Untitled Sermon

Jonah 1:10–12 NLT

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?” 12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

Jonah 3:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Jonah 1:17 NLT

17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

King James Version Chapter 3

And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

:-1-4

There is more to the story

We are not always aware, but there are many times that we incorrectly identify an entire product by one single brand name. In the world of marketing and sales, this is called brand dominance. That one single company has done such an incredible job of promoting their product that customers associate only the name of that brand with the product.

Some examples that I would share that I think you might be familiar with are:

sharpie’s. Most often when we need a permanent marker, we just ask if anyone has a sharpie.

Another example are roller blades. Roller blades are not a product, rather they are just one brand of in-line skates.

I don’t think its as big of a thing today, but when I was coming through high school, Velcro was the happening thing. I had shoes that were fastened by Velcro…pants that were fastened with Velcro…The fact is that Velcro is simply one brand, the actual product is hook and loop fasteners.

Another one that I thought about bringing tonight to demonstrate is the TASER. The name TASER is actually an acronym standing for Thomas A. Swift Electric rifle. Again, the TASER is simply one company out of many that make the Electroshock weapon.

In each of these cases and many many more that I could use tonight, we use one single brand name to identify an entire product line. And yet in using that single brand name to identify the product, we overlook the fact that there are actually hundreds, if not thousands of other companies the make the same exact product.

And last but not least, tonight…everyone is wearing their flannel tonight. yet there is more to the story.

The first flannel was created by Scottish farmers in the 1600’s by weaving wool to form clothing that would keep them warm in the harsh winters. The mental image that you might have in your mind of that Scottish farmer out in the snow and the wind dressed like a cool hipster, is probably not accurate. Because the first flannel didn’t look anything like the flannel that you or I are wearing tonight. They were coarse, drab and well…ugly…And so the plaid colors and patterns that were specific to individual villages and clans were applies to the flannels.

Because flannel is actually the fabric and plaid is the design…yet 400 years later, the word flannel is used to describe our favorite fall attire.

But there is more to the story.

And while modern advertising has enabled marketers to so focus on one brand and one name to label an entire product…there is no more clever at marketing than our enemy the devil.

Satan is able to take one moment in your life, one mistake…one circumstance…one choice…and cause I too believe that our entire life has to be identified by that one moment.

Take for example the story of Jonah in the bible. When I say the name Jonah…what is the first thing that you think of when I say the name Jonah?

For most of us, its the whale.

Its the great fish that swallowed Jonah, and then he spent three nights in the belly of the whale for three night.

The symbol of Jonah’s disobedience. When God spoke to Jonah to go to Nineveh, he had refused and ran the opposite direction. Now, here he is in the bottom of the ship.

And 6,000 years later Jonah is associated with failure and a fish. Disobedience and a deep sea.

And there are young people in this room tonight, that you have allowed the enemy to market your failure. To place a label on you that wrongly takes what you’ve been through and even what you’ve done and identify you as though that is what you are.

Young people here tonight that the enemy has declared brand dominance over your life and declared that because of what you have been through, that is what you will always be.

You will always be angry

You will always be fearful

You will always be depressed

You will always be insecure

But…there is more to the story!!

Yes, Jonah disobeyed…yes he was swallowed by a great fish…but that wasn’t all there was to the story.

Because Jonah chapter number 3 begins this way

Jonah 3:1–4 NKJV

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to 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, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Jonah 2:1–4 NKJV

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. 2 And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, 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 floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

The bible tells us that Jonah went to Nineveh and he preached repentance. And there was such an incredible revival that every person in Nineveh repented. Not one or two families…not a neighborhood. Every person…and their livestock and pets!!!

Jonah did fail…but Jonah didn’t let his failure identify him!

its time tonight for some young people to let the enemy know that he doesn’t have the right to declare Brand Dominance over your life!

Here is how to destroy brand dominance…there has to be another name exalted!

There has to be another name that is promoted.

I’ve got the name of Jesus upon my life!

Yes, I failed…i spent three nights in the belly of a whale…I’ve suffered consequences…but there is more to the story!