2020-05-31-LIVE OAKS - Part 5

He's amazing wonderful god-breathed Pages. Thank you. Thank you for the gift of the foundation that this word gives us maybe not depart from it. May we may we live in a move in and be according to who you are. And who you are is revealed here. So either this word gets proclaimed this written word gets proclaimed or I I don't want anything for cleaned. So God, please speak through me if you will speak around me if you must but please speak and give us the ears to hear your name. We pray. Amen. Finally in part 6 the last part of our Jonah series. We have come up come up on something nice and light and Breezy, but we have not come upon a time where I won't be slightly sarcastic it is it is yet again, not light and Breezy. So let's just do it. Let's just do it. Let's just have fun with it was just Dive In

What up?

God is absolutely Sovereign over all things.

God is mighty compassion toward the dramatically undeserving. God has an unwavering commitment to his own plan. And God has a purpose and power and promise result of repentance.

I have seen those four ideas as four themes to come alive for me and Jonah it weird. I didn't expect this this little I forgot was an actual book of the Bible about the story about the whale and the dude. I didn't expect to be a book in the Bible that I think is going to follow me the rest of my life. he has been profoundly powerful for me challenging convicting inspiring comforting and all of its craziness in and I pray that even part the same would be true for you all.

at the end of the narrative Where we spent a lot of time the last week, let me just begin there. The people of Nineveh believe God they called for a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them. That was Jonah 3 5 and then Jonah 3 starting in first date. This is the leader of Nineveh. But letting man and Beast be covered with sackcloth and let them call out my deleted God let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands who knows God may turn and relenting turn from his Fierce anger so that we may not perish when God saw what they did have they turn from their evil way God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them and he did not do it. We spent a lot of time. dissecting how that works. John just said in 40 days.

And none of it will be overturned. Be undone it'll be destroyed to be leveled. But your God didn't do it. His amazing purpose and plan of repentance and God lead the ninevites. He'll edminify to repentance through the mouth of the prophet in. God in his absolute sovereignty by compassion showed his unwavering commitment to overthrow Nineveh through their repentance beautiful. So surely The Profit through whom God worked to accomplish. This miracle is thrilled by this development. I mean if you're in a particular, I mean, I don't know everything about you know, human nature in human beings and what Dino successful men do but I imagine if you if you go into a certain field, I'm going to be a transponster whatever that is and you find out that you were the transponster of the century. Like you excelled in your line of work greater than anyone before you had excelled. Would you not be pleased? People get invited to speak at conferences are you know Ghost Rider really important book and live off the residuals and there's a lot of possibilities here with this amazing success, of course is going to be thrilled by this. John 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly. He was angry.

Jonah was angry at the repentance of Nineveh. Jonah 4:1 in the non sissy literal Hebrew translation or in slht

I'm working on it.

Jonah 4:1, it was exceedingly evil to Jonah and he was angry.

Jonah

saw the compassion of God as evil.

Evil is God to relent. from nineveh's destruction Now it it seems like a steam for this Jonas series, but but but this this should sound kind of familiar something happens. Sean response to praise God responds like this little bit at the little it pattern through Jonah. So let's let's look at that real quick and Jonah 1:1 now the word of the Lord came to Jonah about the Jonathan.

Yeah, that's from that. Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. I threw myself off the Hebrew. I've just been diving into the language so much. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of amittai saying arise go to Nineveh that great City and call out against it for their evil has come up before me. Jonah uses the same word. to describe God's graciousness unrelenting from the destruction of Nineveh.

Or from Jonas 3 starting at 8 let everyone turn from his evil way. Again. This is the leader of Nineveh. This is leader. This is none of a responding to the word of the Lord. Now that everyone turn from his evil wait for the violence that is in his hands who knows God may turn and relent and turn from his Fierce anger so that we may not perish when God saw what they did how they turned from their evil way same word again god relented of the disaster. Same word that he said he would do to them and he did not do it because in Hebrew the word for evil to work for disaster. They're essentially the same context changes the use of the word but it's the same word evil in disaster the same. So was this recap really quick first. God says Nineveh is a spiritual disaster. So I'm going to turn it into a physical disaster. All I got to say is look I'm going to make the outside match the inside Nineveh is lost in sin and violence and Rebellion evil there a disaster. So I'm going to make them look like the disaster. They are the opposite of what we're hoping to do here. Got this all right. I'm going to make the outside match the inside upon hearing this prophecy. The king says let us turn from the disaster in US perhaps the Lord will turn from the disaster. He is bringing against us. and the Lord did The Lord did he relented? To which the Lord's Prophet responds. No, this is a disaster.

More so than the evil of the ninevites is the evil of God not destroying them.

Not quite seeming like the prophet of the millenia anymore to me. Back In Jonah for starting the first one it displeased Jonah exceedingly. And he was angry. He prayed to the Lord and said oh Lord is not this what I said when I was yet in my country. That is why I made haste to flee to tarshish for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. Set that to is kind of echoey. It's a it's a repeating course Back In Jonah 1 verse 17.

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. So these two different situations Jonah was in the middle of a disaster if you will and God saved him through the belly of a fish now Jonah is is basically witnessing the same thing. God saving Nineveh in the belly of repentance to relent from the disaster that would surely come to them.

This is the Bible's way of saying compare these two things. The Bible is is giving us permission is begging us has pleaded with his please compare these different situation. Go ahead. I I I invite you the scripture says to compare these two things first from the belly of Jonah salvation second in the Fallout of Nineveh salvation Jonah to starting a verse to I called out to the Lord. This is Jonah prangs beautiful prayer.

I called out to the Lord out of my distress and he answered me out of the belly of Shield. I cried and you heard my voice for you cast me into the deep into the heart of the Seas and the flood surrounded me all your waves and your bill has passed over me. Then I said I am driven away from your site yet. I shall again look upon your Holy Temple the waters closed in over me to take my life. The Deep surrounded me weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever yet. You brought me up you brought up my life from the pit of Lord my God when my life was fainting away. I remembered the Lord and my prayer came to you into your Holy Temple. Those to pay regard to Vain Idols forsake their hope of steadfast love but I with the voice of Thanksgiving was sacrificed to you what I have fouled. I will pay salvation Belongs to the Lord.

How beautiful and deep in verbose and profound Diaz when talking about the grace that was extended to him.

A man who can get write poems about it, right?

Here we go. And Jonah for starting a purse too, and he prayed to the Lord and said oh Lord. Is this not what I said when I was yet in my country. That is why I made haste to flee to tarshish. He's not even poetic. He's just telling God the way it is.

dummy

That is why I made haste to flee to tarshish for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster there for now. Oh Lord, please take my life from me for it is better for me to die than to live.

Set the mood swings, right? Say the least.

The first prayer Jonah Praises God for the mercy and compassion. He extended to Jonah. And it's the reason. four Jonas Joy

and II Jonas States God's mercy and compassion. He extended to Nineveh and it's the reason for Jonah's anger.

In the first prayer he says because you saved me I will live for you. In the second he says because you saved Nineveh. I don't want to live.

beautifully perfectly tragic this is

In both prayers he is rightly acknowledging the Heart character in nature of God. He he's not, you know confused at the first and clear on the second verse by so he's perfectly clear. He perfectly understands both times intellectually. He gets it. He's got he's got the knowledge of God's heart character nature down really really well.

But the truth of God leads him to two completely different conclusions.

What's the big difference? What is the difference?

Let's let's grab a mirror.

Look in it. See if there's another one of those little echoey repeating things that we've been experiencing and Jonah maybe if we look in a mirror we might see some of the same characteristics that we see so sadly In Jonah

I call myself a disciple of Jesus on a Christian and he's a little Christ follower of Jesus on I'm a I'm a I'm a disciple of him. I'm on the Christian of the Bible strive to be a man of the scriptures. I'm a lot. Like I said it is deep. It is the rock solid foundation of existence. I love the scripture that tells us who God is so we Christians of the Bible. We know the reality of God's grace and God's justice. If it were fancy brand Christians of the Bible will intellectually understand that God is infinite, right God is infant infinite even more awesome than Eternal like we're given eternal life, but we're not infinite infinite means no Beginning No End always has been there was a beginning for us to know how many countless Millennia we lived in this direction. There was a part where we didn't There is there's no such existence with that. He's always been existent. He is infinite he's infinite. So what we know intellectually. Is that if God is something he's infinitely that something so if God is gracious he's infinitely gracious. There's no there's no no beginning nor end to his grace. It's who he is God is infinitely gracious. But we also know that God is infinitely just there. There's no Beginning No End to his Justice. He has always been just he always will be just there's never going to be a time where he hangs up just as soon as I am done with that now, He is infinitely Josh Daniel infinitely gracious.

I'm 34 also honest.

Christian's of the Bible will admit that we want God's infinite grace for ourselves and we want his infinite Justice. for our enemies for the other person I claim your infinite grace. I declare and demand your infinite Justice.

So now In this passage

We see the depth of Jonas depravity.

Which makes God's use of them? To me even that much more amazing. and encouraging Jonah keeps looking worse and worse to me. But yet it doesn't change what God was able to do through him.

It's like God's Unstoppable.

Even throwing a wicked and depraved heart in the path of God's will for Nineveh.

God wasn't even carried on the destination that he planned

did you catch the huge plot twist that Jonah laid down just a second ago goes all the way back to the beginning of the story Jonah in his own words. Again. That is why I made haste to flee to tarshish for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful. How Wicked is that?

How cold with the lack of compassion? What an abundance of spite? Jonah didn't flee to tarshish because he was afraid of the ninevites he fled to tarshish because he hated them.

and he knew

if given the chance, they may repent and that God would relent and that was detestable to him because the Nephites were

no surprise. Then that Jonah uses God's gracious sparing of Nineveh as a reason for anger. He uses God's gracious choosing of Israel as a reason. for hatred

I'm an Israelite. banana bites we are God's chosen people true false true. Absolutely undeniably true. He was of God's chosen people. but yet instead of instead of Jonah

tasting and enjoying the gracious choosing of God and wanting others to experience the same. He used it as a reason to be superior to look down on everyone else to look down at Nineveh and intake. They're not worthy of Grace. If you have to be worthy of Grace, it's not Grace.

One of the most beautiful reasons I holy Embrace God's absolute sovereignty over salvation. absolute is that it leaves me? No reason to boast in myself above anyone else. There is no room for pride in God's choosing. What is the difference between my heart that adores Christ and the Heart of my neighbor who denies him? Grace that's it.

for some reason God graciously chose to reveal himself to me to grant me repentance to lead me to my knees to surrender to him. Grace Not my intellect. Not my morals. Not my right upbringing not my wisdom or work ethic or ethnicity or socioeconomic strata? Nothing. Have I but the grace given me.

Nothing have we but the grace that God has given us.

We are no better than any other Gathering any other congregation any other people are no better than anyone. Matter fact life just seems to be a contest on who's the most ratchet.

But what we wretches can do is gather together in praise God. The Grace has given us and asked that he would continue to share that Grace with everyone maybe through us. Could not even use me could not even use you to extend that Grace to others.

If I look down on my unbelieving neighbor and set myself as Superior, I am robbing. God of the power of His grace and accepting God sincere. Thanks for my choosing him. You're welcome Jesus.

Paul says in 1st Corinthians chapter 1 starting the first 26

for consider your calling brothers sisters. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. Not many were powerful not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise who's a fool?

God chose what is weak in the world? Who's the week?

To shame the strong. God chose what is low what is despised in the world even things that are not to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God and because of him you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God righteousness sanctification Redemption, every thing that we lacked so that as it is written let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. That's the only boast we have. It's the only boast we're allowed. It's the only boast that wouldn't get us called liar. We have Christ because he gave himself to us revealed himself to us to the power of the Holy Spirit revealed himself to us. And what could we do but surrender?

Psalm 8:2 out of the mouth of babies and infants you have established strength because of your foes to still the enemy and the Avenger. If I stop knowing myself as a sin orphaned Grace adopted baby through whom the Holy Spirit lives in moves. I become the enemy and the Avenger of The Sovereign Grace that saved me to begin with

What Jonah did not know is that Jonah is Nineveh?

Jennifer if you have Jonah is Nineveh.

We can't see it. He sees himself above.

What I find profound in.

Not this isn't going to be politics have talked about that in a second. But what would I find really amazing?

Four are especially for a Jewish brothers and sisters that know of you. Shua as Messiah. What's amazing to me about God's sovereignty choosing Israel it is that God didn't choose Abram because he was a Jew

There was no such thing until God shows him. Dr. Shows Abram to birth Israel shut down work through Abram. To make his real what it is apron was like from a ran, which if you look at the at the current International situation, that's that's amazing. I can't I can't don't you kind of wish that if it doesn't billions of people would just really let that true sink in for a moment. Did Abram was from Iran Abram was graciously called from the dust of Iran Israel? And a ram the father of Israel was from the dust of your land and you can be chosen to. Call out to the God who called him. instead of wasting any more thousands of years and in bitterness parenteral being chosen to stay Galway choose me

I want you. I want to be yours. I want to be adopted by that's all that's all that would need to happen.

Only Grace makes the difference. What's the difference between? Abram and Muhammad grace of God

How about America? Let's talk to America for a moment.

Politicians are not our enemies. or Our Saviors They're merely our reflection.

a sobering

if Washington discuss us we are simply disgusted by ourselves. Only Grace can make the difference.

Maybe that should change how we pray.

Derek Chauvin

George Floyd was an image bearer of God. Not just a perp. Just as you are an image bearer of God, not just a cop.

Grace

Is the only thing that can make the difference? Grace please Gees great.

If we would first graciously respect the law enforcement officers that serve and if law enforcement would first graciously wash the feet of Those whom they serve Grace will make the difference.

From the value of human life to the economy. We have made everything political. And if it's political it's about political tribes and that game will never be one. I have not and I will not make this Pulpit political why because politics is Downstream from hearts of people. You can't fix Downstream what comes from Upstream if we want better politics. We need better people and that happens in this sanctuary in your front yard around your dinner table.

not in a Ballot Box

GDP Grace defeats politics

What's our GDP?

Forgive me if if that was seemingly a bit of a of a tangent, but understand.

Jonah is not seeing the ninevites as people.

As well read it doesn't even see them as cattle. He sees in his garbage. He season is nothing. He sees them as the enemy. John is wearing his Israelite Jersey there wearing any fights Jersey. We loved us we hate them. That I never actually thought that I would partially quote Jerry Seinfeld in a sermon nor my endorsing any of his routines or his television programs. I'm just stating that one time. I heard him talk about the fact I didn't Sports. What is the deal with sports? In sports. It really just comes down to us rooting for clothes. We're Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We hate Tom Brady. Tom. Brady's a bunk in here. We love Tom Brady. He just changed his shirt.

Thank you Santa. Thank Jerry and his pants. Yeah, they'll be a confusing.

If if we see people as just a wearer's of jerseys. And not image bearers of God. We miss everything and what is the difference between one Jersey or another? the grace of God

Jonah would rather see the enemy defeated by God's justice. Then be one by God's grace. Are we sure we are not the same.

Perhaps got to answer to Jonah can be his answer to us as well. Jonah 4:4 and the Lord said do you do well to be angry? It's a very kind way forgot to put it I think. You still fit you throwing are you sure you're on the right side of this thing? Are you are you sure?

Did your righteous in your anger?

We got as many as Jonah you seem to be really fixated on my Justice.

Do you think you are just in your anger geneforge 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and and made a booth for himself there. Little Shelter little lean-to little pup tent He sat under it in the shade till he should see what what would become of the city. Understand what he's doing. Even though God made it very clear that he relented from the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah was so excited about maybe the possibility of God changing his mind and there still would be a good firework show He makes himself a shady ringside seat because he wants to see the fire come down from heaven and consume every citizen of Nineveh. He popped popcorn.

I doubt I would guess I'm not sure. I don't even know what maze was there at the time.

Perhaps God would relent from his relenting. Contrast the king and Jonah the king is hoping maybe God bite just relent and Jonah is hoping maybe God might still burn them to the ground.

They build foreign South little ramshackle janky little lean-to of sketchy branches and what not. Made a little bit of shade for himself. John says that I've got my anger and my hatred and my little shelter and my popcorn and that's all I need that and the absolute leveling of none of them then and then that's all I need. Then I'll be happy. soon as Nineveh Burns

verse 6 now the Lord God appointed a plant just like he appointed a fish you can point him fishing upon a plant and some of the commentators I just pity them.

If you can't get past the fish stop reading.

Now the Lord got a pointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shade over his head to save him from his discomfort.

Discomfort check it out. Same word is evil. Peepers crazy, I mean it's not it's like, you know, you know Gutter and simple-minded is English and in front of the complicated, but man it is fascinating language. discomfort same word as evil and disaster and displeasure. So God is doing a couple things here. He's being obnoxiously gracious to Shield Jonas from the Sun show you the graciousness of God and like I can't even get over this like God has enough Grace left over. Take to shape JoJo from piano.

So he's he's obnoxiously gracious to Shield Jonah from the Sun. But God is also turning the blazing sun and the shade from said son into a sermon about Jonah Sanger and sense of righteousness. God is soothing Jonah in his anger and hatred but he's also being a little little righteously sneaky. I like it when God does that he's done that with me a few times. You got me. You got it fell right into that one. And God is being a little sneaky and preaching a sermon through this plant.

So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Grammatically identical to Jonah for one but it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry grammatically identical amounts of anger. He's now. Play sure because of the shade.

Turn terms of the glaring Wrath of the sun when it's Jonah being shielded. He's full of joy. When is Nineveh being shielded? He's incense.

I love to be shielded from Wrath. I hate it when other people are.

For 7 but when Dawn came up the next day God appointed a worm. That attacked the plant so that it wizard. What is God doing here just saying? Just in case for a moment Jonah you thought you were entitled to the shade. No, it was a gift. It was Grace. Just like the repentance of Nineveh. And my relenting of their destruction was a gift was Grace. shade shade

when the sun rose got a pointed a scorching Eastwind there Sade and the Sun Beat Down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and he asked if he might die and said it is better for me to die than to live. But God said to Jonah. Do you do well to be angry towards the plant?

Jess I do well to be angry. angry enough to die toddler the Bible never tells us how old he is. Maybe he's for it's possible.

Fish plant worm toddler he can appoint it all. enough to die and the Lord said verse 10. Are you kidding me about the plant Joey? You pity the plant for which you did not labor nor. Did you make it grow which came into being a knight and perished in a night and should not I pity Nineveh that great City in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left and also much cattle. Even admitting to Jonah. I know I know that the ninevites are hopeless. That's why I gave them hope.

I know their disaster. That's what that's why I relented from the disaster my grace Jonah you just you don't get it. You just don't get it. You care more about the plant. dim the people then even the cattle. the goddess pointing out either Jonah cares more about his own Comfort than the people of Nineveh or he cares more about Plant, then the people of Nineveh. A king and bring himself to care about the cows of Nineveh. No.

Jonathan the most successful profit in the history of man only cares about his own comfort and maybe a plant

spray

got may this be about Shona and not my biography.

God me by your grace. May I not be like Jonah? And I pray that your grace continue to work in his life.

I pray that you continue to press upon him your grace and finally bring him to full surrender. I pray that for him. I thank you for the Salvation of that generation of ninevites and also soberly reminded that Nineveh it fell back into sin and was eventually destroyed. You gave him a season of grace and favor?

Silver us up God may we never ever ever ever ever feel entitled to the shade of your grace?

Behold now is the year of the Lord's favorite now.

May we not hesitate may we not tarry to bow to Arnie today right now if you are gracious to us right now maybe respond by your grace for your grace for the glory of your grace for the glory of our joy reveling in your grace.

Now it if we hear your voice do not let our hearts be hardened got if you are speaking like we asked speak through me or around me, but got if you're speaking right now to anyone online to anyone here in this blessed gracefield sanctuary if anyone feels called to respond to your voice today.

throw themselves Under the shade of your grace. I pray that they would.

God thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your grace.

In your name we pray amen. I'm in next week is our homecoming Sunday night at the first Sunday of the month. So usually we have communion and a fellowship meal. We are going to have communion because we figured out a really cool way to tube to distribute the communion elements. And as long as you trust us that we use gloves and we were awesome in and then we have a way to just pick up a cup and you'll see it and it's beautiful. We don't need to be wasting time talking about just trust us and it's the Lord's table and we could celebrate that. We usually have a fellowship meal. We are not going to have a fellowship meal. So that wouldn't stop us from hanging around and fellowshipping next week. My beautiful much more gifted in the realm of announcements wife will be here and she will explain how we will do a fellowship meal later in the future. She's back woman. Praise God, let us be God's grace filled Grace motivated people this week, and I can't wait to see everyone maybe and even more next week. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Love you. Jesus your name, we pray I'm in.