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Jonah 3 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
Just a quick review.
0:01
If you know anything about the book of Jonah,
0:03
maybe you don't know anything.
0:05
We've been studying through Jonah.
0:07
!
0:30
The opposite direction.
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A 180 degree turn.
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You know, when we talk about repentance,
0:35
we say that repentance is turning from our sin.
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That 180 degrees.
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No longer doing sin, but doing something else.
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But repentance isn't just the action.
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Because here we have Jonah turning 180 degrees.
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Repentance is turning from the sin
0:54
and turning towards something or someone
0:56
who for us is God.
1:00
So Jonah turns and runs the exact opposite direction
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towards Tarshish.
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He finds a ship there.
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He has money to pay for the ship.
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He gets on the ship.
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A ship that is actually going to where his destination,
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where he wants to go.
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He gets on the ship and immediately he finds a bed
1:20
and goes to sleep.
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A deep sleep, in fact, what Jonah chapter 1 says.
1:26
God knows where Jonah is and hurls a wind at him.
1:30
And the ship.
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He throws this wind.
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The sailors.
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Seasoned sailors.
1:40
Veterans of the sea.
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The storm is so bad that these guys are scared.
1:46
That these guys are worried for their life.
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So the sailors cast lots.
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They throw down stones to see who's at fault.
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And the lot fell on Jonah.
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Proverbs 16.33 says,
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The lot is cast into the lap,
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but every decision is from the Lord.
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So the Lord here has shown the sailors who is at fault.
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The sailors become even more scared
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because of the clear disobedience of Jonah
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and the clear attempt by the Lord to get Jonah's attention.
2:19
And the sailors are right in the middle of it.
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So Jonah finally says,
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Throw me overboard.
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Here's your solution.
2:26
So they throw Jonah overboard.
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He sinks to the bottom.
2:30
He sinks.
2:31
The word says in chapter 2,
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To the roots of the mountains.
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He's sinking down deep into the ocean.
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Seaweed is wrapped around his head.
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He's in great despair.
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And he fears for a death.
2:46
Or of death.
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And then God appoints a big fish
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to come and swallow or save Jonah.
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God shows Jonah mercy
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despite his disobedience.
3:01
In chapter 2, we have a prayer of Jonah
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that he prays to God.
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Jonah realizes his foolishness
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and he repents of his foolishness
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and his disobedience.
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And repents based on who God is.
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God being merciful.
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And not based on who He is, of course,
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because He's clearly been disobedient
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and clearly been foolish in His actions.
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So this is where we sit.
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We finally come to chapter 3
3:29
where Jonah turns from his sin.
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He realizes that he's been foolish.
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The message that God originally said to him,
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He is now going to deliver.
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So this is where we sit.
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So we have this message.
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The message is God's word to the people of Nineveh.
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It is a message of wrath,
3:52
a message of repentance,
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and a message of mercy.
3:55
The fact that in verse 1,
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the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time
4:02
is just another example of God's grace to Jonah.
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Jonah probably didn't admit
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that the fish was God's grace to him,
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but clearly because we have the whole story,
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we know that God's grace was shown to him
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by providing a fish
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and not letting him drown.
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And here,
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the word of the Lord comes to Jonah again
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as another opportunity for Jonah to be obedient.
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Saving Jonah from destruction
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wasn't enough for God who is merciful.
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God also involved him in His kingdom work.
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Now,
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the same command,
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look at verse 2 in chapter 3,
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it says,
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Arise, go.
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The exact same command in chapter 1,
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verse 2,
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Arise, go.
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Get up
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and go to Nineveh.
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This is your marching orders,
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now go.
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Jonah gets it this time.
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He gets it.
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Okay, God,
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I'm going to go.
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I'm going to go to Nineveh.
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You got it.
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And God chooses to involve Jonah
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in His work.
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So,
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when you guys,
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and when we see a need,
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and we see somebody who's hurting,
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or somebody who needs some counsel,
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or somebody who just has physical need,
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and we meet that,
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it's God's grace on us
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by involving us in His work.
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When we share with somebody at a coffee shop,
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and we get to pour out to them
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the hope that we have in Christ,
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that's God's grace on our lives.
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When we go on a mission trip to India,
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or to Taiwan,
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or to South Africa,
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it's God's grace on our lives,
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inviting us into what He's doing.
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And here,
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Jonah is invited into what God is doing,
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or wants to do to Nineveh.
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You know,
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a lot of times,
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we have this mentality
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that I'm going to do a great work for God.
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On North Georgia campus,
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I'm going to do a great work for God.
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The reality, though,
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what it should say,
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is I get to do a great work for God.
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And that's what we see here,
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is God using Jonah
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to speak to enemy of Israel,
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and allowing Jonah to be part of this work.
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For us,
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as Christians,
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our message,
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or our marching orders,
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is the Great Commission.
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Go and make disciples.
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And God chooses to fulfill that work
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by using us,
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by using His church.
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So,
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when we read the story of Jonah,
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it's a story about a fish.
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I almost said whale.
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We're not sure what it is.
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It's a story about this man
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who lived in the belly of a fish.
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But more importantly,
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when we read this story,
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when we read it to our kids,
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or to our future kids,
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or our grandkids,
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or we read it and we study it ourselves,
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be encouraged
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that God gave Jonah a second chance.
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Be encouraged
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that God invited Jonah into his work,
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and involved him in rescuing Nineveh.
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Even somebody like Jonah,
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who clearly was disobedient,
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who clearly sinned against God,
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and held his opinion higher
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than the opinion of God.
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So,
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the message,
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verse 4,
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is our message
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to the people of Nineveh.
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Jonah began to go into the city,
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going a day's journey,
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and he called out,
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Yet forty days,
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and Nineveh should be overthrown.
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Yet forty days,
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and Nineveh
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shall be overthrown.
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I don't know if you thought,
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like me,
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on this,
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but this message,
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I don't know if it's,
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if we're just getting a piece of it,
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or this is the message,
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but it just doesn't sound,
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it doesn't say what I think
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it should have said.
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I think that Jonah
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should have gone into Nineveh,
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and said that God is merciful,
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if you repent,
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you will be saved,
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God is great,
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you guys are evil,
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maybe,
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maybe not,
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God will show me mercy,
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but try anyway.
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He says,
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Yet forty days,
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and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
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Message is a little questionable here.
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We get to see,
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maybe,
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Jonah's side of,
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of this message.
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Basically,
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the message is,
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forty days,
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you guys are destroyed.
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But see,
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God used this message,
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to speak to the people of Nineveh.
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God used this message,
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and the people of Nineveh,
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as we know,
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we just read it,
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got it.
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They heard what Jonah was saying.
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They heard what God was saying,
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through Jonah.
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Now it says that,
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that Nineveh was a great city,
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three days journey in breadth.
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Now whether that means,
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that it took three days to cross,
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to go from one side to the other,
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or it took three days,
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to talk to and preach to everybody,
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either way,
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it's a great city.
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The end of chapter four,
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tells us that there's 120,000 people.
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120,000 people.
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A large city,
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filled with evil people,
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with sinners.
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A people,
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no matter how evil,
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or how much sin,
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a people who needed rescuing.
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And it was God's mission,
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to rescue these people.
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And it was Jonah's message,
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that God used.
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In regards to this message,
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there are three observations,
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that I want to share with you guys.
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First of all,
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the message,
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is always for a certain people.
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The message is always,
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for a certain people.
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It is for a specific people,
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no matter what message,
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in the Bible,
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it has a specific audience.
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So,
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in Jesus,
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when he preached,
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on the Sermon on the Mount,
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the group started out being,
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believers,
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followers of him,
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non-believers,
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religious people,
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and by the time it got to the end,
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of the Sermon on the Mount,
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it was just the believers.
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Because,
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his audience,
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was to those believers.
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In,
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another example,
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in Matthew 12,
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where Jesus is talking about Jonah,
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he says,
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the people of Nineveh,
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will cast judgment,
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on the religious leaders.
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He is talking to religious leaders,
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because,
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the people of Nineveh,
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have repented of their sin,
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they have received,
10:58
eternal life,
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Christ,
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the religious leaders,
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have not,
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because they are so full of themselves,
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and so self-righteous,
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that they can't see Christ,
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the Messiah,
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in front of them.
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Well,
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Jesus' audience,
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is the religious leaders,
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at that moment.
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For you,
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and for me,
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our message,
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is the gospel.
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Our message,
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is,
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is,
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Christ born,
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Christ lived,
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Christ died,
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Christ resurrected,
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for our sin,
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because we were created,
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in,
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bondage.
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And that message,
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is to those around us.
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It may change,
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in context,
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you may change the words,
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you may change,
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the,
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how you relate,
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to somebody,
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but you will not change,
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the content.
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The message is the same.
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The gospel is the same.
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It's always specific,
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though,
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to a specific audience.
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And that audience,
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is the church.
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That audience,
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is those who are going,
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to become Christians.
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Now,
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I kind of got you there,
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because that's very,
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a general,
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that's pretty much everybody,
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there's no specific there,
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but,
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it's easy to say,
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but you and I,
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do not know,
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who's going to be part,
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of the church.
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We do not know,
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who's going to be Christians.
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We don't have,
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a clue.
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We have hopes.
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We have desires,
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of certain people,
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children,
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parents,
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family,
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but we don't know.
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So for us,
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our audience,
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when we share the gospel,
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is very general.
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It's to anybody,
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and everybody,
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that we come in contact with.
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But to God,
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it's very specific.
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God knows,
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who's going to be his children.
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God knows,
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who has,
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who he has chosen to be,
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his children.
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So in,
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in the book of Jonah,
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then,
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Nineveh,
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God has chosen,
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to be,
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the audience of this message.
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The message,
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is always,
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for a certain,
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people.
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The next,
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observation,
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on the message,
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is it's measured,
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based on God,
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not on man.
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No one,
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but God,
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knew,
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an entire city,
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would repent.
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Nobody.
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Jonah certainly,
13:20
didn't.
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An entire city,
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of 120,000 people.
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And in verse 5,
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it says,
13:26
the end of verse 5,
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and the people of Nineveh,
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believed God,
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they called for a fast,
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and put on sackcloth,
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from the greatest of them,
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to the least of them.
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The politicians,
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the actors,
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the restaurant owners,
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the teachers,
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the soldiers,
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the babysitters,
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the garbage men,
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the students,
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all of them,
13:46
from the greatest,
13:47
to the least.
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Now,
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who's to say,
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that this couldn't happen,
13:52
in our time?
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Who's to say,
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that God couldn't reach,
13:57
an entire,
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small,
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rural town,
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of Dahlonega?
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Who's to say,
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that God couldn't do it,
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on a small,
14:04
North Georgia campus?
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How about,
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how about in a small,
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county in North Georgia?
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What about,
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all of North Georgia?
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See,
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God,
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holds the measuring stick.
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God is the one,
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that decides,
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what's going to be done.
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You and I,
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have to finally be like Jonah,
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and be obedient,
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and deliver the message.
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I have to believe,
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that one reason,
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the book of Jonah is written,
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and one reason,
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it's in the Bible,
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is so that we can see,
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that an entire city,
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is converted,
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of 120,000 people.
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Because we have cities,
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like Jericho,
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that get destroyed.
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Sodom and Gomorrah,
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get destroyed.
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But do we have cities,
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that have been saved?
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Do we have cities,
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that have been converted,
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because of God's mercy?
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Now yeah,
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we see the sovereignty,
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of God in the story,
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but,
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but we get to see,
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God's mercy,
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poured out,
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on a city,
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that is evil,
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towards Israel.
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What a great book.
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The third observation,
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is the message,
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from God,
15:10
always,
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demands something,
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of the messenger.
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God's going to demand,
15:18
something of you,
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if you are,
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a messenger.
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And if you're a follower,
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of Christ,
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and you are,
15:23
a messenger,
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you cannot avoid it.
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He's going to call you,
15:30
to deliver,
15:31
a message,
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so,
15:33
so for Jonah,
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whether that means,
15:35
you're,
15:36
you've repented,
15:37
of your evil,
15:38
before you,
15:39
deliver a message,
15:41
on repentance,
15:42
like Jonah.
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Or you go to a place,
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where you fear,
15:46
for your life,
15:47
and you truly have to,
15:48
trust in God,
15:49
and his leading.
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Either way,
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there's something,
15:54
demanded there.
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Turn to Acts chapter 20.
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Acts chapter 20,
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we have,
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we have,
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we have Paul,
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speaking to the elders,
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in Ephesus.
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Acts 20,
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we're going to start reading,
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in verse 22.
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it says,
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and now,
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behold,
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I am going to Jerusalem,
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Paul,
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constrained by the Spirit,
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not knowing,
16:33
what will happen to me there,
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except,
16:37
that the Holy Spirit,
16:38
testifies to me,
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in every city,
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that imprisonment,
16:41
and afflictions,
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await me.
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but I do not,
16:46
account my life,
16:47
with any value,
16:48
nor as precious,
16:48
to myself,
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if only,
16:51
I may finish,
16:51
my course,
16:52
and the ministry,
16:53
that I received,
16:54
from the Lord Jesus,
16:55
to testify,
16:56
to the gospel,
16:57
of the grace,
16:58
of God.
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So,
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Paul's saying,
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I'm not,
17:02
I'm not sure,
17:03
what's going to happen,
17:04
I'm really not sure,
17:05
what's going to happen,
17:05
in Jerusalem,
17:06
but I know one thing,
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I know that affliction,
17:09
is going to be there,
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I know that affliction,
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is going to come on me,
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and that's okay,
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that's okay,
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because,
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because I do not,
17:18
count my life,
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worth anything,
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except my ministry,
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for the Lord Jesus.
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See,
17:25
Paul knew,
17:26
that affliction,
17:26
was headed his way,
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but yet,
17:28
he followed,
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the leading,
17:29
of the Holy Spirit,
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and went,
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anyway.
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There is a cost,
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for being,
17:36
a messenger.
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In Matthew 18,
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we have a story,
17:39
of the unforgiving,
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or unforgiving servant.
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The story goes,
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where a king,
17:45
decides to,
17:47
to get his money,
17:48
from his servants,
17:49
that owe him,
17:49
so he brings a servant in,
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and the servant,
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he says,
17:53
you owe me,
17:54
this amount,
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and it happens to be,
17:56
20 years,
17:57
worth of wages,
17:59
for his,
17:59
for this servant.
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And he says,
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you owe me this,
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and I need you to pay now.
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And the servant says,
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oh,
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oh,
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king,
18:07
please have mercy on me,
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I can't pay that,
18:09
there is no way,
18:10
I have nothing,
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please have mercy on me.
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And the king says,
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okay,
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you are forgiven,
18:17
and your debt is forgiven.
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The servant goes out,
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and sees,
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a fellow servant,
18:24
and owes him,
18:25
a day's wages.
18:27
And he basically,
18:28
beats him,
18:29
and says,
18:30
give me my money,
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you owe me this.
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The king finds out,
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has him put in jail,
18:40
and says,
18:40
you will not get out,
18:41
until you pay me,
18:42
the full amount.
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The point of the story is,
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if you are shown mercy,
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which,
18:48
if you are a follower of Christ,
18:49
we are all shown mercy,
18:51
then our job,
18:52
is to show mercy to others.
18:54
There is a cost,
18:56
of being that messenger,
18:57
of being,
18:58
a follower of Christ.
19:01
See,
19:02
Jonah,
19:03
in the book of Jonah,
19:04
Jonah was shown mercy.
19:05
Jonah was shown,
19:08
God's mercy,
19:10
by,
19:10
by saving him,
19:11
from drowning.
19:15
And now Jonah,
19:16
is the messenger here,
19:17
delivering,
19:18
a message,
19:19
of mercy.
19:22
Luke,
19:23
chapter 9,
19:24
verse 23,
19:25
and 24,
19:26
says,
19:26
if anyone,
19:27
would come after me,
19:29
let him deny himself,
19:30
and take up his cross,
19:31
daily,
19:32
and follow me.
19:34
For whoever,
19:35
would save his life,
19:36
will lose it.
19:36
But whoever,
19:36
loses his life,
19:37
for my sake,
19:39
will save it.
19:43
Chapter 14,
19:44
of Luke,
19:45
verse 26,
19:46
if anyone,
19:46
comes to me,
19:47
and does not hate,
19:48
does not hate,
19:50
his own father,
19:51
and mother,
19:52
and wife,
19:53
and children,
19:54
and brothers,
19:55
and sisters,
19:56
and yes,
19:56
and even his own life,
19:59
he cannot,
20:00
be my disciple.
20:03
Now Jesus,
20:04
is not talking about,
20:06
hate,
20:06
as we would describe hate.
20:08
He's talking about,
20:09
putting priorities,
20:10
in proper perspective,
20:12
where Christ,
20:13
is above everything.
20:15
And so everything else,
20:17
becomes secondary.
20:18
Dying is okay.
20:21
Family members,
20:21
being lost,
20:22
is okay for,
20:24
the gospel,
20:25
for Christ.
20:27
And it's hard truth,
20:28
it's a radical life.
20:30
But there's a cost,
20:31
to be,
20:33
a messenger.
20:34
There's always,
20:35
a cost,
20:36
to following Jesus.
20:40
See God,
20:40
demands something,
20:41
from us.
20:43
Not as a,
20:44
vengeful dictator.
20:46
Not as a,
20:46
a ruler,
20:49
who just,
20:50
wants to see,
20:51
his people hurt.
20:52
He demands,
20:53
because he is merciful,
20:55
and because he is loving.
20:57
It is for our good,
20:59
that he demands,
21:00
some things.
21:02
Because those things,
21:03
are usually,
21:04
what need to be removed,
21:05
anyway.
21:08
Like the rock,
21:09
that's in the middle,
21:10
of the clay,
21:10
that has to be removed,
21:11
and thrown down.
21:13
Or the air pockets,
21:14
that has to be beat out,
21:15
so that,
21:15
so that he can make it,
21:16
into a beautiful,
21:17
sculpture.
21:21
There's a cost,
21:23
to being a messenger.
21:25
God will work,
21:27
in the lives of those,
21:29
who deliver messages.
21:31
And guys,
21:31
that's all of us.
21:32
We are all,
21:33
messengers.
21:37
So we have the message.
21:39
The next thing we have,
21:42
is the reaction,
21:42
to the message.
21:44
This is verses,
21:45
five through eight.
21:48
It says,
21:49
And the people of Nineveh,
21:50
believed God.
21:51
They called for a fast,
21:53
and put on sackcloth,
21:55
from the greatest of them,
21:56
to the least of them.
21:59
The word reached,
22:00
the king of Nineveh,
22:01
and he arose,
22:02
from his throne,
22:04
removed his robe,
22:06
covered himself,
22:07
with sackcloth,
22:08
and sat in ashes.
22:10
And he issued,
22:11
a proclamation,
22:12
and published,
22:13
through Nineveh.
22:15
By the decree,
22:16
of the king,
22:16
and his nobles,
22:17
let neither man,
22:18
nor beast,
22:19
herd,
22:19
nor flock,
22:20
taste anything.
22:22
Let them not,
22:23
feed or drink water,
22:25
but let man,
22:26
and beast,
22:27
be covered with sackcloth,
22:28
and let them,
22:29
call out mightily,
22:30
to God.
22:32
Let everyone,
22:33
turn from his evil way,
22:34
and from the violence,
22:35
that is in his hands.
22:38
The reaction,
22:40
to the message,
22:40
is repentant,
22:42
action.
22:43
It is repentance.
22:45
Now,
22:45
the act,
22:46
of putting on sackcloth,
22:47
was a sign,
22:48
of mourning.
22:50
Mourning,
22:50
over their sin,
22:51
and fearing,
22:53
for what will happen,
22:54
because,
22:55
of that sin.
22:57
Calling,
22:58
for fast,
22:59
was an act,
22:59
of humility.
23:02
Replacing,
23:03
food,
23:04
with a reverence,
23:05
with a reverence,
23:05
towards God,
23:07
towards the Lord,
23:08
Yahweh.
23:10
Now,
23:11
sackcloth,
23:11
and fasting,
23:13
is a pagan town.
23:14
It was not,
23:15
a religious activity.
23:17
It wasn't something,
23:18
that they did,
23:18
once a week.
23:22
But,
23:23
it was something,
23:23
that they truly,
23:24
knew,
23:25
that they had to do.
23:27
That they,
23:27
by revelation,
23:28
of the Lord,
23:29
or,
23:29
or whatever,
23:31
God had revealed,
23:31
to them,
23:33
their sin.
23:34
And,
23:34
that he was going,
23:35
to destroy them,
23:36
if they did not repent.
23:37
They got it.
23:39
Like,
23:40
like the sailors did.
23:42
Like the sailors did.
23:44
The sailors got it.
23:45
When God revealed himself,
23:46
to them,
23:47
by,
23:49
by the storm,
23:50
by Jonah,
23:52
by the storm,
23:52
all,
23:53
storm,
23:53
all of a sudden,
23:54
stopping,
23:55
once Jonah was thrown in.
23:58
God revealed himself,
24:00
to them,
24:01
and then,
24:02
the Ninevites here,
24:03
knew,
24:04
that this message,
24:05
that Jonah had preached,
24:06
that this message,
24:06
that Jonah had communicated,
24:08
to them,
24:09
needed,
24:10
or deserved,
24:11
attention.
24:15
Verse 5,
24:16
again,
24:16
says that,
24:17
from the greatest of them,
24:18
to the least of them,
24:19
everyone,
24:20
was involved,
24:21
in this activity.
24:23
Everyone.
24:26
See,
24:26
the people,
24:27
heard the message first,
24:28
according to chapter 3.
24:30
The people got it.
24:32
And then,
24:32
it made its way,
24:33
however long it took,
24:35
made its way,
24:35
to the king.
24:37
And then the king got it.
24:39
And the king,
24:40
removed his robe,
24:41
arose from his throne,
24:43
and covered himself,
24:44
with sackcloth.
24:47
See,
24:48
he removed his robe,
24:51
his robe that,
24:51
that labeled him as king.
24:55
What,
24:55
what separated him,
24:57
from everyone else,
24:58
was this robe,
24:59
that was decorated,
25:00
and it was beautiful.
25:03
It was,
25:03
but,
25:03
but,
25:04
it was,
25:05
what covered the wounds,
25:07
from his evil life,
25:09
from the battles,
25:10
that he had fought,
25:11
or the scars,
25:12
from fight,
25:13
after fight,
25:14
the shoulders,
25:16
that bore,
25:16
the burden,
25:17
of ruling a city.
25:19
See,
25:19
he removed that robe,
25:20
and revealed himself,
25:22
to the Lord.
25:23
He removed that robe,
25:24
and said,
25:26
here am I,
25:27
have mercy on me.
25:29
I am but a king,
25:31
and I am nothing,
25:32
now,
25:33
based on,
25:34
or compared to you,
25:35
oh Lord.
25:37
His identity,
25:38
had been removed.
25:40
And all that was left,
25:43
was the ashes,
25:44
that he was sitting in,
25:46
and the,
25:47
sackcloth,
25:48
that was made of goat hair.
25:50
I don't know,
25:51
if you've ever pet a goat.
25:52
My kids have pet a goat,
25:55
and I've had to pet a goat.
25:59
It's not,
26:00
soft,
26:02
one bit.
26:03
I mean,
26:03
it,
26:04
we want to say,
26:05
it's like,
26:05
burlap.
26:08
Either way,
26:09
we both get the idea,
26:10
that this is not a comfortable thing,
26:11
to put on.
26:13
And that's what he,
26:14
he trades his robe,
26:16
for sackcloth,
26:17
because,
26:18
he knows,
26:18
that God can,
26:21
destroy,
26:22
them.
26:22
Now,
26:24
I,
26:25
I,
26:25
I wonder,
26:26
I wonder how many of you,
26:29
and how many of us,
26:31
me included,
26:33
even as I wrote this,
26:34
and even as I'm saying it,
26:35
need to remove our robe,
26:38
and step down,
26:40
off of our throne.
26:42
How many of us,
26:44
need to,
26:45
need to mourn,
26:48
for the city that we've built,
26:50
our life,
26:51
the,
26:52
the sin,
26:53
and the evil,
26:54
has taken it over.
26:56
How many,
26:56
how many of us,
26:57
need to just,
26:58
sit in ash,
27:00
and repent?
27:01
I wonder how many,
27:02
in this room,
27:03
have mourned,
27:03
over their dorm hall,
27:05
or their,
27:05
their roommates,
27:07
or mourned,
27:09
over,
27:09
over those in their class,
27:10
or,
27:11
or those at their workplace,
27:12
or those that we see,
27:15
walking down the,
27:16
down the street.
27:19
I,
27:19
I think I've shared this,
27:20
with the community group,
27:21
and I don't know if I've shared it,
27:22
with you guys.
27:24
I have more mercy,
27:26
if I see,
27:26
if I see a woman,
27:27
walking down the road,
27:28
and,
27:29
or down the sidewalk,
27:30
and she has a shaved head,
27:31
and has a bandana on,
27:33
clearly she's suffering from,
27:35
from cancer,
27:36
or,
27:36
or dealing with that,
27:37
or going through chemo.
27:39
I feel really bad for her.
27:41
I feel horrible for her.
27:42
I can't believe that,
27:44
that,
27:44
that we have to go through that,
27:45
and some people have to go through that in life.
27:47
I,
27:48
I just hate it.
27:51
I don't mourn.
27:53
I don't get sad.
27:54
I don't,
27:55
feel bad,
27:56
for people,
27:57
who just walk down the street,
27:58
that I know,
27:59
don't have Christ.
28:00
That don't have the hope that I have.
28:02
That is far worse,
28:04
than cancer.
28:06
Cancer is temporary.
28:08
How many of us,
28:12
have mourned for the people around us?
28:16
What about the city of Dahlonega?
28:19
You know,
28:20
we have a large population,
28:22
of demonic activity,
28:23
in Lumpkin County,
28:24
in Dahlonega.
28:27
Gays and lesbians,
28:28
find Dahlonega friendly.
28:31
We have a church.
28:32
The first church you see,
28:34
when you pull into town,
28:36
is a church that teaches nothing,
28:37
that believes in nothing,
28:39
and that adheres to nothing.
28:41
But it's the first church we see,
28:43
when we pull into town.
28:47
See,
28:48
just a little perspective.
28:49
We have a county,
28:50
that has a population,
28:51
that is only 4% of the people of Nineveh.
28:56
5,000 people,
28:58
and 5,100 in the county.
29:00
Why can't God,
29:03
with a people,
29:07
who mourn for the sin of that area,
29:09
who mourn for the sin,
29:11
who repent of their sin,
29:12
why can't God reach,
29:14
an entire county in North Georgia?
29:17
4% of what He did in Nineveh.
29:19
Now,
29:23
I know you guys are college students,
29:25
and some of you are probably thinking,
29:27
well,
29:27
I don't live here all the time.
29:29
Well,
29:30
you know,
29:30
I'm only here,
29:31
three quarters of the year.
29:33
Exactly!
29:34
Three quarters of the year.
29:38
And I can show you,
29:40
in Scripture,
29:41
in Jeremiah,
29:42
where Jeremiah tells the Israel,
29:44
to plant their cells.
29:49
They're not in Israel.
29:51
And He says,
29:52
plant yourselves.
29:54
Make a family.
29:56
Have wives.
29:57
Have kids.
29:58
Let them have wives.
30:00
Where you are, guys,
30:02
you are messengers.
30:08
So when was the last time,
30:10
that we mourned,
30:11
over this county?
30:15
So,
30:16
this king,
30:17
this king was the king,
30:19
who knew his people,
30:21
and knew the sin of that people.
30:23
Probably the leader of all the sin.
30:26
Probably the guy who let him down this evil.
30:30
And he removed his earthly identity,
30:32
and he repented,
30:33
and mourned for his city,
30:35
and for himself.
30:37
So,
30:37
verse 7 and 8,
30:38
let's look at the message of the king.
30:41
Now,
30:42
it sounds weird,
30:44
that livestock was not to eat.
30:46
This is odd.
30:50
It's odd that the king says,
30:52
okay,
30:53
livestock,
30:53
you're not going to eat either.
30:55
In fact,
30:56
they were to fast,
30:58
and not eat,
30:59
or drink.
31:01
But here's the reason, guys.
31:03
Here's the reason.
31:05
That they were so desperate,
31:07
for God's mercy.
31:09
That they knew,
31:10
their situation.
31:12
They knew they're evil.
31:14
And they said,
31:14
we've got to pull,
31:15
we've got to pull every punch.
31:17
Pull nothing back.
31:20
Animals,
31:22
you're not eating either.
31:23
In fact,
31:24
you're going to wear goat hair.
31:25
They were desperate,
31:30
for the mercy of God.
31:32
See,
31:32
like Jonah,
31:33
in chapter 2,
31:34
who was desperate,
31:35
for God to save him,
31:37
who knew,
31:38
or felt like,
31:38
he was going to die,
31:39
in the ocean,
31:41
sinking,
31:41
or in the sea.
31:44
See,
31:45
the king,
31:46
the nobles,
31:48
and all the people,
31:50
knew,
31:51
that they needed God's mercy.
31:55
See,
31:56
it was God,
31:56
who was going to determine,
31:58
their future.
32:01
The end of verse 8,
32:02
tells them,
32:04
his message.
32:05
He says,
32:07
let man and beast,
32:08
be covered with sackcloth,
32:10
and let them call out,
32:13
mightily,
32:14
to God.
32:14
I guess that's the middle of verse 8.
32:17
To call out,
32:19
mightily,
32:19
to God.
32:21
This isn't just a cry.
32:23
This isn't just a whimper.
32:24
This is,
32:25
with strength,
32:27
and conviction.
32:29
This is our only hope.
32:36
Our only hope,
32:37
is God,
32:37
to show mercy on us.
32:39
So,
32:39
with everything you've got,
32:41
cry out mightily,
32:42
to God.
32:44
Let everyone,
32:45
turn from his evil way,
32:47
and from the violence,
32:48
that is in his hands.
32:49
The last part of verse 8.
32:50
everyone,
32:56
whether,
32:57
the Ninevites,
32:57
whether,
32:58
whether they understood it or not,
33:00
they,
33:00
they are echoing,
33:02
Romans 3.23,
33:03
and actually,
33:04
I guess,
33:04
I guess,
33:05
I guess Paul is actually echoing,
33:07
Jonah chapter 3,
33:09
where,
33:10
where Paul says,
33:11
for all have sinned,
33:12
and fall short,
33:13
of the glory of God.
33:15
And the king says,
33:16
look,
33:16
everyone turn from this evil.
33:19
Stop the evil.
33:21
Turn away from it.
33:22
Look the opposite direction.
33:24
If the evil is here,
33:25
go here.
33:27
If the evil is over here,
33:29
look to God over here,
33:30
for He is merciful,
33:31
or we hope He is merciful.
33:36
And from the violence,
33:37
that is in His hands.
33:40
See,
33:41
up to the final moments,
33:42
of this decree,
33:43
the king feared,
33:48
that evil,
33:49
injustice,
33:50
and hatred,
33:50
was going on,
33:51
even,
33:53
maybe the news,
33:54
hadn't reached everybody yet.
33:57
So at that moment,
33:58
he says,
33:58
drop the evil,
34:00
that's in your hands.
34:01
Drop.
34:03
Stop being evil.
34:05
Make it happen.
34:07
No more.
34:09
And verse 9,
34:10
is unbelievable,
34:11
incredible,
34:12
and powerful.
34:14
Verse 9,
34:16
all this to be done,
34:17
without any assurance,
34:19
that God will be merciful.
34:23
Who knows,
34:24
God may turn,
34:25
and relent,
34:26
and turn from His fierce anger,
34:28
so that we,
34:29
may not perish.
34:33
Incredible,
34:34
that they do this,
34:36
hoping,
34:36
that God would be merciful.
34:43
But,
34:43
for you and for me,
34:45
when we read this,
34:47
if we are Christians,
34:49
if we are followers of Christ,
34:52
this is a big black eye on us.
34:54
Because,
34:55
we know,
34:56
that God has already been merciful to us.
34:59
God,
34:59
and yet,
35:02
we do nothing,
35:03
like this.
35:06
See,
35:07
we think that God,
35:08
is somehow pleased,
35:09
with the few songs,
35:11
that we sing,
35:12
and the hour,
35:13
and 15 minutes,
35:13
that we sit on Sunday morning,
35:15
and the small check,
35:16
that we write out,
35:17
that God is pleased with us.
35:20
But,
35:20
as I have already shown you,
35:21
there is a price,
35:22
there is a cost,
35:23
of following Christ.
35:25
Whether that's just repentance,
35:27
or that's fearing for your life,
35:29
or affliction,
35:30
or suffering,
35:31
whatever that is,
35:31
there is a cost.
35:35
See,
35:35
the Ninevites,
35:36
they stopped,
35:37
the life that they knew.
35:39
They ceased,
35:40
to do what they knew,
35:41
for so long.
35:44
And laid themselves down,
35:45
at the mercy of God.
35:48
And God,
35:48
might,
35:49
be merciful.
35:53
And since we know,
35:54
the whole story,
35:56
we know,
35:57
verse 10,
36:00
that God,
36:00
did show mercy,
36:03
to Nineveh.
36:04
So,
36:05
we have,
36:06
the results,
36:08
of the result,
36:09
of the message,
36:10
is the last point,
36:11
this morning.
36:16
God has shown,
36:17
Nineveh,
36:17
mercy.
36:19
See,
36:20
what God,
36:21
could have done,
36:22
and I'm certain,
36:23
that what Jonah,
36:25
thought God,
36:26
should have done,
36:27
was wipe them out.
36:30
Just,
36:30
destroyed it.
36:34
Like,
36:34
like,
36:34
Sodom and Gomorrah.
36:43
Chapter 1,
36:44
verse 2,
36:45
go to the great city,
36:47
and call out against it,
36:49
for their evil,
36:50
has come up before me.
36:52
I can just see Jonah,
36:53
saying,
36:53
God,
36:54
their evil,
36:55
has come up before you.
36:56
Their evil,
36:56
has come up before you.
36:57
You really need to destroy it.
36:58
Let's wipe it out.
37:01
Who cares?
37:01
120,000 people.
37:02
They are evil.
37:03
They deserve it.
37:07
I think back,
37:08
to the story,
37:08
in Joshua,
37:09
chapter 7,
37:10
where Achan,
37:12
where Israel,
37:12
loses the battle,
37:14
which they haven't lost too many,
37:15
up to this point.
37:17
And,
37:18
God tells Joshua,
37:21
there's sin,
37:22
in your camp.
37:22
There's somebody,
37:23
who has stolen,
37:24
what they shouldn't have stolen.
37:26
And so,
37:27
Joshua finds out,
37:28
who it is,
37:28
and he calls his family,
37:29
and calls him in,
37:30
and says,
37:31
what have you done?
37:32
Be honest,
37:33
before the Lord,
37:34
tell us.
37:35
And he says,
37:36
I've taken silver,
37:37
and I've taken robes,
37:38
and I've taken this,
37:39
and I've taken that.
37:39
It's in my tent,
37:41
under the robe.
37:44
And,
37:46
God tells Joshua,
37:50
to kill him.
37:52
Not just him.
37:54
Sons,
37:56
daughters,
37:57
wives,
37:58
animals.
38:00
Wipe them out.
38:02
They stone him,
38:04
they burn him,
38:06
and then they bury him.
38:07
God takes sin seriously.
38:11
And so,
38:12
Jonah is,
38:13
who knows if he's thinking of that story,
38:15
but he's thinking,
38:16
God,
38:16
this is what you've done.
38:19
Now,
38:19
do it again.
38:21
And I'm going to go over here,
38:22
and I'm going to sit,
38:23
and I'm going to watch.
38:24
This is going to be a great show.
38:27
But God,
38:28
God shows mercy,
38:31
because,
38:31
Nineveh repents.
38:35
God was merciful,
38:37
on this day.
38:43
Verse 10,
38:45
when God saw what they did,
38:47
how they turned from their evil way,
38:49
God relented,
38:50
of the disaster,
38:51
that he had said,
38:52
he would do to them,
38:53
and he did not do it.
38:56
It is important to note,
38:57
that though God changed his mind,
39:00
clearly,
39:01
he changed his mind.
39:02
He did not weaken,
39:05
or remove his wrath,
39:07
on their sin.
39:08
God still hates sin,
39:09
and he still punishes it.
39:11
The difference though,
39:13
the change is,
39:15
the recipient,
39:17
of that wrath,
39:18
is changed.
39:21
See,
39:21
instead of fire from heaven,
39:23
down on Nineveh,
39:24
being the judgment,
39:25
and Nineveh being destroyed,
39:27
Jesus Christ,
39:30
for the wrath of God,
39:31
for them.
39:34
Matthew 12,
39:35
again,
39:36
tells us,
39:37
that the people of Nineveh,
39:38
will cast judgment,
39:39
on the religious leaders,
39:41
which means that,
39:42
that they have received,
39:43
Jesus' righteousness,
39:45
instead of God's wrath.
39:47
See,
39:50
the kicker for you,
39:52
and for me,
39:52
is that,
39:53
is that the same wrath,
39:54
of Sodom and Gomorrah,
39:56
and of Achan,
39:56
and so many other stories,
39:58
that's intended for you,
40:01
and for me.
40:03
We are guilty.
40:06
But Jesus Christ,
40:08
took that wrath,
40:10
in order that we can receive,
40:13
His favor,
40:14
and His righteousness,
40:15
and His love,
40:16
and like Jonah,
40:18
chapter 3,
40:19
His mercy.
40:23
God showing mercy,
40:24
to sinners.
40:27
So,
40:28
so here's the question,
40:29
of the morning for you,
40:30
and I'll finish with this.
40:33
Does the story,
40:34
of Jonah,
40:35
excite you?
40:38
Do you love,
40:39
hearing it?
40:40
Do you like it?
40:41
Not just as a story,
40:42
but the,
40:43
God's mercy,
40:44
and God's sovereignty,
40:45
and God,
40:47
and man's repentance,
40:48
and,
40:49
does the story,
40:53
of Jonah excite you?
40:54
Or does it make you,
40:56
feel unsettled?
40:58
Does it make you,
40:59
feel uncomfortable?
41:02
See,
41:02
if it excited you,
41:03
then,
41:03
then rejoice.
41:05
Then be happy,
41:06
be glad,
41:06
be joyful,
41:07
for you,
41:08
are the recipients,
41:09
of God's mercy,
41:10
through Jesus Christ.
41:11
If it makes you,
41:14
unsettled,
41:16
uncomfortable,
41:17
rejoice,
41:18
because you have,
41:20
heard,
41:20
how to be the recipients,
41:21
of God's mercy,
41:22
through Jesus Christ.
41:27
See,
41:27
in,
41:27
in Jesus Christ,
41:29
through Jesus Christ,
41:31
verse 10,
41:33
can be our song.
41:35
Verse 10,
41:36
can be our song,
41:37
this morning,
41:38
and forever.
41:38
Remember,
41:40
when God,
41:42
saw what they did,
41:43
how they turned,
41:44
from their evil way,
41:45
God relented,
41:46
of the disaster,
41:47
that he had said,
41:48
he would do to them,
41:49
and he,
41:50
did not,
41:51
do it.
41:54
In Christ Jesus,
41:57
and instead,
41:58
the disaster,
41:59
was done,
42:00
to Jesus Christ.
42:02
Amen.
42:03
What a good,
42:04
merciful God.
42:06
And what good news,
42:07
from a bunch of pagans,
42:09
who repented of their sin,
42:11
and God showed mercy on them.
42:14
Pray with me.
42:14
Amen.