When Turning Back Is The Right Way Forward

Jonah: The Reluctant Servant

Part 3 – When Turning Back Is The Right Way Forward

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 large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When Jonah’s warning 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 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals 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.”

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3

Five Can’t Miss Truths for Following God Going Forward…

1) God doesn’t like to Himself, but He will if He has to!

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.” Jonah 3:1-2

Wrong assumptions…

• Jonah wrongly assumed that running from God would Him from obeying God.
• Jonah wrongly assumed running from God would make life .

2) When you get a second chance, !

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Jonah 3:3

3) When you’re obedient to God, it opens the door for Him to !

4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Jonah 3:4-5

4) When you’ve been behaving badly, urgently and earnestly .

6 When Jonah’s warning 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 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals 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.” Jonah 3:6-9

Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Jonah 3:8b

Two Expectations…

• God wants us to .
• God wants us to by changing our behavior!

9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:9

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:3-5

5) God is willing to when we authentically !

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:10

4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:7-8.

7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. Jeremiah 18:7-8

Five Can’t Miss Truths for Following God Going Forward…

1) God doesn’t like to repeat Himself, but He will if He has to!

2) When you get a second chance, make the most of it!

3) When you’re obedient to God, it opens the door for Him to do great things!

4) When you’ve been behaving badly, urgently and earnestly seek God’s mercy.

5) God is willing to relent when we authentically repent!