Unlikely People Jonah 3
Jonah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewEven the most unlikely people, believe and repent receive God’s forgiveness and mercy
Notes
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Intro: John Paton and his wife set sail to the chain of Islands called the New Hebrides in 1858. Before they left one of the Elders, Mr. Dickson, told Paton that he would surely be eaten by Cannibles.
Paton replied, “Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms.”
For Dickson, The people of these islands, were cannibles, they did not deserve the forgiveness that was offered to himself. They were unlikely people to believe and repent. They were unlikely people to revieve God’s Mercy and forgiveness.
Paton would argue with the nay sayers later on in life with giving just a glimps of what God was doing to these unlikely people.
what the Gospel has done for the near kindred of these same Aborigines. On our own Aneityum, 3,500 Cannibals have been lead to renounce their heathenism . . . In Fiji, 79,000 Cannibals have been brought under the influence of the Gospel; and 13,000 members of the Churches are professing to live and work for Jesus. In Samoa, 34,000 Cannibals have professed Christianity; and in nineteen years, its College has sent forth 206 Native teachers and evangelists. On our New Hebrides, more than 12,000 Cannibals have been brought to sit at the feet of Christ, through I mean not to say that they are all model Christians; and 133 of the Natives have been trained and sent forth as teachers and preachers of the Gospel.
God, however, Is not like man, God knows his people and he knows what is needed for those to repent and believe.
MP: Even for the most unlikely people, those who believe and repent will receive God’s forgiveness and mercy
1. The preaching of the Word of God (1-5)
Jonah finally does what he was asked to do.
Call of the gospel to repent and believe
2. The peoples response of the Word of God (6-9)
When the word of the Lord is presented there is a response for those who hear.
They van respond with repentance and faith
or they can respond with disobedience and wrath.
The people and king fasted
Isaiah 58:4–7 “Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
Jeremiah 18:7–10 “If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.”
The word of the Lord is powerful like a two edged sword.
Romans 10:5–17 “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will …”
Matthew 12:38–42 “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.”
Our Duty is to proclaim
3. God’s promise fulfilled from His word (10)
a. God saw their belief and their repentance and he relented from the disaster
God calls all of his creation to repent
Jeremiah 25:5 “saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever.”
God excepts their repentance and faith and the Ninavites are transformed and forgiven.
God is a God of compassion. He cares and loves his people and his creation. He calls out to those of them to say Ezek 18:32
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
God desires that all people will bring be reconciled to him.
He has given his people the message of reconciliation.
2 corinthians 5: 14-21
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Unlikely people when they repent and believe receive God’s mercy
What are some things that can keep us from evangelizing?
Fear
Racism
focusing on our own ability
Apathy
thinking people dont deserve the grace of God