Jonah 3

Monday we looked at how we are Grace Givers

Tuesday we looked at how God is Near

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God is calling us to be transformed and when we place our faith in him, he is molding and shaping us to be more like him. Just like Jonah, Jonah isn’t perfect, but God is transforming him.

Today we are going to talk about how God gives us Mercy so that we can give mercy

Mercy for Mercy

shaving cream example

Mercy is when we deserve punishment, but instead its forgiven. Lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT)

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Jonah was receiving the Lords mercy. Instead of allowing the natural consequences of his actions to play out like dying in the water, the Lord extends his mercy to Jonah.

God gives Jonah mercy so that Jonah can share the mercy of the Lord with the people of Nineveh.

His mercy is new every morning and it continues to flow and flow and flow. His love continues and continues.

Jonah has run from the Lord, he said he’d rather die than go to Nineveh, he gets thrown into the sea, swallowed by a fish and then he finally turns back to God and yesterday we heard Jonah vow, or pinky promise that he would listen to what God was calling him to do.

Jonah 3:3–5 (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. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”

The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

God had the large fish spit him out and calls him again and said, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim my message”.

Jonah is being transformed. It says Jonah obeyed.

He is no longer pushing back or running away, but he goes to the great city and the city is so big, that it actually requires him to stay there and preach in many different spots throughout the city.

Jonah kept his pinky promise and preached that in 40 days the great city would be destroyed because of their sins against the Lord.

Jonah was so scared to go there because he thought he was going to die or be hurt, but the people actually have the opposite response. Instead of them hurting Jonah, they actually listened and scripture tells us that everyone turned from their wicked ways and turned to God.

You see, Jonah at this point has become a Grace…. because he knew that God is Near. Because God has given us mercy for mercy

Throughout the entire bible we see this truth that God shoes his mercy…

Micah 7:18 (NLT)

Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love.

There were lots of other religions in this time and almost all of them the gods of the other religions were angry, fearful, punishing gods. But the God that we serve is so much different because our God, the one true God is merciful. He is kind and comppassionate and abounding in love

God desires to give us his mercy. Rather than the punishment that we deserve for our sin, God actually wants you to turn to him and trust in him.

- Daughter walking out the outside of the railing.

I wanted her to be safe,

In life, we are going to mess up a lot, but God’s Mercy continues to go and go and go and go.

God has given us the great call to show mercy to others as well. Even when they hurt us, even when it doesn’t seem like they deserve it, WE are give mercy because God has given us Mercy for Mercy.

Jonah 3:10 NLT

When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

God continues to demonstrate his mercy because he saw that these people were truly sorry and instead of destroying the city, he did not bring the destruction.

The people had been running from God and doing all sorts of really terrible things. They hurt people, scared people and killed people for fun. Surely these people deserved the punishment, but God decided to do something different. He relented. He showed his grace and mercy. He did not enaact his judgement.

God loves when we listen to him and follow him. He gives us his word and says don’t do certain things not because he wants to take the fun away, but he does it to protect us.

We are to show mercy to those around us. Maybe they deserve to play by themsevles because they weren’t kind or maybe they deserve whatever punishment has come their way, but maybe we can show mercy and continue to care for these people. Maybe we can love them and share the mercy of JEsus with them.

May we not be scared to show God’s mercy with people. Because God has given us Mercy for Mercy.