Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Jonah - The Man That God Wanted To Use - 3/10/26 - Bro. Austin Elkins - Meadows Baptist Church

Transcript

Jonah - The Man That God Wanted To Use - 3/10/26 - Bro. Austin Elkins - Meadows Baptist Church · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

• 0:02
  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
• 0:05
  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
• 0:07
  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
• 0:10
  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
• 0:12
  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
• 0:17
  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
• 0:20
  God.
• 0:26
  >> Bless the Lord. Amen. I'm tell you what,
• 0:29
  he's still able. You're
• 0:30
  >> right.
• 0:30
  >> Amen. And I'm thankful he can do
• 0:33
  anything with anything. Amen. And you
• 0:36
  say, "You really believe that?" Well,
• 0:37
  you see where I'm standing tonight.
• 0:39
  Amen. I believe it. Amen. He can take a
• 0:41
  nothing, make something out of him, and
• 0:43
  give him a job to do. Amen. And I bless
• 0:46
  his name for it. Amen. Well, I
• 0:47
  appreciate Brother Austin Elkins, and
• 0:49
  I'm so glad he's here with us this week.
• 0:52
  And I tell you, I I told the church
• 0:54
  this, like I said, if main focus has
• 0:56
  been the preaching this week, and I
• 0:58
  believe that's what's going to give us
• 0:59
  help in these days, and uh we can do a
• 1:01
  whole lot of things. And uh I'll say
• 1:03
  this, if it don't get on when it gets
• 1:05
  started, amen, we just going to let the
• 1:07
  man of God preach and then let it get
• 1:08
  on. Somebody say, "Amen." And I
• 1:11
  appreciate him so very much. Always
• 1:12
  enjoy the fellowship and always enjoys
• 1:15
  preaching. Preacher, you come and preach
• 1:17
  to us tonight. And uh Amen. Preach till
• 1:20
  8:00 again. Amen. That's good.
• 1:22
  Appreciate you, brother. God bless you.
• 1:24
  Amen. Amen. I appreciate the Lord. Don't
• 1:27
  you?
• 1:28
  >> Amen. I'm glad to be saved. Glad I've
• 1:30
  got a salvation that's real and glad I
• 1:33
  got something I can enjoy on the way
• 1:35
  home. Amen. I'm glad that it it'll last
• 1:38
  and I've been the Lord's made us some
• 1:40
  promises and I'm going to enjoy them. Uh
• 1:42
  I believe it was Vance Havner that said
• 1:44
  that he didn't understand all about
• 1:45
  electricity, but he wasn't going to sit
• 1:47
  in the dark until he did. And I've
• 1:49
  decided I'm going to enjoy my salvation.
• 1:52
  And I'm just going to be what God wants
• 1:53
  me to be. Jonah chapter 1 tonight. Jonah
• 1:55
  chapter 1. When you find your place, if
• 1:57
  you will stand as we'll read and pray
• 2:00
  together tonight and give you the simple
• 2:01
  thought uh that is in our hearts and
• 2:04
  appreciate so much uh the good crowd
• 2:06
  here tonight. Appreciate you, brother
• 2:07
  Lindsay, bringing your family over and
• 2:10
  didn't realize that y'all were as close
• 2:11
  as you were. U but I'm glad that you uh
• 2:15
  made the trip over and Amen. Thank God
• 2:17
  for another Tuesday night to be in
• 2:19
  church. You stand to your feet. We'll
• 2:20
  read the word of God together. And we'll
• 2:22
  give you the thought that is in our
• 2:24
  heart and try to be obedient to the
• 2:25
  Lord. And y'all know I'm not longwinded.
• 2:28
  And so smile at me real good. Amen.
• 2:30
  We'll be out of here in just a little
• 2:32
  little while. And if if y'all don't
• 2:33
  smile at me good, it'll be 805.
• 2:35
  Hallelujah. I'm just I'm kidding. I
• 2:37
  appreciate God. Jonah chapter number one
• 2:39
  and verse number one. The Bible said,
• 2:41
  "Now the word of the Lord came unto
• 2:44
  Jonah the son of Amati, saying, Arise,
• 2:47
  go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry
• 2:50
  against it, for their wickedness has
• 2:52
  come up before me." But Jonah rose up to
• 2:55
  flee unto Tarses from the presence of
• 2:58
  the Lord, and went down to Japan, and he
• 3:00
  found a ship going to Tarses. So he paid
• 3:02
  the fair thereof, and went down into it
• 3:05
  to go with them unto Tarses from the
• 3:08
  presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent
• 3:10
  out a great wind into the sea, and there
• 3:12
  was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that
• 3:15
  the ship was like to be broken. Then the
• 3:18
  mariners were afraid, and cried every
• 3:20
  man UNTO HIS GOD, AND CAST FORTH THE
• 3:23
  WARES that were in the ship into the
• 3:25
  sea, delightened of them. But Jonah was
• 3:27
  gone down into the sides of the ship,
• 3:29
  and he lay and was fast asleep. So the
• 3:32
  shipmaster came to him, and said unto
• 3:35
  him, "What meanest thou, oh sleeper?
• 3:38
  Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that
• 3:42
  God will think upon ush that we perish
• 3:45
  not. And they said everyone to his
• 3:48
  fellow, Come, let us cast lots that we
• 3:50
  may be known for whose cause this evil
• 3:53
  is upon us. So they cast lots. And the
• 3:56
  lot fell upon Jonah. If you will uh skip
• 4:00
  over to verse number 15, the Bible said,
• 4:04
  "SO THEY TOOK UP Jonah and cast him
• 4:07
  forth into the sea. And the sea ceased
• 4:11
  from her raging. Then the men feared the
• 4:13
  Lord EXCEEDINGLY AND OFFERED A sacrifice
• 4:17
  unto the Lord and made vows." Now the
• 4:20
  Lord had prepared a great fish to
• 4:23
  swallow up Jonah. and Jonah was in the
• 4:27
  belly of the fish three days and three
• 4:32
  nights. Let's pause and ask God's help
• 4:34
  again tonight. Father, in Jesus lovely
• 4:38
  name, thank you so much for the
• 4:40
  PRIVILEGE AND THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY it
• 4:43
  is to be back in your house tonight.
• 4:46
  THANK YOU FOR THE SONGS OF ZION. THANK
• 4:48
  YOU, LORD, THAT WE'RE free in the Lord
• 4:51
  and free indeed. GOD, I PRAY FOR THOSE
• 4:54
  THAT ARE LOST TONIGHT THAT YOU'D DEAL
• 4:56
  WITH THEM AND that you'd save them. AND
• 4:58
  OH GOD, FOR US AS YOUR PEOPLE that you
• 5:02
  draw us nigh TO YOUR SIGHT AGAIN. HELP
• 5:04
  US TO HEAR THY VOICE. HELP US, OH LORD,
• 5:07
  TO LOVE YOU like we're SUPPOSED TO LOVE
• 5:09
  YOU until you come again. Whatever you
• 5:12
  do, please get the glory AND THE PRAISE
• 5:15
  AND THE HONOR AND THE THANKSGIVING. For
• 5:18
  it is in Jesus lovely name we ask. WITH
• 5:21
  MUCH THANKSGIVING AND FOR YOUR GLORY.
• 5:24
  AMEN. AND AMEN. You can be seated. Thank
• 5:26
  you for standing as we've read and
• 5:29
  prayed together again tonight. I know
• 5:32
  this is extremely familiar scripture. I
• 5:35
  hope it is to you. I know it may not to
• 5:37
  be to someh but if you've been around
• 5:39
  church any amount of time, you've heard
• 5:42
  this text preached. UH YOU'VE SEEN IT
• 5:44
  DEALT WITH. AND I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO
• 5:47
  TELL YOU anything you've NOT HEARD
• 5:49
  ALREADY. BUT I am interested in what
• 5:52
  God's got to say to us tonight. As I
• 5:55
  come to the book of Jonah, YOU KNOW THAT
• 5:58
  GOD HAS CALLED HIM in a dark and a
• 6:01
  wicked day. AND GOD IS TRYING TO get him
• 6:05
  on his feet and get him into the place
• 6:08
  where he CAN BE A HELP to many, many
• 6:12
  people. Oh, aren't you glad THAT JONAH'S
• 6:15
  LIFE WAS BIGGER THAN JONAH? THAT GOD'S
• 6:18
  PLAN WAS BIGGER THAN HIS little world
• 6:22
  AND HIS LITTLE BUBBLE. AND CAN I SAY TO
• 6:24
  YOU TONIGHT, CHURCH, GOD'S PLAN IS
• 6:28
  BIGGER THAN US. GOD'S PLAN IS BIGGER
• 6:31
  THAN MEADOWS BAPTIST CHURCH. HEY, I'M
• 6:34
  GLAD IT DIDN'T ALL REST ON JONAH. AND IT
• 6:37
  DID BECAUSE IT WAS RESTING ON THE
• 6:39
  SHOULDERS OF A BIG AND A WONDERFUL GOD.
• 6:43
  HEY, GOD HAD BEEN GOOD TO HIM. GOD HAD
• 6:46
  USED HIM in days gone by. YOU'LL NOTICE
• 6:49
  HE HAD SOME FORMER OBEDIENCE. HE HAD
• 6:52
  PREACHED BEFORE. HE HAD PROPHESIED
• 6:54
  BEFORE. HE HAD MINDED GOD BEFORE. AND
• 6:58
  GOD HAD USED HIM AND WRETCHED THROUGH
• 7:01
  HIS LIFE TO BE A HELP TO OTHER people
• 7:04
  around him.
• 7:06
  >> The former obedience. There's the
• 7:08
  father's outreach. He was ONE OF THE
• 7:11
  MIGHTY SERVANTS of the Lord. And you
• 7:14
  say, "Well, that was the Old Testament
• 7:16
  prophet days." Listen, I know there's no
• 7:18
  more prophets. I understand that. But
• 7:20
  God, if he's going to do anything in our
• 7:22
  day, IT IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THE LOCAL
• 7:26
  CHURCH AND THROUGH BORNAGAIN BELIEVERS
• 7:29
  MAKING A genuine difference in this
• 7:32
  world. Now,
• 7:34
  >> I don't know about you, but the further
• 7:36
  we go and the closer we get to Jesus
• 7:38
  COMING AGAIN, BROTHER LINDSAY, THE
• 7:40
  BURDEN SEEMS LIKE IT FEELS HEAVIER AS WE
• 7:43
  GET CLOSER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT
• 7:45
  MUCH TIME, HEY, TO GET DONE WHAT WE'RE
• 7:48
  GOING TO GET DONE FOR THE LORD.
• 7:52
  >> OH, FRIEND, God has been good to him.
• 7:54
  God gave him a good name. That name
• 7:56
  means dove. And what a picture it could
• 7:59
  have been. What a picture HE COULD HAVE
• 8:00
  BEEN OF THE LORD WITH SUCH A NAME. GOD
• 8:04
  HAD BEEN GUIDING HIS LIFE, HAD BEEN GOOD
• 8:06
  TO HIM. BUT OH FRIEND, YOU'LL FIND IN
• 8:10
  HIS LIFE, JONAH DID NOT WANT TO DO
• 8:13
  everything God said.
• 8:15
  >> His father's name means my truth.
• 8:19
  >> The messenger named Dove was sent by God
• 8:22
  with a MESSAGE THAT WOULD CHANGE LIVES
• 8:25
  for eternity.
• 8:27
  but by prejudice, BY PERSONAL REBELLION
• 8:30
  OR A PROBLEM WITH GOD, HE TAKES OFF IN
• 8:33
  THE WRONG DIRECTION. And when he does,
• 8:37
  HE JEOPARDIZES THE SOULS of thousands.
• 8:41
  >> Can I say this tonight? As messengers to
• 8:45
  this world, we are called as messengers
• 8:48
  and carriers OF THE GRACE AND THE GOSPEL
• 8:50
  OF OUR BLESSED GOD. HEY, IT IS OUR
• 8:53
  RESPONSIBILITY.
• 8:55
  IT'S NOT TIME TO TURN TAIL AND RUN. IT'S
• 8:58
  NOT TIME TO GO ANOTHER WAY. IT'S TIME TO
• 9:01
  TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD and believe HIM ONE
• 9:05
  MORE TIME AND DO WHAT HE SAID TO DO.
• 9:11
  >> Oh friend, it burdens my heart and it
• 9:13
  blows my mind. How many people in our
• 9:17
  day are living like Jonah?
• 9:20
  >> They are living in THEY ARE DOING
• 9:22
  THEY'RE DOING BARELY ENOUGH TO GET BY.
• 9:24
  THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH TO EASE THEIR
• 9:26
  CONSCIENCE. THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH TO MAKE
• 9:28
  IT EASIER ON THEIREL AND SAY, "WELL, I
• 9:31
  TIP MY HAT TO GOD THIS WEEK. HEY, GOD,
• 9:34
  HELP US. ARE WE NOT GOING TO OBEY WHAT
• 9:38
  GOD SAID?"
• 9:40
  >> And if friend, if we don't, oh man,
• 9:44
  >> you know the consequences he faced.
• 9:45
  We'll get through the text in just a
• 9:47
  minute. But my question to you tonight
• 9:49
  is, will somebody go to your Nineveh? My
• 9:53
  question is, will you make a difference
• 9:55
  IN YOUR AREA? WILL YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
• 9:58
  IN YOUR FAMILY? WILL YOU MAKE A
• 10:00
  DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW? HEY, MY QUESTION,
• 10:03
  AS WE LOOK AT THIS MAN, JONAH, HE IS THE
• 10:07
  MAN THAT GOD WANTED TO USE.
• 10:11
  >> And as I look at this church tonight,
• 10:13
  you know what I see? I see people that
• 10:14
  God, he wants to use them for his glory
• 10:18
  and for his honor. BROTHER CHARLIE,
• 10:20
  GOD'S got a plan. HEY, GOD'S GOT MIGHTY
• 10:23
  BIG PLANS. HEY, FRIEND, GO MAN. HEY,
• 10:26
  FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. HEY,
• 10:29
  GOD'S GOT A PLAN.
• 10:32
  >> OH, FRIEND. And God wanted to use that
• 10:35
  man. And just like that man, just like
• 10:38
  this church and just like you, God wants
• 10:41
  to use your life.
• 10:43
  >> Right?
• 10:43
  >> I know this is simple and it ain't going
• 10:45
  to be you ain't going to have to swim
• 10:46
  around in the deep waters, but it's the
• 10:48
  simple things that we're not doing. It's
• 10:50
  the simple things we're tripping up in.
• 10:53
  It's the SIMPLE THINGS WE GOT TO GET
• 10:54
  BACK TO. IT'S THE FUNDAMENTALS. IT'S THE
• 10:58
  FUNDAMENTALS WE BETTER GET GROUNDED IN
• 11:01
  ONE MORE TIME.
• 11:03
  >> AMEN.
• 11:04
  >> Oh God, help us to get back to the
• 11:06
  fundamentals.
• 11:08
  >> So, for just a little while, I want to
• 11:09
  preach on this thought. And like I said,
• 11:11
  I'll be done. Amen. We going to eat
• 11:13
  after this. Hallelujah.
• 11:16
  I'm preaching tonight on this th on
• 11:18
  Jonah, the man that God wanted to use.
• 11:22
  Or we can call it this, if you want to
• 11:24
  look at it, you can call it Jonah
• 11:25
  Baptist Church cuz I believe there are
• 11:28
  churches that God wants to use.
• 11:31
  >> That are not letting him do what he
• 11:33
  wants to do.
• 11:35
  >> I believe there are individuals.
• 11:38
  >> Oh, for everybody gets nervous because
• 11:39
  they think every time they hear this,
• 11:40
  God's going to call somebody to preach
• 11:41
  IN THE SER. HE MAY DO IT. That may be
• 11:43
  fine and dandy. That's all well and
• 11:44
  good. I done surrendered, so it's all
• 11:46
  right. Hey, y'all can go ahead and mind
• 11:48
  God. But it may be that God deals with
• 11:51
  some lay person just to be everything
• 11:53
  God wants you to be. It may be that God
• 11:55
  deals with you as a mama or A DADDY,
• 11:58
  HEY, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HOME.
• 12:00
  IT MAY BE, GOD, HELP US, A YOUNG PERSON,
• 12:03
  THAT GOD USES YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
• 12:05
  AT SCHOOL. IT MAY BE, HEY, THAT YOUR
• 12:08
  CHURCH NEEDS SOMEBODY TO STEP UP AND
• 12:11
  MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE for God.
• 12:14
  >> That's right.
• 12:15
  >> Number one, as we think about this man
• 12:18
  that God wanted to use, WE NOTICE THE
• 12:20
  REJECTION OF a divine burden.
• 12:25
  >> You see the original call in verse one.
• 12:27
  Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah
• 12:30
  the son of Amati, saying, "Arise, go to
• 12:32
  Nineveh, that great city, and cry
• 12:34
  AGAINST IT, FOR THEIR wickedness is come
• 12:37
  up before me." This original call came
• 12:41
  about a perilous place. It came about a
• 12:45
  putrid people. It came now to a painful
• 12:49
  prescription. God is getting ready to
• 12:52
  deal in his divine judgment out on these
• 12:56
  wicked individuals. AND THEY REALLY, TO
• 12:59
  BE HONEST, THEY DID NOT DESERVE A SECOND
• 13:03
  CHANCE from God.
• 13:05
  >> That's right.
• 13:05
  >> They were wicked in their warfare. They
• 13:08
  were grotesque in everything they did.
• 13:10
  They were VILE AND VIOLENT. HEY, THEY
• 13:12
  WERE UNGODLY AT EVERY PRACTICE OF THEIR
• 13:15
  LIFE. AND THEY DID NOT DESERVE GOD. THEY
• 13:19
  WERE HEATHEN GENTILES AND THEY DID NOT
• 13:22
  DESERVE A SECOND chance from God.
• 13:25
  >> Amen.
• 13:26
  >> But then I got to thinking about that.
• 13:27
  Look around us tonight.
• 13:30
  >> We don't deserve a second CHANCE FROM
• 13:32
  GOD. WE ARE HEATHEN GENTILES. HEY, THAT
• 13:36
  WOULD BE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES
• 13:38
  TONIGHT. WHERE WOULD WE BE BUT HANGING
• 13:40
  ON THE EDGE OF HELL? HEY, BUT GOD IN HIS
• 13:44
  MERCY ALLOWED THE GOSPEL TO COME TO
• 13:47
  THESE PLACES.
• 13:51
  >> THE ORIGINAL CALL, GOD SAID, "I HAVE
• 13:54
  SEEN THEIR WICKEDNESS,
• 13:57
  >> and I've got to see it." Oh, don't you
• 13:59
  love God? Can I come down here?
• 14:03
  >> All right. I don't want to scare nobody,
• 14:04
  but again, people listen better.
• 14:06
  Sometimes they ain't going to fall
• 14:07
  asleep on me.
• 14:09
  You know what I love about God, Brother
• 14:11
  Lindsay?
• 14:12
  is every time before he's getting ready
• 14:14
  to send judgment,
• 14:16
  >> he sends somebody with a message.
• 14:20
  >> You remember before you got saved, you
• 14:22
  know what God did? He sent a preacher
• 14:24
  your way. HE SENT A Christian your way.
• 14:26
  He sent somebody WITH A GOSPEL TRACK
• 14:28
  YOUR WAY. AND THEY STEPPED IN YOUR
• 14:30
  WORLD. AND THEY SAID, "HEY, JESUS loves
• 14:32
  you. IT'S NOT THE WILL OF THE FATHER
• 14:34
  THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL
• 14:37
  SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE." HEY, AND
• 14:40
  SOMEBODY BEFORE DESTRUCTION HIT YOUR
• 14:42
  LIFE, GOD SHOWED UP.
• 14:46
  >> Remember what God said in Ezekiel? He
• 14:48
  said, "It is Oh, friend, it's not IN HIS
• 14:50
  HEART." HE SAID, "I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN
• 14:52
  THE DEATH OF THE WICKED." That's right.
• 14:54
  >> But that the wicked recover himself.
• 14:56
  Turn ye. He's talking TO ISRAEL. BUT GOD
• 14:58
  HELP US. OH, EVERY TIME BEFORE JUDGMENT
• 15:02
  FALLS,
• 15:03
  >> there's a wonderful warning.
• 15:05
  >> Amen.
• 15:06
  >> Isn't that just like God? Isn't that the
• 15:07
  mercy of God?
• 15:09
  Remember, before God dealt out judgment
• 15:11
  on Sodom AND GOMORRAH, HE SAID, "SHALL I
• 15:13
  HIDE FROM ABRAHAM THE THING WHICH I DO?"
• 15:16
  HEY, FRIEND. OH, GOD. AREN'T YOU GLAD
• 15:19
  THERE'S A GOD THAT CARES ABOUT PEOPLE?
• 15:24
  >> The original call was go because OF
• 15:26
  THEIR SIN. THERE'S THE OMNIPOTENCE THAT
• 15:29
  CARED. GOD HAD NO pleasure in the death
• 15:33
  of those Ninevites.
• 15:35
  Even though they didn't deserve help,
• 15:37
  they didn't deserve a second chance,
• 15:39
  they didn't deserve anything but
• 15:41
  destruction and hell, yet God cared.
• 15:45
  >> Can I remind you tonight that just
• 15:47
  because we're in church in our uh
• 15:49
  Tuesday night best, I guess you could
• 15:51
  say, doesn't mean we deserve anything
• 15:53
  but hell.
• 15:55
  >> At our best, we are all together vanity.
• 15:59
  At our best, WE'RE STILL HUMANS. AT OUR
• 16:02
  BEST, WE STILL NEED THE GRACE OF GOD AND
• 16:04
  A LOT OF IT. HEY, WE DON'T DESERVE.
• 16:08
  NEITHER DO THEY out there. You say,
• 16:09
  "Well, that sinner OUT THERE ON THE
• 16:11
  STREET DOESN'T DESERVE IT." HEY, THOSE
• 16:13
  DOWN YONDER DOWN THE ROAD, THEY DON'T
• 16:14
  DESERVE IT. YOU SAY, "MY FAMILY DON'T
• 16:16
  DESERVE IT." NOBODY DOES. YOU DON'T
• 16:19
  EITHER. HEY, GOD, HELP US TO realize
• 16:24
  >> that's the heart of God.
• 16:27
  >> The original call, the omnipotence that
• 16:29
  cared. There's the obligation cast off.
• 16:33
  Now look at this. You know the story.
• 16:34
  Verse three. But Jonah rose up to flee
• 16:38
  under Tarsus from the presence of the
• 16:40
  Lord. That's somewhere around Spain.
• 16:43
  Went down to Japan. He found a ship
• 16:44
  going to Tarsus. So he paid the fair
• 16:46
  thereof. Went down into it to go with
• 16:48
  them unto Tarsus from the presence of
• 16:50
  the Lord.
• 16:52
  Now he is casting off his divine
• 16:54
  obligation and he's running the opposite
• 16:56
  direction
• 16:58
  >> to escape the presence of the Lord and
• 17:00
  his calling. And you know what I'm
• 17:02
  thinking and what I'm seeing in our day,
• 17:05
  brother. I wonder if the worldliness of
• 17:07
  our day is not just a result of the last
• 17:09
  days. But I wonder I'm just this is just
• 17:11
  me thinking. All right. Sometimes that
• 17:12
  gets they tell me that gets me in
• 17:13
  trouble. All right. So I try to strong
• 17:15
  back, weak mind. I I'm not you know I
• 17:17
  heard all my life we're not paying you
• 17:19
  to think all this stuff and I'm trying
• 17:20
  to use my brain now. Right.
• 17:22
  >> I'm wondering,
• 17:25
  oh friend, with him going in that
• 17:26
  opposite direction, I wonder if we ain't
• 17:29
  got a generation of church folks that
• 17:31
  have heard the word of God and instead
• 17:33
  of wanting to do what God says, they're
• 17:35
  trying to get away from his presence. So
• 17:37
  they because they think if they can get
• 17:38
  away from the conviction and the burden
• 17:40
  and the heaviness that it will alleviate
• 17:42
  them from having to do what God says.
• 17:44
  You're
• 17:44
  >> right. I I'm I'm wondering. I mean, my
• 17:47
  soul makes me wonder about I mean, it
• 17:51
  some young men don't want to surrender
• 17:52
  to preach, so they go off into try to go
• 17:54
  to the world. They try to loose that
• 17:56
  conviction off of their life. I I don't
• 17:58
  understand all but I'm WONDER I'M I'M
• 18:00
  JUST WONDERING. I don't know. I'm hoping
• 18:02
  it's not the case, but I'm wondering if
• 18:04
  we're just in a day and we're living in
• 18:06
  a day where we're trying to get away
• 18:09
  from his presence. You know why? Because
• 18:11
  his presence requires something of us.
• 18:14
  >> His presence requires obedience. Oh, God
• 18:17
  help. His voice REQUIRES OBEDIENCE. HIS
• 18:20
  OH, HIS JUST HIM BEING AROUND US
• 18:23
  REQUIRES US TO BE SENSITIVE AND OBEDIENT
• 18:26
  TO HIS WILL. And we know that if we get
• 18:29
  away from him far enough, his voice will
• 18:32
  get fain and distant.
• 18:34
  >> And we won't feel as bad or as negative
• 18:37
  or as pained about what he's wanting us
• 18:40
  to do.
• 18:42
  >> Oh my. We having fun tonight. I know.
• 18:48
  He's running now. You You can look at it
• 18:50
  on a map. I ain't got time. They got one
• 18:52
  of them screens up there. We ain't got
• 18:53
  time to look at it. But the but the map
• 18:55
  I mean my preacher is always talking
• 18:56
  about want one of them screens. We ain't
• 18:57
  got one yet.
• 18:59
  You can look where God sends him is all
• 19:01
  the way over here on the map if you're
• 19:03
  looking at from my perspective. And
• 19:05
  where he goes is all the way in the
• 19:07
  opposite direction.
• 19:09
  >> How many people tonight I'm asking, are
• 19:11
  you running in the opposite direction?
• 19:13
  Good.
• 19:14
  >> Are you going against God's word, God's
• 19:17
  blessings, God's voice, God's help?
• 19:20
  >> Oh, God, help us.
• 19:22
  >> Amen.
• 19:23
  >> There's the rejection of a divine
• 19:24
  burden. Number two, and I've got to move
• 19:26
  on. There's the results of a detourred
• 19:28
  blessing.
• 19:30
  Oh, goodness. Verse number three, you've
• 19:33
  read it, you've heard it preached. The
• 19:34
  middle of verse three, he found a ship
• 19:36
  going to Tarsus. So, he paid the fair
• 19:39
  thereof and went down into it. You know
• 19:43
  what he's doing? He is now willing to
• 19:45
  pay the price. You're
• 19:47
  >> right.
• 19:47
  >> To go the opposite direction,
• 19:49
  >> right?
• 19:50
  >> You know what's going to happen if you
• 19:52
  choose to go the opposite direction of
• 19:54
  God. You will pay a price
• 19:58
  >> and it's steep and you won't like it and
• 20:00
  you ain't get and there's no refunds and
• 20:02
  you're not getting your money back and
• 20:04
  YOU'RE NOT PASSING GO AND YOU'RE NOT
• 20:05
  COLLECTING $200. HEY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING
• 20:08
  THAT FAIR MONEY BACK,
• 20:10
  >> RIGHT? Oh friend, the cost of his
• 20:13
  departure. Let me just say, if you
• 20:15
  choose to go sideways, if you choose to
• 20:17
  go the other way, if you choose to be
• 20:19
  unfaithful, if you choose to go the way
• 20:22
  of the world, HEY, THERE IS A PRICE TO
• 20:25
  PAY,
• 20:26
  >> RIGHT?
• 20:27
  >> There's the cost of his departure.
• 20:29
  There's the concern of death. The
• 20:31
  shipmaster comes to him in the middle OF
• 20:33
  THAT SUN. AS SOON AS JONAH STEPS ON
• 20:36
  board that ship and they loose their
• 20:39
  moorings from that from that arbor,
• 20:43
  >> Jonah is now headed in the opposite
• 20:45
  direction out the Mediterranean. And God
• 20:48
  is not GOING TO DEAL gently until Jonah
• 20:53
  is back in the will of God.
• 20:56
  >> Can I just be real honest tonight?
• 20:59
  >> Anybody ever been out of the will of God
• 21:00
  before?
• 21:03
  I just been I took a job out of the will
• 21:04
  of God. I was there for six days. I had
• 21:07
  no peace. I couldn't pray. I was
• 21:09
  miserable. I cried all the time for no
• 21:10
  reason. It was insane. And when I
• 21:12
  finally walked into that office and
• 21:14
  said, "I'm out of here. God don't want
• 21:15
  me here." Boom. Right back to where it
• 21:17
  was supposed to be.
• 21:18
  >> Oh yeah. I was young. I was about
• 21:19
  y'all's age back then. Oh yeah. I mean,
• 21:22
  I I stepped out of the will of God. BUT
• 21:23
  YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S NOT FUN being in the
• 21:25
  will of God.
• 21:26
  >> Come on,
• 21:28
  >> Lindsay. I I'm concerned. See, he's
• 21:31
  headed to Spain. They've got everything.
• 21:33
  They've got the They've got stuff to
• 21:36
  see. They got stuff to do. THEY GOT
• 21:38
  WORLDLY. SEE, JONAH'S thinking he's
• 21:40
  going to get where all the worldly
• 21:41
  pleasures are.
• 21:43
  >> And he he he's going to get in that
• 21:44
  area. It reminds me of Vanity Fair and
• 21:46
  Pilgrim's Progress. He's going to get
• 21:48
  where all that wicked stuff is and he's
• 21:50
  it's going to drown out the voice of
• 21:51
  God.
• 21:52
  >> Yeah.
• 21:53
  >> But the thing about the voice of God is
• 21:55
  it's a whole lot louder than something
• 21:56
  you hear with your ears.
• 21:59
  and his will and his HAND IS A WHOLE LOT
• 22:01
  BIGGER THAN YOUR LITTLE TRIP DOWN TO
• 22:03
  TARSES AND HE OH YEAH YOU THINK WELL GOD
• 22:06
  WON'T BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ME DOWN THERE
• 22:08
  AND GOD WON'T BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ME
• 22:09
  ONCE I PAY THE FAIR AND I'VE INVESTED IN
• 22:12
  THIS OTHER WAY OH LET ME TELL YOU
• 22:14
  SOMETHING YOU GOING TO FIND OUT THAT GOD
• 22:17
  WILL ROCK YOUR BOAT HONEY IF HE'LL GET
• 22:19
  YOUR ATTENTION GOD IS ABLE HEY TO SHAKE
• 22:23
  YOUR WORLD TO MAKE YOU listen
• 22:26
  >> oh God help
• 22:30
  It bothers me and I really do wonder
• 22:33
  these people that act like they're
• 22:34
  enjoying headed towards
• 22:36
  >> Tarsus
• 22:37
  >> and there's never any boat rocking and
• 22:39
  it's always smooth sailing.
• 22:41
  >> I really wonder if they've belonged to
• 22:43
  God or not.
• 22:45
  >> Tell it preacher. Yeah.
• 22:46
  >> Oh my. Let me just say if you're without
• 22:48
  chastening.
• 22:49
  >> Yeah. Come on.
• 22:50
  >> And you're not his. Right.
• 22:52
  >> The cost of his departure, the concern
• 22:54
  of death, those people. Now, he has
• 22:56
  stepped onto a boat. And he's not by Oh,
• 23:00
  yeah. God help. He's not by himself
• 23:03
  anymore.
• 23:04
  >> He's now endangering the lives and
• 23:07
  souls.
• 23:08
  >> That's it. You're right.
• 23:09
  >> He's endangering the lives and the
• 23:12
  souls.
• 23:13
  >> You're right.
• 23:14
  >> Of people around him.
• 23:16
  >> These people don't know God. The only
• 23:19
  THING THEY KNOW ABOUT GOD IS WHAT
• 23:21
  THEY'VE the little bit they've heard
• 23:22
  before
• 23:23
  >> and what they're seeing in his life and
• 23:26
  what they're really. Matter of fact,
• 23:27
  when things got START GOING CRAZY,
• 23:29
  THEY'RE CALLING OUT ON their gods.
• 23:30
  They're thinking THEY'LL APPEASE THEIR
• 23:32
  LITTLE G GODS AND IT'LL FIX EVERYTHING.
• 23:34
  THAT'S THE WAY PAGANS THINK. THEY GOT TO
• 23:36
  MAKE AN OFFER AND THEY GOT TO DO THIS.
• 23:38
  JONAH KNOWING THE whole time it's me.
• 23:40
  >> It's my fault. OH, GOD HELP. I sure
• 23:42
  wouldn't want to be the cause to HOLD
• 23:44
  BACK GOD'S BLESSING. I SURE WOULDN'T
• 23:46
  WANT TO ENDANGER SOMEBODY ELSE. I SURE
• 23:48
  DON'T WANT TO SEND SOMEBODY TO HELL,
• 23:50
  HEY, BECAUSE OF MY DISOBEDIENCE. BUT YOU
• 23:53
  KNOW WHAT? EVERY DAY THE TIME PIECE OF
• 23:56
  GOD IS TICKING TOWARDS JUDGMENT. HEY,
• 23:59
  NINE OF US STILL WAITING FOR A PREACHER
• 24:01
  AND THESE BOYS ARE ON THIS SHIP ABOUT TO
• 24:04
  DIE.
• 24:05
  >> AMEN.
• 24:07
  >> Will you wake up?
• 24:09
  >> Will you realize the mess that we're in
• 24:11
  in our day?
• 24:14
  >> God help us.
• 24:17
  He was jeopardizing the lives of Let me
• 24:20
  just say this. When you choose to live
• 24:21
  your own way, you are endangering the
• 24:24
  lives and the souls of those around you.
• 24:27
  >> Your spouse, your children, their
• 24:29
  future.
• 24:30
  >> You may put them in a tail spin they'll
• 24:32
  never get out of.
• 24:34
  >> I've seen it happen over and over and
• 24:36
  over when mom and daddy go sideways.
• 24:38
  I've seen it affect the next generation
• 24:40
  over and over and over again.
• 24:42
  >> That's right.
• 24:44
  There's the constraining of deity.
• 24:47
  They call out. He finally says, "I'm a
• 24:49
  Hebrew and I fear the Lord." Finally,
• 24:52
  he's getting a little bit honest. That's
• 24:53
  a good thing.
• 24:55
  >> Which made the heaven which had made the
• 24:56
  sea and the dry land. Now, they know
• 24:59
  it's his fault. Now, they're wondering
• 25:02
  and he tells them it's me. And he said,
• 25:03
  "If you'll turn me, turn me over and
• 25:06
  throw me overboard, everything will be
• 25:08
  okay."
• 25:10
  By the way, that's one time when going
• 25:12
  overboard's a good thing,
• 25:13
  >> right?
• 25:14
  >> Some of y'all get that after a while.
• 25:18
  >> You know what I believe it's time for?
• 25:19
  It's time for some of God's people to go
• 25:20
  overboard.
• 25:21
  >> That's right.
• 25:23
  >> Into the will of God.
• 25:25
  >> Hey, when you when your boats are
• 25:27
  rocking, when everything's upside down
• 25:28
  cuz you're out of God's will, it's time
• 25:29
  to go overboard to get right with God.
• 25:31
  >> Come on, pre.
• 25:32
  >> He went overboard to get right with God.
• 25:34
  >> Yes.
• 25:34
  >> And you know what? When he got into that
• 25:36
  fish's belly, you know what he did? He
• 25:38
  went overboard in repentance.
• 25:41
  He's out of the belly of hell, cried I.
• 25:43
  He said, he said, "The Lord's HEARD ME
• 25:45
  BY THE TIME IT'S over with." That thing
• 25:47
  spits him up, gets sick and tired of
• 25:48
  him.
• 25:49
  >> And guess what? He went overboard and
• 25:50
  getting back in the will of God.
• 25:52
  >> When he got there, he started crying
• 25:54
  out, doing what GOD FINALLY SAID TO DO.
• 25:56
  AND you know what happened? That city
• 25:58
  went overboard in repentance.
• 25:59
  >> You're right.
• 26:00
  >> They wouldn't even let the animals eat
• 26:01
  anything.
• 26:02
  >> You're right.
• 26:03
  >> Maybe that God will look on us. Yeah.
• 26:06
  >> I'm just saying if you'll just go
• 26:07
  overboard for God, there's no telling.
• 26:09
  >> Amen.
• 26:10
  >> There's no telling what God might do
• 26:12
  around you.
• 26:13
  >> I'm almost done. Can I get somebody on
• 26:15
  the piano? They'll think I'm quitting.
• 26:17
  It'll help them listen better. Last
• 26:19
  couple minutes here. Thirdly, and
• 26:21
  lastly, there is the repentance
• 26:25
  of a desperate blunderer.
• 26:29
  >> Look at the end. Verse 17, ver back up
• 26:31
  to verse 15. And so they took up Jonah,
• 26:33
  cast him forth into the sea, and the sea
• 26:36
  ceased from her raging. Isn't it amazing
• 26:39
  how quick things calm down when you get
• 26:41
  back in the will of God?
• 26:42
  >> Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly
• 26:45
  and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord
• 26:46
  and made vows. Now the Lord had prepared
• 26:50
  a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah
• 26:52
  was in the belly of the fish three days
• 26:53
  and three nights. Y'all know that. And I
• 26:55
  call this the preparation of the loving
• 26:58
  savior
• 26:59
  >> to allow his backward servant to have a
• 27:02
  moment to get right with God
• 27:05
  >> to come back and say, "Lord, I'm sorry."
• 27:09
  >> Isn't it amazing that God was trying to
• 27:11
  do that for all of Nineveh? And now he's
• 27:13
  giving this opportunity to his servant
• 27:15
  to say, "Lord, I'M SORRY I FAILED. HEY,
• 27:18
  pick me back up. SET ME ON MY FEET
• 27:20
  AGAIN. I'LL DO YOUR WILL. I'LL DO
• 27:22
  WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO. I'LL GO
• 27:25
  WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO. HEY FRIEND, IF
• 27:27
  YOU'VE NEVER PUT YOURSELF ON THE ALTAR
• 27:30
  AND SAID, "GOD, WHATEVER YOU WANT,
• 27:32
  TONIGHT WOULD BE A GRAND TIME TO GIVE
• 27:36
  YOURSELF AWAY AND LET GOD DO WHAT HE
• 27:39
  WANTS WITH YOU."
• 27:41
  >> AMEN.
• 27:42
  >> There's the preparation of the loving
• 27:44
  savior, the prayer of the lowly seeker.
• 27:48
  He said, "Salvation is of the Lord."
• 27:52
  And God set him back on his feet again.
• 27:55
  There's the potential of a listening
• 27:57
  center.
• 27:58
  >> Verse number one of chapter 3. And the
• 28:01
  word of the Lord came unto Jonah the
• 28:03
  second time, saying, arise and go to
• 28:06
  Nineveh, and preach unto it that the
• 28:09
  preaching that I bid thee.
• 28:13
  And when he does, the Bible said the
• 28:14
  people of Nineveh believed God.
• 28:17
  >> Amen.
• 28:18
  >> They proclaimed a fast. Yeah.
• 28:20
  >> I want you to start playing, sis.
• 28:22
  Whenever you're ready, I want us to
• 28:24
  stand across the building tonight. Our
• 28:25
  heads are bowed. Our eyes are closed.
• 28:28
  He finally went,
• 28:31
  but I believe he he didn't have to go
• 28:33
  through all that mess if he' just went
• 28:35
  to start with.
• 28:38
  >> Church, this altar's open tonight. I
• 28:41
  don't know your need. I don't know if
• 28:42
  God spoke to you about anything. I have
• 28:43
  no idea.
• 28:46
  But I know as long as you're waiting out
• 28:48
  of the will of God, as long as you're
• 28:50
  going the opposite direction of God, as
• 28:52
  long as you're in obstinate rebellion to
• 28:54
  his word,
• 28:56
  souls are in danger and will never make
• 28:59
  the difference we need to make before
• 29:01
  Jesus comes again.
• 29:04
  Folks are praying, how about you
• 29:06
  tonight? You'll never be the mama or
• 29:08
  daddy you need to be. You'll never be
• 29:10
  the grandma, grandpa you need to be.
• 29:12
  You'll never be the church member you
• 29:14
  need to be as long as you're going in
• 29:15
  the opposite direction.
• 29:18
  Give yourself up. GIVE YOURSELF OVER.
• 29:20
  SAY, "GOD, WHATEVER you want,
• 29:23
  I'm yours.
• 29:25
  You don't have to pay the fair. You
• 29:27
  don't have to go the other way."
• 29:32
  I've heard preachers in days gone by
• 29:34
  call it the high price for low living.
• 29:44
  Maybe God would do a work tonight.
• 29:47
  Maybe God is s See, God's in the
• 29:49
  salvaging business.
• 29:51
  Maybe he'd salvage you, salvage your
• 29:54
  family, salvage your future.
• 29:58
  Folks are still praying. How about you
• 30:00
  do business with the Lord tonight?
• 30:07
  God wants your life. If God wants all of
• 30:09
  you,
• 30:11
  you say, "I can't make a difference."
• 30:12
  Oh, yes you can.
• 30:20
  Folks to pray and do business with the
• 30:22
  Lord. Maybe you're here and you lost.
• 30:26
  It's time to stop running.
• 30:29
  Give your life to the Lord.
• 30:35
  Amen. Every head still bowed.
• 30:38
  You're here tonight and you're lost. You
• 30:40
  say, "Preacher, I'm not saved." You pray
• 30:41
  for me. You just slip your hand up.
• 30:43
  We'll pray for you tonight.
• 30:46
  Preacher, I'm not saved. You pray for
• 30:48
  me.
• 30:51
  God sees that. God sees that.
• 30:56
  I tell you what, you can be saved
• 30:58
  tonight.
• 31:00
  You can be saved.
• 31:03
  Say, "Preacher, what does that mean?
• 31:05
  What does that what does that salvation
• 31:07
  mean? Well, Bible says because of your
• 31:10
  sin.
• 31:12
  Your sin condemns you.
• 31:16
  And that sin in your life, who you are,
• 31:18
  you're a sinner by birth. You're a
• 31:21
  sinner by choice. You live each day.
• 31:24
  Your sin condemns you. And that sin
• 31:27
  condemns you to a place called hell.
• 31:30
  You say, "Preacher, how could a loving
• 31:32
  God send me there?" Well, truth is God's
• 31:36
  never sent anybody there.
• 31:38
  People's own decisions,
• 31:41
  your willful disobedience.
• 31:44
  David said, "I was shaped in iniquity
• 31:46
  and sin did my mother conceive me."
• 31:49
  And because of that, you need a savior.
• 31:53
  I'll say this. Jesus died to save you.
• 31:56
  And he promised to save you. If you'd
• 31:57
  ask, these altars are open. If you want
• 32:00
  to come tonight and be saved, you can be
• 32:03
  saved.
• 32:04
  I'll say this tonight. You're here and
• 32:06
  you say, "Preacher, I'm I'm saved. I
• 32:09
  know I'm saved, but preacher, I'm
• 32:11
  running.
• 32:13
  Preacher, I'm running. Preacher, would
• 32:15
  you pray for me?"
• 32:18
  Anybody? Preacher, I'm running. You slip
• 32:20
  your hand up. I'll pray for you tonight.
• 32:22
  Preacher, I'm running from God.
• 32:26
  God sees that.
• 32:32
  Let me tell you this tonight.
• 32:35
  You can learn from the story of Jonah
• 32:37
  that
• 32:39
  there ain't a place far enough.
• 32:42
  There ain't a hole deep enough.
• 32:46
  There's not an ocean
• 32:48
  dark enough that you can get away from
• 32:50
  the presence of God.
• 32:53
  But I'll tell you this, if you'll follow
• 32:55
  him, you'll know peace.
• 33:00
  These altars are still open tonight.
• 33:01
  Some still praying.
• 33:05
  Father, I pray in Jesus name tonight.
• 33:10
  Lord, I thank you for the man of God
• 33:12
  minding you tonight.
• 33:14
  And Lord, I know there's there's dire
• 33:17
  needs in this building tonight. There's
• 33:19
  desperate circumstances,
• 33:23
  Lord. There's troubles, God, that only
• 33:26
  you can handle.
• 33:29
  And Lord, I pray, Father, tonight, God,
• 33:31
  that you would reach down,
• 33:35
  take hold of these troubles, Father.
• 33:39
  Lord, truth is me, most of our troubles
• 33:41
  are on making
• 33:44
  God. Jonah, if he just would have went
• 33:46
  where you said the first time, Lord, he
• 33:48
  never would have wound up in that boat.
• 33:50
  He never would have wound up the bottom
• 33:52
  of the sea in a belly of the fish.
• 33:56
  But God, I'm thankful that when he did
• 33:58
  get to that place, he realized that he
• 34:00
  needed to call on you. And God, I pray,
• 34:03
  Father, that each heart that's here, I
• 34:05
  pray for that one tonight that's lost.
• 34:07
  God, I pray that they wouldn't leave
• 34:08
  this place lost. God, I pray for those
• 34:11
  that's out of the will of God that's
• 34:12
  running. Lord, I pray, Father, you deal
• 34:15
  with their heart.
• 34:18
  Lord, because there'll be a day
• 34:21
  >> when they can't run anymore.
• 34:24
  And Lord, I pray, Father, you'd grant
• 34:25
  him grace. And Lord, for what you do,
• 34:27
  we'll give you thanks because we ask it
• 34:29
  in Jesus' name. Amen.
• 34:33
  Thank you for joining our service today.
• 34:35
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 34:37
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 34:39
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 34:42
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 34:46
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 34:49
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 34:51
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 34:54
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 34:56
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 35:00
  information, visit us at
• 35:01
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 35:04
  Thanks again for tuning in.