A Return to Mission

Introduction

Illust - What do you wish you could do-over? What do you wish you could use a Mulligan on?

Bringing Adam on our first date.

Shearing off top of iPhone

The story of Jonah is NOT a story about a fish or a prophet - it is a story about God

Both the opening and closing verse display a God of second chances

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time

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.”

Second Chance for Jonah

Second Chance for the Ninevites

We all want God to be a God of second chances toward US, but he is also the God of second chances to “them” as well.

This is the truth for everyone:

Through the gospel, God offers new life and a new purpose

Jonah 3:1–4 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Explanation:

Nineveh

great city - exceedingly great city

3 days journey - to properly see everything - most villages could be seen in an hour or two

the message

God will give Jonah a message - it will not be his own words but God’s

‘overthrown’ = turned over

same word used to describe what God did to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

This word can also mean “turn” - 55 out of 94 times it means to turn

God’s word was to come true even as they repented

GOD’S CALL TO RETURN TO MISSION (3:1-4)

God is in control of his mission.

God is winning (and will win) this chess game.

“Mission is not ours; mission is God's. Certainly, the mission of God is the prior reality out of which flows any mission that we get involved in. Or, as has been nicely put, it is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission-God's mission”

                                                           Christopher J. H. Wright

God relentlessly pursues in mercy

Illust - Dad pursuing a child

Though we may get distracted, God does not.

We must not think that the mission of God is to be done at our pleasure when it is God’s pursuit.

God can use you in the place of your failure.

God calls Jonah in the very place of his failure.

Jonah receives identical second call.

Jonah 1:1-2

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it. . .

Jonah 3:1-4

3 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it

God didn’t alter the call when Jonah had failed the first time.

The grace of God enables us to face our failures because only the grace of God can cover our failures and redeem them.

We all have three options when it comes to our failures:

· We can get stuck in them – pity party

· We can forget them – pride

· We can redeem them – powerful gospel

The Gospel tells us it does not matter how you failed in life, how many times you failed, or how big your failure was, the gospel can cover and redeem.

Sin is failure of the worst kind, but through Jesus it is covered by the cross = gospel.

There are no throw-away prophets or throw-away people.

When God is involved, failure isn’t final.

**Jonah’s failure with God did not alter God’s desire to use Jonah.

Our failure with God did not alter God’s desire to use us.

Your failure with God did not alter God’s desire to use you.

God wants you (us) on mission.

God didn’t give Jonah an altered plan.

· The lost didn’t change - they still need to (change)

· The mission didn’t change - Jonah did

· God hasn’t changed - we must

God has not altered the plan for our lives either. We are to glorify God by making disciples of Christ.

“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed”                                          -- Hudson Taylor

“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.”

--C. S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Don’t think that just because you may not be able to live in a small village in a third-world nation that the mission of God to tell those who don’t know about Jesus and to make disciples does not apply to you.

Being on mission is not as much about leaving your country to share the gospel as it is about leveraging all of your life for the gospel.

Which of you would refuse a Father who is looking for his children?

>> No matter how many times we may fail, we must return to the mission – to spend our lives there.

Jonah 3:5–10

“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. 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. 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.”

Explanation:

GOSPEL REPENTANCE OF THE CITY (3:5-10)

The gospel can come through anyone because of God’s empowerment.

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you”

God will give Jonah what he needs to accomplish his task

The simplicity of the gospel shows a powerful God

- Jonah did not give much (as far as we can tell) to the Ninevites – yet they had enough to accept and repent.

The Ninevites didn’t know much about God, but they fell on his mercy

Despite earlier predictions - Jonah did it! - because God empowered him - he only needed to be obedient

God doesn’t need our abilities; rather he desires our obedience.

>> The accomplishment of mission of God is not up to us, but the movement of the mission of God is given to us.

The gospel can reach everyone because of God’s love.

it was God’s desire to reach Nineveh - not Jonah’s

This is God’s work - not Jonah’s

The Ninevites were not going to be reached because Jonah had a softspot for them. He’d rather get swallowed by a fish than share the gospel with the people of Nineveh.

Illust – sharing the gospel with Julian’s mom.

Who are your Ninevites?

>>Are there people we know that we would rather die than tell about Jesus? Maybe you’d say “No”, but the end result may be the same – we aren’t telling them.

Jonah was in Nineveh because of God’s love for the Ninevites, not because of his own. We will not be on mission if we do not have God’s love.

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance

Can you name five people with whom you have influence and don’t know Jesus?

The reality is approx. 2 people die every second.

· 105 people die each minute

· 6,000 people will die during the sermon on reaching the lost.

· 151,600 people die each day.

The Bible tells us that it is not the majority that believe in Jesus. 

60% of 150,000 = 90,000

ND Stadium = 80,795

We must know God, enjoy God, and share God

· We’re ok with knowing God

· We’re all about enjoying God – and all he can do for us

· We’re not thrilled about or unsure how to share God

We will not take on the mission of God without the heart of God.

[Pray?]

The gospel can transform anyone because of God’s work.

5 And the people of Nineveh believed God

The only thing Jonah was to add to the mission was faithful obedience - not talent

Picture this, one smelly prophet walks into this great city full of warring hateful pagans and begins to preach about God’s judgment, and the whole city is converted.

Try this in New York City or Chicago let alone in Raqqa.

The “least to the greatest” were transformed

“believed” is the first word of the verse/section in indicates immediacy of response

the Ninevites’ reaction is conveyed by three verbs: “believed … declared … put on.” These describe three stages of response: inward, articulated, then outward

If anyone is in Christ. . .

5 And the people of Nineveh believed God

Believed

Same word as Abraham

Genesis 15:6 ESV

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Exodus 14:31 ESV

31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Didn’t say they believed only the warning

Didn’t say they believed what Jonah said

Said they believed God - they understood this was God speaking - They may not know everything about this God, but they believed enough to take action.

(This may be more than what some in the church to claim to believe God do today)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

The message of the gospel is for everyone!

The gospel affects everyone because of God’sgrace.

God had / has every right to judge

as we operate in the gospel it affects others

notice God relented from destruction - this affected more than those who believed in the city

- they perhaps changed their evil ways (at least temporarily)

As the gospel works it’s way through the city the city is renewed.

*Pray for our city.*

Pray for our neighbors.

Pray for the gospel to spread. Pray for women and children to not be abused, for violent crimes to decrease, for the hungry to be fed through the generosity of others, for the homeless to find a place to live

Conclusion

Jesus meets Peter in the space of his failure and calls him to a renewed mission.

John 21:15-17

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

John 20:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

It doesn’t matter who we are, where we’ve been, where we are right now,

For the sake of his gospel, God offers new life and new mission.

And he wants us to return to mission today.