INTRODUCTION
As you recall, God wanted His prophet Jonah to go and preach against the city of Nineveh. Jonah did not want to go, so he ran away from God and wound up in the belly of a great fish, which eventually vomited him onto dry land. God gave Jonah another chance to go to Nineveh, and this time, Jonah obeyed God. In Jonah 3, we can learn a few valuable lessons on the subject of evangelism.
God's Word is for everyone
Although the Ninevites were wicked people, God sent Jonah to proclaim His message to them. God's Word should be preached to everyone, including the outcasts of our society. Jesus once said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:31, 32).
As Christians, we need to stop being judgmental and start spreading the Word of God to everyone, even to people we may not like.
God's word has the power to change hearts
When Jonah arrived in Nineveh, he only proclaimed eight words to the Assyrians. "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." But these eight words caught the Assyrians' attention, and they repented of their sins. God's word is powerful.
- "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).
- "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (Romans 1:16).
Because there is so much power in the Word of God, we need to proclaim it. Do you have close friends or loved ones who have not given their lives to the Lord? Have you tried to talk to them? Do they refuse to listen? Don't get discouraged. Don't stop witnessing to that needy soul. Be persistent, and keep planting the Word of God! It's powerful, and one day it will bring forth fruit.
CONCLUSION
We have learned many valuable lessons from the book of Jonah:
- In our spiritual walk with God, we must always have a yielding attitude toward God's will.
- In our spiritual walk with God, we must learn how to cope with our problems.
- In our spiritual walk with God, we can start all over again.
- In our spiritual walk with God, we need to proclaim the Word of God.
- I hope and pray that you have benefited from these lessons.
ELLEN G. WHITE QUOTATIONS
"The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the word of God, the sign that should be manifest now and always is the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the word a regenerating power to those that hear. This is God's witness before the world to the divine mission of His Son." (DA 407)
"It is not always the most learned presentation of God's truth that convicts and converts the soul. Not by eloquence or logic are men's hearts reached, but by the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit, which operate quietly yet surely in transforming and developing character. It is the still, small voice of the Spirit of God that has power to change the heart." (PK 169)
"God's power alone can change the human heart and imbue it with the love of Christ. God's power alone can correct and subdue the passions and sanctify the affections. All who minister must humble their proud hearts, submit their will to the will of God, and hide their life with Christ in God. " (TM 143)
SERMON NOTES:
General Conference Ministerial Association
