Sermon – Jonah 3 – The Calls of God

Two weeks ago, we left Jonah on the beach after the great fish spat him out. Last week was Mother’s Day and today we return to Jonah.
Jonah 3:1-10 (NLT) … (1) Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: (2) “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” (3) This time Jonah obeyed the LORD’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. (4) On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowd: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” (5) The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. (6) When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. (7) Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. (8) People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. (9) Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change His mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” (10) When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened.
Jonah ignored God’s request (or command) the first time. In Jonah 1:1-2, the LORD gave a message to Jonah about going to the great city of Nineveh to announce judgment due to their wickedness.
Jonah didn’t want to do what the LORD said so he went the opposite direction, boarded a boat, slept through a storm, was thrown overboard, spent 3 days inside a fish, and then was vomited out on a beach.
Jonah learned from this and finally obeys. In chapter 4 we find out more about Jonah and his attitude, but “we don’t know that yet.”
In Genesis 10:11, you can read about the city of Nineveh being built – either by Nimrod or Ashur; and it’s remains are located near modern day Mosul – Iraq’s second largest city.
Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire; and their King Sennacherib reigned during the same time as the Judean King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah.
Nahum and Zephaniah speak on Nineveh’s ruin and destruction, which came to pass in 612 BC, and the famous city was never rebuilt.
Archaeological explorations of Nineveh have revealed a wall 7 miles in circumference; as well as several other cities nearby that made up “greater” Nineveh. Even if Nineveh proper wasn’t actually a 3-day journey across, the area surrounding it was.
Regardless, Jonah went, he preached and everyone, including the king, repented and put on sackcloth and ashes; and fasted from food and water – and so did the animals … and the end result, God changed His mind and did not bring about the destruction He had threatened.
God issued two calls – one to Jonah to go and preach; and one to the people of Nineveh to repent.
God has and still issues many calls; and among them are salvation – sanctification – service.
The call of salvation is made to everyone; but we know that not everyone responds to it; and depending on your beliefs – some do respond, but don’t stay.
This call is more than just believing in God or that a God exists. It is believing in Jesus Christ – that He was real and is real. That He is the Messiah. To believe that He left Heaven above, took on flesh and lived among creation, was perfect, never sinned, was our great example and ultimate sacrifice, that He suffered and bled and died, and was resurrected; and His sacrifice paid for our sins.
Believers are expected to express their faith by repenting of sins and by being baptized.
This call, while ultimately from God, can come through anyone He chooses to use … a preacher … a Sunday School teacher … a family member or friend … (and I’ve said this before – if you don’t believe you can share with someone, then get them here and I’ll be happy to share with them.)
EVERYONE … has sinned and fallen short.
EVERYONE … needs a savior and to be forgiven.
EVERYONE … will spend eternity somewhere.
The salvation call is the most important. Acceptance (and follow through) leads to eternal life; while rejecting (or ignoring) the call leads to the second death – eternal punishment.
The Gospel call is the first priority of the Church and of each individual.
If you’ve ignored or rejected this call up to now, then know this – God could be issuing you another opportunity RIGHT NOW … and who knows, it might be the last one you’ll ever receive. Don’t delay if you are still lost in your sins … believe in Jesus and repent … make today the day of salvation.
If you – or even this church – hasn’t made the Gospel call a priority, then we, too, can accept this opportunity and change. We all know people that need to hear the Gospel (AGAIN) and accept it, because if they don’t their souls are doomed; and life on this side of eternity won’t get easier.
Being saved makes us justified before God … When He looks at those who are trusting in Jesus to save them, He doesn’t see their past – their failures – their mistakes – their wrong attitudes – their sin … He simply sees the blood of Jesus.
But even though someone is justified, they still have to accept or reject another call from God; and that call is to be sanctified.
Baptism may wash away our sins; but we have to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to live a holy life – a pure life – a righteous life – a life that looks like and reflects Jesus.
Being saved from the consequences of sin doesn’t automatically save us from or deliver us from ever being tempted again; or automatically break our sinful habits that were so engrained for many years – or even decades … it takes time to fully change hearts, minds, lifestyles and to break habits.

To be sanctified is to be set apart. The items in the Temple were set apart or sanctified to be used only for certain things – they were not to be common or profane.
While the Gospel calls us to be saved by believing in Jesus … Sanctification calls us to remain saved by living like Jesus. To remove our bad attitudes and destructive habits. To cleanse our lives of anything that we’ve turned into idols. To place God and Jesus and their teachings, and yes, their Church at the center of our lives … to not just get the leftovers or when it is convenient for us.
Sanctification calls us to draw closer and closer to God … to remove anything that would separate us from Him … and yes, that might even mean less time with certain people or hobbies or recreation … if it takes you away from God or anything He commands, then it must go.
Those who are saved, and are pursing sanctification, are called to SERVE. Serving or doing good deeds is something that should flow naturally as a response to God’s love, grace, and mercy.
Serving doesn’t save us or make us better people. Serving is how we use our resources, time, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts to build God’s Kingdom, the Church, this local church, and take the Gospel to our community and throughout the world.
Salvation is believing in and accepting what Jesus did on our behalf.
Sanctification is becoming more like Jesus by avoiding what He did – NOT SINNING.
Serving is becoming like Jesus by doing what He did.
Again, Jonah was given another opportunity to respond to God’s call; and he chose to accept.
Again, the people of Nineveh were given an opportunity to repent; and they chose to do so.
Right now, if you haven’t, you have an opportunity to get saved – to accept the Gospel Call.
Right now, you have the opportunity to (re)commit to being sanctified. To ridding your life of anything sinful, of anything you’ve made into an idol, of anything that takes you away from God or His Church, or takes up too much time (in a negative way).
Right now, you have the opportunity to (re)commit to serving God. We all have resources, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts that we can use to reach out to our communities, to meet needs, to invite people to attend, to share the Gospel, to build this church in number and health … and yes, its hard to serve when we stay away …
Closing Line … don’t pass up or reject this opportunity that God is providing … be saved, be sanctified, and serve God and your fellow man.