Jonah 3
1. A Look At The Man v's 1-3 He Was :-
(a) A Changed Man 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD
Immediate Obedience So Jonah arose
Implicit Obedience and went unto Nineveh
Impressive Obedience according to the word of the LORD
(b) A Chastened Man 1 the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time,
There was No :-
Evading God's Call
Escaping God's Call or
Extinguishing God's Call
(c) A Challenged Man 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
He Was To Be :-
God's Man Arise, go
on God's Mission Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city
With God's Message and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
He was to preach the truth, the whole truth, & nothing but the truth.
2. Listen To The Message 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. A. The Scope of the Mission – Hardest part is actually beginning: And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey B. The Urgency of the Mission: "and he cried out and said" C. The Message of the Mission – Unpopular and Dangerous: "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Short sermons can be quite effective!
Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries
Oh! God, send us prophetic preaching that searches and scorches! Send us a race of martyr-preachers - men burdened, bent, bowed and broken under the vision of impending judgment and the doom of the unending hell of the impenitent! It was not a lengthy message! It was not a intellectual message! It was not an eloquent message! BUT it was God’s message!
Note It's :-
Truth 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Sovereignty Involved
Timing and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, Sobriety Involved
Terror and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Solemnity Involved
Judgement was Sure, Soon, Serious, Sovereign overthrown
Testimony 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast,
Sincerity Involved
Jonah's Manner, Message, & Mission wrought Revival
Note The Repentance was :-
Wide 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God,
Deep and proclaimed a fast,
Low and put on sackcloth 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God:
High from the greatest of them even to the least of them.6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 3. Learn From The Method 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD A. Involved A Man -V. 1:1-3:3 It is a blessing to know that God can use even those who have fallen short for His glory! I. First, we learn that revival is delayed by the disobedience of preachers. II. Second, we learn that revival comes unexpectedly and suddenly, when the preacher finally obeys God. III. Third, we learn that salvation comes by faith, through repentance, in revival as well as in individual conversions. B. Involved A Message - V. 3:4 Jonah walked into Nineveh with a simple eight Word message from the Lord. When this message was preached, God used the Word to prick the hearts of the Ninevites and revival followed. Isa. 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. C. Involved A Miracle -V. 3:5-9 The miracle lies in the fact that a whole town turned to God! There have been great revivals throughout history, but this is the only instance of a town of this size, filled with such wicked people, being converted and delivered from sin. Rom. 1:16; For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
John 1:12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: D. Involved God's Mercy - V. 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Eph. 2:8-9. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
4. Lean On The Master Under the preaching of Jonah, B.C. 862, the city and king had turned to God…Jonah 3:3-10. But in the time of Nahum, more than a century later, the city had wholly apostatized from God (Scofield note Nahum 1:1) The Text Reports Some Evidences Of Revival I. THERE'S A . . PREACHER OF GOD'S WORD. Because Of Grace II. THERE'S A . . PERSUADED PEOPLE. Because Of Grace III. THERE'S A . . PENITENT PEOPLE. Because Of Grace IV. THERE'S A . . POTENTATE'S PARDON (God's Pardon) Because Of Grace
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