Knowing God the Revealer

Been there.

You've been there.

I'm out of here, Lord.

I tried this Christianity, it's not working.

I'm through.

I'm just gonna quit church, quit being around Christians.

Oh, a bunch of hypocrites.

So?

What an attitude.

Well, guess what?

Jonah had that attitude.

I'm talking about the preacher of his day.

Now, if I can happen to Jonah, it can happen to any of us.

Hello, come on now.

You with me?

We're talking about the young Billy Graham of his day.

And he says, I'm going to Tartus.

Reminds me of some things here.

I want you to write this down.

Here's the major theme I see in Jonah after God revealing to Jonah what he wanted Jonah to do.

Obedient pays and disobedient doesn't.

That's pretty simple, isn't it?

Kind of reminds me of the story of the little boy.

Was asked what lesson he had learned after the lesson on Jonah and the whale.

Daddy said, Well, what lesson, son, did you learn?

He said, Dad, I learned that, hey, humans make whales sick.

Pretty deep, isn't it?

Humans make whales sick.

But the lesson in Jonah is this.

Here's two lessons.

I want you to write them down.

One, Jonah, the lesson in Jonah is God's love for everyone.

Even God loved the Assyrians.

Can I get an amen?

God wanted the Assyrians to be saved, regardless of how barbaric they were.

Second lesson.

God wants us to obey him, and he would rather reward our obedience instead of chastening our disobedience.

Amen?

It's important.

He had rather reward our obedience than chasten our disobedience.

If you're willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

If you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1, 19 and 20.

It's that simple.

And he had rather reward our obedience.

I wrote this to myself.

Our actions when things are going well are not as significant as our reactions when things are going wrong.

You know what I am learning in my life?

It's not my actions when I'm on the mountaintop that really matter.

But it's my reactions when I'm in the valley that really matters.

That's when I show my Christ-likeness the most.

Or the least.

That's so important.

So important.

God asked Jonah to do something that was unthinkable to the Jewish people to go and preach to the series.

Let me ask something.

When God tells you to do something that you want to do, is that exciting?

Sometimes.

But I mean, you don't mind doing what God asks you to do if you want to do it, do you?

Hello?

Man, you start saying, yeah, this Jesus thing's working.

He's given me the desires of my heart.

Amen?

Delight thyself also in the Lord.

He'll give you the desires of your heart.

But don't forget the next verse.

Commit thy ways unto him, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalms 34, 4 and 5.

But now watch.

It's when God asks us to do something that we don't want to do, really shows our maturity and our walk with God.

Hello.

I'm getting there.

You're right.

I'm going there.

But now watch.

Watch this.

When God asks you to do something that you don't want to do, God's asking you to get involved in trunk or treat.

I'm not letting go.

Bless God, I want a whole page signed today.

In fact, we're going to lock the door.

You're not getting out if you don't sign up for trunk or treat.

Got the front list in front of the eating line.

Yeah, you don't eat if you don't sign.

But think about it.

Think about it.

When God said, go plant a church with David here, I didn't want to do that.

In fact, I really thought I had a way out.

I told God.

And I told David, if God really wants me to help him start this church, he's got to sell my house.

And he said, well, that's not a problem.

I said, no, he's got to sell it within a week.

Hello.

I knew I was safe.

I knew I was home free.

That was on Friday.

We prayed on Friday.

God sold my house Saturday morning.

Hello.

Hello.

I looked up.

I said, oh my soul, where is Chempsey?

Looks like we're going, honey.

I'm serious.

We have our ways of justifying and trying to make it happen, but that's not what I wanted to do.

I had a choice.

So what happens?

When you get on the wrong boat, going in the wrong direction, trying to run away from what God's called you to do.

Now, some of you are already squirming, whether you're watching or listening right here.

Because you know God's already told you to do something.

Work and trunk a tree.

God's already told you to do something that you're not doing.

And some of you would like to get up and leave right now, but if you do, I'm going to shoot you when you're walking out.

I can hit a moving target just as well as one sitting.

Amen.

Say, I don't need this message this morning.

I don't need this message this morning.

Have you ever been minding your own business and all of a sudden somebody starts and you listen to Christian radio station, all of a sudden something starts hitting you, preaching to you, especially if it's ace, and they're hitting you and you're saying, I know I don't like that.

And you start to turn it, but you just can't turn it.

Because you say, don't, you start, I'm gonna switch say, I'm going to the oldie goadies.

No.

Well now just listen.

Are you ready?

Here's what happens.

I've kind of given it a nickname.

Ten traveling tips to targets.

Or ten traveling tips when you get on the wrong boat.

Ready?

You say he'll be here two hours for ten points, no more.

Number one.

Number one, arrangements for the wrong destination can easily be made.

In fact, reservations for the wrong direction are always very convenient.

Now listen, look at what he said.

But Jonah rose up to flee into Tarshus from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshus, so he paid the fare, therefore, and went down into it to go with them and to Tarshus from the presence of the Lord.

Remember, he's getting away from where God speaks.

He's going to Tarshus.

Isn't it amazing?

The ship was waiting right there in port.

I hear people all the time say this.

Well, it must have been God's will because the ship was there.

It must have been God's will because look what fell into place and what happened.

Now I really do get excited about their sincerity.

But I cringe at their theology.

Remember, Satan is the angel of light.

And he makes everything look as if it's so good that it's of God, but it's not.

You'll always find a ship in port to take you in the wrong direction.

Always.

And that doesn't mean that it's God's will.

In fact, a lot of times it's not God's will, it's Satan manipulating us to get us out of the will of God.

And we see that right here.

Easily in verse 3.

In fact, it was made easy for Jonah to go in the wrong direction.

Remember what?

The devil is a liar.

He's deceitful, he's manipulative.

He's the great deceiver.

And the truth is not in him.

Under your point there, notice what I put in your these statements were so powerful I wrote them in for you.

The easiest way may not always be God's way.

Amen?

Which, by the way, the hardest way may not always be God's way either.

That's both ways.

Amen?

You with me?

So you gotta be very careful.

Look at number two.

It costs more to go your way than God's way.

Look at verse 3 again.

He rose up to flee into Tarsus from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshus.

So he, uh, he paid the fare.

Let me say this.

It always costs you more when you go God's way.

Excuse me, when you go your way instead of God's way.

You got a choice.

You can go first class, go God's way, or you can go second class, go your way.

You have that choice.

God does not force it on you.

But you will pay every time.

In fact, notice he went down, down both times.

Twice it says he went down.

He went down to Joppa, he went down to the ship.

When you go your way, there's only one way to go.

And when you go on over to the next chapter, he went down to the bottom of the sea.

When you go your way, you're going down, down, down.

Yep.

So, it costs you more when you go your way.

Galatians 6, 7, and 8.

He says, Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

Whatsoever man soweth, that shall he reap.

He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

Wow.

You got a choice.

Go your way, you go down.

Go God's way, you go up.

Tremendous insight there.

Tremendous.

And by the way, when we go in obedience, notice what I put in your notes.

When we go in obedience to God, we go at his expense, first class.

If we disagree and do it our own and do our own thing, we pay the fare.

And we will pay double, triple.

You'll always pay more if you go your way than when you go God's way.

Always.

It'll cost you more.

Number three.

Traveling tip number three.

You really can't get away from it all.

Look at verse 4.

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty temptus in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

In other words, he thought he was going to run away from God, not have to hear from God anymore, but yet God sent a storm to get his attention.

Now hear me.

You can run, but you can't hide.

Hello?

God's got the hound dogs of heaven.

You can't outrun them.

You can't outrun them.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place.

What's this?

Beholding the evil and the good.

Remember what he said in Luke 12, 2?

He says, Is anything covered that shall not be revealed?

Is anything not hidden that shall not be known?

Hello?

What about Numbers 32, 23?

All these are on there for you, on your outline.

You can be sure your sins will find you out.

Hello?

You can run, but you can't get away from God, folks.

I've been there.

Anyone like that?

I've been there.

I ran for two and a half years.

I was not going into the ministry.

I had my life planned.

I was going to coach and be a youth pastor.

I had it all.

I've always had it worked out.

If God would just listen.

Amen.

Anybody else feel that way sometimes?

Or, God, I got a great plan.

If I need you, I'll ask.

Or I'll holler.

Just say, God, give me the stamp of approval and let me go.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Doesn't work that way.

You can't decide which boat you're going to get on.

You're going to get on, hey, you decide which boat you're going to get on.

Go ahead.

You can get on it.

I'm going to allow you to get on it.

But I got news for you, you're not going to get very far till you hit a storm.

And that storm will get your attention.

All right.

I'm going to go ahead and give it to you right here.

For the Christian, actually, in this setting, there's three reactions to the storm.

Why does the, I asked the question, why does the storm come?

For three reasons.

Number one, when you're out of the will of God.

Jonah is out of the will of God, the storm came.

Okay?

The second reason a storm comes is when you're in the will of God.

What?

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

You mean a storm comes when I'm out of the will of God?

Yes, to bring you back into the will of God.

Yes.

And now, when I'm in the will of God, a storm comes too.

Yes.

Remember the storm with the disciples in the boat?

Jesus was asleep in the boat.

It was his will for them to get in the boat and go the other side.

They were doing exactly what God had told them when the storm came.

Why?

Because the lack of their faith.

Remember?

He says, why do you have so little faith?

So it's to mature us.

It's to build us up.

It's to make us more like Christ and to build our confidence, to build our courage, to build our talents, to hone in our talents, to, as you go through that fire, to burn off all the uh, what do you call that stuff?

Dross.

Thank you.

That's what you do.

Okay?

And then there's a third reason storm came in, Jonah.

For the lost to get saved.

The sailors got saved.

And I'll show you that before we finish today.

So those are three reasons the storms come.

They come to correct us, they come to perfect us, and they come to save us.

Woohoo! That's good, preacher.

Amen.

So next time the storm comes, if you're a Christian, you got one or two answers.

Uh-oh, I'm out of the will of God and you know it.

Don't tell me, I wonder if I'm out of the will of God.

Give me a break.

You know it.

Or if you're in the will of God and the storm comes, you don't get upset.

Just say, okay, Lord, what do you want me to learn?

What are you teaching me?

And let me be obedient.

Amen.

And if you don't know either one of them, that's easy.

Just get saved.

You need to get saved.

That's it.

Amen.

That's worth you being here.

Which one am I?

Where am I, honey?

Number four.

Thanks.

Under three.

Stop running from God, start relying upon him.

Can I get an amen?

Number four.

Traveling tip number four.

I can guarantee you, you will lose your luggage.

How many of you have lost your luggage, Fly?

No, I have several times.

Well, I can guarantee you when you go in the wrong direction, you're going to lose your luggage.

Your baggage is going overboard.

Look at it.

Isn't that what he says?

Sure he does.

And he says, when they then the mariners were afraid, verse 5, and cried, every man unto his God and cast forth the wares.

In other words, cast forth all the luggage, all the products, all the stuff.

You know what?

The first thing was to go on a on a ship, a cargo ship, when a storm came?

The cargo.

Now what do you mean?

How does that relate, Pastor?

Glad you asked me.

I wrote to myself, your baggage may not arrive at your destination.

Because, see, when you go the wrong way, you may lose the very things that you value so much.

Hello?

You may lose those things that are so precious to you.

You know why?

Because they may be more precious to you than the Lord is.

Hello?

You okay?

What does it say?

Seek I well, let's go to the Old Testament.

Exodus 20.

I shall have no other gods before me.

You say, well, I don't have any other gods before God.

Oh, you don't?

Huh?

Well, what is a God?

Something that you cherish and put foremost in your heart and your life in your actions.

And I'm not even gonna go there because you'll say I'm picking on football.

But football can be a God.

Hunting can be a God.

Fishing can be a God.

Pickleball can be a God.

Old cars, yeah.

Golf can be a God.

I will say, not golf, not golf.

I mean, really.

Whatever you cherish the most, usually it's pretty evident by your actions.

You with me?

I know this hurts, it's hurting me too.

My papa used to say this, Danny boy, you do what you want to do.

Well, let me tell you my answer to a God.

Your God is evident by what you do.

Ooh.

O me.

Can we say o me together?

O me.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Now, watch this.

And all these other things shall be added unto you.

The football, the all those other gods, they don't, they're not a God then.

They're just something that God allows you to enjoy because you've served him faithfully.

Hello?

God doesn't want you to be a prune.

Where'd that come from?

I don't like prunes.

He wants you to be happy.

He wants to give you the desires of your heart.

But he wants to do that in proportion that he is in control of everything.

He wants to be in control of my love for low cars.

And that's why my wife says, God's in control.

You can't buy anything.

Got to sell something for him, buy anything, don't I?

But do you understand that, church?

Come on, not at me.

Do you understand it?

So I'm not out here being legalistic.

I am the furthest from being legalistic than any preacher you know.

But I'm also as as dogmatic about putting God first.

Well, it's the love of your heart.

Because what you love in your heart is what you do.

Now, okay, traveling tip number five.

When God begins to deal with you, with our lives, those things which are so important begin to lose their value.

All right?

You know that.

Let's go on.

Number five.

Your rest will be disturbed by housekeeping.

Have you ever been in a hotel and sure enough, man, you're doing you're doing something clean, clean, clean.

That's why they have do not disturb signs.

I've learned when I go to the hotel, I put that not disturb sign on my handle.

So they won't be clean, clean, clean.

Well, Jonah, all hell's breaking loose, one of the worst storms that's ever been.

Now, let me tell you something.

Mariners, sailors, they were the best of the best sailors.

That's what they did for living.

So they were used to storms, okay?

But this happened to be like we've just seen and we've prayed for the people.

These megastorms every once in a while hit.

They get caught in a mega storm.

And it got so bad that the sailors, these professional sailors, were scared to death that they were going to lose their life.

They feared for their life, the scripture says right here.

Now, watch this.

When I get to heaven, I'm gonna say, come here, Jonah.

I got one question I want to ask.

When the best of the best sailors are up there doing everything they can to keep the boat from sinking, the boat is falling apart, and you are asleep down in the bottom of the boat.

You know what the Lord taught me there?

You better listen, all of us.

Listen to me.

You and I can come to the point as a Christian that we disobey God to the point that we become so carnal that even in the midst of a life-threatening situation, we are not calling upon God.

We're that cold.

That's a scary place to be.

Are you listening to me?

He's asleep.

And look at what happened.

So the shipmaster, verse 6, came to him and said unto him, What meanest thou, oh?

Look at what he called him.

Old sleeper.

That's as bad as we're talking about the preacher.

We're talking about the Billy Graham of his time.

What's wrong with you, Jonah?

You're nothing but an old, no good sleeper.

You're asleep when you ought to be praying.

You're asleep when you ought to be worshiping.

You're asleep when you ought to be doing something for God.

Now he didn't know at that time that he was his God was the Hebrew God, which controlled the waves and the winds and made everything.

But he didn't care.

Everybody on the ship was praying to their gods, whoever gods they believed in.

But Jonah was asleep, not praying, not doing anything.

That's how cold-hearted he had gotten.

That's pretty bad, folks.

Let me tell you when you get there.

You don't want to be around people that know God.

You don't want to be in church.

You don't want to read your Bible.

You don't want to share anything.

You don't even want people to know you're a Christian.

He didn't want them to know that he was a Christian.

He didn't have his Jesus' awesome band on.

He's trying to get away from it all.

God and everybody.

Boom.

Look what got disturbed.

You ready?

The sea, verse four, got disturbed.

The ship got disturbed.

It was breaking apart, verse four.

The sailors were disturbed.

They thought they were gonna die.

They prayed and then they parted.

They did something about it.

They threw over the cargo.

Hey, look, look.

The ship master was disturbed.

Verse 6.

He woke John.

I mean, he was afraid.

He was he woke Jonah up.

And then Jonah, the sleeper, he was disturbed.

Listen to me.

When you read this, listen to me.

When you and I are going in the wrong direction on the wrong boat, away from God, and we think it's just us.

I'm gonna get away from God.

I'm I'm by myself.

Nobody else is gonna get hurt.

Let me say something.

When you are in disobedience, hey, of God, everybody that you are around and know it affects.

Hello.

You think it's just you?

No.

It's everybody that you love, everybody that you know, every your friends, anybody that you affiliated or have influence with, they are in danger.

Hello.

Especially your family.

Oh me.

Folks, that's a warning flag for me.

Everything was disturbed.

Number six.

Traveling tip.

Number six.

But also one of number five.

Private disobedience will eventually affect others besides yourself.

Every time.

Then number six.

You will be given personal attention.

Number six verse seven.

And they said, every one to his fellow, come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us.

So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Verse 6, he got personal attention from the shipmaster.

Now he gets personal attention from the sailors.

They want to know why he's being disobedient.

God uses all types of avenues to communicate his will.

Isn't it amazing?

He used a lost ship captain and he used lost sailors to get the preacher's attention.

You ever thought about that?

Hello.

I mean the preacher ought to be preaching to them.

Instead, they're preaching to the preacher.

I think God has a sense of humor.

I'm even going to use the people that you don't want to preach to to get your attention.

Hello.

Thank God for our church.

Whosoever.

Whosoever.

We don't care what color you are, we don't care what profession you are, what social class you are.

We just love you because God loves you.

Amen.

And none of us are perfect.

We need each other.

Amen.

And don't tell, you cannot be prejudiced and love God.

Hello.

I'm preaching this in a time that it's a I apologize for the way our country is acting.

It's re God help us.

We need revival.

The church ought to be an example of the love of God.

Whosoever.

That's what I love.

We have one of the most diverse churches.

You look at, I just I look out and I say, whoo, this is what heaven's gonna look like.

We're breaking all church barrier things.

You know what most churches say, listen, I was taught in a seminary.

You got to decide what group of people you want to reach and then go reach them.

I raised my hand, did I not, honey?

They they got onto me in seminary.

They said I taught too much.

And I did.

I'd raise my hand all the time.

And I'd say, This is wrong.

This is not what the scripture teaches.

We had some students go up to one professor and tell them, tell me to shut up.

They paid to hear him, not me.

I still didn't shut up.

I paid my money too.

Hello?

I can speak up.

I paid.

It's wrong.

Jesus said, Whosoever.

It's a sad day in America when everything's integrated except the church.

You know why?

Because we all want to reach our class.

Who we feel the comfortable with, somebody like us.

I thank God that it's never once when David and I started this church in our hearts, we said we want to build a church like heaven.

I love, I love every one of you.

And I hope you know that.

It's not about color, it's not about race, it's not about position.

It's about loving him.

He loved us all.

He died for the rich.

He died for the poor.

He died for those, the insider, outsider, and all siders.

Amen.

And that's why God's blessing this church.

There's not one of you, I hope, that's walked in this building and didn't feel welcome.

I love you.

God loves you.

And we're here for us, for each other.

Let me don't get me on that trail.

I was doing good.

Number seven.

You have to show your passport.

What does that mean, preacher?

You're gonna have to tell who you are.

Look at what the sailors do.

They start asking him, Who are you?

Where are you from?

What do you do?

Look at what it says.

Then said they unto him, Tell us.

We pray thee.

For whose cause this evils upon us?

What is thine occupation?

Who are you?

What do you do?

And whence comest thou?

Where'd you come from?

What is your country?

Where do you live?

And what people are thou?

Uh-oh.

He's got to tell it all.

You can be sure.

You gotta confess it all.

You can't hide anything.

Can I get an amen?

You gotta come clean.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1 9.

Amen.

Remember what Jesus said?

He said, There are no secrets that can be hidden.

He said, Don't you realize I made the heavens and the earth?

I know everything.

He says, I even know your secrets.

Now that scares me.

I don't like that verse.

How many times have you looked at your husband or wife or your children?

Your children.

Let's use children.

Let's not go with the wife.

I'm fixing to get myself.

Okay.

Let's use children.

You sure you're telling me the truth?

Are you telling me everything?

How many times have we tried to tell the Lord most everything?

And think if we keep this one little sin hid over here or in that one little secret compartment, nobody's going to find out.

Hey, nobody may not find out, but the problem is God already knows it.

But you hate it when somebody keeps asking you that, especially when you're guilty.

I got news for you.

If you fess up, you ain't ask anything you want.

Yes, I did it, I'm guilty.

I got to thinking about this thing.

I'd hate for you to go back to my class reunion with when I went back 40 years and you go ask some of those people what I did before I got saved.

Can I tell you something?

If you do that, you won't like what you hear.

Because I did some bad things.

I'm fessing up.

So if you say, Well, I heard you, yeah, I did it.

I heard you, yeah, I did it.

But guess what?

1 John 1 9, still real today.

If I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive me my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

So don't even go.

I heard, yeah, I did it.

But I've been forgiven.

And then remember this: he that judges, you know why you judge according to whoo I'm about to have a room to speak.

Romans chapter 2, it's because you're guilty of the same thing.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

You just hadn't fessed up.

Hello.

You okay out there?

Number eight.

You can't cover up your wrong.

Twelve through fourteen.

They found out he was guilty.

He fessed up.

Thank God, Jonah fessed up.

He fessed up.

By just confession.

Confessing, you must repent and obey.

Nothing corrects disobedience except obedience.

Is that not good?

That's it.

If you're willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

If you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.

It's that simple.

Isaiah 1:19 and 20.

Isaiah 1:19

Number nine.

You'll be able to go swimming.

Even if you have never taken swimming lessons.

Even though you're, hey, you're scared of deep water.

You're going to get to go swimming.

Look at verse 15.

But first of all, notice in Proverbs 28.13, if it says, we can.

Do we have that one, Jason, Proverbs 28, 13?

That's a powerful verse.

Talks about not covering your sins.

If you cover your sins, you'll not prosper.

But what's this?

And this is so good.

They know Jonah is guilty.

Jonah fesses up.

And you know what?

Here's when you know it's true confession.

He says, throw me overboard.

I'm willing to take the consequences.

That's true repentance.

Because the consequences are coming.

Amen?

But see, what happens sometimes we want to fess up, but we don't want the consequences.

Hello, come on now.

Help me.

We fess up, but we don't want the consequences.

And we think fessing up because we've been caught, smooth it out real quick.

Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh.

You gotta, you gotta, you gotta face the consequences for your wrong.

Okay?

Forgiven?

Absolutely.

Hell against you?

No, absolutely not.

But consequences, yes.

I get, if I'm a drunk and I get in an accident and I have scars all over me, will God forgive me?

Yes, he does.

Will he save me?

Yes, he will.

But I still have scars.

Okay?

You with me?

But now Jonah says, throw me overboard.

We know he's really repentant.

Because he knew he had to be thrown overboard in order to stop the storm.

He knew that.

But now watch what we do.

Is this not typical of the average Christian, really, or average person?

They know that what they need to do.

Now, if I'd have been there and I'm about to drown, I'd said, throw the sucker over.

But you know what they did?

No.

They were sensitive.

I'm sure here's what they thought.

Well, it could be us too.

So we're just gonna keep rolling.

We're gonna keep rowing.

Then the boat started falling apart, and somebody said, I'm sorry, Jonah.

It's either us or you, and you going.

And they threw him over.

There's a calm.

Just like that.

Just like that.

So what I'm saying is, when you know what you're supposed to do, when you know it's time to fess up, repent, and do what's right, do it then.

Don't wait.

Because it will, are you ready?

It will get worse.

Come on, say amen or oh me.

It will get worse.

It won't get better until you get it right.

Every time.

Now watch this.

You'll be able to go swimming.

If you don't repent.

Then the last thing, and I'm through.

Well, I'm gonna get to the conclusion.

Your trip will be unforgettable.

Look at verse 17.

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish.

Some say, what in a whale?

I don't know if it was a whale.

I don't know if it was a sea monster.

I don't know what it was.

What I do know is it's a great fish.

And don't tell me this doesn't exist.

People say that's false known.

If Jesus talks about it in the New Testament in reference to, hey, three days in the belly of a fish like he did with his resurrection, if Jesus makes that point valid in the New Testament, I know old Jonah was spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish.

And notice what it says.

Just swallow up Jon, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish.

Three days and three nights.

You will have a trip that you'll never forget.

You'll have the opportunity to have a free ride.

Oh freewheeler.

You won't forget it.

Number one, here's more eat.

I'm hungry.

God is working you over.

It's either to correct you to get you back to where you need to be.

Or to prepare you where he wants you to be.

He's preparing you so that he can use you in a greater way.

We're so excited about David and Amanda coming on board with us in a couple of weeks.

God's got a God's gotta, he doesn't have a fish waiting on you, I promise.

But but God's got God's got a great task for David and Amanda to help prepare what God's gonna use him to help take this church to the next level.

Can I get an amen?

He's gonna need your prayers and he's needs your support.

Because he's gotta work for me.

Not work for me.

Work with me.

Nobody worked for me.

God working you over.

That's a good thing.

Why does he have Hebrews way up five to eleven?

Amen.

Number two.

Obey God even if you don't understand everything.

Obey God even if you don't understand everything.

There's no way Jonah understood why he would go to Nineveh and preach the gospel.

He he didn't understand why God would show that kind of favor to the Assyrians.

He didn't understand it.

And that's okay.

That's okay.

Just obey God when you don't understand.

Number three?

God will not let you disobey him without letting you know it.

Amen?

Are you listening to me?

I can promise you you cannot get away with saying it.

God will let you know it when you're doing wrong.

Can I get an amen?

Then number four.

If I am in the wrong place, right place is empty.

If you're not serving God in the place he's asking you to serve, that place is empty.

Hello?

That's powerful, folks.

We need help.

If you're part of this body, whether you're a covenant member or not, you need to get involved.

God's got a place for you.

I don't know where it is.

But let me tell you how you find it.

You just get involved and start doing something.

You start doing something.

If that you don't feel comfortable there, do something else.

You God will show you where you feel comfortable, where your gifts are, and then stay there and go to work.

Thank God for, let me tell you, thank God for you that helped pick up these chairs, put down the tables, and then when we get through feeding 200 people, thank you, thank you.

That's a that's a star.

Anybody can do that.

That's a but let me say, you said, well, anybody can pick up a chair or wipe a table.

But can I say that's a big deal?

That's a big deal.

Many hands make light work.

Let me tell you how we know that.

Here a few weeks ago, I don't know why or what happened.

But everybody just walked out.

We didn't put up the chairs, we didn't put up the tables.

And we don't know why.

We try to figure out how that happened.

Then we figured it out.

There's a few of you in the back of the window.

There's a few of you that have not to be here.

We come together to get charged up to serve God.

And then when we walk out this door, we go do what God's called us to do with all our hearts.

And guess what?

Satan's gonna beat up on us and hit us and knock us down, try to keep us, get us discouraged.

Then we come back on Wednesday or our Bible study, get a little refreshment, and then boom, boom, we get back out there in the marketplace.

And then we come back, and then back on Sunday, that's why I can't wait to get here on Sunday.

I need you to encourage me.

I've been beat up on all week.

But bless God, I throw my punches back at him, I promise.

I quote scripture like a machine gun.

So today, if you've not heard anything, here's what you needed to hear.

If you're on the wrong boat, get off.

And get on the right boat.

Amen.

And then the second thing, get involved.

Get involved serving.

Get involved.

God's called you, God loves you, He's got a special place for you.

And by the way, I don't think it's just one thing.

I think you can be involved helping doing a lot of things.

I think I think a lot of us, I know everybody has to have one gift, but I think most people have more than one gift.

So you can serve.

And by the way, serving's not a gift.

Serving is an action and a command by God.

Can I get an amen?

Something needs doing, we jump in and do it.

Can I say, can we get an amen?

So today, get involved.

Get involved.

We need you.

Gotta have you for trunk or treat.

I'm not getting off trunk or treat.

We need you.

Friend day.

Invite someone.

Bring somebody.

Just bring a friend.

Let them get a chance to see what we're doing.

We're so excited about what God's doing here and what he's going to do.

Unbelievable.

But we need help.

I talked to two people this week that said they're going to, they're very interested in investing some more with us.

I said, you know what we do?

Let me tell you what your pastor does in our leadership.

Every Sunday, I mean every Sunday, every day I pray, God send us people that want to be involved in reaching their community with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Can I get an Amen?

Showing them the love of Christ.

Amen.

Every head bow, every eye close.

You may be here this morning, you've never accepted Christ, watching online or here.

I'm going to give you that opportunity right now, right where you are, if you're not sure, if you were to die today, you're going to heaven.

Would you pray this, what we call the sinner's prayer that the thief himself prayed in Luke 23?

Would you say, dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I can't save myself.

But right now, dear Jesus, I'm asking you to come into my heart and my life and save me.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me.

In Jesus' name.

Now, if you prayed that prayer, watching online or here today, would you just slide your hand up and say to the Lord, thank you, Lord, for saving me this morning.

Would you raise your hand all over?

Yes.

God bless you.

God bless you.

Yes.

Yes, back there.

Yes.

Amen.

Three of you.

Yes, back here in the back.

Yes.

Four.

Woo! Hallelujah.

Anybody else?

Amen.

Now listen to me.

Yes.

God bless you, young man.

God bless you.

All right.

That's four or five.

Amen.

Amen.

Anybody else?

Yes, back there.

Thank you, young man.

Anyone else?

Now listen to me.

The prayer doesn't save you.

But giving your heart and life to Jesus Christ saves you.

So here's what I want us to do.

Let's everyone stand to our feet.

Amen.

Right now.

Now listen to me.

All of you that just prayed that prayer, listen to me.

Four or five of you.

Satan right now is going to tell you you don't need to come down.

But let me tell you why you need to come down.

One, we've got a little booklet right over here.

We got booklets for you that we want to give you and tells you what you need to do next.

You need to, you know, you need to start studying the Word of God.

We give you a little plan on how to do that.

You need to follow the Lord and be uh be baptized.

So what a, but more than that, you know what we want to do?

We just want to pray with you and love on you and say, God, thank you.

Do you realize four or five people are going to heaven now, not going to hell?

Can we get an amen for that?

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

That's what it's all about.

That's what it's all about.

So if you prayed that prayer with me right now, and nobody's got, hey, every every head bowed, every eye closed.

Just close it.

Nobody's looking.

But if you prayed that prayer right now, would you just step out and come down here so Pastor Danny can love on you?

God bless you.

Yes, yes.

Come on.

Come on right now.

Just come on.

Come on.

That's it.

Look here.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

That's it.

That's it.

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Can we get another clap off Red?

Woo! Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Honey, I'm gonna need help here.

I'm gonna need help right here, David.

Yes.

Amen.

Right here.

Right here.

Amen.

Anyone else?

Come on.

Come on.

Now here's the second part of this invitation.

Here's the second part of this invitation.

And this is gonna take a lot of guts.

But I'm tired of Christians not being courageous enough to stand.

Can I get an amen?

Amen?

Hey, you know you may be on the wrong boat right now.

And I know what you're gonna- Satan's already saying.

Oh, you can't go down the you can't go.

They're gonna think, oh, I don't care what Satan says.

All I care is God's moving on your heart, and you wanna get on the right boat and not let hey, not let Satan take you down, down, down, down, and cause disturbance in every not just your life, but everybody's life around you.

You gotta get on this wall, hey, off the wrong boat and get on the right boat.

Get to get in, amen, church! Amen, amen.

Would you step out right now?

Come here and let me pray with you.

Don't be a child, come on, come on, that's it, that's it, come on, come on, come on, that's it, come on, right here.

I want you right here, we all play.

Come on, come on.

Hey, man, hey man, hey man, amen.

Amen, come on.

I'm gonna get on the wrong bug.

Come on, let's get off, let's get off.

Get back, come on the room, come on.

Come on, anybody that's forced up playing with me.

Anybody, come on! You know you're gonna be down here! I know enough! Come on! You got enough material, get off that come on, come on.

Lord, right now we just ask you in your name to be with these that have made decisions this morning.

God, strengthen them, fill them with your spirit, fill them with your word, and then God, we just thank you that we know that you will be with them.

So, Lord, right now, thank you.

Just thank you for your word.

Now, Lord, as our ushers come down, you may be seated, church.

As our ushers come down, Lord, we just pray that you'll take this time.

Thank you for the way our people give.

Lord, thank you for those that tithe and those that give above the tithe.

Thank you for those that give something, and those that don't, Lord, speak to their hearts so they can start giving to their church to help their community.

Lord, we know that we give of our tithe, we give of our treasure, we give of our talents, and we give our testimony.

That's what we owe back to you.

So, Lord, we thank you for that.

Now, God bless this offering.

Use it, God, to feather the good news to our community.

Use it then help with the ice cream truck, the trunk or treat, all these things that go on.

Lord, it's through these monies that we take every week that help outreach the gospel to watch people like we saw four or five people this morning get saved.

Who knows online?

But Lord, we thank you.

Now God be with us and God bless us.

In Jesus' sweet precious name we pray.

Amen and amen.

Forgot your checkbook today for giving?

No worries because giving is now easier than ever.

You can give online by going to thechurch at cw.com and click on the Connect with Us tab and then give online.

On the app, simply click on the give icon.

You can also now use our text-a-give feature by texting Church at CW to 206-859-9405.

That's right, 206-859-9405.

All right, a few announcements before we eat together.

Uh, don't forget next week for our tickets, we're having a fundraiser, a dinner, and a movie right here.

You can get tickets and sign up on the way out.

We have an chicken alfredo dinner.

All of the proceeds from that event go towards our winter retreat that's coming up.

So, those of you that have food, we need them to help us serve our own.

Those of you without food, we need you to come and eat.

All right, so y'all please sign up.

Please get those filled out today as you walk out before.

And I know Pastor Danny might have said something a thing or two about trunk retreat, I'm not sure.

But I know from Anita, I better hit these.

She said we definitely need some more cupcakes before this morning.

So if you can imagine 800 to a thousand people, we want a lot of cupcakes.

And right now we're gonna give about 50.

Okay, there's gonna be a lot of people real hungry for cupcakes.

So please sign up for cupcakes.

We need some more trunks.

And there's some people maybe scared about what do you do with a trunk, okay?

You can literally bring your trunk and open it.

It doesn't even have to have a game or something.

You can just have candy at your trunk, okay?

So if you have a car here, or which most people do, you can bring it, pull it up, or help us out.

We need the body of Christ to work together.

And I know with uh 16 days left to that day, most people can say to their boss, if you're working, hey, look, six to eight hour, okay?

I just need to have my trunk somewhere.

Uh I know it's a lot of planning that you can make this happen, so please make it happen on that day.

And then there's a need for more chili to be signed, so if you can make a chili, and Harry asked me if you can work a parking or security please.

Uh, our quarterly reports for our budgets are out on the table, so any covenant members are free to pick those up as a leading door uh as well.

And then Anita asks if anybody's interested in working in the children's ministry of a needle that's gonna open up in the Sunday school area.

Uh so please see her.

And then don't forget the Alzheimer's walk November the third.

Please see Rosa Marina with any contributions for that to help that uh check with her and then Paul Raider mentioned that next next week, but the week after the twenty-eighth, there's gonna be a building and land committee meeting.

All right, let's already get Lord.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for the church.

Close to your side, so heaven is real, and death is alive.

I wanna hear voices, angels above stay at all.

The mountains shake me for him, the demons run and flee at the mention of the name King of Majesty.

There is no power in hell or any who can stand before the power and the presence.

Everyone together sing the song of the redeem.

And now I stand on what he did.

My Savior, my Savior led.

Every day I brand new chance to say Jesus, you are the only way.

My Savior, my Savior Lif The Kings come from heaven, and darkness trembles at his name.

Victory forever is the song of the Redeemer.

And now I stand on what he did.

My Savior, my Savior led.

Every day, a brand new chance to say that Jesus, you are the only way, my Savior, my Savior Louis.

And now I stand on what he did.

My Savior, my Savior left.

Every day a brand new chance to say, Jesus, you are the only way.

My Savior, my Savior led.

Yeah, I know that my redeemer lives.

And now I stand on what he did.

My Savior, my Savior led.

Every day a brand new chance to say Jesus, you are the only way, my Savior, my Savior.

The kings and their kingdoms are standing on.

Here in your presence we are under here in your presence, heaven and earth become one.

Here in your presence, all things are new.

Here in your presence, everything bows before you found in your hands, fullness of joy.

Ever a fear suddenly wiped away.

Here in your presence, all of my gains now fade away.

Ever a crown no longer on display.

Here in your presence, heaven is trembling in all your wonders.

Yeah, yeah, the kings and their kingdoms are standing amazed.

Hearing your presence We are undone Hearing your presence, heaven and earth become one.

Here in your presence, all things are new.

Here in your presence, everything passed before you.

Hearing your presence, all things are hearing your presence, everything bows before you hearing your presence we are under Hearing your presence, heaven and earth become one here in your presence.

Comes from the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life, I'm in all of you, I'm in all of you where you love to life.

The name of Jesus brings healing.

The name of Jesus brings freedom.

The name of Jesus is higher for free.

The name of Jesus is victory.

The name of Jesus has saved me.

The name of Jesus is high.

Your name is Kenneth.

No other name, no other name, like Jesus.

Name above all names.

Your name is Jesus.

My divorce.

My affection is set on you.

I was made to worship.

I was made for your name.

I was made to worship.

I was made to bless your name.

I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times.

Hours made to worship.

Hours made to bless your name.

I will shout your praise forever.

I will shout your praise forever.

I was just made to worship.

I was just made to lift your neck.

Switch away in your holy presence.

Giving over me.

I was made to worship.

I was made for your brain.

You will make with me.

I was made to worship.

I was made to bless your name.

I will bless the light and all time I will bless the light and all time.

I want to make the I want to make too bad.

I want to make the I want to make it up.

I want me to understand.

I want me to let your shot feel great forever.

No one is greater than you.

No name is higher.

You never fail.

Always prevail.

We put our trust in you.

God of the breakthrough.

Enthroned in majesty, his glory surrounds him.

Holy is the Lord.

We sing holy is the Lord unto God.

All of the praise unto God.

All of the praise for he has done great things.

So forever we will sing unto God.

All of the praise, unto God.

We all for he has done great things, so forever we will say, Oh, we see.

His presence is here.

Let's lean into his presence tonight.

Oh, we love your presence, Jesus.

All of my life I search for you, Lord.

You call me to your side with all of my heart, I'm desperate for more.

Your presence is my life.

The cry of my heart is to be where you are.

When you tell him tonight, I love your presence.

I'll presence Father where you are.

It's where I wanna be.

Hidden in your box is everything I need There's no place where I'd be You are my strength.

You are my strength, you are my sheet Surround me with your song Orden my soul will know is your peace hide me in your loud The cry of my heart is to be where you are Jesus It's to be where you are where you are your post the name of Jesus Jesus beautiful isn't the name of Jesus beautiful Son of God of us Lover of our souls isn't the name of Jesus beautiful Eternal Key humor and we will see the glory of your name believed in heart all the world to see your name is all they need your name is all in me Isn't the name of Jesus powerful Isn't the name of Jesus powerful chains are broken when it's spoken everything must fell is in the name of Jesus powerful name all the world sea songs in the sea of the sun Your name is all the knee Your name is all the measure is freedom in the name There's healing the name There's power in the name Salvation in the name There is life in the name There is no other name Jesus Jesus There is freedom There is freedom in the name There's freely in the name There is power in the name Substitution in the name There is life in the name There is no one is no free salvation There is not the name but Jesus Isn't the name of Jesus all with me Isn't the name of Jesus all in me He is the way the truth life The only way to God Isn't the name of Jesus all with me the way the truth life the only way to God isn't the name of Jesus.