July 15 2012
A In the ANE Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire (modern day Iraq.)
1 The city was a wicked city, full of sinful people who practiced all kinds of sin.
a This was a pagan, secular, lost city whom had never known of the Living God of Israel.
aa The city was great in splendor & influence of the Assyrian Empire. (One wall was eight miles long/1,500 towers)
bb Also great in sin: cruel people (impaled live victims on poles/roast to death in the desert sun; beheaded people by thousands & stacked their skulls up by the city gates; skinned people alive)
cc They respected neither age nor sex and followed a policy of killing babies and young children so they wouldn’t have to care for them (Nahum 3.10).
10 Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains. Nahum 3:10 (NIV)
b These people needed God desperately.
aa They were either going to receive His forgiveness/grace for their sin or receive His wrath/judgement for their sin.
bb The choice was theirs to make.
2 God sends a Hebrew prophet named Jonah to Nineveh to preach a message of God’s imminent judgement
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." Jonah 1:2 (NASB)
a When Jonah got to Nineveh, he didn’t give an altar call, invitation, appeal to be saved, sinners prayer.
aa 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." Jonah 3:4 (NASB)
bb In 40 days, God’s going to destroy you.
b 40 is often linked to testing or judgement in Scripture
aa Noah (40 days/nights: Gen 7. 4, 12, 17);
4 "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made." Gen 7:4 (NASB)
12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Gen 7:12 (NASB)
17 Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. Gen 7:17 (NASB)
Jewish spies explored Canaan for 40 days; Israel tested in the wilderness for 40 years.
34 'According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. Num 14:34 (NASB)
bb Goliath taunted the army of Israel for 40 days;
16 The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.1 Sam 17:16 (NASB)
c Cry: Cry aloud, pronounce, preach, to invite, shout to get the attention, declare a prophetic word, summon for a specific task.
aa IL. Town Criers were people who announced to the town a new law, information, announcements 200 years ago.
bb God’s Crier has not a message of turn or burn: no get right or suffer the consequences: he didn’t beg them to seek God’s forgiveness, turn from their wickedness . . . but that is what the citizens of Nineveh did do!
B 5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes .7 He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water.8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands.9 "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish."Jonah 3:5-9 (NASB)
1 The entire city, from the King to the poorest citizen in Nineveh turned to the God of Israel (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.)
a In standard Hebrew narrative form (v.5), we see the outcome first and the way it came to pass afterwards.
aa They believed, firmly trusted in the Lord.
bb They got their by repenting, fasting, sackcloth.
cc Sackcloth is usually made of goat hair, worn by poor/servants/prisoners, also by prophets & people in mourning. Nineveh could have been mourning over their sin!
b Remember, nothing in Jonah’s message called Nineveh to repentance to avoid judgement.
aa The pagans heard the word of God it burned in their hearts.
bb They heard, believed, plead for mercy and the Lord gave it to them!
cc The Lord never indicated that He would give mercy to Nineveh, but He did.
"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." Jonah 1:2 (NIV)
2 A great revival happened and a city was spared judgement for a season.
a From a human perspective, this entire story appears to be ridiculous.
aa How can ONE man make a difference against thousands (600,000) with a message of judgement?
bb How could a Jew, who worshiped the true God, get idolatrous Gentiles to believe his message?
b For all we know Jonah might end up at the end of a pole or skinned alive.
aa Jonah was one voice, who spoke the truth in a society that was not only on the wrong track but also off the rails speeding toward an unknown destination!
bb The will of God never leads you to where the grace of God can’t keep you and the power of God can’t use you.
TS: Nineveh was given mercy after they received Jonah’s message, but this was not the only time the word of the Lord came there.
A About 100 years later, the next generation of Ninevites had abandoned the Lord, fallen back into sin. (Hardly a shred of evidence that the revival had ever occurred.)
1 They had abandoned the Lord by falling back into their sinful ways.
a Every revival/awakening ends for the same reason, sin.
b Evil, violance, sorcery
4 all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. Nahum 3:4 (NIV) Bloodshed
19 Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty? Nahum 3:19 (NIV), Killing of children, sexual perversion.
aa "I am against you," declares the Lord Almighty. "I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. Nahum 3:5 (NIV)
bb The city was full of prostitution, sexual infidelity
2 God is slow to anger . . . but He does get there.
a He doesn’t let wickedness, sin, evil go unpunished/un-dealt with.
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1:2-3 (NIV)
b Just as He punishes the guilty, He’ll protect those who trust in Him
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, Nahum 1:7 (NIV)
B God sends another Hebrew prophet to Nineveh, Nahum.
1 This time Nineveh doesn’t repent when they hear the word of the Lord.
a No pleading for His mercy, turning from their wicked ways, praying, fasting, begging for God’s mercy.
b As a result of their unwillingness to return to God, He unleashes His judgement/wrath and destruction comes to Nineveh in 612 B.C.
2 The once great city is now lost to the passing of time and pages of antiquity.
a The worlds richest city of the worlds most powerful nation fell under God’s wrath.
b Revival, awakening would have changed the outcome of Nineveh.
T.S.: As God looks America, I look at how He dealt with Nineveh.
A He is slow to anger . . . but God does get there, America.
1 On July 9, The Episcopal church voted to allow people who cross dress & those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery to be ordained in the Episcopal church.
a Those who reject the sex God has assigned them, reject Scripture’s teachings on cross-dressing, marriage, and church leadership will now be teaching in churches.
b I don’t want my kids there!
2 U.S. Representative Barney Frank “married” his partner last weekend. (Making him the nation’s first member of Congress to “marry” someone of the same sex.)
a In a recent interview he pouted that none of his Republican colleagues publically congratulated him on his nuptials, many democrats congratulated him heartily.
Video: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/barney-frank-republicans-gay-marriage.php
b Shame on anyone who would congratulate this clown on his shame of a marriage that further erodes the institution of marriage in this nation.
3 In June, the Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade (known for its debauchery, perversion, hedonistic atmosphere) got the attention of the media for the increased attendance of children to this event.
a Gay parents are now bringing their kids to these events: subjecting them to the soul-destroying pollution found at this celebration of the gay-lifestyle.
b What elected official/corporations would permit/sponsor such an event?
(Aetna, New York Life, State Farm, The Home Depot, Walgreen’s, Miller Beer, Wells Fargo, 5 Hour Energy, etc.) (Get some suitable pics from site below:
http://americansfortruth.com/2012/06/21/philadelphia-gay-pride-parade-and-festival-feature-lewd-acts-porn-booth-sadomasochists/)
c The religious continency at the event held signs about bullying & gay by God. (Pic found at previous site)
aa We are bullying if we say God isn’t okay with Gay.
bb We are supposed to be normalizing gay behavior and forgetting what the Bible says about it.
4 Jane Pitt, (Brad’s momma), sent a letter to her local Springfield, Missouri newspaper last week expressing the unvarnished truth that our sitting President supports gay marriage and the killing of the unborn.
a How did those who clamor for “equal rights” will denying the right to exist to the unborn to Mrs. Pitt?
b Death threats, of course. Hair-curling epithets. (So much for tolerance & diversity)
B We do not want anyone to feel bad about their behavior (or a loved one’s behavior.)
1 We now read picture books to our elementary students that describe all family structures as the same, good.
a Whether single parent, divorced parents, homosexual partners . . . it’s all the same, all good. (Well, it’s not all the same or good.)
b If we teach kids that an intact marriage, between hetrosexual parents are best for kids we’ll be doing a grotesque injustice to single parents, divorced parents, homosexual parents, right?
c If we don’t speak up for marriage for risk of making children feel bad, how will we discourage unwed single motherhood or divorce?
2 We’ve lost our way as a nation and we are hurting.
Conclusion:
A Is there hope for America?
1 Twice in American history we have seen dramatic national revivals.
a Our nations people awoke from their spiritual slumber, moral malaise and sincerely turned to Jesus Christ.
aa They picked up their bibles and studied/read them.
bb Went back to church, planted new churches, and shared the Gospel with friends & family.
b 1700's with the First Great Awakening; early 1800's with the Second Great Awakening.
aa FGA, Massachusetts/ New England, Jonathan Edwards, pleaded for the Holy Spirit to be poured out, turn people’s heart back to Christ, preached
2 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chron 7:14 (NIV),
Held meetings to pray & fast
bb SGA, broader than the first, Charles Finney, millions of Americans awoke again to the things of God.
2 It’s time to do it again!
a The election in November, as important as it is, will not determine the fate/future of this nation.
aa Our only hope has nothing to do with bold reforms to solve the debt crisis.
bb Our only hope is the Lord Jesus Christ
24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; John 11:24-25 (NIV)
b Do you believe this?
aa I know that only Christ’s love, mercy, transforming power can save us.
bb We must repent of our sins & beg the Father to pour His Holy Spirit on this land once again.
cc Send a “Third Great Awakening” before it’s too late.
B I’m tired of the church thinking that this nation can change because of an election.
1 If this nation has a shot at changing it will because the “elect”
7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? Luke 18:7 (NASB) Have humbled themselves, sought His face!
a We’re not promised a spiritual revival, awakening in the 21st century, Third Great Awakening. (Previous awakenings preceded the American Revolution, Civil rights movement)
b I empathize with the king of Nineveh’s prayer in Jonah 3.9. “But who knows.”
aa Perhaps the Lord will show mercy/forgiveness if we will humble ourselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways.
bb I do know that if we don’t repent and turn back to the Lord Jesus Christ, we may well consign ourselves to suffer the same conclusion of the Ninevites during the time of Nahum.
2 It’s time! Without national revival there will be no national survival.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
