"God's Response to Repentant Hearts"

INTRODUCTION

Good morning! What a gift to be worshipping together again as a church family. I’d like to add my welcome to any first-time guests who are here this morning – I hope you were warmly greeted by several people during our greeting time – and I’m so glad you’re worshipping with us this morning. Welcome!

· Thanks – Heath & Kinsey Senkel (Pumpkin Patch Party)

· Small groups – feasting on the gospel

· God’s at Work – many 1-1 conversations, opportunities this past week, to have Jesus living in and through us, our affections for Him deepened, and drawn closer to Him and one another

· Virginia away – Gone for three days this week- praying for her time with family.

There is a common/familiar expression that goes like this – “I’ve got some good news and some bad news” – I trust you’ve had someone come up and say that to you or you’ve said that to someone else! Here’s a few examples.

· Preacher – “Bad news: we need a new roof. Good news: all the $ is in your pockets.”

· Captain

Many times the expression “I’ve got some good news and some bad news is followed up with a question – what question? (Share) “Which do you want to hear first?” How many of you like to hear the good news first? (Stand) How many of you like to hear the “bad news” first? Life is filled with “good news” and “bad news.” It’s no fun to be the bearer of bad news. I’ve been in the home of a family just minutes after they were visited by two soldiers to inform them that their son had been killed in Iraq. I can’t imagine being a doctor who has to tell a patient they have cancer and they have 6 months to live. Today we continue our series in JONAH we’re going to see the prophet become the bearer of “bad news” to the people of Nineveh and yet their response resulted in being able to experience and enjoy some really “good news.”

Need

How we think about God is very important in life. One of my professors at Dallas Seminary said something that has always stuck with me “The most important thing you think about, is what you think about, when you think about God.” I’m not sure what you think about God today? Maybe you think of Him as distant? Maybe you think of Him as loving? Maybe you think of Him as powerful? Maybe you think of Him as scary? Maybe you think of Him as good? Maybe you think of Him as a friend? Maybe you think of Him with curiosity? Maybe you think of Him with skepticism? Maybe you don’t think of Him at all. We need to think rightly about who God is – that’s why I love preaching and teaching God’s Word – for the Scriptures reveal the truth about God. We need to think rightly about God! We need to know “How God Responds to Repentant hearts” - We need to hear the “bad news” of His judgment and the “good news” of His mercy.

Preview

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Jonah. In our JONAH series we’re being confronted with God’s relentless pursuit of rebellious sinners—you and me! It’s not a story confined to children’s storybook bibles – it’s a story that teaches us profound truths about God. Let’s do a brief review of the story.

· Jonah called to go preach to the people of Nineveh he said “No” (1:1-3) – sailed to Tarshish (MAP)

· God pursued the rebellious prophet through a storm but he eventually was thrown overboard – he would rather die than go to Nineveh (1:4-16)

· God saved Jonah from the peril of death through a great fish – Jonah thanked God and vowed to praise Him in public (1:17-2:9)

· Jonah was burped up on dry land (2:10)

Jonah, left on the shoreline of Joppa. Is he disqualified for ministry? Is he a washed-up prophet? Will he go to Jerusalem to fulfill his vow to publicly praise Yahweh in temple? Will he go home to Gath-Hepher? Take your bible and turn to the book of Jonah. Turn to . Jonah Chapter 3. Jonah Chapter 3:1-10. Let’s continue the story of God’s relentless pursuit of rebellious sinners. (Read )

I) GOD’S PURSUIT OF THE GREAT CITY

Jonah Chapter 3 is a pivotal part of the entire story—it highlights God’s ongoing pursuit of the great city of Nineveh through the prophet from Galilee—and it reveals Jonah’s response to God’s renewed call, Nineveh’s response to Jonah’s preaching, and God’s response to Nineveh’s repentance. Let’s walk through this part of the story in order to discover yet another incredible truth about the God who relentlessly pursues rebellious sinners and the implications for our lives as followers of Jesus. We “see” three things in this story.

A) A Preaching Prophet (3:1-4)

First, we see “A Preaching Prophet” (3:1-4). God pursued Jonah through the storm, the sailors, and the great fish in order to turn draw the rebellious prophet back to Himself. Jonah has gone from the running prophet, to the praying prophet, and then the preaching prophet. I’m not sure what Jonah thought when he hit dry land after his terrible ordeal on the belly of a great fish, I suspect he was ready to head back to Jerusalem to make good on his vow to make a public declaration of praise, but God had other plans. The Lord saved Jonah from death so that he would serve Him in Nineveh.

1) Jonah’s Recommission (3:1-2)

We see Jonah’s Recommission (3:1-2)—“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”—Jonah was given a second chance to proclaim the Lord’s message to the wicked people of Nineveh. God continued to pursue Jonah – he was not a washed-up prophet –for the Lord commanded him to “go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give to you.” Sound familiar? Yes! It’s as if we’re back at the beginning of this book (story). The second call carries the same urgency as the first call, get up and get going to Nineveh to preach the message I give to you. The Lord would reveal to Jonah what he should proclaim to the people of Nineveh. In His sovereignty Yahweh gave Jonah another opportunity to serve Him – Jonah’s disobedience would not deter God from accomplishing His purpose and plans for the prophet, and the people of Nineveh.

· J. Baldwin – “He will not be frustrated by the effrontery of a prophet, nor has he allowed the prophet to wander indefinitely off course”

Sermon Sidebar: God is gracious with His people. God doesn’t condemn us or reject us because of our failures, disobedience, and unfaithfulness. God doesn’t put us on the shelf and deem us as unusable. God used Abraham even after he lied about his wife, God used Moses after he killed and Egyptian, God used Jonah after he ran from Him, and God still used Peter after he denied Him three times – rejoice, be grateful, and bask in the His grace when He offers you a second chance to serve Him.

2) Jonah’s Obedience (3:3)

The second commission prompted a different response from this wayward prophet—“Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh” (3:3)—what a complete contrast to Jonah’s first response! Jonah has gone from the rebellious prophet to the obedient prophet. Instead of “getting up” and “going” down to Tarshish, Jonah “got up” and traveled “up” to the great city of Nineveh. Jonah made the 500 mile journey (one month) NE to the city of Nineveh (located in Assyria – modern day Iraq).

Jonah obeyed God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. We are given a brief description of Jonah’s ministry destination. Once again Nineveh is described as a “great” city (3:1) as well as “an important city” (3:3). The phrase “very important city” literally means “great to god”—a poetic way of saying this city is so big it stands out as great in the eyes of God—and hinting that this city is important enough to God to send Jonah to warn them of His judgment. Nineveh was an “enormous” city. Nineveh is so vast “a visit required three days.” Nineveh was home to 120,000 people and protected by a wall that encircled the city. The city was about 7.5 miles long or 50 miles in circumference. Nineveh is so large it would take Jonah three days to walk through the entire city proclaiming Yahweh’s message of judgment.

3) Jonah’s Message (3:4)

We also get a glimpse of Jonah’s message that he preaching in the city of Nineveh—"On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned”—Jonah wasted no time preaching the Lord’s message when he entered the city. The prophet likely found a good location fitting for public proclamation to the masses of people in that part of the city. On day one of his journey into the great city he began preaching Yahweh’s judgment to the people of Nineveh.

Jonah proclaimed to the people of Nineveh that God’s judgment was imminent—Jonah declared “Your days are numbered!”—for he warned the people of Nineveh that their city would be “overturned” in 40 days. The word “overturned” denotes being “overthrown” or “destroyed” by military conquest or by divine intervention like in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah (). Jonah’s proclamation of judgment highlighted the seriousness of their rebellion and the need for them to repent of their wicked ways. Jonah was living out Israel’s call to be a “light to the nations!” Even though Jonah’s message was harsh, God’s grace toward Nineveh is on full display, for He gave them advance warning and ample time to turn (repent) to Him. God graciously pursued the wicked people of Nineveh, he sent a prophet to warn them of His judgment, and He gave them forty days to turn from their wicked ways.

B) A Repentant City (3:5-9)

Secondly, we see “A Repentant City.” “A Preaching Prophet” gives way to “A Repentant City.” In we find Nineveh’s response to Jonah’s preaching of impending judgment—a city-wide revival took place that day—as the people of Nineveh repented of their wicked ways.

1) Repentance in the hearts of the people (3:5)

First, we see repentance take place in the hearts of the people. On the very first day of Jonah’s preaching in the city the people repented of their wicked ways. The repentance of the people of Nineveh is marked by two things: faith & action. The repentance began with faith—“the Ninevite’s believed in God”—they trusted that Jonah’s message from God was true and believed that He was going to judge them for their ways. The Ninevite’s repentance was also marked by action. Their faith prompted them to act—they declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth”— the people’s faith in God was accompanied by acts that highlighted their souls were afflicted and hearts mourning their sinful ways. Abstaining from food for an extended period of time (fasting) and wearing a course cloth made out of goat hair were the customary expressions of mourning. One simple message shook the people of Nineveh to their core, the Ninevite’s believing Jonah’s message, and they responded with repentant hearts and contrite spirits. The repentance in the city that day impacted people from all backgrounds—“from the least to the greatest”--the acceptance of this message and subsequent repentance was all inclusive from “royalty to commoners, mobility to peasants, the aged to youth, and the powerful to the powerless” (NAC). What an amazing response to Jonah’s preaching on day one – a revival began to break out in the hearts of the people in the city of Nineveh – as people professed faith in God and expressed their grief and sorrow for their sin.

2) Repentance in the heart of the king (3:6-9)

Secondly, repentance is seen in the decree of the king! The people were not the only ones to respond to Jonah’s preaching of God’s pending judgment. The news of God’s judgment eventually reached the royal residence and prompted and unexpected and unprecedented response.

When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” [1]

In an astonishing turn of events the king of Nineveh also personally repented and issued a decree that instructed everyone in the city to mourn their sin, call upon God, and repent from their wicked ways! Revival broke out in the city of Nineveh in response to Jonah’s preaching of God’s pending judgment.

Eventually Jonah’s message reached the ears of the “king of Nineveh.” The title “king of Nineveh” is a Hebrew expression that denotes the “ruling monarch” of the city of Nineveh, most likely a man named “Assur-Dan III. Once the king heard Jonah’s message rose from his throne (the seat of royal power), removed his beautifully embroidered robe and exchanged it for a sackcloth and sat down in the dust (ashes), both acts were typical expressions of mourning and humiliation. The king of Nineveh’s personal acts of mourning were clear signs of his own repentance. The one who possessed the highest position in the empire took the lowest place of humiliation and sorrow.

The king’s personal demonstration of repentance was followed by his public decree for repentance to continue throughout the city, this official decree was like a royal “seal of approval” of what had already taken place in the hearts of people, as well as a summons for everyone to turn from their sinful ways. The king made repentance an official act of the government, as the ruler issued a decree that made repentance an actual government policy, a far cry for our nation today that’s for sure! Can you imagine a decree from the president of the US calling the nation to turn to the Lord to avoid His divine judgment? The closest thing to it in our recent history was President Bush’s and Congress’ call to prayer in response to the violent attack on 9-11. The decree called for four specific responses to Jonah’s preaching:

Fasting (3:7) ~ The king called for people and animals to stop eating as an expression of mourning and act of penance

Wearing of sackcloth (3:8) ~ People and animals must express their mourning and sorrow for sin by wearing sackcloth.

Pleading with God (3:8) ~ Every citizen of Nineveh must call upon God urgently—literally call upon God with strength which denotes a depth of conviction—they must cry out to God as an act of repentance

Turning from their evil ways and violence (3:8) ~ The citizens of Nineveh were “give up their evil ways and violence—they must turn away from their wicked ways. Calling upon God should be accompanied by life change. The phrase “evil ways” is singular (evil way) indicating personal responsibility for one’s own wickedness & sins in general. The term “violence” is literally “the violence that is in their hands”—this is a more specific confession of the corporate cruelty of this nation as a whole—the Assyrians had a reputation for violence and the king called them to change their ways. The king was calling the people to turn from (give up) their evil way and violent acts to avoid trouble.

The king’s decree for repentance in the city was given in the hopes that God would respond to their repentance with compassion instead of judgment. The king’s declaration echoes the ship’s captain when he wanted everyone on board to call out to Yahweh in hope He would hear and save them by calming the storm. The call to repent was given in hope that Jonah’s God would take notice of them, extend compassion instead of anger, so they would not die. The king was hoping that if they cry out to God with repentant hearts that he would “relent”—literally feel emotional pain”—the King hoped that God’s heart would break at seeing their repentance. The king hoped that the judgment God had contemplated would never be fulfilled, that if they turn from their wicked ways and violence that God would turn from His fierce anger, showing them compassion by not destroying them because of their repentant hearts! Despite the repentance breaking out in the city, there was no guarantee of God’s response, they would have to wait to see if God would respond with judgment or compassion.

Jesus’ words in imply that genuine conversion must have taken place in the city that day. I tend to believe that salvation came to this city that day in light of the overall message/theme of the book! Revival came to the city after one day’s preaching!

The Ninevite’s response to Jonah’s preaching is “why” Jesus mentioned “the sign of Jonah” being the only sign of His ministry and “why” the people of Nineveh will rise up and condemn the scribes and Pharisees (, ). No sign was needed for the people of Nineveh, they responded to his preaching with faith and repentance, in contrast to the scribes and the Pharisees who heard many of Jesus’ sermons but refused to believe and repent. The “sign” of Jesus’ ministry is the “sign” of Jonah’s ministry—preaching that produced belief and repentance.

C) A Merciful God (3:10)

Finally, we see “A Merciful God.” We’ve seen “A Prophet’s Preaching,” “A Repentant City,” and finally we see “A Merciful God.” The story concludes with God’s response to Nineveh’s repentance—their repentance prompted God’s mercy—for the Lord turned back judgment the city of Nineveh.

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. [2]

Nineveh’s repentance prompted God to “relent” of His pending judgment and he did not destroy the city. When God saw Nineveh repent from their wicked ways—He relented from His judgment and did not destroy the city—God literally repented from pouring out His divine wrath and destroying the entire city. Nineveh’s repentance prompted God’s repentance—when they turned away from their evil ways God turned away from His judgment—for God relented with mercy and did not destroy the city. The repentance of the people prompted God to extend mercy, he did not give them what they deserved, and the people of Nineveh were spared from divine destruction.

II) GOD EXTENDS MERCY TO EVERY SINNER WHO REPENTS

The story of Jonah continues to teach us amazing and life-changing truths about God. I want you to always remember this is not a story about “a great fish” but about our “great God” who relentlessly pursues rebellious sinners (like you and me!). The story of Jonah has taught us…

· God cares for the vilest of sinners and commissions us to share the message of salvation with those who are far from Him – who is your Nineveh?

· God relentlessly pursues us when we run from Him – He will use various circumstances and people in HIs pursuit to draw us back to Himself.

· God relentlessly pursues us to save us – God saves us to change us (our hearts) – not simply being thankful for God’s salvation but being transformed by God’s salvation.

· God extends mercy to every sinner who repents

We find this truth revealed in God’s response to the people of Nineveh. God relentlessly pursued the wicked people of Nineveh and graciously extended His mercy on them when they repented from their evil ways. God’s response to their repentance was mercy. God relented from destroying the city because they repented from their evil ways. God was merciful to thousands of people who repented of their sin in the city of Nineveh.

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God’s mercy is as true in this city today as it was thousands of years ago in the city of Nineveh. God is merciful to every sinner who repents. This truth has life-changing implications for our lives. And while I want to keep the main focus on the main character of the story—the God who relentlessly pursues sinners—I believe that every person in this room can relate to one of the characters in the story. God is the main character but who are the other two? Jonah & Nineveh; that’s right! So let me ask you a very important question this morning—”Do you see yourself as Jonah or the people of Nineveh?—this is a penetrating question that impacts how you need to respond to the truth of this message this morning. “Do you see yourself as Jonah or the people of Nineveh?”

A) Get on your knees & cry out to God in repentance

If you see yourself as the people of Nineveh it’s time to “Get on Your Knees and cry to God in repentance.” Get on Your Knees and cry out to God in repentance.” It’s likely that some of you see yourself in the people of Nineveh – far from God and guilty of your own wicked ways – you’ve never believed in or repented from your own wicked ways and therefore condemned to face God’s judgment.

~ “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

~ “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

Judgment is coming—it’s not coming in forty days but it is coming—there is a judgment day that will come and those who don’t repent of their sin and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will not escape God’s wrath. I know that’s not an easy message to hear but there is good news. Jonah once again points us to Jesus and the hope of the gospel! God’s mercy on repentant sinners revealed in the story of Jonah culminates in Jesus. God is just to judge us in our sin. And yet the God of relentless grace has provided a way for sin to be forgiven once and for all through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ—Jesus died on the cross and was gloriously resurrected to satisfy God’s wrath—and every sinner repents by believing in Jesus will experience God’s mercy and be delivered from judgment.

God is merciful toward every sinner who repents. Get on your knees and cry out to God in repentance. You don’t have to “literally” get on your knees to repent - it’s simply a memorable expression that hopefully captures the heart of how you should respond to God’s truth today – humbling yourself before God and crying out to Him with a heart of repentance. You can repent from right where you sit—admitting your sin and trusting in Jesus Christ’s death & resurrection for forgiveness—and while you don’t have to literally get on your knees it might be a great demonstration of your repentance just like when the people of Nineveh wore sackcloth. Sure, you’ll have to deal with thoughts of “What will people think?” I wonder if any of the people of Nineveh that day were afraid to repent because of what others would think of them? Perhaps a few, but it seems to me that the people were more concerned about God’s judgment than their reputation. The only thing that really matters is your heart response to God’s truth.

· Can’t save yourself from judgment – you’re not perfect (Jesus is).

· Weary of religious effort – can’t earn His mercy through penance (Jesus’s finished work)

We are all rebellious sinners – God is just to judge our sin - and yet God relentlessly pursues us. Get on your knees and cry out to God in repentance. God will extend mercy to you if you repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior!

It’s possible that you’re here as a believer in Jesus who needs to cry out to God in repentance as well. As believers our sin doesn’t bear the weight of God’s judgment (Jesus has bore it on our behalf) but it does impact our fellowship with God. Perhaps in your sojourn with you’ve come here this morning with unconfessed sin in your life – unwholesome words spoken in anger, gossip, an going battle with pornography, sexual immorality, lying, or greed – the good news is God’s mercy can flood your hearts as your cry out to God in repentance this morning.

B) Get on your feet & go proclaim the good news of God’s mercy in Jesus.

Secondly, many of us can relate to Jonah this morning. We see ourselves in the life of Jonah, we’ve experienced God’s saving grace in your own life, and we know we need to obey His call to take the message of God’s mercy to others. If you see yourself in Jonah you need to “Get on Your Feet and go proclaim the good news of God’s mercy in Jesus.

Like Jonah you have been commissioned by God—He has given us His message to proclaim to a world held in bondage by sin—and we can either run from this call or faithfully obey this call. And this call carries a sense of urgency! God desires to save people from their sin…He wants to extend grace & mercy to those who repent…and yet He wants to use us to get this message out! Therefore this challenge must be taken more literally—we must get on our feet and go—we must get busy telling others instead of keeping this message to ourselves. We can’t simply rely on our lifestyle to be a witness. I know it’s been said “Preach the gospel and whenever necessary use words.” I like the intent of this challenge—a motivation to win people to Christ by the way you live—and yet that it’s “the power of the gospel that saves” not my lifestyle and that’s a good thing! It’s the good news of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection that the Spirit uses to convict sinners and their need for Jesus Christ! Therefore at some point you’re going to have to go to someone and speak words of “good news” in the hope that they will respond like the people of Nineveh.

~ “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

The Word of God is powerful and able to pierce hearts when we proclaim it to others. We have to break out of our passivity and begin to proclaim the good news with renewed passion so that others will experience God’s grace & mercy in Jesus Christ.

Objections/Excuses

I know the minute we begin to talk about sharing the good news there are 22 objections and excuses that floods our hearts & minds.

Fear ~ Afraid of losing a friend or what they will say?

Unequipped ~ What are you going to do about it? Clear understanding of the gospel, a Bible or tract, and your testimony!

Apathy ~ You don’t care

Distracted – Consumed with things that distract you from obeying God’s call to proclaim the His message of mercy. Maybe you’re distracted by social media, sports (obsessed with Husker losing streak), hobby, a relationship, gaming, entertainment, politics, your appearance, pleasing people, __________. What’s distracting you? What are you going to do about it?

Lack of Compassion ~ You don’t love people and don’t think that God should save them (Jonah’s problem)

Let’s obey God’s call to proclaim the good news of God’s mercy. God wants to use you to share His message of grace & mercy. I hope your desire to obey His call and the opportunity to see lives changed will help you overcome your excuses. The bottom line is God’s desires to save sinners and show His grace & mercy to those who repent. He wants to work in and through us to see others come to know His grace & mercy. He calls us to proclaim the gospel so that lives will be changed. And maybe you don’t think it will happen but it does everyday.

The proclamation of God’s truth can make a profound difference in a city, a community, a family, and one individual. Whose life is going to be impacted by our obedience to His call? Who is the next life to be transformed by God’s mercy? Your neighbor? Your coworker? Your teammate? Your best friend? Your brutal enemy? God wants to use us to change lives, to see a revival come in this church and in this community and the surrounding communities and in your neighborhood, and in your family. We must have the beautiful feet of that takes the good news to others so they can know Him. Sure, if you refuse God will likely use someone else. His plan to save repentant sinners is certainly not dependent upon us. And yet when we forsake this calling we fail to obey Him and forfeit the blessing of being used by Him so that others will experience His grace & mercy.

CONCLUSION

Life is filled with “good news and bad news” – often they are mixed together – and that was true for Jonah and the people of Nineveh and that’s true for us in this city. The “bad news” is God’s just to judge sin but the “good news” is everyone who repents will experience God’s mercy.

How’s your heart this morning? – Weighed down by sin? Get on your knees and cry out to God in repentance. Get on your feet and go proclaim the good news of God’s mercy in Jesus to others in this city so they can repent and experience His mercy as well!

Pray!

COMMUNION – Renewed hearts/repentant hearts – not fasting but feasting on the gospel – rejoicing and resting in God’s mercy

[1] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), .

[2] The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), .