Jonah 1:2
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”
“Bro. Domelle, do you ever consider leaving your church to go to a bigger church?” This is the question I have been asked a few times since I have been a pastor. Of course, my answer is always “no.” The reason my answer is a quick “no” is because of the great city I live in. I did not move to Oklahoma City because of its sites or weather. I did not move to this great city because of its State’s beauty. I moved to this city because it was God’s will, and I see a great city with 1.44 million souls that will either go to Heaven or Hell.
Jonah got so wrapped up in the evil of Nineveh that he did not see the city from the same perspective that God did. Notice God’s call to Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,…” God looked at Nineveh as a great city because of the souls that were about to face an eternity in Hell if the people in that city did not get saved. Sadly, Jonah looked at the crime rate instead of the need of each soul. Jonah viewed that city as an enemy of the Jews instead of seeing they could be changed if they got saved. Jonah looked at the name, buildings, and people as a whole instead of seeing every soul that made up that great city. Had he looked at the individual soul that made up that great city, I believe his heart would have changed toward these people and their need.
For many years, I have preached in Pacifica, California, a city just outside of San Francisco, California. The church where I preach is on a mountain, and when I drive back to the hotel, I see the enormity of the city and the thousands of lights as I overlook it. I could easily just see the lights of the city and think of the massiveness of the city, but I often look at that city and see the great need that every light represents. I see each light of that city and think of the need of each soul, and my heart hurts within as I ask God to help the preacher of that church to reach these lost souls of that great city.
I do not know where you live, but I do know that the city you live in is a great city. It does not matter what the population of your city is; what matters is that each person in your city has a soul that will either go to Heaven or Hell. What makes your city a great city is the need of each soul that needs to hear the Gospel.
Moreover, each soul in your great city has an eternity, and every day in your city a soul passes on to eternity. Where is that eternity? I don’t know where each individual soul goes, but I do know that they will either go to Heaven or Hell depending on what they do with the Gospel. Let me remind you that each soul is someone’s son or daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister, or friend and neighbor, and someone needs to reach them to give hope to those who love that soul that they can see them again if they will get saved.
My friend, when you see the enormity of the task to reach every soul is when you can see your city as a great city. Your city is not a great city because of its entertainment draw, comfortable weather, or sites that draw travelers from afar to see, but your city is a great city because of each individual soul that needs to hear the Gospel. You may not be able to reach every soul, but you can reach a soul every week if you will just go soul winning. Your great city will be reached with the Gospel one soul at a time. When you see your city through God’s eyes is when you will see your city as a great city where each soul needs the Gospel.
