by Pastor Bruce Oyen
About the content of this posting.
This posting is about an outline used in a recent sermon on the second chapter of the Book of Jonah. A prior sermon outline posting deals with chapter one. And one prior to that gives my 3-point outlines of all 4 chapters of the Book of jonah.
Like the one on chapter one, this is not a manuscript of the sermon. In fact, I did not write a manuscript for it. My sermon method is to preach from outlines, and draw from the content stored in my mind, and from what comes to mind during the sermon. Following an outline keeps preachers on track, and not reading a manuscript allows freedom of expression in words and body language. It also allows a very important element in preaching: eye contact with one's listeners. Eye contact is vital because it creates a mental and emotional connection between the speaker and the listeners.
Some thoughts on preaching through the Book of Jonah.
I have prepared one sermon on each of the four chapters in the Book of Jonah. Each of these sermons has three main points.
Of course, more than four sermons can be preached from this book. But it is done this way to cover the whole book in a relatively short period of time. Most listeners want to see movement or progress in a sermon series. They do not like the idea that a preacher will be almost forever preaching through a Biblical book. And when preaching through narrative portions of the Bible, it is good to do so in a manner that allows the listeners to see the big picture. This is done by avoiding too many details, and by concentrating on the most important subject matter.
My sermon title and outline on the second chapter of Jonah.
Here are my sermon title and outline on the second chapter of Jonah:
Jonah's Punishment, Repentance, And Forgiveness.
This sermon is based on chapter two, and on the previous chapter. From that chapter, we considered 3 main points: Jonah's commission from God, his rebellion against God, and his guilt before God.
In this sermon, we will see that Jonah's guilt led to his punishment, and his punishment led to his repentance, and his repentance led to his forgiveness.
First, consider Jonah's punishment.
We first see in chapter two that he was punished by God because of his guilt. Consider these points about his punishment:
A. His punishment was deserved for two reasons:
1. He had defied the will of God in his own life.
2. He had hindered the work of God in the city of Nineveh.
B. His punishment was unusual for two reasons:
1. He had been swallowed by a great fish.
a. Sperm whales have been known to swallow sharks 15 feet long.
b. Whale sharks have been known to swallow humans.
2. He had lived to tell about it.
C. His punishment was educational for several reasons:
1. It taught him the importance of obedience to God.
2. It taught him that there are consequences for sin.
3. It taught him to set aside his prejudices.
4. It taught him God's love for all humanity, not just for his own people.
5. It taught him God's love for him, personally, for whom the Lord loves he chastens.
D. His punishment was typological in two ways:
1. It was a type of the fact that God disciplines his people, Jews.
2. It was a type of the fact that God disciplines his people, Christians.
Second, consider Jonah's repentance.
A. His words of repentance made reference to many of the Psalms, including these:
3, 5, 18, 30, 31, 37, 42, 49, 50, 56, 69, 88, 103, 107, 120, 142.
B. His repentance had several causes, all related to his experience with the big fish:
1. Affliction, verse 2.
2. Feelings of isolation, verse 3.
3. Feelings of abandonment, verse 4.
4. Feelings of helplessness, verses 5 and 5.
5. Faintheartedness, verse 7.
6. Facing his own mortality.
C. His repentance had several expressions:
1. He prayed for help, verse 1.
2. He cried out for help, verse 2.
3. He resolved to again look to the temple of the LORD, verse 4.
4. He remembered the LORD, verse 7.
5. He made a vow to the LORD, verse 9.
6. he acknowledged that salvation is of the LORD, verse 9.
Third, consider Jonah's forgiveness.
Even though chapter two does not say that Jonah asked God for forgiveness, we can safely assume his repentance included a heartfelt desire for it. All true repentance includes a sense our sinfulness, and of our guilt before God. This, in turn, leads to the desire to be forgiven of that guilt.
Consider these Bible-based facts about the forgiveness that Jonah received from God when he repented:
A. It was immediate, not delayed.
Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9
B. It was total, not partial.
See verses above.
C. It was permanent, not temporary.
Jeremiah 31:34
D. It was free, not costly.
Isaiah 55:1, 2
E. It was instructive.
It teaches us of God's great willingness to forgive even the very wayward person, if there is genuine repentance.
F. It was restorative.
1. Forgiveness restored his peace, and it will restore ours.
2. Forgiveness restored his joy, and it will restore ours.
3. Forgiveness restored his usefulness, and it will restore ours.
Conclusion to this sermon:
As usual, I first concluded this sermon with a brief review of it three main points, and their application to ourselves: Jonah's punishment, rpentance, and forgiveness. Then, we took time for prayer about the subject.
Closing song
It is profitable to have as part of a conclusion a closing congregational song. I chose the wonderful song, "My Hope Is In The Lord." The words and music were written by Norman J. Clayton.
