Worship, that's what we've come
to do, isn't it? Every time that we gather together,
it is to worship the Lord, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And He said that those of us
who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. May God,
the Holy Spirit, enable us tonight to worship Him, for He's worthy. Now, if you will, let's open
our Bibles to Jonah chapter 2. Jonah chapter 2. I want to read
the last verse of chapter 2 and then the first few verses of
chapter 3. Jonah chapter 2. Last time that we studied here
we looked at the first nine verses of chapter 2 at Jonah's prayer
of faith and I'm impressed. I trust that you were too, those
of you who were here to see what a prayer of faith that was. I've
never seen that that I know of before in the scripture, but
one of the great prayers of the word of God is Jonah praying
in chapter two. But now in verse 10, the scripture
says, and the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out
Jonah upon the dry land. And the word of the Lord came
unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that
great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh according to the word
of the Lord. Jonah's deliverance. from the
belly of the fish, when the scripture here says that God spake to the
fish and he vomited Jonah out upon dry land, we know is a type
of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. That He who died
for us in our place and in our stead, that He was buried. Paul said, the gospel that I
preached unto you is first of all how that Christ died for
our sins according to the scripture and was buried and raised again
the third day according to the scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ
came out of that grave on the third day. And the Apostle Paul,
in that same chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, he tells us that Christ,
His resurrection, is the first fruits of them that slept. Isn't it wonderful that in the
New Testament, the death of a believer is always spoken of as sleep? As sleep. No one is afraid to
go to sleep. You know, that's just something
we're not afraid of, to go to our bed at night and go to sleep.
And even so, death for the child of God is not something to be
feared, because the Lord is with us. When he said, Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil. Now, he wasn't talking about
death there. Not necessarily. He was talking
about our life in this world. We are always in the valley of
the shadow of death and we're walking. We're pilgrims and strangers
and he's with us. Now he will be with us when it
comes time for us to leave this world. But Paul said Christ is
the first fruits of them that slept. And the first fruits we
know in the Old Testament was the first, the beginning of harvest. They would go out and gather
some of the fruit from the field and bring it to the temple as
God commanded. and waved that, it would be a
wave offering, it would be a thanks offering unto the Lord, but it
demonstrated that there was much more in the field. This was just
the first fruit, just the beginning of the harvest. And Christ came
out of the grave as the first fruit, but Paul goes on to say,
afterward, they that are Christ at His coming. So this is a picture,
this is a type, Jonah being vomited out of the fish onto dry land
is a type or picture of the resurrection of Christ. This evening, I want
us to consider two things. And I entitled the message, Jonah
Recommissioned. Jonah Recommissioned. And there
are two things that I want to bring out to us. God's super
abounding mercy and grace. That's the first thing I want
us to say. God's super abounding mercy and grace. In my first
message this time from the book of Jonah a few weeks ago, I mentioned
the fact that when God spoke of the wickedness of Ninnah,
it seemed to be aggravated before God because he said this, their
wickedness has come up before me. Now, God sees everything,
and all wickedness, all sin, all evil, God knows, God sees. But it just seems to me that
this statement, when God says their wickedness has come up
before me, and I tried to illustrate it, I know poorly, but I tried
to illustrate it with a small child. When the parent says,
don't do that, and they look you in the face, and they do
it. It just seems to make it worse. It's not any worse, but
it just seems to be. Now, wasn't the wickedness of
Jonah Wasn't His wickedness, His rebellion, wasn't it done
also in the face of God? His wickedness came up before
God. And yet in these verses we see
God, the God of all grace, the God who delights in mercy, we
see His wonderful mercy and grace, His super abounding mercy and
grace. And here are three things that
are true of Jonah when he came out of the belly of that fish.
When he was vomited out on dry land. There's three things I
want to point out to us that were now true of Jonah. And in all of these things, in
all of these things, I see once again how that God is able to
bring good out of evil. What Jonah did when he fled from
the presence of the Lord was evil. It was evil. And what he experienced in the
belly of that fish, that was evil. That was an affliction
to him. And yet God in His sovereignty,
we see, brought good out of it. What Joseph's brothers did, the
same is true in the case of Joseph. We always hold him forth as a
wonderful example. But what Joseph's brothers did
when they sold him into slavery, that was evil, that was wicked.
They sold their brother into slavery. And what Joseph experienced
in that prison, falsely accused and in prison, that was wicked,
that was evil rather for him. But yet we see how that God and
His sovereignty brought good out of it. Now when I say that,
hear me now, I'm not saying, I'm not saying, as some accuse
Paul of teaching, let us do evil that good may abound. I'm not
saying that. But I am saying that God is such
a God that He is able to make all things, all things work together
for the good of them who love Him, to them who are the called
according to His purpose. And I'm not saying that it is
not important how we live, for it is. It is our responsibility
as God's children to have a conversation in this world that becomes the
gospel of the grace of God. So when I say that I see here
how that God brings good out of evil, and give those two examples,
I'm not saying let us sin, let us do evil, that good may abound,
that grace may abound, and I'm not saying that we are not responsible
individuals as God's children to live for His pleasure. He said whatsoever you do, due
to the glory of God. That's our responsibility. The
way we thank, the way we talk, the way we walk, we have a responsibility
before God. We are God's children. But yet
I am saying this, that even from evil, God is such a great God
and He's able to bring good out of evil. And so when you find
yourself in afflictions and and troubles and trials, and we all
are in them at different times. Remember, always have hope. Always keep hope. God's able
to use this. God will use this for the furtherance
of the gospel in some way. Now here are three things that
were now true of Jonah. Here are three things that were
now true of Jonah. Number one, Jonah's sin was forgiven. Yes, he did evil. He did evil,
he did wrong, and getting on that ship, and going away from
where God had commanded him to go. But his sin was forgiven. How do we know his sin was forgiven? Well, the first few words, rather,
verse 1 of chapter 3, tell us, And the word of the Lord came
unto Jonah the second time. It would have been great mercy
and great grace if God had forgiven Jonah and said, Jonah, go back
to your home and live out your days there. But no. God is such
a God of mercy and grace. God, His forgiveness is such
that the sin forgiven is forgotten. Sometimes we tell someone, and
sometimes we mean it, I'm sure, that We forgive someone, but
it's not easy always to forget, is it? But when God forgives,
it's forgotten. His forgiveness is complete. And you know, His forgiveness,
God's forgiveness is always based on justice. It's all, God never
forgives any sin except in a just way. Every sin must be atoned. Every sin must be paid. When
God forgives us our sins, and He teaches us to pray, forgive
us our sins, we pray that every day, don't we? But every time
we do, and we are forgiven, it is in a just way. In 1st John,
the scripture says, if we confess our sins, now notice, He's faithful
and just. He's faithful and just. He's
not going to ever forgive one sin that is forgiven in any other
way than in absolute, strict justice. Why? Because if He were
to do that, He would cease to be God. He's holy. He's holy. You and I, we can Say we forgive
someone and we don't need satisfaction, but God's justice demands satisfaction. And John tells us if we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So the first thing I say about
Jonah now, his sin was forgiven. Number two, Jonah's prayer was
answered. His prayer was answered. How
do we know that his prayer was answered? Because, as we just
saw, the Word of the Lord came to him a second time. I'm thankful for many of the
promises that we find in the Word of God. Well, I'm thankful
for all of them. But one that is especially precious
to me is this one found in Psalm 50 and verse 15. When God said,
call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou
shalt glorify me. The reason this promise is so
special to me is because he said, call upon me in the day of trouble. He doesn't specify what kind
of trouble. It's an open promise, isn't it? Who would have ever thought that
that promise even meant if you call upon God in the belly of
a fish. that God will deliver you. But
it does. It means in any trouble, in every
trouble, call upon me in the day of trouble, I will. He doesn't
say I might. I will deliver thee and thou
shalt glorify me. Yet he called upon God and God
delivered him. Now the third thing about Jonah,
as he was vomited out on this dry land. First of all, his sin
was forgiven. Second, his prayer was answered.
And third, the lesson, his lesson was helpful. It was helpful. One of the many precious things
that we are told about our great high priest is this. He was taken
from among men. Our high priest isn't an angel. He was taken from among men. And the apostle goes on to explain
that he was taken from among men that he can have compassion
on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way. For that
he himself also is compassed with infirmity. Jonah's failure,
but then he tasted the goodness of the Lord, the mercy of the
Lord, and his forgiveness would serve to make Jonah a better
prophet, a better preacher. He knew by experience what it
was to be forgiven and the compassion and the sympathy that he now
had for others would be apparent. The Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians
said this about God as the God of all comfort, and this is relevant
to all of us, "...who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that
we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble. By the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God." Jonah was a better prophet. because
of his experience. I believe it was Martin Luther
who was asked one time, what does it take to make a preacher?
And he said, affliction, number one. And number two, affliction. And number three, affliction.
I remember reading many years ago Charles Spurgeon speaking
about a broken bone in his body. Not that he had one, but he made
this comment. If he ever did, he would want
a nurse who had also experienced the same thing. Why? Because
he was convinced she would be more sympathetic and more careful
to help him. By his experience, as I said,
God's able to bring good out of evil. What he did was wrong. There's no doubt about that.
And what he experienced in that fish was evil to him. But yet God brings good out of
that because now his sin is forgiven, his prayer is answered, and he
is made a better prophet. And I believe God used this in
another way. We're not told this, but the
very fact that The Ninevites believed Jonah's message. Was that because they had heard? Was that because they had heard
about Jonah? Might have been. Might have been.
But God uses many different things in making a prophet or a preacher. And I'd like to close this point
with this verse from Psalm 34 and verse 8. Where the psalmist
said, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, taste and
see. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. If you've never tasted of the
Lord, then you cannot really comment. You may have an opinion,
but it's not worth a whole lot. But if you've tasted of the Lord,
and you have experienced His amazing grace and mercy like
Jonah has, It is worth a whole lot. Blessed is the man that
trusteth in Him. Now the second part of the message
is God recommissioning Jonah. And there are three things that
I believe we may learn from God recommissioning Jonah. Number
one, notice what the Scripture says. The Word of the Lord came
unto Jonah. You know, I looked those exact
words up, those exact words, the phrase, and I found that
they are used many times throughout the Old Testament. And when we
read them, we naturally think that the Word of God, God gave
the prophet a message, God spoke in the prophet's ear in some
way and gave him a message. I know that's right. Can we not
also consider them by asking, who is the Word of the Lord?
Notice what it says. And the Word of the Lord came
unto Jonah. Who is the Word of the Lord?
Who is the Word of the Lord? Well, we know the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is the Word of God. In John
chapter 1, in verse 1, we read, In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word of
the Lord came unto Jonah. We know that Christ was the messenger
of the covenant, and He appeared many times as an angel, the angel
of the Lord through the Old Testament. So here, the Word of the Lord
came unto Jonah. Who is the Word of the Lord?
Look at this verse with me, if you will, in Revelation. I know
that you know that Christ is the eternal word of God, but
here in Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 through 13, And I saw heaven opened, Revelation
19 and verse 11. And I saw heaven opened, and
behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His
eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns.
And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. and
he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name
is called the Word of God." We all know who that is. We all
know that that is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Now,
our text tells us the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah. As I said just a minute ago,
I looked up the many times that those words are given to us. That phrase is given to us all
through the Old Testament. You know, the first time, the
very first time that we find that is in Genesis chapter 15.
And what a wonderful word this was to Abraham. Genesis chapter
15 and verse 1. After these things, what things? After he had gone and rescued
Lot. After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram
in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield. The word of the Lord came unto
Abram, and the word of the Lord said, I am thy shield, and thy
exceeding great reward. The point, the reason I bring
this out to us tonight, the point I would have us to take from
this is that it is the Lord. It is the Lord who commissions
and puts men into the ministry. That's the point I want us to
really receive. It was the Lord, the word of
the Lord came to Jonah again the second time. It's the Lord
who puts men into the ministry. The Apostle Paul thanked the
Lord for having put him into the ministry. First Timothy,
he said, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me,
for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. And when we read there, counting
him faithful, God made him faithful. God made him faithful. How does God put men into the
ministry? Well, we usually speak of this
as God calling a man to preach. And I read this, and I'm going
to read you a quote. This is from Lloyd-Jones, David
Martin Lloyd-Jones, in his book on Preachers and Preaching, which
is the best, I believe, that there is right now on preachers
and preaching. But how does a man know when
God is calling him to preach. He said this, and I quote, a
call generally starts in the form of a consciousness within
one's own spirit. An awareness of a kind of pressure
being brought to bear upon one's spirit. Some disturbance in the
realm of the spirit. Then that your mind is being
directed to the whole question of preaching. You have not thought
of it deliberately. You have not sat down in cold
blood to consider the possibilities and then, having looked at several,
have decided to take this up. It is not that. This is something
that happens to you. It is something you become aware
of rather than what you do. It is thrust upon you. It is
presented to you and almost forced upon you constantly in this way. And then he went on to quote
a saying by Charles Spurgeon, and we've all heard this, and
some of us have used this, but Charles Spurgeon, when men would
apply to the preacher school that they had there at the tabernacle,
this is one thing he would tell them. If you can do anything
else, then do it. If you can do anything else,
then do it. If you can stay out of the ministry,
stay out of the ministry. And that's good advice. God gives
a man a burden to preach. And the word of the Lord came
to Jonah again the second time. He's being recommissioned for
this work. The Lord put him into the ministry. Now the second thing, notice
here in our text, the word of the Lord came unto Jonah. It's
God, that's the point. It's the Lord who puts men into
the ministry. Young people have career day
at school. And I suppose, I don't know this
for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised they don't have some ministers
or preachers come to school and talk about being in the ministry.
Nothing could be further from the truth. A person doesn't look at the
options and decide, well, I think that looks like a good thing. That's what I'd like to do. I've
always liked to help people. And I've always liked to do good,
and so now I think that'd be a good profession for me. That's not it at all. Now the
second thing, go to Nineveh, that great city. Jonah is told
where he was to go. And we know that God sends men
and leads men to particular places. But the thing I want us to notice
is God pointed out to Jonah You go to Nineveh, that great city. Not just any city. Not just some
small town. You go to Nineveh, that great
city. And I say that God is impressing
upon this man, as He does everyone that He puts into the ministry,
that we in ourselves have no strength, that we are not sufficient
for the work that God has called us to. The man sees himself as
sufficient and able and having all the gifts and all the skills
and everything else that it takes to make a good preacher, most
likely he's never been called. A man who's been called recognizes
his weakness and his need, his need continually. Continually,
I love that scripture when the Lord Jesus Christ promised us
the Holy Spirit to be our helper. You would never know how many
times a preacher's on his knees praying, Lord help me, give me
a message, give me a message. I don't want to just take up
people's time and I sure don't want to entertain people on their
way to hell. Oh, I don't want that. 2nd Corinthians 2 and verses
14 and 16, we read, Now thanks be unto God, which always causes
us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of
his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a
sweet savor of Christ. Now listen, in them that are
saved and in them that perish. To the one we are a saver of
death unto death, and the other the saver of life unto life. And who, now this is Paul speaking,
and who is sufficient for these things? Jonah, you go to Nineveh,
that great city. It's a great city, and it's a
great work, but remember Jonah, I will be with you. I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee. I remember hearing this story
several years ago, but the service began and the preacher was not
in the auditorium and one of the men, deacons or someone,
song leader, sent a young boy, go back to the study and get
the preacher. And the boy went back there and
he came back And he was by himself. And the man said, what happened? He said, I don't know. I don't
believe he's coming. Because I heard him say this,
I will not go unless you go with me. He said, I heard the preacher
say that. I'm not going unless you go with
me. And oh, what an awful, awful
place it is to be in the pulpit along without God, without the
Spirit of God. Pray for your preacher. Always
pray that God's blessing, God's anointing will be upon him. The
third thing, and this is the last thing, Jonah is to preach
God's message. Notice what he said. Preach unto
it, that great city, the preaching that I bid thee. Some understand
this as God telling Jonah that he would be given his message
when he got there. When he reached Nineveh, you
will be given the message. It makes no difference. The point
I want to make is simply this. The message that Jonah was to
preach was given to him from the Lord. Preachers do not have
the liberty to make up their own words, their own message.
The Lord puts man into the ministry, and as Paul told Timothy, and
we read this at the beginning of the service, preach the word. Preach the word. That's your
responsibility, to preach the word. Don't try to dress it up and
make it palatable to men and women who do not love God. Preach
the word. This is one of the faults I've
believe about some of these so-called new translations of the scripture. They start off with the premise
that if we can just make the gospel understandable that people
will believe. We can't make people understand
the gospel. Only the Lord can do that. Preach
the word, preach the word, preach the word, Paul said. The instant
in season and out of season. And yes, God, He has a people
in this world that He has loved, that He has redeemed, and that
He is sure to call out. How? Through the preaching of
the gospel. Paul said, the Jews require sign,
the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ. Both the wisdom of God and the
power of God. and unto them which are called."
He's the wisdom of God and the power of God. Well, I pray that
the Lord would bless this word to all of us here tonight. We'll
sing a hymn before we're dismissed.