Jonah #2

Here is the message from Sunday, November 13.. I really enjoyed speaking this one,and being reminded that God is a God of second chances... enjoy!

            Last Sunday, we began looking at the book of Jonah. We said that the main theme of this book is deliverance. God wanted to deliver Jonah, and God wants to deliver each of us.

One main principle that the book of Jonah teaches us is that: When we move in the direction that God wants us to move in, we will be right where God wants to be. This is a phenomenal life principle; one that bears repeating again and again. (REPEAT)

You know that the opposite of this life lesson is also true, too. When we move in the direction that God doesn’t want us to move in, we won’t be where God wants us to be.

Both of these statements were true in Jonah’s life; both of these statements are true in my life, and chances are pretty good that both of these statements are true for your life as well.

When we obey God, we end up right where He wants us to be; but when we fail to obey God, we end up sleeping with the fishes.

Fortunately, our God is a God of Second chances.

ILLUSTRATION- Have you ever received a second chance? I have.

In fact, I think I have received 4,576 second chances. (Not that I’m keeping track…)

            With the exception of a handful of people, no one has ever heard what I am about to tell you now. This illustrates second chances.

            The first time I went to Elizabeth’s house, it was a disaster. Her younger brother, Andrew, had asked if I wanted to go 4-wheeling with him in the gravel pit just below their house.

            Always wanting to do something fun, I agreed, and the two of us went zipping up and down plies and plies of rock.

            As we were coming home, something happened. As we approached the garage door, and I firmly believe, even to this day, that I hit the break—but it turned out to be the gas; and I smashed into the garage door and crumpled it up like a tin can.

            Did I mention this was the first time that I was at Beth’s house?

            After Andrew peeled me out of the wreck, we went inside and the first words out of my mouth were: “we’re all saved in this room, right?” which was immediately followed by: “why.”

            I no doubt left an impression on her folks that day, but thankfully, I was given a second chance to make a first impression.

            Everyone loves second chances! I have been on the receiving end of 2^nd chances my entire life, not only with my family, but also with my God.

            The story of Jonah is all about second chances.

            The Bible says: “The Lord gave this message to Jonah…

            ² “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” (Jonah 1:1-2, NLT2)

            Jonah often received words from God, because he was in the business of hearing from God; he was a prophet.

            God would speak to Jonah; Jonah would relay the message and life would be grand. But not this time.

Verse 3 says: “…Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.”(Jonah 1:3, NLT2)

Jonah ran in the opposite direction. He wasn’t planning on being gone for a day or two. His plan was to never come back!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hau6xWg8pUQ)

            He boarded a ship that was going in the complete opposite direction of where God had wanted Him to go. He had no plans to go to Nineveh. Ever.

            The Bible says: “…he went aboard (the ship) and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.” (Jonah 3:3b, NIV)

            Jonah’s plan was to get as far away from God as possible. Tarshish was in the opposite direction of where God wanted Jonah to go.

              But why? Why would a man who regularly received messages from God, turn his back on God?

            Because Jonah had received his copy of the Nineveh Times and Transcript and he didn’t like what he read.

            According to the OT book of Nahum, Nineveh was a wicked city.

            Nahum chapter 3 tells us that Nineveh was a “…city of murder and lies…” (Nahum 3:1m NLT2)

In verse 3 we read: “…There are countless casualties, heaps of bodies—so many bodies that people stumble over them.” (Nahum 3:3b, NLT2)

            God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh because she was a wicked city.

God wanted to deliver Nineveh, but Jonah didn’t want to go, so he boarded a ship that was going in the complete opposite direction.

            You know the storyà Jonah runs from God; gets into a raw deal with some sailors, ends up walking the plank in a violent storm; becomes fish food; meets God inside the fish, the fish gets indigestion and spits Jonah out on dry ground

and then God speaks to Jonah one more time.

            ² “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” (Jonah 3:2, NLT2)

            God told Jonah the same thing He told him just a few days earlier. God didn’t bring up the past; He didn’t say “I told you so”.

He didn’t remind Jonah of his past failures, He simply asked Jonah to go and preach repentance to the Ninevehites. 

            ^“This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh….” (Jonah 3:3a, NLT2)

            God gave Jonah a second chance, and Jonah took that second chance and made it count.

He went to the city of Nineveh and proclaimed God’s message, and the people of Nineveh turned to God.

            Jonah received a second chance to make things right. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that we can receive a second chance to make things right.

            Perhaps God has been asking you to address a Nineveh in your life for years, but you’ve been running from it. “This time” you can address it.

            Perhaps you’ve been dealing with a burden too great for you to deal with; “this time” you can come to God and receive His healing touch.

            The story of Jonah reminds us that our God is a God of second chances.

            ^“This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command….” (Jonah 3:3a, NLT2)

ILLUSTRATION- If I could summarize God’s involvement in my life, it would have to be “second chances”.

I’ve been on the receiving end of a “2^nd chance” from God for most of my life. God has bailed me out of some messed up situations—all of my own making.

I wanted to go my own way and do my own thing. God allowed me to go to Tarshish.

            On one of these occasions, I was this close to losing it all. By “it all”, I mean “it all”

My education; my life with Elizabeth; my career in the ministry. I was going to lose it all, all because I wanted to go to Tarshish.

            It was after a violent storm in my life, that I finally obeyed God and got serious about doing what God had asked me to do…

            ‘This time Pastor Nick obeyed the Lord’s command….’

            I wonder today, how many of you need to see God as the God of second chances?

            While it’s true that it’s always better to follow God first, the reality is that

we are all like Jonah, and we all need a second—or a 5000^th--- chance. 

            Peter did. He sold out Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times.

            Three times he swore that he didn’t know Jesus. Three times he said that he wasn’t one of Jesus’ followers. Three times Peter traveled to Tarshish.

            After Jesus’s death on the cross, after His burial and resurrection, an angel of the Lord appeared to the 3 women at the tomb and said:  

            “Don't be alarmed…You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"(Mark 16:6-7, NIV)

I’m fascinated by the words: “…and Peter…” (Mark 16:7b, NIV)

Do you know what those words are? A second chance!

God gave Peter a 2^nd chance, and the course of human history was changed forever.

Peter, because of his second chance, was able to preach boldly and clearly, about the resurrected Christ, and what He can do in a life fully devoted to God.

Peter’s life was altered because of a second chance.

ILLUSTRATION- My life has been altered because of a second chance.

            Your life can be altered because of a 2^nd chance.

            But first, you must stop running. You can’t run to Tarshish and expect God to bless you. If you want a second chance from God, you’ve got to go to Nineveh.

            You’ve got to do whatever it is that God is asking you to do. You’ve got to give up whatever it is that God is asking you to give up.

God is a God of second chances, but you must stop running from Him.

Jesus said these words in John 14: "If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15, NIV)

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21a, NIV)

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching….” (John 14:23a, NIV)

Love for God is expressed best through obedience: doing what God asks us to do.

While it’s always better to obey God first, I want you to know that the God of the Bible is the God of second chances. He invites you to come to Him and receive grace, mercy and pardon.

“…Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NLT2)

Jesus invites us to come to Him and receive a second chance. He invites us to come to Him to receive a 100^th chance.

It matters not how many times you come to Jesus, it only matters that you come.

Have you been running from God? Has God been asking you to go to Nineveh but you are on the first ship to Tarshish? God doesn’t want you to run from Him, He wants you to run to Him.

 Please don’t think for a minute that church folk are immune to running from God.  Jonah was a prophet… he was in the God business.

There isn’t a soul on this earth that doesn’t need a second chance from God.

            The Bible tells us about a man, sent to earth by God to perform a task—to tell people about God.

But something happened to that man, a sort of death, and he’s down and out for 3 days, and then miraculously he’s back to life and walking around and the people he comes in contact with have their lives changed because of the grace of God.

            This is the story of Jesus, but it’s also the story of Jonah. It’s the story of deliverance, obedience, and repentance. And this message is for us today. (Rev. Mark Brewer)

            Repentance, you know, literally means turn around.  To go in the opposite

direction.

            It is no coincidence that Tarshish and Nineveh were in the complete opposite direction. For Jonah to receive a second chance, he had to turn around and go to Nineveh.

            In order for us to find a second chance, we are going to have to turn around. We are going to have to turn from Tarshish—whatever it might be in your life—and head toward Nineveh.

            God can and wants to meet you in Nineveh. You will find your second chance there.

            If God has been speaking to you today, this is your opportunity to turn around, this is your “this time.”

            You can turn around and find the God of the second chance.

            If you need to do business with God today, if you need to address a Tarshish in your life, I want to invite you to come to the front and kneel, stand where you are, or sit in your seat and talk to God as the Band comes and plays an invitation song.