When God says 'Rise Up!'
A Community That Answers God’s Call
At The Lighthouse Centre in Brussels, we exist to shine God’s light in a diverse, dynamic city—welcoming people from every nation to experience His love, be transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and grow as mature disciples. Our vision is to promote the Gospel “in all ways possible” so that real transformation happens: hearts restored, lives changed, and hope renewed.
This sermon, “WHEN GOD SAYS RISE UP!,” speaks directly into that vision. Through the story of Jonah—a prophet who tried to run from God’s calling—Pastor David unpacks what happens when we ignore God’s command to rise, the downward spiral that follows, and the grace that meets us even in our rebellion.
In a world that glorifies comfort, self-preservation, and personal preference, this message calls us back to the biblical rhythm of faith: obedience, awakening, and surrender. Whether you’re new to faith, returning after a season away, or serving faithfully in ministry, this word will challenge you to stop running, wake up from spiritual slumber, and rise up now to fulfill the purpose God has placed in your life.
When God Says “Qum” – Arise!
The sermon opens with a simple yet life-altering command: “Qum”—the Hebrew word for “arise” or “rise up.” In Jonah 1:2, God speaks this word to Jonah, calling him to get up, go to Nineveh, and preach against its wickedness. But Jonah doesn’t rise. He runs.
Pastor David reminds us that Jonah wasn’t a nobody. He was a celebrated prophet during Israel’s golden age—someone who predicted military victories, spoke to kings, and enjoyed national prestige. Yet when God breaks into his comfort with one uncomfortable assignment, Jonah turns 180 degrees and heads in the opposite direction.
This is the first warning sign: when God says rise up, running always costs more than obeying. Jonah pays the fare to Tarshish—2,500 miles west instead of 500 miles east. He spends his money, his energy, his time, and his peace to fund his escape from God’s presence.
How many of us are doing the same? We say we serve the God of our lives, but our decisions with time, money, and habits move in the exact opposite direction of His command.
The Downward Spiral: Going Down, Down, Down
One of the most striking details in Jonah 1 is the repeated use of the Hebrew verb “yared”—to go down. The text says:
- Jonah went down to Joppa.
- Jonah went down into the ship.
- Jonah went down into the lowest hold of the vessel.
God calls him to rise up, but Jonah keeps going down. This is the pattern of disobedience: it always leads downward—into compromise, isolation, and spiritual numbness.
The sermon paints a vivid picture: while the ship is being torn apart by a violent storm, while hardened sailors are screaming and throwing cargo overboard to stay afloat, where is the holy prophet of Yahweh? He’s isolated in the lowest hold, curled up in the dark, fast asleep.
This isn’t just a nap. The Hebrew word is “radam”—a deep, trance-like sleep. It’s the same word used when God put Adam to sleep before taking his rib to make Eve. Jonah is in a spiritual coma.
How can someone sleep through a hurricane? Through spiritual apathy. When we refuse to rise up into our calling, we inevitably end up hiding downstairs while the people around us are fighting for their lives.
The Humiliation: A Pagan Captain Preaches to the Prophet
The climax of irony comes when the ship’s captain—a pagan sailor—leaves the panic on deck, walks down into the pitch-black hold, and finds Jonah asleep. He shakes him awake and delivers one of the most embarrassing sentences in Scripture:
“What is wrong with you, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Perhaps your God will give a thought to us, so that we will not perish.”
Notice the word again: “Arise”—Qum. The captain grabs Jonah by the shoulder and says, in effect: “The ship is going under. People are drowning upstairs. How can you be sleeping right now? Get up and call on your God!”
Pastor David drives the point home: the real danger of spiritual apathy is that when the church falls asleep in the lower deck, the surrounding world is left to drown in the storm. When believers are sleeping in the middle of a cultural crisis, the world looks at us and asks, “Aren’t you supposed to be a Christian? Isn’t this how Christians are supposed to behave?”
God sends that sea captain into the dark to deliver a wake-up call: You ran away from “Qum,” but “Qum” just caught up to you. You cannot sleep through your assignment forever. It’s time to stop hiding, get off the floor, and step back onto the deck.
Owning the Storm: The Moment of Surrender
Jonah finally climbs up the narrow staircase to the deck. The ship is careening left and right, water is crashing over the rails, and the sailors are frantic. They cast lots to find out who is responsible for the calamity—and the lot falls on Jonah.
What follows is the most absurd confession in biblical history. Jonah looks at these screaming sailors and says:
“I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
The irony is staggering. Jonah claims to worship the God who created the sea and the land—yet he’s actively trying to run away from the Creator of the sea by getting on a boat in the middle of the sea. His theology in his head is completely disconnected from the choices of his feet.
But then Jonah does something remarkable. When the sailors ask what they should do to calm the storm, he stops running. In verse 12, he utters words of radical ownership:
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea, for I know that this great storm has come upon you because of me.”
For the first time in the narrative, there is surrender. Jonah stops blaming God, stops blaming his assignment, stops hiding behind excuses. He owns the storm he caused.
Pastor David challenges us: You will never rise up until you stop blaming the storm. Stop blaming your boss, your spouse, your colleagues, your past, the culture, the church, the weather. Rising up means stepping onto the deck of your life, looking at the mess your choices have created, and saying:
“I own this. I ran. I went down and down and down. But today, I’m surrendering my life back to the God who made the sea and the land.”
When you stop running and start owning your storm, that is the exact moment God prepares your deliverance.
The Fish: Not Punishment, But Grace
The narrative reaches its dramatic resolution in verses 15–17. The sailors pick up Jonah and cast him into the raging sea—and instantly, the ocean grows calm. The sailors are left in awe, offering sacrifices and making vows to Yahweh.
Then verse 17 drops a phrase that changes everything:
“And Yahweh appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah.”
Most people view the big fish as a brutal punishment. But Pastor David reframes it: the fish is pure grace. Jonah was sinking into the pitch-black depths of the Mediterranean—dead in the water. God didn’t send a fish to destroy Jonah’s life; He appointed the fish to preserve him, to save him.
God was holding His prophet in the dark until Jonah was ready to wake up.
The sermon draws a powerful parallel to Jesus in Matthew 12:40:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jonah points us to the greater Jonah:
- Jonah ran away from his assignment; Jesus ran directly toward His.
- Jonah was thrown into the storm because of his own rebellion; Jesus stepped willingly into the storm for our sins.
- Jonah went down into the dark because he hated his enemies; Jesus went down into the grave because He loved His enemies.
Jesus took the full force of the ocean’s fury, let Himself be swallowed by death, and on the third day, He rose up—so that you and I could be brought out of the depths.
The Call to Rise Up Now
The sermon closes with a passionate invitation. Pastor David challenges three groups of people:
1. Those Who Are Exhausted from Running
Maybe you’ve spent weeks, months, or even years running from God. The only thing it has brought you is a storm in your soul. Today, Jesus isn’t standing on the deck to throw you overboard. He’s standing with arms wide open to pull you out of the water—like He did with Peter.
Salvation begins the moment you stop running, lay down the oars of your boat, and surrender your life to Jesus as Lord.
2. Believers Who Have Fallen Asleep
You have orthodox doctrine in your head. You know thousands of memory verses. But there’s no more fire in your heart. You’ve been hiding in spiritual comfort while the world around you—your community, maybe even your family—is drowning in the storm right above your head.
God brought you to church today to shake you by the shoulder and say: “Qum! Qum! Rise up now!” It’s time to step back into your calling, reclaim your fire, and live out the purpose God placed in your life.
3. The Church That Needs to Wake Up
Pastor David prays not only for The Lighthouse Centre but for churches in Brussels, Belgium, and around the world to wake up. He asks the Holy Spirit to shake our shoulders and say: “Hey, wake up! Arise, wake up, arise! Because now is the time. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. We do not know if we still have another breath next week, next month, next year.”
The sermon ends with a bold call: If this speaks to you, stand up right where you are. Step out from below the ship. Own your storm. Look at the risen King. And let this be the exact moment you say: “Yes, Lord. I want to rise up now.”