EVERYONE Needs a New Beginning

This is the same call as before. The nature of what God is asking him to do has not changed, but is willingness has. He immediately heads on his journey, which could have been a couple months. Oh to be a fly on that journey with him to see and hear what was taking place.

Perfect Justice/Karma

Get what deserve

One to one

No second chances.

Based on fear/shame

Good somehow is to outweigh the bad

Creates a comparison trap

According to Karma no one gets a second chance.

God is compassionate to Jonah!

God continues to be gracious and merciful.

Best case scenario: Jonah is spit up near Galilee: he still would have had a couple months journey to get to Nineveh. Oh to be a fly on his path. Sometimes we must start to obey before God’s Word will come to us.

The message: Repent or be overturned/destroyed.

We must allow the simple message of Christ stand firm.

God’s Word is powerful.

Sometimes we must respond immediately.

The longer we wait to act upon things the more we can talk ourselves out of the action. Now this isn’t always the case. Jesus said to consider the cost but delaying a decision just to wait for a “perfect” time is unrealistic. The people of Nineveh didn’t wait to respond, neither should we!

The edict: Stop you evilness which is natural to you.

We call this the depravity of mankind.

To some extent, hate does not need to be taught. We are capable of tremendous awful and evil things. The mind not thinking about Christ can slowly drift to where the things of Christ (the fruit of the spirit) is not evenly remotely present.

Change started in the streets!

Grassroots effort is what overturned the city.

The city was overturned in a positive way.

The word play is regardless of what was to happen the city of Nineveh was going to be overturned, either by God’s compassion or justice. The same is true for us. God is in His grace and love allows us the opportunity to be overturned before destruction.

Philippians 2:10–11 NIV

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This day is coming, but God allows us to voluntarily be overturned by his love today!

God is compassionate to Nineveh!

God’s enemies, our enemies deserve God’s justice. However, God’s justice, which is perfect, allows for repentance and change. If we are honest, we do not like this perfect nature of God. We want him to be gracious to us but not to those who are different than us. The reality is but for the grace of God I would be_____________!

Everyone needs a new beginning.

Look at the statement again, for it is intentionally worded the way it is. Notice I do not say “deserves” or “will have”. New beginnings are necessary but they are not automatic nor guaranteed. We have a choice and response in this.

Will you be Jonah in 2019?

Romans 10:9–10 NIV

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:13 NIV

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:14–15 NIV

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!