Second chances Jonah 3:1-3

Jonah 3:1-3
Intro…The tree fall, God giving me a “second chance”
• I’m sure many of you have had “second chance” experiences in your lives.

Big Picture: God, in his grace and mercy will give us a second chance when it come to following His calling for our lives. However, let’s not let it get to that point.

Text: Jonah 3:1-3

v. 1 And the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…
• Jonah had run away from God, but is now given a second chance to participate in God’s work.
• I’m sure there are times we feel disqualified for God’s work for whatever reason…. ”O, God could never use me.” Past mistakes etc.
• God is all about forgiveness, redemption, mercy, second chances.
• And the thing is, we all need those second chances many times throughout our lives.
• None of us are really qualified to be on mission for God…yet all of us are qualified.
• God specializes in using fallible humans to get his work done…and Jonah is a prime example.
• Serving God is not an earned position, we are privileged and blessed to be used by God.
• There is nothing we can do to earn his favor.
• God gives us all second chances to hear his voice and respond.
• God was gracious in giving Jonah a second chance.
Jonah is the only prophet actually sent by God to preach repentance in a foreign land.
• It was over 500 miles from Joppa to Nineveh.
• There are so many great missions that God wants us to be a part of.
• What is God calling you to do? Are you on your second call from God?

v. 2 Go to (Nineveh) and proclaim the message I give you.
• Jonah was told by God to speak a message of doom to one of the most powerful cities in the world.
• This certainly wasn’t an easy thing to do, but bringing God’s message cannot be hampered by social pressures or fear of people.
• The girl Zach meet at orientation last week, sharing her faith...
• We are called to preach the message of God’s truth no matter how unpopular it may be.
• Where is God calling you to go preach the message?
• God will give us the words to speak…
• Matthew 10:19-20, Luke 12:11, 21:14-15

v. 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord…
• Such an important group of words.
• Our lives would be so much easier if we would just do that.
• When God calls us on a mission, the task or journey doesn’t always make sense.
• VIDEO “We’re on a mission from God.”
• I know that’s a silly video, but as we understand God’s calling on our lives, it’s with a sense of mission that we too are sent out.
• If you remember from that movie, nothing was going to stop Jake and Elwood Blues from delivering the money.
Jonah ran from God the first time around because he hated the Assyrians and Ninevites…
• However, God is persistent…God got his man in Jonah.
• God will “get” us to. It’s just a matter of how much we’ll resist him initially.

v. 3 Now Nineveh was an very important city…
• Every city is important to God. Why? Because cities are full of people!
• God knew the wicked people on Nineveh needed him.
• God knows the wicked people of Encinitas need him.
• Let’s pray that God will use our church to bring people to him.
• God also loves all of San Diego.
• CityFest Sept. 11th…VIDEO

• The reason it took Jonah three days to cover Nineveh…it was about 60 miles around, 175,000 people.
• Unfortunately, the Ninevites repentance was temporary.
• They eventually reverted to their wicked ways and were overthrown in 612 BC.
• However, We serve an extravagant God who is interested a people who don’t retain their repentance.
• This story reminds us that God cares about us enough to turn our hearts to him.
• The story of Jonah is an amazing reminder of the love that God has for his creation and his radical willingness to seek out the most distant, rebellious people and restore them to His grace.

Conclusion:
Watching a trapeze show is breathtaking. We wonder at the dexterity and timing. We gasp at near-misses. In most cases, there is a net underneath. When they fall, they jump up and bounce back to the trapeze. In Christ, we live on the trapeze. The whole world should be able to watch and say, "Look how they live, how they love one another. Look how well the husbands treat their wives. And aren't they the best workers in the factories and offices, the best neighbors, the best students?" That is to live on the trapeze, being a show to the world. What happens when we slip? The net is surely there. The blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, has provided forgiveness for ALL our trespasses. Both the net and the ability to stay on the trapeze are works of God's grace. Of course, we cannot be continually sleeping on the net., If that is the case, I doubt whether that person is a trapezist.