Revealing the Double Standard

 • Opening Song- Christ is Risen • Welcome/Announcements  Welcome! It’s so good that you have come today. 😊 (If we have guests) If this is your first or second time with us, welcome! We are so glad you are here with us today. My name is Brian and I am the Senior Pastor here at CBC. If I did not already get the chance to meet you this morning, I hope you will have time to drop by our connection tables after the service this morning. I will be there with Gloria, my wife, and we’d love the chance to meet you. And maybe answer some questions you may have about us. Or if you won’t have time to stop and chat, you can use the connection card that is inside the trifold bulletin you should have received as you entered the building. Just take a few seconds during the service and jot down your contact information, and we will be happy to reach back out to you sometime this week. Let me just encourage everyone here today to use the connection card. You can list prayer request, or request information about our ministries. It’s simple to fill it out and drop it at the connection table on your way out. <<Show Small Group Video>> << show announcement slide>> • Are you praying about your Discipleship Group? • Kids Beach Club- Official Start Date, September 13 • Small Groups - August 19 • Next Sunday- AWANA’s worker meeting - following AM service • 18 His Hands Outreach - 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM If you’re not connected with any of our groups, let me encourage you to stop by our connection table. You can request information on any of the groups that meet. Ladies’ Group, Teens, Men’s Group, even Small Group Bible Studies. Whether you are a guest, a member, or somewhere in between, we are here to worship our Great and Awesome God. • Scripture Reading: Psalm 103:8-12 Congregational- Before the Throne of God • ***Prayer/Offering*** Congregational #2- 10,000 Reasons Congregational #3- What A Beautiful Name Special Music- Who Say You That I am? ***Sermon*** Introduction: Removing The Double Standard Open Your Bibles to Jonah Chapter 4 Today will finish our study of this book. 2 Major Crises have been resolved: Jonah inside the fish’s belly, and the Possible destruction of Nineveh. All that is left is for God to deal with Jonah’s lingering rebellion. Jonah has proven to be obedient, but his heart is not yet in sync with God’s heart. Jonah has what we might call a “Double Standard” When you judge yourself by a different standard than you judge everyone else. It’s a symptom of fallen man to do this. We are born with it, and the we cultivate it throughout our life. There is an acute development during our teen years. It is something that we have to watch for all of life. Jonah, as God will point out, is afflicted with the double standard of thinking God should not be merciful to the Ninevites, but should be merciful to him. What’s encouraging about this chapter, is the gentle and patient way that God helps Jonah see his fault. When you and I are suffering from this affliction, it is not easy to see, and it takes a very tactful individual to help us recover from it. God does exactly what is needed to open Jonah’s eyes to his own hypocrisy. Let’s walk through this passage together and see how God helps his children discover and remove their own double standards. Scene 1 (Verses 1-3 ) Jonah is angry at God   1. Jonah did not get what he wanted. 2. What Jonah wanted was contrary to God's character. 3. Jonah wants to quit serving God   Scene 2 (verse 4) God Speaks Directly To Jonah About His Hypocrisy   4. God ask Jonah if it is right for him to be angry because God did not destroy the Ninevites.   Scene 3 (verse 5) Jonah holds on to his anger at God   1. Jonah's action reveal his answer. Yes, Jonah thinks it is right for him to be angry because God did not destroy the Ninevites.   Scene 4- (verses 6-9) God creates a circumstance to reveal Jonah's hypocrisy through his emotions.   6. God creates a situation that evokes extreme joy in Jonah's heart. a. God has mercy on Jonah 2. God removes the situation that was bringing Jonah joy. a. God removes His mercy from Jonah 2. God creates a situation that evokes extreme despair. a. Jonah experiences the judgment he had hoped would fall on the Ninevites   Scene 5- (verses 9-11) God Speaks Directly to Jonah about His hypocrisy.   9. God gets Jonah to say that it is right for him to be angry because God destroyed a plant. 10. Jonah cares deeply about things that should mean very little, and very little about things that should mean very much. 11. God wants Jonah to care more the salvation of his fellowman than he does for things that merely bring comfort in this life.