The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here (Luke 11:32).

The story and one-sentence sermon of Jonah, the greatest revival in history not only provides lesson for the reluctant church, it also raises hope and joy as means and template of revival for obedient church today. God works in a mysterious way, a reluctant church through genuine repentance could become a joyful, health-full and growth-full Assembly of God’s people. Just as the death of Jonah could be missionally wasteful, God is not interested in the death and decline of a reluctant church. God want to change a reluctant church to become an obedient church. God’s grace at Christ expense is always available for the reluctant church bearing in mind that a trip to the grave helps grasps and appreciate God’s grace.

Decline humbles and helps us to depend on God’s empowerment above our human efforts and wealth. Jonah did not die, but went down, down, down, to the rock bottom. Statistically, a reluctant church could go down to the bottoms of the mountain, using the words of Jonah, a reluctant church could still say, ‘yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God’ (Jonah 2:6). It could take a reluctant church full of pride to be cast into the deep, in the pit of stagnancy, a trip to the grave to hear God. Any reluctant church that grasps its need of God’s grace and sovereignty, realises its deep sense of its own depravity could become a revived and fruitful obedient church. Jonah realised his need. He said “I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward the holy temple.”

The truth is that sin separated Jonah from God just as a person or church can be separated from God by sin of omission and commission. When a reluctant church sees its true situation, its sins, and cry to God, God can change such a church, to a new body, ready to preach and witness effectively with power in our secular Nineveh. An obedient church are broken people who rediscover their needs, face to face with their sins which drives them to tell others about the grace they encountered in God. We do not need to go to grave to understand grace though there is no place so far or deep that God cannot answer or safe us.

An obedient church is full of desire to do God’s will, longing for God’s presence just as Jonah said “Yet I will look again toward they holy temple,” where God’s presence dwells. When a reluctant church experiences a big turning around, a desire to be in God’s presence, there is a second time missional opportunity to become an obedient church, ready for the Great Commission. Jonah as means of revival summons the obedient church to ‘Arise and go,’ to proclaim God’s Word to our secular world of Nineveh. Obedient church as God’s messenger like Jonah, with a past missed in the first time, receives God’s Word the second time for proclamation. Just as Jonah made impact, the impact of obedient church could be an immeasurable difference as Wesley did in the 18th century awakening in Europe.

An obedient church not only as messengers of revival, go with message of revival. Jonah as a messenger of revival fulfils his mission through his evangelistic message of revival: ‘and Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown’ (Jonah 3:4). The message of true revival is message of judgement against sin. The message of true revival portrays God as merciful to those turns to him (Matt 12). Obedient church as messengers of revival are not limited into building and committee meetings. Obedient church as messenger of revival enters into the cities for days of evangelism with message of revival. Until Jonah began to enter into the city, people did not believe. When Nineveh heard about Jonah’s testimony, the Bible says “So the people of Nineveh believed God.” They did not only believed, they “proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). Beloved, a whole pagan city can be saved. Every one in UK or Nigeria can be saved.

Obedient church as messengers of revival with message of revival awakens not only the masses but also the Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, lords and kings of this world. The Bible says “For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him 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 nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; 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?” (Jonah 3:6-9).

Jonah provides a classic example of a genuine spiritual revival with potential to change society itself. The politicians may pass bills in Parliament, it won’t ultimately change society. ‘You can’t legislate a nation into righteousness. Only a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in revival can change the moral climate of a nation.’ We need an awareness of a new morality emerging, we need to see holiness in our schools, shops, factories and offices.’ And as moral standards begin to rise at the grass-roots level, so the government will adjust the laws of the land to reflect new national attitudes.’ When obedient church arise and simply proclaim what we know of God, revival follows. Jonah’s repentance awakens us to seek repentance as a true element and characteristic of all true revival which is first personal.

Obedient church as messengers of revival with message of revival not only for the masses but also for leaders is inspired, guided and guarded by his Master’s will. God is the author of all true revival. In Jonah 3 with a sober missional reflection, the Bible says, “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he has said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (v.10). Obedient church is under the mercy of a compassionate God who responds, delivers and answers prayers. Prophetic proclamation is always with a condition, a call to true repentance. The close and personal interplay between God and Jonah provides us a personal renewing reflection. When a reluctant church repent, mercy, hope and restoration are extended to them as God did for Jonah and Nineveh. Beloved, God is still at work, changing the heart of people and reluctant church to become an obedient people and church. Do not lose hope, God is merciful, let the revival, the change start with you today. Remember, you cannot give what you don’t have. Jesus is coming soon. Repent today.