Repentance, Faith, and the growth of the church. Jonah

We last looked at the book of Jonah when we launched our Who’s Your One? Campaign. The goal of the campaign was for each member of Harrisburg to identify one person who doesn’t know Christ and begin praying for them, sharing the gospel with them, and inviting them to join us for worship and our weekly ministries.

COVID wasn’t far behind this push that we made a few years ago… and I think the circumstances Christians are facing in our country right now lend themselves to a faithful application of what we see in the book of Jonah to our hearts and lives today.

A summary of the events recorded in Jonah…

Jonah 1

God sends him on a mission to warn the Ninevites saying, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). At first, this message sounds simple and sweet, yet bleak. But Jonah runs to Tarshish (1:3), the opposite direction from Nineveh. His disobedience was perhaps as theological as it was geographical. Notice that Jonah ran “to flee the presence of the LORD” (1:3). David Stronach of UC Berkley offers an example of why Jonah might have bolted, “In a stone pillar, one Assyrian ruler boasted of ‘nobles I flayed.’ He reported: ‘Three thousand captives I burned with fire. I left not one hostage alive. I cut off the hands and feet of some. I cut off the noses, ears, and fingers of others. The eyes of numerous soldiers I put out. Maidens I burned as a holocaust.” You can’t blame a preacher for not wanting to visit a place like that—either then or now.

Jonah 2

In Jonah 2, God puts Jonah in the belly of a fish for three days before spitting him back on shore.

In Jonah 3, Jonah obeys God’s command, and finally delivers the message to Nineveh. Amazingly, the Ninevites repent, and God relents. But how does Jonah respond? You’d think this missionary prophet would rejoice. Not so…

Jonah 4

Jonah 4:1 tells us the opposite: “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.” Why? Jonah 4:2 unpacks this adding an important flashback detail intentionally left absent from the beginning: “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” Jonah didn’t run because he feared the Ninevites killing him; he feared God saving them.

Similarities to our situation today:

Jonah looked down on the people of Ninevah, and many American Christians look down on those who are outside the church.

Jonah looked down them because they were an ungodly and evil people. Ninevah was a major city in Assyrian kingdom. We know that by the time Assyria falls in around 612 BC the city of Ninevah was the capital. The Assyrians were enemies of Israel, and as the Bible says, they were evil.

Jonah struggled that God would extend the same forgiveness to the Assyrians, if they repented, that He gave to the Israelites. Many American Christians struggle in the same ways toward those who are presently pushing the immoral and evil agendas of the day.

Jonah 4:1–2 (ESV)

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

Jonah refused God’s call to take the message of repentance to Ninevah by going somewhere else, and many Americans refuse to take the message of repentance to our fellow citizens by simply doing something else.

In very simple and Biblical terms: Repentance is a change of mind and of behavior.

The word for repentance in both the OT and the NT means a change of mind and behavior.

You cannot repent with only a change of mind, and you cannot repent with only a change of behavior.

Jonah was sent to tell the Assyrians to repent, and they had much to repent of. As we mentioned already they were the enemies of God. They were evil, ungodly people. They were the worst of their day… and Jonah did not want to take the message of repentance to such an awful people. They might even kill him for simply bringing the message. It was way worse than cancel culture in the days of Jonah.

(Side note: If you think being cancelled is persecution, I think there are a couple of thousand years of martyrs who would say otherwise.)

One of the primary reasons Jonah refused to take the message of repentance to the Assyrians is because he knew God would forgive them if they ask… and I hope that’s not our issue in the American church, but I can’t help but think it is an issue for some. The same people who don’t want to invite the ugodly people around them to repent, are the same people that don’t want those ungodly people to join the church.

I believe this… that the future leaders of this church, the future leaders of Harrisburg Baptist Church are currently voting for the wrong people, pushing the wrong agendas, and likely attacking us for what we believe. And the reason I believe they are the future leaders of our church, is because I believe God intends to change their hearts through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. The future of our church is sitting in living rooms all over the city right now watching something other than a church service. The future of God’s kingdom was out too late last night drinking and partying. The future of our church is living unfulfilled and completely committed to a lifestyle that is sinful, selfish, abhorrent, and ungodly.

God never intended for the church to only grow through the nursery. God does grow the church through the multiplication of the family… but even more than that God grows His church through the multiplication of the gospel.

God sent Jonah to the most ungodly people he had ever heard of… and Jonah didn’t want them to repent and receive the forgiveness and grace of God. But, praise the Lord that in the ways Jonah refused to go to Ninevah, Jesus willingly and joyfully came to call a sinful world to repentance and salvation.

Christians are repentant and sent to call other sinners to repentance.

Many Christians and pastors want to make a big deal about pointing out sin… but God doesn’t tell us to simply point out that others have sinned. God sends us to tell sinners to repent.

God doesn’t just tell sinners to admit that they have sinned, He calls sinners to repent of their sins and walk in obedient holiness.

The way of Jesus is the way that God has always been and always will be. That’s why he is called the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

In the OT Ezekiel said “Repent and turn from your transgressions” (Ezek. 18:30).

Jonah was sent to tell the Assyrians to repent…

John the Baptist said “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

Jesus said “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Peter said “Repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38).

And Paul said God “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).

“Repentance has never been easy. No one likes to be told “Die to yourself.  Kill that in you.  Admit you are wrong and change.”  That’s never been an easy sell. It’s much easier to get a crowd by leaving out the repentance part of faith, but it’s not faithful. It’s not even Christianity. Of course, there is a whole lot more to following Jesus than repentance, but it’s certainly not less.  “Repent,” Jesus said, or “you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5)." Kevin DeYoung

In an article on repentance Kevin pointed out the difference between regret, embarrassment, apology, and repentance.

Regret- You don’t have to see your sin or admit wrong and be humbled to feel regret. You just have to feel bad about the consequences of your actions. It’s easy to have regret, but that’s not repentance.

(This section is from an article on TGC by Kevin Deyoung on Repentance)

“Embarrassment is easy too. Suppose you’re out in the lobby after church and a group of you are chatting about “her.”  No one has talked to “her,” but you all talking about her–what’s wrong in her marriage, what’s wrong with her kids, what’s wrong with her house. You aren’t strategizing how to help her. You’re just talking about her. And then you realize she’s been looking for her coat right behind you the whole time.  She’s heard the whole thing.  And as she bolts out of church crying, you feel just terrible. You are so embarrassed. Now, it may be that you are really struck in your conscience and you are moved to ask for forgiveness. But it could be that you are just embarrassed at being caught. You feel terrible, not so much with having gossiped, but that she heard you gossiping. You wonder what she thinks of you now and if she will tell others about this incident. Sure, you feel terrible, but it’s out of love for your reputation, not out of hatred for sin. You’re simply embarrassed, and that’s not repentance.”

“Apology is not repentance either.  To be sure, repentance often involves an apology. But just because you’ve issued an apology doesn’t mean you’ve repented.  We’ve all heard and given pseudo-apologies.  “I’m sorry if you were offended.”  “I’m sorry if you took things the wrong way.”  “I’m sorry I said that about your kids.  It’s not that I think their bad kids, their just wild, unruly, and undisciplined.  I’m sorry you’re so sensitive.” Or even when the apology is sincere, it may not be a sincere statement of repentance.  It may just be a sincere statement of feeling remorse or shame.”

Regret, embarrassment, and apologies are easy… but repentance is hard.

One of my greatest fears is that we have made repentance something less than what the Bible is speaking of. And in doing so, we have presented a gospel that addresses regret, embarrassment, and apologies… but doesn’t result in repentance. And where repentance is missing, faith is as well.

Repentance means you change your mind, and your behavior.

I mentioned earlier that’s what the Bible means. The Greek word metanoia means– a changed (meta) mind (noia).

You change your mind about yourself.

I am not fundamentally a good person deep down.  I am not the center of the universe.  I am not the king of the world or even my life.”

You change your mind about sin.

“I am responsible for my actions.  My past hurts do not excuse my present failings.  My offenses against God and against others are not trivial.  I do not live or think or feel as I should.”

You change your mind about God.

“He is trustworthy.  His word is sure.  He is able to forgive and to save. I believe in his Son, Jesus Christ. I owe him my life and my allegiance. He is my King and my Sovereign, and he wants what is best for me.  I believe it!”

(End of the material from Kevin Deyoung’s article on TGC)

Repentance means you change your mind, and your behavior.

Jonah didn’t want a change of mind and a change of behavior for the people of Ninevah, but God did. God sent Christ to preach a message of repentance to sinners, to die a death that sinners deserve, and to be resurrected so that sinners could be saved.

Jonah lamented the grace of God toward sinners, Jesus died on the cross as an act of grace toward sinners.

Jonah ran from God’s call and was in the fish for three days because he tried to avoid preaching to Ninevah, Jesus followed the call and was in the grave for 3 days and was resurrected to save sinners.

Jonah sat on a mountain waiting for God to destroy Ninevah, Jesus sits on His throne in heaven after sending His followers out to share the gospel with the lost.

We are not called to sit on the mountain like Jonah to wait and watch God execute His judgment on the lost.

Christians, the church, are sent to the worst people we know so they can know the most loving person there is.

God has called us to love Him above all and one another above self

God has called us to love and grow together, and that means the people who are saved become a part of this faith family.

God calls us to live sent, but too many people are simply living.

And the grace and love of God are not just for the people outside the church… the mercy, grace and love of God are for you too.

If God’s mercy and grace are for the worst of people everywhere, that means you. The truth is that none of us know the sin and evil of another person better than we know ourselves.

Like Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:15 (ESV), “15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

The worst person you know is you… and the mercy, grace, and love of God are for you.

I want to say this one more time… the mercy, grace, and love of God really are for everyone, everywhere.

You can’t put limits on who God wants to save, or who you are willing to share the gospel with.

You can’t put limits on where God sends you or with who God brings into our church.

The people we share the gospel with become the people we worship with.

If God will save an entire evil city, then there isn’t anyone who is too far from the mercy of God.

How far will God’s mercy go? Much further than Ninevah…

God’s mercy for you goes all the way to the cross

Through Christ we find that God’s mercy and love extend wider than the sea, His mercy is as wide as the arms of Christ.

I want to finish with this… the same God who sent Jonah to the evil Assyrians is the God who sent Jesus to save you, me, and the ungodly people who live all around us.

God doesn’t just send us to point out sin and tell people how bad they are.

God sends us to share the whole gospel… from Creation to the Cross and the empty tomb and the return of Christ.

God sends us to call people to forsake their sin to receive forgiveness and live in a way that is pleasing to God and satisfying to our souls.

Are you following in the footsteps of Jonah by finding something else to do?

Are you following in the footsteps of Jonah by thinking that you are better or now better than the Lord?

We are all called to follow in the way of Jesus who walked a direct line from the manger to the cross. We are called to follow in the way of Jesus who considered others more important than himself and humbled himself as the God of the universe all the way to the cross for the glory of the father and the good of the world.

God says repent, and God says he loves you.