Sermon for 7/6/2003
Jonah 3
Introduction:
In John Steinbeck’s story The Wayward Bus a dilapidated old bus takes a cross country shortcut on its journey to Los Angeles, and gets stuck in the mud. While the drivers go for assistance, the passengers take refuge in a cave. It is a curious company of people and it is obvious that the author is attempting to get across the point that these people are lost spiritually as well as literally. As they enter into this cave, the author calls the readers attention to the fact that as they enter they must pass a word that have been painted over the entrance. The word is repent. Although Steinbeck calls that to the readers attention it is interesting that none of the passengers pay any attention to it whatsoever.
WBTU:
Our characters this morning take note of this message and repent.
Thesis: We see here three who display repentance. Let’s look at these three.
For instances:
1. Jonah (vs. 1-4)
A. Last week we talked about running back to God. In the belly of the fish Jonah displayed repentance through the following:
1. Prayer
2. Faith
3. Confession
4. Praise
5. Commitment
B. An important step is to make a U-turn. This is literally what repentance means. Going in one direction and then turn around and go another.
C. Make a change. Running away from God and now running back to God.
D. The last step in the process is obedience.
E. Jonah disobeyed God and ran away to the ocean. He ended up in the belly of a whale. He prayed and asked God for a second chance. God made that fish spit him up on the beach. Now, Jonah has a choice, he can go to Nineveh and obey God or he can choose to disobey and do something else.
G. It is hard for us to imagine Jonah disobeying again. People do it all of the time.
1. A man is stranded out in the ocean and he prays to God that he will be saved. He makes a bargain with God, a vow, and he says that if God saves him he will be give the rest of his life to God. A helicopter comes and rescues him and he says, Oh thank you God. He comes home and he tells people how fortunate he was that helicopter came along. He forgets all about his vow and he forgets all about God. He displayed some repentance to God but it was not genuine. This man used God! How do you think God will respond to that? How would we respond to that?
2. There is another man who I read about who was in a battle and his buddy next to him was a Christian. The bullets were whizzing by and this Christian was hit and this Christian prayed for his friend as he was dying. When this Christian finally died, this man who cared nothing about Jesus Christ, vowed to God that if God could get him out of this battle alive that he would serve his friends God for the rest of his days. God answered his request. This man came back to the United States and this is exactly what he did. He became a preacher and up until a few years ago, Raymond Blair preached to a large congregation in Florida.
H. Which one of these displayed genuine repentance?
I. Many people weep and bemoan their sins and the consequences of their rebellious actions, but they do not come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, they come to him for deliverance and when they are delivered they quickly go back to their sins.
K. (2 Pet 2:22 NIV) Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."
L. The day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:37 NIV) When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"(Acts 2:38 NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:39 NIV) The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."(Acts 2:40 NIV) With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."(Acts 2:41 NIV) Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:42 NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
O. Jonah repented and when God delivered him he displayed his repentance by doing the Lord’s will.
2. The Ninevites. Vs 5-9
A. Wow, what a display of repentance. What a turnaround!
B. Well, let look at the scene.
1. Jonah came into town and he looked hideous and smelled bad.
2. His skin would have been bleached yellow and white through the three days and nights in the whale’s belly.
3. All of his body hair would have been gone.
5. No matter how much bathing he would have done, the smell would have still hung around him for at least a month.
6. He comes into Nineveh and begins to preach on every street corner. I can just imagine the sight. He has a weird accent or very broken Assyrian tongue. After his little doom and gloom speech on every street corner, the people begin to ask him questions, “What do you mean Nineveh will be overthrown? Who is going to do this? How did you get like this?
7. He tells them his story and if they don’t turn something far worse will happen to them. This is the All Powerful God.
8. He begins his preaching in the suburbs outside the city walls, this would have taken some time. Really three cities, Nineveh being the largest, and there were several villages and suburbs outside of these city walls. Three days is incredible! As he preaches he makes his way to the city walls and the gatekeepers have already hear about his story and so they gladly let him in. The gatekeepers may have gone to the king and so Jonah is escorted into his presence and he delivers his message and his story to the king of the Assyrians.
9. Now the area of Nineveh would have been a party zone. They were given over to idolatry, their cruelty and brutality to their enemies were unspeakable, and there was gross immorality in the city. It was a city of wine and women, of the bottle and the brothel, of sauce and sex.
10. For a pagan king to issue such commands and the people gladly follow so that they can weep and mourn and pray to God (capital G), is astounding.
C. We see that the Ninevites took steps in their repentance. They followed through like Jonah.
D. This is our Independence Day Celebration! How does this tie in with our nation?
1. Our nation was built upon Godly principles and the faith of Christianity.
2. We notice that in the book of Jonah, who is displayed negatively, and who is displayed positively?
3. Jonah and the Israelites are shown in a negative light, while the pagans are shown in a positive light.
a. The sailors in chapter 1 are hard-working, greatly concerned for their ship and for those who are on board while Jonah sleeps.
b. The pagan sailors appeal to their gods in a vigorous manner “while the bearer of the message of the true God remains asleep and unconcerned.”
c. When the sailors heard the message of the true God, they acknowledged him as such, and (Jonah 1:16 NIV) At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
d. They were concerned about human life, and they make attempts to not throw Jonah overboard
e. The Lord is going to destroy the Ninevites, but when the Ninevites are told how do they respond? They definitely are not hardened sinners, stiff necked and rebellious. Not their depravity but their repentance is emphasized.
E. One of the often overlooked emphases of this book is the response of the idolatrous heathen to the message of God in contrast to the traditionalists “back home” who are unwilling to listen to the revelation that they have received.
F. The people of Israel had the message of God for years and years but did they repent in sackcloth and ashes. No! Did they follow God with all of their hearts and souls and minds? No! Did they destroy the golden calves that had been set up and go back to worshiping in Jerusalem? No!
G. If we look in the book of Amos we see what they did. Adultery, bribery, drunkenness, oppress the poor, idolatry. Did they repent like the people of Nineveh?
H. When Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual politically correct generalities. But, what they heard instead was a prayer delivered with grace yet full of truth. "Heavenly Father we ask Your forgiveness. We know Your Word says, ’Woe on those who call evil good,’ but that’s exactly what we have done and we confess that:
• We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.
• We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.
• We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
• We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.
• We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
• We have neglected to discipline our children and called it self-expression.
• We have abused power and called it political savvy.
• We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
• We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
• We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, 0 God, know our hearts today, cleanse us from every sin and set us free in the Name of Your Son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."
What was the response of the legislators? Some of them walked out and expressed their outrage. Very little repentance.
I. (Amos 5:10 NIV) you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth.
K. Remove them, Remove any reference to God!
L. We are surrounded by churches, we are surrounded by preachers, and we are surrounded by our godly heritage, but get those things far from us. Don’t remind us!
M. When our sin is exposed, we do not repent; we glory in it. We put it on Jerry Springer and other talk shows and in our movies and in our songs and we laugh when we see it.
N. May we repent and have revival before it is too late.
O. Toque Ville said, “America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
P. (Mat 12:39 NIV) He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Mat 12:40 NIV) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Mat 12:41 NIV) The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.
Q. God has blessed America; it is time for America to bless God.
3. God
A. KJV- Repented of the evil. NKJV- God relented from the disaster; NIV- He had compassion and did not bring about the destruction he had threatened. Amplified- God revoked His [sentence of] evil; Revised Standard- God changed his mind.
B. The beginning of repentance is a change of mind. This is not good so I will seek the Lord.
C. The Lord does not repent in the sense that he sins and then asks for forgiveness. The Lord is without sin; he is pure and holy. God does not do wrong.
D. However, does God change His mind?
1. God does not change.
2. The Bible uses human terms to help us understand God and his ways. God’s hand, God’s eye, etc.
3. Did God say, “My, I made a mistake there; I shouldn’t destroy Nineveh?”
4. Jonah was sent to Nineveh with the message of destruction. Why? If God is going to do it, he will do it.
5. Why would God proclaim this if it could not be changed?
6. Many of God’s messages are conditional.
a. (Mat 18:3 NIV) And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
b. (John 3:3 NIV) Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
7. God gave the message to the Ninevites and he knew that they would make one of two choices:
a. If they rejected the message, God would destroy them.
b. If they repented, God would deliver and save them.
8. God never changes. When His Word is rejected, people are lost. When people turn to Him, He will always save them, regardless of who they are.
E. Who changed? Did God change? No. It was really the city of Nineveh that changed, and that made all the difference in the world.
Conclusion:
A. God is a God of second chances.
B. For Jonah. Would we have given him another chance? At your work?
C. For the Ninevites. Would we have been so compassionate?
D. if you say you’re sorry for all the stuff you do
Know that he is ready with a second chance for you
Praise the Lord He’s the God of Second Chances
You’ll be floored how His love in life enhances
You can be restored from your darkest circumstances
Our God is a God of Second Chances
