Sermon
Jonah - Frank Brancato 1-23-06
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
I want to invite your attention to the Book of Jonah and we'll
-
read beginning in verse 1 of the third chapter of the Book of
-
Jonah for our text this morning, beginning there, in verse 1, the
-
Bible says, and the word of the Lord came unto.
-
Jonah. The second time saying, arise,
-
go unto Nineveh that great City and preach under the, and preach
-
unto it, the preaching that I bid thee.
-
So, Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh according to the word of
-
the Oh Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding,
-
great city of three days journey 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. So the people of Nineveh
-
believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from
-
the greatest of them even to the least of them forward, came unto
-
the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne and he he laid
-
his robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sat in
-
ashes and he caused it to be proclaimed and published through
-
Nineveh by the degree, decree of the king, and of his Noble
-
saying, let neither man nor Beast heard nor flock taste,
-
anything less them not feed nor drink water, But let, man and
-
Beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily and to God, ye
-
let them turn everyone from his evil way.
-
And from the violence, that is in thy hand, their hands who can
-
tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his Fierce
-
anger that we perish not. And God saw their works that
-
they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil
-
that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not
-
correctly, read and barring any mistakes on my part reads, the
-
third chapter of the Book of Jonah.
-
This is the second of the Minor Prophets.
-
We've studied the book of Obadiah, the minor Prophet
-
Obadiah. And we understand that, when we
-
say Minor Prophets, were not talking about things that were
-
written in God's word, that were less important than other things
-
were just talking about the length of the writings.
-
And so of the literary prophets, we have major and minor prophets
-
under that category, this Is one of the Minor Prophets, it's only
-
four chapters long. And for a little while this
-
morning I want to talk to you about Jonah.
-
The Book of Jonah gives us an unusual insight into the
-
character of a man. His name and place of birth
-
identify him as the prophet of Israel in the days of jeroboam.
-
The second second, Kings, chapter 14, and verses, 23
-
through 25, there can be no doubt that Jonah played an
-
important role in the exploits of this king who restored, the
-
borders of Israel and brought great prosperity to the nation.
-
The home of Jonah is said to have been a village located
-
about four miles Northeast from what was later, the city of
-
Nazareth in Galilee. He is pictured in the book, that
-
bears, his name as a narrow-minded, fiercely zealous
-
Patriot, he is jealous for God and desirous of seeing the
-
enemies of his people destroyed. But the expression of divine
-
love for a heathen nation and of God's Great desire to spare, it
-
it is magnified. As it is shown in contrast to
-
the spirit of this prophet of old, the Book of Jonah also
-
differs from all other books of the prophets because it's
-
written primarily from a historical point of view where
-
it gives the history of a man the history of a nation.
-
And lastly and certainly not least it tells us a great deal.
-
All about God. There are three basic
-
interpretations of the book that are taken by various schools of
-
writers. And they are the mythical, the
-
allegorical, and the historical interpretation.
-
The mythical interpretation assumes that the story is just
-
that, that it is a fable or a myth that grew up around some
-
incident in the history of Israel.
-
The allegorical interpretation that some would assume or
-
contend that this This is it assumes that the story is an
-
allegory of Israel's captivity, repentance and restoration to
-
its land? But finally, the historical
-
interpretation that interpretation accepts, the fact
-
that there actually was a prophet named Jonah that he
-
actually went and lived and went to a place called Nineveh and
-
preach to the people of that City.
-
And because of the repentance that these people made based on
-
the Carmen that they heard from this profit, it accepts us,
-
historical fact. They repented and God spared the
-
nation. It also accepts as historical
-
fact that before he went to Nineveh Jonah, tried to do
-
something that no man could ever do.
-
He tried to flee from the very presence of the great God of
-
heaven, and when he did that, God created or manifested, a
-
great storm at sea that this prophet of old was cast into the
-
sea And was swallowed by a great fish that God had prepared and
-
was later. Vomited out, three days, and
-
three nights later out upon that beach.
-
And as Linwood Smith used to say.
-
And brother that man, hit the beach running, these are things
-
that are accepted as historical fact, let me just notice this
-
with you, rather briefly Jesus one time, placed his sanction on
-
this story as historical Bible. By comparing it to his own
-
death. His own burial and his own
-
Resurrection, Matthew chapter 12 and also Luke the 11th chapter.
Matthew 12 chapter mention
-
You remember that? Jesus said these very words.
-
He said, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whales
-
belly, so shall the son of man, be three days and three nights
-
in the heart of the earth. Therefore, the historical
-
interpretation is by far. The only one that is Is worthy
-
of acceptance to all of us today who accept the fact that Jesus
-
Christ was the Lamb of God. And that in the great scheme of
-
redemption, God sent his son to Bear the sins of the world that
-
on gothis. Brow.
-
So long ago, he hung on calvary's Cross for about six
-
hours, they took his body down from the cross.
-
He was buried and on the third day he rose again from the dead.
-
Yes. We all believe that with all of
-
our heart and that's Reason that we have hope as we live this
-
life is because of what Jesus has done.
-
Jesus compared. What he was going to do before
-
he did it to what happened to the prophet, Jonah.
-
So we accept it as Bible, historical fact, let me just
-
notice one more thing along this line.
-
Before we move into our storing, a book may be historically
-
accurate and not be inspired. You can go to a library and pull
-
out any kind of history book that's recording any history on
-
any subject during any period of time.
-
And it can be absolutely even though it's coming by or being
-
written by the recollection of the human being and not
-
certainly coming from God, you can have line by line, you can
-
have a history book or a history story.
-
That contains facts that are 100% accurate.
-
You can find a history book, that'll do that.
-
And yet not be inspired. Here's my point though.
-
You cannot take a book like the Bible That's inspired and have
-
it be historically, inaccurate it is not possible.
-
All the things that are written in, God's word are historically
-
accurate because it's all divinely inspired by the holy
-
spirit of God. Well now our story surely we
-
know the story, we've known it probably since we were little
-
children. But notice this as it begins,
-
the word of the Lord comes to Jonah and said arise and go to
-
Nineveh that great City and cry against it for their wickedness
-
is come up before me. But instead of doing just
-
exactly what God or the word of the Lord had instructed Jonah to
-
do. He says, I've got a better
-
solution. I'm going to go to the further
-
ends, or I'm going to go in the opposite direction than what the
-
word of the Lord is, instructing me to do.
-
I'm going to go to tarshish in the Bible says that he goes down
-
to Joppa. The chief Seaport of the holy
-
land and finds a vessel sailing Westward, and he goes on board,
-
and he pays his fair in the Bible says, then he Goes down as
-
the King James version, says in chapter 1, he goes down into the
-
sides of the ship or Essence. He goes down into the very hold
-
of the ship and he begins to sleep very interesting though.
-
He is able to go and fall asleep without his conscience,
-
bothering him because somehow some way he hasn't said in his
-
mind that he can flee from the very presence of God, another
-
words if God said go to Nineveh and cry out against that City,
-
Preach the sermon that I'm telling you to preach that if he
-
goes in the opposite direction, if he goes on the ship he can
-
somehow someway hide from the eyes of the Lord deep down in
-
the sides of the ship. So his conscience.
-
Also slept you remember the story of Jesus one time in the
-
New Testament scriptures. You remember one time when there
-
was a tempestuous sea and Jesus was on board but he was sound
-
asleep. You remember that those that
-
were there came. Came to Jesus and they said
-
Master carest, thou, not that. We perish.
-
Remember that song we used to sing.
-
Peace. Be still carest.
-
Thou, not that. We perish.
-
How camp-style lie, asleep. And you remember that, they came
-
to Jesus and said that in utter, desperation in panic.
-
But Jesus said, he said, peace be still and the wind ceased and
-
there was a great calm. I like what one scholar said in
-
likening these two men, Jesus Christ was sound asleep without
-
Anything bothering him and Jonah on this ship was sound asleep,
-
without anything bothering him as well.
-
They're both in the very midst of this great storm and
-
tempestuous sea, that's beating against the ship.
-
But here's the difference, as one man said, as they both slept
-
peacefully, Jesus was confident. Not because he felt himself far
-
from God's hand, but because he was hidden in God's hand and
-
that's the difference. And as one said, One time when
-
you run from God there's going to be a storm.
-
Well, we know the story and the Bible says that the sea ran high
-
in the sailors or the Mariners began to pray to their own
-
idolatrous. God they're in utter
-
desperation. They think they're going to lose
-
their very lives and so they're going one to the other and
-
imploring or encouraging them to pray to their own God and see if
-
this Calamity be over past and all of a sudden they get
-
together and they Wait at each other that there has got to be a
-
culprit on board. We've done all that we can we've
-
lightened the load of the ship and yet it's not going to help.
-
We've done all these things and so on and so forth.
-
We prayed there are our own Gods, our own idolatrous Gods
-
but to no avail, there must be a culprit on the ship.
-
The Bible says that they cast lots and the lot fell upon
-
Jonah. You remember when they came down
-
and found him in the sides of the The ship asleep at the one
-
fella says, what is it thou sleeper?
-
What's going on? Who are you, where'd you come
-
from? And who is your God?
-
But notice what Jonah says, in reply to that.
-
He says, I am a Hebrew and I feared the Lord, the god of
-
Heaven, which hath made the Sea and the dry land and Jonah
-
admits to them to those that he was trying to flee from the very
-
presence of the Lord. And at that very moment, he was
-
the only as one scholar said, the only Heathen on the ship.
-
They asked Jonah, what could we possibly do that?
-
We're going to be spared from this great destruction, or this.
-
We're not going to be cast into the sea, Jonas's take me up and
-
cast me overboard. And the Sea would be made calm
-
until you again. Well, we know the story that
-
Jonah was cast into the sea and God There's a great fish and
-
that great fish, swallows, Jonah, ho and the Bible says
-
that he was three days and three nights in the in the belly of
-
that great fish. You know what he was doing when
-
he got there, very interesting. You know, if we think about the
-
story of Jonah, I would imagine. If God didn't have his
-
attention, he's got it now. And the Bible says that Jonah
-
begins to pray. And I like so very much his
-
prayers, some time, and your time.
-
Read the second chapter of the Book of Jonah time will not
-
allow us to do that today. But if you read that it reads,
-
more like a Psalm or a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
-
Now, I'll tell you This? There was no man, that was in
-
any group any lower depths than Jonah, was when he was in the
-
belly of this whale, or this great fish.
-
And what does he do? He gives a prayer of praise and
-
thanksgiving. Why is that important?
-
I thought you might understand this.
-
This way. I like it.
-
It is fashion. Have you ever had something in
-
your life? That seems at the time that it's
-
so dark. Have you ever been an utter
-
desperation? And you bow before the great God
-
Of Heaven. And what do you pray for?
-
You pray for relief. You pray that God could State
-
the problem that is before you that somehow someway, he will
-
remove or relieved. What is before you?
-
Sometimes we get so desperate, we just beg and beg, and beg,
-
and beg, and beg. You know what Jonah did when he
-
was at its lowest depths? He praise God.
-
He praised him and offered a prayer of Thanksgiving.
-
And as he concludes his prayer, he says this, I will sacrifice
-
unto thee with the voice of Thanksgiving.
-
I will pay that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord.
-
And with these words, the Bible says that the Lord spake to the
-
great fish. I don't know what he said.
-
Bible doesn't say very interesting though.
-
The Bible says, he spake to the great fish and the great fish
-
vomited. Out Jonah on the ground.
-
And I'll tell you something. Now, this fellow is ready to
-
preach it all. He's ready to go.
-
He is ready to go and do just exactly what God had instructed
-
him to do. And like I said, I'm sure he hit
-
the beach running. He has a message to tell, he has
-
a charge to keep, and he is ready to do it.
-
Full force with every fiber of his being, but let me just
-
notice this. There are two great Wonders in
-
this story, one is a miracle or an act of God that God did
-
physically by actually creating a great fish that would swallow,
-
Jonah whole have Jonah in the belly of that.
-
Great fish for three days and three nights, he doesn't eat the
-
man, he doesn't digest the man, he just has him inside there in
-
the belly of that, great fish and then God speaks to this
-
great fish, another physical wonder who vomited out Jonah out
-
on dry ground. That's the first thing.
-
But let's not forget the Second Great Wonder of this story.
-
Hebrew Striker. Goes to Nineveh which is
-
considered a great City, this is not some little small town know,
-
this is a great City. My good friend Dwayne here.
-
And I the other night was talking about how sometimes the
-
various countries where people are really poor, how it said, if
-
some in the Philippines and in Africa, and various places, how
-
they have nothing, but the Lord. So they're willing to listen,
-
they're so poor, they have nothing in this world and the
-
gospel has free course, and souls are saved and people are
-
interested in spiritual things, but sometimes we that live in a
-
country of Plenty, some Sometimes we are so busy with
-
the distractions that are around us that it doesn't have the
-
effect that it could have or does have in other places.
-
We're not talking about one of these poor places like that.
-
No, we're talking about a great City and this Hebrew preacher
-
hits the ground and preaches a sermon to them.
-
That's a that's a wonder and noticed also, if not only
-
incredible, it is even Unthinkable.
-
I And Nineveh was the London of Jonah's day.
-
Having been built upon The Spoils of War.
-
It was a place. Also, that was very populist.
-
Having estimated not fewer than 120 thousand inhabitants, it had
-
walls surrounding her of 100 feet high and included within it
-
were parks and Gardens possibly even pastureland you can picture
-
the very last verse of the Book of Jonah chapter 4 when God has
Jonah 4 chapter mention
-
a discussion with Jonah Any talks about all of those that
-
are there? He talks about the six core
-
thousand inhabitants, that don't know their right hand from their
-
left and all the much cattle. Chances are, this was a place
-
that beautiful pasture land. This was a place that was not
-
wanting for anything and that's the point when you notice the
-
power, Of God's message. The third chapter says that this
-
was a city of three days journey.
-
I understand that this has nothing to do with the diameter
-
or the circumference of the city, which some do say was
-
about 60 miles, but it referred to the fact that it would take
-
three days to visit and see all of its principal points of
-
interest. For example, Beirut, one time
-
was said to be a city of three days referring to its great
-
size. It takes three days.
-
To get to see all of the principal places of interest.
-
Well, Jonah enters Nineveh which was a Day's Journey and he
-
begins to preach And by a Stern, cryptic message of repentance
-
Universal Panic was once produced.
-
You know, we can almost picture in Our Minds Eye Jonah's
-
countenance, and his expression, his expression of desperation as
-
he hit those streets and preached that sermon, Getting
-
ready to preach. Perhaps, like a man that was
-
raised from the dead his face doubtless.
-
Shown like Moses so long ago, his eye doubtless flashed his
-
brow was knit and his lips trembled as he shouted.
-
Those famous words. Here it is.
-
I'll give you the English words yet forty days and Nineveh shall
-
be overthrown. You know what's interesting
-
about that. I understand that those eight
-
words in the English language in the Hebrew language, was only
-
five words. That's a five-word sermon,
-
that's it. That's it.
-
How many times? Did we preach our hearts out for
-
an hour? Days weeks and so on.
-
And it seems like we see no visible results.
-
This man, preaches, a five Hebrew, word, sermon, and the
-
results were electric. He was as one man.
-
Said, he surcharge with the thunderings and Lightnings of
-
divine oratory as we picture in Our Minds Eye one.
-
Prefers to think of Jonah as uttering these words as a Stern.
-
Preacher with a boldness, that is worthy of a Nathan or the
-
bow. Boldness.
-
That is worthy of the great Apostle, Paul so long ago, who's
-
burning truths within his preaching withered hostile
-
hearts, or of one whose borst would be crying from the
-
Wilderness John, the Baptist, who repeated his prophetic call
-
repent. Ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is
-
at hand, Jonah spoke. Those few words and words of
-
Doom it that but the effect was electric, the Bible says that
-
the ninevites repented. And as a consequence God, God
-
also repented of what he was going to do unto them and he did
-
it not. Now I'll tell you something.
-
For somebody that preaches God's word, you would think that he'd
-
be ecstatic. You would think that when he saw
-
those results that he would be absolutely beside himself.
-
You would think that he would bow before God and praise God,
-
for the increase and so on and so forth.
-
But he does not. He know what he does, he's angry
-
and God asks, him, do you do well to be angry?
-
And he says, yes, I do well, and he goes someplace and he sits
-
down and he begins to pout by himself.
-
And God produces a Vine that grows up over the night and when
-
he awakens, he sees the vine. And the Bible says that he is
-
elated. He's happy about what God has
-
produced. The very next night.
-
The Bible says that God also produces a worm and the worm
-
comes and smoke that plant and it withered and died.
-
And now, the profit is pouting again.
-
And as we near the end of our story, what happens what we find
-
is is God says to him, what a great Lesson.
-
What a great point. You have more sorrow for a plant
-
that you did absolutely nothing to enhance.
-
You did nothing to grow, you did nothing to help it along at all,
-
it was produced one day and the next day at withered and was
-
gone and you have a greater soft spot in your heart for that vine
-
or that plant. Then all of those inhabitants of
-
Nineveh who don't know their right hand from their left and
-
incidentally, that means this they don't know right from
-
wrong. And the much cap.
-
And that's the point that God made back to.
-
This prophet in summary, the entire story can be broken down
-
into four categories and the broken down into four chapters.
-
Number one running away from God.
-
Number two, running to God. Number three, running with God,
-
and number for running ahead of God.
-
That was the story of Jonah. I want to notice just a Few
-
things. All there are many preaching
-
points that we can pull from this story of.
-
There's certainly many things we could say, I want to leave you
-
with three brief lessons that we can glean today from this story.
-
Number one, get this. Regardless of how hard you try
-
regardless of all of your best intentions or efforts.
-
You will never run from God. You will never be able to run
-
from the All-Seeing Eye of the great God Of Heaven.
-
And the reason for that is, and the reason we cannot escape the
-
eyes of the Lord, is because God is everywhere.
-
And Acts chapter 17 and verse 28.
Acts 17 chapter mention
-
The Bible says, for, in him, we live and move, and have our
-
being as certain poets have said, for we are also his
-
offspring hear the words of the psalmist, David Who said this
-
about understanding with regards to, what he would do in his
-
life, he understood where God was and what God sees beginning
-
in verse 7, in the 139th Psalm whither, shall I go from thy
-
Spirit or whither? Shall I flee from thy presence
-
if I Ascend into heaven? Thou Art there, if I make my bed
-
in hell, behold Thou Art there. If I Take the wings of the
-
morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea.
-
Even there shall be thy hand to lead me and thy right hand shall
-
hold me. If I say, surely Darkness shall
-
cover me. Even the night shall be light
-
about me. Yay, the darkness hideth, not
-
from D but the night shine it as the day.
-
The darkness and the light are both alike to be for thou Hast
-
possessed my rings. Thou has covered me in my
-
mother's womb. I will praise thee for, I am
-
fearfully and wonderfully. Made marvelous are thy works and
-
that my soul, no with right, well, my substance was not hid
-
from thee when I was made perfect made in secret and
-
curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
-
Thine Eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in my
-
book and in thy book, all my members were written.
-
Which in continuance were fashioned when.
-
As yet there was, none of them all the psalmist, David
-
understood that he could never depart from the eyes of the
-
Lord. The Hebrew writer said and
-
Hebrews chapter 4, and verse 13. You said neither is there any
Hebrews 4 chapter mention
-
creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are
-
naked and open done to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
-
Jeremiah 23 and 24 says, can any hide himself in secret places
-
that I shall not see him. Saith the Lord do not.
-
I feel Heaven and Earth saith. The Lord.
-
I'll tell you something. The greatest compliment, get
-
this. the greatest compliment that a Christian could ever
-
receive in this world is when someone looks at your life and
-
makes the statement that you live what you say, That is the
-
greatest compliment that you will ever be given is that those
-
people live it. What a beautiful thing that is
-
But sometimes folks, don't live. It's very sadly.
-
They some folks don't I'll just tell you this.
-
What you are for real in your heart is what you are.
-
When you're not around God's people, it's what you are in
-
your busy day, it's the decisions that you make.
-
It's the things that you say is the language, you choose.
-
It's the lifestyle that you have.
-
That's what God sees, when you're not around these people
-
and you can never escape the All-Seeing eyes of God.
-
No matter what we do. The Bible says be not deceived.
-
God is Not mocked for whatsoever.
-
A man soweth that shall he also reap but secondly you know what
-
else we learn we learn that it's dangerous to have a sectarian
-
Spirit, we find Jonah manifesting a sectarian Spirit.
-
Perhaps I don't know that there was an underlying racism in his
-
heart. This might explain why he fled
-
to Tarsus in the beginning. He possessed The Same Spirit as
-
As the elder brother of the prodigal son.
-
You know, we talk about that story.
-
We always mention the younger son, we mentioned the younger
-
son and rightfully, so we should because it shows the loving
-
father and forgiveness, when one, we would repent,
-
absolutely, beautiful story. But sometimes we forget the
-
Elder son. You know, he was a prodigal too.
-
The word prodigal means, wasteful.
-
And the one that left, he was a prodigal but the one that stayed
-
was the one as well. You would think.
-
That after his younger brother had come back and owned it and
-
accepted that all he had done and wasting his substance with
-
riotous living. And all of the horrible things
-
that he had done. He Hebrew boy, in the midst of
-
pigs Rises up. And says, I'm going to go to my
-
father and I'm going to say, don't make me like your son,
-
make me a hired servant, that's good enough for me.
-
I'm not worthy to be called thy son because of the choices that
-
I have made, and because of the sin That I have been living in
-
so we purposes I'm going to rise up and I'm going to speak to my
-
father when he does, he stands before his father and he says I
-
have sinned against heaven and against me and I am no more
-
worthy to be called thy son but you remember what the father
-
does? He stops him in mid-sentence and
-
says no put a ring on his hand. Put a robe on him.
-
Kill the fatted calf. Let's eat and drink and be merry
-
for this. My son was dead and is alive.
-
He was lost and is found You would think that his older
-
brother would be a lady but his older brother was out there in
-
the field. You remember that?
-
And all of a sudden he hears all of this goings-on, he hears the
-
celebration he hears the music and he wonders.
-
What's going on down there? When he finds out?
-
It's because his brother had come back.
-
He's angry and refuses to go into the celebration,
-
manifesting a sectarian Spirit. When the father entreated him
-
this. Was his response.
-
He said, Lo these many years. Do I serve thee neither
-
transgressed. I at any time thy commandment
-
and yet thou never gave us me a kid that I might make Merry with
-
my friends, but as soon as this by son was come, which hath
-
devoured thy living, with harlots thou Hast killed for
-
him, the fatted calf, and he said unto him, son, thou art
-
ever with me and That I have is thine.
-
It was meat that we would make Merry and be glad for this thy
-
brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found,
-
you know, there was another time when folks had this attitude and
-
it was to Jesus. You remember that in Matthew,
-
the 9th chapter verses 10 through 13 when they had their
-
Spirit toward Jesus, when Jesus was eating with publicans and
-
Sinners. And the Bible says beginning in
-
verse 10, and it came to pass. As Jesus sat at meat in the
-
house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down
-
with him and his disciples, and when the Pharisees saw it, they
-
said unto his disciples, why eateth your master with
-
publicans and sinners, but when Jesus heard that he said unto
-
them, they that be whole need not a physician, but they that
-
are sick, but go ye and learn what that meaneth.
-
I will have mercy and not sacrifice for.
-
I am not come to call the righteous.
-
But to The Sinner to repentance. Never ever, let it be said to of
-
any of God's people. That we would refuse to embrace
-
our brother or sister who repents and comes back.
-
You know why? That's a blessing, you know,
-
why? We Rejoice we rejoice and using
-
the verbiage of what the Bible just said, because he was lost
-
and is now found You remember 1st Corinthians 5.
-
Oh, what a simple thing was going on in court.
-
At that time, the Apostle Paul had to address.
-
The he said it's so bad, it's not even mentioned among the
-
Gentiles He repented their didn't and by the second letter
-
he says, you embracing you receive him and you love him.
-
So he's not overcome with over much sorrow.
-
All let's never have a sectarian Spirit when someone repents and
-
comes to the Lord, but thirdly and finally, we learned that God
-
is willing to relent where there is repentance.
-
We learned that from such preaching of condemnation.
-
It's also it's often conditional.
-
In Jeremiah chapter 18 beginning in verse 7.
Jeremiah 18 chapter mention
-
It says, and what instance I shall speak concerning a nation
-
and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to
-
destroy it. If that Nation against whom I
-
have pronounced turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil
-
that I thought to do unto them and at what instant I shall
-
speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to build
-
and to plant it if it do evil. In my sight that it obey not my
-
voice. Then I will repent of the good
-
wear with. I said I would benefit them and
-
notice this to you know, what else we learn?
-
We learn, sometimes that the least likely candidate is the
-
one that becomes converted, your seen.
-
That sure, we have Let's never prejudge Anonymous, folks.
-
Let's never prejudge a heart, we don't know what's going on in
-
the heart. So everyone is treated the same,
-
we take the Glorious seed of the gospel and we spread it to those
-
that are in the world. It's their responsibility to
-
have a good and honest heart. It's not my responsibility to
-
judge whether they have one and God.
-
He said that, if I'll do my part, if you'll do your part
-
with the seed of the gospel and the sin, Has the good heart God
-
will give the increase. Remember this?
-
There's been some folks that have made some horrible
-
decisions in their life and live as almost the devil's disciple
-
but came to a point in their life when they said I'm no
-
longer and going to live like this anymore, I'm going to
-
become a Christian that happens here.
-
What Paul said, here's an example of just that First
1 Corinthians 6 chapter mention
-
Corinthians chapter 6. Hear the language of Paul
-
beginning in verse 9 He says know, ye not that.
-
The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-
Be not deceived neither fornicators.
-
Idolaters adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with
-
mankind, nor thieves nor Covetous, nor drunkards, nor
-
revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.
-
Paul is saying all of these that have taken these paths.
-
Are those of the unrighteous Righteous.
-
And they shall not see the kingdom of God, but notice what
-
he says next and such were some of you, you know, who he's
-
writing to. He's writing to Christians, he
-
said and such were some of you but you are washed, but you are
-
Sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the
-
Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our God.
-
In conclusion this morning. This is a great lesson for so
-
many of us actually to great lesson for all of us.
-
It's a good lesson for preachers.
-
I'll tell you that and that's to never prejudge an audience and
-
don't ever avoid the responsibility that God has
-
placed upon the preacher. It's a value to every single
-
Christian as to never have a selfish narrow minded sectarian
-
spirit and to be concerned for the wicked wherever they are and
-
finally, it's a value to sinners.
-
That God loves you, but listen. Destruction is coming.
-
Destruction is coming. We have to be in obedience to
-
the word of God. The gospel in order to be saved.
-
But God loves The Sinner. He loves the alien sinner who
-
has never been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
-
Who has never heard the word of God, believing Jesus for, whom
-
he is repented of their sins and decided.
-
I no longer want to live like that.
-
Those that have not confess Jesus Christ.
-
As the Son of God, he gone down into the Waters of baptism
-
Horizon walking in the street life, God loves those people,
-
but destruction is coming. He also loves those that have
-
been enlightened by the gospel, and I've decided to go back and
-
turn back and go back to the ways of the world, he loves you.
-
But destruction is coming. But the best part of all, if
-
Will repent, if will change, if we're take that stand, if Will
-
obey the gospel would bake and be baptized for the remission of
-
our sins, we are embraced and he will relent the destruction.
-
That would be coming to us. We thank you for listening to
-
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
-
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
-
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
-
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at
-
search of Christ Bakersfield.com.
-
Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
-
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please make plans to join us.
-
We would love for you to be our honored.