The Return

Intro.

A new phone has came out recently. I didn’t need it, but I sure did want it.

I really just wanted it because of the deal.

Trade in your eligible phone, and the new one is completely FREE.

Go through the process. Last step turn in my old phone.

Take it out of the case and discover a small crack on the back.

Now the phone lost half its value and the new phone was no longer free.

But it makes sense right. Things aren’t as valuable when broken.

If you collect things you know its true, but if you’ve ever bought anything you know it is.

When things are broken, messed up, then the value and worth decreases, right?!?

Question: Have you ever felt broken?

So often our lives can feel like the phone, the more broken, the more worthless.

that sense of worth and value affects every thing I do.

Today I’m going to start by giving you my last point. I’m simply going to read today and pull out thought, but each thought leads up to this one.

GOD USES THE BROKEN TO DO THE INCREDIBLE.

God’s kingdom works differently than our economy

We are in a book study in Jonah.

(Summarize the first 2 chapters)

Jonah hears from God, Runs away from God, God stops him on the sea, Thrown overboard,

Swallowed by fish, in the fish, prays and turns to God, Fish spits him back up on the ground.

Jonah 3:1 (NIV)

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time:

Ok Jonah, let’s try this again. (remember God tried once and Jonah ran)

This small sentence may not seem like much but it is extremely significant.

Wrapped in this little phrase is captured some of the very nature of who God is.

a second time - Hebrew = Shay-nee

Means Again.

I know profound.

GOD IS THE GOD OF AGAIN.

This is incredible news for Jonah, Ninevah and US.

Jonah, you ran away, you shunned me, BUT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID, I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU.

let’s try this again.

The God of second chances.

God of the return.

This is God’s grace in action.

No matter what you have thought, what you feel, or have been told.

You’re not too broken, too far gone, too messed up...

God is the God of again.

WE all need to remember this! Because we all need an again. and probably and again and an again.

Jonah 3:2 (NIV)

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

God gives Jonah the same message he gave at the beginning.

Jonah 1:2 (NIV)

“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

I hate having to repeat myself, Thank God he doesn’t mind. Because I need it alot.

Even though Jonah had ran from God, God still wanted to use him, God still had a plan for him, still had purpose for him to live out.

GOD USES BROKEN PEOPLE

There are 2 types of people in the world.

Those who look at broken down things and see trash and those who see potential.

That’s just a bunch of old wood...

NO that is a new kitchen table and chairs.

That’s a rust bucket.

NO! That’s our next vehicle.

Brokenness actually seems to be God’s preferred method.

Just look at the people he used in the bible.

Most of the people don’t the resume I would expect a perfect God to use.

Def not the kind I would use...

Moses - Killed a man

David - commited adultery and killed the woman's husband!

Peter - cut off a guys ear, denied Jesus outright 3 times

Paul - Tried to destroy the church and imprisoned Christians.

The list goes on but you get the point.

If you feel like a broken person in a lot of areas, you’re in good company.

It’s not that God can use you, He Desire and WANTS to use you.

You are his PLAN! (broken an all)

Jonah 3:3 (NIV)

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

Jonah chose differently this time.

Now he heads toward what God says, chooses Gods ways, chooses God.

Jonahs value and worth becomes unlocked as he returns to God.

it matters what we do with the brokenness.

Broken but valuable.

turned to god. In his plans and hands.

VALUE IS DETERMINED BY WHO’S HAND IT’S IN.

Apart from God, Jonah would have continued to be broken. Distant. Wandering for purpose. Hoping there is more to life. Never fulfilled. Always feeling the guilt of his past. Never seeing the worth and potential of his life.

Jonah was still worthy and valuable because he turned back to God.

It matters whose hands we are in.

A broken engine in my hands is scrap metal, a skilled mechanic its reliable transportation.

shards of metal to me is trash, to an artist its an expensive sculpture

Drum sticks in my hands is noise, in Keiths hands its the backbone of great music.

You have more value and worth than you realized, not on your own but in God’s hands.

The one who can restore anything that broken.

Where will your life turn?

Alone, not much, with God more capable and valuable that we can image.

Jonah 3:4a (NIV)

Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city

Began seems like a simple word...

Hebrew - challel

To Distain, Disregard, dishonor.

To Untie, loosen

How could that be begin…

Entering somewhere new for Jonah meant letting go of something from where he was.

Untying. Disregarding and disconnecting from.

He could’t walk into ____ without walking away from ________.

ENTERING NEW THINGS REQUIRES DISCONNECTING FROM OTHER THINGS.

God wants you to walk in newness in your life, to enter into his purpose, to walk out what he has for you,

To come back.

But that may mean letting go of a lot of what you have been connected to.

What do you need to let go of, untie from, loosen yourself from?

Jonah from selfishness, his own ways, Pride.

Maybe anger, addiction, unforgiveness, bitterness, sin, shame.

No one else may know, but God does, don’t let it keep you from walking in.

Jonah 3:4b–5 (NIV)

...proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Jonah walks into the city and starts saying what God said. And people starting to repent and change!

God was using Jonah.

This is not an elegant sermon, short simple and kinda harsh.

In hebrew it’s only 5 words.

Jonah didn’t look the part, have a perfect sermon, have a perfect platform, but was used for something so much bigger than himself.

GOD DOESN’T NEED ABILITY, JUST AVAILABILITY

God doesn’t need to to be perfect, put together, talented,

He just needs you to say yes to him.

It’s so easy to think, i’m not good enough, smart enough, able enough or whatever to be used by God.

but it’s never about us anyway. It’s about him and his power and strength and ability.

All he needs is our willingness.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Not those who have it all together. have all the answers. who are always strong. Never doubt.

Jonah 3:6–9 (NIV)

When Jonah’s warning 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. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Everyone repented! Turned to God.

How amazing. How unexpected.

Why would they respond this way?!?

Yes because God, but why listen to this guy.

One of the many god’s the Assyrians worshipped was Dagon and the Female Counterpart Nashe who were fish gods.

So this man who had come with a word from God and was brought by a fish wasn’t just interesting is was divine.

Jonah didn’t know that what he went through is what God was going to use to accomplish something amazing.

How could he have known while sitting in the belly of a fish, thinking he was going to die, a horrible experience, that God would use it.

GOD CAN USE WHAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD BREAK YOU AS THE SOURCE OF BREAKTHROUGH.

God Never wastes anything when given to him.

You may be sitting in something today wondering how you will ever get past it or make it through.

but if you just trust God, There is more value in this pain and brokenness than you can realize.

Something is being set up that you cant yet see.

If God can use a fish, he can use your situation.

It’s not over if he’s in it.

Jonah 3:10 (NIV)

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

God didn’t destroy them because they turned to him.

the greatest miracle of the book of Jonah isn’t a fish swallowing a man.

It’s that an entire city had a revival and turned to God.

and god used a person who was broken, difficult, and messed up to do it.

GOD USES THE BROKEN TO DO THE INCREDIBLE.

If God can do that, what can he do with you.

This doesn’t mean your going to preach...

That is Jonah’s story, Jonah’s purpose.

You have your own.

You’re not too broken, too distant, too anything.

You have more worth and value than you can imagine.

(did you know that sperm whale vomit, ambergris, is worth 10,000 a pound!)

Even the vomit was valuable.

ever felt broken?

what are you waiting for?

but will you return like Jonah did?

Turn to God.

the God of again is calling you.

I wish i couldn’t traded my broken phone in, but man I’m grateful for God not discounting the broken.