Sermon Nuggets Mon Dec 6 – Jonah Preaches
Verses- Jonah 3
Jonah Preaches
I’m not sure who wrote this little poem about preaching, but it goes this way.
“I’ve never seen my pastor’s eyes, although with light they may shine. For when he prays, he closes his, and when he preaches…mine.”
One good thing about email devotions is that you either have your eyes open or you don’t open up the email and read it.
In the first chapter we looked at Jonah personally rebelling and running from God. He didn’t go off like the prodigal son in sinful living, but he was not in obedience to the Lord. He did not want to witness to the lost people of Nineveh even though God told him to go. He did not love the lost. He was prejudiced against people of a different race and color and country. He did not like the idea of the enemy power staying in power when they have been such a cruel and evil people.
The second chapter dealt with personal renewal in his own heart while God mercifully saved him from drowning in order to do something in his heart to make him usable again. God loved Jonah. But he needed an attitude adjustment. Before the attitude adjustment he needed to be saved from the raging sea. He cried out to God for salvation and God heard his cry and created a miracle fish to swallow him, and enough air to provide him life for 3 days. Here is where his prayer started with desperation. Moved to discover his deliverance from the Lord, and concluded in dedicate of himself for the Lord’s service.
What would happen if you relooked at the needs of your hearts for God’s mercy in your life? What would happen if you looked at the ways God has delivered you? What type of dedication is He looking for in your life? What does God have for you? It may be call to witness to a co-worker, family member, loved one. It may be writing a letter of apology, or thanks to someone. It may be giving to a cause of evangelism or missions. It may be teaching or working in an area of need. Is God knocking on your heart’s door?
As I am looking at the book of Jonah as a prelude to revival it is important to note that it begins with the changed servant in order to bring a light to people in darkness or in need, and now this week we hear the message that God tells Jonah to preach. What is the message people need to hear in and around us?
Revival comes in part when people face the truth of their spiritual condition. We will see that Jonah was now obedient to God but his heart was still prejudiced against the Ninevite people. He was happy to preach judgment on the people, but not the mercy of God.
I know of one lady whose husband was not a Christian. She would come to church and find her friends to support her in her concern for her husband. She would tell of how he acted and ignored her and how he didn’t like her coming to church. She was the spiritual leader for her children.
By God’s grace, one day he had a talk with their pastor and turned his life over to the Lord. Things changed dramatically for him. Surprisingly his wife was confused. She know how to act as the “victim” of an unspiritual husband, but now he was getting the attention and people encouraged him in the Lord instead of her. She saw him taking more of the spiritual leadership in the home and frankly resented it. It was almost like she was used to the life of feeling spiritually better but now that wasn’t the case.
Our attitudes need adjustments continually. People who are lost need to hear the good news….even our enemies. And maybe God is preparing you to be the one to tell them.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Dec 7 Forgiveness
Verses – Jonah 3: 1 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 important city-- a visit required three days.
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
Jonah receives a Second Chance
The word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time. Saying arise and go… The same command we read in the first chapter. Jonah made a mistake at first. Some might pray if they were Jonah, “Lord, why would you want to use me anymore. Don’t you understand that I failed you? How can you possible use me? You better pick someone who is more worthy?”
Now if that isn’t your prayer, how about that in someone else’s life who failed? Are you willing to give them a second chance?
Many football fans know the classic story of Roy Riegel who played football in the Rose Bowl game in 1929 when Georgia Tech played the University of California. Every so often the video clip is re-shown how he picked up a fumble and excitedly ran for the goal. The only problem was he was running to the wrong goal. It was just before he crossed the goal line that one of his own teammates Benny Lom downed him after 65 yards. Roy was humiliated, crushed, and made fun of. He cried.
Nibbs Price was the coach and the story is when half time came he remained silent in the locker room. When the signal came it was time to go back out, Price simply said, “the same team that played in the first half will start in the second.” And all ran out except Roy Riegels. The coach went up to him and repeated himself. “I said the same team” Roy was crying and exclaimed, “I can’t go out there. I’ve ruined you, University of California and myself. I cannot face the crowd again.” The coach reportedly put his hand on the shoulder of his player and said, “The game is only half over. I want you to go out and show them that.”
The rest of the story which any of the players on the team will tell you is that they never had seen anyone play as hard the second half as Roy Riegels. How wise that coach was for giving him a second chance. It would have been a great story if they had won the game, but they didn’t.
Everyone here has been given a second chance from God. That is the kind of God we have. I hope you don t miss this message because it is the greatest chapter in Jonah. God’s love gives us another chance. Jonah preached with a different heart than before.
Remember Peter who denied his Lord? Our of his pride he promised that if all the others left and ran away he would remain faith and die with Christ if needs be. Yet he was the first to say “I don’t know him.” When asked if he was a disciple.
If you are like me you have gone back on some promises you have made to the Lord. If you are like me you probably felt like quitting and giving up. Maybe you are one who judges someone else harshly for their failure like Paul did for young Mark and didn’t want to chance it again to have him join them on the missionary team. But I’m so glad for the spirit of Barnabas who put his arm around John Mark and said to Paul we will go by ourselves on another mission and Paul took Silas, Barnabas took Mark and they went their separate ways. We don’t hear anymore about Barnabas. They apparently didn’t have anyone else like Luke on their team who would write up their missionary journey, but Mark played the second half with obedience and devotion for Paul writes later in life, “send Mark to me, for he has been such an encouragement.”
Peter played the second half not perfectly mind you, but with much more humility and gratefulness for a kind Lord who called him back out on the playing field of service.
Jonah was given a second chance. So are you. Maybe a third, fourth, fifth. That is the good thing about God is that as we are willing to repent and follow him He picks us up and we continue on our journey.
The Lord’s prayer includes an important part-“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” As you have received forgiveness so give it to another.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Dec 8 Obedience
Verses- Jonah 3:1 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 important city-- a visit required three days.
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."
Response in Obedience.
Experience of sin and failure can make us defeated persons or dedicated persons. One person said failures or frustrations can make us bitter or better. God had to do something in Jonah’s heart before Jonah was read to obey. Jonah had to make important decisions, of course.
One of the greatest obstacles to conversion is often not found in sin, hardness of hearts or illustrations of wickedness, but in the pious, prejudiced hearts. That was Jonah. It is not always sin in the hearts of sinners that keep men from God. It is sometimes the sin in the hearts of the saints. The world disparately needs the gospel. We need to pray for workers to go into the harvest. And pray and your hearts would be willing to be God’s representatives where you work, go to school, or socialize. God needs to change the hearts of believers before the gospel has an impact on the hearts of the unsaved.
“Proclaim the message that I have given you” was Jonahs’ instructions from the Lord. I am sure he did keep his vow by going back to Jerusalem and offering sacrifices and seeking forgiveness, but he didn’t stay there when the Lord wanted him to go someplace else.
Many clergy preach what the people want them to preach. Many ministers will preach what is popular. Many will say what is politically correct. Most want to be concerned about job security. But obedience is taking God’s Word and proclaiming it as clearly as one can.
But I don’t think this passage is just for me. I think there might be something for you in here too. Teach what the Lord wants you to teach at home, in your Sunday school classes, in clubs, in small groups. It is the Word of God that convicts and changes and gives lives and reveals sin. The Bible becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our path even if you don’t like it. It alone is truth.
All the judges in the world can ban it from classrooms. Society can find it offensive to teach, but even in countries where it is not only illegal to teach but in private homes, illegal to read find it all the more popular. Some will secretly pass on passages and books of the Bible to others. It is said that one Bible in China is read by 10 people. You cannot put the lid down on God’s word. Never have, never will.
Obeying the Lord is to live out the Word and pass it on. It was the call of Jonah to leave his comfort zone and go to the enemy and proclaim pending judgment on the people unless they repent.
Sharing the faith is part of the call of Christians. To whom does God want you to share? What area do you have problems with obedience to the Lord?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Dec 9- Repentance
Verses- Jonah 3: 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news 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 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.
8 But let man and beast 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."
Response in Repentance
Jonah preached “yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” I personally don’t believe that is the whole message. That is the core of what he had to say. They knew they needed to get right with God so Jonah had to introduce them to the Lord. This message wasn’t a popular message. It was message of condemnation for sin. Jonah would in our day be called a hell, fire and brimstone preacher. But it is a message that needs to be heard today. If you do not turn from your sins you will be judged by God and sent to hell. That is true for each person. But God also judges nations and leaders.
Sometimes the discipline God chooses to use is to have more ungodly nations oppress more godly nations who should know better. America should know better. We should know that life is precious. Truth is paramount. We should know what the Bible teaches on marriage and sexuality, and adultery and fornication and greed, and gossip, and lying, and stealing, and doing evil.
Grace sells much better and it is also truth, but not the whole truth. There is something that precedes grace and that is the awareness of our desperate need for it because of sin. If you die in your sin you will go to hell. If you remain in your sin you will be judged. That is the word of the Lord. That is the warning now before it is too late.
Mind you, it might be easier to listen to a prophet of doom when he just spent the last three days in the belly of a fish. If he was like the illustration we used last week his skin and hair are bleached white from the digestive juices. He probably looked like a ghost, but that is just a guess. Now he knows of which he speaks. He too knew the consequences for his sin.
The great city had a surprising response- they repented. They believe the Word of the Lord. Revival broke out. The whole city turned and believed in God. They responded in not only repentance, but faith believing God was going to do what God said he was going to do. It began with trusting God.
The people in Nineveh from the King to the servants and including the animals were called upon to fast and pray asking God not to do what he said he would do. The King removed his robe, and covered self in dust. So did all the people.
Ashes signified dust, valuelessness, loathsomeness, misery and shame. It signified humility before God and contrition of heart. People in mourning in Eastern world sometimes still will cover themselves in dust or ashes.
However repentance is both inward and outward. There is more than just feeling badly it is a change of action In our “repentance” we can often times be concerned more with stopping feeling bad, rather than understanding the offence of our sins. Nicky Gumbel tells us of a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes with a note attached that said, “I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes I had to send you this check. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll send you the rest.”
That wasn’t the attitude of the folks in this story. When one comes clean before God they want to all to be taken away and they cried for God to save them even though they realized they were guilty.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Fri Dec 10- Mercy
Jonah 3: 9-10 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Response in Mercy
Repentance is not a way of twisting God’s arm so that he must forgive us. As if when we say the right words, and do the right actions God must obey us and forgive us. No, we can rely on His promise that when we repent, he forgives, but true repentance does not demand it.
God saw a great city. It was vast. There were multitudes of people and in this area they were without hope because they were without God . There was no witness of truth. They were full of immorality, licentiousness, greed, pride, whose lifestyle was to eat drink and be merry. They were idol worshippers and did not know any better.
When I watched the movie “the end of the Spear”, depicting the slaying of the missionaries in Ecuador a number of years ago, I became aware again of the love of God that desired to see a lost people group come to repentance and salvation. Even if it cost someone their lives and it did. It cost Jesus his life to lay it down for our salvation. It cost those 5 missionaries their lives for the Waodoni people to be saved. It was an act of mercy instead of leaving them in darkness.
Because God is gracious and compassionate, we can belong to this marvelous thing called the body of Christ, the church. Because God is gracious and compassionate, we can repent of our evil ways and be determined by His power to live a life characterized by His holiness. He will relent of His judgment when we turn to Him.
The phrases “repented or relented” was a controversial one recently as proponents of open theism believe God changed His mind because He did not really know how the Ninevites would respond. Compare that with Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Hath He said and shall He not make it good?” There are other verses that similarly in Genesis show God “repented” that Saul was the king.”
I would agree with Dr. Millard Erickson who said this was man’s way of explaining God’s actions when God’s ways are above man’s ways. The Bible uses human figurative terms to help us understand only way that this can be interpreted in the context. God was planning to destroy Nineveh for their wickedness. That destruction is the result of their evil.
Nineveh was no longer the wicked nation that deserved judgment from God. The people were changed. So the phrase helps us understand that God gave warning and we too can know that we are under condemnation, but when we repent we experience the mercy of God who forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
As one writer put it, it was the wicked, violent, unrighteous, proud and evil Nineveh which God promised to destroy. When they became humble, self abasing that was never threatened. For the wickedness was already done away with. God promises to destroy wickedness. Will you show our merciful God is and let him provide forgiveness to you and do our cultures?
Matthew 12:38-41 Jesus explained people were looking for signs. Jesus told them they would not have any sign but the sign of Jonah. People are always looking for signs. Oh, If Jesus would just do a little miracle, or if he would speak to me like he spoke to Paul from heaven.”
But remember they didn’t have the Scriptures like we do today. We have the witness of Jonah who in his readiness to obey God preached the word. We have the witness of Nineveh who repented of their sin and turned from their wickedness. We have the witness of God whose response was to forgive in mercy and show his love.
Interestingly, it is the person of Jonah that points us to Jesus. For Jonah becomes a sign of what occurs to Jesus. He is a demonstration of the power of resurrection. So, let us celebrate together that Jesus is Lord. Let us proclaim it faithfully. For with the faithful proclamation of the Word comes belief and repentance and salvation from a compassionate and gracious God. He responded in mercy included the worst of the sinners. It included all who need second chances. Is this your need today?
Pastor Dale
