

as he could go

and watch what happens

with Jonah's prayer.

Chapter 2 verse 7.

When my life

was fainting away

barely, barely alive

I remembered the Lord

and my prayer

came to you

into your holy temple.

What he's saying

through this prayer

is that from the furthest

possible distance

from God

Jonah's been intentionally

going there hasn't he?

Running away.

Jonah's prayer does what?

It walks right

into the throne room

of God

into the holy

throne room

of God

in His holy

presence.

Y'all prayer

is amazing.

No matter how far

you've gone

this doesn't happen

because Jonah

is good.

He's not.

He hasn't been.

This is because

Jonah is God's

and God is good.

And so when he cries

out from the worst

place, the furthest

possible place away

his prayer comes

into the presence

of God.

That's what happens

when you pray.

Jonah realizes

for himself

as that happens

salvation

belongs

to the Lord.

It is Yahweh's

to bestow

on anyone

even the most

desperate,

even the most

undeserving.

Salvation

is something

Jonah realizes

I am desperate

to receive

because I don't

own it.

I don't have

it on my own.

And as he realizes

that the great fish

which has saved

Jonah physically

and it seems

possibly spiritually

restored him

releases him

back to the land

at God's command.

hand.

So this time

Jonah decides

to obey.

He doesn't really

want, I mean

as helpful as

the belly

of the whale

was, once

was enough.

I'll go to

Nineveh

chapter 3

verse 3

So Jonah arose

and went

to Nineveh

this time

according to

the word

of the Lord.

Now Nineveh

was an exceedingly

great city

three days journey

in breadth.

Jonah began

to go in the city

going just

a day's journey

and he called out

yet 40 days

and Nineveh

shall be overthrown.

That ought to

convert him, right?

And the people

of Nineveh

believed God.

They called

for a fast

and put on

sackcloth

from the greatest

of them

to the least

of them.

Nineveh

the capital city

of the Assyrian

empire

full of people

but full

of wickedness.

They were famous

for that.

They were

ignoring God.

You can count

on it.

This is exactly

the kind of people

Jonah couldn't

stand.

Those people

who ignore

God.

There's a lot

of irony there.

He wasn't

interested in

seeing them

receive forgiveness,

get mercy.

But somebody

was.

Who was?

God was.

Remember for God

the recipients

of his mercy

are not winners

of awards

for good performance.

They are humble

repenters.

That's what happens

throughout Nineveh

from the king

to all the people.

It's humble

repentance.

They're desperate.

And God responds

well with mercy.

Verse 10

When God saw

what they did

how they turned

from their evil way

God relented

of the disaster

that he had said

he would do to them

and he did not do it.

I hope that's a reminder

to all of us

this is not just

for some

crazy Nineveh

out there

in Iraq

somewhere

hundreds of years ago.

This is about

the nature

of relationship

with God.

Your relationship

with God

should feature

repentance.

Maybe that's not

a real popular word

but repentance

regularly

specifically

desperately

it's not a

one time thing

that happens

in your life

and then you

move on

you don't need

to repent anymore.

No

to speak of

Martin Luther

on this

nearly

Reformation Day

he said

the whole

lifestyle

of a Christian

should be

one

of repentance.

That's what it

means

that relationship

with God

comes by grace

alone

through faith

alone

in Christ

alone

that it's not

about your

performance

it's about

your repentance

your dependence

upon him

we never

get over

our need

for Jesus

and so we

regularly

what do I mean

by that

I mean like

more than

once a week

when we do it

together in church

and that is a

great time

to remember

how you talk

to God

all the time

but more often

than the 60

seconds that Derek

gave us this

morning of silence

in that prayer

to say

come up

with a sin

tell God

something you

need him for

that should be

every day

and through the day

we live in

dependence upon

him like that

tell God

specific reasons

in our hearts

and lives

for which we

need him

that's repentance

okay

if you need

a short definition

it is turning

from self

sufficiency

to Jesus

sufficiency

I'm not enough

God

I need you

Jesus is what

I need

repentance

is what Jesus

was talking

to God's people

in his generation

about

when he referenced

the sign

of Jonah

the crowds

were increasing

and Jesus

began to say

this generation

is an evil

generation

it seeks

for a sign

but no sign

will be given

to it

except the sign

of Jonah

for as Jonah

became a sign

to the people

of Nineveh

so will the

son of man

be to this

generation

it's one of a

couple places

where Jesus

speaks of the

sign of Jonah

and there's a lot

of discussion

of what he's

talking about

but what's

really clear

here is that

it's Jonah

himself

who became

a sign

to the people

of Nineveh

Jonah didn't

perform a sign

he himself

was the sign

so what

was Jonah

a sign

of

might seem

kind of hard

to understand

the point

Matthew's account

helps us a little

as he talks

about the sign

of Jonah

involving

being in

the belly

of the whale

the sign

of Jonah

his personal

life story

what did it

show them

it showed

the Ninevites

their need

for repentance

and rescue

didn't it

it showed

them that

running

from Yahweh

was serious

and dangerous

no other

gods who

when you run

the other way

you end up

in the belly

of a whale

and also

what

had they ever

met anybody

who'd spent

three days

and nights

in a whale

it was a sign

that there was

hope for life

even at the

very doors

of death

that they could

that they could

repent and cry

out and he

would hear

them

it was amazing

I don't know

if they'd seen

him vomited

up or they'd

heard it from

somebody who

did

but this Jonah

who was surely

going to die

all of a sudden

here he is

standing before

us

even with

judgment looming

in 40 days

perhaps there's

hope in turning

to God

perhaps he would

spare them

as he spared

Jonah

and he did

God's heart

is like that

he's so eager

to forgive

he's so full

of mercy

already here

in Jonah's

day

for even

the worst

sinners in

the world

who repents

y'all how much

more so is that

true

now

that Jesus

the one

greater

than Jonah

has

come

he is

here

he has

not only

come

he has not

only gone

to this earth

and to things

like a whale

he has

gone to

death

and risen

conquering

sin

and death

once and for

all

how eager

should we

be to

repent

to that

kind of

life-giving

God

how eager

should we

be to

call others

to repent

and find

mercy

with this

God

well Jonah

gets to do it

he leads a

revival in

Nineveh

it's pretty

amazing

right

if you're

if you're

a prophet

what could

be better

than this

preacher

of the

year

Jonah

and that's

the end

of the story

most of us

think

right

let's end

on a

high

note

celebration

repentance

forgiveness

everyone's

happy

certainly

well

except

one guy

chapter 4

gets at

the heart

of the book

it shows

God's

merciful

heart

even more

beautifully

than so far

because it

turns out

that God

is still

chasing

runaway

Jonah

in fact

he's a

harder

case

than some

pagan

sailors

or some

wicked

gentiles

God's

own

prophet

the one

who sits

in synagogue

more than

any of the rest

of them

he's the

hard case

but don't

miss this

the fact that

there's a

chapter 4

if God

cared

only about

the big

show

the big

party

saving

Nineveh

and he was

just using

Jonah to do

something really

cool

then the

story ends

in chapter

3

that's where

it happens

but even

after Jonah

has done

great things

for God

God is

not through

with him

he wants

his heart

doesn't he

did you

hear that

long time

church

leader

generous

giver

passionate

evangelist

God has

a chapter

4

where he

cares more

about who

you are

in your

relationship

with him

than he

does about

what you've

done

in your

religion

for him

he does

in your

life

he cares

more about

your relationship

with him

than he

does about

what you've

done

for him

he won't

settle for

your long

record of

religious

performance

he's coming

even today

perhaps

through this

word

for your

heart

Jonah's

heart

is once

again

in God's

crosshairs

God has

just saved

thousands

but he's

not overlooking

the one

is he

the one

who is

angry

angry

it

displeased

Jonah

exceedingly

he was

angry

and then

here's what

he says

oh Lord

is this

not what

I said

when I

was yet

in my

country

I knew

what you

were going

to do

that's

why I

made haste

to flee

to Tarshish

I knew

that you

were a

gracious

God

and merciful

slow

to anger

abounding

in steadfast

love

and relenting

from disaster

what a

beautiful

statement

of God's

character

that's a

biblical

statement

isn't it

Jonah

has read

his Bible

he's a

prophet

Jonah's

theology

is strong

Jonah

knew

God

was going

to forgive

Nineveh

and it

made him

angry

so God

says

Jonah

do you

do well

to be

angry

do you

see how

God's

giving Jonah

gently

a spiritual

heart

calf

it's a

model

for you

to use

on yourself

if you'd

like

this morning

should you

be angry

at the

blessing

in the

life

of the

one

who

hurt

you

should

you

remain

callous

in

unforgiveness

should

you

care

more

about

your

own

temporal

life

than

others

eternal

life

then in

pursuit

of

Jonah's

heart

God

sends

a

plant

to

grow

up

and

give

Jonah

shade

while

he

sits

under

the

Middle

Eastern

sun

overlooking

Nineveh

and then

he sends

a worm

to take

it away

and Jonah

is guess

what

angry

again

and God

uses this

not to

make fun

of him

God's

after his

heart

God asks

Jonah

do you

do well

to be

angry

and Jonah

says

what

yes

yes

I

do

but God

says

this is the

end of the

story

you

you pity

the plant

for which

you did

not labor

nor did

you make

it grow

which came

into being

in a night

and perished

in a night

now he's

going to

contrast

that

should

not I

pity

Nineveh

that great

city

which God

has labored

for

which he

has created

which he

has called

into being

in which

there are

more than

120,000

persons

made in

his image

who do

not know

their right

hand

from their

left

and their

wickedness

and also

much

cattle

look at

my heart

God says

there are

people there

they're lost

they're confused

they're hopeless

Jonah these

are the kinds

of people

I love

the people

like you

Jonah

who care

more about

a plant

than about

people

who care

more about

shade

than souls

I want

you

Jonah

to share

my heart

for them

and we

don't get

to hear

how Jonah

responds

I think

probably

because in

God's

merciful

pursuit

of Jonah's

heart

he's actually

after even

more

than that

because this

story

is in the

word of

God

it's written

for God's

people

Israel

right

this is

their

prophet

reflecting

their heart

he's sharing

his own

story with

them

so that

they are

pressed

to answer

the questions

do you

do well

to be

angry

are you

being the

light to

the nations

that I

called you

to be

as my

special

people

have you

left

your first

love

forgotten

the merciful

heart

of God

to forgive

it's a

chance

for him

to say

look

Israel

how long

and wide

and high

and deep

is the

love

of God

the God

who goes

to such

great lengths

for Jonah

doesn't stop

with a storm

and a whale

and a plant

and a worm

he sends

his son

for runaway

prophets

for all

his people

so that we

today

can know

that there

is hope

for us

even if

our spiritual

heart

cath

is not

going well

this morning

even if

you are

sure

that you're

failing

the exam

because you

are seeing

the one

who passed

it

who came

full

of grace

and truth

who forgave

even his

enemies

who killed

him

who perfectly

shared the

heart of God

overflowing

with mercy

all the way

to the cross

see it's our

God

the hero

of all of

these stories

he's a

God who

rescues

and restores

specifically

here

a God

who runs

after

runaways

runaways

of all sorts

the pagans

and the

prophets

the godless

and the

godly

no matter

how you're

running away

he wants you

to know

this morning

what the

runaway

bunny learned

that no

matter what

you may

become

no matter

where you

think you

may go

to find

life

no matter

how you'll

need to

reinvent

yourself

life will

always be

where he

catches you

in his

arms

and hugs

you

shucks

said the

little bunny

I guess

I might

just as well

stay where

I am

and be

your

little

bunny

and when

you start

to realize

that

let's put

it in

better

terms

for us

when

you start

to realize

there's

life

in his

love

for me

it's

where my

joy

is found

it's

where my

purpose

is found

it's

where my

hope

is found

that starts

to change

your heart

it

then sends

you

you will

go anywhere

at all

you'll go

to anyone

at all

to tell

them about

the home

where life

is found

won't you

to show

them the

forgiveness

that you've

received

to point

them to

the God

who runs

faster

after

runaways

that's what

will happen

in your

life

years ago

a friend

of mine

was at

the beach

with his

family

and as

they were

down near

the water

he realized

he'd forgotten

something

and went

back to

his car

to drive

off and get

it while

his family

stayed at

the beach

unbeknownst

to him

his

three-year-old

son decided

he wanted

to go

with dad

and so

he began

running

towards

the highway

the child's

mother noticed

started yelling

after him

to come

back

but this

was a fast

three-year-old

who was at

his fastest

when

when running

away from

a parent

you've

experienced

that

he sped

up

speeding

toward the

highway

and the

speeding

vehicles

there

the boy

got right

near

certain

harm

but

thankfully

as fast

as he

could run

his mom

ran

faster

she understood

the danger

that he

failed to

appreciate

she rushed

after him

she ran

barefoot

across the

rocky ground

leading up

to the

highway

caused

herself

no small

pain

to wrap

her arms

around her

son

and keep

him alive

and so

has your

savior

done for

you

because

he delights

to forgive

because

he is

rich

in mercy

because

of the

great

love

with which

he loves

you

love

love

that

that

couldn't

be

contained

by

by

skies

or

oceans

love

that

overflowed

from his

heart

as he

gave

his

very

life

in order

to preserve

yours

so

what

he was

explaining

to his

disciples

the night

that he

was

betrayed

the night

before

the cross

when he

took bread

and broke

it

and he

gave it

to them

as I'm

ministering

in his

name

give this

bread

to you

and he

said

take

eat

this is

my

body

given

for you

do this

in remembrance

of me

and in the

same way

he took

the cup

and said

this cup

is the

new

covenant

in my

blood

shed

for many

for the

forgiveness

of sins

drink

from it

all of

you

for as

often

as you

eat

this

bread

and drink

this

cup

you

proclaim

the

Lord's

death

until

he

comes

if

you

are a

runaway

who

has

repented

who

repents

even

today

of looking

for life

anywhere

apart

from

God

who's

a

baptized

member

of

any

church

that

preaches

Jesus

as the

savior

of

sinners

then

come

and

eat

with

us

and

with

him

if

you're

not

sure

what

to

believe

about

Jesus

or

if

you're

sure

that

you

don't

believe

in

Jesus

I've

actually

got

good

news

for

you

he

is

even

more

merciful

and

loving

than

you

can

imagine

even

more

merciful

and

loving

than

any

of

his

people

that

you've

met

if

you

meet

him

his

love

for

you

his

death

on

the

cross

means

that

you

can

run

back

to

him

right

now

without

having

to

get

yourself

cleaned

up

first

without

having

to

make

up

for

your

past

performance

you

can

just

run

back

to

him

don't

come

to

these

elements

this

morning

that are

a sign

that point

to him

when you

can actually

let them

point you

to his

boundless

love

for people

like us

the kind

of love

that those

of us

who know

him

and believe

in him

need

and are

called

to share

see his

love

trust his

love

come and

meet him

let me pray

Jesus

we ask

that

that

you

would

overwhelm

every

single

one

of us

with

your

love

your

mercy

your

kindness

your

grace

we

come

easily

being

able

to

name

our

sin