Sermon Nuggets Mon Dec 13 Jonah Pouts
Verses Jonah 4
Jonah Pouts
We are grieved to see the peace plan of Israel and Palestine go up in smoke when two nations and faiths hate each other and do all matter of injustices upon one another. The headlines this past week have Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton upset that the two parties are not taking the suggestions that can be steps to peace. Religions prejudice doesn’t stop with different religions but groups without each faith traditions can have grave fights over their interpretations of the Torah, the Koran, or the Bible.
Prejudice and hatred run deep in the hearts of mankind that can only be changed by the personal faith in Jesus Christ. God’s love for the world almost seems impossible when people groups within and without are filled with hatred.
The movie The End of the Spear shows the sacrificial love of missionaries going to an unreached tribe of Waodoni that is keen on killing another Indian tribe in Ecuador. In seeking to tell the good news of God’s love the missionaries are martyred. Anthropologists still condemn what the missionaries did 50 years ago trying to change the beliefs of another people group. But don’t people see how those belief systems keep people in fear and bondage? Why does a young Muslim blow himself and others up in an act of violence as witnesses in Sweden last week? Mohammed taught that he would immediately go to Nirvana and get 72 virgins in an afterlife of pleasures and lusts.
In India there is a sect of Hindus that take a widow of a man who died and bury her alive with him or burn her along with his body because that religion says he will have her as his companion in the reincarnation experience.
In Australia there are aborigines who used to believe a witch doctor every so often needed a victim to appease the gods’ anger and would arbitrarily picks an newborn infant amidst the protests of the crying mother. He takes this baby and fills the mouth with sand until it chokes to death. Why? Because his pagan religion tells him he must do this. There are mothers in another group in Africa who have twin babies and but must put them to death because their religion teaches them that twins are demon possessed.
What right do Christians have to go to these places and preach how God came to earth in Jesus Christ to show them love and die for our sins? We can accepted and believe in the death burial and resurrection of Christ and personally receive God’s spirit into our lives and be saved when we repent. The Ninevites needed to know of this God in the Old Testament time to save them from destruction for their wickedness and instructed Jonah to go and warn them. But Jonah was like the rest of the world filled with his own hatred and prejudice and ran the other way. God had to change his mind in the stomach of the fish and bring some repentance in his own life until he obeyed and proclaimed the word of God to them.
Surprisingly the nation did convert and cried out to God for forgiveness. God is not just concern for the Jews, but for the world and wants us to express and declare that love and warning that outside of faith in Jesus Christ outside of Gods’ mercy we are lost people and people for the world are lost. That is the call of worldwide missions as well as local outreach. The book of Jonah is a book of missions. Jonah was still prideful. He was thinking that being a Jews was better than being a Palestinian, or Ninevite or Gentile or whatever people group you want to identify.
Jonah is found pouting under a broom tree and God uses this time to ask him revealing questions.
Where do your prejudices arise? How does God feel about the people you shun? What message do they need to hear? What message do you need to hear?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Dec 14- The Questions of Jonah
Verses – 1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
8 When the sun rose, God provided a 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."
Jonah Questions God
Before we look at the questions from God, I want to look today at the attitude an questions stated and implied by Jonah to God.
We often do not understand the mind of the Lord. We are filled with many question why God does something or does not do something. In the movie, “Bruce Almighty” the character is often complaining and asking God why He is picking on him when unfortunate inconveniences happen. Like the rest of us “Bruce” wants life to always be pleasurable and happy and somehow when it isn’t it reflects on the nature of God.
We follow this principle “God rewards the good and punishes the evil.” That is fair in our minds, except when we fail to see the evil within us and the good within our enemies. From God’s perspective all of our righteousness is as filthy rags. All deserve judgment for our sins. We justify ourselves and condemn those with whom we disagree and feel like God should treat good Christian people better.
Ultimately this is at the heart of Jonah’s complaint. As mentioned before Ninevah was a power and evil nation and enemy of Israel. Can you imagine a Jewish prophet preaching to Iran about turning to God and feeling happy when God blesses them? Or why should God bless the Palestinians if the Israelis are the chosen people? These types of prejudices are behind the complaints of Jonah.
His question is really a statement of his own opinion. “Isn’t this what I said when I was at home? I knew you were a compassionate God who forgives and frankly these people don’t deserve forgiveness they deserve judgment! The question is why?
Would God provide salvation to Adolph Hitler if he repented of his sins and reached out to Jesus Christ to save him? Yes. But we ask, is that fair? There is no way we want forgiveness to child molesters, to violent murderers or oppressors who have done wrong to us or our loved ones or to our nation. That is not fair they deserve judgment.
Likewise, how in the world could God be a good God and send someone who hell who is a good person but did not respond by faith in Jesus Christ? These are not light questions but run into the depths of what we think is fairness.
No wonder Jonah is anger with God. He does not do things the way mankind does them. He is being judged by us as if we know best how things ought to be.
If you look at the prayer of Jonah it can easily be analyzed as to where his mind was, 10 times “I , Me, My in three verses, as translated in the KJV. He is self-centered.
As I think about Jonah’s question and statements in light of the grace of God I am aware how Jonahy failed to learn the lessons with both the fish and the plant. He goes to wait for the destruction of the city but it does not happen. Twice God saved Jonah so to speak, once with the great fish and secondly by providing a plant in the wilderness for protection from the sun. Yet the grace demonstrated toward him was not understood based on his questions and statements. He as distressed. He was glad when he received grace but not forgiving toward others.
According to Professor Bob Deffinbaugh, Jonah tupified the stubborn rebellion of Gods’ people Israel. Just as Jonah disobeyed God’s order, Israel disobeyed God’s law. Just as Jonah refused to carry out his task of preaching to the Gentiles, so did the nation Israel. Just as Jonah called on God for deliverance, yet without genuine repentance, so did Israel. Just as Jonah had the outward trappings of righteousness, the right forms and the right terms, but lacked genuine righteousness, so did Israel.
He writes, “ The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day typify this same willfulness and rebellion. When He came, our Lord, as it were, swept away the three-fourth inch covering of snow from the accumulated garbage of Judaism. Jesus uncovered and condemned the smug self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the Israelite leaders, just as the Book of Jonah has done with the prodigal prophet.”
It was with righteous indignation that those who thought they were righteous criticized Jesus for spending time with the sinners, tax collectors and even Gentiles. Aren’t you glad He did?
When we tend to question God humble yourself and realize God has some questions to ask of you and me. Who are we to question the Almighty? And then listen.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Dec 15 Anger
Verses- Jonah 4:1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
God questions Jonah’s ANGER
We had seen Jonah is greatly displeased. He tells the Lord why he is angry. The first reason is that he didn’t get his own way. The first question the Lord asks “Have you any right to be angry?” Of course it is a rhetorical question not really meant to be answered, but reflective. Can a man who has been the recipient of divine mercy, grace, love and patience withhold these blessings from others?
Jonah is upset because he wanted the Lord to destroy them and he didn’t. Jonah has no room to talk or feel what way whatsoever for he was dealt with in mercy. God forgave him. He obeyed because he had to, not because he wanted to.
We talked about the importance of being obedient to the Lord. It is also true that some people have a wonderful relationship with God but don’t want to get involved with other people. But faith is to be shared not kept. We are to encourage one another in good works. We need to beware of sin and help a brother or sister who falls or in need.
Many are obedient but not happy, which of course, is better than being happy but disobedient! When parents instruct their children to be obedient they may comply but not be happy about cleaning their room or taking out the garbage or doing their chores. When a boss might want us to do a job, we may not like it, but if we want to keep the job we obey. The route to obedience with Christ does not always bring immediate happiness. When all the disciples were killed being witnesses there was a joy to be counted as a martyr for Christ in love, but not sure scourging or even going to the cross was happy time. Glorification comes later. And it does for us as well.
It has been said: “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” It seems Jonah was trying to justify his earlier disobedience before God. He tries to show God how smart and right he was. “See Lord, I told you I know all along that this was going to happen. I knew that you are that kind of God who is forgiving and merciful and loving. I hate God’s enemies with a perfect hatred why can’t God do as much?”
He did get his theology is right. It is taken from the same description in Ex 34:6 “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” God is gracious. Grace is a word commonly used. The people have received mercy by not getting what they deserved. But reflect on your own life and realize you and I have been the recipients of mercy. The greatest present of all was God himself. That is matchless to any other present.
The Bible says God is slow to anger. That is how we are to be. Eph 4 tells us to be slow to anger. Be angry but sin not. “In other words there is something wrong with a quick temper, but if you have been patient and moral or seeking to do right you will find injustice and blasphemy and there is a place for righteous anger. We do need to correct our children in love. We do need to confront sin and not sweep it under the rug.
God becomes our example desirous to give people an opportunity to repent. He is patient in delaying the second coming not wiling that any should perish.
Has God already given you warnings? Are there things in your life that don’t belong? Now is the time to turn to Him and from that sin today. God abounds in keeping His part of the covenant relationship.
“Lord, I might as well die. Woe is me.” Jonah knew all about God. He perfectly understood his character. He aptly presented the message just as God told him to do. But what change was there that was lasting for Jonah?
Jonah had the problem of living in the present and so quickly forgetting Gods’ own mercy to him. It is hard to imagine Jonah who had received grace and mercy from God fails to have that attitude toward the Ninevites. He wanted to see them pay for their sin, but did not want to pay for his own sin. Just because a person has been forgiven or received mercy from God does not make them more merciful.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Dec 16 Priorities
Verses Jonah 4:5-9 5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.
6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.
7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.
8 When the sun rose, God provided a 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."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."
God questions Jonah's Priorities
Here we have the story of the plant providing shade for Jonah. God provided the shady plant, but then he also provided the worm that came and ate the plant at just the right places to cause it to whither and die. Jonah cries again, “Woe is me” “I’m better off dead” and then comes that question from the Lord. “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” He adds a word for emphasis that changes the question. Not only what right do you, of all people have to be angry for my mercy toward people, but now how can you be so angry over something as petty as not having shade from the plant? What is as significant as a plant? You have more grief over the death of a plant that eternal lost of people’s souls. Sure the plant was used to bring comfort. You’ll notice that Jonah was exceedingly glad for the plant to save him from the heat and sun. It is true that little things can make a difference for us a little conveniences are sorely missed.
When I go camping I am so appreciative of running water, electric appliances. I so enjoy a warm shower and the convenience if it is cold to turn a dial to get heat. How much I enjoy turning a key and have my car start. When these things don’t work right I get upset over the inconvenience, cost and time wasted. Isn’t life horrible? I don’t think of the fact I have health or money to get them repaired, or I’m well fed. I just concentrate on the convenience I do not have and that puts me in a sour mood. How about you?
God is posing this type of question before Jonah. “You are suffering when something is taken from you which I gave you as a gift for your temporary comfort. But I your Lord, suffer for that which I have created.
Jonah is more concerned about a little plant than he is about the great city of Nineveh. He is more concerned about selfish needs than the needs that are basic to others.
I’m sorry to say that is the attitude expressed by many. In all our wealth and luxuries we are more concerned about our comforts while people dying of starvation or lost without the gospel. We have opportunities to give and serve the needy through special during the year. Paul does put it in perspective when he says I know what it means to be in plenty and in want. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
When disappointing things come we are tempted to say God is not fair, but if He was most of us would lose most of our material goods to be distributed to the bulk of the world without. You and I have been super blessed, so when you think of the fairness of God think of those in need and especially the good news. What are the petty issues that capture our time and money?
Of course, I think some psychologists might call this displaced anger. That means he is angry about one thing, but takes it out on something else. Sure it is petty and sure it is selfish, but it is real. It’s like the man who had a hard day at the office an comes home and yells at his wife, who is angry at her husband but yells at the kids, who are angry at Mom but kicks the dog. Anger grows and grows so that pretty soon we are angry people bitter and unhappy with chips on our shoulders ready to fight the world.
I think of a friend of mine who takes tragedies fairly well, but you should hear him when he breaks a shoelace or a button pops off his shirt. He swears like trooper. He gets all out of sorts when a car passes him or beats him at a light. Down deep he is upset about something else that he doesn’t want to face.
We experience things in life so that God might break our spirits and depend on him. Jonah spirit needed broken in the stomach of a great fish, and more work needs to be done in his life in the wilderness. It seems God is never done teaching us things huh? The fact that the plant died makes me so angry he wanted to die. Almost sounds funny doesn’t it? Little things capture our attention and God sometimes want to take them away from us to wake us up to reality.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Dec 17 – Heart
Verses Jonah 4: 10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.
11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
God questions Jonah’s Heart.
We might think this is a story about Jonah and the fish, or about Jonah’s rebellion, or about Nineveh’s repentance. I would suggest the story of Jonah is about the very heart of God. Each time the Lord gets more direct and pointed to the real problem of Jonah. At the end of the book Jonah builds a little shelter for himself. He is depressed and separating himself from the world. He wants to be with his own kind and with people to think and act like himself. He didn’t want to serve anymore. Things didn’t go his way.
I am sorry to say I’ve heard that among people in the church. Someone had served on a committee ladies program or an officer and things didn’t go their way and they won’t serve anymore. Some won’t even come to church anymore because they didn’t get their way. God isn’t done using Jonah, or you and me or anyone else, so there is something else that needs to be looked at than hurt feelings. There are tasks within our church that could be done if someone with the gifts and abilities are willing to do them.
I see a greater involvement with people wanting to have personal reading, worship and Christian media involvement but not with one another. I think part of that is the influence of internet social networks, cell phones, i-pads, and so forth. We become technologically advanced but socially cocooning. And on the other had hobbies and personal interests take priority over the things of the Lord. We have molded God into our lives instead of the other way around.
As we seek to look at people who commit to the Word of God we want to challenge one another to be biblically sound and not moved by all the fads of religious media. We need folks discipling others and training others in sound doctrine. We want to worship which his more than a personal experience or even a personal preference it involves corporate celebration of who God is and what He is doing. Committing to the witness of God is the challenge that the world is hurting without Jesus Christ and in needs that the love of Jesus shines in a darkness when people are helped. But that also means we need to commit to the work of Christ by using our gifts and talents together under the direction of God.
I received emails from some people all who have moved away from SBC and were so encouraged by the saints of years gone by. One thing that impressed them was a group of deacons who used pray and then before the message sit in the front two pews to lift up the speaker before God and intercede for the people.
One person’s comment was, “Often, when I have been asked why so many came out of Stanchfield who went into ministry in one way or another, I tell them it was because of the attitude that was fostered in us, all wrapped in a gift of prayer that started with those deacons.”
You see Jonah learned obedience, but needed his heart changed to be one who loves like God loves. He needed to love God more and love others in the fellowship and outside. He needed compassionate heart toward others and God questions his heart with the final question that nails it home. “Should not I pity Niveveh that great city in which there are more than 120,000 people?
That is the thing that the Lord wants to bring home to Jonah. He pities a plant that is an inanimate item. Well, Jonah if you are concerned about the plant, what about all the children of Nineveh that have not even knowledge of their right hand and left hands? They have no knowledge what their parents and grandparents are doing. What about those cows out in the fields chewing their cuds, they have nothing to do with the evil their masters have Could you not even understand that I would want to save them from destruction even for their sake? Sin affects animals and children.
Yet God’s question never really is answered by Jonah, did you notice that? It stands as a reminder that God is concerned not only with Christians, but non Christian and those who are backslidden and away from the Lord. Are you trying to escape Gods’ great commission? For Israel was appointed to enlighten the Gentiles to spiritual truth and failed. They didn’t tell anyone the good news. They wanted to keep it to themselves. Is that compassion? Is that heart? Do they really care for others if they have the truth and don’t share it? What others great cities as well as individuals need to know how to get saved? Whose job is it to tell?
I think the reason that the story doesn’t tell us what Jonahs response was is that wasn’t important. The question isn’t how did Jonah react but rather how does the reader react to God’s question? Do you have a heart? The message is for us.
Pastor Thomas wrote, “And Jonah stayed in his shaded seat and waiting for God to come around to his way of thinking- And God is still waiting for a host of Jonah’s in their comfortable house to come around to His way of loving.”
The book of Jonah has a message that is loud and clear about God, namely, His mercy is not confined to Israel but extends to any people who will trust him and repent of their sin. What saves is not nationality but faith. That's a great gospel message coming out of the Old Testament. The main point is, "You be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful."
May the heart of our Lord be reflected in us in the coming year.
Pastor Dale
