Dear congregation, God's message to each and every one of us tonight, and really to the whole world, can be encapsulated in the prophet Isaiah's words. In Isaiah 55, verse 7, let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him turn unto the Lord. And he will have mercy upon him, And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. That means no matter how long, and how deep, and how far you have strayed from the Lord, and how much of your life you have sinned away, the Lord is calling you back to Himself. He is saying, why will you die? Today is the day of grace. And the call to repentance is real and well-meant. Let the sinner return to God whom we have left. And what it means to turn back to God, the Bible explains very clearly. And how we do that. Scripture's filled with stories and other teachings whereby we can know what it means to turn back to God in truth. And one of those stories is before us tonight. It's not a personal turning. It's a citywide turning. A whole city. The city of Nineveh. turned to the Lord. And we want to learn from that, how each and every one of us can and must turn to the Lord, and what happens when we do. And so with the Lord's help, we wish to see these things from the chapter that was read. But let me read at this time, verse 8 through 10. Jonah 3, 8 through 10. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God. Yea, let them turn, every one, from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them. And He did it not. Thus far God's Word. Our theme with God's help is Awakening in Nineveh. Awakening in Nineveh. We'll see how it's affected by the Word of God. It's displayed in the grace of repentance. And it's greeted by the wonder of salvation. Awakening in Nineveh is affected by the Word of God. It's displayed in the grace of repentance, and it's greeted with the wonder of salvation. Well, congregation, the last time we left Jonah, we left him on the shore of the sea, on which a great fish at God's command had left him. And Jonah had learned to pray in the belly of the fish. He had, during those three days and three nights, died to his own will, and learned to see how much he needed and depended on mercy, God's Mercy and he learned to see how valuable the mercy of God was not just for himself But others as well. He says it in his prayer in chapter 2 verse 7 they that observe lying vanities Forsake their own mercy in other words those who live idolatrous lives They're missing out They're forsaking their own mercy. And Jonah in these moments learned that he needed mercy. And if he could receive mercy, then so could those wicked Ninevites whom he so hated. And so there, on the beach of the sea, we read that God's Word came to Jonah again. the second time. How thankful we should be for second times, and third times, and all the many times. The Lord mercifully sends us His Word The Lord had commanded him once, and he had disobeyed in such a fierce and hostile way. But the Lord is patient and forbearing, and he comes to Jonah the second time. Imagine, dear friends, that the Lord gave us only one chance to hear and heed God's voice. Many of us here have heard the voice of God through His Word hundreds, thousands of times. And yet tonight it comes another time, another time. What a merciful Lord of second chances, and second calls, and second opportunities. And this time Jonah goes. He obeys the word of the Lord. He makes his journey to Nineveh, far to the east, hundreds of miles, probably most likely. And he enters the city of Nineveh, this servant of the Lord. There he goes through Nineveh, which we read of as being a three days journey. Now this probably doesn't mean that it took three days to go around it, but in order to cover it, you go through the gate, and you go down this street, and down that street, and up this street, and on this market square, and you go in and out of this whole city, to cover that city at that time would have taken three days. But already on the first day, something happens. Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." Up and down the streets Jonah goes, the same monotone, short, message of God's coming judgment. Yet 40 days. Yet 40 days. Congregation, what a solemn message. And really, when it comes down to it, what a slender message. Just one sentence, children. That's all these Ninevites had, is one sentence from the lips of the servant of God. And up and down the streets he goes. You could say of Jonah what Paul says of himself in 2 Corinthians 5. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. He knew what God would do if he came after you. Because God had come after him. First with that storm. Then with that finger of those mariners. there on the boat. And then with that whale, and three days and three nights, God had come after him. And it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. And Jonah knew that. And so he goes throughout the streets of the city with that message. Nineveh is going to meet God. Nineveh is going to be destroyed. He knows it as a man who has seen and encountered the displeasure of the Lord. And he warns these people, great and small, older ones, young people, children, all of them, your days are numbered. Nineveh's days are numbered. There's an end coming very soon. Well, congregation, in a certain sense, though this is a very fearful and stark and dark message, there is a tinge of hope, even in Jonah's preaching. And you might not hear it, but we'll hear about how the king of Nineveh heard it. And he heard it in these words, yet 40 days, yet 40 days, meaning judgment hadn't come yet. The end hadn't struck yet. There was 40 days. There was time to repent. There was time to seek God. Well, my friends, I wonder if you here in the somber and stark messages that come your way, whether you hear them that same way that Nineveh was to hear them. That when a minister of God is being honest with your soul and telling you that judgment's coming, and that there is a day coming when the sun will rise, but not set again. It will rise for the last time, because this earth will be rolled up like a scroll. Do you see in that mercy that that hasn't happened yet, that you're being told about it before it's happening in order that you may repent. Think of that next time. Think of that today as you hear a sermon that may deeply unsettle you, make you uncomfortable, shake you even to the core of your being. We pray God will. But notice here how there's a silver lining that you must see, and I pray that you may see. You see, congregation, the Lord gives us space to repent. Do you know that this verse was in the Bible in Revelation 2 verse 21? I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. The Lord typically gives people space to repent. He warns, He calls, He gives solemn warnings. in order that people would heed them and turn. But if they don't use this space to repent, then they go into eternity warned. And how much worse that is. Well, congregation, what was it that did this mighty work there in Nineveh? Well, it was the Word of God. It was the preaching of Jonah. Blessed by the Lord. The people hear this message. And contrary to what you might think, these people don't start throwing stones at Jonah. They don't take him and imprison him and throw him to the deepest dungeon. They don't throw him off the city wall and tell him to go back to his own people. No, none of that. They, the word says here in verse 5, so the people of Nineveh believed. Believed God. Do you see that? They believed God. It doesn't even say there that they believed Jonah. That would have been something. If it said that these people had believed Jonah. No. They believe God. And that's what we need, isn't it? It could be that some of you are believing me or your pastor. That's not enough. When we come together in places like this for the preaching of the word of God, it's not about ministers, it's not about men, it's not about what I say. It's about God, the God of heaven and of earth. Do you hear His voice? Do you believe God as He speaks through His word? The people of Nineveh believed God. You see, congregation, that explains everything that happens from this point. This repentance that we're going to look at under our second point, this proceeds from the root of faith, where these people believed God. They took God at His Word. They realized that God was in this. And that whatsoever God says is true and real and needs to be reckoned with. So often when we hear the Word of God, put our own opinions next to it. Or we try to evaluate it. Or we finesse it. Or we find fault with the messenger. And there's much fault to be found with messengers. And I'm sure Jonah could have been faulted as well. But what a blessing it is when we believe God, when we hear the voice of our Maker speaking to us through His Word. And the men of Nineveh believed God. Oh dear friends, that's what we want. That's what we want here. That's what we want wherever God's Word comes. That people would, it would dawn on them that God The Lord has spoken from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same. And that God is majestic and powerful, and He's justly displeased with sin. Dear friends, if you're unconverted here today, it's because you've never believed God. No matter what you think, no matter what you tell yourself, You might have certain beliefs. You might even believe the minister, but you have never come to reckon with God. Because when once you do that, then you are nothing but in the dust before God. You realize that God is a majestic God who can do with you what He wants. That you are in His hands, and that He is bearing with you. And that He could have gotten rid of you long ago, that He is born with you, day in, day out, despite everything, that He is done upon you and for you. My dear friends, he that cometh to God must believe that He is. Do you believe that God is. That God is real. That God is speaking. That God is here. And every word that proceeds out of His mouth has been purified seven times. It's fire. It's bright. It's clear. It's real. And one day you will be judged by every word that proceeds out of His mouth. And in that moment you won't be able to doubt a word of it. The men of Nineveh believed God. What an amazing thing. You know, when we believe God, then there is an effect. And there is this effect that we repent of our sin, as we see in our second point. Awakening at Nineveh, not only affected by God's Word, but displayed in the grace of repentance. The grace of repentance. Did you know that repentance is not a work that we do? It's the grace of God. It's the gift of God's Spirit, who works in the heart of sinners, whereby they not only see their danger, but they also see how filthy sin is, and how hateful sin is in the sight of God. They don't just measure sin against their neighbor's sin, or the world's sin, or what you read in the newspaper, but they learn to measure sin as it truly is against the high majesty of God. And when that happens, along with a need for and a view of God's mercy, that there is a way of escape, in God, in His mediator, then there is true repentance, along with this desire to serve God all our days, to no longer live for ourselves, but live in thankfulness to God. Well, perhaps you say that's all quite abstract, and indeed it is. It is the biblical teaching of the Word of God that repentance is the gift of God's Spirit, whereby He works in sinners' hearts, whereby they see the danger and hatefulness of sin, and they flee to the mercy of God for pardon, and resolve to walk in His ways according to His commandments all their days. But thanks be to God, God not only gives us an abstract definition of repentance, but here in our passage, he gives us a very vivid picture, very concrete, very practical picture of what true repentance involves. A beautiful picture, really, indeed, and let's see it in three sub-points here. True repentance involves sorrow of heart, brokenness of heart, It feels like someone has let loose an arrow that's gone into our hearts, and we feel pain and sorrow. Not just over the consequences of sin, but that we have grieved God, the good doing God. We're broken by that. And we wonder how we could have done that, though we know we have. And that's indeed what happened to Nineveh. The whole city lies there in dust and ashes, which was a sign of mourning. That's what you would do if your dear one was taken away by death. There they are, covering themselves with dust and with ashes. They would dig in their fire pits and take these ashes and put them on their heads and they would tear their clothes and there they would sit in mourning because they had offended God by their sin. And their hearts were, as it were, ripped apart. They were grief stricken. And this is not just a few people. From the top, on down, from the greatest even to the least, it says. This includes the king. Somehow the message reaches the king on the throne of Nineveh. And dear friends, this king is not a good person. You would not want this king for a president, or a ruler, or a father. The violence of Nineveh is well documented. This man would have today been tried for war crimes. This is an awful man. But there he sits and the message comes, 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed. And I picture it this way, this man's face becomes ashen and his head hangs down. And he knows that God is true. And that he's trifled with God days without number. And he takes off his royal robe. He takes off this robe and throws it down. And he comes off his throne. And back then you don't take off your royal robe. Not when you're king. Unless you are torn apart. And this man was torn apart. In the dust his honor lies. And there he is. He, too, grabs ashes. He, too, tears his clothes. And there he is. And he makes a pronouncement. He says, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed nor drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God. Yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, from the violence that is in their hand. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from this fierce anger that we perish not? You can know when repentance takes hold of a people, when those who are in authority, they lead the way, and they preach God's Word back to those who are under their care and under their authority. This king of Nineveh becomes a preacher in a certain sense. In fact, his message in a certain sense is wider and more well-rounded than that of Jonah himself. It includes a note of hope. But this man takes it further. Do you see that? And that is what we need. That is what you need, fathers, in your homes. That this becomes real for you. And that you come from off your throne. And that you lay aside your garments. And that you call your family to repentance. And that you lead the way. That you don't wait for your wife to lead the way. Or your children to lead the way. But that you lead the way. As this king of Nineveh does, you say children, wife, friends, whoever it is, we have sinned, I have sinned, and it's time to turn. It's time to turn. Friends, do you see how there's no excuse? Do you not see those in arenas of responsibility, how you ought not to lead just in the big things of life, just when things are good, just to your own advantage. But you ought to lead spiritually. You ought to lead those entrusted to you spiritually. And not just by telling them what to do, but by doing it and leading the way. Take that robe off, that authority, that safety, that thing that you pride yourself in. Lead the way in repentance, in dust and ashes. True repentance involves sorrow of heart. One more thing, even the animals weren't allowed to eat and drink, and they had to be covered by sackcloth and ashes. Imagine this, if you were a farmer, you had a few animals, a few goats, a few lambs, we would say today some household pets, or if you're a farmer, you have cattle. They're not going to eat? They're not going to drink? What is that? Seems cruel almost, doesn't it? But here's the point. If we have offended God, then everything around us needs to answer to God. And if all we have is 40 days, then we're not worried about the economy. We're not worried where we're going to be on day 41. If we have sinned against God, let everything around us declare that we have sinned. So these cattle with ashes on them following their masters and their families and hungry and thirsty and needing these things. They were all so many pictures of what sin has done. You know the Bible says that this creation groans and is in travail even until now awaiting the adoption of the children of God. That day comes when new heaven and new earth breaks out upon us, and until then we're in a fallen world. Yes, we should treat the things that have been given to us with care and concern, but whatever the way may be, let us know deep in our souls, we have offended against God. And things can't come right unless God makes them right. True repentance involves sorrow of heart. But secondly, true repentance involves a turning from sin and a forsaking of it. Dear friends, it's not enough simply to feel sorry or even deeply sorry about sin. It needs to come to actions. It needs to come to fruits. John the Baptist said, bring forth fruits, meat for repentance. Don't comfort yourself simply in being church members, or the seed of Abraham, or people who had godly parents. No, there need to be fruits, fruits of repentance. As King of Nineveh tells his people, turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. The Ninevites were known as a violent people. They bragged about how violent they were. And dear friends, violence is taking hold of our nation as well. But rather than looking at others, to what extent have we relished violence? To what extent are we watching violence and we're not moved by it? We're hardened to it. video games, shows. Why don't we grieve and mourn over violence that takes people's lives, that injures people, that harms people? And of course there's many more sins as well. Anger, hatred, envy, bitterness, greed, Lust, pornography, drunkenness, disobedience to parents and superiors, unbelief against God, against His Word. The form that we read of the Lord's Supper speaks in great detail about these and other sins. The Bible says, break off sins by righteousness. And so not among thorns. We need true Reformation congregation. Nothing less than that will do. And I'm not talking here about doing it in our own strength, but I am talking about doing it, and doing it in the Lord's strength, looking to the Lord. A man or a woman who mourns over sin, but will not put a sword through sin, through bosom sin, does not know the life of repentance, and can take no assurance that they have repented. This doesn't mean that we have no remaining faults or sins, that we do not daily struggle with sin. We do. In fact, the struggle becomes worse. The struggle is violent and hard. But dear friends, it's Reformation time. It's time for real actions. It's time to do business with our souls and with God, truly and really. To ask God to show you your sin, to give you strength to cut it off, to become accountable to one another, to break off sins as we saw with righteousness. Because God is on His way. Judgment is coming. It's time to repent and to break off sin. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 11, he says to the Corinthians, you sorrowed after a godly sword. How does he know that? Just because they were torn up? Just because they were broken? Just because they mourned? No, they did that. But he says, what carefulness it wrought in you. what clearing of yourself, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what revenge. Convicted of sin, they didn't cover it up. Those whom they had sinned against, they went and they asked forgiveness and pardon. They sought to be reconciled to those who they were not reconciled with, as much as was in their power. They left their gift at the altar. and were reconciled to their adversary before they sought to worship God. That's what it is. That's what it is to break off sins with righteousness. To have a tenderness of conscience, so that when you're convicted of sins, you don't muffle it away. You don't push it aside for another day, or another week, or another month, or you excuse what you're doing with what other people are doing. No. you must set your house in order. You must, like Zacchaeus, you must go back and restore fourfold or whatever you need to do to those whom you have offended against. Oh dear friends, what if in this week of preparation our phone lines were busy, and we would meet face to face, and there would be people who are about the business of cutting off sin and being reconciled once more. Wouldn't the peace of God descend into our hearts? Wouldn't there be, despite everything and all things, wouldn't there be this softness, this tenderness? Oh, it's hard to go to your neighbor and say, I've sinned against you. Will you please forgive me? But dear friends, that's what the grace of God does in our hearts. That's what a soul does. That means business with God. True repentance involves sorrow of heart. It involves breaking off sin and forsaking it with the help of the Lord. And thirdly, it involves crying to God for mercy, looking to God alone for mercy. Even with this slender sermon of Jonah, these Ninevites entertained a hope. If I had heard Jonah's sermon without the aid and the help of the Holy Spirit, I would have despaired. Listen, there's nothing to do. Forty days and we're done. We're gone. We're in eternity. Like we said, this king sees the silver lining. He says, who can tell? Who can tell? If God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not. It's as if he says here, we don't know for sure. But what if God comes and has mercy on us and turns away from His plan to destroy us? What if? What if God would come and have mercy upon us? Who can tell? So even from the faintest sliver of hope that this king has, he argues the goodness of the Lord which leads to repentance not to be repented of. amazing isn't it? What this man saw, and what he preaches even to you and to me today across the centuries. Cry mightily unto God, who can tell? In other words, Make it your business to take hold of God, of the horns of the altar, as it were, to plead with God for mercy, to cry mightily. Isn't that what Bartimaeus did? When it seemed like God turned a deaf ear to him, then he cried the louder. He cried mightily. He used all the remaining strength of his lungs and of his heart and of his mind, and he needed mercy most of all. He wouldn't give up until he had mercy. Cry mightily, who can tell? Those things belong together. Cry mightily, who can tell? Oh, my dear friend, I ask you, answer this before the Lord. Have you repented like this? Have you not only sorrowed over sin, have you turned from sin with the help of the Lord? And are you looking to God for mercy, crying mightily, lifting up your voice with strength? Dear friends, you have so much more than this king of Nineveh had. He had a one sentence message. And most of us have had years, decades of preaching the whole counsel of God. And dear friends, even these cattle, even these beasts, oh, if you could just see them, they would show the way. There they are, crying in their own way, heavenward. From Nineveh, there comes this cry, heavenward. King and people and beasts all reaches to the throne room of God. God have mercy. God have mercy. God have mercy. And mercy God had. And God will have, wherever a people repents, as we see in our third and final point, the awakening in Nineveh, greeted with the wonder of salvation. Well, congregation, these Ninevites had sentenced themselves to death, wearing sackcloth as they had been commanded by the king. There they were, in humility before God, throwing themselves on the mercy of God. And God from heaven saw their repentance. And we read these remarkable words. Verse 10, And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them, and He did it not. Now perhaps you say to yourself, how is it that God could repent? And how do we know that all these people were truly converted? Well, like I said at the beginning, this is a city-wide awakening and revival. This was widespread. This was in every street corner. This was in every home. Now can I say for sure that every one of these people was truly converted? Obviously I can't, and I can't judge the heart, and that's not what it's about. But one thing is sure, God from heaven looked down on Nineveh, and He saw such repentance, and such turning from evil ways, that the Lord withheld His judgment. In fact, it says here that He repented of the evil that He said He would do. Now maybe the children and others are saying, how can God repent? You just explained what repentance is for mankind, for sinners. But God, He needs never to repent. And isn't that at some level, doesn't that cause more questions than answers? How could God repent? O congregation, this is God's way of making clear that when a nation, when a people, when a person turns from his or her evil way and undergoes this change of mind which we call repentance, then God answers that with His own change of mind. He changes His mind from what He said He would do Of course, that doesn't mean that God inwardly is fickle or arbitrary and that He can change His secret will. No, not at all. The Bible says, I, the Lord, change not. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world. And yet to these people, and to a soul that casts himself upon mercy, That God does not do what He threatened to do is such a change to how we view things. That it seems, and the Bible says it this way, it's as if God repents. God changes His mind, but He doesn't in truth. It was all along God's will that He would have mercy on Nineveh, but He had threatened their destruction. And when they repented, He changed His threatened destruction, and He did it not. And congregation, this shows us how low the Lord stoops. He's willing here even to have said about Him that He changes His mind. He turns His mind in order that He would show the eagerness that He has to show mercy. And the Lord is easily entreated, the Bible says. No, that is not something to make us simply postpone repentance. Go on in our own sinful way. My dear friend, if you are one of these people who, as you hear this, you believe God, and you cry mightily, you look outside of yourself, for a remedy, for a sacrifice, for mercy, for help. And the Lord wants you to know from His Word that He hears the needy when they cry. He saves their souls when death draws nigh. This God is our salvation. And so there in Nineveh, 40 days, You have 40 days. No doubt the people started counting down when they heard Jonah's message. 39, 38, 37, 30, 20, 10, 9, 8, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And there, no doubt in the 40th day, this whole city is in the dust before God, crying mightily to God. Hour creeps by after hour. It becomes noon, then afternoon, then evening. And Nineveh still stands. And the Bible says it this way, He did it not. He did it not. He didn't do what he had threatened to do. So filled with mercy and love and grace was the heart of God. And dear friends, to us in the New Testament, it is so much clearer, so much more vivid. Because when it comes to the wonder of salvation, The Lord Jesus Christ came in the fullness of time, and He who had never committed sin, and who had never any need of any repentance over sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. Upon Him the judgment came, because He willingly took the cup of the wrath of God for sinners. in order that it might be said of you and of me, repent and lean on mercy. He did it not. And dear friends, that is Calvary. That is the mystery of the gospel. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their iniquities to them, but rather imputing the sin of sinful, guilty Ninevites. And people like you and me, imputing it upon His Son. He did it to Him in order that He might not do it to people like you and like me. And dear friends, don't you see what a wonder, what a wonder this is. I can't explain it. I can't make sense of it. I can't understand it for myself. I can't understand that God, it would be right if He cast us all away. That God, for reasons known only to Himself, has a heart that's bubbling over. I speak with reverence, with mercy, for vile sinners who have sinned and sinned and sinned and sinned. And He has grace to help in time of need. Oh dear friends, do you not say with Micah 7, who is a God like unto thee? That pardons iniquity, that retains not His anger forever. He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us. He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. He will do it not for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the blood of sprinkling. My dear unconverted friend here tonight, don't you see that this is a message that should send you to your knees to cry mightily, that this would also be for you. that God would have mercy on you, that He would give you this repentance and give you to taste of this mercy. But be sure of this, judgment is coming. Judgment is on its way. Dear friends, I don't know if it's 40 days, I don't know if it's 40 minutes for you or for me, but one thing is as true today as it was in Jonah's time. The Lord is easily entreated by sinners who cast themselves upon mercy. Throw yourselves upon mercy. Cry mightily unto God and He will have mercy. Dear congregation, do you know that one day everybody here will see these Ninevites again? We will. This King of Nineveh, And all these people will see them. The Lord Jesus says this in Matthew 12, that in the judgment, the Ninevites will rise up in judgment against unrepentant sinners. Imagine that. Imagine that unconverted sinner here tonight facing not only God and the Lamb, but this King of Nineveh. And He's going to add, as it were, to your condemnation in that day, and He's going to say, We had the preaching of Jonah, one line, with all but no hope. And we repented in dust and ashes. Look at what you had. You were on the other side of the cross. You were on the other side of the blood. But you would not. Oh my friend, what will you do? Will you not hear God's voice today? As we're called to prepare our hearts for the coming of God in our midst, not just in the audible gospel, but in the visible gospel next week, will we not as a congregation cry mightily to God, and cast ourselves on mercy, and find, for Christ's sake, that He did it not. Amen.