A midlife crisis.
A fabulous failure.
Fear of where you're headed.
! Fear of where you're headed.
A longing for change.
Whether you're at home right now or you're in the room with me here,
! I know that at least once in your life already,
you have felt the urge to turn your life around.
Change your plans, your school, your jobs, your friendship group.
You break the lease.
You end a relationship.
You upend your routines.
You lock yourself out of your apps on your phone.
Or you sell a guitar.
Sometimes you can.
Sometimes you must.
Or you can't and you wish you could.
Turn your life around.
Have you ever said out loud,
I have to turn my life around?
At our best, we try and live a life that leads down the path that suits our needs,
our joys, our comforts, even suits our loved ones.
But the message of the Bible is that God needs to turn your life around so that you may truly live.
Can God really do that?
Can God turn your life around?
And would it really matter if you did?
My name is Nick.
I'm a discipleship pastor here at St. Paul's.
I'm really glad you're here.
And I'm really glad that today we're in Jonah chapter 3.
At the end of chapter 2, we land with Jonah on the beach.
Spat out of a fish.
Stinking of stomach.
Squinting in the sun.
Somehow still alive.
God has relented from destroying him and saved him.
So what should God have done next?
Is he going to scold Jonah like an angry parent?
Is he going to give him a new set of stricter rules to live by?
Or is he going to put a pressure on him with a threat?
That, ah, this is your last chance.
No.
Instead, Michelle just read that God renews his partnership with his prophet.
Jonah got a clean slate as if he'd never run away at all.
The book of Jonah could start chapter 3, verse 1.
Jonah was tumbled in the water, taste tested by a fish, turned back to God and all by grace.
God really can turn a life around in dramatic fashion.
In chapter 3, God reset his expectations of Jonah.
He still had to go to Nineveh and, like God says at the beginning of Jonah, preach against it for their wickedness.
But this time, Jonah obeyed.
What would Nineveh do in response to God's message?
Would they ignore Jonah or would they turn to God and repent?
Repent.
To turn from living life your old way and to turn toward God is called repentance.
Jonah 3 is going to show you Nineveh's response as an example of our need for repentance, the nature of repentance, and the hope of repentance.
All people need to God.
And if you turn to him, he will turn your life around.
There is assurance available.
Assurance for the repentant.
Because God is gracious and merciful to all people.
Now, there was a great need for repentance where Jonah was sent.
I shared three weeks ago when we started the book of Jonah that Nineveh was known for its brutality.
Even their allies were allies because they feared them.
According to historians, there was even more going on here in Nineveh at the time.
More going on than usual.
There had been an ominous solar eclipse.
There had been earthquakes.
There had been political uprisings.
And there was conflict everywhere between those under the thumb of royal rule and those wanting to break that thumb.
Nineveh couldn't stay a superpower unless that changed.
It was as if God had prepared the ground ready for Jonah's message to take root.
Jonah walked for a whole day, as we've read.
Whole day into this vast city.
Still hadn't got to the middle of it.
And he would have seen everywhere a desperate need for change.
So as Jonah spoke, it only took five words in his language.
Eight words in English.
Eight words to convince people that they needed to turn their life around.
Jonah proclaimed in verse 4,
The Ninevites believed God.
News of coming destruction led to belief in the God who had sent that message.
There's no mention here of Jonah's preaching style.
His hairdo.
His teaching technique.
His charisma.
Maybe how he smelt.
Or anything else that can make his message more listenable.
Or more relatable.
Or more fearfully obeyable.
Instead, there's simply a heart response.
A heart response to the word of God that led to belief.
Nineveh's belief was not like belief light.
It was weighty.
It's the same Hebrew word for believed used when Israel saw the Red Sea crash down and drown Pharaoh's army.
Then Israel believed.
Same word.
In God.
On the evidence of God's deliverance.
But this time, just God's few words bring belief.
That word moved from the street into homes.
From the lowly to the rich.
From the peasant to the palace and all the way to the king.
The king had riches.
He had his reputation.
And the protection of his army.
But those same eight words broke his trust in his kingdom's strength.
And he, too, believed.
Nineveh had armies that annihilated entire peoples.
Like whole cities off the face of the earth.
They could have easily imagined how something like that would happen to them if there was a greater army out there.
But here they fear something greater.
They fear a God.
Look at verse 8.
Let everyone call urgently on God.
Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.
When the king believed, he believed because he saw they, the whole nation and him, had a moral debt to God for their evil and their violence.
And that debt had brought upon them a spiritual consequence.
That of judgment.
God's word hit bullseye in their heart.
Did any of you hear Michelle read that passage this morning?
Or have you ever read Jonah before and heard about Nineveh's belief?
And think, what Jonah said, those eight words, why does that?
How is that enough?
Surely Jonah then went on a preaching tour and was on TV on the morning show and got to speak in the universities to all the intellectuals.
No, just five words in Hebrew.
How is that enough?
How isn't it like Pharaoh, when Moses spoke to him,
talked about God's coming judgment upon Egypt,
unless they let God's people go?
Pharaoh said no, over and over and over and over again.
The answer is that it takes the power of God
for our need of repentance to seem reasonable,
beyond logic and circumstance.
An early church leader called Paul talked about it like this.
Opponents must be gently instructed
in the hope that God will grant them repentance,
leading them to a knowledge of the truth.
Notice that God initiates repentance
before we know we need it.
Through his word,
God powerfully leads us to a gift.
A gift is seeing our need
to return to him.
Nineveh's believing king
commanded
that his people turn away
from the Assyrian way of life,
their evil ways
and their violence
is his summary of that.
They are turning
from their sin.
Sin is anything done
against God's will
and order.
God revealed to Nineveh
through his word to them
that their evil hearts
and violent hands
were sinful.
Nineveh surrendered
because God revealed
their sin against him
and that their judgment day
was a month away.
The nature of repentance
is demonstrated here
in what the king
then led his people
to do about their sin.
First,
he joined in
with his people.
Verse 6,
when Jonah's warning
reached the king of Nineveh,
he rose from his throne,
took off his royal robes,
covered himself
with sackcloth
and sat down
in the dust.
The kings of Nineveh
were often given
these extra kingly titles.
You think king
might be the top
but then there's
king of the universe
or king of the four corners
of the world.
But here,
Nineveh's king
stood down
from his throne,
removed all signs
of his royalty
and joined his nation
mourning in the dust
in awfully itchy sackcloth.
It's such a humanizing moment.
Imagine seeing that throne room
empty,
all the fancy clothes
thrown on the floor
and then going outside
and seeing all the people
together in the street.
There was nobody
in Nineveh
more or less
in need
of repentance
and no difference
in the nature
of their repentance.
All people
must repent
the same
by turning to the grace
and mercy
of God.
Once the king
had joined his people
in the dust,
he said,
by the decree
of the kings
and nobles,
do not let animals,
herds or flocks
taste anything.
Do not let them
eat or drink
but let people
and animals
be covered in sackcloth.
Let everyone
call urgently on God.
Let them give up
their evil ways
and their violence.
The three things
that they did,
they're refusing
food and water,
they're mourning
outwardly
and their
calling out
to God
reveal
the nature
of repentance.
Their fasting
created
inner hunger
and thirst.
They replaced
their inner
evil
with inner
pains,
refusing to
fuel that
evil within.
Fasting
shows their
desire to
turn away
from their
sinfulness.
Their mourning
in sackcloth
and dust
shows that
they had
surrendered
their outward
actions
and comforts.
They chose
to cause
external pains
to themselves,
bowing down
their violent
hands.
And this
shows their
desire to
turn away
from their
sinful ways.
repentance.
And then
the king
commanded
prayer
to direct
their
repentance.
He commanded
they pray
urgently to
God,
that they
call out
to him
with emotion
and put
into words
what their
fasting and
mourning
signified,
their commitment
to turn
from their
sin
and to
plead with
God for
mercy that
he might
relent.
For,
verse 9,
who knows?
God may
yet relent
and with
compassion
turn from
his fierce
anger so
we will
not perish.
Nineveh's
need
for repentance
came from
a new
belief in
God
and in
his right
judgment of
them through
his word.
And the
nature of
their repentance
was the same
for all.
It was a
turning to
God
from their
own way
of life
inwardly
and outwardly
expressed in
prayer that
was urgent,
honest,
exhaustive,
pleading for
mercy for
their sin.
Those eight
words from
Jonah had
no hope.
But the
king had
found hope
in them
that God
might
relent.
But it's
only a hope
as strong
as,
who knows?
But it
was a
hope in
a merciful
God.
For here's
how God
received their
repentance
in verse
10.
When God
saw what
they did
and how
they had
turned from
their evil
ways,
he relented
and did not
bring on
them the
destruction
that he had
threatened.
God
heard their
cries,
he saw
them turn
and he
relented.
God
reveals his
nature
here.
He is
merciful.
Nothing
Nineveh had
done had
paid for
their sin.
When
Nineveh
turned to
God,
God
turned
toward
them.
The hope
of repentance
the king
had found
was in
God's
nature,
not in
the nature
of his
people's
repentance.
Let me
explain that.
None of
the quality
of their
mourning,
not the
volume of
their prayers,
not how
many days
they'd
fasted or
what they'd
fasted from,
none of
that gave
the king
hope.
He already
had it.
The hope
that the
king has
is described
as compassion.
Compassion,
hope in
the compassion
of a
God,
even if it
was just
who knows
kind of
hope,
because the
king discovered
hope in
God's
compassion
because he
warned
them.
The word
came.
Receiving
the word
in the
first
place,
declared
hope in
the nature
of the
God who
spoke this
word,
that he
is merciful
and
compassionate.
But God
is also
a just
God.
God can
do anything,
but being
just,
he will
see
justice
done
always.
So,
how
was
justice
done
in
Jonah
3?
How
was
Nineveh's
sin
paid
for?
If
God
is
just,
judgment
must
come.
So how
is it
right and
just for
God to
relent
in
verse
10?
What
took
his
anger
away?
There is
a mystery
in
God's
mercy.
Nineveh
received
it
without
justice
for
judgment.
Not
seeing that
justice
done
was
Jonah's
main
problem.
And
without
spoilers,
I'm
going to
tell you,
Jonah's
response
was what
left
God.
Jonah
was
angry.
Come
next
week to
hear about
what
happens
next.
Jonah's
problem
with
God
should
be
our
problem.
We
should
want,
long
for
someone
to show
up who's
going to
reveal how
God's
judgment in
verse 10
of chapter
3 is
just.
You
should be
hoping for
a person
who can
show you
how to
turn and
repent of
your sin
and
who can
give you
assurance
that your
sin is
truly
dealt
with.
Without
that person,
you have a
problem,
I have a
problem,
and Jonah's
got a
legitimate
problem.
Otherwise,
hope in
God is
at best.
Who
knows?
It's a
mystery.
Well, I
have good
news for
you and
for
Jonah.
Crafted
into
Jonah 3,
in the
way that
it's
structured
for us,
is a
longing
for this
person.
There's a
clue that
unlocks the
mystery.
This chapter
is bookended
with God's
judgment
and his
verdict,
God's
word and
his
relenting.
Both are
gracious.
And we're
meant to
notice those
two verses
pull us into
the center and
look at what
happens in the
middle, which
is the center
verse in
verse 6.
Jonah's
first readers
were meant
to yearn
for someone
yet to
come, a
king who
would also
come down
from his
throne, but
give assurance
to his
repentant
people.
That person
is the
answer to
the king
of Nineveh's
who knows.
Philippians
2, 6
to 8,
we hear
that Jesus
was in
very nature
God.
Jesus
stepped
down from
his throne
in heaven
and took
on the
nature of
the lowliest
servant.
He took
off his
robes and
became a
creature like
us.
He did
not do
this to
join in
with our
repentance
like Nineveh's
king did,
but to
lead his
people to
belief in
him.
Find
assurance
in
himself.
He is
the king
who picks
people up
from the
dust,
out of the
dirt of
their fears
and failures
and their
longings to
turn their
lives around.
And he
does not
say,
follow me
and who
knows,
God might
relent.
No.
Jesus is
the king
who says,
follow me
and I
will bear
your
judgment
for you.
That is
the kind of
king I
am.
Listen to
my words
and believe
in me.
I will
die
your death
that is
promised
and bear
your sin
and judgment
so you
may live.
Jesus'
death
on the
cross
on behalf
of those
who repent
and believe
in God's
word
was the
moment
the wrath
and fierce
anger of
God
were poured
out on
the sinless
king
of
sinners.
Their sin
was once
for all
paid
for
at the
cross.
Nineveh's
trust in
God's
nature
and belief
in God
meant that
800 years
later
Jesus
died
bearing
Nineveh's
judgment.
God is
just.
God can
forgive
because
Jesus
drank
down
the
cup
of
judgment
even
for
the
most
lost
and
far
off
sinner.
Jesus
suffered
to declare
assurance
to the
repentant
and as he
hung
on our
cross
Jesus
received
his own
extra
kingly
title
which
was far
greater
than the
Nineveh
kings
of old.
A sign
was nailed
above
Jesus'
head
written
in all
the
common
languages
of the
time
the
local
language
the
old
language
of the
empire
and the
new
language
of Rome
for all
people to
read
this is
Jesus
king
of the
Jews
was
the
name
for the
people
of
God
but
it's
not
just
for
Israel
it's
the
name
for
anyone
who
follows
him
Jesus
is
the
king
who
brings
assurance
to
all
sinners
he
is
the
king
of
God's
people
and
the
king
of
kings
do
you
see
your
sin
but
have
never
turned
to
God
you
need
to
repent
do
it
urgently
wholeheartedly
!
truthfully
crying out
to God
for mercy
assured
that
because
of your
king
Jesus
there
is
forgiveness
that God
longs
to offer
to you
God
really
can
turn
your
life
around
do
you
follow
Jesus
but
you
haven't
turned
your
whole
life
toward
him
part
of you
has
turned
away
reflect
is
that
you
reflect
on what
that might
be
and then
repent
do it
urgently
wholeheartedly
honestly
crying out
to God
for mercy
assured
that
because of
your
king
Jesus
you
have
forgiveness
already
and a
relationship
with God
that is
safe
ask God
to help
turn your
life
around
to your
king
all of
it
and find
your sin
already
gone
and rejoice
God
can really
turn
every
life
around
God
turned
Jonah's
life
around
on a
beach
and sent
him to
Nineveh
our
prophet
King
Jesus
offers
to turn
your
life
around
and this
is the
king
King
Jesus
message
from the
first
church
to today
that we
carry into
the city
of Chatswood
that you
carry into
your
workplace
your
school
your
home
I have
declared
to both
Jews
and Greeks
that they
must turn
to God
in repentance
and have
faith
in our
Lord
Jesus
all
people
who know
God
or don't
yet know
him
must turn
and repent
and have
faith
in our
king
Jesus
Christ
your
king
calls you
to repent
so turn
pray
and find
him
willing
to lift
you
from
the
dust
and join
in
with the
mission
of your
king
he will
stand
with you
strengthening
you
with hands
that still
bear the
scars
from enduring
your judgment
for your
sin
and with
all God's
people
globally
who make
his message
their story
take it
with you
into your
city
every day
declare
the words
of your
king
that are
words
of life
that there
is hope
hope
with
assurance
that God
can turn
your life
around
and
you
see you
in
the
way