PREPARING FOR THE SERMON
July 28, 2024
Jonah 3-4
Context:
Jonah, having recently expressed his intention to follow and praise God finds himself hearing the word of the Lord a second time. Once again, Jonah is instructed to go to Nineveh and deliver a message. On this second occasion, Jonah listens and obeys.
The books closing section sees Jonah once again balking at the Lord. Jonah disagrees with God’s grace and provision. He comes off looking callous and immature. The book of Jonah ends without relating what became of Jonah or the Ninevites. How long the city sought God is not known, but it did not stay committed to Him.
Structure:
3:1-4 – Jonah cried out “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (v 4)
3:5-9 – “call on God vehemently, turn from their evil” (v 8)
3:10 – God relented of the disaster (v 10)
4:1-4 – “You are a gracious and compassionate God.” (v 2)
4:5-8 – God designated a plant (v 6)
4:9-11 – “Should I not have compassion…” (v 11)
Theology: repentance, compassion, forgiveness
Some things to think about:
We will use various songs this Sunday to worship God for who He is and what He’s done. Below, you’ll find our setlist along with some themes within the songs. To prepare your heart for worship, click the link attached to "preparing for worship" to listen to the songs while you pray through what the song is about. Use the scripture references to read about what we sing.
How Great Thou Art/Great Things
Theme: Adoration, Faithfulness
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Psalm 86:9-10
Plead the Blood
Theme: Sacrifice, Gospel, Confession
Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 1:3-7
His Mercy is More
Theme: Forgiveness, Mercy, Redemption
Scripture: Haggai 2:13-14; Psalm 103:11-14
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
Theme: Grace, Salvation
Scripture: Romans 5:20-21; Zechariah 5