Jonah 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and
he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto
Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship
was like to be broken.
VERY BREIFLY WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD AND THE GUIDIANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PRAYERS
OF THE SAINTS I WANT TO REASON WITH YOU ON THE THOUGHT
(DEALING WITH A JONAH PROBLEM)
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
THE BOOK OF JONAH IS A AUTOBIGROPHY
WRITTEN BY JONAH ABOUT JONAH
JONAH LIKE MOSES WRITES ABOUT THERE OWN FAULTS
WHICH IS EVIDENCE THAT THERE WRITING WAS DESIGNED FOR GOD`S GLORY AND NOT THERE OWN
AND IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD
WEATHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT WE ALL HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM
FOR WE ALL HAVE SIN AND FELL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD
NOW YOUR JONAH PROBLEM MIGHT BE ONE THING AND MINES MIGHT BE ANOTHER
BUT WE ALL HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
A JONAH PROBLEM IS A DISOBEDIENCE PROBLEM
BECAUSE WHENEVER WE DISOBEY THE WORD OF GOD WE HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM
BECAUSE WHENEVER GODS WORD
SAYS BRING THE FULL TITHE AND WE PUT BILLS BEFORE THE WAYMAKER
THAT`S A JONAH PROBLEM WHENEVER WE PUT OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES OR OUR OPINIONS BEFORE
THE WILL OF GOD
THAT’S A JONAH PROBLEM
WHEN WE TRY TO AVOID PEOPLE AND DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
INSTEAD OF FACING THEM WITH THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND LETTING GOD DO FOR US WHAT
WE CAN`T DO FOR OURSELVES
WE HAVE A JONAH PROBLEM
YOU SEE IN ORDER FOR JONAH TO FACE THE NINEVITES
JONAH HAD TO LET GO OF HATE
AND GROW BEYOND HIS PETTINESS AND SMALLNESS
YOU SEE HE HAD TO BECOME A FIXER INSTEAD OF A FIGHTER
HE HAD TO BECOME BOUNTIFUL INSTEAD OF BEING BOUND
HE HAD TO BECOME HOLY INSTEAD OF BEING HIGH
AS WELL HE HAD TO REALIZE THAT HE WAS THE VICTOR INSTEAD OF THE VICTIM
YOU SEE
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHEN GOD SAY STOP AND WE SAY GO
WHEN GOD SAY GO AND WE SAY STOP
WHEN GOD SAY MY WILL AND WE SAY MY WISH
YOU GOT A JONAH PROBLEM
AND IT`S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT A JONAH PROBLEM CREATES 3 PROBLEMS
1ST IT CREATE A DISTANT BETWEEN YOU AND GOD
BECAUSE WE HAVE MOVED FROM OBEDIENCE TO BEING DISOBEDIENCE AND TILTED AWAY FROM OUR
ANOINTING
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE TILTED AWAY OUR NIGHTS ARE LONGER
OUR LOVE FOR GOD AND ONE ANOTHER GETS CHILLY
OUR FAITH GETS COLD AND SPIRIT IS FROZEN
AND OUR PRAISE FOR GOD HAS DIED OUT
AND WE BECOME SET IN OUR WAYS AND LIFE BECOMES POINTLESS
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
GOD WITHOUT MAN IS STILL GOD BUT MAN WITHOUT GOD IS NOTHING
BECAUSE LIFE WITH OUT GOD IS LIKE AND UNSHARPEN PENCIL -
AND THE REASON WHY IS -----LIFE WITHOUT GOD IS JUST POINTLESS
JUST LIKE THERE IS NO HAPPINESS WITHOUT LOVE
NO ANSWERS WITHOUT A QUESTION
NO RAIN WITHOUT A CLOUD
NO STARS WITHOUT NIGHT
THERE IS NO LIFE WITHOUT GOD
**************************************
WELL NOT ONLY DID JONAH CREATE A DISTANT HIM AND GOD
BUT THE TEXT REVEALS THAT EVERY STEP THAT JONAH TOOK WAS A DOWNWARD STEP
CAN I BORROW A SKINNY MINUTE AND TELL YOU WHAT I`M TALKING ABOUT
YOU SEE HE WENT DOWN TO JOPPA
THEN HE WENT DOWN TO TO SEAPORT AND PAID HIS FARE
THEN HE WENT DOWN TO THE HABOR WHERE THE SHIP WAS
HE STEP DOWN TO BOARD THE SHIP
AND WHEN HE GOT IN THE SHIP HE WENT DOWN INTO THE HUB OF THE SHIP
AND WHEN THEY THROWED HIM OVERBOARD
HE WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER
THEN THE BIG FISH CARRIED HIM DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
HE WENT
DOWN—DOWN—DOWN--DOWN---DOWN
AND THAT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IS WHAT SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE WILL DO
IT WILL CARRY YOU –DOWN—DOWN-DOWN -------DOWN
AND THE REASON WHY JONAH WENT DOWN
IS BECAUSE HE GOT ON THE WRONG SHIP AND WAS HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
AND DISOBEDIENCE AND SIN IS LIKE
DRIVING A CAR WITH NO G-P-S AND YOU DON`T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING
MAKING ALL THE WRONG TURNS IN THE WRONG LANE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION
IT TAKE YOU DOWN –DOWN--DOWN--DOWN
**************************************
BUT NOT ONLY DOES A JONAH PROBLEM CREATES DISTANT BETWEEN US AND GOD
AND LEAD US ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL
BUT A JONAH PROBLEM WILL ALSO GET YOU IN TROUBLE WITH GOD
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHEN JONAH GOT ON THE SHIP AND BEGIN TO SAIL FOR TARSHISH HE TRIED TO RUN FROM GOD
BUT GOD IN HIS EPITONE OF WISDOM HAS A WAY TO GET YOU TO DO WHAT HE HAS INSTRUCTED YOU TO DO
THE RECORD REVEALS THAT GOD SENT A STORM
IN OTHER WORDS GOD DISPATCH HIS H-B-I AGENTS
AND I DID`NT SAY F B I BUT H-B-I
THAT IS HEAVENS BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS
AND HE SENT HIS HEAVENLY AGENTS VIA IN THE ELEMENTS OF NATURE TO ARREST JONAH
BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS HE SENT A STORM
AND AIN`T IT AMAZING THAT GOD HAS AWAY OF GETTING OUR ATTENTION WITH THE STORMS OF
LIFE
THE RECORD REVEALS THAT WHEN THE STORM CAME
THAT JONAH WAS A SLEEP IN THE HUB OF THE SHIP
AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP AWOKE HIM
AND IT`S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP AWOKE HIM PHYSICALLY
BUT GOD SENT HIS H—B--I-AGENTS TO AWAKEN HIM SPIRITUALLY
THE RECORD REVEALS
THAT THE CREW CAST LOTS TO FIND THE GUILTY PERSON
RELYING ON THERE SUPERSTITION TO GIVE THEM THE ANSWER
THEIR SYSTEM WORK ONLY BECAUSE GOD INTERVENED TO LET JONAH KNOW THAT HE
COULD RUN BUT HE COULD`NT HIDE FROM GOD
JONAH ADMITS THAT HE IS A PROPHET OF THE LORD
RUNNING FROM THE LORD
JONAH TELLS THE SAILORS TO THROW HIM OVERBOARD
WELL NOT ONLY DOES THE TEXT TEACHES US
THAT A JONAH PROBLEM CREATE A DISTANT BETWEEN US AND GOD
AND LEADS US ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL
AND GETS US IN TROUBLE WITH GOD
BUT THE TEXT ALSO TAILORED TO TEACH US THAT WE SERVE A GOD OF ANOTHER CHANCE
AND I DID`NT SAY 2ND CHANCE
BUT ANOTHER CHANCE
THE TEXT SAY THAT THE SAILORS TRIED TO ROW THE SHIP BACK TO SHORE
BUT THE STORM GOT WORSE
SO THEY HAD TO THROW JONAH OVERBOARD
BUT WHEN THEY THREW JONAH OVERBOARD
GOD PREPARED A BIG FISH TO SWOOP JONAH UP
AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU PROABLY GOT A PROBLEM WITH GOD`S BIG FISH
BUT IF GOD CAN CREATE ADAM WITHOUT A MAN OR A WOMAN
IF GOD CAN CREATE EVE WITHOUT A WOMAN
IF GOD CAN CREATE FLESH SUIT FOR JESUS WITHOUT A MAN
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD
THE RECORD REVEAL THAT WHEN JONAH
WAS IN THE BELLY OF BIG FISH THAT HE GOT ON THE MAINLINE AND HAD A LITTLE TALK WITH
THE LORD
1.FORGIVENESS -TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR RUNNING
2.FAITH-FAITH TO BELIEVE WE ARE FORGIVEN
3.FORTITUDE- FOR COURAGE TO COME UP FROM WHERE WE ARE
AND HE WAS PRAYING TO THEFORTIFER-WHO SPECIALIZES IN FORTIFYING THOSE WHO HAVE
FALLEN SHORT
YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHEN THEY THREW JONAH OVERBOARD
GOD PREPARED A BIG FISH TO SWOOP HIM UP
LOVE AND FORGIVINESS SWALLOWED HIM UP
THE BLOOD OF JESUS COVERED HIM UP
THE HOLY SPIRIT CLEANED HIM UP
AND GOD COMMANDED THE BIG FISH TO SPEW HIM UP
AIN`T GOD ALRIGHT
AND THERE MAY BE SOMEONE HERE UNDER THE SOUND OF MY WEAK VOICE
AND YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF
IN THE MIDIST OF A JONAH PROBLEM
AND YOU NEED TO REALIZE THAT
SIN MAYBE THE CAUSE OF YOUR JONAH PROBLEM
BUT IF IT IS
CAN I LEAVE YOU WITH SOME ENCOURAGING WORDS
BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT SIN THERE`S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE S AND THE N
YOU SEE THE PROBLEM WITH SIN
IS THE 'I' IN THE MIDDLE
BUT IF YOU TAKE THE I OUT AND REPLACE IT WITH AND O YOU HAVE SON
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE SON
AND YOU CONFESS YOUR SIN YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN AND HE BLESSES US WITH
ANOTHER CHANCE
