Marina Christian Fellowship
Sunday 10 AM - October 13th, 2019
Sunday Worship Service
Locations & Times
Marina Christian Fellowship
12606 Culver Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Series: Grace Trek: Jonah’s Journey, Our Journey
Title: Thrown Overboard
Text: Jonah 1:12-15, Matthew 12:40
Each of us is valuable to God and immensely worth finding and saving when we are lost.
Grace Trek: Jonah’s Journey, Our Journey
Being lost in our fear, to being found to our purpose through faith.
Moving from fear to faith usually happens as a result of some sort of wake up call in which we realize that we are not in control. The need to control our destiny makes us fearful. Learning that we are not in control often moves us toward a realization that we must place our lives into the control and care of God. That is what faith is all about.
12 He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. Jonah 1:12-15 (CEB)
Thrown Overboard
Jonah had enough faith that God would calm the sea and save the men on the boat if he was thrown into the sea.
The control Jonah had exercised over his life had not worked out for him as he planned. He was tired of running and basically told the ship crew to kill him. He would rather die than to keep hopelessly running in fear. He was ready to put that old fearful Jonah to death, because being thrown into the middle of an ocean would mean certain death.
As soon as he hit the water and sank under the waves, he had gone from a world of being comfortably asleep in his denial, to being tossed into chaos where he was at God’s mercy and the mercy of the elements.
It links Jonah’s story to Christ’s story and to our story.
But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39-40 (NRSV)
Jesus answered them in a way that connected Jonah being tossed into the sea for three days and three nights with His own death and resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus is then to be the sign we put our trust in if are to find our true life.
Many Christians have been taught that Jesus’ death on the cross was some sort of magical transaction that happened a long time ago that somehow cancels our sin and lets us get into heaven if we simply believe in it. Unfortunately, that often does not inspire true faith, but rather, just mental belief or agreement. What Jesus did on the cross does cancel the sins of the world, but it is also meant to show us the pattern of moving from a life of fear to a new and real life lived in faith.
How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:2b-4 (NRSV)
Jesus took the results of our sinful, control freak lives in which we are living in fear, shame, and broken relationship to the cross and put it all to death when he died. He calls us to have enough faith to throw that old dead end life of control and fear overboard, and like Jonah, cast it into the waters of baptism, so that old life can die with Him and be raised to a new life of living in faith in Him. We let go of control over own lives and give Him the control. This takes more than mental belief. It takes full trust that our true lives are only found in the resurrection life of Christ.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news….” And Jesus said to them, “Follow me….” Mark 1:15, 17a (NRSV)
REPENTANCE means to have a change of heart and mind that leads you in a different direction. Repentance is not a one time thing. We commit to living a life of repentance where as soon as God shows us we are taking back control of our lives and going in the wrong direction, we stop, agree with God, and turn around.
BELIEF means to put our full trust in the Good News about how Jesus’ death and resurrection has taken care of our sin problem once and for all, and because of that we can live a new life the way God intended us to live it.
Because of our repentance and belief we begin to FOLLOW the way of Jesus, trusting that Jesus is better at calling the shots when it comes to our lives than we are.
We are thrown overboard where our old life of fear based control and earning our worth is drowned, and we are given our true new life in God’s amazing world of grace.
Baptism will not make you magically perfect. Instead it casts you into a life of faith where you put yourself in God’s hands. You, like Jonah, will continue to make mistakes, but God’s kindness will always be leading you back to repentance and getting it right.
Baptism is not the end of the spiritual journey, it’s a starting point. You are beginning a life of faith. You will be taught to walk in faith over time as you seek to follow Christ. You will stumble often, but Christ will never abandon you to walk alone.
The world will always try to define you, but baptism is a naming where God is the only one who gets to name and define you from now on. Your name is, “Beloved.” The core of who you are is “Beloved child of God in whom God is well pleased.”
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Title: Thrown Overboard
Text: Jonah 1:12-15, Matthew 12:40
Each of us is valuable to God and immensely worth finding and saving when we are lost.
Grace Trek: Jonah’s Journey, Our Journey
Being lost in our fear, to being found to our purpose through faith.
Moving from fear to faith usually happens as a result of some sort of wake up call in which we realize that we are not in control. The need to control our destiny makes us fearful. Learning that we are not in control often moves us toward a realization that we must place our lives into the control and care of God. That is what faith is all about.
12 He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. Jonah 1:12-15 (CEB)
Thrown Overboard
Jonah had enough faith that God would calm the sea and save the men on the boat if he was thrown into the sea.
The control Jonah had exercised over his life had not worked out for him as he planned. He was tired of running and basically told the ship crew to kill him. He would rather die than to keep hopelessly running in fear. He was ready to put that old fearful Jonah to death, because being thrown into the middle of an ocean would mean certain death.
As soon as he hit the water and sank under the waves, he had gone from a world of being comfortably asleep in his denial, to being tossed into chaos where he was at God’s mercy and the mercy of the elements.
It links Jonah’s story to Christ’s story and to our story.
But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39-40 (NRSV)
Jesus answered them in a way that connected Jonah being tossed into the sea for three days and three nights with His own death and resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus is then to be the sign we put our trust in if are to find our true life.
Many Christians have been taught that Jesus’ death on the cross was some sort of magical transaction that happened a long time ago that somehow cancels our sin and lets us get into heaven if we simply believe in it. Unfortunately, that often does not inspire true faith, but rather, just mental belief or agreement. What Jesus did on the cross does cancel the sins of the world, but it is also meant to show us the pattern of moving from a life of fear to a new and real life lived in faith.
How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:2b-4 (NRSV)
Jesus took the results of our sinful, control freak lives in which we are living in fear, shame, and broken relationship to the cross and put it all to death when he died. He calls us to have enough faith to throw that old dead end life of control and fear overboard, and like Jonah, cast it into the waters of baptism, so that old life can die with Him and be raised to a new life of living in faith in Him. We let go of control over own lives and give Him the control. This takes more than mental belief. It takes full trust that our true lives are only found in the resurrection life of Christ.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news….” And Jesus said to them, “Follow me….” Mark 1:15, 17a (NRSV)
REPENTANCE means to have a change of heart and mind that leads you in a different direction. Repentance is not a one time thing. We commit to living a life of repentance where as soon as God shows us we are taking back control of our lives and going in the wrong direction, we stop, agree with God, and turn around.
BELIEF means to put our full trust in the Good News about how Jesus’ death and resurrection has taken care of our sin problem once and for all, and because of that we can live a new life the way God intended us to live it.
Because of our repentance and belief we begin to FOLLOW the way of Jesus, trusting that Jesus is better at calling the shots when it comes to our lives than we are.
We are thrown overboard where our old life of fear based control and earning our worth is drowned, and we are given our true new life in God’s amazing world of grace.
Baptism will not make you magically perfect. Instead it casts you into a life of faith where you put yourself in God’s hands. You, like Jonah, will continue to make mistakes, but God’s kindness will always be leading you back to repentance and getting it right.
Baptism is not the end of the spiritual journey, it’s a starting point. You are beginning a life of faith. You will be taught to walk in faith over time as you seek to follow Christ. You will stumble often, but Christ will never abandon you to walk alone.
The world will always try to define you, but baptism is a naming where God is the only one who gets to name and define you from now on. Your name is, “Beloved.” The core of who you are is “Beloved child of God in whom God is well pleased.”
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Songs from today's service
Lord I Lift Your Name on High by various artists
One Thing Remains by Brian Johnson
Desert Song by Hillsong
You Found Me by Switchfoot
River by Leon Bridges
Lord I Lift Your Name on High by various artists
One Thing Remains by Brian Johnson
Desert Song by Hillsong
You Found Me by Switchfoot
River by Leon Bridges
Upcoming Events
10/17/19 - S.P.Y. Dinner<br>10/19/19 - Youth Movie Night at 4:30 PM in the youth room<br>10/20/19 - Grace Trek Sermon Series: In the Belly of the Beast<br>10/27/19 - Youth Group at 10 AM in the youth room<br>10/27/19 - Grace Trek Sermon Series: Getting Closer<br>11/2/19 - Habitat Build Day<br>11/3/19 - All Saints Sunday (Our Saints)
Your Giving Makes a Difference!
MCF “happens” because of your giving! Your generous financial partnership is vital and greatly appreciated! You can give at the following link below or by texting MCF to 77977.
https://pushpay.com/g/marinachristian?src=hpp