Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.

Our desire is for the word of God spread throughout so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. If you would a verse one of Jonah chapter 1. Read these first four verses and deal solely with them this morning. Now the Lord of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of amortized saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me.

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 on to Tarshish 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, or we need your help today and bless as we begin in this book of Jonah Lord, there really is something to learn for everyone, especially us, Lord, if there are individuals here this morning that just don't know for sure that there say Lord.

This book has everything to do with them. Lord, if there are some that know their say.

But feel they're not quite doing everything that God has laid on their heart to do in their life Lord. This books for them to Lord I pray as we lay a foundation for the year to come.

God you would encourage the hearts of everyone in this church to recommit their lives to serve you in a different way. In your precious, holy name, amen. Verse one.

If you would now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Emma Ty say the first phrase of this verse.

Now the word of the Lord came.

Let me give you little bit of a hint about your life. Everything always starts when the word of the Lord comes to you, why is it so important that we say that you and I get into God's word because that's where direction comes for our lives.

This all started the whole story started when God was word came to Jonah, dear friend.

You realize how special it is and how wonderful it is and how blessed we are that we literally have the word of God in front of us and that's where it all started one commentator said this, I thought this was great, but the word of the Lord came to Jonah for God's word is a real thing. Man's words are but when but God's words are the substance dear friend, every decision in your life should not start with the words of men. It should not start because you think it's a good ideal or because mama think it's a good ideal or because daddy thinks it's a good idea or some friend or some coworker or some mentor thinks it's a good ideal and is what you want to do with your life dear friend of theirs one piece of advice I can give you this morning. Don't do anything unless God leads you to do it now to be the start to everything when God's word comes to you Gideon God's word and it will get into you want to look if you would verse two.

This is what God told him to do. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me now because this first message will bit of introduction I gotta tell you just a little bit about Nineveh. Nineveh was at this time is what we would call a metropolis in our terminology. I guess you would say of the Assyrian monarchy.

And that means this it was an imminent city Genesis chapter 10 tells us that about Nineveh. It was a great city it was 48 miles encompass.

And that's a very large city, by the way, 48 miles in circumference, and they believe many historians believe Nineveh was even bigger than that, but that's a very large city that means this is basically like. From here, and I don't know what might would be 48 miles and probably going the other side of Burlington on how far is Burlington from here is like 30, 35 miles 40 miles.

I don't know but I means he literally going past. You know Burlington going all the way past that probably made a med bin or something like that that literally. From this point all way to men's one city that's a pretty big city so Nineveh was a big city it had a great number of inhabitants and I want you to a lawyer why you're holding your place like a Jonah chapter 4 verse 11. The last verse of the book of Jonah. Look at this.

I want you to see this and should not. I spare Nineveh, that great city. The Lord says notice this wherein are more than six score thousand six score is what 100 and 2000 and I wrong about that's about it. Correct me if I am but six I'm right. Hundreds would listen, wherein are more than 120,000 persons that cannot discern between the right hand in their left hand know what are we talking about their babies in this city they had over 120,000 babies who are not even old enough yet to know the difference between a right hand in the left-hand verse showing the scope of this city that they had. It was such a large great city, and there was over 120,000 babies and it that's pretty astronomical.

At this time of history. Now it was a great city in the Bible, the book and they whom tells us that this city literally had dominion over all the kings of the earth that means this Nineveh for a while was the epicenter of everything going on in God comes to Jonah and he said Jonah look at verse two. Go to Nineveh, that great city cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me now only this verse are quick were not even getting into our point yet look at this through quickly notice the words that he uses and I want you to understand what he's telling Jonah to do first word he says is this arrives when God tells Jonah arrives go to Nineveh that means this it was going to take work means that Jonah was going to have to get out of his comfort zone. Jonah, you're going to have to get up and go arise and go, it means it was going to take effort, it means that he was going to have to leave the position that he was in and the place he was at and he was going to have to go to another location. He was going to have to arise. It was going to take effort to have to get out of your comfort zone. Look at me dear friend I believe God always calls us to get out of our comfort. The danger in serving God is often that you and I get too comfortable. Now you and understand from a pastor just being faithful to this church means the world to me. It is so hard to get people be faithful and people think you know you don't like the preachers mean because you're always on, get this, I'm so thankful we have a faithful church faithful people and I am thankful for that. But may I say that when you get too comfortable in your faithful you come to church and you sit in your seat which you ought to do. But over the years we can get so comfortable with that that that's all we do and I am challenging: Baptist Church. I believe this year God is telling us to arise get out of our comfort zone start doing some things that you haven't done before start making even a little more effort. Start thinking outside the box of how you could do even more for the Lord this year. Notice what he says series is arise, go to Nineveh, that great city know those two words.

Great city means this it means that Nineveh was intimidating.

It means that it was dauntless. You got understand that God just asked Jonah to go to this city. It was a very intimidating city.

It was a very large city and how in the world are you just supposed to go and incorporate yourself into the city and start preaching to all of them that there literally going to hell if they don't turn to God that's good be real popular is it wasn't popular that day and guess what is not popular this day either. And you know what oftentimes you and I were limited on how we serve God because we are intimidated, it might not be a great city with us, but it might be a great boss at work or might be a great problem in our family and whatever it is for some reason. Oftentimes you and I don't do for God what he wants us to do and what we should do because were intimidated were scared and God even admits it's a great city. It's a large city to be a hard task notice if you would've verse two that he says this when you get to that city, cry against. He didn't say just speak against the said cry against what he was telling Jonah this is that it was going to take passion that Jonah was going to have to get a burden. This was more than just going through the motions and getting up and say hey you need to turn the Lord. Thank you he was going to have to get a burden for the city.

He was good have to get a love for this city. He was good have to get a passion for this city. He was going to have to have something inside of him that was greater than him that was greater than human emotion, he was going to have to get a burden from God for this city piece. I want you to go and I don't want you to go and piddle. I don't want you to go and mess around and fool around and go to the motions. I want you to go and cry against it. You know God's calling: Baptist Church to do. Let's try this area. Let's get our comfort zone.

Let's get out of where were comfortable and where we've always been said for this area burden for people. Also, he looks to Jonah. He says this I want you to cry. Notice this against it preacher, what does that mean so glad you asked. When God said I want you to cry against it.

God is saying this when you get up and you preach my word you to be going against the flow of that city means this what you have to say is not going to be popular in that town who literally Nineveh was going one direction and we know is a very sinful, wicked city and God said Jonah Juergen have to go to that city and when you cry, your good have to cry no matter against God still works that way folks you look at me want to understand this this morning. This is real popular for Sunday morning service.

God did not call us as a church to cry with the grana people God did not ask us just to try to hey keep going the same direction, the world's going to just try to figure way how you can kinda get the gospel in here and there you go ahead and do the wrong of the world does then you just try to figure it was God has called us to cry against it. That means that our church should not you know determine our policies based on what's popular based on who's doing what and this large and this lot in their going this direction, which means you know, we probably would fit at and that's what were you to listen God said cry against it. That means this you know what you're going to have to get up and you got to stand up for something and I might not be the direction everybody else is going. But God doesn't care what direction it's going all God cares about is where supposed to be going in our church is responsible to make sure that we are willing to even cry against popularity in this day dear friendly it's about time for us is to determine where we are what we are. We just cannot stand up for what's right, I would have never come to work at this church in 1994, I would've never even considered it. If this church did not have what I felt a good stand. I was just college student college students nowadays minium don't really care either way.

The just you no one find somewhere to work who has a good salary pager insurance. Whatever the case might be, when I met with Brother Joe this is a large church is a good size church anybody in their right mind would want to work here in the honor to get to be on staff here in different things, but I asked for the Joe when we met. He asked me a number of questions.

But then I asked him some questions and he's even mentioned this in years past that I asked particular convictions in particular things and where does our church stand on these things because different God didn't call us to be popular. He called us to cry against it now notices very closely.

He did not say against them. He said cry against it, meaning society, our job is not to get up and ridicule people. Our job is not to get up and belittle people because they don't do what we do because they don't think like we think because they don't wear what we wear, and they don't go where we go when they don't think what we think, listen, it is not our job to cry against them.

It's our job to cry against it. And I mean mom talk about society.

I'm talking about the worldly system and Satan is the father of it. He's the prince and power of the air and he is making sure that our society on a whole. I'm not just talking about America on talk about countries all over there heading one direction and where not to get out and ridicule people and hang people and blow up. You know blow up these abortion clinics in different things. That's not what God called us to do. We are to cry against it, not there, dear friend. You can stand up or something, but does mean you have to hang people anybody at a love people with God's. What you notice this. This is taking more time than I was planning on taking on these words but I feel like God wants me here for a minute.

He said this want you to cry against it.

Notice this for their wickedness is come up before me.

What is interesting here folks listen to me and and and there's so much Bible in these verses and I you know little, even for sacred time, but I want you to get this God calls Jonah to go and cry to preach against the flow. Here's why. He said for their wickedness has grown up against me. God always has and always will look at me use the preaching of his word to fight wickedness. Listen music's great singing groups are great.

Nothing wrong with any of that. But God always has and always will use the preaching of his word to fight wickedness.

The only thing that'll really work is the preaching of his word.

Now I don't know about you but I want you to notice a correlation here.

Nineveh obviously being a very large great city had become a very wicked city and by the way, there might be great cities, and there might be great men. But this, this book teaches us that even though Nineveh was a great city it was still under the judgment of God. I don't care how big a city or how big a nation gets God still in control and he still over all of it. But isn't it amazing how many great cities, large cities in our nation are very wicked cities you show me a large city. I'll show you a very wicked city Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or three of our log largest in their very wicked cities.

There's a lot of stuff that goes on that we would not even could talk about in mixed company and all the things that go on and dear friend, I want you to know the reason is is because there's so many centers there. They help each other. Sin.

That's why an individual's are not careful, clean, individual can go to a very filthy city and because of the pressure because so many people are heading the wrong direction get to a big city. Before long, they just taken place of it just asked a lot about that different. I'm here to tell you I don't care how popular, how many people are doing what it doesn't make it right. The Bible says that broad is the way that leads to destruction narrows the way that leads to life is always good to be less going the right way and there's always good to be more going the wrong way. That's not the direction were supposed to be heading boycotts and a whole bunch just a phrase to Jonah Disney and he saying a whole bunch to us want you to notice number one this morning I want to notice. First, I want you to see Jonah's distance starts. If you would, in verse two, after God had given him a command. Look at verse three. But Jonah rose up to flee under Tarsus from the presence of the Lord, to bring more to this later before we go this morning, but I want you all to understand every bad circumstance or decision that you make in your life always starts when you allow a distance to come between you and God you see before you ever and we preachers a lot of times were real big into it when we been known over the years but but he will just get up and will mention every sin of the book will present everything is on you know how we all did and buddy but can I tell you something before up individual ever does those things. What happened way before.

That is, they began to get a distance from God and dear friend, I want to say that you and I have got to look at our own lives and just analyze for a second. Have I allowed distance to come between me and God.

God came to Jonah he commanded Jonah told him what he wanted to do and the first thing Jonah did was get away from God, from the presence of the Lord may ask you this morning. Do you have a distance between you and God has someone or something.

Come into your life and have taken you further and further away.

I've met individuals that were hurt by somebody in church because of that they've gotten away from God doesn't seem right that we would take it out on God doesn't somebody does is wrong. That's what happens. I've seen individuals because of circumstances because something happened because you know they had a loved one killed in a rack or something like that. They don't think it's fair. They don't understand why. Before long you notice that every year and if they were honest, there's a distance that has come between them and God. It always starts there always starts.

We allow anything to start taking us away from God.

When I challenge you your curly Baptist Church, whether you remember where they are not a member.

I'm not even concerned about that this morning. I'm asking you if you leave here you go to lunch and to go all of life this week. Could it be possible that we, without even realizing it, announcing that without even wanting to weave. We got distance between us and God. We've grown further away from him that we were a year ago because as soon as you let distance start just snowballs after I notice I find it interesting here that the what he did. It took him from the presence of the Lord not know about you but oftentimes you know we talk about backsliding. The backsliding is a very slow process and I've heard preachers use the thing of note taking a boat out to fish and they'll sit there and the turnabout often notice fish there for a while and no fish there for maybe an hour or two and all of a sudden when they stop and take a look where they were sitting the current or the water has slowly taken them far away from where they were and that any realize it.

I've heard all that and I know the different may I tell you I think if you and I are got honest with each other. We know when the presence of the Lord is not with us. We know it and I believe Jonah knew that he was taking steps away from the presence of the Lord, by the way, all is vain, unless we have the presence of the Lord. I don't care how talented any of us might be musically speaking wise.

What ever the case might be if we don't have the presence of the Lord in our services. It's a waste of our time what you notice.

Number two, Jonah's direction. Bible says that he arose and he fled to Tarsus from the presence of the Lord. But notice this and he went down to Joppa. Amazingly here to get a map out Joppa is not necessarily south of where Jonah was. Now he was busy crying out to Israel, but God had asked him to go to Nineveh where Jonah was to get to Joppa was North but God said when he went to Joppa. Although he might've been heading north. He was going down. Amazing how God's word notices the details. Dear friend, any step you take away from God. You're always going down.

You're not gaining any ground you're not helping your self one bit you're going down. I don't care if you got away from God. Now you're making more money now you got nicer things.

And now, hey I got this and I got that I got all these things at the world want you can have all of you want to, but I'm telling you you're going down your head and down you're going the wrong direction. I don't care what promotion you get don't care how much fun you're having in all the things that your money can buy. I'm here to tell you what all those things in our life takes us away from God and there begins a distance. I'm telling you where heading in the wrong what you notice. Thirdly, the Bible says that he found the ship going to Tarshish, Tarsus. If you'll notice on a map not I Sinemet to be about think it was enough resolution trotting be able to show this map there it is. I know you probably can't see it very close. But if you'll notice, and I point out for those you can't see it. Nineveh is all way over there on the far right. Tarsus is always over here in the far left now for sake in the future.

This body of water right here is where the great fish swallowed Jonah. Jonah went down to Joppa. The Bible says although were Jonah was God and called him to go up to Nineveh, so he went up but went to Joppa instead and got a boat to take him across the Tarsus. Now you got understand that course number three on the points I want you to see Jonah's dilemma.

God had said to go to Nineveh and now Jonah goes to Joppa and he finds a ship look at me that's going to take him as far away from where God wants him as he can go Tarsus is on the it is so far away it's on the other side of the letter of the body of water. I mean, is this far away as he could get where he was was close to Nineveh, but he was going to get a far away from men as he could and so we had a dilemma. Am I going to do what God wants me to do or my going to get on the ship and start a process that is going to take me as far away from where God wants me as I can get different. Some of you might be in the same dilemma in your life you got a decision to me. You can either progress where God wants you to do or you can literally get on a ship in your life that's going to take you further and further and further away from where God wants you. Here's his dilemma standing here in Joppa. Here's a ship that I can get on to take me away away from that wicked city or I can turn this direction and traveled the short distance to Nineveh and do what God wants me to do by the way, everyone of you sitting in this building. Every one of us have always had times in our life when we were in the same dilemma. Do I do what God wants me to do, or do I do what I want to do. You see, dear friend.

The thing about Jonah.

It speaks to every individual. Here's why. It is a battle between the flesh and the spirit. Everything in the Christian life always comes down to that. Do I do what God wants me to do what the spirits leading me to do, or do I do what my flesh wants to do. It's a dilemma that everybody thinks I want you to notice.

Next, the Bible says so he paid the fare thereof, it's only things we can say about that. Always cost you.

It always gonna cost you to go against God's always gonna cost you something, but he paid the fare thereof. Notice that and went down into it. Next, we see Jonah's decision. All right, I'm to get on that ship.

I went to make the wrong decision to do what I want to do. He paid the money he got on that ship now. Little did he know he would've saved himself a whole lot heartache stay off that boat and how many times evil and speaking with young people.

Little did they know the heartache that there heading right into and they wouldn't listen to you if you slapped him across the head with a 2 x 4, they wouldn't listen to what you have to say they don't want to hear it. They've heard it all before and literally a mom and a dad and the pastor and individuals 11th can literally see exactly where there heading there to make their decision and I bring this point to say this, look at me. Jonah was a preacher he was literally a man of God, and he face found himself in a dilemma, and he made the wrong decision. Now look at me. I don't find anywhere near this is a freebie. By the way, I don't find anywhere in here where God said in Jonah got on that ship, and the Bible says if only his parents had raised him better if only his mom and dad had been a better example look at me dear friend I preach this time blue in the face. You don't know where I stand on this and other say it again quickly got our time is almost up this morning. Bible says train up a child the way she go when he is old he will not depart from it. That word it at the end talk about the training not the way I'm here to tell you raise your kids right you train them right that training will never get out of their minds doesn't mean her never to do wrong. It doesn't mean the never to make a wrong decision, but I don't care what they do, where they go back and try to go to place a like their memory will never forget the training that you put in their minds.

If you train them right. But I have seen so many times mom and dad to beat themselves up because of the decisions that their young people made and I'm here to tell you they are the ones that make the decisions you can't change that. He was a man of God. It made a wrong decision not mom and dad's fault. Jonah made a wrong decision is not grandma grandpa's fault.

The Jonah made a wrong decision is not somebody that did Jonah wrong and he was he went to a church that was just too strict. Thank you for listening to you receive the blessing from our broadcast Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Rd. in Kernersville, NC may also contact us by phone and 33699351924 Kerwin Baptist Church.com enjoy our services live molar medium on her website and church. Thank you for listening.

Kerwin broadcast God bless you