The Grace and Compassion of God

In this sermon, we looked at the grace and compassion of God, first for Jonah, then for the people of Nineveh. When God called Jonah to go preach a message of repentance, Jonah went the opposite direction. Through a series of events, including having his life preserved in the belly of a big fish, God showed grace and "came to Jonah a second time." This time, Jonah was obedient to what God called him to do and preached to the Ninevites about repentance. When the Ninevites showed true repentance, God had compassion and didn't bring upon them the destruction He had said would take place. Just as God was compassionate toward the people of Nineveh, He shows great compassion toward us and loves us deeply. He created us and, through His grace, desires for all to turn from sin and be reconciled into a relationship with Him.