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

Welcome to the podcast of Meadows

Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. We're so glad you joined us

today. If you enjoy today's message, be

sure to subscribe, follow, and share

with your friends. Now, let's join

Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from

God.

>> Bless the Lord. Amen. I'm tell you what,

he's still able. You're

>> right.

>> Amen. And I'm thankful he can do

anything with anything. Amen. And you

say, "You really believe that?" Well,

you see where I'm standing tonight.

Amen. I believe it. Amen. He can take a

nothing, make something out of him, and

give him a job to do. Amen. And I bless

his name for it. Amen. Well, I

appreciate Brother Austin Elkins, and

I'm so glad he's here with us this week.

And I tell you, I I told the church

this, like I said, if main focus has

been the preaching this week, and I

believe that's what's going to give us

help in these days, and uh we can do a

whole lot of things. And uh I'll say

this, if it don't get on when it gets

started, amen, we just going to let the

man of God preach and then let it get

on. Somebody say, "Amen." And I

appreciate him so very much. Always

enjoy the fellowship and always enjoys

preaching. Preacher, you come and preach

to us tonight. And uh Amen. Preach till

8:00 again. Amen. That's good.

Appreciate you, brother. God bless you.

Amen. Amen. I appreciate the Lord. Don't

you?

>> Amen. I'm glad to be saved. Glad I've

got a salvation that's real and glad I

got something I can enjoy on the way

home. Amen. I'm glad that it it'll last

and I've been the Lord's made us some

promises and I'm going to enjoy them. Uh

I believe it was Vance Havner that said

that he didn't understand all about

electricity, but he wasn't going to sit

in the dark until he did. And I've

decided I'm going to enjoy my salvation.

And I'm just going to be what God wants

me to be. Jonah chapter 1 tonight. Jonah

Jonah 1 · chapter mention Jonah 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. When you find your place, if

you will stand as we'll read and pray

together tonight and give you the simple

thought uh that is in our hearts and

appreciate so much uh the good crowd

here tonight. Appreciate you, brother

Lindsay, bringing your family over and

didn't realize that y'all were as close

as you were. U but I'm glad that you uh

made the trip over and Amen. Thank God

for another Tuesday night to be in

church. You stand to your feet. We'll

read the word of God together. And we'll

give you the thought that is in our

heart and try to be obedient to the

Lord. And y'all know I'm not longwinded.

And so smile at me real good. Amen.

We'll be out of here in just a little

little while. And if if y'all don't

smile at me good, it'll be 805.

Hallelujah. I'm just I'm kidding. I

appreciate God. Jonah chapter number one

and verse number one. The Bible said,

"Now the word of the Lord came unto

Jonah the son of Amati, saying, Arise,

go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry

against it, for their wickedness has

come up before me." But Jonah rose up to

flee unto Tarses from the presence of

the Lord, and went down to Japan, and he

found a ship going to Tarses. So he paid

the fair thereof, and went down into it

to go with them unto Tarses from the

presence of the Lord. 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. Then the

mariners were afraid, and cried every

man UNTO HIS GOD, AND CAST FORTH THE

WARES that were in the ship into the

sea, delightened of them. But Jonah was

gone down into the sides of the ship,

and he lay and was fast asleep. So the

shipmaster came to him, and said unto

him, "What meanest thou, oh sleeper?

Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that

God will think upon ush that we perish

not. And they said everyone to his

fellow, Come, let us cast lots that we

may be known for whose cause this evil

is upon us. So they cast lots. And the

lot fell upon Jonah. If you will uh skip

over to verse number 15, the Bible said,

"SO THEY TOOK UP Jonah and cast him

forth into the sea. And the sea ceased

from her raging. Then the men feared the

Lord EXCEEDINGLY AND OFFERED A sacrifice

unto the Lord and made vows." Now the

Lord had prepared a great fish to

swallow up Jonah. and Jonah was in the

belly of the fish three days and three

nights. Let's pause and ask God's help

again tonight. Father, in Jesus lovely

name, thank you so much for the

PRIVILEGE AND THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY it

is to be back in your house tonight.

THANK YOU FOR THE SONGS OF ZION. THANK

YOU, LORD, THAT WE'RE free in the Lord

and free indeed. GOD, I PRAY FOR THOSE

THAT ARE LOST TONIGHT THAT YOU'D DEAL

WITH THEM AND that you'd save them. AND

OH GOD, FOR US AS YOUR PEOPLE that you

draw us nigh TO YOUR SIGHT AGAIN. HELP

US TO HEAR THY VOICE. HELP US, OH LORD,

TO LOVE YOU like we're SUPPOSED TO LOVE

YOU until you come again. Whatever you

do, please get the glory AND THE PRAISE

AND THE HONOR AND THE THANKSGIVING. For

it is in Jesus lovely name we ask. WITH

MUCH THANKSGIVING AND FOR YOUR GLORY.

AMEN. AND AMEN. You can be seated. Thank

you for standing as we've read and

prayed together again tonight. I know

this is extremely familiar scripture. I

hope it is to you. I know it may not to

be to someh but if you've been around

church any amount of time, you've heard

this text preached. UH YOU'VE SEEN IT

DEALT WITH. AND I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO

TELL YOU anything you've NOT HEARD

ALREADY. BUT I am interested in what

God's got to say to us tonight. As I

come to the book of Jonah, YOU KNOW THAT

GOD HAS CALLED HIM in a dark and a

wicked day. AND GOD IS TRYING TO get him

on his feet and get him into the place

where he CAN BE A HELP to many, many

people. Oh, aren't you glad THAT JONAH'S

LIFE WAS BIGGER THAN JONAH? THAT GOD'S

PLAN WAS BIGGER THAN HIS little world

AND HIS LITTLE BUBBLE. AND CAN I SAY TO

YOU TONIGHT, CHURCH, GOD'S PLAN IS

BIGGER THAN US. GOD'S PLAN IS BIGGER

THAN MEADOWS BAPTIST CHURCH. HEY, I'M

GLAD IT DIDN'T ALL REST ON JONAH. AND IT

DID BECAUSE IT WAS RESTING ON THE

SHOULDERS OF A BIG AND A WONDERFUL GOD.

HEY, GOD HAD BEEN GOOD TO HIM. GOD HAD

USED HIM in days gone by. YOU'LL NOTICE

HE HAD SOME FORMER OBEDIENCE. HE HAD

PREACHED BEFORE. HE HAD PROPHESIED

BEFORE. HE HAD MINDED GOD BEFORE. AND

GOD HAD USED HIM AND WRETCHED THROUGH

HIS LIFE TO BE A HELP TO OTHER people

around him.

>> The former obedience. There's the

father's outreach. He was ONE OF THE

MIGHTY SERVANTS of the Lord. And you

say, "Well, that was the Old Testament

prophet days." Listen, I know there's no

more prophets. I understand that. But

God, if he's going to do anything in our

day, IT IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THE LOCAL

CHURCH AND THROUGH BORNAGAIN BELIEVERS

MAKING A genuine difference in this

world. Now,

>> I don't know about you, but the further

we go and the closer we get to Jesus

COMING AGAIN, BROTHER LINDSAY, THE

BURDEN SEEMS LIKE IT FEELS HEAVIER AS WE

GET CLOSER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT

MUCH TIME, HEY, TO GET DONE WHAT WE'RE

GOING TO GET DONE FOR THE LORD.

>> OH, FRIEND, God has been good to him.

God gave him a good name. That name

means dove. And what a picture it could

have been. What a picture HE COULD HAVE

BEEN OF THE LORD WITH SUCH A NAME. GOD

HAD BEEN GUIDING HIS LIFE, HAD BEEN GOOD

TO HIM. BUT OH FRIEND, YOU'LL FIND IN

HIS LIFE, JONAH DID NOT WANT TO DO

everything God said.

>> His father's name means my truth.

>> The messenger named Dove was sent by God

with a MESSAGE THAT WOULD CHANGE LIVES

for eternity.

but by prejudice, BY PERSONAL REBELLION

OR A PROBLEM WITH GOD, HE TAKES OFF IN

THE WRONG DIRECTION. And when he does,

HE JEOPARDIZES THE SOULS of thousands.

>> Can I say this tonight? As messengers to

this world, we are called as messengers

and carriers OF THE GRACE AND THE GOSPEL

OF OUR BLESSED GOD. HEY, IT IS OUR

RESPONSIBILITY.

IT'S NOT TIME TO TURN TAIL AND RUN. IT'S

NOT TIME TO GO ANOTHER WAY. IT'S TIME TO

TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD and believe HIM ONE

MORE TIME AND DO WHAT HE SAID TO DO.

>> Oh friend, it burdens my heart and it

blows my mind. How many people in our

day are living like Jonah?

>> They are living in THEY ARE DOING

THEY'RE DOING BARELY ENOUGH TO GET BY.

THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH TO EASE THEIR

CONSCIENCE. THEY'RE DOING ENOUGH TO MAKE

IT EASIER ON THEIREL AND SAY, "WELL, I

TIP MY HAT TO GOD THIS WEEK. HEY, GOD,

HELP US. ARE WE NOT GOING TO OBEY WHAT

GOD SAID?"

>> And if friend, if we don't, oh man,

>> you know the consequences he faced.

We'll get through the text in just a

minute. But my question to you tonight

is, will somebody go to your Nineveh? My

question is, will you make a difference

IN YOUR AREA? WILL YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

IN YOUR FAMILY? WILL YOU MAKE A

DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW? HEY, MY QUESTION,

AS WE LOOK AT THIS MAN, JONAH, HE IS THE

MAN THAT GOD WANTED TO USE.

>> And as I look at this church tonight,

you know what I see? I see people that

God, he wants to use them for his glory

and for his honor. BROTHER CHARLIE,

GOD'S got a plan. HEY, GOD'S GOT MIGHTY

BIG PLANS. HEY, FRIEND, GO MAN. HEY,

FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. HEY,

GOD'S GOT A PLAN.

>> OH, FRIEND. And God wanted to use that

man. And just like that man, just like

this church and just like you, God wants

to use your life.

>> Right?

>> I know this is simple and it ain't going

to be you ain't going to have to swim

around in the deep waters, but it's the

simple things that we're not doing. It's

the simple things we're tripping up in.

It's the SIMPLE THINGS WE GOT TO GET

BACK TO. IT'S THE FUNDAMENTALS. IT'S THE

FUNDAMENTALS WE BETTER GET GROUNDED IN

ONE MORE TIME.

>> AMEN.

>> Oh God, help us to get back to the

fundamentals.

>> So, for just a little while, I want to

preach on this thought. And like I said,

I'll be done. Amen. We going to eat

after this. Hallelujah.

I'm preaching tonight on this th on

Jonah, the man that God wanted to use.

Or we can call it this, if you want to

look at it, you can call it Jonah

Baptist Church cuz I believe there are

churches that God wants to use.

>> That are not letting him do what he

wants to do.

>> I believe there are individuals.

>> Oh, for everybody gets nervous because

they think every time they hear this,

God's going to call somebody to preach

IN THE SER. HE MAY DO IT. That may be

fine and dandy. That's all well and

good. I done surrendered, so it's all

right. Hey, y'all can go ahead and mind

God. But it may be that God deals with

some lay person just to be everything

God wants you to be. It may be that God

deals with you as a mama or A DADDY,

HEY, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HOME.

IT MAY BE, GOD, HELP US, A YOUNG PERSON,

THAT GOD USES YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

AT SCHOOL. IT MAY BE, HEY, THAT YOUR

CHURCH NEEDS SOMEBODY TO STEP UP AND

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE for God.

>> That's right.

>> Number one, as we think about this man

that God wanted to use, WE NOTICE THE

REJECTION OF a divine burden.

>> You see the original call in verse one.

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah

the son of Amati, saying, "Arise, go to

Nineveh, that great city, and cry

AGAINST IT, FOR THEIR wickedness is come

up before me." This original call came

about a perilous place. It came about a

putrid people. It came now to a painful

prescription. God is getting ready to

deal in his divine judgment out on these

wicked individuals. AND THEY REALLY, TO

BE HONEST, THEY DID NOT DESERVE A SECOND

CHANCE from God.

>> That's right.

>> They were wicked in their warfare. They

were grotesque in everything they did.

They were VILE AND VIOLENT. HEY, THEY

WERE UNGODLY AT EVERY PRACTICE OF THEIR

LIFE. AND THEY DID NOT DESERVE GOD. THEY

WERE HEATHEN GENTILES AND THEY DID NOT

DESERVE A SECOND chance from God.

>> Amen.

>> But then I got to thinking about that.

Look around us tonight.

>> We don't deserve a second CHANCE FROM

GOD. WE ARE HEATHEN GENTILES. HEY, THAT

WOULD BE LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES

TONIGHT. WHERE WOULD WE BE BUT HANGING

ON THE EDGE OF HELL? HEY, BUT GOD IN HIS

MERCY ALLOWED THE GOSPEL TO COME TO

THESE PLACES.

>> THE ORIGINAL CALL, GOD SAID, "I HAVE

SEEN THEIR WICKEDNESS,

>> and I've got to see it." Oh, don't you

love God? Can I come down here?

>> All right. I don't want to scare nobody,

but again, people listen better.

Sometimes they ain't going to fall

asleep on me.

You know what I love about God, Brother

Lindsay?

is every time before he's getting ready

to send judgment,

>> he sends somebody with a message.

>> You remember before you got saved, you

know what God did? He sent a preacher

your way. HE SENT A Christian your way.

He sent somebody WITH A GOSPEL TRACK

YOUR WAY. AND THEY STEPPED IN YOUR

WORLD. AND THEY SAID, "HEY, JESUS loves

you. IT'S NOT THE WILL OF THE FATHER

THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL

SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE." HEY, AND

SOMEBODY BEFORE DESTRUCTION HIT YOUR

LIFE, GOD SHOWED UP.

>> Remember what God said in Ezekiel? He

said, "It is Oh, friend, it's not IN HIS

HEART." HE SAID, "I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN

THE DEATH OF THE WICKED." That's right.

>> But that the wicked recover himself.

Turn ye. He's talking TO ISRAEL. BUT GOD

HELP US. OH, EVERY TIME BEFORE JUDGMENT

FALLS,

>> there's a wonderful warning.

>> Amen.

>> Isn't that just like God? Isn't that the

mercy of God?

Remember, before God dealt out judgment

on Sodom AND GOMORRAH, HE SAID, "SHALL I

HIDE FROM ABRAHAM THE THING WHICH I DO?"

HEY, FRIEND. OH, GOD. AREN'T YOU GLAD

THERE'S A GOD THAT CARES ABOUT PEOPLE?

>> The original call was go because OF

THEIR SIN. THERE'S THE OMNIPOTENCE THAT

CARED. GOD HAD NO pleasure in the death

of those Ninevites.

Even though they didn't deserve help,

they didn't deserve a second chance,

they didn't deserve anything but

destruction and hell, yet God cared.

>> Can I remind you tonight that just

because we're in church in our uh

Tuesday night best, I guess you could

say, doesn't mean we deserve anything

but hell.

>> At our best, we are all together vanity.

At our best, WE'RE STILL HUMANS. AT OUR

BEST, WE STILL NEED THE GRACE OF GOD AND

A LOT OF IT. HEY, WE DON'T DESERVE.

NEITHER DO THEY out there. You say,

"Well, that sinner OUT THERE ON THE

STREET DOESN'T DESERVE IT." HEY, THOSE

DOWN YONDER DOWN THE ROAD, THEY DON'T

DESERVE IT. YOU SAY, "MY FAMILY DON'T

DESERVE IT." NOBODY DOES. YOU DON'T

EITHER. HEY, GOD, HELP US TO realize

>> that's the heart of God.

>> The original call, the omnipotence that

cared. There's the obligation cast off.

Now look at this. You know the story.

Verse three. But Jonah rose up to flee

under Tarsus from the presence of the

Lord. That's somewhere around Spain.

Went down to Japan. He found a ship

going to Tarsus. So he paid the fair

thereof. Went down into it to go with

them unto Tarsus from the presence of

the Lord.

Now he is casting off his divine

obligation and he's running the opposite

direction

>> to escape the presence of the Lord and

his calling. And you know what I'm

thinking and what I'm seeing in our day,

brother. I wonder if the worldliness of

our day is not just a result of the last

days. But I wonder I'm just this is just

me thinking. All right. Sometimes that

gets they tell me that gets me in

trouble. All right. So I try to strong

back, weak mind. I I'm not you know I

heard all my life we're not paying you

to think all this stuff and I'm trying

to use my brain now. Right.

>> I'm wondering,

oh friend, with him going in that

opposite direction, I wonder if we ain't

got a generation of church folks that

have heard the word of God and instead

of wanting to do what God says, they're

trying to get away from his presence. So

they because they think if they can get

away from the conviction and the burden

and the heaviness that it will alleviate

them from having to do what God says.

You're

>> right. I I'm I'm wondering. I mean, my

soul makes me wonder about I mean, it

some young men don't want to surrender

to preach, so they go off into try to go

to the world. They try to loose that

conviction off of their life. I I don't

understand all but I'm WONDER I'M I'M

JUST WONDERING. I don't know. I'm hoping

it's not the case, but I'm wondering if

we're just in a day and we're living in

a day where we're trying to get away

from his presence. You know why? Because

his presence requires something of us.

>> His presence requires obedience. Oh, God

help. His voice REQUIRES OBEDIENCE. HIS

OH, HIS JUST HIM BEING AROUND US

REQUIRES US TO BE SENSITIVE AND OBEDIENT

TO HIS WILL. And we know that if we get

away from him far enough, his voice will

get fain and distant.

>> And we won't feel as bad or as negative

or as pained about what he's wanting us

to do.

>> Oh my. We having fun tonight. I know.

He's running now. You You can look at it

on a map. I ain't got time. They got one

of them screens up there. We ain't got

time to look at it. But the but the map

I mean my preacher is always talking

about want one of them screens. We ain't

got one yet.

You can look where God sends him is all

the way over here on the map if you're

looking at from my perspective. And

where he goes is all the way in the

opposite direction.

>> How many people tonight I'm asking, are

you running in the opposite direction?

Good.

>> Are you going against God's word, God's

blessings, God's voice, God's help?

>> Oh, God, help us.

>> Amen.

>> There's the rejection of a divine

burden. Number two, and I've got to move

on. There's the results of a detourred

blessing.

Oh, goodness. Verse number three, you've

read it, you've heard it preached. The

middle of verse three, he found a ship

going to Tarsus. So, he paid the fair

thereof and went down into it. You know

what he's doing? He is now willing to

pay the price. You're

>> right.

>> To go the opposite direction,

>> right?

>> You know what's going to happen if you

choose to go the opposite direction of

God. You will pay a price

>> and it's steep and you won't like it and

you ain't get and there's no refunds and

you're not getting your money back and

YOU'RE NOT PASSING GO AND YOU'RE NOT

COLLECTING $200. HEY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING

THAT FAIR MONEY BACK,

>> RIGHT? Oh friend, the cost of his

departure. Let me just say, if you

choose to go sideways, if you choose to

go the other way, if you choose to be

unfaithful, if you choose to go the way

of the world, HEY, THERE IS A PRICE TO

PAY,

>> RIGHT?

>> There's the cost of his departure.

There's the concern of death. The

shipmaster comes to him in the middle OF

THAT SUN. AS SOON AS JONAH STEPS ON

board that ship and they loose their

moorings from that from that arbor,

>> Jonah is now headed in the opposite

direction out the Mediterranean. And God

is not GOING TO DEAL gently until Jonah

is back in the will of God.

>> Can I just be real honest tonight?

>> Anybody ever been out of the will of God

before?

I just been I took a job out of the will

of God. I was there for six days. I had

no peace. I couldn't pray. I was

miserable. I cried all the time for no

reason. It was insane. And when I

finally walked into that office and

said, "I'm out of here. God don't want

me here." Boom. Right back to where it

was supposed to be.

>> Oh yeah. I was young. I was about

y'all's age back then. Oh yeah. I mean,

I I stepped out of the will of God. BUT

YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S NOT FUN being in the

will of God.

>> Come on,

>> Lindsay. I I'm concerned. See, he's

headed to Spain. They've got everything.

They've got the They've got stuff to

see. They got stuff to do. THEY GOT

WORLDLY. SEE, JONAH'S thinking he's

going to get where all the worldly

pleasures are.

>> And he he he's going to get in that

area. It reminds me of Vanity Fair and

Pilgrim's Progress. He's going to get

where all that wicked stuff is and he's

it's going to drown out the voice of

God.

>> Yeah.

>> But the thing about the voice of God is

it's a whole lot louder than something

you hear with your ears.

and his will and his HAND IS A WHOLE LOT

BIGGER THAN YOUR LITTLE TRIP DOWN TO

TARSES AND HE OH YEAH YOU THINK WELL GOD

WON'T BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ME DOWN THERE

AND GOD WON'T BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH ME

ONCE I PAY THE FAIR AND I'VE INVESTED IN

THIS OTHER WAY OH LET ME TELL YOU

SOMETHING YOU GOING TO FIND OUT THAT GOD

WILL ROCK YOUR BOAT HONEY IF HE'LL GET

YOUR ATTENTION GOD IS ABLE HEY TO SHAKE

YOUR WORLD TO MAKE YOU listen

>> oh God help

It bothers me and I really do wonder

these people that act like they're

enjoying headed towards

>> Tarsus

>> and there's never any boat rocking and

it's always smooth sailing.

>> I really wonder if they've belonged to

God or not.

>> Tell it preacher. Yeah.

>> Oh my. Let me just say if you're without

chastening.

>> Yeah. Come on.

>> And you're not his. Right.

>> The cost of his departure, the concern

of death, those people. Now, he has

stepped onto a boat. And he's not by Oh,

yeah. God help. He's not by himself

anymore.

>> He's now endangering the lives and

souls.

>> That's it. You're right.

>> He's endangering the lives and the

souls.

>> You're right.

>> Of people around him.

>> These people don't know God. The only

THING THEY KNOW ABOUT GOD IS WHAT

THEY'VE the little bit they've heard

before

>> and what they're seeing in his life and

what they're really. Matter of fact,

when things got START GOING CRAZY,

THEY'RE CALLING OUT ON their gods.

They're thinking THEY'LL APPEASE THEIR

LITTLE G GODS AND IT'LL FIX EVERYTHING.

THAT'S THE WAY PAGANS THINK. THEY GOT TO

MAKE AN OFFER AND THEY GOT TO DO THIS.

JONAH KNOWING THE whole time it's me.

>> It's my fault. OH, GOD HELP. I sure

wouldn't want to be the cause to HOLD

BACK GOD'S BLESSING. I SURE WOULDN'T

WANT TO ENDANGER SOMEBODY ELSE. I SURE

DON'T WANT TO SEND SOMEBODY TO HELL,

HEY, BECAUSE OF MY DISOBEDIENCE. BUT YOU

KNOW WHAT? EVERY DAY THE TIME PIECE OF

GOD IS TICKING TOWARDS JUDGMENT. HEY,

NINE OF US STILL WAITING FOR A PREACHER

AND THESE BOYS ARE ON THIS SHIP ABOUT TO

DIE.

>> AMEN.

>> Will you wake up?

>> Will you realize the mess that we're in

in our day?

>> God help us.

He was jeopardizing the lives of Let me

just say this. When you choose to live

your own way, you are endangering the

lives and the souls of those around you.

>> Your spouse, your children, their

future.

>> You may put them in a tail spin they'll

never get out of.

>> I've seen it happen over and over and

over when mom and daddy go sideways.

I've seen it affect the next generation

over and over and over again.

>> That's right.

There's the constraining of deity.

They call out. He finally says, "I'm a

Hebrew and I fear the Lord." Finally,

he's getting a little bit honest. That's

a good thing.

>> Which made the heaven which had made the

sea and the dry land. Now, they know

it's his fault. Now, they're wondering

and he tells them it's me. And he said,

"If you'll turn me, turn me over and

throw me overboard, everything will be

okay."

By the way, that's one time when going

overboard's a good thing,

>> right?

>> Some of y'all get that after a while.

>> You know what I believe it's time for?

It's time for some of God's people to go

overboard.

>> That's right.

>> Into the will of God.

>> Hey, when you when your boats are

rocking, when everything's upside down

cuz you're out of God's will, it's time

to go overboard to get right with God.

>> Come on, pre.

>> He went overboard to get right with God.

>> Yes.

>> And you know what? When he got into that

fish's belly, you know what he did? He

went overboard in repentance.

He's out of the belly of hell, cried I.

He said, he said, "The Lord's HEARD ME

BY THE TIME IT'S over with." That thing

spits him up, gets sick and tired of

him.

>> And guess what? He went overboard and

getting back in the will of God.

>> When he got there, he started crying

out, doing what GOD FINALLY SAID TO DO.

AND you know what happened? That city

went overboard in repentance.

>> You're right.

>> They wouldn't even let the animals eat

anything.

>> You're right.

>> Maybe that God will look on us. Yeah.

>> I'm just saying if you'll just go

overboard for God, there's no telling.

>> Amen.

>> There's no telling what God might do

around you.

>> I'm almost done. Can I get somebody on

the piano? They'll think I'm quitting.

It'll help them listen better. Last

couple minutes here. Thirdly, and

lastly, there is the repentance

of a desperate blunderer.

>> Look at the end. Verse 17, ver back up

to verse 15. And so they took up Jonah,

cast him forth into the sea, and the sea

ceased from her raging. Isn't it amazing

how quick things calm down when you get

back in the will of God?

>> Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly

and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord

and made vows. Now the Lord had prepared

a great fish to swallow up Jonah. Jonah

was in the belly of the fish three days

and three nights. Y'all know that. And I

call this the preparation of the loving

savior

>> to allow his backward servant to have a

moment to get right with God

>> to come back and say, "Lord, I'm sorry."

>> Isn't it amazing that God was trying to

do that for all of Nineveh? And now he's

giving this opportunity to his servant

to say, "Lord, I'M SORRY I FAILED. HEY,

pick me back up. SET ME ON MY FEET

AGAIN. I'LL DO YOUR WILL. I'LL DO

WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO. I'LL GO

WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO. HEY FRIEND, IF

YOU'VE NEVER PUT YOURSELF ON THE ALTAR

AND SAID, "GOD, WHATEVER YOU WANT,

TONIGHT WOULD BE A GRAND TIME TO GIVE

YOURSELF AWAY AND LET GOD DO WHAT HE

WANTS WITH YOU."

>> AMEN.

>> There's the preparation of the loving

savior, the prayer of the lowly seeker.

He said, "Salvation is of the Lord."

And God set him back on his feet again.

There's the potential of a listening

center.

>> Verse number one of chapter 3. And the

word of the Lord came unto Jonah the

second time, saying, arise and go to

Nineveh, and preach unto it that the

preaching that I bid thee.

And when he does, the Bible said the

people of Nineveh believed God.

>> Amen.

>> They proclaimed a fast. Yeah.

>> I want you to start playing, sis.

Whenever you're ready, I want us to

stand across the building tonight. Our

heads are bowed. Our eyes are closed.

He finally went,

but I believe he he didn't have to go

through all that mess if he' just went

to start with.

>> Church, this altar's open tonight. I

don't know your need. I don't know if

God spoke to you about anything. I have

no idea.

But I know as long as you're waiting out

of the will of God, as long as you're

going the opposite direction of God, as

long as you're in obstinate rebellion to

his word,

souls are in danger and will never make

the difference we need to make before

Jesus comes again.

Folks are praying, how about you

tonight? You'll never be the mama or

daddy you need to be. You'll never be

the grandma, grandpa you need to be.

You'll never be the church member you

need to be as long as you're going in

the opposite direction.

Give yourself up. GIVE YOURSELF OVER.

SAY, "GOD, WHATEVER you want,

I'm yours.

You don't have to pay the fair. You

don't have to go the other way."

I've heard preachers in days gone by

call it the high price for low living.

Maybe God would do a work tonight.

Maybe God is s See, God's in the

salvaging business.

Maybe he'd salvage you, salvage your

family, salvage your future.

Folks are still praying. How about you

do business with the Lord tonight?

God wants your life. If God wants all of

you,

you say, "I can't make a difference."

Oh, yes you can.

Folks to pray and do business with the

Lord. Maybe you're here and you lost.

It's time to stop running.

Give your life to the Lord.

Amen. Every head still bowed.

You're here tonight and you're lost. You

say, "Preacher, I'm not saved." You pray

for me. You just slip your hand up.

We'll pray for you tonight.

Preacher, I'm not saved. You pray for

me.

God sees that. God sees that.

I tell you what, you can be saved

tonight.

You can be saved.

Say, "Preacher, what does that mean?

What does that what does that salvation

mean? Well, Bible says because of your

sin.

Your sin condemns you.

And that sin in your life, who you are,

you're a sinner by birth. You're a

sinner by choice. You live each day.

Your sin condemns you. And that sin

condemns you to a place called hell.

You say, "Preacher, how could a loving

God send me there?" Well, truth is God's

never sent anybody there.

People's own decisions,

your willful disobedience.

David said, "I was shaped in iniquity

and sin did my mother conceive me."

And because of that, you need a savior.

I'll say this. Jesus died to save you.

And he promised to save you. If you'd

ask, these altars are open. If you want

to come tonight and be saved, you can be

saved.

I'll say this tonight. You're here and

you say, "Preacher, I'm I'm saved. I

know I'm saved, but preacher, I'm

running.

Preacher, I'm running. Preacher, would

you pray for me?"

Anybody? Preacher, I'm running. You slip

your hand up. I'll pray for you tonight.

Preacher, I'm running from God.

God sees that.

Let me tell you this tonight.

You can learn from the story of Jonah

that

there ain't a place far enough.

There ain't a hole deep enough.

There's not an ocean

dark enough that you can get away from

the presence of God.

But I'll tell you this, if you'll follow

him, you'll know peace.

These altars are still open tonight.

Some still praying.

Father, I pray in Jesus name tonight.

Lord, I thank you for the man of God

minding you tonight.

And Lord, I know there's there's dire

needs in this building tonight. There's

desperate circumstances,

Lord. There's troubles, God, that only

you can handle.

And Lord, I pray, Father, tonight, God,

that you would reach down,

take hold of these troubles, Father.

Lord, truth is me, most of our troubles

are on making

God. Jonah, if he just would have went

where you said the first time, Lord, he

never would have wound up in that boat.

He never would have wound up the bottom

of the sea in a belly of the fish.

But God, I'm thankful that when he did

get to that place, he realized that he

needed to call on you. And God, I pray,

Father, that each heart that's here, I

pray for that one tonight that's lost.

God, I pray that they wouldn't leave

this place lost. God, I pray for those

that's out of the will of God that's

running. Lord, I pray, Father, you deal

with their heart.

Lord, because there'll be a day

>> when they can't run anymore.

And Lord, I pray, Father, you'd grant

him grace. And Lord, for what you do,

we'll give you thanks because we ask it

in Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you for joining our service today.

We'd love it if you'd join us in person

the next time you are able at Meadows

Baptist Church. Our physical address is

2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North

Carolina. Our service times are Sunday

school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning

worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening

worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday

evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more

information, visit us at

meadowsbaptisturch.com.

Thanks again for tuning in.