Jonah 3:6-10 Series

Recap ~ 4-5 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

So we have a question that is meant for us here, do you believe God? This is a question for everyone to ask themselves because the answer to this question is between each of us and God if we do or you don't.

We are given really one task for the gift of our salvation, and I know I harp on this a lot but again it is the primary task for the price of the blood of Jesus. It is to go out and share the gospel and bring those new believers into the church family to help it grow. That's it, nice and simple.

Upon the hearing of God's word in Nineveh they broke down from their selfish ways and it says they fasted and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least.

Sackcloth is a sign of humility before God. The reverse from what many churches believe which is to put on their best. They put on their gold and their silk scarves and silk ties and boast before God as if God cares. He doesn't.

Our sackcloth is the gospel, it is our way of humbling ourselves to God for everything He has done for us.

You know what I love? I love seeing the new young faces in our church, and the soon to be newest young face in our church once he comes home.

See I am a big picture kind of guy. What I mean by that is that I want to see this church be here for at least as long as it has been here already. But that is going to take some work by all of us isn't it? I want this church to be the last church I am a part of until my last days. That's my prayer and my hope.

Jonah 3:6 ~ The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

This king did not hear Jonah speak directly, but it says the word reached him, and yet still the power from just that alone moved this king to put on sackcloth as if he was a common slave. (ashes = ground)

I have been given the gospel by someone, I then shared the gospel with others and they then shared the gospel with even more. That is the power in God's word, you don't have to hear them spoken by God himself, the power travels with His word from person to person to person.

Romans 1:16 ~ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Did you know what power you wield with the gospel? Not your power but the power of God. You can save souls by just repeating God's words.

Taking lives is easy, you just need to be a little crazy, or depressed, or mad. But saving souls that is something that only God can do, and He does it merely through His words being spoken.

By the words of God you can be one of the most powerful beings on this planet by just speaking. Kings and presidents would have nothing on you. You can be the poorest person money wise yet be one of the most powerful there is just by speaking some words, some very powerful words.

7-9 ~ And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

The king has just turned into a pastor or preacher. The king understand his responsibility to his people now to encourage them, to guide them, to humble himself before them and show them the way.

Who are you a king or queen to over your little kingdom? How can you humble yourself to them in order to bring glory to God by leading them to Him?

Imagine the celebration that would be in heaven to have this church filled every week. Good and faithful servant comes to mind.