The Repentance of Jonah and the Ninevites

1. The Repentance of Jonah and the Ninevites

2. What is repentance? • a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged • a confession to God and stopping the sin against God • includes an admission of guilt • a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense

3. Looking for a sign? • Why should we wait for a sign? We aren’t supposed to waitfor a sign but rather we need to see what we’re doing and not get ourselves too deep into sin that it would be harder to get out.

4. A Simplified Story of Jonah 1 • God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh to preach, but Jonah didn't want to go. He tried to run away from God by going in the opposite direction.

5. 2 • He got on a ship. • God caused a storm to come. It nearly sank the ship. • Jonah went into a deep sleep (we sometimes do this to escape our problems) • When the men on the ship discovered that it was Jonah's fault, they threw him overboard into the sea, and the sea became calm.

6. 3 • God had provided a large fish that swallowed Jonah. Jonah prayed to God from inside the fish and God heard him. He was in the fish for three days and three nights. The fish spit him out onto dry land. • Jonah 2

7. 4 • God again told him to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, and this time he obeyed. It was a very large city. • Jonah told the people that they must repent or they would be destroyed. The people listened and believed. • They were sorry for their sins and God forgave them.

8. 5 • Jonah was angry. He didn't really care about the people of the city, but God loved them. • WHY DIDN’T HE CARE?! • Jonah = Israelite • Ninevites = Assyrians • ISRAELITES  ASSYRIANS • He didn’t want to see his enemy saved! • Even after they repented, Jonah waited outside the city and waited for the city to be destroyed and when it wasn't, he was angry.

9. From the Bible Verses to Meditate On

10. 1) Jonah 1:2-3 • “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went downto Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”

11. God is: • Omnipotent (all-powerful) • Omniscient (all- knowing) • Omnipresent (everywhere) • Jonah thought he could hide from God…

12. 2) Jonah 1:12 • “And he said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.’”

13. 3) Jonah 3:1-3 • “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.”

14. 4) Jonah 3:5,10 • “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.” • “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”

15. 5) Jonah 4:1-2 • But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the LORD, and said, ‘Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.’”

16. 6) Jonah 4:10-11 • “But the LORD said, ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?’”

17. OK…SO WHAT?? What do we learn from all this? • God’s character • God answers prayers • God gives us a second chance

18. We need to… • Listen • Will I listen to God and see what HIS WILL is for my life? • Obey • Will I commit to obedience • Obedience to God is our repentance to sin • Act • Repentance should be a regular thing; whenever we sin, we should know that we did something wrong and should then follow the steps of repentance

19. 6 Steps of Repentance E- P- E- N- T R-

20. Realize your mistakes • Recognize that you’ve committed a sin against God himself. • Feel true sorrow for what you’ve done • Feel sorrow for any pain you may have caused to others

21. Express yourself to God • Pray to God and tell him your sins on a REGULAR basis • This step also includes confession of your sins to a priest

22. Pray for forgiveness • Ask God to forgive you your sins • Forgive others • “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” • God will forgive you when you repent with an honest heart

23. End problems that were caused • Fix any problems caused by your sin • Show a change of heart

24. Never go back • Make a promise to yourself and to God that you will try your best to not repeat the same sin • Continue to repent and confess if you sin again • QUIT doing what did not honour God

25. Teach Yourself • Don’t hold onto your sin and any sorrow that you felt. Let it go by forgiving yourself and learn from your mistakes

26. Verse of the Lesson “‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’” (Joel 2:12)  a call to repentance

27. Homework FASTING FOR THE NEXT 3 DAYS