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The City of Nineveh Forgiven through Repentance

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[Jonah 3:10]

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways,

he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

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There was a large city called Nineveh.

The people of Nineveh were not afraid of God.

It was a place full of sins that God hated.

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God has decided to judge the city of Nineveh.

God commanded the prophet Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and let him know that

God will soon judge them.

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Jonah, who disobeyed God's command, runs away to Tarshish and encounters a great storm.

Jonah knew that the storm came because he did not obey God's word.

Jonah told people that if he threw himself into the sea, the storm would be quiet.

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People were compelled to throw Jonah into the sea.

The loving God sent a large fish to swallow Jonah.

Jonah prayed for repentance in the belly of the fish for three days.

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God, who forgiven Jonah, commanded the fish to vomit Jonah near Nineveh.

God again commanded Jonah. “Get up and go to that great city of Nineveh.

Shout to them what I am telling you there.”

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Jonah immediately obeyed God's command and went to Nineveh.

Nineveh Castle was very large and grand.

It was a large castle that took only three days for him to tour the castle.

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Jonah walked all day, preaching the word of God.

“God has spoken. After forty days, Nineveh will be destroyed.”

Jonah told the people of Nineveh that God would judge the city.

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After the prophet Jonah spoke about God's judgment, amazing things began to happen.

The people of Nineveh began to believe Jonah's prophecy.

The people of Nineveh began to repent of their mistakes to God.

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They didn't eat and began to repent of their mistakes.

From the high to the low, they took off all the clothes they normally wear and

put on a rough linen. To wear a linen means to repent of their wrongdoings.

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When the king heard of this, he came down from the throne, where he was sitting high.

He also took off his fancy robe and wore a coarse linen.

And he sat on the ashes and proclaimed to the people.

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“It is an order from kings and nobles.

It is not to be eaten, whether human or animal, herd of cattle or sheep.

You can't eat or drink water.

Whether man or beast, we must wear sackcloth and cry out to the Lord with all our might.

Everyone should turn from evil paths and avoid violence. If we all do that,

maybe God will change his mind and not be angry anymore. Then we will not die.”

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All the people of Nineveh began to repent of their wrongdoings with one heart.

From the highest king to the lower ranks, they ate nothing and asked God for forgiveness.

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God saw them repent with earnest heart. The loving God took pity on them.

God saw their sincere cry of repentance and reaped the plan of judgment.

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The people of Nineveh, which were full of evil, heard the word of God and repented.

They received God's forgiveness through repentance.

The merciful God accepted their repentance and changed their hearts

so that they would not be destroyed.

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Through today's sermon, we must know that God hates sin the most and that

He is the one who judges sinners.

However, God is the one who gives forgiveness to sinners who acknowledge their sins and

return to God.

The reason God sent His Only Begotten Son to us is to bring sinners back to God.

In other words, it is to give 'salvation'.

Today we, like the people of Nineveh, were sinners who were originally away from God,

but we must not forget that we became children of God through faith in Jesus.

Do not take lightly the fact that God hates sin, but I hope that you will follow his word

and become all your friends who live like God's children.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)