Posts Tagged ‘jonah’
A second chance for America’s prophets and preachers
Do we trust God’s message enough to risk everything to share it?
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time… Jonah 3:1 (ESV)
We never want to cause God to bring his word to us more than once. Jonah was resistant. We are all familiar with the story. The mission the Lord gave Jonah was a critical one, and he wasn’t about give up over the childish, selfish approach of his prophet. Nineveh needed to hear from God, fast, and Jonah was the man to bring the message. The longer I live the more dismayed I become at the state of preaching and prophetic ministry. While there is a small, raging, faithful remnant that is operating out of the fear of the Lord in these dire end times, the normal approach to preaching in our nation is cautious at best, outright rebellious at worst. Human wisdom has taken over numerous pulpits. Many are trading unchangeable truths in Scripture for a modified version that seems more godly, and less costly. For example, I asked a question on Facebook recently: If a professing Christian was caught in sin such as greed, pornography, gossip or other intentional failures, and they repeatedly refused to repent, what should happen? Many rejected Matthew 18 as too severe. They generally replied by saying we should pray for them, keep them in the church so they can hear the truth, be patient, etc. That sounds good, but it’s not biblical. They are attempting to extend a type of mercy that God never intended them to.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV)
Cultural resistance to any hint of judgment has caused many American preachers to go soft and silent. Churches are crawling with immoral people who name the name of Christ, and we as leaders will have blood on our hands if we don’t deliver a sobering message of repentance to our nation. The Bible is extremely clear on this point. We must judge with a heart of love and sobriety for the sake of the church:
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 (ESV)
The Bible reveals in the end-times, people will call evil good and good evil. While church leadership as a whole isn’t at the point of calling sexual sin good, the lack of action as demanded by Scripture reveals that some leaders are calling evil something less than evil. Weakness. Struggle. Human nature. They wish to extend mercy to those who willfully continue in their deliberate decision to defy God. There comes a time when we must trust God’s wisdom and understand the unrepentant are evil. Period. Boy, that sounds self-righteous, doesn’t it? No, it doesn’t, unless you’ve been conditioned by the politically correct, religiously correct culture we are living in today. In truth, it’s not self-righteous. It’s simply righteous. We can, and must, have a heart of compassion and eyes filled with tears as we witness people rejecting God and his standards. Those tears however can’t result in a failure to exercise biblical protocol. There does come a time when we must act, no matter how terrible the action might feel. God can be trusted.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (ESV)
It doesn’t get any more direct than that.
A SECOND CHANCE FOR AMERICA’S PREACHERS
The primary purpose of this article is not to discuss protocol for discipline in the church, though that is a necessary sub-point. The reason I led with that point was to reveal the deep dilemma we are currently in in America. We have gone soft on sin and few are speaking on the crisis. Judgment is not only probable, it’s most likely necessary to ensure more people aren’t contaminated by compromised, carnal, passive, quasi-Christianity. Judgment is God’s method of giving opportunity for those who still have hope to escape the prison they locked themselves into through their disobedience. We need judgment. It’s God moving in both love and severity at the same time, for good cause.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV)
This is a message for America. It’s time to call out against it. We have no option but to deliver the message that God gives us. We need great, humble and bold men and women of God to reject fear of man, to stop thinking about the impact on their ministry and reputation and call out! It’s time for a shaking to come to America, and it needs to be initiated by preachers behind pulpits and in front of cameras from coast to coast. We know that Nineveh famously repented, and God relented.
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:9-10 (ESV)
We need messengers of God to arise and open their mouths! We must call out against America and cry out for deliverance from destruction.
CALL OUT AND CRY OUT!
I’ve met many pastors who admittedly have surrendered the fiery and unapologetically confrontational message that God had given them years prior for a more palatable message that ensures people keep showing up on Sundays. As an itinerant prophetic minister, I’m often called in to bring a sharp prophetic message, when in reality the leadership should have been bringing it themselves all along. I understand what bringing in catalytic people can do. That is a God designed strategy, and many amazing pastors do that to help bring some fresh revelation and instruction into their situation. But, much of what I and others do can be accomplished without any outside help whatsoever. Call out and cry out night and day! Gather the people to pray! Repent! Refuse to lead a typical American church! Go deep and burn with passion! Call every person to be branded by the searing heat of the Holy Spirit. It’s time! We don’t want to live a Jonah 3:1 life. The second time God is required to speak due to our delay and disobedience is one time too many. Let’s back up to Jonah 1:1:
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. Jonah 1:1-3 (ESV)
There we see the original directive. Instead of calling out against Nineveh, Jonah instead went away from the presence of the Lord. Listen closely: Many of today’s prophets and preachers are ministering on the run, outside of God’s presence, in a spirit of self-centeredness. They are evading the hard messages because of unresolved inner issues in their lives. The thought of offending people, losing them from their ministry, losing financial support, losing favor and their pedestal, have all resulted in preachers without an anointing delivering a message born of their own hearts.Judgment is coming—first to the preachers, and then, very possibly to our nation. Remember, it’s God’s love that demands this. It would be the least impactful way to awaken the greatest number of people. Judgment is necessary if repentance is absent.
PREACHERS PREACH!
Being open to God’s voice in our lives will result in a lifestyle of inconvenience, challenge and impossible mandates. It will cause huge, huge problems in our lives, and it will cause damage and bring calibration to our lifestyle. But, as we understand our roles to bring reformation and calibration to the church and to the world, we’ll see that our lives won’t collapse. We will function in power as we hear God and release decrees and declarations! As many of today’s preachers and prophets are running from God’s mandate and asleep outside of his presence, the world is crying out for you to awaken!
So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” Jonah 1:6 (ESV)
There is no safe place outside of God’s call. Jonah’s disobedience was putting the lives of those around him at risk. They demanded that he wake up and call out to God! I want to encourage you to do the same. Call out to God and then call out against America. Then, cry out for her as intercessors. A great drama is before us, and we must ensure that drama includes the greatest move of repentance in history; a revival that cannot be measured. Preachers, America is waiting for you to arise from your slumber and release the burning messages of God. Like Jonah, this is the very reason you were born.
Speaking Engagements : A Fish, a Worm and a Wind : Notes and Audio
First—Let’s take a Revival Team of fiery, prophetic people to three upcoming ministry events! Join us THIS WEEK!
I’ll be teaching on Six Enemies of Fulfilled Destiny at IHOPE Detroit this Wednesday and Thursday nights. It starts at 7pm and you can see more info at www.ihopedetroit.org.
Also, this Sunday, June 27th at 10:30am I’ll be at Revival Nation Church in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Check them out at www.revivalnation.com.
Are you in the Detroit area? I’m boldly casting the vision for a mass gathering of 
likeminded, hungry and passionate people at Revival Church every Sunday evening at 6pm.
Simply, we need you! We’re looking for an expectant people to rise up and lock arms with the rest of us at Revival Church as we intentionally and strategically prepare for the upcoming outpouring in Detroit. If you can make a commitment to be with us every Sunday night, I’m fully confident your life will take a turn you never thought possible!
Last night I taught on part two of a message on Jonah. This one is titled A Fish, a Worm and a Wind.
Two key points were addressed:
- There is a ‘spirit of Jonah’ that’s rising up in the religious world right now. It’s a prophetic movement of tearing down men and women of God due to slight doctrinal differences, or due to their vindictive and proud disposition and desire to see fallible people renounced and eliminated from ministry.
- Jonah was known to be an emotional wreck. He went from gladness to depression in record time. Do you find yourself angry or depressed or sad often? You may find freedom as you repent of the same issues that drove Jonah.
Head on over to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching and listen now.
I got great feedback last week when I included my notes, so here are the notes for last nights teaching:
A Fish, a Worm and a Wind
I. Jonah
a. Jonah 2:10 (ESV) And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
i. If anybody in history should have understood mercy and grace, it’s Jonah.
ii. Jonah was a prophet of God, a minister, someone who had a massive life mission to change the world.
1. He was a highly esteemed Prophet of Israel around 786BC.
2. However, he had serious shortcomings.
3. He was vindictive and radically exclusive.
4. Nineveh was a bitter enemy of Israel.
5. He could be compared to the elder brother of the prodigal son who was angered at the father’s unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance of his long lost son.
iii. Last week I mentioned the importance of not living a Jonah 3:1 life:
1. Jonah 3:1 (ESV) Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…
2. However, you would think that Jonah, after his tragic error of disobedience, would understand the deep love and grace of God.
3. Let’s read his prayer from the belly of the fish that God appointed to deal with Jonah:
4. Jonah 2:1-10 (ESV) 1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” 10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
iv. Jonah was saved by God’s mercy and in God’s grace he delivered the prophetic message he was born for.
1. It’s been said that mercy is God’s unmerited favor. Grace is God’s empowering.
2. A fallen minister went through God’s microwaved restoration process and was immediately back in the ministry. This still flawed man of God was called on to save an entire city. God’s grace was with him!
3. Jonah 3:10 (ESV) When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
4. Jonah was furious!
5. Jonah 4:1 (ESV) But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
6. If we are driven by grace, we will easily love and honor people. Our passion will be their life, not our life.
7. Jonah had a certain right to be angry. After all, he loved truth and was intent in seeing everything unholy and false destroyed. His problem though was simple. His love of truth that resulted in vindictiveness against people clearly showed that his revelation of truth was flawed.
8. However, Jonah had so much hatred for the Assyrians for their past oppression of his people that he could not rejoice over their
salvation.
v. Check out what he says in chapter 4 verse 2!
1. Jonah 4:2 (ESV) And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
2. Wow! That is an insane verse! We see more clearly now why he ended up in the belly of a fish. It wasn’t because he was scared of prophesying in Nineveh. It wasn’t because it was inconvenient. It was because he knew God was full of grace and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in love! He knew God’s love would prevail instead of judgment!
3. Matthew Henry- There appeared in Jonah remains of a proud, uncharitable spirit; and that he neither expected nor desired the welfare of the Ninevites, but had only come to declare and witness their destruction.
4. Jonah 4:3-4 (ESV) 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5. He would rather die than partake in the grace and mercy of God.
a. We see a movement today that has this unhealthy spirit of Jonah fueling it.
b. We have to be careful not to be so focused on our righteousness and other’s failures, we can’t trumpet truth in such a way that it results in the destruction of others as it would be reveal an inaccurate revelation of truth.
vi. Jonah finds himself outside of God’s grace yet again.
1. He was known to have emotional mood swings—he was depressed yet again.
2. Heaviness, depression and anger can be an indicator that we are living outside of God’s grace, and God will do much to draw us back in.
3. We can’t presume to be delivered from depression without repentance and release of the ideals that put us there.
4. Check out what Jonah did.
5. Jonah 4:5 (ESV) Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.
6. Jonah reverted to the demeanor of a five-year-old.
7. He built a fort and pouted.
vii. So, what did God do? Did he send a wise man of God to counsel him? Did he reason with him? Nope. Jonah should know that God would do something bizarre. He should have remembered that God had previously appointed a fish to deal with his issues.
1. Jonah 1:17 (ESV) And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
viii. Now, in Jonah’s even more ridiculous situation, God appoints a wise and mighty plant.
1. This verse is hilarious:
2. Jonah 4:6 (ESV) Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant.
3. Yeah! A plant! This emotionally unbalanced prophet went from depression to being exceedingly glad in a moment.
4. However, his joy is rooted in selfishness. He was rejoicing over his own comfort as he sat overlooking a city that he wished God would change his mind again and annihilate.
5. Now, God’s sense of humor in Jonah’s embarrassing state wasn’t done.
6. Jonah 4:7 (ESV) But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.
7. Psyche! Just kidding! No comfort for you! You big baby!
8. God wasn’t done.
9. Jonah 4:8 (ESV) When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
a. Common to the Middle East, the wind was a dust-laden, furnace-like blast of heat that parches the body by evaporating perspiration.
b. He wanted to die because of this worm and wind. His own shelter couldn’t even comfort him!
10. Jonah 4:9 (ESV) But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”
a. His lack of mercy and grace resulted in deep depression from a worm and a wind.
b. But God caused him to deeply care for the plant. He loved the plant. He was mad at the worm and the wind and the beating down sun for killing his plant.
c. Are you in that place? Are you continually depressed or angry because of seeming ridiculous reasons?
d. Do you blame others for your condition? If so, listen closely, it’s possible evidence that you are operating in an unhealthy spirit of Jonah. That heart of blame is an indicator that we expect to be served instead of to serve.
e. Of course, God used this lesson to show how much God loved Ninevah.
11. Jonah 4:10-11 (ESV) 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
a. Bachman-the right hand is the symbol of the good realm, the hand that symbolizes power and righteousness. The left hand, by contrast, is the symbol of evil, the hand used to curse and used to clean oneself. Each realm is opposite to each other and
should not be mixed. So when it is said that Nineveh cannot tell their right hand from their left, it is saying that they have no discernment, no knowledge of ethics or the basics of life (Bachmann 54).
b. The last few words, “and much cattle” were intentional to display how far God’s grace extends.
c. The animals were included in the king’s decree for repentance in chapter 3.
d. Our amazing God won in dramatic fashion. His mercy and grace saved and entire city of precious people, AND he lovingly took Jonah by the hand and helped him understand God’s heart.
II. The Takeaway
a. If we are driven by selfishness, a religious spirit that embraces truth but despises people or by pride and selfish ambition, we can expect God to appoint a fish, a worm and a wind to our situation.
Jonah-A Prophetic Message to the Church
First—we’ve been involved in fundraising to support our ministry for years, and we understand the challenge quite well.
Some of our leadership team felt it was time to communicate our current situation, and ask for twenty new partners to donate $100 per month.
Michele Perry, a missionary to Sudan, mentioned that she feels Detroit just may be a more difficult mission than even Sudan. Amy and I are missionaries to an area that is a challenge to even the most seasoned missionary.
We currently receive zero financial support from churches or organizations, and only around $500 per month from personal supporters. The economic crisis has hit us hard!
Contact me at [email protected] if you have questions. You can donate to use at www.praytherevolution.com/donate. PLEASE BE SURE to alert us via email about the donation so we can ensure it’s designated for our personal support. Otherwise it will go toward the general fund of our Colorado ministry.
You can setup recurring donations or give a one time gift. Thank you!
Tonight at Revival Church was powerful… extremely powerful.
Here’s the audio of tonight’s teaching: http://www.johnburtonministries.com/teaching
And here are the notes so you can follow along:
Revelation Unto Mission—Jonah’s Story
I. The Word of the Lord
a. It’s troubling to me that people attempt to live their lives outside of God’s Rhema activity.
i. Jonah 1:1 (ESV) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
ii. Of course, Jonah was being called into a world changing mission, and it’s a mission he would not even know about if he didn’t hear God.
iii. This issue plagues Believers around the world. The Word is rare to them.
iv. Let’s look briefly at the story of Samuel and Eli.
v. 1 Samuel 3:1-11 (ESV) 1 Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.
1. Note that Samuel was involved in ministry to God.
vi. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
1. He was where the ark of God was… just being in God’s presence changes everything!
vii. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
1. God’s voice was so clear that Samuel mistook it for a human.
2. When God talks, we should know him.
3. If our spouse were to show up at the house, we wouldn’t require their ID and a DNA test before we let them in. We know them. In similar fashion, we should know God!
viii. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1. Did you get this? Samuel was involved in ministry, but did not know God! He never had an encounter, never communed with him! He never heard his voice!
ix. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
1. This isn’t a simple statement! This is a key goal of this ministry and of God—to get his servants to hear!
x. 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
1. The mission was about to be revealed.
b. Now, back to Jonah and his impending mission
i. We want to do all we can to avoid living a Jonah 3:1 life.
ii. Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
1. What happened between Jonah 1:1 and Jonah 3:1 is enough to destroy most people.
2. Chapter two is the prayer of Jonah… he’s is begging God to rescue him from his hell… it’s a common cry of Believers everywhere.
3. Let’s look at Jonah 1:1.
c. Jonah 1:1-2 (ESV) 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
i. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the largest. It was three days journey in circumference.
ii. Some estimate that 2,500,000 people lived in Nineveh.
iii. It’s also presumed that as a prophet, Jonah had but this single mission.
iv. He was born for Nineveh.
d. Being open to God’s voice in our lives will result in a lifestyle of inconvenience, challenge and impossible mandates. It will cause huge, huge problems in our lives, and it will cause damage and bring calibration to our lifestyle.
i. But, like Samuel, as we understand our roles to bring reformation and calibration to the church and to the world, we’ll see that our words won’t fall to the ground. We will function in power as we hear God and release decrees and declarations.
ii. Unlike Samuel, who was residing in God’s presence, and responded to God’s voice and delivered a difficult message to Eli that had every opportunity for offense, Jonah ran from God’s presence. The message and the mission was too costly.
iii. Jonah 1:3 (ESV) But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
iv. Jonah 1:4 (ESV) But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
1. Some of you might be there.
a. Your goal? Hear God’s voice and run in the right direction. Simple.
b. Is everything around you breaking up? Are you on your way to your mission or moving away from it?
v. Jonah 1:5 (ESV) Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
1. Jonah was asleep, full of apathy, seeking out comfort.
2. This is plaguing the American church! We have created a place of comfort instead of advancing in a prophetic mission!
3. God is sending the waves and that boat is close to breaking up!
e. Now, watch this—this same scenario is about to be played out in the Church.
i. Jonah 1:6 (ESV) So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
ii. Authorities are going to come to us for help—will they be disgusted as they find the church asleep?
iii. They will cry out, “Wake up! Perhaps your God will be the answer!”
iv. Now, watch this.
v. Jonah 1:7-10 (ESV) 7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
1. It will be CLEAR to the world why devastation has come.
2. The church tends to blame the liberal left, the homosexual agenda, abortionists… but, judgment comes first to the house of God!
vi. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation?
1. That is a critical question! What are we occupying ourselves as a prophetic people with? The world will ask!
vii. And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
1. They knew! Pagan idolaters’ knew Jonah was fleeing God’s presence!
viii. The world is angry… and this next statement is eye opening:
ix. Jonah 1:11 (ESV) Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
1. So life can get better, what must we do to the Christian church?
2. They are mad!
3. They are looking to eliminate us not because our values collide, but because we have failed to bring life to their reality!
x. Jonah 1:13-16 (ESV) 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
f. Take Two:
i. Jonah 3:1-4 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
1. That is an excellent verse to use in regard to ‘failed’ prophecy.
2. Of course, we know that Nineveh was not overthrown.
3. Today, heresy hunters would be all over Jonah and decry him as a false prophet.
4. Often, a purpose of prophecy is for it NOT to come to pass!
ii. Jonah 3:5 (ESV) And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
1. God’s plan worked.
2. All of Jonah’s running and fear and disaster could have been avoided… his mission could not have been more simple… he simply went to a city and voiced a single sentence: In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown! Mission fulfilled.
3. His whole life was about saying that single sentence and saving a city!
g. As Kingdom people respond or fail to respond, authorities will be impacted.
i. We see the captain of the ship seeing out Noah as he slept.
ii. We see the king of Nineveh respond as Noah obeyed.
iii. Jonah 3:6-9 (ESV) 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
h. The last chapter of Jonah reveals what may have been the problem all along.
i. He was so distraught after the miraculous taking of an ENTIRE city!
ii. How can this be? Because of his selfish nature… his prophecy didn’t come to pass… the city was not destroyed… and he was concerned about his reputation… he didn’t want to be called a false prophet.
iii. He seemed to be more about reputation and self-preservation than he was about his Father’s business.
iv. This uncrucified quirk cost him dearly.
My notes for tonight’s prophetic teaching at Revival Church
FIRST—Don’t forget to register for the upcoming THE THINNING OF THE VEIL CONFERENCE with Michele Perry. The registration goes up on July 1st. You can do so at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/events.
I don’t usually post my sermon notes (they are in outline form and I wonder how easy they are to follow), and I certainly don’t usually post them before I even teach them, but I feel this is a strong prophetic message for the church and it has the chance to really bless you.
I’ll be teaching this tonight at Revival Church at 6pm. If you are within 100 miles of Detroit, and don’t have a church service of your own tonight, BY ALL MEANS drive on out and join with us in a joy-packed, prophetic-filled atmosphere of fire!
We’re meeting in the First United Methodist Church building at 24036 Greater Mack in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. We’re easy to find, between 9 Mile and 10 Mile roads.
Here’s my notes—I pray the spirit of interpretation come upon you as you read!:
Revelation Unto Mission—Jonah’s Story
I. The Word of the Lord
a. It’s troubling to me that people attempt to live their lives outside of God’s Rhema activity.
i. Jonah 1:1 (ESV) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
ii. Of course, Jonah was being called into a world changing mission, and it’s a mission he would not even know about if he didn’t hear God.
iii. This issue plagues Believers around the world. The Word is rare to them.
iv. Let’s look briefly at the story of Samuel and Eli.
v. 1 Samuel 3:1-11 (ESV) 1 Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.
1. Note that Samuel was involved in ministry to God.
vi. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
1. He was where the ark of God was… just being in God’s presence changes everything!
vii. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
1. God’s voice was so clear that Samuel mistook it for a human.
2. When God talks, we should know him.
3. If our spouse were to show up at the house, we wouldn’t require their ID and a DNA test before we let them in. We know them. In similar fashion, we should know God!
viii. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1. Did you get this? Samuel was involved in ministry, but did not know God! He never had an encounter, never communed with him! He never heard his voice!
ix. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
1. This isn’t a simple statement! This is a key goal of this ministry and of God—to get his servants to hear!
x. 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
1. The mission was about to be revealed.
b. Now, back to Jonah and his impending mission
i. We want to do all we can to avoid living a Jonah 3:1 life.
ii. Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
1. What happened between Jonah 1:1 and Jonah 3:1 is enough to destroy most people.
2. Chapter two is the prayer of Jonah… he’s is begging God to rescue him from his hell… it’s a common cry of Believers everywhere.
3. Let’s look at Jonah 1:1.
c. Jonah 1:1-2 (ESV) 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
i. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the largest. It was three days journey in circumference.
ii. Some estimate that 2,500,000 people lived in Nineveh.
iii. It’s also presumed that as a prophet, Jonah had but this single mission.
iv. He was born for Nineveh.
d. Being open to God’s voice in our lives will result in a lifestyle of inconvenience, challenge and impossible mandates. It will cause huge, huge problems in our lives, and it will cause damage and bring calibration to our lifestyle.
i. But, like Samuel, as we understand our roles to bring reformation and calibration to the church and to the world, we’ll see that our words won’t fall to the ground. We will function in power as we hear God and release decrees and declarations.
ii. Unlike Samuel, who was residing in God’s presence, and responded to God’s voice and delivered a difficult message to Eli that had every opportunity for offense, Jonah ran from God’s presence. The message and the mission was too costly.
iii. Jonah 1:3 (ESV) But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
iv. Jonah 1:4 (ESV) But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
1. Some of you might be there.
a. Your goal? Hear God’s voice and run in the right direction. Simple.
b. Is everything around you breaking up? Are you on your way to your mission or moving away from it?
v. Jonah 1:5 (ESV) Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
1. Jonah was asleep, full of apathy, seeking out comfort.
2. This is plaguing the American church! We have created a place of comfort instead of advancing in a prophetic mission!
3. God is sending the waves and that boat is close to breaking up!
e. Now, watch this—this same scenario is about to be played out in the Church.
i. Jonah 1:6 (ESV) So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
ii. Authorities are going to come to us for help—will they be disgusted as they find the church asleep?
iii. They will cry out, “Wake up! Perhaps your God will be the answer!”
iv. Now, watch this.
v. Jonah 1:7-10 (ESV) 7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
1. It will be CLEAR to the world why devastation has come.
2. The church tends to blame the liberal left, the homosexual agenda, abortionists… but, judgment comes first to the house of God!
vi. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation?
1. That is a critical question! What are we occupying ourselves as a prophetic people with? The world will ask!
vii. And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
1. They knew! Pagan idolaters’ knew Jonah was fleeing God’s presence!
viii. The world is angry… and this next statement is eye opening:
ix. Jonah 1:11 (ESV) Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
1. So life can get better, what must we do to the Christian church?
2. They are mad!
3. They are looking to eliminate us not because our values collide, but because we have failed to bring life to their reality!
x. Jonah 1:13-16 (ESV) 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
f. Take Two:
i. Jonah 3:1-4 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
1. That is an excellent verse to use in regard to ‘failed’ prophecy.
2. Of course, we know that Nineveh was not overthrown.
3. Today, heresy hunters would be all over Jonah and decry him as a false prophet.
4. Often, a purpose of prophecy is for it NOT to come to pass!
ii. Jonah 3:5 (ESV) And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
1. God’s plan worked.
2. All of Jonah’s running and fear and disaster could have been avoided… his mission could not have been more simple… he simply went to a city and voiced a single sentence: In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown! Mission fulfilled.
3. His whole life was about saying that single sentence and saving a city!
g. As Kingdom people respond or fail to respond, authorities will be impacted.
i. We see the captain of the ship seeing out Noah as he slept.
ii. We see the king of Nineveh respond as Noah obeyed.
iii. Jonah 3:6-9 (ESV) 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
h. The last chapter of Jonah reveals what may have been the problem all along.
i. He was so distraught after the miraculous taking of an ENTIRE city!
ii. How can this be? Because of his selfish nature… his prophecy didn’t come to pass… the city was not destroyed… and he was concerned about his reputation… he didn’t want to be called a false prophet.
iii. He seemed to be more about reputation and self-preservation than he was about his Father’s business.
iv. This uncrucified quirk cost him dearly.