Imagine you have never heard of Jonah before…You are reading your bible for the first time

The World in the Flood (Genesis 6–7); Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18–19); Egypt (Pharaoh’s kingdom warned through Moses—Exodus 7–12); Canaan and its cities (especially Jericho; Leviticus 18; Deut. 7; Josh. 6)

What was Jonah’s task: The evil stench of Ninevah has come up before the Lord, Go, Call out against that great city: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

What do you think is going to happen to Ninevah in Chapter 3 – no spoilers? If you had to put money on it.

What did Jonah think was going to happen?

What is the overall problem? Ninevah is under judgement. They need a call to repentance, the Lord to grant them repentance, and it needs to be true repentance, and lasting revival. Jonah needs to assume his prophetic role, preach faithfully, and rejoice as the Lord does all according to his Holy and Merciful will.

We need to ask: Do we resist God’s Word, do we remain dead in our sin?

And if we have sorrow for sin we can ask is it godly sorrow or temporary? We need to remember God graciously grants repentance through His Word and shows saving mercy in Christ to all who turn to Him. And it is vital that we are enfolded into the covenant community as members of God’s multi-generational body.

Read Jonah 3:1-10

Prayer of Illumination

#1 Jonah: Deja Vu 1-4

#2 The People and The King 5-9

#3 The Lord Relents 9-10

#1 Jonah: Deja Vu 1-4

Look again in vs..1-4 [1] Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time…

Introductory Illustration: How often do we get it the first time? What about in the bible? When we do “get it” are we perfect?? When you are young you often think I’ll do this the first time, or if I get it right once then I’m good to go going forward…I infuriated my mother because I assumed if I understood the words she was saying about Math, then I would be able to do it my first try, or…after I did it once I thought I was done with math! No, drill, repetition, some successes, some failures…Jonah has had a failure. Now a success is coming…but does that make him the perfect prophet going forward? Is this how the Christian life works?

Deja Vu!

[Retell Jonah 1] The Word, To Jonah, Ninevah, Call out against it! (Chapter one) The Word, To Jonah, Ninevah, Call out against it! (chapter 2).

And here we are, Déjà vu! Its not subtle…second time…hear we go again.

Once again, the Word of God, calls the prophet of God, to speak the message of God. Remember, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:21

What does God desire in response by Jonah?

Whole-hearted obedience is wanted…second chances are given…not earned or deserved, but mercifully given….God gives Jonah’s grace instead of the death penalty of a soldier abandoning his post. Grace is undeserved mercy.

And now here we can say, Yay – Jonah obeyed – he’s been converted. Some Christians believe in “perfection” after conversation. But Jonah makes it not that simple.

I think it is simplistic to say, Jonah was or was not a believer in Chapter 1,2,3, or 4.

Maybe he was a true follower of God in Chapter 1

Maybe he truly converted in chapter 2.

Yay Chapter 3 seems good.

But hmmm…Chapter 4 he is grumbling and wishing to die …because god shows mercy…

But then again – we have the book of Jonah, which seems like a first-hand detailed account given by Jonah…

Quite simply, all believers are battling indwelling sin and growing in obedience.

Paul in Romans 7 Says, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Rom. 7:15) “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Rom. 7:18)

We are going to see reluctant obedience from Jonah throughout. This is not good. We ought to have Joyful obedience and not resist the mercy of God. But this is also the normal experience, to some extent, of believers throughout the bible…

Reluctant hearts need the grace of God to come to them again, and again, not just willpower. The Christian life is a lifelong growth in obedience.

AND Jonah doesn’t excuse himself. He honestly rights of his mistakes and the ways he falls short in this part of his life.

SO keep following Jonah’s ups and downs. And remember, you hold a full and honest account of his sin and failures in your hands…I suspect that some age and wisdom helped Jonah pen his many failures here.

Remember, the Christian life is a gracious, Spirit-empowered, Long obedience. The Christian life is a long obedience in a Godward direction. Jonah’s prayer is his cry of distress; his obedience to go to Ninevah does not make him now a “super Christian” one who’s heart thought rightly, felt rightly, and acted rightly.

Going into the exceedingly great city, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!

Population? Size? A city God had set his sight on. The three days is likely the differences between the city proper and the metropolitan area, or the administrative district (e.g. 500K Atl proper vs. 5 Million large Atlanta Metro)

What does God want us to do with ultimatums of Judgement? _____ (Appl)

There are several Insufficient responses to the word

Apathy and no action taken when we hear of our sin or our conscience is pricked.

Panic – And temporary response with no knowledge of God or love for God no trust in his mercy or covenant promises. Just I heard of fire and brimstone and I don’t want to go to hell.

As Jesus says, of the parable of the seed and the soils, some hearts are unresponsive, some temporarily respond, and some seeds fall on good soil and bear fruit 100-fold in keeping with repentance.

What of us and our lives being overthrown?

Will your life be overthrown if you do not heed Jonah’s warning? The Lord’s warnings to you in the word:

Yes, He who seeks to gain his life will lose it. If you live for yourself and seek life in this world. Either in apparently sinful things, or just the selfishly “this life is all there is” life you will lose your life.

What does it profit a man to gain the world but forfeit his soul?

40 Days God says….No one is guaranteed 40 days.

This is a merciful warning. Remember.

Today, Today is the day of salvation. (Heb. Quote).

Remember God is reconciling sinners and enemies of God and man to himself in Christ Jesus. And his word preached is me acting as his ambassador to say, “now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts…”(Hebrews 3:7–8; also 3:15; 4:7, ESV)

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The apostles and prophets in the word of God on behalf of God appeals to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Transition: The people of Ninevah heard this warning, and with much less certain offers of grace, much less light and information, they responded in repentance of their sins. Look in verses 5-9.

#2 The People and The King 5-9

2A The People, v. 5

[5] And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. [What does it mean “Nineveh believed God”]

The people Believed God

Jim McCarthy says, Jonah did not know it, but the Holy Spirit was tilling and softening the rocky heart-soil of the Ninevites to receive the seed of the God’s word…”

That is they heard the message as from God: He is Real. This message is from him. I have offended him. I am cut to the heart and sorrow and turn away from my offending sin.

It is a repentance in which God does Relent. So something of it is commendable.

It fits with what Jesus says Matt. 12:38-42…

Matt. 12:38-42 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” [39] But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. [42] The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. (See also Luke 11:32)

How much greater should our faith and repentance by now that the Light of the World has come, Christ the Great and True Prophet has come, now that the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all nations and we have the whole counsel of God in a whole and entire word from him.

Jesus has the same message of urgency as the “yet 40 days” and he cites them to call the men of his do to Believe to not Ignore the warning. Jesus says, The men of Ninevah on judgement day will witness against you if you delay in repentance and trust in HIM to save you from the condemnation of your sins and the evil of your heart.

The revival, the groundswell of sorrow and fasting makes its way to the ears of the king.

2B THE KING, v. 6 and following.

6] The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, [8] but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.----

Off the throne, off with his royal robes, on with the clothing of the poor and mourning - Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs in the kingdom of God.

The people called for a fast…the King both responds to what is happening to the people and then he formalizes with a decree what is already happening.

There is a positive feedback loop: Right a microphone picks up the speaker, which get loud and screechy, which the microphone picks up, and it gets louder and louder.

The people > the king > the people > the king and the nobles.

John L. Mackay points out that it does indeed seem that response of the people cause the stirring of the action of the King!

Entrusted with particular care for the well-being of his city and he took God’s warning as a real event that would happen if he did not repent.

Do you view things this way for yourself and your family?

Family members each of you in your role within the family can encourage spiritual growth and revival

My Father contributed to my spiritual growth, my mother did certainly in bible reading and catechism…But my brothers in my bedroom at night we sometimes had spiritual conversations and we encouraged each other…My siblings walking with the lord I’m sure has encouraged the faith of our parents through the years in a way that is greater than if we had grown spiritually cold.

So young people encourage the next generation and be encouraged. Older people use your position to encourage the next generation!

Second concerning the king and the people what did both groups repentance look like? Here are a few traits:

First, External acts in keeping with repentance

Prayer, on the floor, in tears. (my story).

But these things must match the heart.

Second, Public Call for revival. It was not a private keep-it-to-yourself religion with no zeal for the Lord.

Derek Thomas – Story: Saved listening to Billy Graham on the radio…Told his mother that he had been saved in the morning. Kept on her the whole day. Mother called the doctor, the doctor told her he was suffering from trauma, prescribed tranquilizer…

Praise God he survived a liberal minister attempting to shake his newfound faith, got connected with brothers and sisters who taught him the word and to love the Church.

Third, true repentance Turns from “General” to “specific” sorrow for sin.

V. 8 – evil way, the violence that is in his hands.

Ninevah is confessing particularly Ninevite sins.

Jim McCarthy tells the story of the impact when the bible truly strikes us to confess our sins.

When our hearts are specifically and particularly exposed he says, “It was the summer before my eighth-grade year and my parents sent me to an FCA’ camp on Black Mountain in North Carolina. One night, we were gathered in the great hall. It was the first time I had ever heard a man preach about sin. Though hundreds were in the room, I felt like I was the only one there as this man told me all that I ever did’ John 4:29). He lifted the hood of my soul and exposed the secret sins within. He declared that the wages of my sin is death because God is holy. And I knew he was right. I knew I deserved hell. But then he finished the verse, ‘but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom. 6:23). Now, more than twenty years later, I don’t remember the preacher’s name or anything else he said. I only remember that was the first night I believed the Lord.” (Mccarthy, 44-45).

So for a time it was acceptable, popular, even expected by the King of Ninevah to turn to the LORD. TO reform the cities injustices and to have a reverence for the God of Israel.

But will it translate to a deep rooted abiding in Worship of God alone. Absolute monotheism? A worldview of singular devotion and fear of YHWH and recognizing others so-called “gods” are false idols…Nahum’s letter is the context for where this will go in 100 years. [in January…]

Because more than these things is repentance accompanied by Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith, Hope, and Love for God.

A prizing of God. A lifelong communion with the living God in prayer, sitting under the word, in fellowship with others who share the same direction of life.

It is why Christians MUST Marry in the Lord. You must have a common horizon of pursuing God and you pursue God you grow closer together

Sorrow for sin that remains unjoined with Faith, Hope, and Love for God will fade with the years.

Sorrow for sin unaccompanied by fellowship with believers. By meaningful membership in Christ’s church will fade.

The devil attempted to tranquilize Derek Thomas’ newfound faith, his sent a Wolf-In-priests garbs to intellectually destroy it, but God by the Spirit enfolded him into fellowship with fellow believers. We must prize the body of Christ and meaningful church membership which the Lord’s supper is pointing us to later this morning.

Consider…

Large scale revivals can be good, mixed, or sometimes detrimental (First great awakening good, second great awakening…well it less so great and mores so “ok to not so great awakening.” Those regions of constant manipulative style revivalism are called the “burned over regions” and are among the most godless regions of America.

Remember: The stronger grounded the visible church and faith of the church the more equipped we are to enfold people into her.

Revivals that have centered around religious fervor and emotion that reject the Church and gathering with God’s people for discipleship fade quickly.

How does God respond to this revival:

#3 The Lord Relents; look in verses 9-10

[9] Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” [10] When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (ESV)

The question: “Who knows?, God may turn and relent that we may not perish”

The Response: God relents

Because he see they truly turn from their evil way.

God knows the heart the external fasting, sackcloth, and signs of mourning and remorse for sin are true and not just skin deep.

God is merciful and relents.

The ultimate reason God can be merciful is not because he winks at sin, tears doesn’t absolve us from sin. The mercy and salvation of God ultimately for all people comes from : Christ’s work as our prophet and high priest and king. WSC 24-26.

Christ calls us to repentance and turning to the Lord as our father: He does this as prophet by his Word and Spirit making the will of God for our salvation known to us.

Christ promises us that when we turn from sin we are turning to him as savior and God as Father.

He does this as priest: by offering himself up as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God; and in making continual intercession for us.

His pleads on our behalf. He does not grow tired in being our merciful priest. He does not grow old or weary. New morning mercies are found in Christ Jesus.

No Disaster shall overtake those in Christ Jesus.

He does this as King. The decree Christ makes for us in not in sackcloth as ashes for he is a risen and a righteous king. Christ righteously in our repentance subdues us to himself, rules, defends, and conquers our enemies.

Nothing can snatch us from the hands of our savior.

When God relents. He relents for the sake of the perfect work of Christ on your behalf, and his ongoing reign intercedes for you all the days of your life.

Prayer

Communion

Benediction

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