Sermon Cloud

Jonah 3 - Renewing a City

After Jonah's rebellion and repentance, he returns to the God's agenda.
God's care for not just individuals, but an entire region
Jonah's assignment is to preach the message of Nineveh being "overthrown."
In this passage, we see that God has a heart for not just people, but entire for an entire city.
The question for us is: What is God's heart for our city? Not just Cumming, but for the region in which we live.
What would it look like for our city to be renewed?

Ultimately, how can a city be renewed?

1. Receive a word from God

Does God have a word for our city?
Nineveh was a place of great arrogance - describe
Turn from self-sufficiency
Prioritize the place of Christ
God's message is for the good of this place
Does God have people to speak that word?
Spoken with the reluctance of Jonah or the passion of Christ
Our church must operate in such a way that its absence from the community would be noticeable.

2. Respond to the Word from God

Belief and Repentance are two sides to the same coin
Ninevites repented of two things in v.8 - evil ways (general) and violence (hamas = specific defiance of the law by one too strong to be brought to account)
Specifically, the Ninevites believed, fasted, mourned (sackcloth), called on God, and repented
What is the response our city needs to have to the Word of God?
Only the church can aid them in operating properly
What would it look like if the people of our city responded properly to God's message?
Celebrate God's compassion