THE SECOND TIME AROUND—Part I—Jonah 3:1-10
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, & after eating, the wives left the table & went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, & Albert said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant & it was really great. I would recommend it very highly."
Ben said, "What is the name of the restaurant?"
Albert thought & thought & finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... the one that is red & has thorns."
"Do you mean a rose?"
"Yes," Albert said. He turned toward the kitchen & yelled,
"Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"
Albert gave Ben what he needed the 2nd Time Around.
Likewise, Wayward servants can be redeemed & used the second time around!
Jonah was given a second chance to bring about God’s desire in Nineveh.
God can use rescued servants to achieve His will among mankind.
What can be achieved thru a second chance?
9 reasons God grants 2nd chances to wayward servants.
1—Second chances are granted for
CONSIGNMENT’S SAKE(:1)
—Explanation:(:1) God Speaks to us!
:1—“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,”
Consign—Give over to another’s care—Entrust
God reveals Himself to us. He speaks to us. His word is given to us. He convicts us.
Our response to God’s speaking is to Hear it, Evaluate it, Anticipate it, & Heed/Act on it.
Once His word enters our/my sphere of interaction, WE/I become responsible for all associated with it.
—Argumentation:
Jn. 17:14—““I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
2Cor. 5:17-21—“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, & gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, & He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
1Cor. 9:17—“....I have a stewardship entrusted to me.”
Jude 1:3—“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
—Illustration:
Football/Offense, Defensive & Special teams/Consigned certain roles, areas of responsibility, behaviors
—Application:
?God’s second chance granted your CONSIGNMENT?
?Why has God given you a second chance?
2—Second chances are granted for
COMMISSION’S SAKE(:2-3a)
—Explanation:(:2-3a)
““Arise, go to Nineveh the great city & proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.””
“So Jonah arose & went to Nineveh according to the word of the LORD....”
Com-Mission—Cooperative/Community/Common mission
To take God’s word & act upon it...
God & man working toward 1 purpose/goal—God’s glory!
—Argumentation:
Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came up & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. “Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & the Son & the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
1Tim. 2:5—“For there is one God, & one mediator also between God & men, the man Christ Jesus,”
—Illustration:
People elect representatives/Fulfill desire of American people
Military/Protect our freedom/Commission
—Application:
?God’s/Your second chance granted your COMMISSION?
?Why has God given you a second chance?
3—Second chances are granted for
AWARENESS’ SAKE(:4)
—Explanation:(:4)Inform
“Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; & he cried out & said, “Yet forty days & Nineveh will be overthrown.””
“Overthrown”—Kph—Overturned, upturned, reversed, changed, turned back.
—Argumentation:
Gen. 4:26— “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.”
Jer. 7:13—““And now, because you have done all these works,” says the LORD, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,”
Mat. 3:1-2—“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!””
Mat. 4:17—“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
Rom. 1:18-21—“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness & unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power & divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, & their foolish heart was darkened.”
Eze. 3:17—“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.”
Ps. 83:17-18—“Let them be ashamed & dismayed forever; And let them be humiliated & perish, That they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the LORD, Art the Most High over all the earth.”
2Tim. 2:24-26—“And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, & they may come to their senses & escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
1Cor. 1:21—“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
Acts 17:22-31—READ—:23—“For while I was passing through & examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”
—Illustration:
Alcoa Aluminum given right to dam the Yadkin river/1917 dam construction begun/High Rock Lake formed 1928/Surface area of 15,180 acres/? Homes displaced?/Residents were informed, warned, lands purchased & encouraged to move/AWARENESS’ Sake
Likewise, God doesn’t work in a corner
—Application:
?God’s/Your second chance granted AWARENESS in others?
?Why has God given you a second chance?
4—Second chances are granted for
ACCEPTANCE’ SAKE(5)
—Explanation:(:5)Sinner’s/People’s/Belief’s
“Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; & they called a fast & put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.”
“The people of Nineveh believed God”
Though Jonah proclaimed God’s message to only ≤ ? of the city(:3), the entire population of Nineveh “believed in God.”
Jn. 6:41-45—“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.”
“Proclaimed a fast”
Even for pagans.....
....The purpose of fasting, is to constantly remind ourselves of something of greater importance than our human appetites. And to allow our human appetites to goad us to prioritize momentous & significant occurrences.
“& put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”
“& put on sackcloth,”
Sackcloth—(Similar to burlap) A coarse, rough fabric of flax or hemp, used for containing & transporting goods.
To wear it was an intentionally demeaning & humbling stance.
Humility:
2Sam. 22:28—“You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.”
2Chron. 7:14—“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, & pray & seek My face, & turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, & will forgive their sin & heal their land.”
2Chron. 12:7—“Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.”
Ps. 147:6—“The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.”
Prov. 11:2—“When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”
Mic. 6:8—“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Mt 23:12—“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
*Lk. 18:9-14—“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, & despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee & the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood & prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
“From the greatest to the least of them.”
From King, Governors, Judges, Soldiers, Business owners, housewives, to dung collectors, etc.
—Argumentation:
Acts 17:32-34—“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.” So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him & believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite & a woman named Damaris & others with them.”
Rom. 10:9-10—“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, & with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Acts 2;14, 37-41—“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice & declared to them: “Men of Judea, & all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, & give heed to my words.”....“Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, & said to Peter & the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, & let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you & your children, & for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified & kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; & there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
—Illustration:
Our kite at Kill Devil Hills/Purchased from Kitty Hawk Kites/Dual Line Stunt Kite/Triangular & has 2 strings for control/Can be launched by a single person from the ground at a standstill/Accepts the wind & flies/A poorly constructed kite WON’T accept the wind & fails to fly/ACCEPTANCE’s Sake
—Application:
?God’s/Your second chance granted ACCEPTANCE in others?
?Why has God given you a second chance?
5—Second chances are granted for
EASE’S SAKE(:3b-5)
—Explanation:(:3b-5)
“...Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.”
“Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; & he cried out & said, “Yet forty days & Nineveh will be overthrown.””
“Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; & they called a fast & put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.”
—Argumentation:
1Cor. 3:4-7—“For when one says, “I am of Paul,” & another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”
1Sam. 2:9—“He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail.”
Zech. 4;6—“Then he answered & said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
Prov. 16:9—“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
—Illustration:
Dish washer/ I load it—Put dishes in presence of that power/Washer does the work/EASE
—Application:
?God’s second chance granted your EASE?
?Why has God given you a second chance?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Second chances are granted to wayward servants for...
CONSIGNMENT’S SAKE
COMMISSION’S SAKE
AWARENESS’ SAKE
ACCEPTANCE’ SAKE
EASE’S SAKE
Presented 11/11/01pm to:
Providecne Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
