God Forgives the Repentant, 20 October 2019
God Forgives the Repentant
Series—Jonah
Jonah 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: The prophet Jonah reveals God’s grace for all nations.
Big Idea: God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others.
I love sports! October is one of the best months of the year because it might be the only month you can watch baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. I’m not much of an athlete, but I love to play as well as watch sports, especially with friends. Although it’s not my favorite sport, I enjoy an occasional golf game (and when I say occasional, I mean the annual First Alliance men’s golf outing!).
I’m a terrible golfer, but there’s two things I love about playing golf: nature…and mulligans! For those unfamiliar with the sport, a mulligan is when you swing at a golf ball and…the result is embarrassing! The ball ends up in the woods, the water, or simply a few inches from where you tried to hit it! Forgiving golfers will often say, “Take a mulligan,” which means a do-over…a second chance.
Wouldn’t it be great if life were like that? Actually, I’m here to declare that
God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others.
We’re in the middle of a study of the book of Jonah, a short four-chapter book made famous by a fish. Our text for today, the third chapter of Jonah, is a wonderful story of people repenting and God relenting. The short book of Jonah begins with these words:
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Nineveh was an evil city. The people were known for their violence and ruthlessness, impaling live victims on sharp poles, beheading by the thousands, stacking skulls by the entrances to the city, skinning people alive, and killing babies and young children. It was a great city, not because of its godliness, but its notoriety and size.
Who do you hate? I know, Christians aren’t supposed to hate, but who do you despise? If you’ve served in military combat, you had an enemy. If you’ve been abused, you have a perpetrator. If you’ve been wronged, you have someone you’d like to see God judge.
Jonah despised the Ninevites. Israel’s rival was Assyria and Nineveh was its capital. In fact, it’s somewhat surprising that he disobeyed God and didn’t go preach fire and brimstone on these people, watching God destroy this evil city.
As we saw in chapter one, Jonah disobeyed God, heading in the opposite direction of Nineveh. A massive storm led to his transport into the sea where found himself in the belly of a fish for three days before being launched onto a beach.
We don’t know if anyone saw Jonah vomited from the fish.
We don’t know if word spread about his journey.
We don’t know if his appearance was bleached by his home for three days!
We do know Jonah’s learned his lesson and he’s ready to go to Nineveh.
Always obey God, even when you don’t feel like it.
Chapter three begins
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:1-2)
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! God has Jonah’s attention now! It’s time to resume the mission. But the mission has slightly changed. The first word of the LORD in chapter one, God said, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it.” Now God says to proclaim to it.
God is the God of second chances. God forgives the repentant, the one who turns away from sin, does a 180, and runs to God seeking mercy and forgiveness.
God forgave Noah the drunk.
God forgave Abraham the liar.
God forgave Jacob the cheater.
God forgave Moses the murderer.
God forgave Rahab the prostitute.
God forgave David the adulterer (rapist?).
God forgave Peter the denier.
God forgave Martha the worrier.
God forgave Saul the persecutor.
God gave Jonah a second chance. He offers us a second chance, too.
How many of you are glad God is the God of second chances?
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 3:3)
Jonah obeyed. It’s about time! He finally goes to Nineveh after taking a three-day, dark detour. Perhaps we should call it “alternative transportation!” We’re not sure if Jonah felt like it this time, but he goes. He knows the alternative is not pretty!
It says
Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. (Jonah 3:3b)
That’s huge! It was founded by Noah’s great-grandson Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10) and could’ve been about the size of the Toledo metro area in both population and land mass. One wall of the city had fifteen hundred towers and a circumference of eight miles, according to one researcher. Nineveh was built near the Tigris River and the Khoser River ran through it.
Nobody is sure if three days meant the amount of time to preach to the entire city or to travel through it. Regardless, it was a very large and significant city.
Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4)
This is not a way to make friends and influence people…but when God says go…
The life of a prophet was not easy. It is truly a calling to “call” people to repentance, to turn away from their sin, to change.
I might add this must be done with love, genuine concern for others. Standing at a street corner yelling at people, judging and condemning does not count!
Issuing warnings before disaster because you care about the potential victims is another matter entirely.
Alliance president Dr. John Stumbo recently reminded us of the importance of show and tell. We need to live attractive, grace-filled lives and proclaim the truth lovingly to others. We need to demonstrate the gospel—the good news of Jesus—and verbalize it, too.
A popular myth is that St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” He did not say that! Words are necessary. The book of Romans declares,
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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? (Romans 10:13-14)
We need words. We need to proclaim, one of the four verbs emphasized by the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
I realize words can be difficult. Some of you love the idea of evangelism—of sharing good news—but you’re nervous about what to say. Maybe you’re an introvert. Perhaps you’re a new follower of Jesus and feel insufficiently trained. First, share your story. If you don’t have a story, don’t worry about it. I’d love to introduce you to Jesus. Let’s talk!
Second, there are tools to help. Sunday mornings right here. Dinner Church on the last Sunday of the month. And next month, Saturate Toledo.
Imagine what will happen when every household in the five-county area is given a chance to experience the gospel!
You might look at people in our area the way Jonah looked at Nineveh. Let’s face it, our city is filled with needy people, broken people, and evil people. This might surprise you, but there are sinners in Toledo…and in this room…including me! But God is a God of second chances.
We don’t really know Jonah’s attitude, but he nevertheless is obeying God.
If you’ve spent any time reading the Bible, you’ll know the number forty appears frequently, usually connected to judgment. Noah and his family were in the ark while it rained forty days and nights. The Jewish spies explored the Promised Land for forty days. Goliath mocked God for forty days before his demise.
Jonah obeyed God and warned the people of judgment with five Hebrew words (eight in English)…and then something happened.
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 5)
Was this supposed to happen? People actually repented? They turned away from their sins? They fasted and put on sackcloth, a symbol for mourning and repentance. It wasn’t just the commoner who repented.
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. (Jonah 3:6)
Can you imagine the king repenting? Can you imagine any politician acting out of such humility?
Oh that our leaders would repent.
Oh that we would repent.
We all sin…and we must mourn our sin. We must repent. Yes, Jesus died to forgive us our sins, but that doesn’t give us a license to sin. It doesn’t mean we should be flippant about it? We must acknowledge and mourn over our sin…and be grateful for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
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.” (Jonah 3:7-9)
What a leader! What repentance! Even the animals were included! Notice the kind didn’t simply say, “We’re sorry, God.” He decreed that the people change, that they turn, that they give up their evil ways and their violence. Some would call that revival!
Jonah (finally) obeys God and it truly makes a difference. A huge difference! The people of Nineveh—like the sailors in the boat in chapter one—don’t want to perish. God doesn’t want them to perish.
God is the God of second chances.
John 3:16 says that those who believe and trust in Jesus will not perish. Peter reiterates God’s attitude toward sinners:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Some Christians can’t understand why Jesus hasn’t returned yet. I long for him to return soon, too, but God is waiting for us to make disciples of “all nations.” He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to repentance. Everyone. Young and old. Communist and capitalist. Rich and poor. GED and PhD. Married and single. Gay and straight…and other. Homeless and home owner.
God is the God of second chances.
He sends Jonah to utter five Hebrew words:
“Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4b)
Instead, they repent.
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. (Jonah 3:10)
God relented. He responds to their repentance.
God is the God of second chances.
There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more.
There’s nothing you can do to make God love you less.
This is great news…and it needs to be shared. We can’t keep it to ourselves.
God showed compassion upon the wicked but repentant Ninevites.
God has shown compassion to you and me. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6).
But we must repent. We must confess our sins. We must agree with God when we have sinned and disobeyed and return to obedience. No excuses. No compromise.
Where do you need to repent? Where do you need to turn and do a 180? Where do you need to obey?
Part of obedience—of following Jesus—is to proclaim. It is to let others know God is the God of second chances. There’s hope for them, too. We’ve all been called to make disciples. We’ve all been called to love others…in word and deed. We need to let the world know…
There’s nothing they can do to make God love them more.
There’s nothing they can do to make God love them less.
Family, we must show and tell. We must proclaim in word and deed.
God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others. Praise God!
Credits: some ideas from Warren Wiersbe, Jeremy Myers.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—Jonah
Jonah 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: The prophet Jonah reveals God’s grace for all nations.
Big Idea: God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others.
I love sports! October is one of the best months of the year because it might be the only month you can watch baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. I’m not much of an athlete, but I love to play as well as watch sports, especially with friends. Although it’s not my favorite sport, I enjoy an occasional golf game (and when I say occasional, I mean the annual First Alliance men’s golf outing!).
I’m a terrible golfer, but there’s two things I love about playing golf: nature…and mulligans! For those unfamiliar with the sport, a mulligan is when you swing at a golf ball and…the result is embarrassing! The ball ends up in the woods, the water, or simply a few inches from where you tried to hit it! Forgiving golfers will often say, “Take a mulligan,” which means a do-over…a second chance.
Wouldn’t it be great if life were like that? Actually, I’m here to declare that
God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others.
We’re in the middle of a study of the book of Jonah, a short four-chapter book made famous by a fish. Our text for today, the third chapter of Jonah, is a wonderful story of people repenting and God relenting. The short book of Jonah begins with these words:
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Nineveh was an evil city. The people were known for their violence and ruthlessness, impaling live victims on sharp poles, beheading by the thousands, stacking skulls by the entrances to the city, skinning people alive, and killing babies and young children. It was a great city, not because of its godliness, but its notoriety and size.
Who do you hate? I know, Christians aren’t supposed to hate, but who do you despise? If you’ve served in military combat, you had an enemy. If you’ve been abused, you have a perpetrator. If you’ve been wronged, you have someone you’d like to see God judge.
Jonah despised the Ninevites. Israel’s rival was Assyria and Nineveh was its capital. In fact, it’s somewhat surprising that he disobeyed God and didn’t go preach fire and brimstone on these people, watching God destroy this evil city.
As we saw in chapter one, Jonah disobeyed God, heading in the opposite direction of Nineveh. A massive storm led to his transport into the sea where found himself in the belly of a fish for three days before being launched onto a beach.
We don’t know if anyone saw Jonah vomited from the fish.
We don’t know if word spread about his journey.
We don’t know if his appearance was bleached by his home for three days!
We do know Jonah’s learned his lesson and he’s ready to go to Nineveh.
Always obey God, even when you don’t feel like it.
Chapter three begins
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (Jonah 3:1-2)
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! God has Jonah’s attention now! It’s time to resume the mission. But the mission has slightly changed. The first word of the LORD in chapter one, God said, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it.” Now God says to proclaim to it.
God is the God of second chances. God forgives the repentant, the one who turns away from sin, does a 180, and runs to God seeking mercy and forgiveness.
God forgave Noah the drunk.
God forgave Abraham the liar.
God forgave Jacob the cheater.
God forgave Moses the murderer.
God forgave Rahab the prostitute.
God forgave David the adulterer (rapist?).
God forgave Peter the denier.
God forgave Martha the worrier.
God forgave Saul the persecutor.
God gave Jonah a second chance. He offers us a second chance, too.
How many of you are glad God is the God of second chances?
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 3:3)
Jonah obeyed. It’s about time! He finally goes to Nineveh after taking a three-day, dark detour. Perhaps we should call it “alternative transportation!” We’re not sure if Jonah felt like it this time, but he goes. He knows the alternative is not pretty!
It says
Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. (Jonah 3:3b)
That’s huge! It was founded by Noah’s great-grandson Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10) and could’ve been about the size of the Toledo metro area in both population and land mass. One wall of the city had fifteen hundred towers and a circumference of eight miles, according to one researcher. Nineveh was built near the Tigris River and the Khoser River ran through it.
Nobody is sure if three days meant the amount of time to preach to the entire city or to travel through it. Regardless, it was a very large and significant city.
Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4)
This is not a way to make friends and influence people…but when God says go…
The life of a prophet was not easy. It is truly a calling to “call” people to repentance, to turn away from their sin, to change.
I might add this must be done with love, genuine concern for others. Standing at a street corner yelling at people, judging and condemning does not count!
Issuing warnings before disaster because you care about the potential victims is another matter entirely.
Alliance president Dr. John Stumbo recently reminded us of the importance of show and tell. We need to live attractive, grace-filled lives and proclaim the truth lovingly to others. We need to demonstrate the gospel—the good news of Jesus—and verbalize it, too.
A popular myth is that St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” He did not say that! Words are necessary. The book of Romans declares,
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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? (Romans 10:13-14)
We need words. We need to proclaim, one of the four verbs emphasized by the Christian & Missionary Alliance.
I realize words can be difficult. Some of you love the idea of evangelism—of sharing good news—but you’re nervous about what to say. Maybe you’re an introvert. Perhaps you’re a new follower of Jesus and feel insufficiently trained. First, share your story. If you don’t have a story, don’t worry about it. I’d love to introduce you to Jesus. Let’s talk!
Second, there are tools to help. Sunday mornings right here. Dinner Church on the last Sunday of the month. And next month, Saturate Toledo.
Imagine what will happen when every household in the five-county area is given a chance to experience the gospel!
You might look at people in our area the way Jonah looked at Nineveh. Let’s face it, our city is filled with needy people, broken people, and evil people. This might surprise you, but there are sinners in Toledo…and in this room…including me! But God is a God of second chances.
We don’t really know Jonah’s attitude, but he nevertheless is obeying God.
If you’ve spent any time reading the Bible, you’ll know the number forty appears frequently, usually connected to judgment. Noah and his family were in the ark while it rained forty days and nights. The Jewish spies explored the Promised Land for forty days. Goliath mocked God for forty days before his demise.
Jonah obeyed God and warned the people of judgment with five Hebrew words (eight in English)…and then something happened.
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 5)
Was this supposed to happen? People actually repented? They turned away from their sins? They fasted and put on sackcloth, a symbol for mourning and repentance. It wasn’t just the commoner who repented.
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. (Jonah 3:6)
Can you imagine the king repenting? Can you imagine any politician acting out of such humility?
Oh that our leaders would repent.
Oh that we would repent.
We all sin…and we must mourn our sin. We must repent. Yes, Jesus died to forgive us our sins, but that doesn’t give us a license to sin. It doesn’t mean we should be flippant about it? We must acknowledge and mourn over our sin…and be grateful for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
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.” (Jonah 3:7-9)
What a leader! What repentance! Even the animals were included! Notice the kind didn’t simply say, “We’re sorry, God.” He decreed that the people change, that they turn, that they give up their evil ways and their violence. Some would call that revival!
Jonah (finally) obeys God and it truly makes a difference. A huge difference! The people of Nineveh—like the sailors in the boat in chapter one—don’t want to perish. God doesn’t want them to perish.
God is the God of second chances.
John 3:16 says that those who believe and trust in Jesus will not perish. Peter reiterates God’s attitude toward sinners:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Some Christians can’t understand why Jesus hasn’t returned yet. I long for him to return soon, too, but God is waiting for us to make disciples of “all nations.” He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to repentance. Everyone. Young and old. Communist and capitalist. Rich and poor. GED and PhD. Married and single. Gay and straight…and other. Homeless and home owner.
God is the God of second chances.
He sends Jonah to utter five Hebrew words:
“Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4b)
Instead, they repent.
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. (Jonah 3:10)
God relented. He responds to their repentance.
God is the God of second chances.
There’s nothing you can do to make God love you more.
There’s nothing you can do to make God love you less.
This is great news…and it needs to be shared. We can’t keep it to ourselves.
God showed compassion upon the wicked but repentant Ninevites.
God has shown compassion to you and me. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6).
But we must repent. We must confess our sins. We must agree with God when we have sinned and disobeyed and return to obedience. No excuses. No compromise.
Where do you need to repent? Where do you need to turn and do a 180? Where do you need to obey?
Part of obedience—of following Jesus—is to proclaim. It is to let others know God is the God of second chances. There’s hope for them, too. We’ve all been called to make disciples. We’ve all been called to love others…in word and deed. We need to let the world know…
There’s nothing they can do to make God love them more.
There’s nothing they can do to make God love them less.
Family, we must show and tell. We must proclaim in word and deed.
God is a God of second chances, which is good news for us and others. Praise God!
Credits: some ideas from Warren Wiersbe, Jeremy Myers.