Truth Baptist Church
Jonah 4

      • Jonah 4:10–11ESV

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      • Jonah 4ESV

  • A Tale of Two Wisdoms

    Happy Father’s Day! Recognize!
    Ephesians 6:4 Love wife, lead family. Spiritual leader in the home.
    Psalm 103:13 Example of God our Heavenly Father.
    The main verse of the letter is probably be James 1:22 - “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only”.
    In chapter two, James taught that genuine saving faith demonstrates itself through good works. Faith without works is dead. Chapter 3 introduced another external indicator of one’s inner spiritual condition - the tongue. What we say matters and it often reveals our spiritual condition. Now, we see the solution to speaking well and living well is to have wisdom, specifically godly wisdom.
    Scripture:
    James 3:13–18 (ESV)
    13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    Introduction
    We have called James a collection of wisdom sayings, the Proverbs of the NT. The passage today is all about wisdom.
    Last week…we saw how speech is an indicator of our spiritual condition, focusing on the power and potential harm our speech can have. James provides a remedy for taming our tongues. It is wisdom. Just as James mentioned the wisdom of God to have a divine perspective on trials (James 1:5), we also need the wisdom of God to use our tongues, to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say.
    But, what is wisdom? In the Old Testament, living a life well requires a relationship with God, and the wise person lives well by applying God’s principles to everyday circumstances.
    How do we learn to respond to life’s challenges and troubles? We need wisdom.
    How do we learn to speak good things, even in challenging circumstances? We need wisdom.
    How do parents learn to raise their children to be God fearing and Christ-exalting? Wisdom!
    Fathers need wisdom to lead, and children need a father’s wisdom. Someone once said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience often comes from bad judgment.” Fathers can help children benefit from lessons they learned. A father's greatest display of wisdom may not be his words but his example. A wise father helps his children avoid dangers they cannot yet see. In the same way, James points us to a wisdom from above—a wisdom that comes from our Heavenly Father, who sees what we cannot see and lovingly guides us in the path of righteousness. We need the wisdom of God to live a live well for God.
    James has already mentioned, if we lack wisdom, we should ask for it (James 1:5). 
    The passage today provides another example of the letter’s main theme of calling us to ensure our behavior (works, speech, relationships, etc.) matches what we say we believe. To borrow the “faith and works” theme, faith without good works means a life of evil works. And since the evil of the tongue is ignited by the evil of hell (James 3:6), we should ask ourselves, what is guiding us, the heavenly (James 3:17) or the hellish (James 3:15)?
    This message will reveal three truths about wisdom.

    True Wisdom is Demonstrated by Actions

    James 3:13
    If I asked you to name a wise person, some might say Solomon. Others might say, a favorite teacher, a grandparent, or a trusted mentor. What is probably similar with all of these is that we rarely describe wise people by their IQ, income, or accomplishments. We typically describe wise people by their character, judgment, and how they treat others. James would agree. To answer who is wise, James points not to what a person knows, but to how a person lives.
    James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 
    It is possible that, just as some church members were apparently taking the mantle of “teacher” upon themselves recklessly (James 3:1), so were some (maybe the same people) setting themselves up as “wise” or “understanding”. Such believers needed to be reminded of the true nature and fruits of wisdom.
    James starts with a question, “Who is wise and understanding?” We should probably see this question as one of those that you want to be careful answering. If you raise your hand, “Yes, I am wise and understanding”, James is prepared to challenge that assertion.
    “Really?”, James would say, “Show me your wisdom and understanding.” 
    James had already taught that God grants wisdom to those who ask Him in faith (James 1:5–8). In this passage, James went into more detail concerning the origin and expressions of wisdom. True wisdom is grounded in the “fear of the Lord”.
    Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
    What makes biblical wisdom distinctive, aside from it beginning with the fear of God, is that is associated with godly character., i.e., good works. Any claim to wisdom is tested by the life and demeanor of the supposed wise person. James describes wisdom as not merely intellectual but also behavioral…“by his good conduct”. By his good conduct, show his works. Again, James was asking people to prove what they say.
    If you say you have faith, show it (James 2:18). If you say that you are wise, show it by how you live.
    When one stands in proper awe and respect (fear) of God, the result is “meekness”. Meekness, which is translated “gentleness” in Galatians 5:23) was considered weakness by the Greeks. But meekness is not weakness. Meekness comes not from being weak or cowardly, but rather from trusting God and therefore being set free from anxiously promoting self (i.e., selfish ambition). Jesus elevated meekness to a primary Christian virtue (Matthew 5:5; Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.) Recognizing one’s proper place in creation and submitting to the Creator’s will in daily life is wise.
    Next, we will see the difference between two kinds of “wisdom”.

    The Fruit of False Wisdom is Disorder

    James 3:14-16
    If there are two kinds of wisdom, what does the false wisdom look like?
    James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 
    Verse fourteen begins with the word “but” to show a contrast between the values expressed in the previous verse. While the person who is wise should show his or her wisdom by good works, this is not true for those who are not truly wise. We could read verse fourteen, “But if [you claim to be wise while at the same time] you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast [about your so-called wisdom] and be false to the truth.” 
    As opposed to the “good conduct” and humble deeds (James 3:13) that are outward expressions of true wisdom, false wisdom pours forth evil conduct and arrogant boasting. James describes the characteristics of this evil conduct, but first he looks to the inside of the person (to the “heart”). As we mentioned last week, any outward behavior is an overflow of the heart. 
    Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
    Two things “in our hearts” that James mentioned are bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. A person with false wisdom is characterized by “bitter jealousy.” God’s jealousy is legitimate as He alone deserves our worship. God is rightly jealous for His honor and the loyal devotion of His people because He deserves it. On the other hand, human jealousy often demonstrates itself as a wicked desire for the abilities, possessions, or status of another that do not belong to the one jealous.
    Whether it is sinful jealously and godly jealousy hinges on motive—do you rightly deserve what you fear losing and does it matter to God. Human jealousy, like ambition, becomes distorted by sin. James adds the word “bitter” to “jealousy” (the same word that is used to refer to “salty” in James 3:11), to make it clear that this jealousy is an attitude of resentful competition that is worse that the usual wicked desire.
    “Selfish ambition” (James 3:14) is another sinful heart condition that is contradictory to true wisdom. There is a godly ambition that should not be suppressed, which is a personal drive that seeks to honor God and benefit others. A couple of biblical passages that speak to godly ambition include 1 Timothy 3:1 about men aspiring to the office of overseer, and Colossians 3:23-24 where believers are encouraged to work heartily as for the Lord rather than for human approval. 
    But, that is not the ambition James mentioned here. James described a prideful desire to promote oneself or one’s personal concerns without reference to God or the genuine needs of others. “Selfish ambition” is a willingness to split a group in order to achieve one’s personal desires. It focuses on what “I want” instead of what God wants. This same word is translated “rivalry” elsewhere in scripture, e.g., Galatians 5:20.
    James warns us about having bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. He wrote, “Do not boast [about your supposed wisdom] and be false to the truth” (James 3:14). In other words, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, don’t pretend to be wise. Repent, and ask God to change your heart.
    James then described the characteristics of this false wisdom.
    James 3:15–16 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
    Such false wisdom is not from God. James described worldly behavior in terms that “progress” from bad to worse, recalling the list in James 3:5–6, the tongue is a “world of unrighteousness”. Rather, this false wisdom is…
    Earthly: Such behavior is ultimately earthbound. It stands for the human, rational approach to things that does not take the revealed will of God into account.
    Unspiritual: This describes someone who is self-absorbed. It means being out of touch with God—operating according to natural human impulses rather than divine guidance.
    Demonic: Its resembles the powers of darkness. Just as evil speech comes from Satan (James 3:6), so does this “worldly behavior”. Recall Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (Matthew 16:16–23) where Peter had spoken both a godly word and a demonic word. 
    Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are, at their root, expressions of a worldly and demonic rebellion against God. The evil of the tongue and ungodly wisdom are influenced by hellish evil. Later James exhorts us to “resist the devil” (James 4:7).
    Though we can never really look into the hearts of others (and sometimes rarely within ourselves!), we can clearly see the fruit of false wisdom. The bitter jealousy and selfish ambition of a wicked heart cannot be contained but it will express itself in “disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16). The result of such devil-driven conflict can only be disorder and every vile practice.
    Think about the damage one person or group in a church can cause by jealousy or selfishly ambition. It causes disorder or worse in the congregation. Therefore, we must resist these destructive patterns and embrace the wisdom that comes from God.

    The Fruit of True Wisdom is Righteousness

    James 3:17-18
    The answer to the “disorder” of verse sixteen is to seek wisdom from above. Whereas the earthly wisdom finds its origin in Satan, true wisdom comes from God, has godly attributes, and produces godly results.
    James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
    The wisdom that comes from God is characterized by both internal and external fruits, similar to the list Paul reveals in Galatians chapter five on Fruit of the Spirit. This should not be surprising as James reveals the characteristics of wisdom that is born from the Spirit of God.
    Internally, true wisdom is “pure” (i.e., fundamentally motivated by goodness and holiness, not by sin). Purity is the primary virtue (“first”) with the rest providing aspects of this moral purity. Pure wisdom displays the love of the believers without showing favoritism (2:1).
    Second, this wisdom is displayed by being peaceable or “peace-loving.” This fruit of wisdom is the polar opposite of “selfish ambition” and the discord it produces. Those who make peace are committed to the unity of the fellowship. Peacemaking often means unity-protecting.
    The peaceableness of wisdom has the virtue of gentleness or the quality of being “considerate.” The is similar to “a soft/gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1). These people are also going to have a willingness to yield (“open to reason”), merciful, impartial, and sincere. True wisdom is a genuine expression of a heart redirected by God. Just as false wisdom results in “disorder and every vile practice” (v. 16), so true wisdom bears distinct and recognizable good fruits.
    James then emphasized the critical attribute of peace in the last verse as the pure believer.
    James 3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
    Just as verse 17 referred to “fruits”, verse 18 uses the word “harvest.” This is an interesting concept to consider that what we sow produces a harvest…it could be a harvest of good or a harvest of bad. 
    Gena has been trying to grow a garden at home. While I have not really helped much in this effort, I see her hard work of planting, tending, watering and caring for things she has planted. She has already seen evidence of things growing, the fruit of her labor. Likewise, we reap good things by sowing peace. Peace is the soil in which righteousness grows.
    A truly wise person goes through life “making peace” with those around him. The legacy of those who live in peace and make peace rather than conflict is a harvest of righteousness. In other words, James ends this section by reminding us that the truly wise person is a peacemaker who leaves behind a legacy of righteous behavior and influence. Jesus said that peacemakers are truly blessed and called the children of God.
    Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
    One of Gena’s favorite things to do in her practice of law is being a peacemaker. She helps to mediate conflict between people in order to help them come to a resolution without having to go to court.
    God is the Great Peacemaker Who made peace with us through Jesus. If it were not for God wanting peace, none of us would be saved. And as God has brought peace to us through Jesus, He wants His people to make peace with one another, and help others have peace. God expects His people to be peacemakers.
    A church that is rich in reconciling activities, that is, telling others about Jesus, defending the poor, counseling the troubled, offering hospitality to the stranger, sending gospel missionaries throughout the world, and many more, reaps a rich harvest of righteousness.
    Will you seek peace with one another?
    Will you help others come to peace?
    Pursue the wisdom from above that brings peace and unity and which is consistent with the redemptive work of Christ. This affirms our calling as peacemakers, and creates an environment that reflects the kingdom of God on earth.
    Conclusion
    In closing, James calls us to be wise people who follow the Holy Spirit. But, do we actually follow our “selfish ambition”?
    When others succeed, are we jealous?
    How do we feel when someone else does something well, gets a promotion, is given a responsibility that we once had or one that we want to have?
    What is the condition of our “hearts”? Do we have bitterness, anger, resentment, or “disorder” in our hearts?
    The greatest problem James identifies is the sinful heart that produces earthly wisdom. Only Jesus can change that heart. Jesus died for our pride, envy, selfish ambition, and hypocrisy. He rose again to give us a new heart and a new way of living.
    Before making decisions this week, ask yourself this question:
    “Is what I am doing or thinking of doing from below or from above?”
    Then choose the path that looks most like Jesus.
    We can serve God boldly, moving forward in faith, knowing that even though our weak service is often tainted with sin, our gracious heavenly Father is eager to forgive His children who ask for mercy (Luke 18:13–14). We must ask for God to fill us with true wisdom, His wisdom, which reveals itself in the fruit of righteousness and peace. God chose to regenerate us (James 1:18) by implanting His saving Word inside us (James 1:21), and now He is calling us both to act and to speak as His holy people. 
    Let the Holy Spirit lead you and your words and actions will become instruments of grace rather than weapons of destruction. Choosing godly wisdom over earthly wisdom glorifies God and fosters unity among His people. Meanwhile, we look forward to the new heaven and new earth, in which all of our motives, actions, and words will be completely holy.
    This is good news. Thanks be to God. Amen.
    Closing Song: Where He Leads Me I Will Follow

  • Does God’s Mercy Offend You?

    Bible Passage: Jonah 4

    Summary: In Jonah 4, we see Jonah’s struggle with God’s mercy toward Nineveh after their repentance, revealing anger and frustration. This chapter highlights God’s grace and compassion, and challenges us to accept God’s will over our own. The final chapter in the book of Jonah reveals the heart of God and the heart of Jonah and begs the question: Do we see others like God sees them?

    Introduction

    I am looking forward to our mission trip to Moldova in October. This will be an opportunity to help people in need and to share the good news of Jesus with those who may not know Him as Lord and Savior. It is fitting that we are studying Jonah at this time which reveals the missionary heart of God. As the people of God, we are called to go beyond the walls of this building and share Christ with others, in Spring Hope, in NC, in the US, and around the world. Those who have received God’s grace must share it with those who have yet to accept it.
    That brings us to Jonah. After he reluctantly delivered God’s message to the people of Nineveh, something remarkable happened. They repented and turned to the Lord.
    [SLIDE]
    When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it (Jonah 3:10)
    This should have been the greatest thing for a prophet of the Lord to experience.
    Imagine that we have this great ministry outreach to the town of Spring Hope and the whole town turns to Jesus and begins following Him. Wouldn’t we be excited? Wouldn’t we celebrate that and praise God? Or, would we only be excited if they were the people we like? Or, would we only be excited if they came here to this church?
    Well, Jonah was not happy. The last chapter of Jonah reveals that the greatest problem in the book was not the great storm, or the great fish, or even the great city of Nineveh. It was Jonah!
    Jonah knew excellent theology. While he was in the belly of the fish, Jonah acknowledged God as the source of hope, steadfast love, and salvation (Jonah 2:8-9). In this chapter, Jonah describes God as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abundant in steadfast love, and willing to relent from disaster (Jonah 4:2). All of these accurately describe God’s character. Jonah’s problem was not that he misunderstood God. He knew exactly Who God is. Jonah’s problem was that he liked God’s mercy when it benefitted him but he resented it when it benefitted the people he despised.
    Sometimes the people of God are the ones who need to repent the most.
    This message will offer three truths to consider:
    Selfish Anger is Not Godly
    God Patiently Redirects Us
    God is Compassionate towards Us

    1. Selfish Anger is Not Godly

    Jonah 4:1-3
    To say that Jonah was unhappy with Nineveh’s response to God’s message would be an understatement.
    [SLIDE}
    1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O 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. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:1–3)
    Jonah was angry…he was very angry. The text literally says, “It was exceedingly evil to Jonah”. He was angry because he did not want God to forgive the people of Nineveh. He wanted God to destroy them. Jonah finally reveals the real reason he ran from God in chapter one (Jonah 1:3). He knew God is gracious and merciful, but He did not want God to be gracious and merciful to Nineveh.
    The pagans of Nineveh got rid of their “evil”, and therefore, God got rid of the “disaster” He had threatened. The Ninevites were now in harmony with God, but Jonah was not.
    Jonah then prayed to God. This was Jonah’s second prayer in the book, but this one was quite different from the one he prayed from within the belly of the fish. In chapter two (Jonah 2), Jonah extolled God’s mercy and salvation, but now in chapter four, Jonah resented it…at least for the Ninevites. God’s “steadfast love” that was extended to Jonah filled him with thanksgiving (Jonah 2:8), but when it was extended to the Ninevites, it made Jonah angry.
    In fact, Jonah was so angry that he would rather die than to see the people of Nineveh repent and be spared from God’s judgement. This seems to be a theme with Jonah, since he was more willing to die at the hands of the great storm in chapter one than to repent and to do what God called him to do.
    Question: Are we the same? Are we grateful for God’s mercy towards us, but not so grateful for His mercy towards others?
    Is there someone, or some group of people, that you think does not deserve God’s grace or are too far from God to be saved?

    2. God Patiently Redirects Us

    Jonah 4:4-8
    The dialogue between Jonah and God is similar to the conversations between Abraham (Sodom) and Moses (the Israelites) with God about destroying peoples. The difference is that Jonah demands justice while Abraham and Moses pleaded for mercy.
    While Jonah was mad enough to die, God was not done with him. God still loved Jonah and He wanted His prophet to share His compassion for others. So, God gave Jonah an object lesson.
    [SLIDE]
    4 And the LORD said, “Do you do well to be angry?” 5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. (Jonah 4:4–5)
    Jonah was hot—both emotionally (i.e., angry) and physically. Jonah left the city, built a shelter and sat under a shade, to see what would happen. Although God had shown mercy, Jonah apparently held out hope that Nineveh would be destroyed. From Jonah’s perspective, destruction was exactly what should happen, and so he sat stubbornly in his shelter hoping that God would still destroy the evil Ninevites.
    But, it was there under the shade that God taught Jonah something about His compassion.
    [SLIDE}
    6 Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:6-8)
    God was still going after His wayward prophet. The plant was an object lesson designed to help Jonah grasp God’s universal grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Sometimes, we can be so self-focused that we need help to understand, or accept, spiritual truths.
    God repeatedly used the verb “appointed” to emphasize His divine control over Jonah’s situation. This continues the theme from chapter one that God is in control and we are not!
    God appointed the great fish to pick up Jonah and deliver him to dry land. (Jonah 1:17)
    God appointed the plant to grow and give Jonah shade. (Jonah. 4:6)
    God appointed a worm to destroy the plant. (Jonah 4:7)
    God appointed the wind and sun to exhaust Jonah. (Jonah 4:8)
    God is sovereign and in control! Like the great fish, the plant that God “appointed” was about more than rescue; it, too, was appointed by the Lord to teach Jonah a lesson about mercy and grace. We do not know what kind of plant this was that God planted and grew for Jonah. The plant’s identity matters less than what it represents—a temporary provision that Jonah depended on, which God then removed to teach him about misplaced priorities and divine compassion.
    Notice, Jonah was “exceedingly glad” that God provided the plant. We should not overlook the hypocrisy here. The Ninevites were rescued from “disaster” (Jonah 3:10), and Jonah was “exceedingly displeased” (Jonah 4:1). But, now Jonah is rescued from “discomfort” — and he is “exceedingly glad.” Jonah experienced the same thing as the Ninevites (God’s mercy and grace) and yet he responded in exactly the opposite way! Somehow Jonah missed the lesson here; but the Lord was about to make it abundantly clear.
    God then “appointed” a worm to destroy the plant and a scorching wind and sun to exhaust Jonah. The shade that God provided was now gone, and as the sun rose to bake Jonah in the desert sand, the Lord appointed a scorching east wind. This may remind us that the “discomforts” in life may just be a way for God to get our attention. But, Jonah does not seem to get it. Through all of this, Jonah still declared that he would just rather die.
    Question: Are our hearts so stubbornly callous that we ignore the grace of God on others?
    How is God trying to get your attention right now?

    3. God is Compassionate towards Us

    Jonah 4:9-11
    Finally Jonah expressed concern over something perishing, but ironically it was a plant, not the people of Nineveh who do not know the Lord. Jonah cared more for a plant than a people. God responded to Jonah by repeating the question Jonah left unanswered in verse 4.
    [SLIDE]
    9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the LORD said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:9-11)
    God repeated His question to Jonah and this time Jonah answered the question. The answer Jonah gave was shocking: “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”
    God drew a striking contrast between Jonah’s reaction to the plant and his reaction to Nineveh. God first described the plant, and everything about the description is meant to underscore how little the plant should mean to Jonah. Jonah did not spend hours laboring over it; he did not cause it to grow; he had no time to get attached to it. It was just a day-old plant that grew up beside his shelter. But Jonah did care about the plant. Jonah had pity for a plant that he did not create or help grow.
    So…should not God have pity on a people whom He did create and who should have more worth than a plant?
    I see and hear of people all of the time who have compassion and concern for God’s creations - pets, other animals and even plants and trees. If we care so much for those things, should we not care even more for people who are made in the image of God and who are lost and need Jesus?
    The phrase “who do not know their right hand from their left” (Jonah 4:11) is a way of saying the people were morally and spiritually bankrupt. They had no idea of what was right and wrong; they were like little children who cannot even tell the difference between their right hand and their left. They were lost and needed God.
    And there were “also much cattle”. This may seem like a strange statement but it probably shows the deficiency in Jonah’s heart. If Jonah would not allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the 120,000 people whom God created and cares for, would Jonah allow God to have compassion on Nineveh for the sake of the animals, since after all, Jonah was willing to have compassion on a plant?
    Imagine owing a debt so enormous that you could never repay it. The creditor unexpectedly cancels everything. You leave celebrating. Then you discover that the same creditor forgave someone you dislike—and suddenly you complain: “They don't deserve that!” The creditor could rightly answer: “Neither did you.” That is Jonah’s problem. He enjoyed undeserved mercy for himself, but he demanded deserved judgment for others.
    The book ends with an unanswered question. We are not given the answer to God’s final question to Jonah. This is intentional. We are left to answer the question for ourselves. The question moves us away from Jonah and his situation and confronts us with our own circumstance:
    Do our hearts reflect God’s heart?
    Every time we encounter people far from God, people unlike us, people who have sinned terribly, or people who have hurt us, we answer Jonah 4 by the way we respond to them. So, the ultimate question is not simply, “Will people repent?” The real question is,
    “Will I share God’s compassion for others?

    Conclusion

    In closing, Jonah teaches that unbelievers sometimes prove more responsive to God than God’s own people. Where unbelievers may be desperately willing to receive God’s grace, God’s people can live in judgmental disobedience thinking that others don’t deserve God’s grace. But, who are we to deny to others what we ourselves don’t deserve?

    Application

    If God cares about unbelievers, His people cannot be indifferent to them.
    The thing about believing in God’s mercy is that we want mercy for ourselves, but we may not so readily want it for others. Jonah 4 asks a difficult question: Who is my Nineveh? It may be someone who hurt you, a difficult relative, a hostile coworker, a notorious sinner, a rival group, or simply people whose values and behavior deeply offend you. The test is not whether we approve of their sin. God certainly did not approve of Nineveh’s wickedness. The question is whether we desire their repentance and restoration. If God cared about Nineveh, His people cannot be indifferent to them.
    In Jesus, we have experienced God’s abundant grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. If we show these same things to everyone we meet, no matter who they are, then we have understood the lesson of this book and the heart of our Savior. But if we show these things to some people and not to others; if we show these things to those like us but not to those who are different; if we show these things to those we like but not to those we dislike; if we are in any way selective in terms of the people to whom we show God’s grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness, then we still do not get it. We remain disciples of Jonah, not disciples of Jesus.
    Don’t confuse knowing God’s character with sharing God’s heart.
    Jonah could give a theological explanation of God’s character: gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abundant in steadfast love. Yet God’s emotions were moving in the opposite direction than Jonah wanted to go. We can know what God is like but not love what/who God loves. You can have all the head knowledge in the world and not have love (1 Corinthians 13). So, ask yourself, do I have the heart of Jesus for others? Am I faithfully following Jesus?
    The Pharisees saw people to avoid. Jesus saw people He came to save. Becoming more like Jesus means asking God to change not only how we treat people, but how we see them. Do we see the people around us primarily by their choices, words, attitudes, or do we see people who desperately need the same Savior we need? People aren’t interruptions to the mission. People are the mission.
    God’s grace is greater than our sin.
    God doesn’t deny Nineveh’s wickedness. They were an exceedingly wicked people. The entire mission God called Jonah to fulfill began because “their evil had come up before Him” (Jonah 1:2). But God’s holiness does not eliminate His compassion. God’s announcement of judgment is grace. It was giving the people an opportunity to repent. The chapter ends with God’s concern for Nineveh as well as for Jonah.
    Jonah saw enemies. God saw people made in His image.
    Jonah saw wickedness deserving judgment. God saw people needing mercy.
    Jonah wanted to die. God had compassion for Jonah and pursued him.
    We are not so far gone that God does not pursue us. Is God calling out to you today? Is God calling you back to Him, drawing you closer to Him and to His heart?
    God delights to show grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness to sinful humanity. Rather than simply turn His back on our rebellion, the Lord continually comes toward us, calling us to turn from our harmful and evil ways and come back to Him. And to those who heed His call, He gives a mission: help those around you also to experience His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness.
    If God cares for the world and desires for the lost to be saved, we must care about them as well. We must “go and make disciples of all nations” just as Jesus commanded us to do. The thing about the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is that we should be making disciples as we are going to them. We should not expect people to come to us, but God sends us to them, just like He sent Jonah to the Ninevites and just like Jesus sent His disciples out into the world.
    And this bring us back to my opening remarks. If we will send people to Moldova, send help to those people, send supplies to those people, why would we not do the same for the people of Spring Hope? Why would we expect the people of Spring Hope to come here to us and be a part of us, and not go to them as Jonah was called to do for Nineveh? And, can we genuinely go out into our community, share the good news of Jesus with them, and celebrate their decisions to follow Jesus regardless of whether they come to this church or not? Remember, we should bring people to Jesus, not to us.
    Jonah went outside the city hoping judgment will fall. Jesus approached Jerusalem and wept over the city.
    Jonah was angry that sinners might escape judgment. Jesus willingly bore judgment so sinners could receive mercy.
    Jonah essentially said, “I’d rather die than see them forgiven.” Jesus is the greater Prophet who, in effect, says, “I will die so they can be forgiven.” (Matthew 12:40-41)
    People need Jesus and we can show them the Way.
    Closing Song: Send the Light

      • Jonah 3:10ESV

      • Jonah 4:1–3ESV

      • Jonah 4:4–5ESV

      • Jonah 4:6–8ESV

      • Jonah 4:9–11ESV

  • Send The Light
Truth Baptist Church
truthbaptistnc@gmail.com
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