How to change a City!
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How To Change a City?
Jonah 3:5-10
Introduction:
1. The book of Jonah is a story about a man, a city, and a God these three main lessons are often overshadowed by the great fish.
2. The characters could be described in the following ways:
a. Jonah — The reluctant prophet.
b. Nineveh — The wicked city.
c. God — The loving Father.
3. The book of Jonah is not spectacular simply because of the great fish, but by something even greater — the change of heart of an entire city!
4. How did this city change, and how can we change our city for the better?
Jonah 3
New International Version
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 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.”
3 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. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 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. 7 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. 8 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. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 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.
I. Don’t Run from Hard Duty
A. Jonah Flees the Lord
Jonah 1:1-3. Jonah 1:1- New International Version
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 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.
B. It is not always easy to be the messenger of God’s word.
C. It could not have been easy for Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and cry out against its wicked practices.
II. Be Confident with The Sign God Provides
A. (Matthew 12:38-41). Matthew 12:38-41 NIV
One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”
But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
B. The sign of Jonah was his experience with the fish...it was enough. Critical Crisis
C. (John 20:30-31).
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.
John 20:30-31
New International Version
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
D. We have the sign of the resurrection today...it too is enough.
III. Preach the Word of God
A. (Jonah 3:2).
“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”
Jonah 3
New International Version
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 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.”
B. The power to transform lives from sinners into saints is in the gospel.
C. (Romans 1:16; 1 Peter 4:11; 2 Timothy 4:1-4).
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
Don’t Be Ashamed
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
New International Version
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
It’s All About Jesus
1 Peter 4:11
Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
New International Version
11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Salvation comes from the Lord
2 Timothy 4:1-4
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
New International Version
4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
IV. Don’t Be Afraid Of A Confrontational Message
A. (Jonah 3:4, 9).
On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”
Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”
B. There is a place for reproving and rebuking as well as exhorting (2 Timothy 4:2).
C. Wisdom needs to be used with our words (Colossians 4:5-6; Jude 22-23).
V. Feel the Urgency Of The Task
A. (Jonah 3:2-4 Jonah 3
“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!”
New International Version
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3 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.”
3 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. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”).
B. Souls are dying...too much time has been wasted already (Colossians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15:34).
Colossians 4:5
New International Version
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
1 Corinthians 15:34
New International Version
34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
C. Compel them to listen (Luke 14:23).
Luke 14:23
New International Version
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
Conclusion: 1. The responsibility of Nineveh was to repent; the responsibility of judgment belonged to God; the responsibility of Jonah (like our responsibility today) is to obey, go and do what God commands us to