Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, February 16, 2025

Mercy Has No Margins

Today, Pastor Michael is in Jonah, talking about how today’s theme, “Mercy Has No Margins” really shows how God’s people can miss God’s purpose. 

The Lord had sent Jonah to Nineveh to warn them that their pagan ways would be held accountable for that evil.  Yet Jonah refused the call and tried to run from the Lord.  He boards a ship, with pagan sailors, at Tarshish, about as far in an opposite direction from Nineveh as he could get.  

Jonah was fleeing, not because he didn’t believe or didn’t want to be called, but because he didn’t believe in the call.  He didn’t feel it far for the pagans or Gentiles to be on God’s team.  And for the Lord to warn pagans of their evil did NOT go over well with Mr. Jonah.  He misunderstood God’s mercy.  He felt good people should get mercy and the bad people should not get mercy.

Jonah (and us!) have to see everyone as a soul that God loves.  

(CSB Bible Notes) God’s holiness is offended by sin. He showed himself to be the judge of the world by holding these distant pagans accountable for their evil, though he also showed his mercy by commanding his prophet to warn them.

Today’s verses can be found in Jonah 1: 1-3.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.