Jun 14, 2015 - unexpected happened and roughly half a million people came to faith ... for who they really are â you w
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What Really Matters
What Really Matters Dr. Brandon Park | June 14, 2015
The Book of Jonah is truly all about "The God of Second Chances." What's interesting though is that this book does not end like one would assume it would. We prefer our stories to have a happy ending, but the conclusion of this book reveals that Jonah was anything but happy! Just to review – God had called Jonah to go to the great pagan city called Nineveh. Jonah refused, and as a result he ended up in the belly of a fish. In chapter 3, Jonah was obedient and proclaimed to the nation of Nineveh that within 40 days they would be overturned because of the evil and sin in that c ity. However, the unexpected happened and roughly half a million people came to faith in God and repentance. It was the greatest revival in all of human history. You could sum up the entire Book of Jonah with one statement: What really matters to God is ___________________. Until you see God for who God really is – and then you start seeing people for who they really are – you will never understand what really matters. If you understand what really matters…
1. We should be _____________ over a God who _____________.
We ought to get up every morning pumped and excited that there is the Creator of this Universe who actually loves us. Jonah 4:1, "But Jonah was greatly displeased and he became angry." WORD STUDY: "greatly displeased" = Hebrew word ra'ah and it is a synonym for evil. "Evil" = Hebrew word harah, which means "to burn with fire." What was he so angry about? Because of what happened in the last verse of chapter 3. Nineveh had repented and God showed mercy on them. It's easy for us to think that Jonah was being mean-‐ spirited. However, if we had to honestly evaluate ourselves, you have to ask: Have you ever at any time in your life been angry or jealous or frustrated over something good that happened to somebody else? Especially somebody you don't care for? Remember that the Ninevites were the archenemies of the Jews/Israel. They were ridiculously evil and malicious in what they did to humanity, and Israel lived in constant fear of their threat. That was one of the reasons why Jonah fled. He became a fugitive not just because he feared what the Ninevites would do to him, but he also knew the character of God, and Jonah knew God would relent his judgment upon them if they repented. Jonah, in essence, was saying, "God thank you for forgiving me, but I will never be able to forgive the Ninevites." Maybe you are angry and you have been harboring hurt, bitterness, and resentment toward someone. Resentment, if it is not dealt with, will build a house of unforgiveness down the road. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He had been abandoned, abused, and slandered. What was His response? While hanging on the c ross, He looked them in the eye and said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." In reality, Jonah was a __________________ ________________. Spiritual racism is alive and well in the c hurch today. Vs. 2, "He prayed to the Lord, ‘Oh Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home. That's why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’" The Book of Jonah is really summed up in that verse. If you give God a choice, He will always choose mercy over wrath, and He will always choose forgiveness over judgment; He will always c hoose grace over punishment. Why does He do that? Because God is a God who loves everybody, even people like the Ninevites. And the more you understand the love of God and the more you're filled with the love of God, the more you start loving people who don't know God. The reason Jonah was still alive in the fourth chapter was because of the grace of God in the second chapter. The same thing he wanted to deny to the Ninevites was the same thing that God had given him. When you stop being joyful over a God who loves everybody, you become a spiritual racist. *The most _________________ people on this planet are those who don't care whether anybody else goes to ___________________ or not as long as they get there themselves.
It’s also worth noting that this is only the second time Jonah is recorded as “praying” to God. The first time, he prays in the belly of the whale; the second time he prays is when he is angry. Is that a mirror to your own life? Do you tend to pray only when tragedy strikes or when you’re hurting and when trials come your way? The reality is, a relationship with Christ is so much more. Don’t settle for a _______________-‐___________________ relationship with God. He’s come to give you life and to give it more abundantly (John 10:10). That was Jonah's attitude. He has a pity party in vs. 3, "‘Now oh Lord, take away my life for it is better for me to die than to live.' But the Lord replied, 'Have you any right to be angry?’" If you truly understand what really matters…
2. We will be _______________ over a God who ___________.
Vs. 5, "Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city." Jonah was secretly hoping Nineveh would backslide and be judged by God. He wanted God to wipe them off the face of the earth! Vs. 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." This is the first time you see Jonah happy. Nineveh is in modern day Iraq, so it was extremely hot. God once again gives something Jonah did not deserve. He gives him shade. What made Jonah happy was not the Giver of the gift; it was the gift. He was more grateful for the plant than he was for the Provider. So look what God does… Vs. 7-‐10, "But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 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.’ 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.’ 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.’” If you want to know what a person is really like, ask them 3 questions: 1.) What makes you _________________? 2.) What makes you _________________? 3.) What makes you ___________? Here was Jonah who was more concerned about a plant than he was about people. And we ought to be grateful for a God who gives us love, and grace, and mercy – even when we don't deserve it. And we ought to be grateful that God uses us to give that same love, grace, and mercy to others, and we will do exactly that if we understand what really matters! If we truly understand what really matters...
3. We should be ____________ of a God who _________ .
Vs. 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?" Jonah never answers his question because he already knows the answer. What God said in effect to Jonah was this: "Jonah, you are so concerned that the people of Nineveh are not getting what they deserved, but you have forgotten something Jonah: You did not get what you deserved!" The difference between Christianity and the rest of the world religions is simple: ___________ _____________ ___________________! Nineveh did not get what they deserved, but God doesn't want anyone to get what they deserve. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." 1 Timothy 2:3-‐4, "This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth!" What is the real measure of true spirituality? A simple test: How much of what _______________ ____________ ___________________ ____________?
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What Really Matters
What Really Matters Dr. Brandon Park | June 14, 2015
The Book of Jonah is truly all about "The God of Second Chances." What's interesting though is that this book does not end like one would assume it would. We prefer our stories to have a happy ending, but the conclusion of this book reveals that Jonah was anything but happy! Just to review – God had called Jonah to go to the great pagan city called Nineveh. Jonah refused, and as a result he ended up in the belly of a fish. In chapter 3, Jonah was obedient and proclaimed to the nation of Nineveh that within 40 days they would be overturned because of the evil and sin in that c ity. However, the unexpected happened and roughly half a million people came to faith in God and repentance. It was the greatest revival in all of human history. You could sum up the entire Book of Jonah with one statement: What really matters to God is people ___________________. Until you see God for who God really is – and then you start seeing people for who they really are – you will never understand what really matters. If you understand what really matters…
1. We should be _____________ over a God who _____________. joyful loves
We ought to get up every morning pumped and excited that there is the Creator of this Universe who actually loves us. Jonah 4:1, "But Jonah was greatly displeased and he became angry." WORD STUDY: "greatly displeased" = Hebrew word ra'ah and it is a synonym for evil. "Evil" = Hebrew word harah, which means "to burn with fire." What was he so angry about? Because of what happened in the last verse of chapter 3. Nineveh had repented and God showed mercy on them. It's easy for us to think that Jonah was being mean-‐ spirited. However, if we had to honestly evaluate ourselves, you have to ask: Have you ever at any time in your life been angry or jealous or frustrated over something good that happened to somebody else? Especially somebody you don't care for? Remember that the Ninevites were the archenemies of the Jews/Israel. They were ridiculously evil and malicious in what they did to humanity, and Israel lived in constant fear of their threat. That was one of the reasons why Jonah fled. He became a fugitive not just because he feared what the Ninevites would do to him, but he also knew the character of God, and Jonah knew God would relent his judgment upon them if they repented. Jonah, in essence, was saying, "God thank you for forgiving me, but I will never be able to forgive the Ninevites." Maybe you are angry and you have been harboring hurt, bitterness, and resentment toward someone. Resentment, if it is not dealt with, will build a house of unforgiveness down the road. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He had been abandoned, abused, and slandered. What was His response? While hanging on the c ross, He looked them in the eye and said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." spiritual racist In reality, Jonah was a __________________ ________________. Spiritual racism is alive and well in the c hurch today. Vs. 2, "He prayed to the Lord, ‘Oh Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home. That's why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’" The Book of Jonah is really summed up in that verse. If you give God a choice, He will always choose mercy over wrath, and He will always choose forgiveness over judgment; He will always c hoose grace over punishment. Why does He do that? Because God is a God who loves everybody, even people like the Ninevites. And the more you understand the love of God and the more you're filled with the love of God, the more you start loving people who don't know God. The reason Jonah was still alive in the fourth chapter was because of the grace of God in the second chapter. The same thing he wanted to deny to the Ninevites was the same thing that God had given him. When you stop being joyful over a God who loves everybody, you become a spiritual racist. selfish *The most _________________ people on this planet are those who don't care whether anybody else goes to Heaven ___________________ or not as long as they get there themselves.
It’s also worth noting that this is only the second time Jonah is recorded as “praying” to God. The first time, he prays in the belly of the whale; the second time he prays is when he is angry. Is that a mirror to your own life? Do you tend to pray only when tragedy strikes or when you’re hurting and when trials come your way? The reality is, a relationship with Christ is so crisis driven much more. Don’t settle for a _______________-‐ ___________________ relationship with God. He’s come to give you life and to give it more abundantly (John 10:10). That was Jonah's attitude. He has a pity party in vs. 3, "‘Now oh Lord, take away my life for it is better for me to die than to live.' But the Lord replied, 'Have you any right to be angry?’" If you truly understand what really matters…
grateful gives 2. We will be _______________ over a God who ___________.
Vs. 5, "Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city." Jonah was secretly hoping Nineveh would backslide and be judged by God. He wanted God to wipe them off the face of the earth! Vs. 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." This is the first time you see Jonah happy. Nineveh is in modern day Iraq, so it was extremely hot. God once again gives something Jonah did not deserve. He gives him shade. What made Jonah happy was not the Giver of the gift; it was the gift. He was more grateful for the plant than he was for the Provider. So look what God does… Vs. 7-‐10, "But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 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.’ 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.’ 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.’” If you want to know what a person is really like, ask them 3 questions: laugh 1.) What makes you _________________? angry 2.) What makes you _________________? weep 3.) What makes you ___________? Here was Jonah who was more concerned about a plant than he was about people. And we ought to be grateful for a God who gives us love, and grace, and mercy – even when we don't deserve it. And we ought to be grateful that God uses us to give that same love, grace, and mercy to others, and we will do exactly that if we understand what really matters! If we truly understand what really matters...
mindful saves . 3. We should be ____________ of a God who _________
Vs. 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?" Jonah never answers his question because he already knows the answer. What God said in effect to Jonah was this: "Jonah, you are so concerned that the people of Nineveh are not getting what they deserved, but you have forgotten something Jonah: You did not get what you deserved!" Our _____________ God The difference between Christianity and the rest of the world religions is simple: ___________ saves ___________________! Nineveh did not get what they deserved, but God doesn't want anyone to get what they deserve. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." 1 Timothy 2:3-‐4, "This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth!" concerns What is the real measure of true spirituality? A simple test: How much of what _______________ ____________ God ___________________ concerns ____________? me
