RUNAWAY – Part 3 – Repentance Changes Things

*God is a God of redemption.  God is a God of second chances.  So what activates this?  What switches our status from RUNNING to RESTING?  What switches our status from RESISTING to RELYING?
*That switch is REPENTANCE.  When we flip the switch of repentance, everything changes.  REPENTANCE is the SWITCH that realigns our SQUANDERING with his SOVEREIGNTY.
1. Repentance changes things because God is PATIENT.

  1. (v1-3)  “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.’  So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.  Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days journey in breadth.”

  2. THE PROCESS HAS VALUE.  THE ONLY WAY WE GET THE PRODUCT IS BY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS

 

2. Repentance changes things because God is PERSISTENT.

  1. (v4-5)  “Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey.  And he called out, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’  And the people of Nineveh believed God.  They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.”

  2. When Jonah obeyed God, one of the greatest revivals in history took place!

 

3. Repentance changes things because God is POWERFUL.

  1. (v6-9)  “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles:  Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything.  Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God.  Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  Who knows?  God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

    1. The King’s Response:  What does true repentance look like?  The King lays down his POSITION & IDENTITY.

      1. “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

      1. Trades his THRONE for the GROUND.

        1. He trades his position of POWER for a place SUBMISSION.

      2. Trades his ROBE for SACKCLOTH.

        1. He trades his garment of ROYALTY for one of SLAVERY.

           

          *Because repentance precedes obedience, repentance is the switch that realigns us with Him and enables us to do what He calls us to do.

        3. Repentance changes things because God is COMPASSIONATE.

          1. (v10)  “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

          2. Even though Jonah was disobedient.  Even though he took a ship in a totally different direction.  Even though he tried to flee from the presence of God.  Even though he almost killed the ship crew in a storm.  Even though he was thrown overboard into the sea.  Even though he was swallowed by a whale.  Even though he was puked up onto the beach alone.  Even though it appeared he ruined it all, GOD’S PURPOSE WAS STILL COMPLETED.

 

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