God's Great Message for a Great City

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 6 OCTOBER 2024 – PHILIP ROBINSON

JONAH 3 VERSES 1 – 4

God’s Great Message for a Great City

When we think of Jonah, every time we think of a man who was swallowed by a fish but if we delve into the book of Jonah we will discover there is more meaning to the whole book.  There is so much to learn from Jonah even in these 4 verses in chapter 3.  God gave Jonah a task – to go to Nineveh.  Nineveh was a wicked city.  If any one came to proclaim Christ in that city more than likely they would have been captured or killed.  Jonah knew what was in front of him.  The Ninevites were the arch enemy.  Jonah turned his back on God.  He got on a boat to Tarshish, a storm arose and he was cast into the sea.  Jonah was swallowed by the fish.  At the bottom of the ocean he prayed to God.  God took him to the bottom of the ocean to show him what he had done was wrong.  He had run in the opposite direction from God.  Here in chapter 3 we see God gave Jonah the second chance.  He wanted to him to give an important message to these evil people.  A race he absolutely despised.  “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time.”  We can think of many who turned their back on God in the past but God gave them a second chance.  God welcomes us back into his kingdom with his outstretched arms.  I want us to think of a few simple thoughts from these 4 verses.

God’s second chance for Jonah – verse 1.  A second chance to complete the task God gave him to complete the first time.  God was not going to give up on Jonah.  God does not give up on us no matter how many times we fail to speak up for Christ.  He gives us another opportunity.  There is never a day when we do not mess up.  It is a struggle.  Jonah messed up, he ran away from God.  God told him to go to Nineveh in chapter 1, he turned and went the other way.  A big mistake on Jonah’s part.  He ended up by being swallowed by a big fish.  God caught up with him and he does the same to us today.  God would give Jonah a second change to go and speak to the Ninevites.  Although Jonah turned his back on God, God did not turn his back on Jonah.  Maybe we have been given an opportunity to speak for Christ and we have failed to do it.  Sometimes we find it hard to witness to people.  God has a plan for each of us.  Time and time again you will fail God and turn your back on him.  Many times we may feel inadequate.  Moses said he had a stutter, how could he speak to Pharaoh and ask him to let the people go?  God will give us chance after chance to speak for him.  I am sure Jonah felt and questioned why God was to give him a second chance.  God had a plan to take this message to Nineveh.  Jonah 3.  Jonah’s second chance.  Maybe you feel you cannot do a work for God for whatever reason.  God will give you the help you need.  He is always there to help you through those times.  God will always be there to help us when we are challenging people about salvation, witnessing for him.  We live in houses where there are people not saved.  The second chance Jonah had.  Think of the same given to us.  When the Lord asks us to come to him we asked for his forgiveness.  We repented and accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour.

God’s 3 commands for Jonah – verse 2.  First one is “arise”.  Notice the urgency of this command.  It was not “whenever you get a chance or in a years time go to Nineveh.”  God is giving an urgent command to go to Nineveh now.  Get up and go, take the message of the gospel to Nineveh.  The urgency behind this command.  Why is it so urgent?  Because it is urgent today.  We have an urgent message to share with everyone today in a world of chaos.  In the world and in our own country there are nations, countries and cities that have completely turned their backs on God.  Think of Sunday trading and how far society has gone from God and the bible.  We see all over the world the rise of LGBT and other religions.  There are more atheists in Northern Ireland today than evangelical Christians.  It shows how urgent this message is.  We mignt not physically go to Ninevah as Jonah did but we have our own cities to take the message that God has given.  An urgent message to be taken to the people still in their sins, to share the good news of the message.  Secondly “go unto Nineveh” – the place of the command.  God gives Jonah the destination for his message - Nineveh that wicked city.  Jonah’s tribes and Nineveh despised each other.  Nineveh slaughtered people without recompense.  Jonah knew what would happen if he went there.  He was probably scared.  What would happen when he went into the city?  What would Jonah be thinking at this time when God told him to go to Nineveh?  He maybe felt scared.  Why did he want him to go there after all?  He didn’t go there the first time.  In chapter 4 we see that message changed an entire nation.  Maybe we think like Jonah.  Why give it a second chance?  You know the things Nineveh has done. Maybe we think the same today.  Why does God give us a second chance?  The beauty of our God and our Saviour – he gives the second chance even when we fail him many times.  Thirdly, the command itself – “preach unto it”. G od wants Jonah to preach this message and nothing else  Jonah wants to tell the people of Nineveh the message that comes from God.  Unfortunately in today’s world we see many people who preach a different gospel.  We see it in our own land and in America we see it in the mega churches.  They are only interested in money gained.  It is a completely different gospel to what the bible teaches.  Many have been led astray by so many of these preachers.  It is important for us to preach the true gospel – that Christ died for our sins.  We have to repent of our sins, turn from our sinful way, commit our lives to God and live our lives for him.  He was to preach the message God gave him.  The truth of the gospel.  Even when people don’t like it.  People today don’t like being told they are sinners and in need of a Saviour.  The bible is being pushed out of society.  The bible was always a simple part of school years ago.  Grace was said before lunch.  Now it is non-existent.  Sad to think that God is no longer a priority for people across the world, they have no time for things of the bible, no time to go to missions, to invite people to hear the gospel.  Think of the many people who we work with – Sunday is just another day for many.

God’s message for Nineveh – verse 4.  Remember how wicked Nineveh was.  Here God is giving a message specifically for Nineveh.  “Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”  49 days to repent.  Jonah knew the wickedness of Nineveh.  Why are you going to do this?  Some people think God is talking of an army coming down and taking them captive.  No, God will send people in to destroy the city.  Nineveh is referred to as a great city, a city of great wickedness.  If Jonah or anyone else had gone to the city they would either have been taken captive or killed.  Today we know of the persecution many face around the world.  This was the message sent from God to tell the people of Nineveh.  We have the same command in our lives.  We have to take the good news of the gospel into the highways and byways of this country and the world.  A simple message given to Jonah about Nineveh is also given to us today.  If they did not repent in 40 days they would be destroyed and Nineveh would be overthrown.  They had to repent of their sins.  The same is true today.  The message God gave Jonah is the same one we have to give to people all around us.  To repent of our sins and ask God to forgive us.  To stay in our sins is to die without Christ.  It means a life time in hell.  Jonah went into that city and told them this message God gave him.  In chapter 4 we see how this message impacted the people of Nineveh.  It is the same way the gospel impacts people here in the Northern Ireland and throughout the world.  The message of the gospel, of Jesus dying for our sins.  In chapter3 our God speaks to the people of Nineveh and they turned from they ways – verse 10.  The message Jonah preached in Nineveh had the effect of people repenting of their sins.  The king put out a decree as well for the people to turn from their wicked ways.  We need to pray this too for our monarchy and for our government.  We are living in days when the gospel is a second thought.  That is why we have an urgent message.  That is how it impacts the people of Nineveh.  Thousands repented of their sins and their wickedness.  That is why we have an urgent message, to take the gospel into the highways and byways.  We should take every opportunity to share the gospel with those we work with and our neighbours too.  This message God gives is a message God wants us to take to the world.  In a world where people are trying to find joy in other things that only last for a short time.  Remember we will not take our possessions with us beyond the grave.  We need to repent of our wickedness and take the good news of the gospel to others.  We need to be like Christ, to live for Christ and tell the good news to others.  There are many today who don’t want anything to do with the gospel, they want to continue to live in their wicked ways.  The challenge is clear – will we take the good news to them?