Overboard week 3

The Great Comeback: Jonah’s Journey of Repentance

Bible Passage: Jonah 3:1–10

Summary: In Jonah 3:1–10, God gives Jonah a second chance to fulfill his prophetic mission. The people of Nineveh repent upon hearing Jonah's warning and God shows mercy rather than judgment, highlighting the themes of repentance and divine grace.

Application: This passage encourages teens to understand the importance of repentance in their own lives. It teaches that no matter how far they stray, God's grace is available and provides an opportunity for a fresh start.

Teaching: The sermon illustrates the transformative power of repentance and the willingness of God to forgive those who turn back to Him, regardless of their past mistakes.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage foreshadows the ultimate redemption provided through Christ, who offers forgiveness and a second chance for all who repent. Jonah’s reluctant obedience mirrors Jesus’ mission to bring salvation to those who are lost.

Big Idea: God is always ready to give us a second chance, inviting us to turn away from our wrongs and walk towards Him with a repentant heart.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider using Logos to explore the historical context of Nineveh’s wickedness and God’s patience. Look into exegetical studies on the term 'repentance' in Hebrew and how it applies to both Jonah and the Ninevites. An examination of Jonah's emotional state and reluctance may also provide deeper insights into themes of obedience and grace.

1. Jonah’s Recommisioning

Jonah 3:1-3

Perhaps you could explore how God’s command to Jonah the second time underscores His relentless pursuit of us and His readiness to extend second chances. This point could encourage teens to feel assured that even after failure, God's calling remains because His grace abounds more than our mistakes.

2. The Peoples Repentance

Jonah 3:4-5

You could consider emphasizing how the Ninevites' response highlights the power of repentance and faith. Their immediate belief and action demonstrate that turning to God involves both heart and deed. Maybe you can challenge teens to see that their sincere turn to God impacts not just them but potentially shifts outcomes.

3. God’s Redeeming Mercy

Jonah 3:6-10

This sermon's point might focus on divine mercy. Perhaps, illustrate how even the most wayward city can experience God’s mercy when there is genuine transformation. Emphasize that God is eager to relent from disaster when repentance is real, mirroring Christ’s saving work, accessible to all who turn to Him.

Hey guys, I’m excited to be back! I hope you all had an amazing spring break. We are diving into week three of our series Overboard, our walk through the book of Jonah.

When we last left Jonah, he had just been spit out by the fish onto dry land. Can you imagine how bad he smelled? After three days inside a fish, he probably reeked like the middle school boys' cabin at fall retreat. Sorry, middle school boys, but let’s be real — you can be pretty gross sometimes.

Alright, besides Jonah's stink, let’s jump into Jonah 3 to see what happened next:

"Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 'Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.' So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, according to the Lord's command. Now Nineveh was an extremely large city, a three-day walk." (Jonah 3:1-3)

The first thing I want to talk about today is

1. Jonah’s recommissioning.

After running from God, denying his responsibility, getting swallowed by a fish, and finally crying out to God, Jonah is recommissioned to go to Nineveh. God gives Jonah a second chance to do what he failed to do the first time.

I love that we serve a God of second chances. Don’t you? Because I don’t know about you guys, but God hasn’t just given me a second chance. He’s given me a third, a fourth, a fifth — honestly, so many chances that I’ve lost count. I’ve had the privilege of following God since I was about five years old, but in that time, you can be sure I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. I’ve sinned, I’ve disobeyed God at times, but here’s the beautiful thing: God never said, "Alright Caleb, I’m done with you. I can’t use you anymore." Instead, He said, "You’re my child, and I know you’re not going to be perfect on this side of heaven. But I’m going to use you anyway."

You see, God is in the business of using imperfect people for His perfect plan.

Just look at the people He’s used throughout history:

Abraham doubted and had a child with his maid instead of waiting for God’s promise—yet God still used him.

Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God’s instructions—yet God still used him.

David committed adultery and had a man killed—yet God still used him.

And now, here we are with Jonah—who ran from God, and yet God is still using him.

God could have easily chosen someone else to go to Nineveh. But He wanted Jonah. That tells us something incredible about God's character: He doesn’t give up on us, even when we run from Him. Instead, He pursues us and invites us back into His plan.

So Jonah goes to Nineveh and begins preaching this message to the people:

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

6 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 burlap 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 from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

The next thing I want us to see from this passage is:

2. The People’s Repentance

Jonah begins walking through this massive city, delivering a pretty straightforward message of doom. He says they only have forty days before God destroys them. Now, you know this had to be a very different time in history because the Ninevites actually act on this news. They don’t brush it off or laugh at Jonah — they take it seriously.

They call for a fast, meaning no one eats — not even the teenage guys, as impossible as that sounds! On top of that, they put on burlap, this super rough and uncomfortable cloth, as a way of showing they were humbling themselves and committing to change. Even the king steps down from his throne, puts on burlap, and sits in ashes to show his sorrow and repentance. But it doesn’t stop there. They even put burlap on their animals. Can you imagine that? Sheep and cows walking around in itchy burlap sacks? It sounds a little wild, but they wanted to make it clear that they were serious about turning away from their sin.

Here’s why this is so important for us to notice: while we may not throw on a trash bag and sit in a pile of ashes, true repentance should lead to action.

What do I mean by that? Repentance isn’t just about feeling bad for what you’ve done; it’s about changing the way you live. When you decide to turn from your sin and follow Jesus as King, your life shouldn’t stay the same. We shouldn’t still be caught up in the same sins we once were.

The word repentance means to turn around — to change your mind and your direction. It’s kind of like driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour, realizing you’re going the wrong way, slamming on the brakes, and pulling a U-turn. You’re now heading in a completely different direction, and your life should reflect that change.

So, as we keep going, ask yourself: Does my life show the change that repentance brings?

When people look at your life, can they tell that you’re different from the rest of the world? If you’re at school and your classmates are telling dirty jokes, are you going along with it or do you stand out because you won’t?

Do people look at you and say “yeah they say they’re a christian but they don’t look any different than the rest of us” or do they say “man, there’s something different about you, I want to know what it is.

Imagine a group of teens at a school dance. Everyone is dressed in the latest trends, but one guy shows up in a brightly colored, hand-knit sweater that his grandmother made him. While some might snicker, he stands out not just for his unique style but for his confidence and joy. In the same way, as Christians, we may often feel out of place in a world that's all about fitting in. But embracing our differences can make a powerful statement about who we are in Christ.

This is what true repentance should look like for the believer. We should stand out as different from the world around us. That’s exactly what happened in Nineveh. They made a change in the heart and in deed, and God showed mercy on them.

verse 10: 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.

The final thing I want us to see from Jonah chapter 3 is:

3. God’s Redeeming Mercy

Let’s take a moment to remember what mercy means: it’s not getting what we deserve. And if we’re being honest, Nineveh deserved to be absolutely wiped out. This was a violent, wicked city — known for cruelty and brutality. But when they repented, something amazing happened: God showed mercy.

Now, you might have noticed that Jonah 3 says God "changed His mind." Does that mean God was indecisive? Not at all. When the Bible says this, it’s showing that there was most likely a condition attached to Jonah’s message — something like, “If you keep living in sin, you’ll be destroyed. But if you repent, God will spare you.”

And what did the Ninevites do? They repented. They turned from their evil ways, and God, who is rich in mercy, spared them.

This is such an important truth for us to understand: God delights in showing mercy. He’s not sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us. No — His heart is for redemption. When we turn back to Him, He welcomes us with open arms.

Maybe you’ve felt like you’ve messed up too much for God to forgive you. But the story of Jonah 3 shows us that no one is beyond God's mercy. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us that God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but He wants everyone to repent and turn to Him. The same God who forgave Nineveh is offering you that mercy today.

If you feel like you’ve messed up too many times, or that you’re too far gone, that’s just not true. No matter how far you’ve run from God or how badly you’ve messed up, God never runs out of mercy. He’s a God of second chances. If you woke up this morning with breath in your lungs, it means God isn’t done with you yet. He wants to use you, He can use you, and He will use you—if you’re willing to let Him.

You know how I know that? It’s because he sent Jesus down to this earth to die in our place and take the punishment that we deserved. He did this so that every one of us could be made new and have a new life. This was the ultimate second chance, from death to life. God didn’t do all that just to say that you’re too far gone for him to use. He called you out of death and into life so that he could use you for his glory and his purpose.

Sometimes, like Jonah or the people of Nineveh, all it takes is us saying, "God, I know I haven’t been following You the way I should, and I’m ready to turn away from my own plans and start living for You again."

And you know what? Just like when Jonah called out from the belly of the fish, God will hear you. He’s ready to show you mercy, offer you a fresh start, and give you a second chance. His love and forgiveness are always available—no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done.