SERIES: JONAH
TEXT: JONAH 3:4; MATTHEW 12:41
“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey and he cried and said, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown-Jonah 3:4.
“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemn it; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here-Matthew 12:41.
Our Lord Jesus Christ never lost patience with an audience, He never brought an accusation against any man. His rebuke was always well deserved.
Nineveh under Jonah was indeed a reproof to the Jerusalem of our Lord’s Day. The Jews were favored with divine ministry of the Lord. But they did not repent, but wickedly crucified the messenger of peace. The men of Nineveh are reproof and reproach to Kenya. The men of Nineveh repented and turned to God. The people of Nineveh will be witnesses for the prosecution side on the judgement day. The men of Nineveh repented and turned to God and yet:-
THEIR CALLS TO REPENTANCE WERE NOT MANY.
- Many unbelievers have been warned and entreated times without number and yet they remain impenitent.
BUT
- Nineveh enjoyed no privilege. It was in heathen darkness.
- Nineveh heard but only one prophet and this prophet-Jonah was not one of the greatest or most affectionate.
- Nineveh heard that prophet only once, and that was an open air sermon, very short and very monotonous.
- Nineveh heard no word of good tidings, she heard the thunder of the law, but nothing else.
- Nineveh’s obedience to the warning was immediate, universal, practical, and acceptable so that the city was spared.
THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET WAS NOT ENCOURAGING.
- He proclaimed no promise of pardon.
- He did not even mention repentance. As a result Jonah held out no hope to the penitent.
- He foretold a crushing and a final doom “Nineveh shall be overthrown.”
- His message began and ended with the threatening.
- He mentioned to the Ninevites a speedy day, “Yet forty days.”
- Yet out of this dreadful message the people made a gospel and acted upon what they heard, and found deliverance.
- Many of us, the rich, free, sure promise of the Lord has been of no force through our unbelief.
- Those in Jerusalem, who heard the teaching of Jesus Christ, were like ourselves.
- We are highly favored, we have heard, we have the promises, covenants, the preachers who are loving.
- We hear the gospel seated on good seats and in air conditioned digitable screens and gospel music, loving ushers etc.
- The people of Jerusalem heard the very Savior creator of the universe talking to them live, live.
- What about us in Kenya, F.B.C-AR?
THE PROPHET HIMSELF WAS NO HELPER TO THEIR HOPE.
- Jonah was not a tender loving pastor (T.L.P), anxious to gather the lost sheep.
- Jonah disliked the ministry in which he was engaged, and no doubt dischargd it in a hard, harsh manner.
- Jonah uttered no words of sympathetic love, for Jonah had no love in his heart.
- Jonah went to the same school with Elijah; both did not know the love which burned in the heart of Jesus Christ.
- Jonah offered no prayer of loving pity.
- Jonah was very displeased that the city was spared.
- Yet these people obeyed his voice and obtained mercy through hearkening to the warning they had received.
- Many have been favored with tender and loving admonitions.
- Indeed “a greater then Jonah is here” and was there in Jerusalem.
THE HOPE TO WHICH THE NINEVITES COULD REACH WAS VERY SLENDER.
- They had no revelation of the character of the good of Israel-John 3:16.
- They knew nothing of the atoning sacrifice on the cross.
- They had received no invitation to seek the Lord, not even a command to repent.
- The mission of the prophet was a warning, not mercy, but in bare hope they said, “WHO CAN TELL?”
CONCLUSION
- A greater than Jonah is here (The Lord from heaven).
- Have we not al least this much hope?
- Have we not far more in the gospel?
- Have you repented of your sins and determined to walk with Jesus Christ to the very end?
- A greater than Jonah has preached to you and His voice is saying “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hear my voice and open I will come in………..Rev.3:20
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