Obedience | DeVon Franklin

come on anybody know that God has showed up in your life this week come on somebody anybody testify that you know God stepped in this week anybody excited about what God is doing in your life you know the Bible says that then he inhabits the praises of his people okay if you have a need for God to intercede in your life right now would you make that be known by how you praise him right now [Applause] Oh someone you really don't need them some of you really don't need them some of you really don't need them anybody need God right now anybody need God right now let it be known by your praise let it be known by your praise let it be known by your praise are you gonna let your seat get your praise why don't you let God get your brain why don't you get out of your horizontal position and go vertical today why don't you let them know how much you need him seriously seriously the Bible says that he inhabits the praises of his people why don't you make room for him show him that you need him by how much you're thankful for him it wasn't the iPhone that woke you up today it wasn't the Android that woke you up today it was his grace and mercy that woke you up today hold up hold up see some of you let me let me put it this way some of you are waiting for the blessing to happen and then you'll praise him but if you would just do me a favor and go into your future right now what you're praying for has already been answered why don't you praise him right now go into your future go ahead and get your future pray and give it to him right now I don't know who I'm talking to right now I don't know who I'm talking to so what I can tell you is when you get on you peel into the revelation of what he's done you start to get excited some of you oh man listen I'm gonna I'm just gonna tell you what he's telling me we'll get you the word a minute see some of you right now you-you-you came out of a bad relationship and you've been praying for God to deliver you the right person and you've been looking in the mirror wondering if love is going to come if you knew what your future had and if you knew the love that was on the way to you you wouldn't be able to contain yourself you might run around this place let God know that you're grateful that he has great things in store for you love is on the way love is on the way turn to neighbor say love is on the way I don't know who this is for turn the other let me say don't worry love is on the way you didn't need that person anyway they didn't really love you they just liked you a lot but God is about to send you real love anybody excited for real love I don't know who I'm talking to Oh somebody just got three right there somebody just got three right there because you've been asking God when is it tell me then it's already on the way he said get your life together get ready to receive love it's on the way now watch this some of you been waiting on some money who am I talking to you've been waiting on somebody in church right now I need you get into your bank account right now and the reality of what's in it and what's not in it can we have an honest moment please all right now that now you know you know what you've been praying for God to do in your bank account now I need you to know that he's gonna add one more comma to your bank account who am I talking to right now the problem is all the way you better thank God you better thank God you ain't bouncing no more checks who am I talking to anybody Frank well you're not balancing no more checks come on somebody given Thanksgiving Thanksgiving thanks hallelujah give him thanks turn 10 neighbor say money is on the way oh it's turn everything money is on the way they stopped getting worried about what you don't have more than you can handle it's on its way to you now last thing I'm gonna say it says some of you've been waiting on a job who am I talking to some of you've been waiting on a job you were waiting on a new job who needs a new job come on now come on now if you need a new job I need you to stand right now if you need a new job don't worry your boss is not here and if your boss is here go ahead keep seated and stand in your spirit amen but anybody need a new job anybody need a promotion on your job if that is you I need you to stand if that is you I need you to stand here's what I know the Bible says you've been faithful over a few things I will make you ruler over many he said do not quit it do not be weary in well-doing why because you will reap a harvest in due season here's what I need you to know if you're waiting on a new job God says I heard you keep your cry I know your qualifications and the job is closer than you think if you're waiting on the promotion God says you don't even realize that there has already been a conversation this week about how to elevate you in your job God wants me to let you know stop worrying about what I promised you and praise me for what's already on the way anybody excited for what's on the way thank God for the promotion and thank you for the new job yes you may have your seat you may have your seat you may have your seat it is it is let me tell you something why do we spend time to get out of how we feel into the reality of what's happening because your feelings will betray you your feelings will make you think things are worse than they actually are how do I know that because you made it here your feelings wanted you to tell you you are gonna make it but you're here you woke up today amen so what does that mean that means our feelings don't always tell us the reality of what God is doing and so sometimes when we get into our future when we get out of how we feel we then get the breakthrough that God has for us amen amen amen and what I've also come to realize the enemy gets its greatest victory and keeping us in a feeling that is against what God is doing think about it I feel guilty over my past I don't feel worthy for my present I don't think that what I'm praying for will actually happen those feelings keep us in a position of not wanting to expect the very best from God so when we get out of how we feel into the reality that you are blessed in highly favored Amen you are fearfully and wonderfully made amazing things are on their way to you when we get into that reality the enemy has no victory over us amen but the only time we give Him victories when we allow our current feeling to disrupt our future and present reality regardless of how you feel today I want you to know if you understood what God has in the next chapter of your life you would look back on this moment and say Lord why was I so upset why was I so frustrated it was already written into the story it was already written into my chapter it was already written into my movie before the foundation of the earth and Here I am on august 11 getting mad having no idea on August 12 everything's about to change for Michael it is so exciting and I'm always honored to come home to be with you as you all know your pastor is my my younger brother could you give it up for Pastor David Franklin you could do better than that and he you also given up a first lady Cynthia amen amen amen amen it is always a blessing a pleasure and a privilege to be here and so when I was asking God what it is that he wanted us to talk about today the word that he brought to my spirit is a word that's not popular all right you know it back in the day when I was we were growing up going into church we used to hear this preached all the time but for whatever reason as we've gotten into the modern church we don't hear this word very often but God said I need you to take it back so that people understand the key they're receiving all that I have for them one word obedience obedience obedience obedience obedience obedience means to follow the instructions of one who was in a 42 follow the instructions of one who is in authority so if I had to put a phrase that would pretty much encapsulate the sermon today it would be obey and get out the way turns here neighbors say obey and get out the way turn to your other neighbor and say I've got to obey and get out of the way because what I have realized is that there are blessings that are being held back not because they have not been ordained for us but because we have not yet submitted obedience to him and everything he's called us to do mm-hmm and we have an honest moment how many here have the courage to admit there are things that you believe God has called you to do that you have not yet done please don't get quiet on me if you have more than one thing raise both hands please and just wiggle your fingers please go ahead and raise both feet because some of y'all got that many things you have not done all right so we're all in the same boat what keeps us from being obedient obedient and what is the benefit when we offer 100% obedience to God I am here to tell you that that when we begin to do everything he's called us to do our life changes in a moment for the better so much of what we're experiencing in life I believe has to do with an area where we're not being completely obedient mmm because sometimes we offer obedience relative to how we feel about what we want to be obedient about mmm certain areas we're more inclined to be obedient than others okay I haven't gotten to my word and God wants me to give you a commercial break I don't see I got to be obedient or not okay I'll give you a commercial break we'll come right back to our regular scheduled program see sometimes you know in this area of relationships we want to be obedient to get love but once we get love we regulate our obedience based upon how we feel in the moment and the church gets quiet what do I mean what do I mean what do I mean what do I mean what do I mean as you know my wife and I we wrote the wait all about waiting until marriage a man somebody but sometimes when we find love we make the decision that well I'm in love with this person it doesn't matter if I wait hmm I fasted I prayed to get the person Lord I'm gonna be obedient in order to get love but once I got it Lord you know tonight I'm not sure how obedient I want to be ah y'all listen guess what I'm your family guess what so I got to tell you to you real I'm trying to mess up your plans for the night somebody got a date tonight and I'm trying to mess up your plans uh-uh uh-uh cuz you've already made a plan to be disobedient but after this message you might have to send a text and say wait a minute uh-uh no Netflix and chill tonight oh no no no no uh-uh why don't you come back to the block party tomorrow hey man uh uh come on now why because because what I know is that when we are obedient we get the very best when we're disobedient it may feel good in the moment but we pay a heavy price so let's go to the word when when God gave you this text he when he gave me the idea of obedience he took me to Jonah chapter 1 Jonah chapter 1 and it says this I'll read from the New International Version and we'll just work our way through the text the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amitai God said this to Jonah go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because it's wickedness has come up before me though God told Jonah now Jonah was a prophet but his being a prophet was his professional title though God spoke to Jonah in a professional capacity giving him an order as to what he was supposed to do he was to go to Nineveh Nineveh was the capital of the assyrian empire the assyrian empire was in opposition to the Israel nation so by definition of this particular command God was telling Jonah to go into hostile territory he was telling Jonah to go into an environment that was not predisposed to like him or his message mm-hmm how do you know that God is speaking to you most of the time when God gives us a word it challenges who we are what we want to do and it puts us in conflict a man who's been there before who's there right now I'm raising my amen though God spoke to Jonah and said go to Nineveh preach against them because they have come up in my spirit basically I have seen that they are a wicked nation but you have to go and let them know who I am and the consequences of them not obeying me hmm now what's so fascinating about the text is how do we know that Jonah heard the word of the Lord it says verse 3 but Jonah ran away from the Lord I'm gonna stop there he did not answer God verbally but by his actions it was clear he heard God why because he went in the opposite direction Tarshish just so you know was 2,500 miles matter-of-fact from where a Nineveh was it was actually close to 3,000 miles in the opposite direction it says that Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish so it's interesting that some so often when we talk about obedience we may not think we're being obedient but if we were to look at the evidence of our life and how we're living our lifestyle might say that we're not being completely obedient to what God has called us to do now here is the first thing before I can convict you on doing what you hear we first have to understand how do you hear from God we know that Jonah heard God because Jonah went in the opposite direction so he did not have a hearing problem he had a doing problem mmm but before we get to the doing problem let's talk about the hearing problem because if we're honest most of us don't hear from God as often as he is speaking to us most of us wonder where God is and God is saying I'm right here but you're not taking enough time to hear from me so before I can convict you to do it let's talk about what disrupts our hearing hmm it's so interesting that that of what is getting ready to roll out most of us if we had a moment to be honest and I say most of us if we had a moment to be honest we are addicted to our phones come on somebody if I were to put on the screen the time that we spend on our phone on a daily basis which then accumulates to a weekly basis and then I put next to it a graphic of how much time we spend in the word in prayer we would be shocked to see how much time our Android or our iPhone gets in per disproportionate to our time with God now what's so interesting is that the cellphone companies know this so they think that the LT people say oh LTE you know I got I got great service they're trying to build 5g towers but the key to a 5g tower is it has to be closer to the one using it in order to get the benefit of its power now what I find so interesting is that as we travel around the thing that we try to discover first if our cell service isn't working is is there Wi-Fi how often do we get into a location where our cell service isn't working we say do you have the Wi-Fi password and so what dawned on me is sometimes we're more concerned about our cell service than our soul service when was the last time we began to check our connection with heaven and saying lord I thought I was on the LTE with you but it seems like my connection with you has slowed down Lord show me how I can get greater connected to you try to get the power for the download you have from me but so often we're focused on a device that cannot bring us a return at the expense of our soul satisfaction and he'll the last time I checked I don't have a whole lot to show for all the scrolling I've done on Instagram but I have a whole lot to show every time I get on my knees and I scroll heaven's page and say Lord show me who you want me to be show me what you want me to do give me the download for today so when it comes to obedience what disrupts our hearing 1 we're not spending enough time with him mmm we have to get in a position in a posture where we hear from God the first of the day when the Bible says give me you know Garmin says bring your firstfruits wow that does refer to you know your income it can also be used as a metaphor for the very beginning of your day the very best you have to offer amen anybody need to hear from God right now for real like is there a situation you have you need to hear from God okay okay so if you've got to hear from God here's what I need you to do take your phone and put it further away when you get in bed don't put it within arm's reach watch this I'm trying to give you a practical tip that has major spiritual implications because what happens is our tendency is wondering when it's when an arm reach when we get up in the morning the first thing we do is have a reflex you never say Amen because I know okay put it further outside of your reach so that when you wake up in the morning the first instinct is Lord let me reach for you not my phone oh can I get an amen on that in order to hear him we have to spend time with him now what's so interesting when you talk about a cell phone what blocks a cell phone's reception when you get in certain environments the the signal that is outside because of the way the environment is constructed cannot get inside this is why sometimes you go into a building and your cell won't work but you get outside the building and it works now it's interesting that one of the reasons why we don't hear from God the way we could is because we're allowing people within our vicinity who block our reception okay I'm gonna talk to this side right here you you you you gotta check your friends your friendships your family ships and ask yourself when I'm around this person do I feel closer to God or do I feel further away okay I'm gonna talk to this side right here because too often we're allowing people into our light that don't mean well by us that have no intention to do right by us that every time we speak like they speak death every time we speak positivity they speak negativity and then we wonder why light isn't going the way we want because we refuse to cut these people out or push them away but let me talk to the middle for a minute your service might get better if you are more stringent and and more prudent about who is around you not everybody is around you is for you not everybody that's around you is going where God is trying to take you please don't mistake a lot of people as an indication that you're doing what God has called you to do you may only have one good friendship and your connection is stronger than having 10 people around you that block the very voice of God from your vicinity I don't know who I'm talking to right now please begin to check who you're allowing to be in your airspace who do you text with all day long mm-hmm yeah I gotta get in your business because we waste so much time with people in conversations and situations and we wonder why we are further along in life why because we're allowing people to drain our energy to take our focus to distract us the detour us and God is telling me to tell you you've got to get your focus back by being more mindful how you spend your time hmm your reception might be blocked God called me here today he wants to clear your reception hmm how do you know if you're hanging around people that are blocking your reception begin to evaluate how you feel after you engage with somebody do you feel more inspired do you feel more motivated do you feel better able to do what God has called you to do what is all the sudden you just say you know I'm tired you realize people around you take your energy the same way when you have a phone that's not plugged in what happens your energy gets drained do you realize there are people that the enemy sends on assignment to drain your energy so that we don't even have the energy not only to do what God wants us to do but to even hear what he has to say oh my goodness what is taking your energy today hmm are you hearing him what is disrupting your ability to hear him the people around you the circumstances you're in may I submit for your consideration that maybe God is speaking to you right now but you cannot hear him because you're focused on something that he's already resolved think about it think about it he says don't worry about tomorrow if if if the lilies of the field don't have to worry if the birds don't have to worry about their food why do you worry about tomorrow just know that I'm gonna give you what you need for today amen tell me you're still worried how am I gonna make the rent for September first don't worry he's gonna take care of it but we can't even hear what he wants to do on August 11th because we're worried about September 1st and September 1st doesn't even exist yet who am I talking to right now we're worried about problem situations they don't even exist God is saying if you would allow me to give you a word for today the word for today will be enough to get you to August 12 we allow our problems and our focus on our problems to disrupt our hearing we cannot be doers of the word unless we hear him first turn to your neighbor say neighbor you got to get your ears checked say neighbor God is speaking but are you hearing haha see what I love about Jonah is that Jonah heard the word of the Lord so once you hear the word of God once you hear what it is he wants you or I to do here is our dilemma which we fight every day are we going to do what we hear or are we not to do or not to do that is the question oh my goodness let me tell you something this is where most of our stress comes from this is where most of our anxiety comes from this is where most of the frustration comes from because we every day we battle with am I gonna do what I believe God is calling me to do or am I gonna do what I want to do and the two are not always synonymous come on somebody there are some things we want to do amen that God does not want us to do amen now come on now see okay I'm gonna give you a real good example last night I was on the plane coming here and you know how it is you know you're on the plane and they can offer you all these different goodies and stuff and you know I'm trying to make sure I keep you know in relatively good health amen amen somebody for good health come on don't get though be quiet a man for good health so um you know I believe God was just saying hey you know you don't need any sugar today you know you don't need I said okay Lord huh I'm not gonna do it and then they come around with the warm cookies smelling up the whole you know front of the airplane and and and what was interesting is I saw him coming to me and I said I'm not gonna do it no cookies for me uh-uh no no no no I've been working out too hard but wouldn't putting too much time in the gym and then as he got past the first row and and as he was making his way to me that aroma from that warm cookie just all the sudden got into my spirits come on somebody who am I talking to oh and I had a choice am I going to obey and get out the way or am I gonna stay and do it my way I said well one cookie no matter of fact I took the cookie and said you know I'm just gonna eat the edges come on somebody can we have a real conversation come on miracle City can we just keep it real all the way in the house I said I'm just gonna eat the edges just a taste just a little bit just a little bit of disobedience Lord it's okay just a taste and they were you know it was crunchy and I said wow it's crunchy on the outside and it's just so gooey and soft oh man so so I said okay I'm just gonna eat the edges on there I was I was I was I was trying to be half way obedient a mint and so I ate around the edges and and then there it was the that gooey Center just looking at me so I said well you know I did workout yesterday come on come on y'all you know how we do it we begin to do the math to give us to make us feel better about what we're gonna do way man right we begin to rationalize things come on somebody don't play with me miracle city so I said well you know I didn't workout yesterday hey and when I get home I'm gonna workout again so what's the difference of me just go ahead and finishing the whole thing I've already started oh and then after I hate it I said Lord why did I do it oh it felt so good but my stomach ain't feeling right come on somebody but this is how it goes isn't it because see what happens is the enemy knows that if he can keep us in a lifestyle of disobedience that we will never become who God called us to be and do what he's called us to do and receive the light that he already promised us to have so the enemy will allow us to get in an environment where we will smell the aroma of something that we like I'm talking to somebody right now and then all of a sudden we become weak and say you know what it's okay if I do it now I'll get it together tomorrow I'm talking to somebody God is calling me to tell you it's so important for us to make a decision between being obedient and disobedient because he wants me to let you know that if you put him in authority over your life you and I have to believe his instruction if God is not in authority over our life when he speaks we will not listen and even beyond that we won't do what he's called us to do why because we have not allowed him to be the ultimate authority over our life when we allow God to be the ultimate authority we then have to take his direction whether we like it or understand it or not Jonah was being asked to do something he did not want to do so he had a decision am I going to obey the authority over my life or am I going to obey my own Authority and do what I want to do this is the balance of life doing what God wants us to do versus doing what we want to do oh my goodness let me tell you something this thing right here is one of the hardest struggles we go through because our will to do what we want is so strong come on can I just get an amen and Who am I talking it couldn't get anybody just agree that we have a strong will and when we get in our mind we gonna do something when we get in our mind we gonna be with somebody come on now man let me let me tell you something there have been situations and I know I'm not the only one before I got married when you know I'm dating somebody if my family say hey that's not the person but in my mind I said I don't care what you say I'm gonna make them two person cuz I want them to be the person now I know no no I know I see all these red flags but maybe those red flags are pink they're gonna turn white like I hate cuz I want to see them the way I want to see them come on somebody don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about come on how will we get in our mind are we gonna be with somebody it don't matter who says what we don't do what we want to do and then all of a sudden we begin to face a situation and we wonder why it's not working out because we knew it wasn't for us to begin with but we were trying to service our way instead of God's Way I want you to know that God's Way is the path to real life God wants me to speak to you right now that that that the word that he has given over your life it's actually to bring you more peace and freedom because he knows who you are he knows what you're created to do he knows the gifts and talents that are within you and he's trying to give you a command not to punish you or depress you but to set you free and sometimes the only way to get free is to face the fear of doing what he's calling you or I had to do in my life and God has called me to do things let me tell you something it has been scary come on out scary seriously I was just on Good Morning America last week talking about how we're supposed to embrace this comfort and I believe this comfort leads to our destiny and I shared my testimony of of quitting my my great you know high-powered studio executive job I was working for one of the biggest studios in Hollywood making great money making movies that played all around the world working with all kinds of celebrities but God gave me a word he said quit I said god you're crazy he said are you going to obey and get out of the way or are you gonna do it your way and the longer I stayed in the job after he gave me the word the job no longer produced the amount of peace it used to produce I don't know who I'm talking to right now but the reason why you can't sleep at night is because God has already told you it's time to leave it's time to get out of the job is trying to put put in a new application it's time to go back to school but you're sitting in the old job and it's not nourishing you the way that it used to why because it's the equivalent of having spoiled milk milk that is past the expiration date and you still have it in the refrigerator and you go to it every day and put it on your cereal and you wonder why it's not nourishing you why because it's already expired are you living in an environment and a job that's already expired it's past its capacity to handle you and are you just afraid to stay there or are you gonna have the faith to be obedient step out so I told you know robbing robbers last week I said and um it was crazy but I obeyed God I said okay God if you're calling me to quit okay then I trust that you know where my paychecks gonna come from a man somebody now listen y'all I'm sharing my testimony with you I ain't ask you to go put your job unless that's what God has told you amen but don't don't come back and say well what would Devon said to quit my job and I quit no no no God God has to be the final authority amen so when I quit my job and I started my company when you're a producer you only get paid when movies get made hmm no are we talking about faith now now listen I I had to really nervous that text I'll pay lord now you said the I ain't got to worry if the birds are fed and the lilies of the field are cool didn't take care of me Lord take care of me and you know what was so fascinating is the first day that I was outside the job and walked into my own company not only gonna have more freedom but the phone didn't ring I said Lord would you do it come on now listen I am NOT trying to stand before you and like acting like yo I'm all strong and that everyday of faith is gonna be a day where I look like a hero are you crazy there are some moments I was sitting there in my office the phone was not ringing and I said Lord did I hear you correctly anybody been there before come on now anybody bend anymore were you like Lord is this really what obedience looks like ain't nobody calling me I don't know where the paycheck is coming from but do you know what as I sat there i said okay lord not my will but thine be done lord you bring me the movies you want me to make you let the people that are already aligned with my destiny to make the phone calls to me I am NOT going to worry about the phone ringing Lord I'ma be more concerned about doing what you want me to do in this capacity and do you realize within the first year of starting the company God open up the door for me to make my first film and then while that film got made another film got me and then while that film got made a third film got made do you realize when we walk by faith not by sight when we're obedient to God the way is already clear but we can't be afraid to walk obedience Turrentine they would say obey and get out the way so we have a decision just like Jonah am I gonna do what God calls me to do am I gonna run away from it Jonah chose to run in the opposite direction not only did he run but he paid to get away come on now he said I don't want to do this so badly I'm gonna use my own resources to run away from God look at the text it says he went down to Joppa where he found a ship bound for that port after paying the fare he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord he escaped from God be careful for how you may be escaping from God and not even realizing it many of you may not know entertainment look it up in the dictionary the definition of entertainment is an escape from reality so many of us while we may not be getting on a ship to go in the opposite direction of what God calls us every night instead of doing what he's called us to do we escape and we pay why how through Netflix through watching television I'm not against watching television but when our entertainment consumption comes at the expense of our obedience then I would argue you're using entertainment as an escape the same way Jonah used the ship to get away from what God called him to do ah sorry miracle City I gotta give it to you the way God is calling me to give it to you why because what he wants you to do is so important and so powerful if I do not give you the word it the way he's calling me to give it to you you may never do what he's calling you to do so I have to be honest with you our what where are your escapes in life what are you filling your time with that God is saying here's what I really want you to do but because we're so afraid of the Word of God we don't believe we have the capacity to do what he's called us to do we know that if we do it it will disrupt our entire life and we aren't ready for the disruption so as a result we try to drown out the voice of God we do that through entertainment we do that sometimes the relationships we do that sometimes through drinking or doing other things that suppress God's voice because if we don't hear him then maybe we can psych ourselves into believing we have more peace than we do am i saying too much my brother his as yes yes here's what I know here's what I know here's what I know we spend so much of our life escaping from God instead of submitting to God Lord I don't understand why you're asking me to do it but lord if it's your will show me God I I know I have these gifts and talents lord I don't understand why they haven't come to pass but Lord if it means I must move to a different city or do something different Lord show me how but let me have the faith to begin to move submitting submitting submitting we're going back to the idea of authority are you really placing God as the authority over your life because when we do that we have to submit to what it is he wants us to do I told you guys this before when I was young I told you know God told me go to Hollywood him and people especially in the church like yo you crazy you can't go that's that's the devil's playground again I had a decision am I going to escape into their reality or am I going to obey the reality of what God has called me into even though no one around me believed in it or agreed with it are you taking the word that God gave you and then asking somebody else who he did not give the word to for their permission to do it ooh lord have mercy Oh y'all just wanted a nice little summer series sermon do you no no no no no no God called me to tell you listen I got great things for you God even told me to tell you that for some of you when you get this word before the end of the summer your whole life's gonna change your whole life's about to turn around before Labor Day if you begin to obey this is what the word of the Lord is telling me to tell you if you would just do what I put in your heart to do before Labor Day your whole life is going to turn around the things you're worried about right now are gonna get fixed the things that feel I feel crooked are gonna get straightened out before Labor Day anybody received this before Labor Day word who am I talking to right now who needs this before Labor Day word I need it fast for you this is really speaking to you I want you to stand right now and this is really speaking to you I want you to stand right now right now right now dear Heavenly Father you you see everyone's standing lord I am praying I am praying right now dear God that for those that are standing before Labor Day if they would do what you have called them to do Lord I am asking that you would turn their whole life all the way around I'm praying the situations that look like that are about to take them out would be turned around for their better the enemy that is trying to get to them would be removed the thorn that is aggravating them would be taken out in the mighty name of Jesus I pray that before Labor Day the whole situation turns around right now in the name of Jesus and their heavenly father there's somebody here who has a financial burden there is something that is coming to it maybe the rent and maybe a mortgage it may be a car note and you're worried about if you're gonna have it on September 1st I pray that before Labor Day dear Lord if they would obey you that you would release the funds I don't know who that's for release it there's somebody here who has a health condition dear Lord I am praying that before Labor Day when they go back to the doctor the doctor is going to say I don't know what has happened to you but what we thought was going to be more negative is actually on its way to improvement I don't know who I'm talking to right now but there's somebody here dear Lord that they don't actually think they're God that by Labor Day you can get them into the school that they need to get into because they don't got the money Lord send the tuition before Labor Day send the tuition before Labor Day in the mighty name of Jesus if you receive this Labor Day affirmation why don't you let him know by a shout of praise why don't you let him know by a shot of thanks do it Lord do it Lord do it Lord do it Lord do it Lord high-five your neighbor and say do it Lord do it Lord huh hey hey hey hey hey yes he will yes he will but you got to obey and get out the way now watch this what was so fascinating as we get to a close when you look at Jonah on that ship all the sudden the text says that God sent the wind you keep playing here's what's so interesting about sending the wind why would God send a storm to put his very own in jeopardy seems like that's not the God that we have come to know and love but what I find so interesting is that He loves us so much he cares about us so much he may allow certain storms to come not to depress us but to motivate us to obey Him what you're created to do is so important God loves you so much that he will allow certain situations to get so intense that you have no choice but to obey Him in surrender who am I talking to right now who am I talking to right now now watch this once the storm hit the people on the boat started praying to their gods and then they went to Jonah who was asleep and said yo you need to pray to your God and then Jonah had to come clean after they drew lots he came clean and said yo it's really me I'm running from God and here's what they decided to do they said you know what we hear what you're saying but we're gonna see if we can make it out of the storm and as they were partnered in his disobedience the storm got worse and then Jonah said throw me overboard and the storm will stop and they said no no we don't want to be responsible for your death and Dona said no no don't worry if you would just do what God has called you to do through me you will no longer be in jeopardy Jonah's disobedience those that stayed in disobedience with Jonah had to pay the consequences for his disobedience even though they had nothing to do with it this is why it is so important to be careful who you're allowing around you in this season those that are taking you to him awesome but those that are are chipping away at your faith chipping away at your spirit chipping away at your heart do not allow them to disrupt your environments because God wants me to let you know it's okay to push some people away so that you can hear from him and do what he calls you to do now watch this Jonah gets in the water and guess what happens God says yeah the storms gonna stop but I'm not done with you the text says a big old fish came captured him for three days and three nights he had nowhere to go he couldn't run he couldn't walk he couldn't eat he had no choice but to sit there and think about what God had called him to do and make the decision if he was going to do it some of you right now your circumstance seems to be suffocating you your circumstance seems to to literally be crushing the life out of you I want you to know the same way a cocoon wraps itself around a caterpillar it's not there to kill the caterpillar it's there to transform it into something the caterpillar did not know that it was may I submit for your consideration that what you're going through and the intensity of it is not there to destroy you but it's there to transform you anybody ready to change into who God has really created you to be anybody ready to literally fly over situations that used to depress you anybody ready to use what you're going through as a catalyst to become who God wants you to be and do what he's calling you to do well let me submit me your consideration while Jonah was in the whale he was in the fish he said God I'm gonna pray if you get me out of this I'm gonna do it and what did he do God delivered and here's what's so fascinating I'm gonna close when Jonah came out of the whale he went to Nineveh he spoke against Nineveh the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah said and he repented and had the entire nation turned their lives back to God and God spared their life now here's what's amazing the word that God gave Jonah his obedience wasn't just about him there were people connected to his obedience you don't even realize how many people are gonna get blessed when you decide to obey God a hundred percent you don't even realize how family members who won't go to church when you begin to be obedient you're gonna find them in the next year sitting on the Pew right next to you if you would just do what God has called you to do you're gonna see that your light is much bigger than just you and then what I love is that in verse 4 in chapter 4 Jonah gets mad at God see I knew you weren't gonna do it he said cuz I know the kind of gods you are you're caring God you're a loving God you're so loving that when I heard the command that's why I went to Tarshish because I knew you're not going to destroy these people but Jonah was selfish he said Lord if you're gonna give me a word I need you to back me up but God says the way that I back you up is by changing the very people that will be changed through you get yourself out of the way Jonah and let me leave that's why God is calling me to tell you it's time to obey and get out the way stop worrying about how it's gonna happen if we would just do what he calls us to do the peace we're seeking will be delivered the freedom we want will be delivered the the life were praying for will be delivered but God is saying will you obey will you obey me in your finances will you obey me in your love life will you obey me professionally will you obey me personally will you do what I have called you to do and here's God's promise when you do it I will do what I have promised that I would do for you which I will never leave you know forsake you if you love me keep my Commandments obey me if you love me

Channel: Miracle City Church

Views: 34,054

Rating: 4.9150743 out of 5

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Id: FMnbanbTG18

Length: 47min 52sec (2872 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 03 2018