God’s first order was disobeyed. The second order was dedication. It is either dedication or disobedience in our lives. The more you lack dedication to the will of God, the more you will be disobedient. Four thoughts:
I. The Spirit of Dedication
1. Jonah arose and went to Nineveh
2. The spirit of promptness.
a. Jonah did not sit and wait. It was not when he got good and ready.
b. There was no delay. No procrastination, no waiting for a more convenient season.
c. Dedication is not delinquent. It is always on time.
d. When we dedicate ourselves to serving God, it must be with a readiness. Serve immediately when the command is given.
3. Spirit of industriousness
a. Jonah’s commission required hard work.
1) He had to walk all the way to Nineveh
2) It was 500-600 miles from Jonah’s home.
3) It was a hard journey.
b. The dedicated soul will not be reluctant to serve where much labor is involved.
1) He will not be afraid of sweat
2) Colossians 1:28-29; 2 Thessalonians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:2-5
c. Jonah could not fulfill his commission if he were lazy.
1) Neither can we
4. The spirit of unselfishness
a. You can not be dedicated to God’s work and be selfish.
b. Jonah had to drop whatever he was doing in order to do God’s work.
1) He had to lay aside his own personal plans and put self in a subordinate position.
2) Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23-26
c. It is not my rights, my interests, my concerns, that must come first
d. A me first spirit will never serve God.
II. The Standard of Dedication
1. Jonah 3:3
2. The standard by which we measure the realness must be according to the word of the Lord.
3. No matter how impressive the performance may appear to man.
a. The world standing.
b. Another man’s ministry. Galatians 6:3-4
4. True dedication does not promise fame and fortune and is great in man’s eyes. Mark 14:3-9
5. We must live and serve according to God's word.
a. God's main interest in you is your response to His word.
b. Not how impressive it is to men.
III. The Scene of Dedication
1. This is the place: city of Nineveh. The scene will do nothing to encourage dedication in doing the will of God.
2. Never has been described by God as:
a. A great city, verse 3, ever exceeding great. None of this has to do with goodness. It was about 60 miles in circumference.
b. Great city in guile. So great that God threatened to destroy it.
c. All Nineveh’s great size, wealth, walls, achievement, and power will not prevent God’s judgment.
d. Only true repentance will alter God’s judgment.
e. The scene, picture, the place Jonah was to preach against:
1) Greatness in material
2) Greatness in the things which impress the flesh
3) Greatness in guile.
f. All was a real test to Jonah’s dedication.
1) Great difficulties and great distractions to his work.
3. The difficulties for his work
a. The difficulties show the magnitude of his work.
b. He must inform one huge city that God is about to judge this place.
1) No radios, TV’s, or Newspaper
2) Just one man
3) He must go up and down preaching God’s message.
4) If he doesn’t do it, it will not get done.
c. The great Nineveh’s that confront us in our duty, challenge our dedication.
4. The distraction to his work.
a. Evil conduct and temptations to enjoy in the land of the flesh.
b. My job, Hebrews 13:7 & 17
IV. The Sermon of Dedication
1. He walked a whole day’s journey toward the center of the city, more people, he began preaching. Vs. 4
2. The sermon was earnest.
a. Jonah cried out the message to the people.
b. Nothing hesitant, or passive or timid about the message
c. Earnestness means the preacher must be profoundly serious about what he is saying.
3. The sermon was plain
a. Jonah was not out to impress folks with his vocabulary.
1) Just 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
2) No one will have difficulty understanding that message.
3) Acts 2:14, 22-4, 36-37; 7:54, 54-60; 1 Corinthians 1:26-2:2; Acts 4:12-13
b. It takes coverage to be plain on many issues. 2 Timothy 4:2-4
c. Simplicity of the message does not take away the importance of the message.
4. The sermon was humbling
a. Nineveh was a great city, and the people knew it.
b. Jonah preached, in 40 days God was going to destroy this place.
1) It was a big insult to the people.
2) Today we don’t want to embarrass folks that have sin in their lives.
c. Sinners need to be humbled.
5. The sermon was gracious
a. At first, it seems Jonah’s message was unkind, unloving, mean, harsh, crude.
b. Jonah sermon was a sermon of grace.
1) his sermon was a warning.
2) Love warns a person of coming judgment.
6. The sermon was fitting.
a. God's message is still fitting for any and all occasions.
b. Nineveh was a wicked city and the message they needed was one of judgment.
1) His message was not a sweet-sounding sermon.
2) That kind of a message would not help.
c. How about the days we live in?
1) Abortion, immorality, homosexuality, gambling, divorce, drinking, drugs, and crime
2) Any sin, every sin, will either be pardoned in Christ or punished in hell.
d. The message we do not need today is a message that says:
1) if it feels good do it.
2) God will overlook your sin, your special.
e. Those who oppose strong preaching are those who are more sympathetic with sin than they are with holiness.
V. The Bottom Line
1. We need real people ready and willing to invest their lives in a real purpose.
2. We need to make sure we're doing it God's way.
a. We can't make allowances for conditions
b. We can't make allowances for personalities
c. Not if we want God's blessings
3. Keep it simple:
a. Salvation in God's word is not confusing.
b. God's will for our life of service is not hard to understand.
c. Obey the working of the Holy Spirit.
