Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Doctors and Psychologists tell us that there are 6 basic emotions that people feel on a regular basis: Fear, Anger, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, and Surprise.

We look around our world today and we see these fundamental emotions on display day after day but it seems like one reigns supreme over the others.

Our world is so angry these days!

In 2019, before COVID, 42% of Americans said that 2019 was the year that they have been the most angry and 84% of Americans said that our current generation is more angry than the one before ours.

This was before COVID and I think we’d all agree that COVID made people more angry, not less!

People are angry at fast food workers.

People are angry at teachers and school board members.

People are angry at children.

People are angry at their bosses.

People are angry at politicians.

People are angry at doctors.

People are angry at rules and other people are angry at the people who are angry with the rules.

Some people aren’t angry and they get angry that they aren’t angry about anything at the moment!

We know that anger is a powerful emotion and it’s also one that the Bible talks about often.

The Bible tells us that anger can be a good thing at times!

It should make you angry, as a Christian, whenever you sin and disobey God’s Word.

Yes, there is grace and forgiveness whenever we fall short, but there should be disappointment and anger whenever we drop the ball.

We see that Jesus was angry in the Gospels toward certain religious leaders in places like Matthew 21:12-13

We also see Paul talk about anger in Ephesians 4:26-27 as he shares this about it

So there is anger that is permissible and allowed, but we have to understand that by and large, our anger leads to sin.

We look around our world and we see anger leading to disrespect, violence, and destruction.

We see anger causing physical, emotional, and mental problems in our world.

Tonight we’ll do something that I pray we get accustom to at FBC Salem - conclude a verse by verse study of a book in God’s Word.

In Jonah we’ve seen a lot of good and a lot of bad.

We’ve seen a person run away from God’s call for His life (bad) and we’ve seen God’s power displayed in such a way that other people take notice (good).

Tonight, though, we’ll see the conclusion of God’s plan for the people of Nineveh and we’ll, sadly, see Jonah’s response to God’s plan.

As we study God’s Word, let’s pray that God gives us the ability to submit to His plan and give mercy to others, even those who don’t deserve it.

Unrighteous Anger and Idolatry Confuse Us (1-4)

Maybe you’re wondering how exactly Jonah falls into the category of idolatry whenever he was a prophet of God and told other people about the God of the Bible.

That’s a good question and one that we need to flesh out.

What exactly is idolatry?

Often times whenever we think of an idol we think of a golden statue and people bowing down to worship it.

This is idolatry, but idolatry is also about our identity.

The Bible tells us that we are made in God’s image and created to give Him glory.

Idolatry elevates ourselves above our Creator.

Idolatry is whenever we build our identity on something other than God.

Jonah was tempted to build his identity on what he looked like and where he was from rather than what God had called him to go and do.

Idolatry can also be whenever we desire something more than we desire God - this is where many of us fall into problems!

See, Jonah desired the destruction of Nineveh and the prosperity of Israel more than he does in serving God faithfully.

God has a universal message for sinners: repent and trust in Me! Jonah was good with that message whenever it lined up with his identity and priority list, but not when it opposed his views… Jonah’s problem throughout this book was believing false things about God and this is ultimately idolatry… but this isn’t where Jonah’s problems end and it’s not where our problems end either.

We all know people who believe false things about God and who prioritize their views above God’s views.

What do these people often do whenever God does something that they don’t expect?

They usually get angry.

Here’s the difference between a true follower and a fake follower, between someone like Job and someone like Jonah: Whenever God does something that we don’t like, a true follower will trust and obey, a fake follower will throw a fit.

We’re all tempted to throw a fit and Job did for a period of time in his suffering… But ultimately, Job submitted and trusted in God.

This must be our takeaway, not what we see from Jonah here in our text.

Jonah is greatly displeased and angry that God chose to forgive Nineveh.

Let’s imagine what this looked like.

Jonah wanted to see Nineveh burn and suffer but instead they receive divine mercy.

Because of this Jonah starts throwing a fit.

He pouts and stomps his feet.

As one commentator notes, Jonah literally hated what God had done.

Jonah either severely misunderstood God’s mercy or Jonah hated these people so much that he wanted them dead.

Do you see how Jonah’s anger confused him in this regard?

Sadly, many people are confused today as well.

Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, are so self-centered that they miss out on the joy of being involved in God’s incredible work of redemption and salvation.

Jonah was involved in this plan for this wicked city and they actually repent.

If there was ever a time to rejoice and thank God for what He has done it would be this time, yet what does Jonah do?

He gets angry!

Why is this the case?

Because anger makes us confused and not focus on what truly matters.

God has given mercy towards wicked sinners - this confused and angered Jonah.

This confuses and angers people today too.

This would never happen in this church, but there are some stereotypes of churches where people judge others for not wearing a suit/dress to church or for having a tattoo or for not knowing the traditional church language.

There are some people who attend church and call themselves Christians who say that if you like contemporary Christian music or if you have a tattoo then you’re not a Christian.

You don’t deserve God’s mercy because you’re a wicked sinner.

Newsflash, we’re all wicked sinners!

Legalism is disgusting and a cancer in the church that we have to address.

What we see throughout the Bible is that God is slow to anger

This is good news and this shouldn’t lead to anger, but it does for Jonah!

James 1:19 instructs us to do the same as our God

Jonah wants God to be quick to anger and slow to listen to the cries of these people for mercy.

His anger is intense!

So intense, in fact, that he prays that God would simply take his life.

Death would be better than life.

Again, the reason he didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place was because he was afraid that God would not send the disaster that these people deserved.

This is what unrighteous anger does.

It makes us do silly things.

Think of a time in which you got upset because of something silly - maybe that was over Thanksgiving with your family or maybe that was earlier in the week.

I’ve gotten upset at someone because they got something that they didn’t appear to deserve only to remember that I’m in the same boat.

I have received God’s mercy and grace that I could never deserve and whenever someone else gets that same thing, I’m tempted to get upset, angry, and frustrated.

This is Jonah!

He gets depressed because Nineveh repents.

May we never get to this point, church!

May we never forget our desperate need for God’s grace and get upset whenever other people receive it.

After all, verse 4 sums this up: What right do we have to be angry?

Whenever a sinner is forgiven and God brings about redemption and restoration, is it right for us to be angry?

The answer is no.

Do not let anger confuse us, God is God and He will have mercy upon who He will have mercy.

Unrighteous Anger and Idolatry Lead to Misery (5-8)

Sadly, things don’t get better for Jonah.

We’re not entirely sure of how much time transpires between verses 4 and 5 but what we see is Jonah move locations from the city towards a hill of sorts perhaps.

In Jonah’s mind, God has already changed his mind once in this story.

He was going to destroy Nineveh and decided at the last minute not to.

Because of this, God could possibly change his mind again.

As a result, Jonah wants to have a front row seat whenever he changes his mind and brings about hell, fire and brimstone upon Nineveh.

Again, this was a man who hated this city and these people - he wanted them to be destroyed!

Before we continue, though, Jonah gets a bad reputation sometimes for how much he despises the Ninevites.

Think, though, about the reputation of this city and these people.