Tag: Second chances

Jonah, part six The God of the Second chance

Jonah 3:1-5

1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2  Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.3  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.4  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

As soon as Jonah repented, He heard the voice of God again –

  • If we confess
  • He is faithful
  • Total forgiveness and restoration

Many of the heroes in Hebrews 11 became great for God after extreme failures

A. Abraham

  1. Lied to protect his life after God told Him how he
    was going to be blessed
  2. Laughed at God
  3. Offered Isaac

B. Sara

  1. Lied for Abraham
  2. Laughed at God
  3. Caused Abraham to sin
  4. Gave birth to Isaac

C. Moses

  1. Murderer
  2. Made excuses
  3. Used of God to deliver a whole nation

D. Isaac

  1. Deceiver
  2. Lied about His wife and caused her to sin
  3. Re-dug the alters Abraham built

E. Jacob

  1. Stole his brothers birth right
  2. Deceived his father
  3. Joseph’s father

F. Samson

  1. Married outside the will of God
  2. Lost his strength and His eyes
  3. Used of God to kill more of the enemy in his death then in his life

G. David

  1. An adulterer
  2. A murderer
  3. Became Israel’s greatest King – still the most beloved leader of Israel even today

H. You and me

  1. Struggled with sin
  2. Struggled in trusting God
  3. Struggled in worship
  4. Struggled in obedience
  5. Wants to still use us for great things and will if we will obey His word

God’s power is unlimited to the yielded heart

II Corinthians 5:20-6:11

20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3  Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: 4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6  By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8  By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;  As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;10  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.11   O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.

Yielding involves a willingness to suffer personal   loss and loss of all your rights

Philippians 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Yielding involves being patient with those who need Jesus –

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Yielding means protecting the reputation of God, not my own –

Philippians 2:5-10 – 5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.   Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Yielding means you do not quit when others betray you or do not understand God’s will

When God’s people yield, others are affected for eternity’s sake

Luke 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.