Responding to the Work of God
Notes
Transcript
Responding to the Work of God
Responding to the Work of God
Recap Jonah’s story and his reluctance to obey God’s call to preach in Nineveh.
Jonah finally preached to the people of Nineveh, and they repented, but Jonah was still unhappy.
Our motives for service will always come out sooner or later. Jonah’s motive for service came to the forefront. God’s mercy and grace should always lead to joy and praise in a believer’s life.
Jonah’s hope was misplaced. His selfishness led to his hopelessness.
Jonah made everything about himself.
Jonah responded wrongly to the work of God.
Think about this: Our attitude towards God’s will can have an effect on our actions toward God’s work.
This text reveals some characteristics of one who has a wayward hope.
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
How can we relate to this?
What does it look like when emotions control a person's response to the work of God:
A person who loses their job may become angry with God and question why He would allow such a thing to happen. They may let their emotions consume them and fail to see that God has a plan for their life and is leading them towards something better.
A person who has been hurt by someone may struggle to forgive them, even if they know it is what God calls them to do. Their emotions of anger or hurt may control their response, causing them to push away from God's work in their heart.
A person who wants something very badly, like a promotion or relationship, may become frustrated with God when it doesn't happen according to their timeline. They may feel like God is not listening or doesn't care about their desires, allowing negative emotions to control their response instead of trusting in His sovereignty and timing.
Do we tend to respond like that to things in our life? Sure we do.
The Tendency to Respond Wrongly to the Work of God
The Tendency to Respond Wrongly to the Work of God
Like Jonah, we can become angry or frustrated when things don't go according to our plan, even if it is part of God's plan.
How did Jonah respond to God’s work in his life and the lives of the Ninevites?
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.
5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
Jonah was still hanging on to the thread of hope that God would overthrow Nineveh.
Jonah’s selfish attitude caused him to miss a great opportunity in ministry.
There were over 120,000 new converts that needed to be trained in the ways of God and taught the word of God.
David Jeremiah said, “Unfortunately, some Christians are uncomfortable being around people in whose heart God is at work. They look at them like Jonah looked at the Assyrians. I’ve actually had people say, ‘You know, Pastor, I don’t know if we want these kinds of people in our church.” That is the Jonah spirit. Jonah didn’t want anything to do with what God was doing in Nineveh.”
Jonah should have rejoiced over the salvation of Nineveh, but he had remorse over the salvation of Nineveh.
Jonah should have been excited about the work of the Lord, but he pouted about the work of the Lord.
Jonah hated the celebration and the exaltation in Nineveh. He didn’t like for the Assyrians to praise God and celebrate their salvation.
He still hoped that God would bring judgment on Nineveh.
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “He could have taught the Ninevites so much about the true God of Israel, but he preferred to have his own way. What a tragedy it is when God’s servants are a means of blessing to others but miss the blessing themselves!”
*Instead of serving in the ministry, Jonah went and sat in his misery.*
Johnny Hunt said, “Resentment and self-centeredness always causes one to miss opportunities to help and minister to others.”
We may also be quick to judge others who seem less deserving of God's mercy than ourselves.
Outside the city Jonah made a shelter so that he could comfortably wait for God’s judgment on Nineveh.
The east side of the city was up in the hill country, up at an elevation. Jonah got himself a good spot where he could look out over the city.
Why? Because he didn’t trust the Ninevites. He thought they would go right back into their sinning; and if they did, he knew God would destroy them because God never changes.
Jonah wanted to be up there if the fire fell.
Jonah was ready to wait for God’s judgment no matter how long it took.
Jonah was allowing his emotions to get control over him.
The Danger of Allowing Our Emotions to Control Us
The Danger of Allowing Our Emotions to Control Us
When we allow our emotions like anger or frustration to control us, we risk missing out on blessings that are right in front of us.
We also risk alienating ourselves from other believers and ultimately from God.
Allowing our emotions to control us can cause us to miss out on blessings in several ways:
Missing opportunities: When we're consumed by negative emotions like fear or anger, we may not be able to see the opportunities that are right in front of us. We might be too focused on our own problems to notice a chance to help someone else, for example.
Strained relationships: Our emotions can also strain our relationships with others. If we're always angry or anxious, it can be difficult for others to be around us, which could cause them to distance themselves from us.
Negative mindset: Allowing negative emotions to control us can also lead to a negative mindset, where we only see the bad in every situation. This negativity can blind us to the good things happening around us and prevent us from experiencing joy and gratitude.
In contrast, when we learn how to manage our emotions and trust in God's plan, we open ourselves up to blessings that may have been hidden before.
We become more aware of the opportunities around us and more grateful for the people in our lives.
By letting go of negative emotions, we create space for peace and abundance in our lives.
Look at what God does for Jonah.
6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
What is God trying to teach Jonah?
The Importance of Trusting in God’s Sovereignty
The Importance of Trusting in God’s Sovereignty
The Lord prepared a plant. Just like He prepared a fish.
It was a tall leafy plant that would have provided adequate shade for Jonah.
The original language indicates it was probably the castor oil plant. These plants grow wild in Israel and can grow up to 12’ tall.
Some have suggested it was a bottle gourd because these crop up and wither quickly. But it didn’t wither naturally. God caused it to wither by using a worm.
Notice how messed up Jonah was.
6 And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.
Jonah wanted God to rain down fire upon the Ninevites. He wasn’t excited or thankful for the work of God in their lives.
But he was grateful for his own comfort.
Jonah rathered people die than him being uncomfortable.
But God’s not finished with Jonah’s object lesson.
7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
God’s sovereign. He can take away anything we love more than Him or His work.
When we love things more than we love God He will send a worm to eat away and destroy that for which we are attached to!
Not only did God have a prepared worm.
He prepared a powerful wind. Now he’s even more miserable.
We’re going to lean the real lesson next week in the next verses.
But today we need to remember that God is sovereign and has a plan for each of us.
Even when things don’t go according to our plan or desires, we should trust in His goodness and love for us. Prov. 3.5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Conclusion:
Just as Jonah learned a valuable lesson about responding wrongly to the work of God, we too need to examine our hearts and attitudes towards His work in our lives.
Remember this even though you forget everything else about this message:
Let go of negative emotions and trust in God’s plan, for He is always at work for our good!