Welcome to Dingwall Free Church A Sinner Sent: A City Saved When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Jonah 2:7 God Calls Us to delight in Christ and to Share His Hope

ORDER OF SERVICE Psalm 48 B:1-9* (p. 64) Prayer and Children’s Talk Psalm 32:7-11* (p. 38) Reading: Jonah 3 Psalm 119:9-16 (p. 400) Sermon Psalm 25:4-9* (p. 29)

Bible Reading – Jonah 3 Page 928

Bible Reading (Pew Bible - page 928) Jonah 3:1-10 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days.

Bible Reading (Pew Bible - page 928) Jonah 3: On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news 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. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

Bible Reading (Pew Bible - page 928) Jonah 3:1-10 "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."

Bible Reading (Pew Bible - page 928) Jonah 3: When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah - A Sinner Sent: A City Saved January 2007 Sermon Series Jonah is about the BIG THEMES of the Bible – not a Big Fish. Themes of grace, mission, election, failure, repentance, becoming useful to God. About God correcting his people: Rev 3:19, Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Prov 3:12, The LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) Jonah 2 ends: Salvation is from the Lord. Did God need Jonah, any more than he needed William Carey in India? If salvation is God's business, won't he do it all, without our help? Jonah 3 is the answer! William Carey

1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) Jonah, Jesus and Carey all knew God’s method of saving people: God sends a preacher, to warn of judgment, and bring people to repentance. God’s GRACE to the preacher (2) as well as the hearers.

1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) 3:1 A fresh start for Jonah, NOT for God. His plan is the same. Jonah's job is to speak on God's behalf, not to make it up. (5 – they believed God, not Jonah). Preaching is NOT only something that happens from a pulpit. Are we as committed as God to sending preachers?

2 – God Cares Enough to Warn of Judgment (3-4) 1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) 3:3 Nineveh was a great city: i.e. important to God, it mattered to him. Took 3 days to cross (ESV/ NIV 1978), or 3 days for a proper diplomatic visit (later NIV editions). God cares greatly for this CITY (4:11).

2 – God Cares Enough to Warn of Judgment (3-4) 1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) Jonah’s message: 40 more days and Nineveh will be overturned. A summary of his preaching! A warning of absolute, final and catastrophic judgment. But there is time to do something - a period of grace. A final demand, before you get cut off! Final Demand

2 – God Cares Enough to Warn of Judgment (3-4) 1 - God Cares Enough to Send a Preacher (1-2) Are we as committed to warning of judgment as God? Jonathan Edwards famous sermon – why preach like that? What shall we tell children about Jesus? He's not just our friend, he's our Saviour.

3 - God Cares Enough to Delight in Repentance (5-10) God Cares Enough to: 1) Send a Preacher. 2) Warn of Judgment Obvious what the Ninevites have to do, just as it was obvious at Pentecost. You killed the Christ… “What should we do?” Jesus drew attention to the Ninevites as the ones who would condemn his own generation for not turning.

3 - God Cares Enough to Delight in Repentance (5-10) God Cares Enough to: 1) Send a Preacher. 2) Warn of Judgment Jonah’s words are just a summary – from 8 the Ninevites knew a lot more. Jonah’s experience also preached: Luke 11:30, For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.

3 - God Cares Enough to Delight in Repentance (5-10) God Cares Enough to: 1) Send a Preacher. 2) Warn of Judgment They did the obvious thing (5-9) - didn't need to be told they were in big trouble. Do people in this town know how to repent? Do they know how to drive on the A9? Repentance is turning. The A9 At Aviemore

3 - God Cares Enough to Delight in Repentance (5-10) God Cares Enough to: 1) Send a Preacher. 2) Warn of Judgment Are we as committed as God is to bringing people to repentance? It starts with bringing ourselves to repentance. LUKE 11:32, The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.

Please join us in The Church hall for a Hot or cold drink & for Fellowship tonight in the Manse God Calls Us to delight in Christ and to Share His Hope.