Jonah 3:1 (NLT)
Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time:
Not Disqualified
• Jonah was invited to participate in God’s work
– Even though he had run
– Even though he had been disobedient
• Serving God is not based on our past achievements or failures
– Based on God’s grace
– Our repentance
– Our willingness to obey
Jonah 3:2 (NLT)
"Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message of judgment I have given you."
Delivering God’s Message
• Jonah was called to preach a specific message
– God’s message...not Jonah’s
• The message was judgment
– Not easy to preach
– Not popular
• The truth is not always popular
Jonah 3:3 (NLT)
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.
A “God-Sized” Task
• The walls of the city of Nineveh would have held a population of approximately 175,000 people
– How would one man reach that many people?
• It would take 3 days to see the entire city
– Where would he even begin?
Jonah 3:4 (NLT)
On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!"
Nobody is Excluded
• Jonah proclaimed God’s message
– With boldness
– With passion
• Jonah was not audience selective
– Everyone he encountered heard
– No one was left out
• God’s message is for all people
Jonah 3:5 (NLT)
The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they decided to go without food and wear sackcloth to show their sorrow.
Ready to Receive
• The people of Nineveh were receptive to Jonah’s message and responded
– The timing of the message was perfect
– The hearts of the people were ready
• God is constantly preparing the hearts of people
– When we proclaim God’s message, we have to trust that the timing is right
Jonah 3:6-8 (NLT)
When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in sackcloth and sat on a heap of ashes. [7] Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: "No one, not even the animals, may eat or drink anything at all. [8] Everyone is required to wear sackcloth and pray earnestly to God. Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence.
People of Influence
• Jonah’s message reached the King
– His heart was stirred
– He influenced his leaders
– The city was called to repentance
• God may use you to reach those who will reach multitudes
– Never view your calling as insignificant or futile
Jonah 3:9 (NLT)
Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will have pity on us and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us."
The Hope of Repentance
• The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a)
– Sin comes with a price
– Repentance is the only hope
• Acknowledgment of sin
• Turning from sin towards God
Jonah 3:10 (NLT)
When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy on them and didn’t carry out the destruction he had threatened.
God is Merciful
• God is not out for revenge
– He seeks repentance and correction
• God promised mercy to any nation that would repent
– Jeremiah 18:7-8
Jeremiah 18:7-8 (NLT)
If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, [8] but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.
Key Truths
• God can use you in spite of your past failures
• Your faithfulness to God’s call will impact people, who in turn impact the lives of others
• Just as God forgave Jonah and the people of Nineveh, He will forgive you
**Powerpoint available on request
