Jonah 3 - The Call of the Gospel

In Jonah 3, we see not only the repentance of Nineveh but the very heart of the Gospel on display. God’s pursuit of the lost, His call to proclaim, and His mercy to forgive—it’s all here. This passage reminds us that while judgment is certain, God in His grace has chosen to use His people to carry the only message of hope to a world that desperately needs it.

We’ll see how Jonah’s obedience—and Nineveh’s repentance—reveal the character of our gracious God and the urgency of our call to make Christ known. Join me as we consider the call of the Gospel, the response it demands, and the mercy of the God who saves. Let’s dig in and look to Jesus, our true hope!

Transcript

7 - Jonah 3 - The Call of the Gospel

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please turn with me to Jonah chapter 3 and find verse 1.
  • Today we have the absolute privilege to gather, to sing His praises, to read His Word, and to test our lives against it.
  • I remind you that what we are doing is indeed a privilege and not something that is able to happen everywhere.
    • There are places in this world where gathering in a setting like this for the purpose of worshiping God would be illegal.
    • There are places in this world where the Bible that we treasure and confess to be the Word of God is considered contraband…
    • There are places in this world where being labeled as a Christian and identifying with Christ could cost us our lives.
  • So let us not take this time for granted as we consider together the Word of God.  
• If you have your Bibles opened to Jonah 3 and if you have been with us over the last three weeks you may recall that we have been working through this chapter.
  • Up to this point we have examined verse 1 and marveled at the persistence and pursuit of God…
    • Then we considered the preaching of Jonah in the next couple of verses and we were confronted with the need for us to have full hearted obedience before God.
    • Obeying as He has called us with a genuine desire to do as He has commanded. 
  • Today we will be considering the rest of this chapter and examine three points, and those points are…
    • Proclaiming the Hope of Christ…
    • A Proper Response to the Word… AND
    • The Gracious God whom we Serve…
  • Though these will be our points, what we will really be talking about is the Call of the Gospel and the task at hand to make Christ known.
• That being said, let us turn our attention to the Word and as we prepare our hearts to consider what the Lord has for us today.

Jonah 3

• Let’s jump right into our first point…

Proclaiming the Hope of Christ

• You may think that this is an odd point when, throughout this chapter Christ is not mentioned.
  • However, what we do have in this chapter is Jonah proclaiming the message he has been given to a people who did not know God.
    • That is where we find a strong parallel to the church and to us today.
  • Just as Jonah was called to go and to proclaim a message to the Ninevehites, a people not his own…
    • So also have we been called by God to make disciples, to proclaim the Gospel to those who do not know.
    • This is an important connection that we must make because it is this connection that moves this from a story we are familiar with to one that has real implications for us today.
  • So let us make that connection from the start as we begin considering these verses that are before us. 
• As we begin considering this chapter let us take note…
  • This chapter answers the question that we are found considering as we are first introduced to Jonah and the call of God upon him.
    • That question is, what will happen to Nineveh?
      • Though this question is not asked directly it is implied by the text as we learn from the opening verses that God is going to bring judgment.
  • This question should be sitting at the back of our minds as Jonah flees from the command of God…
    • What will happen to Nineveh?
  • It is the question that rings in our ears as Jonah sits in the belly of a great fish…
    • What will happen to Nineveh?
  • This is a fair question especially as you consider the job of Jonah as a prophet…
    • We have talked about this much before but let me remind you again this morning.
      • The job of a prophet is to be God’s mouthpiece, to share what God has to say to the people.
        • This was often in connection to the people rebelling against God.
      • Which means that much of his work was to call people to repentance, to call people to turn from their wickedness and return to faithfulness to God.
    • It is worth mentioning, as we consider a prophet's job, that God’s justice stands either way…
      • Whether the prophet proclaims or not…
      • Whether the prophet calls the people to repentance or not…
      • The people are still accountable before God for their sins.
      • This is why the question is, “what will happen to Nineveh?”.
        • What if Jonah does not go?
        • Then God’s judgment still stands.
      • Let’s consider this as we think about another passage of scripture that illustrates this very well.
  • In Ezekiel 3, the Lord tells Ezekiel that he is a watchman for Israel.
    • Now the job of the watchman was to sit upon the wall and watch for possible danger.
    • Their job was simple, they would look out and if they saw danger approaching they were to call out and let the people know.
    • Then the responsibility lies upon the people…
      • Will they listen, will they respond, will they prepare?
      • Or, will they ignore and carry on without a care in the world.
    • However, if the watchman fails to cry out and warn the people, does that mean that the danger is not there?
      • Of course not, it just simply means that they will be caught completely off guard and totally unprepared.  
    • Now, hold on to this example because this example is bridged over into the job of the prophet.
  • The prophets were God’s watchman and they were to call out to the people as they were commanded from God.
    • In the case of the Ninevehites, judgment is coming, that is without question, and Jonah has been appointed as the watchman.
      • If he fails to cry out, judgment is still coming…
      • However, if he cries out, though judgment is still coming, the people have an opportunity to respond, to prepare, to act.
    • So the question that we consider, “what will happen to the Ninevehites?”...
      • Is first dependent upon whether or not Jonah fulfills his duty as the watchman on the wall.
  • This chapter answers that question for us as well as places the responsibility and the response upon the Ninevehites.
• You see though without the preaching from Jonah…
  • Without him fulfilling his duty as he has been commanded…
    • All that would be waiting for the Ninevehites would be the judgment of God.
  • Let us take this to heart today as we reflect upon this reality from the start.
    • Though we are not prophets we have been called as watchmen upon the wall.
    • We have been given a message that is the only message of hope for man.
    • Therefore, I remind you today that judgment is coming whether we preach the Gospel or not.
  • I urge you to feel the weight of this responsibility as you consider this world in which we dwell.
    • May the Lord move us to not only share the message of the coming judgment but also the message of our Blessed Hope.
• As you think about that, consider also with me that the Lord has full authority to warn people any way He sees fit…
  • He could paint the message in the sky…
  • He could send forth legions of angels to proclaim a message of hope…
  • He could cause the animals to sing of the hope found in Christ…
• However, He has not ordained any of those means to share this message of hope.
  • What has He ordained, what has He established?
    • He has chosen fallen men to preach to other fallen men, to personally share the hope that is found in Christ alone. 
    • This is not a message set apart for angels but for the Redeemed. 
  • Church, we have been entrusted with the message of hope and we have been given this responsibility to bear.
    • We have been tasked with making disciples of all nations, we are His chosen instruments to proclaim this message of hope.
  • Why are we considering this today?
    • It is because without Jonah, Nineveh is laid waste.
    • Likewise without Christians and our obedience, without the proclamation of the Gospel then all that is left is the judgment that is due.
  • I cannot help but consider…
    • Romans 10:14 - “14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
    • We could consider this verse in light of the book of Jonah and the judgment that was coming upon the Ninevehites…
      • “How then will the Ninevehites call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without Jonah preaching?”
    • Here is the fact, Jonah was sent by God to preach to a people not his own so that God could pour out his mercy upon these foreigners.
      • Likewise, believer, we have been sent to preach to a people who have never heard.
      • The fact is without faithful men and women rising up to answer this call salvation is not possible.
    • For you know what the Word has to say…
      • Speaking of Jesus Peter said…
        • Acts 4:12 - “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
      • We do not grapple with this reality nearly enough…
    • How often do we pacify ourselves as we consider that the Lord is calling another while not considering if He is calling us?
      • This reminds me of the story of the Moravians [more-avians] who are famously known for sending out and supporting more missionaries than members that they had.
      • Let me share with you a couple of quotes from an article that shares about this group.  
        • “In 1732, the Moravian congregation in [what is today Germany] was about 300 strong and sent out their first missionaries to the West Indies.”
          • Let’s wrap our heads around this…
            • In the early 1700’s there existed a congregation…
              • Not a denomination.
              • Not an association of churches.
            • One faithful local congregation.
          • 300 in number that decided to and set their minds to obey Christ, and so in 1732 they sent out two missionaries who went to the West Indies to sell themselves into slavery.
            • They did this so that they would be able to preach to those enslaved. 
          • That was their first two missionaries, then, fifteen years later…
            • Not 50 years later, 15 years later…
        • “...the Moravian church had sent out hundreds of missionaries and had established churches on every continent. These missionary endeavours led to the salvation of many who had never before heard the gospel which shamed and inspired the Protestant church.”
          • If you have never heard of this group I would urge you to research them, for they lived to make Christ known.
          • One final quote from that article will serve us well as we continue forward today…
        • “Do we rest comfortably, hoping that we won’t hear a call to mission? These Moravians didn’t. Their default position was that there was a world to be won for Christ and they were ready and willing to accept the mission.”
      • Did you catch that?
        • Their default position was that God had called them to respond and they were ready and willing to accept the mission.
    • Can you imagine a shift like this occurring in our day?
      • Where our first response upon hearing of those who’ve never heard of Christ would be to find a way to reach them.
        • Not waiting upon an association, a denomination, or a sending organization to do the work.
      • Where we exhausted time, resources, and the best of us to make His Glory known among the nations.
      • This is a total shift in our way of thinking, a total shift in how we raise our families.
        • Do we tell our kids of those who have never heard of Christ?
        • Do we encourage them to follow Jesus no matter the cost?
    • Here is the reality, God has called us to go, God has called us to proclaim…
  • How are we going to respond?
    • Will it be as Jonah did in chapter one where we flee from God’s command upon us?
    • Or will it be as the Moravians chose to live?
      • Ready and willing, with the heart cry of “Lord, here I am, send me.”
• Let’s keep moving forward in our text as we consider…

A Proper Response to the Word

• How glorious a response we have in this chapter that is before us, let us look again…
  • Jonah 3:5-9
    • Are these not some of the most profound and amazing verses we have in the scripture on repentance?
    • Think about what we just read…
      • We are told that they all responded to God…
        • “...from the greatest of them to the least of them.”
          • This is a universal repentance that is practiced by all within the city.
          • So much so that we have a proclamation from the king as well as his response.
          • He lays aside his royal robes and leads the way in how to respond to this call.
          • It would be one thing for him to simply issue the proclamation; it's another thing entirely for him to lead the way.
            • I cannot help but consider Psalm 51:17.
        • Psalm 51:17 - “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
      • We see this broken and contrite heart from the Ninevehites in three distinct ways.
        • First, in their fasting…
          • A practice that is meant to show our great need for God to move…
            • We fast when we are physically showing God that we desire Him to move more than we desire what our bodies require physically.
            • Often in scripture it is connected to mourning and desperation, which is the case here.
          • What is unique about this call to fast is that it extended even to their animals.
            • We are told that they withheld food and water from both man and beast.
        • Second, we see their broken and remorseful hearts in their sackcloth…
          • A humble dress meant to display a time of mourning and connected to a time of crying out.
            • It is no surprise that this was connected to fasting, as it was meant to show humility before God.
          • So not only are they withholding from themselves food and water…
            • They are also physically dressing differently to display their repentance.
          • We see their repentance in their fasting, their dress, and…
        • Lastly, in their actions…
          • We could miss it if we are not careful, but did you catch what the king proclaimed to the people?
          • Look again at the end of verse 8…
            • Vs 8b - “...Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.”
          • This is true repentance, a turning from their actions and a turning to God.
          • They were not just desperate to be saved from their destruction, they were truly repentant.
      • The irony of this response from this pagan king is found in him showing more of a concern for people than the prophet of God. 
    • More than that, consider how Nineveh’s response stands in sharp contrast to how Jonah responded in Jonah 2.
      • Remember, he is in the belly of a big fish, is he repentant?
        • No, if anything he showed himself at that time to be hypocritical.
      • He had claimed to believe in God and be God’s servant but his actions didn’t line up with that statement and his prayer was not one of confession and brokenness.  
      • Contrast that against the Ninevehites, are these people hypocrites?
        • No, they have been confronted in their sin and they are humbly turning from their sin.
    • It is a sad thing but the best example of how we are to respond to God and the Gospel comes not from the prophet of God but from the pagan’s surrounding him.
  • Here we find an example of true repentance...
• Can I remind you today that this is what God still desires?
  • He desires a people to hear the Gospel and then respond with faith and repentance.
  • True salvation is marked by both…
    • A belief in what is being proclaimed and a turning from our sins and a turning to God.
  • True salvation is marked by genuine heart change…
• What a glorious reminder as well that God is the One who calls people to Himself…
  • I remind you He is the One who initiated this whole evangelastic crusade.  
    • Jonah did not dream this up but God ordained it, and because of that, God blessed it.
    • Let this not be lost on us today…
  • We are His mouthpieces to share the hope of Christ but He is the One who produces heart change.
    • He is the One who removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh…
    • He is the One who brings a person dead in their trespasses and sins back to life…
  • When He does this is what is produced, a truly repentant and humble response.
    • Even as we consider missions and think about those who have never heard of Christ.
    • Passages like this demonstrate to us the faithfulness of God to call people to Himself.
  • So as we consider answering the call to go where Christ has not been named, let us do so with confidence knowing that God is faithful and He will draw people to Himself.
• It is here we need to turn our attention to our final point today…

The Gracious God whom we Serve

• Please turn your attention again to our text this time the final verse of this chapter.
  • Vs. 10
• Here we find the good news of who our God is, which is exceedingly good news for the Ninevehites…
  • God has spared them because they have repented, turned from their evil way.  
  • Praise God that He sent forth a messenger, that He drew them to Himself, and that He relented from the judgment that was coming.
    • In this story further evidence that God cares for all peoples…
      • I remind you again that Nineveh was a foreign people best understood as enemies of the Israelites.
      • They were pagan in practice, pagan in worship, and evil to the point of destructive judgment.
    • Yet God in His Divine Mercy called them to Himself and offered them Grace.
  • We need to recognize though that God would have been completely justified in only bringing Judgment.
    • This was not only true for the Ninevehites…
      • It was true in the garden when Adam and Eve rebelled…
      • it was true as the Israelites were worshiping a golden calf…
      • It was true during the time of the judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes…
      • It was true among every culture and in every time and among all people…
    • Including us today…
      • We must contemplate the fact that what we all deserve is this same destructive judgment.
        • You see, this is what Jonah failed to realize…
          • He was not a holy hero that was swooping in to save a people not deserving.
            • He was just as undeserving…
            • Just as unworthy, and…
            • Just as he was a recipient of grace…
          • So also did God want to extend that grace to these pagans.
      • We must grapple with this fact, the grace of God is not something that we deserve, it is not offered to us because we are redeemable.
        • No, it is offered to us because we cannot be redeemed any other way.
        • Our sins have so offended this Holy God that the only way He could allow us to dwell within His glorious presence without His wrath would be the spilling of the precious blood of His Son.
      • We say it often, that grace is not something we can earn and not something that we deserve…
        • But today, let us really let that weigh upon us.
    • Truly, the only thing we have deserved, and all that we are in of ourselves is nothing but vessels of wrath simply awaiting destruction…
      • But God being rich in mercy, because of the love in which He has for us, has sent forth His Son to bear this wrath in our place.
      • Praise God for this!
    • As we consider together may it spur us to share this hope with others.  
      • As we do we cling to the promise found in the Word of God regarding the hope of the Gospel.
      • Romans 10:13 - “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
  • We share with confidence, knowing that our God is gracious, merciful, and is still drawing people to Himself today.  

Closing

• The call today as we consider these things is a call to yield…
  • Yield your life to God to be used according to His Glorious Purpose.
    • I was just telling my kids last night that God has called us to live not for this life but for the life to come.
      • Hebrews 13:14 - “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
    • What are you living for today?
  • Are you ready and willing to do as God has called?
• This is the question as we close and the call today is to yield.