https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLhAdA5ZXI
From the video: Jonah was a
prophet, but he never really got it!
Compassion and mercy, that’s what God wants!
Introduction:
A. How
many of you believe the story of Jonah actually
happened?
B. How
many of you believe it is a parable?
1. Israel
being Jonah and the large fish being
Babylon.
2. Because
the Israelites hadn't taken God's message
to the rest of
the world.
3. Very
controversial among scholars. (Intro. to
Jonah
in Nelson Study Bible.)
Trans. Whatever you believe about Jonah, I believe there are
some lessons in his story for us today!
Prayer
Jonah 3:1-10
I. General
information about the book.
A. Purpose: To encourage evangelism!
B. In
either case, the book was probably written after
the fact (notice
the past tense: "Nineveh was . . . .
(vs. 3:3))
II. Lessons for us
today.
A.
God longs to bring all people back to Godself!
B.
1. Ninevah
was a very wicked city full of people who
did not know God!
(note: Nineveh was the capital of Assyria which
was destroyed in 612 B.C.)
2. God
longed to have a relationship with these
people!
3. Maybe
it represents any people or place!
B. God
makes preparation to bring all people back to
Godself!
1. God sent Jonah to tell them to repent and
turn to God. You know that story:
a. Jonah
doesn't go but instead goes as far in
the other
direction as he can go. (vs. 1:3)
b. A
storm comes up and Jonah tells the sailors
to throw him overboard; he
believes it is
his
fault. (vs. 1:12)
c. They
throw him in and the sea becomes calm.
(vs. 1:15)
d. A
large fish swallows Jonah (vs. 1:17)
e. The
fish spews him up on dry land (vs. 2:10)
f. The Lord tells Jonah to go again, and this
time,
Jonah goes (vs. 3:1-3)
2. All
of this to prepare a way for Nineveh to
receive
the message that God wanted a
relationship
with them!
3. God
still longs for people to turn to God, and
God
is still making preparations!
a. God
has sent Jesus to provide a way!
b. God
is still sending people forth with the
word that God
loves them and wants a
relationship with
them!
C.
Some will respond to God’s love!
D.
1. The
people of Nineveh turned to God, to Jonah's
displeasure!
a. Jonah
didn’t get it! God wants to show
compassion and
mercy to all people!
b. The people of Israel didn’t get it!
c. It's
a shame that sometimes people can't
rejoice when
others come to the Lord!
d. If
we are filled with God's love, we will
rejoice!!
2. The
point is that the message went out and these
responded!
3. It's
still the same today; when the message goes
out, some will
respond.
a) We need to go
and tell. We need to
“share what God has done for us!” We don’t
have to do it in a pushy, judging way, but
we
are suppose to tell the good news. Don’t tell
them, “You are going to Hell!” Tell them,
“God has made a difference in my life,” and
then tell them how!
b) From Jonah, we
can see that when we share the
word, some will respond. The problem is that
sometimes, like Jonah, we run from doing
that.
1) I don’t have the time!
2) I don’t know what to say!
3) I really want them to get what they
deserve!
4) I’m afraid!
c) We do not have
to be afraid to share what God
has done for us!
1) God will help us with what to say!
2) We do not go out alone! That is what the
candle being taken out before us
at the end
of the service represents!
3) We just need to be a willing vessel!
d) This is how we can make a difference in the
world!
1) We won’t make much difference by being
judgmental!
2) We
won’t make much difference by focusing on straightening people out!
3) We
can make a difference by sharing the love and grace of God!
4) The
Bible says if Christ be lifted up, He will draw all people to Him. That is probably referring to his
crucifixion, but we are the plan by which He draws all people to Himself. If we lift Christ up in a positive way, He
will draw all people to God!
5) The
world can be changed for the positive; our country can be changed for the
positive!
6) As
a side affect of that, our church will grow because people will want to be a
part of a church that gives them hope!
Conclusion:
A. We,
like Jonah, are a part of what God is doing to
bring the people we know to God! Do we get it?
B. Will
we be God's messengers, taking God's message of
Compassion,
mercy, and love to others? Will we take
it faithfully?
C. Or
will we, also like Jonah, run from it.
D. We
are “the preparation or the plan.” There
is no
other plan! Will you respond by letting God work
through you? We can as we encounter Christ at the
table today; then,
go into the mission field and make
a positive
difference through Christ!
Prayer of Confession
Service of Communion
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