Immeasurably More: Divine Repentance

Jills message last week: thank you

Vision Season and the future of our church / Please lean in! this vision is for church and its for you as well.

Miracle offering is the end result of us casting the vision each year. We all give. We all bring something - i would love for you to bring something, but before you bring: pray.

I invite you to turn in your bibles to the book of Jonah as we continue our IMMEASURABLY MORE SERIES.

Jonah 1:17 ESV

17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1–10 ESV

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. 3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head 6 at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. 7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. 9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” 10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

The Title today is: “Immeasurably more: divine repentance.”

Repentance to the believer is what oil is to an engine: without it, the whole thing doesn’t wont work.

An olswald chambers quote:

“Jesus cannot come as long as there is anything in the way either of goodness or badnes. When He comes am i prepared for him to drag into the light every wrong thing i have done? it is just there that He comes. Wherever i know i am unclean, he will put his feet: wherever i think i am clean, He will withdraw them.”

Repentance does not bring a sense of sin, but a sense of unutterable unworthiness. When i repent, i realize that i am utterly helpless, i know all through that i am not worthy to even to bear His shoes. Have i repented like that? or is there a lingering suggesting of standing up for myself? the reason God cannot come ito my life is because i am not through repentance.

First week: Calling….We began looking at how in the book of Jonah we see the Jonahs calling. a divine calling. a God in heaven calling him out like he did Abraham to the land of Faith

Second week: Mercy….Then we looked at in an amazing way the mercy of God bring provided Jonah by way of God instituting proceedings ahead of Jonah in the form of some men, a boat and a wild storm and

This week: Grace - but its a grace thats ushered into Jonahs life as a result of his action (and i mean to use the word action becaause that is what repentance turns into: an actionable change directed by SHIFT IN MINDSET).

Here we have in this encounter with a fish: The grace getting. The grace giving.

this is the work of repentance in our lives it always leads us to access the grace reserve that the Lord has for us.

Grace in Jonah’s life is accessed through these three progression and things you will notice herein our text.

Pay attention because this isn’t just the condition of Jonah but this is the condition of the human, this is our natural condition and the way God His own works grace in and through our lives….. so its a wonderful text to study together on a sunday:

i.Rebellion.

A running Jonah is what we are familiar with already….. we seen it in chapter 1.

This is a defiant, deliberate and definitive…… rebellion.

Jonah 1:3 ESV

3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

A downhill run if you like…. Thinsg typically dont go well when we run from Gods presence in our lives: perhaps today is a monment to consider what it is that you are running from

But for Jonah this part of the story were told here is that he was a” rebel on the run”

(A turning away turns into…. ).Jonah realized his predicament was. Of his own making. His own rebellion We are by nature rebels of the heart.Wanting our own way.Thinking we can determine for ourselves what is good…And what is god.Which makes us… our own God. 

There is a bit of Jonahs rebellion in all of us; some of us may struggle with that - some of us maybe arent even aware of how our hearts condition can be, or how it can get

Never underestimate the sneakiness of the heart, the little foxes that spoil the vine. 

This is the kind of sneakiness that invades slowly and often times undetected: where we even assure ourselves “its not that bad”” were pretty good most of the time rightw?

I mean i go to church? I mean i know the bible but but but….. rebellion.

Bewre of the sneakiness of the heart

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jesus warned of this when he talked about the heart being the boiling point of our lives and how the words we speak indicate the wickness of our hearts Luke 12:1

Luke 12:1 ESV

1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

1 Corinthians 5:6 ESV

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

1 Corinthians 5:8 ESV

8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Whatever had got Jonah to this place, it was this place we find him in. a serious predicament: kept alive by the hand of God

AND THIS IS WHERE WE SEE EVENTS CHANGE: i

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress,and he answered me;out of the belly of Sheol I cried,and you heard my voice. .ii.Repentance

(a turning to).

he finally does the most vital and necessary thing: He repents to God and he recieves the grace that he doesnt derserve.

How does Jonah repent?…..How does one repent?

“Then Jonah prayed….. For you cast me into the deep,into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me;all your waves and your billowspassed over me.4  Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight;yet I shall again lookupon your holy temple.’

He prayed this prayer from the belly of the fish: i cant imagine many in here have had that experience but i can only imagine: If Jonah can pray there. Surely we can pray here! or Wherever we are or find ourselves….

But he prays a prayer of REPENTANT PRAISE

ALL REPENTENCE TO GOD IS DIVINE REPENTANCE.

But if you never repent how will you experience the divine? How will you experience the supernatural?

WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE MANY A CHRISTIAN SEEMS TO THINK YOU CAN SIN AND STILL BE IN GODS PRESENCE: THATS DELUSION. Thats not what the bible says

What deals with sin? Repentance deals with it…..

You can’t expect god to show up when you won’t confront your own rebellion and sin! (Fortunately the spirit of this age has tricked people into thinking they can do what they want and still present…. Don’t be fooled. Sin and god only collided once after Adam was driven from the garden And that was on the cross of Calvary.

Jonah recognizes his own rebellion.Will you? Will we?this isn’t a beat up this is just a healthy dose of reality! We need God! the BELLY OF THE FISH IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT SIN FOES IN OUR LIVES Whether you’re in the belly of the whale or the top of industry The depths of despair or the height of success

The belly of the whale or the depths of personal struggle In the basement if life or the top floor penthouse suite, one thing is consistent… we are rebellious. Y nature… and we need a God.

The belly of the fish represents human depravity and our great need of God.

Jesus is a savior because he saves. Jesus is a forgiver of sin because sin needs to be forgiven.

John 1:29 “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

If he comes to take away sins, that implies there is sin that needs removal!

When was the last time you prayed a prayer like Jonahs, a calling out to God in need of the washing away of the sins that have been committed

When was the last prayer of repentance you prayed?

Write this down: REPENTANCE TO GOD USHERS THE SUPERNATURAL INTO MY LIFE

My repenting to God ushers the supernatural power of the atoning work of Jesus into my very soul. everytime.

Want to never go a day without?Here is how?

Do what Jesus said to do: We are given today as opportunity to repent. to ask for forgiveness to turn towards god and to go his way. and if you notice in the passage we read - it says jonah prayed. there is a great first step, clue

we need to pray/ and not only pray but pray what JEsus told us we ought o pray

Matt 6. 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Pray then like this:“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.10  Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.11  Give us this day our daily bread,12  and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors.13  And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.

Some people are terrified of this prayer, because of what it will change in them.

*repentance is an acknowledgement of WRONG / thats hard to do but thats where the rock rolls off th top of the cliff and it gets easier and easier.

*repentance is a wilful change and a mindset shift / Our mindset and our will are shifted because of DECISION.

*repentance is a change of direction Towards God, his word and his way / the power of our new conviction that God is right.

all of these things are caught up in the lords prayer that Jesus gave us. it has everything to keep us on the pathway of a healthy life livig for Jesus

We are clean

But how do we stay clean? repentance

The devil hates this prayer because he knows what it’ll cost him, and free you from. A prison of pride and chains unforgiven sin. Repentance is to the believer what gasoline is to an engine. Without it, the whole thing doesn’t work. When’s the last time you sat before almighty God and said “my father in heaven…hallowed be your nameHoly are youYour ruling hand is over meYour will is my will.I’m sorry for all the times I’ve done wrong by others but more than that by you.Now forgive me of all that so I can go on and do your will not mine be done on earth as it is in heaven

.iii. Return.

(A turning towards home. Towards GOD)

The grace giving.

This is the point at which the repentance of Jonah goes into the next gear, the chapter - He now has the opportunity to extend the same opportunity towards ninevah - because they also needed a divine repentance

Remember the story of the prodigal son?

Luke 15 ESV

1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Rebellion, Repentance, Return.

It was jonahs story: but it also can be ours in the Lord Jesus today and forever

No longer on the outside looking in

No longer slaves to a devil who steals, kills and destorys

No longer seperated from the Love of Christ which is now in my life through Jesus christ our Lord.

What a miracle the gospel is, the salvation available to all of us through the forgiveness of sins - the work of redemption