Compassionate Correction of a Calloused Heart - Jonah 4:1-11

Jonah 4:11. First one will read two verse 11. You can stay seated for this reading. But to Jonah, this seemed very wrong and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, isn't this? What I said, Lord, when I was still at home, that is what I try to forestall by fleeing to tarshish. I knew that you are gracious and compassionate. God, slow to anger and abounding in love a God, who villains from sending Calamity now Lord, take away my life for this better for me to die than to live. But the Lord replied is it right for you to be angry. Jonah, had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city there. He made himself a shelter and sat in the shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God, provided the leafy plant, made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head. Ease his discomfort and Jonah was very happy about the plant but it on the next day God provided a worm which to the plants that it withered, when the sun rose God, provided the scorching East Wind and the sun, blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint, he wanted to die and said it would be better for me to die than to live. But God said, the Jonah is it right for you to be angry about the plant? It is, he said, and I'm so angry. I wish I were dead, but the Lord said you've been concerned about this plant. Do you did not tend to it or make it grow? Its spring up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell the right hand, Fender left, and also many animals. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks, be unto God.

How many of you have been to the movie theater within the past year out of curiosity? And see, what did you see? Just out of curiosity?

Champions so anytime you go to the movie where there be at the sea Champions or whatever, like you might be interested in if y'all are curious. The one I'm interested in next is the Super Mario Bros movie comes out. I think it's next week honestly. So hopefully Naomi Joy comes after that movie. But after you watch a movie at the theater or at home, which was the first thing that comes out of your mouth as soon as the end credits roll, My first things. I was good. I was bad. Okay, come to mind. Is your first reaction. Everything. Okay. Anything else?

Your popcorn. Sometimes, I watch movies by myself. If I'm sitting by somebody or your family or friends, would I ask what you think? First thoughts. Good bad. You like it. Don't like it. What were your first impressions of the movie? When I read the Book of Jonah, I read this. And I come across chapter 4 and I personally ask my media response after finishing the book. I asked specifically about chapter four. Why is this here? Why does this exist? And for somebody, I think about put on your thinking cap or tickly in the New Testament. what does the Book of Jonah sound like, Something in the New Testament that sounds very very similar is structured. Very similarly to Jonah, I think of it off the top of your head. What was that? It's a prodigal, son, Bullseye write that story. It's very, very similar to Jonah because in the prodigal son, we have, the son is with the father relationships with the father. He runs away goes way. We're go. Sandra Bells. Thins is in a Faraway place. He comes back. Right? Jonah is delivered. He's saved. The Sun comes back, a huge celebration happens. There's Rejoice thing and partying and joy. But the story doesn't end there, it is ends with the father pleading with the bitter older son. Feeding him to come in, come with Joyce, come celebrate with me, come celebrate. The fact that my son is now living with Jonah. Come celebrate. The fact that these dead ninevites very similar and it's the big question. Why is it in the Bible? What is Jonah for exist? Because Jonah, end of the chapter 3. It's just the perfect story in conventional story standards. It's just it's a beautiful glorious ending Within Chapter. 4 says, why two big reasons? I'll give you first lie, lies in the Bible because its history. Because it actually happened here with the Bible records, you have to understand the Bible isn't exhausted. And when I record about history or what it does, record is accurate what does record its faithful in. The reason. Jonah for exist in part is simply because this is what happened in his life in this account. And the author of Jonah is simply being faithful to what actually happened in history. I think the reason it's more applicable for us today. Why is this? Here is because Jonah for serves as both a mirror and there's a window What I mean by that, it serves as a mirror because whether you like it or not, as we'll see. I hope you'll see this text does reflect back Who You Are. It's crazy. That might be as much as you might say. I would never do that. That's just such a rude attitude to taking life as we can pack the text. I hope you'll see that. There's a lot of you in here more than you'd like to admit and it's a mirror that helps us. See how absurd we can be in life as Jonah's being here. It's also a window because In this, passage through the passage, we see the boundless mercy of God. Being displayed yet again to a broken flawed messed up, man, as Jonah is That's why it's here. I love one of the contemporary songs by the song it here yet. One day, we will, but the course of the song, it simply says our sins. They are many, his Mercy is more. As a beautiful encapsulation of this book. Jonah is a trouble Man trouble, man, of God as sinful as he might be, as wicked as the ninevites might be, God's Mercy is so much more than our Brokenness. Joyce, we wrap up Jonah today. As we look at this chapter, this is the one thing I want you to take away after you walk away. All right. This is it. This is the one message. I want you to walk away with tinnitus. God will not give up on you. God will not give up on you. The Lord never let go of Jonah. And today, God will not give up on you. He will not give up on you. No matter how many times you send, no matter how many mistakes you've made, no matter how broken you are, no matter how many times you fall in off the straight and narrow path, no matter what? God will not give up on you. Let's walk through the text on packet to see how we get to that conclusion. And also what that means for us today. Beginning and verse 12. Jonah, this seemed very wrong and he became angry. What seems wrong to Jonah? What are you talkin about? Well, chapter 3? The song about the entirety of chapter 32, Jonah? What just happened is very wrong and I want to just happened in chapter 3. It's arguably one of the most wide-scale evidences of God's preached word being effective. 120,000 people were in the book of Acts. When we read about it, in Acts chapter 2, when Peter gives the sermon at Pentecost, we read that. A few thousand people came to know Christ that we're safe. But here we have 120,000 people, they repented from their Wicked Ways. An outstanding display of God's mercy. The wicked were spared. They were given a second chance. There was shown Mercy into Jonah. It seemed very wrong. Your text might say it is very wrong. He would he became angry, he became Furious, he was indignant. Jonah was greatly displeased. Anna Burbage is so strong here. It sounds. So Jonah just saw the ninevites being spared and he said, you know what, Lord, I don't think that was the best move to make. No it's as if he said to God. How dare you say those ninevites, how dare you spare them, they don't deserve that. Do you know what? They've done to my family. What they did to my father and mother what they done to my children, what they done to my neighbors, in the northern part of Israel. Do you know how cruel they been to my family to my people to us? They do not deserve Mercy. He's very angry, very Furious. What does he do with that? Yet again, all his flaws. He prays to God. He turned all of this, expresses it to the Lord in heaven. Verse to. He prayed to the Lord, some translation say he actually complained to the Lord. What is Jonah through there? Before we get into that right there. He prayed to the Lord. I hope you noticed that the same God who heard, Jonas, prayer and chapter 2, the prayer of broken, the prayer, The Cry of desperation, The Cry of sorrow and of hopelessness the same, God heard that prayer in the same. God hear his hearing, his prayer of frustration of anger or bitterness of Rage even Because it doesn't matter. If you're happy with your heavy-laden, you're sad your sorrowful. You're surprised you're enjoying life, doesn't matter what your disposition in life, might be what your circumstances might be. Always says, come to me. Come to me with it all. I can handle it. Bring it all to me in prayer. Take it to the Lord in prayer. So what is John appraising for stew? isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home, that's why I try to forestall by fleeing to tarshish. Right here, Jonah. Right? Who declares beautiful theology. Beautiful doctrine of God. I know God that you are a gracious and compassionate. God, you're slow to anger, your bounding in. Love your God. Who were lynched from sending calamity? But remember, this is a prophet of God, a man of God, a man who was in the word, who read the word, who heard the word, who knew the word of God, he's merely echoing different parts of scripture in Deuteronomy, 4:31 the Lord. Your God is a merciful god. Psalm 86 verse 2. You Lord are forgiving and good abounding in, love to all who call to you. It's almost 3:30 beginning and verse 8, this is y'all probably have heard some of this these verses before the Lord is compassionate and gracious slow to anger abounding in love, he will not always accuse nor will he Harbor his anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us. According to our iniquities for as high, as the heavens are above the Earth. So great is his love for those who fear Him and if you know this one as far as the East is from the West so far, has he removed our transgressions from us? Jonah knew this truth. He knew this Doctrine. He knew this theology. He knew those verses. He knew his Bible. And he doesn't order this out of delights and out of enjoyment out of rejoicing. Jonah says this very pejorative, hateful bitter Manor. As if she was accusing. God of English as if this were a bad thing.

You have to remember. Where's Jonah coming from? Or am I allergic to it earlier? The Jonah and the Israelites as so many others, not just the people of Israel. So many others had suffered so much trosset e underneath the cruel Assyrians and then about being the capital of that Empire. Jonas, you're saying why on Earth would you be merciful to these people? And you might think you're reading this reading chapter 4, you might think that Jonah is definitely being extreme, this is he's so out off on the rails, he's so out there. I would never ever exude anything similar to what he's doing here. I'll simply say. We do the very same thing. So often how but, you know, I, I know God, your word says this about sexuality, but but you know, I know your word says be patient and gracious with others, but I know your word says, to be generous with my money. but, I know your word says to share the gospel with the loss, to get out of my comfort zone and break those barriers, but I know your word says but how many of us say that exact same thing day after day after day, we know the truth. We know what the Bible says we know doctrine mean osteology, we know what scripture teaches but how often Do we just come to God's word? Come to God and say, I'm not a fan of that. Whatever aspect it might be. And here's a simple reality in the Bible, anytime you open the book, you read it, you hear it preached, there's only two kind of things you can do in response to it first lie. You can either submit your desires submit your actions submit your beliefs underneath the authority of God's word, right? That the authority of God's word is higher authority. You submit your life underneath the authority of God's word, or you come to the Bible, you read it, you hear it, I think about it. And you try to accommodate what it says to your own lifestyle to your own preferences. Do your own beliefs, your own opinions. And that's what Jonah is doing here. That's what we do. So often off more often. We should we should never do it. It's as if Jonah is saying to God, not your will but mine be done.

In fact, he goes so far as to say there's three now, Lord, take away my life. It's better for me to die than to live. I would rather. My ways to be Supreme, our other, my way actually happen, then live underneath the reality of your truth. it's very, very absurd. It is no better word for it. What is the Lord do? What does God do in response to Jonah? This, a Jonah. I know you're at your, you got some heavy accusations at stake. It looks like a little breather. I can't handle it. I didn't say Jonah. I know you've gone through a lot and I know you're frustrated. Stay here. Is it right for you to be angry? Is it right for you to be angry? God does not give up on Jonah.

God correction. He holds on to Jonah by correcting him. Is it right for you to be angry? He questions his whole attitude in life. We continue Jonah. Had gone out sat down and please east of the city. They're made himself a shelter, send it shade waited to see what happened to the city. But keep in mind, where Jonah is at in the world is in present-day, modern-day Iraq, that region. So, it's a very desert climate and Jonah when he goes out of the city right there in the desert, it's just this, the beating sunlight is so strong, so powerful, so overwhelming, no clouds in the sky, he needs some shade, it's just basic human, reality makes himself, a little, stick Fortress at in its sadness shade. What is he doing? Why is he there? Because he wanted to see what would happen to the city. What do you mean by that? You see Jonah was so self-deluded. He was so bitter. So, warped, in his sinful mind that he still thought, none of us going to get it. I know God spared them just for a moment early, but I'm going to go up here and I know God is going to rain down wrath and hail down on them.

36in waist to see the show? But even though Jonah is throwing himself, a little pity party on the hillside. God still doesn't give up on him. Y46 the Lord God provided a leafy plant made it grow up over Jonah to get. Schaefer said he's has discomfort and Jonah was very happy about the plan. So give me a read that and I think Jonah wasn't the best at building stick fortresses cuz apparently there's some holes in his little structure. So God provided some Shea for him to the tree. The plant. We don't know exactly what it is. That leafy plants. To give Chase cuz he cared about Jonah. And donuts, happy. You see that in the text Jonah was very happy about the plant. What's on the next day? God provided a worm which to the plants that withered. So his story is just something else, it's just so off-the-wall out there. So surprised what is going on in this comes along choose a little plant at the roots that the plant would say is 20 feet tall. If it was that big, the tiny little worm choose the plants all morning, maybe it started early in the morning so it it just cut one of the the foundational route that thing just flopped over. All right? What is Jonah do? We're going to text again.

When the sun rose got provide a scorching East Wind the sun Blaze on Jonah's head so that he grew faint scorching Eastwind that's from the dead desert region. If you just think about the Middle East so the hot wind the hot air is blowing on him the sun Blaze. When it said he grew faint he wanted to die said it would be better for me to die than to live. Jonah says that three times in this passage. It's better for me to die than to live. It's better for me to die than to live. It's better for me to die than to live.

What is God do again? Is it right for you to be angry about this plant? It corrects Jonah again. I'm so angry. I wish I were dead. But in the final plea comes in first 1011. This is a kid again I think of the prodigal son. This is akin to the father going out to that the older son one last time. Will you listen to me? Will you come in? Will you understand what my Mercy is all about? The Lord said. You've been concerned about this plant. You didn't tend to her. Make it grow Jonah. You did not plant this tree. You didn't water it. You didn't pull the weeds around it. You did nothing to make this plant grow. I'm the one who did it for you. Spring up overnight, it died overnight. Should I not have concern the great city of Nineveh? Jonah, you cared about this little green, little plant, if you care about that plant. So much for your own personal Comfort, your own personal you do on your self. Pity party thing should I not care about human beings? Whom I've made in my image. Should I not care about the 120,000 people? You can't tell the right hand from their left there, so diluted in Cinder so blind to reality. Should I not care for them? And even the many animals in that City right now. Cares, about animals, should I not care for things that are so much more valuable and precious than a mere plant a tree? I love these people. I care for them. How much more so should I care for these lost Wayward Souls. If you care about this little twig you have no business. You have no personal involvement with If you're on the edge of your seat that you read this, like me, you're wondering what happens next. What what does Jonah do? How does he respond to see it restored back to God? Does he still continue and his bitterness?

you don't know if only, Just a little quick Bible, trivia Jonah. And the sequel to Jonah, which is Nathan Is one book away at your after Micah the two books in the Bible that end with a question and the end open ended. what happens if you don't know the book end open ended But you see the point of the story of this book chapter for the entirety of the book. It's not about what happened to Jonah. That's not the point of the story. The point of this book is God, revealing himself to his people as the god of boundless Mercy who shows, Mercy Time and Time and Time and Time Again to all people but specifically to his children, to his, chosen people to his chosen. Prophet has chosen preacher. The man of God. God shows Mercy to this broken, man. Time and time and time again to this. Run away profit. The Lord never let go of him. God did not give up on him when Jonah was in his absolute worst. Just exiting the worst part of his Humanity. The depravity magic it's bubbling out of his mouth. It is ugly, Jonah, responding, very ugly ways in this book but God does not give up on him. I said, I hope you see I sometimes in frustration, but if you were dealing with somebody like this, or if you have before, What's are temptation?

I'm done forget you at you're just so stubborn. I've tried I have tried it sounds. I just I tried multiple times I'm done with you. I got us into that. He doesn't throw his hands up. He reaches down the gentle, loving hand of compassion and correction.

Right. If you forget everything, I say, please don't forget. God does not give up on you. No matter how many times you've looked at websites that you shouldn't have. No matter how many times you've taken one drink too many. How many how many times you burst out in anger against your spouse or your kids? No matter how many times you have failed, no matter how many times we fall in God, time and time again when we do not deserve it. We do not deserve it.

I hope you see that. Jonah was blind to see his need for Mercy, the ninevites. But Jonah, didn't think I'm good. I'm good. The people who need more, the people who were wrong. It's thin. Not me. I'm good. You do not need to see our Brokenness every single day. Acknowledged it before the Lord he holds on to us. He never gives up on us. But what does that mean? Was that mean that god holds on to his? He never gives up on. If that's something you can slap onto a bumper sticker on a coffee mug that God doesn't give up on you, but was it actually mean Does that mean gorgeous kind of passively holds onto you? Let you just coexist in Meander throughout life, know, god holds on to you. This is what I want to end with god holds onto you by correcting you. God loves you so much that he receives you as you are as broken as is Florida's you or he receives you but he loves you so much too much to leave you. As you are the same with Jonah, God doesn't want to leave Jonah in this broken ass in this absurdity in his anger and bitterness, God is calling him to repentance. Come to me, get out of that, that horrible thinking, that you were going to get out of that. Come to me, receive my Mercy. Taste my Mercy enjoying it. if you ever wonder in the Bible,

What, what is the issue with God? It seems like he's a killjoy. He got so much command, so many do so many don't, what is up with him? Sin, what is sin? If you were to talk to somebody, who doesn't know Christ, what is saying, how would you explain it to them? Send is any and everything that pulls you away, distract you from tasting of God's goodness and beauty, That is why sand is so destructive because it pulls you away from the source of Joy. It pulls you away from the Fountain of Living Water. That is why God's heart breaks for us because he says, I want you to thrive, I want you to be healthy. I want you to be truly happy. I want you to be joyful. I want you to taste of love. Come to me. Come to me, get away from sin, get away from those wrong. Thoughts. Come to me. Church. God never gives up on you. He never gives up on you. the only reason you and I can rejoice in high today, Is because Christ is the one who was let go by God. Romans 8:32 says that the father did not spare his own son, gave him up for us. All God, let go of the son, he let go, but you're removed. His restraining, love and protection removed. It the sun endure, the Calamity that we deserve. Jesus Christ, endured the the the Wrath we deserve for our absurd sin. So that we could have mercy. Find the parallels from here in the prodigal, son. At the end of the book, the end of the account. What is there? Hopelessness frustration. Confusion, bitterness anger sorrow. And don't you feel that at the End of This Book immediately? What's going on? Where's the hoping this the only reason that describes The crucifixion. Frustrated confused, I'm bitter, I'm angry. I'm sorry, for where is Christ. Where's the Hope? Where's the good stuff? It only comes because of Easter Sunday and celebrate that in two weeks explicitly. The only reason the story has a good resolution is because of the Resurrection. We can have hope today because Christ never gives up on us cuz he's living he's alive. He's holding on to us.

Church. What's the Book of Jonah about? The boundless mercy of God, to Broken People. You leave today please don't forget God never gives up on you.

Let's pray.

Father, we confess our sin to you. Acknowledged were broken people. We ask that you please remove the blinders off of our eyes. Help us to see ourselves as who we truly are.

Is broken. Sinners. If those who are here for Christians, help us to see us as redeemed, save Christians.

Father, whatever we might be struggling with. Never worries. River frustrations. Whatever Joys, we might be enjoying in life. May we come to you with it all. And as you speak your truth to us, as we read your word as you correct. Us. To the preaching of your word through. Godly counsel Christian Community, Personal time in the scriptures, as we hear your word, please help us to be humble. Respond to your message at Mercy.

We asked, father you help us to taste of your mercy. and I'm more sweet way that you'll cleanse our palates

will be satisfied with your mercy, but the also that we will share that message of Mercy with those who don't deserve it. May we begin to show mercy and Grace to our own households, to our own family to our own friends to our own brothers and sisters in this church. And even to those who are in Amis, we're Outsiders, who do not know you. Help us to show mercy and love to all people as you have first shown to us.

On the volume power. We ask these things in Jesus name, amen.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God into Earth forever. We just standing sing.

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