Untitled Sermon (22)

Northside Church

Jonah # 4

Jamey Mills

3/5/23

Good morning…. My name is Jamey Mills, I’m the lead pastor here at NS.

Here we are in March… That’s crazy! It’s obvious at this point the groundhog not only saw his shadow… but might have even been having some hallucinations.

Just wanted to give a shout out to our kids ministry who delivered snacks and cards to the APD early in the week… so cool! (SLIDE) Such a great and life giving ministry… if you want to get involved with NS Kids, email the office!

We are in our 4th and final week in a sermon series on the book of Jonah… (SLIDE)

Jonah was a prophet… he was God’s man…

God told him to go and confront the people of Nineveh… one of their arch enemies… but also one of the most cruel and murderous people of that day…

Jonah ran from God… as fast and far as He could… He wanted nothing to do with Nin.

Jonah found that even in his failure and disobedience, God is a God that pursues us.

And that pursuit… doesn't always look the way we wish it did…

After some miraculous convincing… Jonah goes… and in that process had to deal with some of the things that had caused him to say NO God… that kept Him from submitting his every moment, everyday life to Him… that kept him from obeying and following God… something no doubt that we need to deal with too.

Those things or areas where we know what God wants, we know what it means to follow Him and obey… but where we refuse… where like Jonah, we just chose our own way… what we want…

We see it alot when it comes to things like… relationships, marriage, sex, sexuality, money, our time, toys, priorities, addictions, the garbage we let into our minds or the stuff we allow out of our mouths…

What’s really interesting is when we choose our way over God’s… and then get really angry with God when it doesn't go well… just like He warned you it wouldn't.

We do that when others… who are trying to be the best kind of friend you can have… warn us or try to help us… we do it sometimes with the Church…

It’s a real thing… and even now if you don’t see it as a real problem, we may have more in common with Jonah than we should. Nothing… NOTHING ever changes that way. By God’s design… the way we walk and work through things has to do with confronting those things before a gracious God…

It’s one of the reasons we don’t see change in Jonah…

The more we look at Jonah, the more we see his self righteous attitude… anger… fear… and his refusal to see God in the right way… It literally feels like Jonah believes he has something to teach God… He has the roles reversed…

God I want you to follow me, surrender to my will…

And I know this is harsh… but is the way a TON of people treat God, yes, even within the Church…

I would guess I was in middle school, which probably meant I looked like I was in 3rd grade… The original Nintendo just came out… and some of my richer friends had them… I got to play it a time or two… my birthday was coming… it's all I wanted.

I asked and asked… dropped all kinds of not so subtle hints… I don’t know if I’d ever wanted anything so bad

The big day came and I played it as cool as I could… but I was excited… but tried to be realistic… we didn't have a lot of money… I played it cool… kind of…

When the time came… I had a few friends and family there… and they handed me this small square box… and my heart sank… no nintendo was fitting in that… but maybe it was a map to where they had it buried or something… so i tore into it… and do you want to know what I found…

A fishing reel…

What kind of SICK parents get their kid a fishing reel when all they really wanted… needed really, was a Nintendo… So I threw the reel down and ran to my room, slammed the door, turned around to jump on the bed and that's when I saw it… sitting on my bed… in all of its glory…

Yea, I felt pretty small… I was pretty small, but I felt bad, I felt childish, I felt rude and unthankful, I felt like Fishing…

At that moment it hit me… Blinded by my own selfishness… I’d overlooked and underplayed a far greater and more valuable gift… which was a father that was saying… I want to spend time with you.

We do that… even with God. So set in our ways, our thoughts… what we want that we often miss or look past some of the greatest and most amazing things that God does, provides…

Jonah did that big time.

God sent Jonah to confront them… and he kinda did… it was a 5 word sermon…

And it must have shocked Jonah… when from the greatest to the least… they fell on their knees in deep prayer and repentance… and it says that God held back his anger…

Can you even imagine… being used by God in that way. 120k of some of the most vile sinners in the world… literally stopping… and acknowledging God… avoiding what their sin had been driving them toward…

How excited would you be… as a pastor… a 5 word sermon that gets that kind of response… Can you imagine the invitations to speak at churches, conferences, book deals…

No doubt Jonah was humbled… thankful… sorry for running… sorry for acting the way that he did. Let's check it out…

Jonah 4:1 (NLT)

Jonah 4:1 NLT

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.

What? Instead of celebrating one of the coolest things Jonah would likely ever see… he’s mad. Really mad.

And it really reveals where Jonah’s still at.

Jonah’s self righteousness…anger and fear infected his ability to see God… God’s heart and to care about what God cares about…

The actual Hebrew words literally mean… Jonah burned with anger… it carries this idea that Jonah thought God’s grace and restraint was “evil”... wrong.

Jonah was in this place of wanting to personally inflict his own judgment… destruction… sort of in the name of God…

And there is this tone of… God, you obviously don’t have a clue what you're doing… so get out of my way.

Jonah 1:2–4 NLT

“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

2 So he complained (prayed) to the LORD about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” 4 The LORD replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Jonah prays for the 2nd time.

When he was in the fish in deep distress, when things aren’t going well

When he’s angry at God

Is that your pattern when it comes to seeking God in prayer?

We come to God when we need something… or when things are not going the way we think they should…

And that is great… it really is… I couldn’t encourage you enough to run TO God when your world isn’t right… but if that's the only way we relate to God… It’s incredibly unhealthy…

“God didn’t come to simply take pain and hurt away, but to give us abundant life”

“Don’t settle for a crisis driven faith”

Don't settle for a faith that lacks gratitude, that overlooks the greatness of God, or that isn’t driven toward closeness with God.

Jonah prays and in anger and we see just how far from God he is…

God turned from anger and condemnation

Jonah is pitching a fit in anger and judgment

Jonah tells God… this… right here… THIS is why I ran. Not because I was afraid of them, not because I didn't know what you wanted me to do…

But because I KNOW you; You are who I thought you were…

“You are who I thought you were” - Dennis Green

I knew you’d do this…

That you're slow to anger, abounding in love… eager to forgive…

That verse… is found in multiple places in the OT… Jonah knew it…

I believe this… I think we see it in scripture over and over again… I have experienced it in my own life…

That

God prefers forgiveness over destruction.

Grace over guilt

Compassion over cruelty…

But in that, it's easy for us as Christians to castrate God… while that is 100% ture and 100% consistent with scripture…

So is God’s justice.

God prefers those things… but it doesn’t mean that God won’t confront sin in your life.

… that you won’t face His condemnation and justice if you refuse Him.

If Nineveh had not turned… and had not repented… it would have gone differently.

And that to me is as clearly seen in history…

There is a holy fear of God… that is healthy.

God is all knowing, all present, and all powerful…

He sees things you don’t, know’s things you can’t, His ways are higher than yours…

Jonah refused to see it… Do you? He refused to live like that… Do you?

I am SO glad that God’s judgment and justice are not like mans. And I hope that more and more… God changes that in me so that I become more like Him instead of expecting Him to become more like me!

When we forget the very real reality of God’s grace… forgiveness… and compassion…

That God has directed at us… when we run…, when we refuse to obey, even while we are still sinners…

What does it reveal in your lives when we forget about the grace, forgiveness and compassion God directed at you?

It reveals something about us…

Our heart is out of line with Gods

We aren’t living our lives on mission for Him

We are likely struggling with self righteousness

There is a great chance we’ve never truly wrestled with God’s forgiveness and our deep deep need for it.

Even Jesus tells a story of this king who wanted to settle his accounts… and this servant was brought in that owed the king more than he could ever pay… so the king ordered that the man was thrown in jail and his families be sold into slavery… to recoup as much as he could… but the man begged the king… and the king eventually cancels this… heavy weight that he could never get out from under on his own…

A short time later this man found a guy who owned a few hundred bucks… grabbed by the throat and threatened him… and eventually… the king found out and it didn't go well.

And the idea was… who gets forgiven like that… and is untouched by it. If we understand the depth and meaning of God’s forgiveness and grace… It changes us.

This idea of not getting what it is that you deserve… God’s great mercy

Instead, getting what it is you don’t deserve… which is God’s amazing grace.

Those things are connected.

Jonah says… Just kill me now.

I don't want to live in a world where people like that… cruel, murderous, that stand against me and my country, that don’t agree with me… find God’s mercy and grace.

I hope you know that God is just… but He made a way… he prefers grace, forgiveness and compassion… for you.

But you have to accept it.

Jonah questions God’s relenting…

God questions Jonah’s anger…

Who’s right here? How do we know? What does our answer tell us about the way we view God?

God asks Jonah… do you have any right to be angry…

And Jonah… once again handles it with amazing maturity.

Jonah 3:5–6 NLT

The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes.

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the LORD God arranged (provided) for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

Jonah storms off in silence…

He goes and sets up his lawn chair and cooler on the east side of the city…

Almost like he is expecting God to wake up and go all Sodom and Gomorrah on them… and when that happens, Jonah wants a front row seat, he wants to watch them get what they deserve…

He sat… and waited…

And I’m not sure if you know this… but it’s hot over there. Really hot.

In all of Jonah’s running, in all of his disobedience, in all of his selfishness, in his inability to see and respond to the heart of God…

God was not done pursuing and teaching Jonah.

It says that God “arranged”... for a leafy plant that would provide shade…

What does the word arranged in this passage really mean?

Provided!

As I was reading this… I actually got irritated… after all that God you gonna give Jonah shade… now I’m mad… so… yea…

The word arranged is actually “provided”.

God provided shade that would ease Jonah’s suffering… and it says that Jonah liked it a lot…

And we are about to see Jonah’s double standard… God thank you for being gracious and kind to him… in ways of comfort… but wants God to wipe them off the planet.

God provided… that phrase is really important in Jonah… in life… in our understanding of God… and even understanding our relationship with God.

Jonah 4:7–11 NLT

But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed. Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

7 But God also arranged (provided) for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged (provided) for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed. 9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!” 10 Then the LORD said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there (did not labor, make it grow… it’s not yours). It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

So powerful…

This idea that God provided… would you raise your hand if you feel like you’ve seen the provision of God in your life?

I have… if you have been at NS for any time at all I feel like you have too.

That word “provided” is actually the word… Manna.

And God’s provision didn’t and doesn't always look the way we think it should… and because of that, sometimes we fail to see it… and the blessing that comes with it.

And it’s crazy to look at the book of Jonah through that lens.

God called Jonah, Jonah ran… God provided…

What things did God provide in the book of Jonah?

A boat, storm, a fish, second chance, mercy and grace, a plant/vine, a worm, a wind

God knew what Jonah needed…

God knew where He was leading Jonah… and where Jonah needed to be developed. HE DOES FOR YOU TOO

God knows what He desires for and in Jonah… and loves Jonah enough to lead Him there.

So many want to serve the God who provides the vine, but few are interested in serving the God of the worm and storm.

But few want to serve the God of the worm and storm… who shapes us and molds us… for HIS glory and for our good and growth.

And that is everywhere in scripture… this idea that God uses and even brings struggles and trials… that are intended to wake us up, direct us, shape us, mold us… as people, as couples, as parents, as christians…

Life changes when we begin to look for God in the worms and storms.

What is God teaching me, where is God leading me, How is God drawing me?

But if we face the storms and the worms the way Jonah did…

What does it lead to if we face the worms and storms the way Jonah did?

It leads to bitterness… resentment…

DO YOU TRUST GOD WITH that process?

Do you believe that God prefers grace over condemnation…

Do you believe that God has the wisdom to provide exactly what you need exactly when you need it?

Jonah failed to see it… he actually refused to see it.

He allowed his running and his own way… and his refusal to submit to God… rob Him of the great things of God… of rejoicing over the great things of God.

And it led Jonah to this place of unholy discontentment…

Jonah… is it right for you to be mad over a vine you did not create… that you did not grow… that is not yours?

What is God saying?

Jonah… who am I to you? Who do you think I really am?

Are you out of line here?

It hit me hard…

This idea of being so stuck in my ways… in what I want and think…

That in the way I approach God….

I might be missing out on some of the best things that Life was created to offer… that I was created to experience… and that God is doing all around me.

That it might be ruining my ability to live my life on mission for God…

And blinding me from seeing people… even people who are far from him… who are hiring, lost and alone… the way He does.

The ESV which is probably the best modern word for word translation…

Says it this way… the Ninveveh didn't know their right hand from their left…

Basically… Jonah… it’s probably not right for you to expect them to live their lives like they know me… if they… ya know… don’t know me.

So let's change that… not thru ending their lives… but…

I don’t know if you are in a season where God is providing the vine or the worm…

But I hope we learn to stop running…

To really own our stuff before God

To see His hand and his love that pursues

To acknowledge His lordship and leadership in our lives

That we learn how to say yes to God

And… trust him… look for him… and his provision even in the worms

Are you so caught on you… that you are missing Him, who He is, what He’s doing in and around you… are you in this place of unholy discontent…

Its time to stop running.