The Hope of the Nations
July 2, 2023 • Joey Persutti • Jonah 1:17—2:10
We can have hope because of the power of God.
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…
Jonah 3:1-3a
Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 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.
Jonah 3:3b-5a
God’s power to change someone’s life isn’t up to us.
We can have hope because we will see it.
They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
Jonah 3:5b-6
How serious is your faith this morning?
We can have hope for the world because of Jesus.
And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, her 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. 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.
Jonah 3:7-10
Painting of Nineveh’s destruction (sent in the email)
“The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12:41
the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel.
Are you willing to confess that Jesus is King today?