Davy Jones' Locker

Introduction

Recap

Jonah takes place before Babylonian Captivity and Assyrian Invasion

Jonah told by God to go to Nineveh, one of the largest cities in Assyria, and call out against it

tells us that Jonah was a sign intended to point us towards Jesus

In the belly of the big fish for 3 days, Jesus in the grave for 3 days (apostles’ faith)

Took a moment of distress for Jonah to call out to God

Jonah’s relationship with God is renewed by thanksgiving (ACTS prayer method)

Salvation belongs to the Lord

God has a concern for all people.

Illustration

We talk about things that we love—things that we have found to be good.

My brother and I talk on the phone every Wednesday night and a few weeks ago he asks me, “Evan, have you gotten the new Spiderman game on PS4?”

He wanted to share the enjoyment he experienced from that game with me—he didn’t want to keep it all to himself because we’re brothers and we have a relationship.

But, when it comes to people we don’t have a concern or love for, we don’t always share those awesome things with them.

Explanation

Jonah has just been granted one of the greatest opportunities for repentance ever and is given a fresh start. He has just experienced God’s amazing grace firsthand when he thought he was going to die as a result of his disobedience to God, but God delivered him. You would think that would make him a little bit fired up to extend the message of God’s forgiveness with others, but we will not find that to be the case. Jonah did not have concern or love for the Ninevites and while we will see that he is obedient to God this time, he is not doing it for the right reasons.

Now that Jonah is standing on the outside looking in and is the messenger to people who deserve God’s wrath rather than someone who deserves God’s wrath himself, it is easy for him to condemn them and even wish ill upon them.

Application

Do we ever look at those around us and just think about how they deserve God’s wrath? Do we keep watching them in their sin from a distant view never getting too close and secretly even wishing for them to get what they deserve?

It’s easy for us in the Church to turn on the news and complain about the other political party or go to school and wish that the kid who is cheating on his tests to get good grades would get caught when you work hard for your grades or to wish that the so-called popular kids that everybody likes and gets away with whatever they want but is secretly fake to everyone would get what they deserve; but what we should really seek is that they would receive the grace that God has shown to us as sinners, repent from their sins, and turn to God. When we understand the way that God sees us, we understand that he sees people whom He loves separated from Him by sin and has a concern for them all to reach repentance and be reunited with Him.

2. People must hear before they respond.

Explanation

Explanation

The name for God used in verse 5 is “Elohim” meaning “God Almighty.” The Ninevites were polytheistic meaning that they believed in multiple gods and did not necessarily turn to “Yahweh” at this point, but merely accepted Jonah’s message from “Elohim,” the supreme god. We do not know at this point if Jonah had referred to God as Yahweh, indicating that he was speaking about the God of the Israelites at this point or not. It is possible that the Ninevites were simply afraid of being overthrown.

The word Jonah uses that is translated as “overthrown” could also mean to turn or to change. At this point, it appears as if the Ninevites understood Jonah to be saying that Nineveh would be destroyed and Jonah understood this word from God to mean the same thing, but it could also very well mean that God was going to do a work in the Ninevites to turn them from their sins as well.

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of he Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” -

Without Jonah or someone else proclaiming this message to the Ninevites, there was no hope for a response.

Illustration

Lifeguarding Shocco Springs Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind

Application

We can complain all we want about the sin in this world, in your schools, in Washington D.C., in Hollywood, in the middle east, or anywhere else; but if we do not proclaim the message of Christ and Him crucified day in and day out we are the ones to blame.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” -

Through our words and our actions, we must actively proclaim the message of Jesus day in and day out or there is no hope of seeing any change in this world because people must hear before they respond. Light penetrates the darkness. It doesn’t retreat into its own little corner of the room. It actively shines out as far as it can possibly reach.

3. True repentance stems from conviction.

Explanation

The King of Nineveh issues this decree not knowing whether God will relent or not. He calls his people to repentance without a guarantee of salvation. He is repenting whether he is going to get anything out of it or not. Why? Because he realizes that he and his people have sinned against Elohim—God Almighty. Punishment is the afterthought. They are turning away because they realize that what they have been doing is wrong.

Illustration

How many of us call ourselves Christians simply because we want “fire insurance?” Simply because we just want to be sure that we’re covered. How many of us are in this “relationship” with Christ only for what we get out of it? And how many of us have put our faith in God because we realize that we are utterly lost in our sins without hope destined for an eternity of suffering and separation from God and realize that we are guilty before a holy God who created us and loves us regardless of how much we rebel against Him and disobey Him and the desire turns from a fear of death to a genuine desire to know this God who extends His merciful hand to us time and time again?

Illustration

A criminal who is truly sorry about robbing that bank doesn’t get out of jail and immediately go around and start robbing banks again. A criminal who is truly sorry gets out of jail and tries to turn his life around. He doesn’t immediately run back to the stuff he was doing. Which one are you?

If you’re in a relationship and your boyfriend or girlfriend comes up to you and just one day comes up to you and is like, “Hey, I really like that you buy me food, take me to the movies, get me presents on my birthday, and compliment me when I dress up; but I don’t really like being around you or getting to know you any better or letting you know that I care about you, so I think what we need to do is instead of you taking me out to dinner, just give me the money. Instead of you taking me to the movies, just give me the movie tickets. You an keep getting me presents on my birthday and telling me I look good when I dress up, but we don’t have to spend any time together and that way I don’t

Application

Have you been truly convicted of your sin? All punishment aside, does it matter to you that you sin against a holy, loving, and merciful God who took your punishment upon Himself? If you’re a Christian, you don’t have an eternal punishment waiting for you, so why would you turn away from sin that is fun? Because you realize that you have sinned against a holy God who loves you and you love Him. You realize that your sin hurts Him. You realize that He is a jealous God. You realize that your sin misrepresents His name to those who might come to know Him. And you realize that faith requires repentance—a total 180 turn away from sin in the opposite direction.

4. God is just, but He is also merciful.

Explanation

It would have been totally just for God to destroy Nineveh and everyone in it. They were all sinners and even though they repented, that didn’t do away with the fact that they were guilty.

In the same way, God would be totally just to condemn every one of us to an eternity of suffering in hell. God would be totally just to not allow any one of us into His presence in heaven. But the good news for us is that God poured out His wrath and justice on His only Son Jesus Christ so that we can be in His presence one day. God took the punishment upon Himself so that we could be reunited with Him.

Illustration

It’s like if ______ murdered somebody and ______ stepped in and said don’t give him the electric chair. Give it to me. I’ll take it so he doesn’t have to.

Application

While you are made in God’s image and you have this same sense of justice. You look around and you see the sins of others and you have people who sin against you all the time. You have people who try to start drama with you. You have people who call you mean names. You have people who let you down on group projects. Will you let your mercy take over and show them the same mercy God has shown us?

Invitation