The Narrow Way
Abel Bonilla Preached on 8/24/2026
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43:53
Summary
Using the story of Jonah's flight to Tarsus, this sermon challenges believers to stop running from God's call and choose the 'narrow way' of obedience and sacrifice over the 'wide road' of personal comfort.
Key points
- •The book of Jonah is often reduced to a children's story about a fish, but it is actually a profound demonstration of God's scandalous mercy toward the undeserving.
- •Turning away from our God-given duties is equivalent to turning away from God's presence; there is no true peace to be found in disobedience, only a 'dreadful calm.'
- •God often sends storms not as punishment, but as an act of mercy to catch our attention and redirect us when we have wandered toward the 'wide road' of comfort.
- •The church is in trouble when the world (the 'heathen') is more fervent, desperate, and awake to spiritual reality than those who claim to know the one true God.
- •True revival and effective ministry begin when we die to our own desires and comfort, choosing the 'narrow way' of sacrifice and obedience over the 'wide road' of self-will.
Scripture
Obedience
Grace
Prayer
Discipleship
Purpose
Life application
Identify one area where you have chosen the 'comfort of Tarsus' over the 'discomfort of Nineveh' and commit to an act of obedience in that area this week, starting with 15 minutes of focused prayer in the church prayer room.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you mistaken 'sleep' (a lack of conflict) for true spiritual peace?
- Are you content to live in God's general will, or are you actively seeking His 'perfect will' and unique ecosystem for your life?
- How does the realization that God's mercy extends even to your 'enemies' or those you find 'undeserving' challenge your current attitude toward your neighbors?
- What 'storms' are you currently facing that might actually be God's mercy trying to get your attention?
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Full transcript
0:00Amen.
0:00I want us, amen, to transition to the
0:01Bible now. If you would go with me to
0:03the book of Jonah, chapter 1, verse one.
0:06Jonah, chapter 1, verse one.
0:12The Bible says, "Now the word of the
0:15Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amiti,
0:20saying,
0:22arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
0:27and cry against it, for their wickedness
0:29has come up before me."
0:33But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarsus
0:37from the presence of the Lord, and he
0:40went down to Japa, and he found a ship
0:43going to Tarsus.
0:45So he paid the fair thereof, and went
0:47down into it to go with them unto Tarsus
0:51from the presence of the Lord.
0:56The next couple of moments I'd like to
0:58preach under the subject the narrow way.
1:04The narrow way. Would you close your
1:08Bible and close your heart your eyes
1:09right now? Amen. And I want you to lift
1:11up your hands right where you are and
1:13let us pray one more time. But now let
1:15us believe that the Lord is going to
1:17speak to us. Would you lift up your
1:19voice with me one more time all over
1:20this place. Father, in the name of
1:23Jesus, we thank you, Lord, for what we
1:25feel right now. We thank you, Lord, for
1:27what you've done, Lord. We thank you,
1:29Jesus, because we know that you are in
1:31this room already, God. Our hearts are
1:34receptive. Our mind is open to receive
1:37your word. Uh our spirit hungers after
1:40you, Lord. Uh I pray that you give us
1:43confidence right now in your word. Uh
1:45give us confidence Lord in your presence
1:49right now Lord that we would receive and
1:51the seed that is planted in our heart.
1:53Uh let it bring forth fruit uh for the
1:57glory of God. Uh I thank you Lord for
1:59every individual that's in this place.
2:02Let your thoughts be in our mind. Let
2:04your words be in my mouth. Let your
2:06desires be in our heart in the precious
2:09name of Jesus. And the church of God uh
2:11shouts in Jesus name. Come on. Come on.
2:14Would you shout that with me? In Jesus
2:16name.
2:18In Jesus name. You may be seated.
2:27The book of Jonah has perhaps
2:31suffered
2:33more at the hands of its readers than
2:36almost any other book in scripture.
2:41Too often, men have fixed their
2:44attention on the extraordinary.
2:47When it comes to the story of Jonah,
2:51we've overlooked the essential in this
2:54story.
2:56Men have been so captivated by the great
2:59fish
3:01that Jonah, the main character who comes
3:03to us as a prophet and an evangelist
3:07has almost been reduced to a strange and
3:11amusing story.
3:14That is a tragedy when you think about
3:16it because Jonah is one of the greatest
3:19gems of the Old Testament. Few books
3:26breathe so deeply with a divine
3:29compassion.
3:32Very few books talk about and shine so
3:36brightly with the mercy of God like the
3:41book of Jonah.
3:43When you read this story, the story of
3:46this evangelist named Jonah. When you
3:50read the story, we see the heart of God.
3:54This heart of God who's pursuing the
3:56rebellious.
3:57We can see the heart of God who reaches
4:01out for the undeserving.
4:04We can even see, Amen, that the mercy of
4:07God extends beyond the boundaries of
4:12what men would naturally choose,
4:16the mercy of God.
4:18But yet we often
4:21treated
4:23and we would treat this story as a
4:25common story. In fact, many of us have
4:27seen this story as a Sunday school
4:30story. It is a story for children uh to
4:33spark their imagination. Uh but yet we
4:36have often traded the riches of its
4:39message.
4:41We've traded it for debates over the
4:44size of a fish.
4:47And every time we think of the story of
4:50this evangelist named Jonah, it seems
4:54that the fish takes
4:57our thoughts in our minds.
5:01We have we have spent so much time
5:04examinating the creature that swallowed
5:07Jonah. We have spent so much time uh
5:10imagining the moment when this creature
5:13that swallowed Jonah that we have nearly
5:15missed uh the God who was trying to save
5:19a broken city named Nineveh.
5:24The word of the Lord says the Bible came
5:27to Jonah. Now, the word of the Lord came
5:30unto Jonah, and I'm quoting the
5:32scripture saying "Arise
5:35go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry
5:40against it."
5:42Now, I want you to think for a second
5:44how strange of a request.
5:47It was an unwelcome command
5:50to Jonah. Jonah was told to go to a
5:54hidden city and famous for wickedness.
5:59And naturally,
6:01questions arise in the heart of this
6:04evangelist.
6:05Could it be possible?
6:08Could it be possible that Nineveh
6:11grieved God?
6:15Could it be possible that God loved
6:19Nineveh?
6:21This was uncharted territory. At least
6:24in the heart of Jonah. Jonah did not
6:28want to believe this. How can God be for
6:32them the wicked when he should be for
6:37me?
6:40Jonah struggling in his spirit. Could it
6:43be that God, a God so scandalous, a God
6:49so wide, a God so vast, uh, Amen. could
6:54it be uh that this God wants to save
6:59a city like Nineveh?
7:02>> Jonah had to realize that the love of
7:04God is wider, is greater than man's
7:08measure of mind. And uh and I can think
7:11about the scripture that says uh for as
7:13the heavens uh are higher than the earth
7:16uh so are my ways higher than your ways
7:19uh and my thoughts uh than your
7:23thoughts.
7:26>> I'm so thankful that God still speaks
7:28today. I'm so thankful that in 2026 uh
7:32the Lord still whispers into our spirit.
7:35Uh he whispers a word. Uh it is often
7:38times uh when God speaks uh amen that we
7:42choose to ignore the words that are
7:44spoken by this God of mercy.
7:49In many ways we felt like Jonah.
7:53Could it be that God wants to save the
7:57broken?
7:58>> Could it be that God wants to save my
8:02neighbor? And it often times we diagnose
8:06the people, amen, that live among us. Uh
8:09we diagnose the condition of the heart
8:12of people, amen, uh that we see on the
8:15street, uh we diagnose, amen, the
8:17condition in the heart of our neighbors,
8:20uh of friends, uh of people, amen, uh
8:23that the Lord is wanting to reach.
8:27And in many ways, you and I are like
8:30Jonah.
8:32Jonah.
8:34Jonah.
8:36Jonah had a great refusal.
8:39Jonah rose up. The Bible says he rose up
8:43to flee. Not to pursue the call of God,
8:48but to flee from the call of God in his
8:52life.
8:53>> He turned from Nineveh and set out for
8:57Tarsus, says the word, the pastor of
9:00Jonah.
9:01at the beginning sort of feels like he
9:04didn't want to see the city repent.
9:07He didn't think amen it was it was
9:09possible that this city would repent. I
9:13know amen that sometimes it feels
9:15absolutely useless uh to preach to
9:18certain groups of people.
9:21Sometimes it feels absolutely useless uh
9:24amen to do amen what God is calling you
9:27to do uh because we believe we think uh
9:30that we can save people
9:34>> by what we say to them. But the truth is
9:37that God uh God is a God of mercy. Uh
9:40God is a God that reaches down uh to the
9:43people. Amen. That that are so broken.
9:46Uh amen. I can I can testify that I come
9:50from brokenness. Uh you can testify in
9:52this room that you come from brokenness.
9:55Uh but it is because of the mercy of
9:58God. Uh it is because God so loved the
10:03world uh that he gave his only begotten
10:07son uh that none should perish uh but
10:09that all come to repentance.
10:14>> Can I preach to somebody in this room?
10:16You've gotten comfortable in the house
10:18of God. Uh and you've received the word
10:20of God and you are enjoying. Uh amen.
10:23You are you are truly applying the word
10:25when it says, "Oh, taste and see that
10:28the Lord is good." Uh I love coming to
10:31church. Uh and I love tasting the
10:33presence of God. Uh I love coming to
10:36church. Uh and I love worshiping the
10:38Lord. Uh but now uh there is obedience
10:41uh that needs to take place in this
10:43atmosphere. Uh, and somebody needs to
10:46understand, uh, God is not just here for
10:49you. Uh, he's just not here to save you.
10:51Uh, he's just not here to touch your
10:54need. Uh, my God is a merciful God.
10:59>> And he is calling all to repentance.
11:04>> Jonah's struggling in this moment.
11:08To Jonah, this task was unwelcomed
11:12because he thought that God was only for
11:15Israel.
11:19>> He believed that God blessed Israel in
11:23two specific ways.
11:25Number one, he blessed Israel by giving
11:30spiritual and temporal gifts to Israel.
11:34He believed that God blessed Israel by
11:38giving it things, spiritual things,
11:43temporal gifts. He also believed that
11:46the Lord blessed Israel. He blessed her
11:49by sending calamity upon her enemies.
11:55An abundant harvest for Israel was a
11:57blessing from the Lord.
12:00>> But also calamity, a famine in Nineveh
12:04was also a blessing from the Lord.
12:08>> We need to be careful as people of God.
12:10Uh it is a human trait to somehow prefer
12:13the blessing for yourself uh and maybe
12:16think that you're ahead when others have
12:18setbacks. Uh but of course, nothing
12:21could be more utterly false. Uh to
12:24Jonah, this calling was so distasteful.
12:28He would do anything to not obey the
12:30Lord.
12:37God is my God.
12:40>> He is my blessing and my blessing alone.
12:44I feel the conviction of the Holy Ghost
12:47this Sunday morning. Uh as I sit and
12:49watch us worship. Uh I feel the
12:51conviction of the Holy Ghost uh as I
12:53come and indulge in the presence of God.
12:55Uh I feel the conviction of the Holy
12:58Ghost. Uh when I lift up my hands on
13:00this Sunday morning uh and I look to and
13:03I look around me and I see empty chairs
13:05in this building. Uh I know we are
13:08excited for a big day. Uh and I'm
13:10excited for what the Lord is going to do
13:12on that special day. Uh but let us not
13:14forget the Sundays before big day. Uh
13:18let us not forget the Wednesday night
13:20services uh before big day. Uh let us
13:23not forget the Tuesday night prayer room
13:26uh before big day. Uh I I believe that
13:30the Lord is calling this church uh to
13:32double but he's calling us, Amen, to be
13:35obedient to his word. Uh I'm preaching
13:38to a few Jonas in this room uh that
13:41you've thought uh that God is only your
13:43God. Uh that the blessing can only be
13:45there for you. Uh but can I just tell
13:48you uh my God is wanting more more more
13:57>> for this church.
14:00>> So therefore
14:03we read
14:05that Jonah he rose up to flee unto
14:08Tarsus
14:09from the presence of the Lord.
14:15He was ordered to Nineveh,
14:18but yet he sails
14:20to Tarsus.
14:23There were two cities on this map and
14:26only two in the heart of Jonah.
14:30There was Nineveh,
14:32the city to which he might go in the
14:35fellowship of God.
14:38city in which he would have communion
14:41and be in the circle of the will of God.
14:46But there was also Tarsus in his in this
14:49map. This city that lay at the end of
14:52the rebels road, the city whose streets,
14:57if ever he walked them at all, he would
15:01walk without the fellowship of God whom
15:04he had disobeyed.
15:07Nineveh stood for obedience,
15:10though it was a hard journey to embark
15:13for Jonah.
15:15Tarsus stood for disobedience,
15:18though easy. Nineveh was the road to the
15:22cross. But Tarsus was the road of self
15:26will.
15:29Two cities, two separate roads,
15:35only one decision
15:37to be made. Tarsus is the city as do as
15:41you please.
15:43Tarsus is the city, Amen, without gates.
15:47Tarsus is the city without uh Calvary
15:50shadow. Uh Tarsus is the city uh where
15:53no man sobs. Uh Tarsus is the city uh
15:56where no man calls God father. Uh Tarsus
16:00is that city uh amen where nobody seeks
16:03the Lord. Uh and yet Jonah said I will
16:07go to Tarsus.
16:10>> There are times in our lives uh where
16:12the Lord is calling us uh to do
16:14something that's out of our comfort
16:16zone. Uh where there's times in our
16:18lives when the Lord says uh get
16:20uncomfortable for me. uh get a
16:23comfortable for the kingdom of God. Uh
16:25but yet uh we are looking at two
16:27different roads in front of us. Uh we
16:29see the wide road uh that seems
16:31comfortable but we also amen see the
16:34narrow road uh that seems uncomfortable
16:37uh and it was Jonah that was going
16:39through this moment uh where he had to
16:41make up his mind.
16:43>> Am I going to walk the narrower road
16:47>> or am I going to choose the wide road?
16:50The wide road
16:53takes you to Tarsus
16:55where you get to do what you want to do,
16:58where you get to live the way you want
17:00to live. Uh where the word of God can no
17:02longer impact you uh because you have
17:04shut down your heart and your mind from
17:07the conviction of the word of God. I'm
17:10preaching to somebody here this morning
17:11and I'm going to preach it like I feel
17:13it in the Holy Ghost. There's times
17:15where we choose Tarses because Tarsus is
17:18comfortable. Tarsus does not require me
17:21uh to go get out of my comfort zone.
17:23Tarsus says uh you can just do it the
17:26way you want to do it. This ain't Burger
17:28King, ladies and gentlemen.
17:35>> Or you can just have it your way.
17:39>> I'm telling you, I'd rather be
17:40uncomfortable but be in the will of God.
17:42Uh I'd rather be uncomfortable, Amen.
17:44but see the promises of God fulfilled.
17:46Uh can I preach to somebody in this
17:48room? Can I preach to a seasoned saint
17:50right now? You've been living for God
17:52and God has been good to you. Uh but it
17:54is time saint of the living God to rise
17:57up. Uh it is time saint of the living
17:59God to say uh we are going to win this
18:02city in the name of Jesus. Uh it is time
18:05that somebody says I'm going to get
18:07uncomfortable for the Lord.
18:11I assure you when you get uncomfortable
18:14I assure you amen. Some of us have
18:16forgotten how to pray in the spirit.
18:22>> We've been so comfortable just sitting
18:23uh and receiving. Uh and yes, God is
18:26good. Amen. All the time and all the
18:28time. Uh God is good. Uh but I assure
18:31you that if you step out of your comfort
18:32zone uh even in this very service, uh if
18:35you step out of your comfort zone and
18:37lift up your hands, uh and you say,
18:39"God, uh I believe in the impossible. I
18:43believe that you can do things uh that I
18:45may not even realize you can do right
18:48now. Uh some of us have been living in
18:51our
18:54>> Some of us have been living faithless
18:57>> for a little too long.
19:02>> Tarsus is a road of comfort.
19:05>> Do as you please.
19:08the city where Calvary is not there.
19:14Nobody seeks the Lord.
19:17Nobody seeks conviction.
19:19Jonah decides, I will go to Tarsus.
19:23I much rather live in the pleasures of
19:26my flesh, in the pleasures of this
19:29world, than to live in the will of God.
19:35So he went down to Joba and found a
19:38ship.
19:40But the text is careful when it
19:42describes this moment.
19:45The text says he fled not only from his
19:49duty,
19:50but he also fled from the presence of
19:54the Lord.
19:57To turn from duty, ladies and gentlemen,
20:01is to turn away from God.
20:09There's a danger in disobedience.
20:12There's a danger when we disobey
20:15the word of God.
20:18Jonah went down into the ship and he
20:21fell asleep, says the Bible,
20:23but his sleep was not peace.
20:28Sometimes we confuse sleep with peace.
20:33Just because nothing's going on in your
20:35life does not mean you have true peace.
20:43We've mistaken sleep
20:46with thinking that we are in the will of
20:48God. Jonah was outside of the will of
20:52God, but he was still able to sleep.
20:58The Bible says
21:01he went to sleep. He he went to sleep,
21:03but he was not at peace. Don't get that.
21:07Don't get confused when you think about
21:09that in this story. It was the dreadful
21:12calm of a man
21:14who has given up all claim
21:19to God.
21:21He was a restless
21:23rebel
21:27turned by disobedience
21:30but yet he was content to remain in
21:34rebellion.
21:36There is a danger ladies and gentlemen
21:37when we are disobedient uh to the word
21:40of God. Uh there is there's a great
21:42danger uh to be content uh without uh
21:45God. Uh it there is a great danger when
21:48we are satisfied in our sin. Uh there is
21:51a danger uh when we are unfruitful in
21:54the church of God. Uh there is a many of
21:58us are unfruitful in the church today.
22:01Uh we are not wicked people. Uh we are
22:04not wicked openly. uh but without but we
22:06are living without purpose. Amen. Uh
22:09there's many sitting in this room uh
22:11that you are caught in a borderland. Uh
22:13you are not here and you are not there.
22:15Uh you are right in the middle. Uh you
22:18don't know if you belong there or if you
22:20belong here. Uh but you are caught in
22:22the middle. Uh it is time for somebody
22:24to say uh I got to live in the purpose
22:28and in the will of God.
22:32Let me explain something to you. I was
22:34sitting in a in a room and with a pastor
22:36that I that I that I that I that I love
22:38so much. Uh he's a mentor to me. Uh and
22:41he said, "Abel, there is the will of God
22:43and there is the perfect will of God."
22:46And a lot of us are content to be in the
22:49will of God. I'll tell you what the will
22:51of God looks like. The will of God looks
22:53like you coming to church on Sunday
22:54morning. The will of God looks like you
22:56paying your tithes. Uh the will of God
22:58looks like you, Amen, uh being a part of
23:00the body and doing what you're supposed
23:01to do. Uh amen. But the perfect will of
23:04God uh is an ecosystem and it is an
23:07atmosphere that the Lord has designed
23:10for you to be effective.
23:15>> Can I preach to somebody in this room?
23:17Uh we've been living in the will of God,
23:19but it is time to seek the perfect will
23:21of God. Uh I don't just want to be in
23:23the will of God. that I want to operate
23:26uh in the ecosystem uh in the atmosphere
23:29that the Lord has designed for my life.
23:32Uh come on somebody. Can I preach to a
23:35young person in this room? Uh can I
23:37preach to an elder in this room? It is
23:40time to say Lord uh we are going to
23:42obey. Uh and we are going to do your
23:45perfect will.
23:50>> Ah many are unfruitful in the church
23:52today. We are sitting waiting for
23:55something to happen.
23:59There's a song we sing in Spanish and I
24:01love so much.
24:04It says, "Jesus
24:06is walking in the room."
24:10Jesus is walking through each aisle and
24:13when he walks into the room,
24:17everything is transformed.
24:20The pain turns into joy.
24:23>> The sorrow turns into hope.
24:27>> When Jesus is walking into the room,
24:30something has to change.
24:37>> I'll tell you, Jesus is in this room.
24:44>> I'm going to say it again in the Holy
24:45Ghost. Jesus is in this room.
24:49It's not up to him. It's up to you.
24:52It's not up to him if you're going to
24:53get your miracle. It's up to you if
24:55you're going to get your miracle. Jesus
24:57is walking in this room. Uh he is
24:59walking through your aisle right now. Uh
25:02and it is not up to him. It is up to us.
25:05Uh it is up to us to say, "Lord, you are
25:08in this room. I'm going to elevate my
25:11faith. Uh and when I elevate my faith uh
25:15something clashes uh something has to
25:18happen.
25:29Jonah is
25:33walking
25:35toward
25:36the wide
25:39way.
25:46I love what the scripture tells us about
25:48this story.
25:52The Lord sent a storm to catch his
25:54attention.
25:58But God loved Jonah so much.
26:01He loved him still even though he made
26:03the wrong decision.
26:06That's called mercy.
26:09How many of us can testify today and
26:11say, "God has been merciful to me."
26:14I can assure you this preacher standing
26:16behind this pullpit here today, I can
26:18tell you I serve a merciful God.
26:24Jonah, he made the wrong decision, but
26:27yet there was mercy extended and mercy
26:30came wrapped into
26:33a storm.
26:36The Lord, the Bible says,
26:40sent a storm into the sea.
26:45Now, I'll tell you this.
26:47I'd rather get a storm and not have
26:50eternal damnation
26:52than to never have a storm in my life
26:54>> and not make it to heaven.
26:59>> I thank the Lord for the storms in my
27:01life, Brother Santos.
27:04I thank the Lord for the storms in my
27:06life. Uh so often we come to the house
27:09of God and we say Lord would you remove
27:11the storm in my life. Uh God would you
27:14we come to the house of God and say Lord
27:16would you just remove this painful thing
27:18that is going in my life. Uh and the
27:20Lord is saying hold on a second I sent
27:22the storm your way to get your attention
27:24again. Uh I feel the mercy of God in
27:27this room. And I feel the mercy of God
27:29speaking to an individual, to a family,
27:31to a marriage, married c married couple
27:34in this room. Uh the storm that you are
27:36facing right now is not the enemy, is
27:39not the devil. It is the mercy of God in
27:42your life. Uh God is trying to get your
27:45attention one more time. Uh God is
27:47saying, "Come on. Uh you've made the
27:49wrong decision. Uh you've walked away.
27:52But I love you and my mercy is so great
27:55that I'm going to send a storm into your
27:58life.
28:00That storm that you are looking at right
28:02now is not the enemy, is not the devil.
28:05It is the will of God to get you back in
28:08the narrow way.
28:11Uh some of us don't believe it here
28:12today. Some of us are struggling right
28:15now to believe the word of God. Uh Jonah
28:18slept uh while the storm raged, says the
28:21Bible. Verse five and six says, "But
28:23Jonah was gone down into the sides of
28:25the ship, and he lay and was fast
28:29asleep. Uh, so the ship master came to
28:31him and said unto him, "What meanest
28:35thou, oh sleeper?
28:40Arise,
28:43>> call upon thy God."
28:45>> There's a huge shameful contrast in this
28:49portion of scripture.
28:53The man of God is asleep while the
28:56heathen are crying out to their gods.
29:00>> There is the church is in trouble when
29:03the world can be loud and pray to their
29:06gods and while the church is asleep.
29:14We are in trouble when the world, Amen,
29:17is more aware and more awake than the
29:20church of the living God.
29:29>> The heathen, the heathen sailor, says
29:32the word, uh, cried out to their false
29:34gods. Uh, they were desperate for
29:37deliverance. Uh yet the prophet uh the
29:40one that knew the one true God uh the
29:43one man who knew the Lord remains
29:46silent.
29:49>> I struggle when I read this part of
29:51scripture, brother Timothy. I struggle
29:53when I read this part of scripture,
29:55brother Mike. I struggle when I hear
29:58this part of scripture, Pastor Olsen,
30:01because the heathen is louder than the
30:03people of God.
30:06The church is in trouble. Amen. Uh the
30:08world should not be more fervent uh in
30:11prayer than the church. Uh I'm going to
30:13say that one more time. Uh the world
30:15cannot be more fervent uh than the
30:18church of God when it comes to prayer.
30:20Uh amen. I'm going to help you, brother
30:22Cole, right now. Uh prayer service
30:25matters.
30:28>> I'm going to say it again. Prayer
30:30service matters.
30:33It is a perversion. Uh if every ministry
30:37in this church uh is full but the prayer
30:40room is empty,
30:47>> we are in trouble when we can sign up to
30:49do everything else. Brother Tim Cole uh
30:51but when the prayer room is open, we
30:54don't want to step into the atmosphere
30:56that changes.
31:01I'm going to preach it like I feel it in
31:03the Holy Ghost right now. Uh I know I'm
31:05I know I'm speaking amen to a church
31:07that loves God. Uh but God wants you to
31:09love to love prayer. Uh we can love God
31:13but some of us don't love to speak to
31:15God.
31:24>> The world should not be more fervent in
31:26their cry than the people of God.
31:30We are in trouble when all ministries
31:32can be full. We are in trouble when we
31:35want to do hangouts more than be in the
31:37prayer room. Brother Mike,
31:44>> I feel the conviction of the Holy Ghost
31:46all over this room. Would you lift up
31:47your hands right where you are? And I
31:49want you to receive what God is speaking
31:52right now.
32:12Come on somebody.
32:16>> We pray for more blessing but it is time
32:18to pray for more conviction.
32:21It is time to say Lord if you are going
32:23to send conviction to anybody you can
32:26send it here.
32:39>> The Bible says that the sailors shook
32:42Jonah.
32:44They shook him awake.
32:46The heathen came to the man of God and
32:50they shook him awake.
32:55>> What mean is thou,
32:57oh sleeper?
33:00>> I assure you, it's tragic when the
33:02ungodly must call
33:05the godly to prayer.
33:09Sometimes even unbelievers remind us of
33:12our responsibility before God.
33:17Jonah, wake up. You know what I hear all
33:20over this city when I drive around?
33:23My wife and I have have gone around the
33:26city to get to know the city of
33:27Jacksonville. But everywhere I drive,
33:31everywhere I go, I feel I feel the and I
33:35hear Amen. I feel the heart, the broken
33:38heart of the people in this city. But I
33:41hear the voices uh of the heathen cry
33:43out uh and say, "Why? What? What meanst
33:47thou, oh sleeper?"
33:52>> I hear the voices of men and women of
33:55children that are broken. And they are
33:58saying, "Whooping is thou, oh sleeper,
34:03>> the heathen is crying out, do you hear
34:06them Jonah?
34:11The Bible says
34:14that Jonah rises
34:17and here is the irony.
34:20The prophet asleep.
34:22The heathen is awake
34:25and the heathen rebukes the man of God.
34:32>> Jonah Jonah realizes that his sin has
34:35endangered all of them.
34:41Wide is the road that leadth
34:44to destruction.
34:47Narrow is the way that leadth
34:51to everlasting life.
34:54There's something about this portion of
34:57scripture
35:00that catches my attention.
35:03The wide road does mean
35:08convenience,
35:09comfort.
35:11You don't have to rub shoulders with
35:13anybody
35:15because the road is wide.
35:19You can just walk the road. You can
35:21drift right or to the left.
35:25Wide is the road, says the Bible, that
35:27leadth to destruction.
35:31Many are on that road.
35:33But then it says, "Narrow is the way."
35:38>> You know what I think about when I think
35:39about narrow is the way? I think about a
35:43road so uncomfortable
35:45that it takes somebody to squeeze in.
35:51Sometimes we have to crawl
35:56>> because it's a narrow road.
36:02We got to get uncomfortable
36:05in this narrow road. We have to jump and
36:07maybe climb a little bit. We got to
36:11fight our way through this narrow road
36:15>> because it is uncomfortable.
36:18You feel the pressure all over you for
36:22it is a narrow road.
36:25But that is the road
36:29that leads you.
36:33We're choosing the wide road.
36:36But God is speaking to somebody here
36:38this morning. And he is saying, Jonah,
36:40it is time to turn the ship around. It
36:44is time for you to set your eyes not on
36:47Tarsus, but you're going to go to
36:49Nineveh. Yes. Uh Nineveh. The place uh
36:52that you think God can't move. Uh the
36:55place that where go you think uh that
36:57there is no faith. Uh the place where
36:59you think God cannot do a miracle. Uh
37:02Jonah, I am calling you to go to the
37:05place where it seems uncomfortable. Can
37:08I preach to a young person? It is time
37:11for you to get out of your comfort zone
37:13and start preaching in your youth group
37:15and start preaching at your college uh
37:18and start preaching at your job. Uh can
37:20I preach to a daddy right now? Can I
37:23preach to a father? It is time for you
37:25to say my house and I uh we are going to
37:28serve the Lord. Uh and it doesn't matter
37:30if we have to get uncomfortable in the
37:33morning to have a Bible study. Uh we are
37:36going to go the narrow way.
37:44I'm seeking to close. The musicians can
37:47come.
37:50Jonah realizes that his sin, his
37:54disobedience
37:56has endangered all of them in the ship.
38:00But he also learns that they excuse me
38:03that they are they are one with him.
38:09They're all sharing the same danger.
38:11They are all sharing the same need.
38:15All men are sinners.
38:20All need a savior.
38:24Jonah, the Jews
38:27realizes
38:31the oneness of humanity.
38:34The oneness of humanity is
38:37I need a savior.
38:45He asked him. He told him, "Cast me into
38:48the sea."
38:51He recognized
38:53it was not too late for him to make it
38:57right.
39:00Jonah understood that his sacrifice
39:03can bring peace
39:06to those that were around him.
39:11The truth is, ladies and gentlemen, that
39:13when you are walking the narrow way and
39:16you are living a life of sacrifice unto
39:19God,
39:21not unto men,
39:23unto God,
39:26every sacrifice,
39:29every hard moment,
39:32every valley
39:34is unto the Lord.
39:36When I walk the narrow way, when I walk
39:39in the way of discomfort,
39:43I do it unto the Lord.
39:47And when I live and choose to walk the
39:52narrow way,
39:56I
39:57bring peace
40:00to those around me.
40:03Would
40:06you stand with me right now? I feel the
40:09spirit of God in this room.
40:16The narrow way.
40:21I'll tell you how you get started in
40:23this narrow way. You come to an altar
40:25like this this Sunday morning and you
40:27die to yourself
40:30and you die to your passions
40:32and you die to your comfort and you die
40:35to your way and you say, "Lord, I must
40:40decrease
40:41so that you
40:44can increase."
40:46I'll tell you what's the problem of this
40:47new generation. I'll tell you, amen.
40:49What's the problem that we sense in
40:512026? Uh that the church is now intended
40:54to preach the word that just encourages
40:57Christians that just says God is going
40:59to bless you. Uh God is going to give
41:01you hope. Uh God is going to give you
41:03more more blessing. Amen. Uh but now we
41:06have forgotten that the message is not
41:08just blessing. Uh the true message of
41:10Calvary is die to yourself.
41:16I'll tell you how we're going to see
41:17revival. When you say, "I got to die,
41:21this mortal man. Uh, I got to die to my
41:23earthly desires. Uh, and I got to choose
41:26the narrow way.
41:31This altar is open. Would you come at
41:34this moment?
41:36Would you come with expectation knowing
41:38that God is going to turn your life
41:42around?
41:44You know the decisions you have made
41:46this year. You know the decisions uh
41:49good or bad that you have made in your
41:51life. Uh today is the day where the Lord
41:54makes a right. Uh today is the day where
41:56you say, "Lord, I'm going to decrease.
41:59Uh I'm going to decrease, Lord. It's not
42:03about me. Uh it's about you. Uh I choose
42:06the narrow way. I choose Nineveh.
42:11I choose to walk in communion with you.
42:15I choose to surrender my will. Oh God,
42:23I will not offer something that cost me
42:26nothing. Come on, can somebody come
42:29right now and sacrifice?
42:32Can somebody come right now
42:36and die to yourself?
42:40Come on, choose the narrow way this
42:42morning.
42:45Well, preacher, how am I going to impact
42:47the world? Uh, die to yourself. Uh, how
42:49am I going to reach the lost? Uh, die to
42:52yourself. Uh, how am I going to see the
42:54glory of God? Die to yourself.
43:08I give myself away.
43:12Oh you
43:14can use me. I give myself away.
43:19>> Come on, Jonah. Quit running away.
43:25>> I give myself away.
43:29So you
43:31Jonah,
43:33>> quit running.
43:35>> Keep walking
43:37in the road that leadth to destruction.
43:41Quit going toward Tarsus.
43:44>> Jonah, choose the narrow way.
43:49>> Me, I give myself away.