Aug. 31, 2025

Background:

• Jonah was disobedient to God's call to go to Nineveh
• Jonah tried to run from God
• Jonah confessed and God gave him another chance
• God didn't give up on Jonah or us
• God is responsive to our repentance
• God doesn't condemn us after we repent

Key Sermon Points:

1. See sermon notes from Part 1

2. See sermon notes from Part 1

3. Running with God

• Jonah received a second chance to obey God's calling
  • God is a God of second chances
  • God is responsive to our repentance
  • God doesn't condemn us after we repent
• Jonah obeyed God's call
  • At the preaching of a Hebrew prophet a hostile, pagan nation was let to repentance
  • Jonah was successful because God worked it out
  • The power of God's Word to change lives is often released through the life that has fully submitted to His will

4. Running ahead of God

• Jonah second-guesses God
  • He resents God's offer of grace to Israel's enemies
  • God's grace is for everyone
  • Jonah wanted God to repay the Ninevites
• God knew Jonah's intolerance and prejudice
  • Through the withered vine, God shows Jonah that He, not Jonah decides who shall receive His grace
  • God will take away anything that we put above God
  • We must love each other as we love ourselves
  • Our responsibility is not to decide who is worthy to receive God's pardon, but to proclaim God's pardon
• We are to proclaim God
• In God's divine plan, He allows things to unfold as He broke the 400-silent years
• God has a plan with people that are willing to surrender their will to His plan
• God's plan provides a faithful servant that is willing to be obedient to God and the calling that He has placed on their lives
• God's salvation ministry continues
• Jesus was there at the start of the mission (in the beginning)
• It's all about a mission to bring mankind back into a right relationship with God (reconciliation)
• No one is worthy because of disobedience and sin (e.g. Moses, David, etc.)...we fall for temptation and sin
• We can't hide anything from God
• There is always a price/penalty to pay for our disobedience
• We must show the Lord that we are remorseful and sorry
• Be careful of who we associate with that can turn our hearts from God and God can't use us then (e.g. Solomon)
• Jesus was sent to reconcile us with the Father (Romans 5:6-11)
• We can have eternal life because of what Jesus has done
• Jesus gave us the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19)
• Through the blood of Christ, we have been reconciled to the Father