Foretelling Jonah 3:1-10

We all agree that the seceded states, so called, are out of their proper practical relation with the Union, and that the sole object of the government, civil and military, in regard to those states is to again get them into that proper practical relation. I believe that it is not only possible, but in fact easier, to do this without deciding or even considering whether these states have ever been out of the Union, than with it. Finding themselves safely at home, it would be utterly immaterial whether they had ever been abroad.

I will treat them as if they had never been away.

-Abraham Lincoln in his last public address, on the issue of Reconstruction

-When God restores Jonah, everything changes!

I. Jonah Responds vv. 1-4

When we pick up our story, Jonah is out of the fish and the Lord speaks again

It is a fresh start for Jonah; there is no brow-beating or shame

He just simply gets a fresh opportunity to fulfill what God intended for him

Jonah must call out against the city of Nineveh

He proclaims the judgment of God against the people there

It is a hard and a negative message, not at all the kind of thing that we would want to say to anyone

It is potentially a dangerous message to carry

Jonah is faithful in his proclamation and delivers the bad news

None of us want to be the bearer of bad news, but that is part of the reality of our situation

The Gospel is bad news before it is good news; before I can experience the new life that is available in Christ, I must recognize that I am separated from Him!

A neurotic sickly girl, suffering from insomnia, consulted a physician. After examining her and finding no physical cause, he bluntly said, “You have ingrown feelings.” She looked puzzled, so he made it plainer. “You think too much about yourself. What you need to do is to get away from yourself, get out among others, think of their troubles, and work to relieve them.” “Do you mean that I am selfish?” she asked. “Not exactly selfish,” the doctor said, “but you are self-centered.” The girl went home, thought over carefully what the wise physician had said, took his advice, and soon was restored to health.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Faith, Content Of

It was the great Augustine who said, “If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don’t like; it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

II. Nineveh Repents vv. 5-8

A funny thing happens on the way to the judgment: the Ninevites repent

What are some of the key factors involved in repentance?

Repentance begins when we believe in God’s judgment b. 5a

Repentance is contagious; it has a way of spreading to others v. 5b

Repentance has multiple expressions: v. 6

It is an interior “change of mind”

It is an exterior “change of actions”

It has a negative connotation when I stop sinning

It has a positive connotation when I start obeying!

It is transformative: as repentance spreads it changes the character of a community and marks it with holiness vv. 7-8a

It is honest and owns responsibility for sinful action; it does not make excuses v. 8

It is hopeful! It believes in God’s mercy v. 9

Hebrews 11:6

[6] And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (ESV)

III. God Relents vv. 9-10

God does something staggering here: He relents of His judgment against them

He receives their repentance as an act of obedient faith

He counts it to them as righteousness

This is the defining characteristic of a child of God:

We are more defined by our repentance than we are by our excellence!

This is not a license to sin, but it is a statement of fact

Every life of faith begins with this first step:

What do you need to do to “believe God” today?

Is there something you need to stop doing?

Is there something that you need to start doing?

When you do, it will change your life!

London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The

building had been empty for months and needed repairs.

Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, Clegg took pains to say that he would replace

the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

"Forget about the repairs," the buyer said. "When I buy this place, I’m going to build something

completely different. I don’t want this building; I want the site."