This sermon from Apostle Allison Smith Conliff centers on the biblical narrative of Jonah to illustrate the dangers of fleeing one's divine assignment. She warns the congregation that serving God must be done on His terms rather than personal conditions or emotional biases. She emphasizes that true Christian characteris revealed through integrity in the workplace and a heart rooted in unconditional love rather than judgment. By highlighting Jonah's failed attempt to hide from God's omnipresence, the message encourages believers to stop running from their purpose and embrace their roles as vessels of the Holy Spirit. Summarily, this serves as a call to spiritual accountability, urging listeners to prioritize their relationship with Christ over worldly distractions.

Key Points:

The biblical story of Jonah illustrates several significant dangers associated with avoiding a divine purpose, ranging from personal spiritual decay to physical peril for oneself and others. Jonah is a "familiar character" who serves as a primary example of what happens when a person attempts to serve God on their own "terms and condition" rather than accepting the specific assignment given to them.

It is impossible to hide from God’s presence. Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish to escape his assignment, but because God is omnipresent, He remained with Jonah even on the boat. The Apostle suggests that attempting to run from a divine mandate is a "challenge" to oneself because God’s plans are ultimately better than our own, and "dragging your feet" only hinders progress.

The most immediate danger illustrated by Jonah’s flight was the "mighty tempest" or "miracle wind" that God sent to intercept him. This highlights several risks:

• Premature Death: Running from an assignment puts a person in danger of "premature death," both spiritually and physically, because the individual places themselves in the "wrong place" where they are vulnerable to spiritual attack.
• Collateral Damage: Jonah's disobedience endangered everyone on the ship, forcing the "unsaved" mariners to cry out to their own gods and throw their "wares" overboard to save their lives.
• Exposure and Accountability: The "unsaved know when you're running from God". In Jonah's case, the mariners cast lots and discovered he was the cause of the disaster, forcing him to admit he was fleeing the God of heaven.

Avoiding a divine purpose can lead to significant emotional and spiritual distortion. Jonah was "carrying a lot of feelings he shouldn't be carrying," specifically a desire for vengeance against the Assyrians rather than the mercy God intended to offer. This led to several negative outcomes:

• Spiritual Blindness: While the ship was in a life-threatening crisis, Jonah was "fast asleep" in the bottom of the boat, a state the sources describe as being "lulled to sleep" by Satan or blinded by his own desire for judgment.
• Bitterness and Misery: Because he was "full of himself" and disagreed with God's mercy, Jonah became so "vexed" that he prayed to die twice. He "majored in the minor" by caring more about a plant that gave him shade than the thousands of people in Nineveh.

God uses intervention, like the "miracle wind", to pull those running from their destiny back to reality and their true purpose. Failure to fulfill an assignment results in deep regret and a life that fails to magnify God's character.

Rec. Date: 3rd March, 2024