God is presented as the God of the second chance, continually offering mercy and opportunities for repentance, as exemplified by the story of Jonah. The sermon outlines Jonah's journey from disobedience to obedience, highlighting God's repeated call, Jonah's subsequent readiness, his powerful message, the city's genuine interest, and the resulting revival in Nineveh. The core lesson is that God's faithfulness in keeping His word is the foundation of salvation and transformation for both sinners and believers. The message concludes by emphasizing that God's promise to forgive and bless those who turn to Him is unwavering, urging listeners to trust in His faithfulness for personal revival and transformation.
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The odd word is with my brother Don Ceylon from Florida as a messenger. We've got a glass of water in here, and the way I've been kicking this thing around, I think I better get it out. If I'm going to be dry, I'll be dry anyway. I might just say that Mrs. Ceylon and I have to fly out tomorrow morning after the service. So I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the conveners of Bristol Bible Conference for allowing us to view here. It's been a real highlight of our summer so far.
We thank God for it. Mr. Andrews and Mr. Gretley and Mr. Jeff Weiler. And you know what I'm especially thankful for? Each one of you. We couldn't have Bristol without you. And it's been a real delight. recline in the will of God in two weeks to be up in Ontario for three weeks or a conference and meetings in Michigan. Then I'm going to my home down in my mother's fruit cellar. I always have to take a trip there when I go. You wonder why? But in my mother's fruit cellar is a little brown box. It's a little wooden box. And it was my first preaching focus.
Mother has saved it all these years. So when I go there, I have to look at the pulpit and it breaks me up. I think that God enabled me to be in His service. I thank God for it. Shall we bow our words? God, our Father, now as we come to thee and as we look in thy word, oh, we pray that we may get a new insight into thy word tonight. May, O God, the Holy Spirit of God, the author of the Word of God, illuminate these words and these pages through our minds.
We pray that we may be built up. We may be challenged. We may be given the answers, as it were, to some of the problems which some of us have. And we pray that this man, Jonah, may have an unusual much that is worse than us. O God, Help us in this hour. We need thy help. In the name of Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen. Jonah chapter three, please. Jonah chapter three. I got on late tonight, didn't I? Okay. No, that's all right.
Jonah chapter three, and we want to read the entire chapter, and will you follow as I read it, please? Jonah chapter three. And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Alas, go unto Nineveh that great city, and preach unto him the preaching that I should see. 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. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried and said, Yet forty days in Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fact, and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his noble saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock taste anything, and let them not feed nor drink water. but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God. Yea, let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not.
And God will bless to us this portion from His Word again tonight. As we mentioned before, we want to speak about tonight about the God of the second chance as we see it exhibited in the life of this man Jonah. But you know, as I think of this, and as I think of God's gracious dealings with me, He's not only the God of the second chance, he's the God of the nine hundred and ninety-nine chance. Bless God. Of course, when we speak about the God of the second chance, we have no reference whatsoever to that doctrine that some propound that once a person dies, he'll have another opportunity to believe in Christ.
That's just not so. And anyone propounding that sort of doctrine is propounding lies instigated by Satan. But I believe many of us, like Jonah, have sometimes rebelled against the voice of God, and instead of bowing to his command, we've gone off. We've gone on our own way, and regretfully we've had to pay the consequences. But you know, as I think of this tonight, aren't you glad for his continual working with us? Aren't you glad for his long-suffering witness?
Aren't you glad that he still takes rebellious servants and uses them? Believe me, I am. Now, in this particular portion, we have the story of a disobedient preacher who became a repentant and obedient servant. But I have to give you an outline of chapter three tonight, so here it comes. This is an outline which may be helpful to you. In chapter three, verses one and two, we have, first of all, a repeated call. In chapter three, verse three, we have ready obedience. In verse four, we have a rousing message. In verse five, we have real interest.
And in verses six through ten, we have a remarkable revival. I'll give them to you again. Verses one and two, a repeated call. Verse three, ready obedience. Verse four, a rousing message. Verse five, real interest. And then verses six through ten, a remarkable revival. So Jonah tonight stands alone. I see him silhouetted against the sky on the seashore. Salt spray is in his face. The smell of fish is on his body, and he stands all alone.
Here's a man who stands with wonderment in his heart, and he asks, what's going to happen to me now? What are people going to say? What will they be saying about me? And I'm sure that in this juncture of the life of Jonah, there are scores of people who mistake a moment for a man. You hear what I said? Very often there are people who mistake a moment for a man. You know, this is one of the greatest dangers of the day and age in which we live. We catch a glimpse of a man or a woman in a moment, and we take this moment for a man.
Don't you be guilty of that. Supposing we had only seen Jonah running away. Supposing we had only seen Jonah with rebellion in his heart, and we missed the day when he stood straight and tall in the city of Nineveh and declared the message of God to the people of that city. And we see what God did with this man. You know, I've talked to people along these lines a bit, and often people, Christian people, sad to say, judge a person. And once that judgment is passed, they never change their minds.
You know, this concerns me, because often we mistake a brief moment for a man. But as Jonah stands before us tonight with wonderment in his heart, I also see here a picture of God. And I'm not here to criticize that man, Jonah, but I see something here that rejoices my heart. Look at Jonah three and one. And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time. The second time. Mark it down. Here I see the mercy of God.
Listen. God could have taken that man and with one flip of the finger banished him forever. God could have taken that man and shoved him out as a casserole. God could have taken that man and put him in such a place that his name would be long forgotten in the annals of history. But you see, God is a God of mercy. And that's why I'm here tonight. And that's why you're here too. because God comes again. And my Christian friend, I want you to know tonight he comes to you the second time. Come with me tonight with Jeremiah.
We're going to take a little tour. This man, Jeremiah, he goes to the potter's house, Jeremiah chapter eighteen. It's a very interesting story. Jeremiah is discouraged. You see, everything that could have happened to a nation has happened to the people of Israel. God says, they have forgotten me the fountain of living water. God says of that nation they have hewed out systems for themselves. Everything that smacks of backsliding is said of the nation of Israel. Jeremiah walks, and as we use the trite saying, he walks with his tail between his legs.
And he goes down to the potter's house and he sees that little man sitting on his stool. And he sees his foot going up and down on that little pedal and he sees that whirling wheel. And then the word of God is very explicit and it says the potter holds the clay in his hand. And Jeremiah sees this man making that vessel. Now a lot of people have tried to explain that in one way or another, but when I come to Jeremiah chapter eighteen, and I think it's around verse four, it says something like this, and the vessel that he made was marred in the hands of the potter.
And then that skilled craftsman takes that clay that marred in his hands, that rebellious and disobedient clay, and he begins to make it again. And this man of God watches that potter. And as he sees him reforming that vessel, there's wonderment and surprise in his heart as he sees that skillful man's forming with his hands that rebellious lump of clay. God looks down and says, Jeremiah, have you learned your lesson? Have you learned it, Jeremiah?
And then God says in, I think it's Jeremiah chapter eight in approximately verse six, he says, Oh, house of Israel, cannot I do unto you as the potter, saith the Lord? God says, do you think that in my sovereign hand that I cannot take worthless broken clay and make it again? And Jeremiah goes out of the potter's house with a song in his heart. And I tell you, it thrills because God comes to you and he comes to me the second time. Oh, the mercy.
of a loving dog. We've gotten acquainted with a number of you since we've been at the conference. In fact, as the days go on, Mrs. Pilon's now found that she can't ever wait for me for meals because I'm never with her. And I meet her in the line sometime, and I'm delighted. And I have no idea. Maybe some of you who are listening to me tonight might be that vessel. mired in the hands of that father. I don't know what's transpired in many of your lives. Only you do. Maybe there's some unyielding element, and that's why God has brought you to Bristol.
Oh, I know that God comes to you tonight. But he stands next to Jonah. The waves are beating up on the seashore, and she says to Jonah with his loving voice, Jonah, I'm here. Jonah, I'm here. And God calls him again the second time. I heard a servant of the Lord tell this incident some time ago. He described a fellow servant of the Lord. He said, you know, something came in his life. And just like a majestic statue, that man went plummeting to the ground, and he'd broken a thousand pieces.
He said, not even all the fragments had been gathered up yet. The fellow seemed to slip out of his life. He didn't see him for years. One day the doorbell rang, and he went to the door, and he had one of those little gimmicks that you can see up, you can't see in. When I go to a house, I always put my hand over it, you know, so they can't see who's there. But anyway, he came and when he came to the door and he saw who it was, he swung the door open and he put his arms around this man whom he hadn't seen for ten years, and he embraced it. This man called him by name and he said, I didn't think you'd ever want to see me again. They blocked the arms.
They went into his little study, knelt down by the old Davenport, and blessed God, God came to that dear man the second time. You know that great Scotsman, I think his name was George Morrison. They tell me that he was very famous for speaking on the abundant life and on the victorious life. And you know what he said? The victorious life is made up of new beginnings. Oh, I love that. Listen, my Christian friend here tonight, man or lady, you may be down, but you're not out. I want to encourage your hearts.
And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second, Tom. Oh, the mercy of God. But I must hurry on. Secondly, I see here the program of God. Now a lot of people are messed up on the program of God, but not so with Jonah. Look at verse two. Chapter three, verse two. Arise, go unto Nineveh that great city and preach the preaching that I bid thee. Now I want you to notice something very carefully here. He didn't give them a lecture on the nutritional value of seaweed. He didn't talk to them about political subjects and humanitarian projects.
What was he to preach? Look at the verse again. Go to Nineveh and preach the preaching that I bid thee. You know, as I read the word of God, I find that even the threats of God are merciful. And this announcement of judgment came from the heart and came from the lips of a merciful God. Did you ever read in the Old Testament God's plan for warfare, spiritual and natural? Turn with me quickly to Deuteronomy twenty, will you please? This is very interesting. Deuteronomy chapter twenty, we're going to have to push just a little tonight.
Deuteronomy chapter twenty, verse ten. when thou comest near unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee an answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be that all the people that are found therein shall be bond servants unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it, or then judgment shall come.
Now this is an amazing thing. This is a program that was carried out throughout the Old Testament, and actually it's the program in the Book of Acts. We had time this evening to go to Joshua chapter two and see those spies scurrying through the city, you know, through the darkness of the city of Jericho. And finally they come to Hotel Jericho. And as they come, the lady starts making out the guest card. And she looks across at their faces. And she knows from where they've come. And as she continues making out that guest card, she realizes that these aren't ordinary men, you see.
These men have been walking with God. They moved when the tabernacle moved. They moved when the pillar of cloud moved. And these men, she knows, have stricken terror to their city, because God is with them, and she recognizes them. Do you know what the New Testament commentary on this is? Let me quote it to you from Hebrews chapter eleven and verse thirty-one. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not. with them that believed not when she received the spies in peace.
That's why she was spared. You see, the city, the people of the city did not receive them in peace, and they were destroyed. You know, as the New Testament evangelists in the Book of Acts moved from town to town, they announced peace. And my Christian friends, that's all I've got to preach about tonight is peace. The world is headed for judgment. And people, and there may be unsaved here tonight, and you can evade that judgment, bless God, if you'll receive the message of peace. We come to proclaim peace, and I've sung it to the top of my voice.
Peace, what a precious sound. Tell it the world is around. Christ hath made peace. The souls are brought to God by his atoning blood and crowned with every good. Christ hath made peace. Oh, what a message. Did you notice what Jonah's message was? How did you like to preach an eight-word message for forty days? That's what it is. Notice what it is. yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." I suppose as he moved into that city, first he came to the outskirts and then he hit the ranch type houses, you know, and then he got the houses with the two baths, and then he moved a little farther and he got to the tri-levels and the bi-levels and then he moved into Florida and he got to the condominiums and there wasn't a place.
in that city where the voice of this dear man of God wasn't heard. And do you know what makes the message effective? It was the messenger. When you read in the book of the Acts about those dear men as they invaded the various places, and one day it was said of them as they stood in the synagogue, they spoke that a great multitude believed. You know, I'm convinced of something, that the people of Nineveh not only heard the message, but they saw it as well as they looked into the face of Jonah.
Here was a man who had gone through death, and I'm convinced that some of the juices from that fish's belly changed Jonah's look. and brought changes to his faith. And as Jonah stood with the message of God with the marks of resurrection on his face, they had to believe. My Christian friends, tonight I take my sin and I trust you do too, next to the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter two and verse twenty, which says, I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I.
But life liveth in me in the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And as Jonah stood there, he announced to that people the program of God. And you know God has a program in this day and age. Did you know that? And that program is a proclamation. And that proclamation in our day is the gospel. We want every living person to hear the wonders of the grace of God. You know, I have a deep longing prayer for many here tonight that you're going to go from Bristol with a longing to spread the gospel in your own neighborhood.
I have. I'd like to go into it, but I can't much hurry on. Thus far we've noticed the mercy of God. Then secondly, we've noticed the program of God. But I want you to notice the perception of God. That's found in verse five. So the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. Verse six, for the word came unto the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him and covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. Here's a city that hears the word of God, and they believe God.
Do you know what produces faith in men? Romans chapter ten and verse seventeen says, So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And listen, I'm asking you, my Christian friend, how will they believe if they don't hear? Do you know? If you live in an ordinary American city today, sixty percent of the people on your street have never had a clear presentation of the gospel. That's Christian America. You say, well, they've got plenty of opportunities. They probably have, but that doesn't absolve your responsibility.
Sixty percent of those people that live in your area have never had one clear presentation of the gospel. Listen, it's your obligation. And it's my obligation to get the message out. Because listen, a man or a woman will never have faith unless he hears the Word of God because faith is generated by the Word of God. But there's a hush in that city. And there's a sob in that king's palace. And the king on the throne clothed himself in sackcloth. In fact, from the king on his throne to the man who sweeps the street, they repent and they believe God.
They believe God. You know, I suggest that this is the key that unlocks heaven's larder and brings blessing to both sinner and saint. Thank God, no man is ever saved in any other way. I want you to know tonight, if you're here unsaved, it's not pay, it's not work, it's not due. Men are saved by believing. They're saved by believing the Word, the living Word who is Jesus Christ. Now you've done this, haven't you? You mean you've been to Bristol all these days and you're still unsaved? In John's Gospel, they tell me that the word believe is found approximately one hundred times.
If John concludes that Gospel in John chapter twenty, I think it's verses thirty and thirty-one, he says these tremendous words. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that he might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing he might have life through his name. There isn't any other way for men and women and boys and girls to be saved by receiving, having faith, and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only do you need it if you're here unsaved tonight, but the city in which you live needs it. They need to hear the message wherever there are brokenhearted men and women and boys and girls.
They need the message that faith in Jesus Christ brings life. But if faith is the key word that unlocks the gate of heaven for the sinner, it's also the key word that unlocks the gate of heaven for the saints. I want to give you one verse that our Lord said to his own. Needn't turn to it tonight. Two nights ago we had this in our little prayer group, Matthew seventeen and twenty-one. Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you saints, now listen, if any have faith and doubt not ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree but also ye shall say unto this mountain get out of the road be thou removed and be cast into the sea and i want you to know the last word it shall be done You know, as I read and I memorize that verse, I
almost feel I'm on holy ground. I say, Don, take your shoes off, as it were. Many of you have come to this conference with mountains. I know. You've even brought them to this service, mountains. Mountains you can't climb over. And our Lord says, if you have faith, you could say to this mountain, you know what I say, oh God help. Doesn't it thrill your soul when you turn to Mark's Gospel, chapter nine and verse twenty three, where you read, with God, all things are possible to him that believe it.
And I know that, God. Now I want you to know that I've got some mountains too. And I've been praying in recent days. I prayed today that God would remove those mountains. And believe me, it's only God who can do it. He can remove mine. And he can remove yours, my Christian friends, because this is his word. God saw that city. And that city believed.
And you know what happened? Verse ten. This is an amazing verse, because here I see the repentance of God. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that He said that He would do unto them, and He did it not. Now volumes have been written about this particular little verse. But I just recently discovered that God did exactly what he said he'd do. That's right.
God did exactly what he said he'd do. You say, I never heard of that. God said if a nation will turn and hear my word, then I will turn. I just discovered this recently, and this is exciting. Turn it with me to Jeremiah eighteen. Quickly. This is great. I shouted a hallelujah when I discovered this in my study. Jeremiah eighteen verse seven. Jeremiah eighteen verse seven. Oh, mark this down. This is tremendous. Look at what God says. At what instant I shall speak concerning the nation?
and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, look at this, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. There it is. Just as simple as that. He said, if that nation will turn, I will turn. You know, as I read that, I think of only one thing. God keeps His Word. There it is. He sent Jonah out to that city. He thrusts him out with that message of peace.
Jonah proclaimed peace to that city. The city believed God. And here it is. God kept His Word. You know, this changes everything for me tonight. I don't know how you feel about it. Do you know that God keeps his word? Do you? Listen, that God is as faithful as to keeping his word today as he was in Jonah's day. He hasn't changed. I turn in my Bible to Luke's Gospel chapter fifteen and I think of that prodigal who went away from his father.
But when he turned, what did he find? His father was already looking for him. Is that great? He was already bent toward him. God kept his word. And he keeps his word with us. Oh, I'm glad about that. You know, my Christian friends, this is our only hope. God keeps his word. Thank God we're not resting on the latest findings of science or space science or anything else. Our faith and confidence tonight rests that when the message is given, God keeps His Word.
You know that's done a lot for me. God won't shirk. God's fair. God keeps His word. We get a lot of telephone calls at our house all hours, day and night. It's amazing. And then you try to go to sleep after you've had a few of those calls. It's an impossibility, for me at least. One time a little fellow, ten years old, called one of his Lord's servants.
It was about midnight. The man knew him. They had attended the Sunday school at their chapel. The little fellow had attended the Sunday school at their chapel, and he said, I'm in awful trouble. I'm in terrible trouble with my mother. He says, she's sitting right here beside me right now and she's drinking. He says, will you please come to our house and see if you can help? The man said, I'll be there in five minutes. Pulled on a few clothes, arrived at the house, the little fellow let him in the door. As the man walked into the living room there sat a lovely blonde lady.
her bottle in one hand or smokes in the other. When he walked over toward her, she looked up at him. The tears began coming down her cheeks and she began to sob and she said, Oh, and she named him by name. She said, Don't you think I'm made for better things than this? And then as she cried out her heart to him and sobbed, she said, Oh, listen. The hounds of heaven have been pursuing me. When I was a girl sixteen years old in a Bible camp, I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ his Savior. And all through these years he's been pursuing me.
And tonight he's closed in on me and I can't move. What can I do? You know what this man said? if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. She looked up at him and she said, but will he do it? What would you have said on that occasion? I think I would have said this.
God keeps His Word. God keeps His Word. You see, it's not my feeling. It's not my emotions. It's not my thinking. God will keep His Word, and I need this driven into my soul. And that night, that dear lady set the bottle aside. He set the pack of cigarettes aside. She got down on her knees and the man of God and the little boy. She confessed her sin to God, not to any man, to God. About three weeks later, she telephoned this Lord's servant.
She said, have you noticed that I've been in the chapel recently? Isn't it great? He said, I'm delighted to see you. She said, but this isn't all. There's a lot more of the story than that you don't know. She said, I want to tell you about the thrill that's come into our home. You know, she said, I've given my husband a bad time. I've given my family a bad time. I've been a problem to all of them. Last night, my husband came home and he said, Lily, something's transformed you in the last three weeks. I can't explain it. But he said, it must be true that God has met you and God has done something with you and God has done something in you.
And the dear man of God on the other end of the line, he said, as the tears welled up in his heart, all he could say was this. God keeps his word. And he said, and he'll keep his word for you. He kept his word with Nineveh, and you'll keep it with you, whoever you are. You know what? I'm thankful I know a God who keeps his word.
I don't know why I feel inclined to say this tonight, but I believe there are some here at the conference who have some sin in their lives that is unconfessed. Maybe it'd be a good idea to have a little session in the privacy with God. God keeps His word. Maybe there are some people here tonight who have animosity against someone else. It'd be a tremendous night to get it fixed up. God keeps His Word. Maybe there are some here tonight who are still unsaved.
You can be saved tonight because God keeps His Word. For whosoever shall call. That's all. call upon the name of the Lord. What does he say? Shall be saved. And God keeps his word. Listen. If we will take this literally in our hearts and lives tonight, the Piedmont area is going to have a revival.
Now it is. I told the ladies last night, and with this answer, if you honor God, God is under obligation to honor you. That's right. And the God that I know through this blessed book keeps His word. He's kept it with me and He'll keep it with you. Shall we pray? Let's have a time of silent prayer in the presence of God.
Let's do some business with God tonight. Right now. O God, our Father, take these words now and apply them to our hearts and dismiss us with thy benediction and blessing. In the name of Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.