Called to Nineveh

Charlotte Word

Encourage Espen

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The Call

Upper Room momet - Outer Room moments!

Title of my message is “Called to Nineveh.”

What was Nineveh:

Nineveh was a wicked and pagan city.

They worshipped many gods, but they didn't worship the one true God — Yahweh.

Nineveh was a place that was far from God.

And yet...

God cared about them.

Does Nineveh sound familiar?

Because the world around us can look a lot like Nineveh.

The world around us worships anyone and anything but the only God who actually exists.

This world worships the god of:

Money, Popularity, Sex, Self, Sport, Relationships, Success, Identity.

We live in a world that says:

“Make yourself the centre.”

“Find your worth in what you have.”

“Find your identity in what people think of you.”

“Chase whatever makes you happy.”

But there is only one true God!

The Bible tells us about Jonah — a messenger of God…

Jonah 1:1–3 NIV, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

Jonah is called by God to reach a city with His Word, yet he runs from God.

Chapter 4 tells us Jonah did this because he didn’t want God to forgive them.

Expound.

i. Some of us refuse to reach others because we don’t think they’re worthy of our love or the love of God.

Newsflash, none of us deserve God’s love.

ii. Perhaps some of us want to reach the world, but we’re afraid of being rejected.

Ask yourself: What’s more important?

The possibility that I might be rejected, but my friend might come to Jesus?

Or the possibility that I never get rejected, but my friend never gets the opportunity to come to Jesus?

Because sometimes following Jesus means being willing to risk rejection for the sake of someone else’s salvation

That’s a risk I’m willing to take!

Our rejection on this side of eternity won’t matter on the other side.

BUT your friend’s rejection of Jesus will matter on the other side of eternity.

Hell = eternal seperation from God.

You might be here thinking, ‘Yeah but Jonah was called to reach that city, I’m not.”

We’re all called to: “Go and make disciples, baptising people, and teaching them to obey the Word of God” (Matt. 28:19-20).

To not reach others is to live in disobedience.

To not share the love of God with your friends is to live in disobedience.

Disobedience always takes you downward.

Jonah went down to Joppa - down to the ship - down to the deep sea - down to the belly of the whale.

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Take Authority

Do you know who has the largest youth ministry in Mt Barker?

The devil.

Youth ministies exist to reach young people with the love of God.

The devil has the greatest reach and influence across the hills.

The devil is a liar and he’s deceiving your friends.

He wants them to think they don’t need God.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.”

The reality is, no relationship with God, no eternal life.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

We’re not supposed to fear the devil, but the devil is supposed to fear us!

Luke 10:19 NLT, “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy,”

FAITH MOMENT!

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Go Again

So then Jonah is swallowed by a huge fish and is in the belly 3 days and 3 nights.

I always saw that belly as God’s punishment. But then God showed me it was His mercy.

It was a graveyard for Jonah to die to himself — his disobedience — and turn back to God.

The place you feel stuck—the belly—is where God provides an opportuny for you to turn back to Him.

Jonah prays a prayer of repentance,

is vomitted by the fish onto dry land,

and then in:

Jonah 3:1–3 NIV, “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

God reinstates & recomissions Jonah to reach the city.

The place you’ve ran from God, He hasn’t ran from you.

Expound.

And so Jonah receives God’s mercy and obeys the call…

Verses 4-5: “Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God.”

The wild thing is that it records Jonah to say only 8 words to the city…

Those 8 words led to a city-wide revival.

It wasn’t the words, it was Jonah’s obedience!

A simple act of obedience—just Jonah walking around and saying 8 words—led to an entire city who turned to God.

Yours might be just a simple act of:

Loving difficult people

Sharing your testimony

Inviting your friends to youth

God used a rebellious prophet to reach a rebellious city.

God will often use you where you came from.

“You don’t know where I’ve come from, what I’ve done.”

God does and he will use it for good!

“I’m just fresh in my faith, God wouldn’t use me.”

God used someone with a 3-day old testimony.

What’s powerful: Jonah came out of the belly of darkness to reach a generation living in darkness.

God has delivered you out of the “belly” of sin and hardship to show someone else they can too.

God took you out of the “belly” of depression to reach others going through the same thing. God took you out of the “belly” of sickness to heal others dealing with it.

God took me out of the “belly” of rejection issues and insecurity to reach others.

Shoutout:

Espen (handing out bibles)

Amelia-Grace & Alicia (devo chat)

Matthew (inviting 100 people)

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Land the Plane

The Ninevites worshipped a god called dagon — half fish, half man.

It looked like a man coming out of a fish (photo).

When they saw Jonah spit out onto dry land by a giant fish — they would’ve been astonished.

The very thing that represented something they worshipped became the vehicle God uses to reveal Himself through.

God knows how to meet people in the language of what they understand.

Everyone worships something, yet God will use those gods to point to the fact that they’re searching for the right thing in the wrong places.

What if it just took a messenger of God who obeyed the call and gave one invite to youth…

If God can revive Nineveh, He can revive any part of the world!

Your school, your family, your soccer club, your social group.

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Prayer & Ministry Time

Salvation altar call

I believe there are two groups of people here tonight who have been running from God.

The first group has been running from His love.

Maybe you’ve never fully entered into a relationship with Jesus.

Maybe you’ve kept Him at a distance. Maybe you’ve thought, “I’m not good enough.” “I’ve made too many mistakes.” “God could never want someone like me.”

But tonight, I want you to know:

It’s not about how many mistakes you’ve made. It’s not about how good of a person you are.

It’s about how good He is.

God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price for your sin, so that you could be forgiven, restored and brought into relationship with Him.

You don't have to run anymore.

The God who is calling you also loves you.

And tonight, whether you've been running from His call or running from His love— He's calling you home.

Salvation prayer.

The second group has been running from His call.

God has been calling you to impact the world around you. To reach your friends. To step out. To be a light.

And maybe you’ve been running from that call.

That doesn’t mean you don’t love God. It doesn’t mean you’ve abandoned your faith.

But somewhere along the way, fear, insecurity, rejection or comfort has caused you to run from what God has called you to do.

And tonight, God is calling you back.

Just like Jonah, God is inviting you back into His purpose and His mercy.

Pray.

2. Friends (write on cards, then mirror)

3. Boldness to reach their friends

Acts 4:29–31 NIV, “Now, Lord… enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

FA

Full Send next week!

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