Jonah

It is good to be in church with you this morning.

We're coming to the end of January,

which means hopefully you're starting to click out of holiday mode

if you had the privilege of being in holiday mode.

I'm sure work is coming back, school is about to go back.

Here at church, life is getting very busy,

particularly if you work in the youth department,

as we prepare to take our kids away for five days and four nights.

I know a few parents that are very appreciative

that we're going to give them a relaxing week off,

but it is busy and we're about to actually finish our Jonah series today

and then we'll be launching into a very exciting series,

not next week but the week after,

wrestling with who our God is,

wrestling with the question of the Trinity.

Now I wanted to warn you up front because that's sometimes a scary word,

but it's an important thing for us to wrestle with

and so we're going to spend quite a few weeks wrestling with that

and what that means for us as followers of Jesus.

So please be praying for the staff who are going to be preaching in that series,

that they won't just be talking over here and we'll all miss it,

but pray that as we wrestle with who our God is,

that that will shape us and change us.

But that said, let me pray and then we'll get stuck into finishing up

what we've been looking at through January and Jonah.

Father God, we want to thank you for the opportunity this morning to gather.

Father, we want to thank you for the slightly cooler weather.

We want to thank you for the gift that you have given us in your word

that we might hear you speak,

that you may work in us by the power of your spirit

and we ask that this morning that that would happen,

that it would not just be us sitting in the room together,

but that it would be your will being done

and that we would be transformed as a result of being here.

Amen.

Just to quickly remind you where we've been in the last couple of weeks,

two weeks ago we opened up Jonah 1

and kind of looked a bit beyond Jonah 1 as well,

but we were reminded that God is sovereign,

that God's will is unstoppable,

that even disobedient Jonah and disobedient us

can't stop what God is doing.

A week later we were reminded that God is a God who speaks

and when God speaks, stuff happens

and we were reminded that God speaks to us in his word

and so when we gather and have God speak to us,

stuff happens.

And so it is important that as we approach this morning

that we're ready for stuff to happen.

We're ready for God to do what he is going to do.

And so today we're going to open up Jonah chapter 4

Jonah 4 · chapter mention

and we're going to look a little bit back into Jonah as well

at one final thing about God

that I think the story of Jonah teaches us.

I don't know if you've noticed,

but something that I think all people are born with

is a sense of justice.

I have the joy of seeing this in action

in a 10-month-old at the moment.

It is amazing how even at 10 months old,

Bailey knows when somebody has stolen what is his.

If he has a toy that belongs to him

and somebody else wants to play with it,

he knows that he is entitled to that toy

because it's his.

And so if they steal it,

he is pretty quick to take it back

or to go and find something of theirs

that he can steal to balance the ledger.

He met his cousins for the first time over Christmas

and they're all still a little bit uncoordinated.

And so one cousin would push the other cousin over

and Bailey would very quickly grab them by the hair

and try and bang their head on the floor.

I maintain it was good-spirited,

but the reality is that even at that young age,

he knows that when something is done,

there is an equal reaction.

There is justice that is due.

They say that the best way to split a piece of cake in half

for two kids is to ask one to cut it

and the other one gets to choose.

You can be sure that it will be exactly down the middle.

But funnily enough,

we have the exact same sense of justice as we get older.

We try and be a little bit more subtle

about what we think we're entitled to,

but you know that feeling when you're sitting in the car in traffic

and somebody sneaks up the bus lane

and there's just this anger and rage

that makes you want to zip out at the last minute

and have them jam on the brakes

and you don't want to let them pass

because you're doing the right thing

and you're entitled to be in front of that person.

Maybe it's at work.

You're being honest.

You are making sure that you let the boss know

what you're spending on what

and you are not cheating in any way, shape or form,

but for some reason the people who are cheating

seem to be doing better than you.

They seem to have that little bit more money.

They seem to be first in line for promotion

and we have that sense in us that this isn't right.

We know what we deserve

and we want what we deserve.

We don't think that's unreasonable.

It's not unrealistic.

We just want what we have earned,

what we are entitled to.

But the problem is

that we do the same thing with God.

We want what we deserve with God.

We want Him to be loving towards us.

We want Him to look after us.

We want Him to protect us.

We want Him to make us healthy and well.

But is that what we deserve from God?

Is that what we are entitled to?

As we look at the story of Jonah,

I want to show you the way God responds to people.

Look quickly with me at chapter 3,

which we looked at last week.

Jonah has arrived at the city of Nineveh.

He has proclaimed that Nineveh will be destroyed

because of how it has been living

and then Nineveh repents.

Verse 7.

The king gets up.

He issues a proclamation

by decree of the king and his nobles.

Do not let any man or beast,

herd or flock, taste anything.

Do not let them eat or drink,

but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth.

Let everyone call urgently on God.

Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

Who knows?

God may yet relent and with compassion

turn from His fierce anger

so that we will not perish.

Does God have to

forgive Nineveh at this point?

They've repented.

They've showed some obvious remorse.

They're fasting.

Even the king has gotten off his throne.

He's put sackcloth on.

He's showing that they know

they did the wrong thing.

He's showing that he knows

he's accountable to God.

But the question is,

does God have to

stop delivering the promised judgment

that He had sent?

What about with Jonah in chapter 4?

Jonah sits outside the city

all frustrated and angry

and God provides a vine

to give him shade.

Does God have to

provide that vine for Jonah?

Does Jonah deserve

that vine?

Does Nineveh deserve

God's forgiveness?

Now, Jonah might be

an easier answer,

but for those of you

who maybe feel

a little bit inside

that maybe Nineveh

does deserve

God's forgiveness.

I mean,

they're saying sorry.

They're acting sorry.

It's not even just words.

They obviously mean it.

I want you to imagine

for just a second

that somebody

breaks into your house.

You're home

and so to steal

the things that they want to steal,

they have to

physically restrain you,

perhaps hurt you

and they go through your house

stealing things

that matter to you,

stealing family heirlooms,

trashing your place

and from that point on

you will never feel

quite as safe

as you once did

in your home.

Now,

eventually the police

manage to catch

this person

who has broken

into your house,

who has stolen your things,

who has attacked you

and throughout the trial

it's obvious

that this person

is guilty.

It's obvious

that they've done

the wrong thing.

When it comes time

for sentencing,

the robber says,

I'm really sorry

and really means it.

You can tell,

somehow you just know

that there is genuine remorse

in what they're saying.

Would you be okay

if they just got let off?

They're saying,

sorry.

Is that enough?

Of course not.

It's not unloving

for you to want justice

in that situation.

It's not wrong

for you to want justice

in that situation.

That person has done

something illegal.

They have hurt you.

They have harmed you.

And so it is good

and right

that they face

punishment for that.

And the same

is true with God.

It's good

that Nineveh

has apologized,

that Nineveh

is repentant,

that Nineveh

is remorseful.

But it doesn't

therefore mean

that God

must forgive them.

Justice still

needs to be done.

Their wickedness

was at the point

where God would decree

that the whole city

will be destroyed.

And so sorry

does not cover over

what they've done.

Grace at its heart

fundamentally

is something

that you don't

deserve.

God's goodness

to Nineveh

in holding

his judgment back,

God's goodness

to Jonah

in providing

a tree,

in providing

a fish,

is not

what they deserve.

It is a gift

from God

that is very

generously given.

See the issue

that we face

in chapter 4

and verse 1,

Jonah is greatly

displeased

because of God's

grace.

Jonah is angry

that God

is showing grace

to Nineveh.

He is frustrated

because in his eyes

Nineveh

deserves

punishment,

deserves

judgment.

I mean,

if you can

understand why

Jonah feels

this way,

Nineveh is a city

that has repeatedly

attacked Israel,

God's people,

of whom Jonah

is one,

and will continue

to attack.

And so Jonah

looks at this city

and he's like,

God,

what are you doing?

They deserve

your punishment.

They're not like us.

We're your people.

They deserve

to be crushed

and destroyed.

He's sitting outside.

He gets a good vantage point.

It's like New Year's Eve

fireworks for him.

He wants to see

how spectacular

God's judgment

will be

because these people

are wicked

and they deserve

to be crushed

by God.

But can you see

the problem?

Jonah has gone

from being somebody

who has received

this gift of grace,

received this gift

that he did not deserve,

he's gone from

being someone

thankful

to being somebody

who thinks

he's entitled,

to somebody

who thinks

it's his right

that God

should forgive him,

that God

should love him,

that God

should protect him.

And we do

the same thing.

When we first

become Christians,

there is not

even a hint

of,

I deserve this.

So it's not

how it works.

Essential to

becoming a Christian

is realising

we need God

to do something

for us

that we can't

do ourselves.

But somehow

from that point,

slowly but surely,

we become people

who deserve

God's grace.

And you can tell

because just like Jonah,

we start to look

at other people

who we think

don't deserve it,

shouldn't receive it,

aren't entitled to it.

Think of the way

you respond

to those

who annoy you,

those who hurt you,

how would you feel

if

a rapist

was to walk

into church

and say,

I want to know God?

How would you feel

if a murderer

was to walk

into church

and say,

I want to be forgiven,

I know I've done

the wrong thing?

Would you have

this sense of joy

that somebody

has come from

such darkness

to know the life

that is in Jesus?

or maybe like Jonah,

if we're honest,

we would think

they don't deserve

to be here.

They don't deserve

God's forgiveness

no matter how much

they apologize.

But me,

I deserve it.

This is mine.

This is what

I'm entitled to.

We've got to understand

like Jonah needed

to understand

we are sinful

just like everyone else.

Jonah was a prophet,

he was part of God's people,

he was in a privileged position

but he was still sinful

and he deserved

from God

the same kind of judgment

that God promised

for Nineveh.

It actually doesn't take

that much honest

self-reflection

to realize that

all you deserve

from God

is judgment.

We need to be

very careful

that in the grace

that he has shown us

that we don't stop

seeing ourselves rightly.

God has been good

to us

but not because

of who we are.

God has given us

grace

which by definition

is something

that we don't deserve.

There is no pattern

in Jonah

or in life

for the recipients

of grace.

Look again

at chapter 3.

Having just made

their decree

at the end of verse 9

the king says

who knows

God may

yet relent

and with compassion

turn from his fierce anger

so that we will not perish.

There is no confidence

that because they have repented

God must

or God will

and in verse 10

when God saw

what they did

and how they turned

from their evil ways

he had compassion

and did not bring upon them

the destruction

he had threatened.

Have a look at

chapter 2

verse 7

This is Jonah's prayer

from inside the fish

When my life

was ebbing away

I remembered you Lord

and my prayer

rose to you

to your holy temple

Those who cling

to worthless idols

forfeit the grace

that could be theirs

but I

with a song of thanksgiving

will sacrifice to you

what I have vowed

I will make good

salvation

comes from the Lord.

Now it feels like

there is a bit of similarity

Jonah admits

that he has done

the wrong thing

and thanks God

for grace

but just look

a little bit closer

Nineveh repents

hoping that God

might forgive them

Jonah has already

been saved by God

Jonah was thrown

into the sea

and rescued by God

into the belly

of a fish

and having been saved

he thanks God

for his salvation

Nineveh

says sorry

and pleads for help

Jonah is still

running away

when God chooses

to show him grace

there is no

commonality

between the two

that we can say

this is what you must do

to get grace from God

this is who is worthy

of God's grace

Jonah is almost

just like a spoilt

child at this point

I'm sure you've been

in the shops

and seen that child

who is yelling

and screaming

and insisting

that mummy buys

another lolly

or another toy

or whatever it is

and if mum gives in

and gives that lolly

or toy

the child is ecstatic

for at least five minutes

before they've found

something new

that they want

Jonah is running

from God

and in chapter 2

having been saved

he is overwhelmed

with God's grace

and salvation

but by chapter 4

he is angry

at what God is doing

there is nothing

in Jonah

that makes him worthy

of God's grace

and love

of the goodness

that God has shown

what we see

when we look

at this story

what we see

when we look

at grace

is that it's about

the giver

not the receiver

grace is all

about God

last week

we reminded

that God's word

is all about God

it's always there

to point us

to God

and this story

of Jonah

and the grace

that God shows

is to tell us

that God is gracious

and that he is

compassionate

there was a clue

there in chapter 3

verse 10

when God saw

what they did

and how they turned

from their evil ways

he had compassion

on them

compassion is from

within God

it's something

he generates

it begins with him

it ends with him

it comes from him

everything

is generated

by the giver

when it comes

to grace

grace tells us

that our God

is slow to anger

that he is abounding

in love

and that he forgives

even unworthy

servants

like Nineveh

like Jonah

and like us

God's grace

to us

does not say

that we are important

God's grace

to us

does not say

that we are good

God's grace

to us

shows us

his incredible love

when we grasp

for just a second

that God

sees us

like he sees

Nineveh

that God

sees us

like he sees

Jonah

as sinful

as disobedient

as rebellious

we understand

that God's grace

to us

is about him

it's not about us

it's about his

willingness to love

people

who refuse

to obey him

people who are

running from him

people who ignore him

95% of their lives

grace

grace

is about

the God

who gives

grace

not about those

he gives grace

to

God's grace

to us

is that

instead of

giving us

the judgment

and punishment

that we deserve

he gives us

Jesus

God's grace

to us

is put on

display

when you read

a chapter

like Romans

Romans 3:10

3

verse 10

of chapter 3

says

there is no one

righteous

not even one

no one who

understands

no one who

seeks God

all have

turned away

they have

together

become

worthless

there is no one

who does good

not even one

that's the picture

God sees

that's the situation

we're in

we are unacceptable

we are detestable

and yet

God looks

and with compassion

gives us

Jesus

we must

understand

the depths

of our own

sinfulness

if we are going

to understand

the grace

of our God

when we confess

like we did

just earlier

when Lindy led us

and we do regularly

here in our services

we must be careful

not to just

mouth those words

without actually

reflecting on the fact

that there are

things in us

today

potentially in the

last hour

in the last 10 minutes

that we need

to confess

because only

when we recognise

those things

will we begin

to grasp

the depth

and breadth

of God's

incredible love

and grace

to us

in Jesus

that like

Jonah

we can sit

angry

outside the wall

that God

would show

grace to another

and yet

his grace

is so far

reaching

that that does

not cancel out

what God

has done

for us

it is all

because of God

all because

of what he

has done

and all because

of the love

that he has

shown us

God's grace

when you begin

to grasp it

is overwhelming

the last verse

of Jonah

is significant

having challenged

Jonah

God says

this

Nineveh has

more than

120,000

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's grace

is not

dictated

by

how worthy

the people

in front

of him

are

God's

grace

is dictated

by the

need for

grace

that he

sees

in front

of him

I wonder

how you

look at

people

around you

do you

look at

them based

on how

they treat

you

based on

the things

that they

say

the clothes

that they

wear

the job

that they

have

the things

they do

in their

spare time

or do

you look

at them

as somebody

who needs

God's

grace

or knows

God's

grace

they're the

only two

categories

God has

those who

need

God's

grace

or those

who know

God's

grace

for us

who know

the forgiveness

that comes

in Jesus

for us

who know

the love

that reaches

us when

we are

still running

that chases

us down

that does

not fail

there is

no room

for pride

no room

for entitlement

what I

deserve

is a word

that I let

go of

when I

start to

follow

Jesus

what I'm

entitled

to

is something

that I

let go

of

when I

follow

Jesus

because

everything

is now

defined

by what

God

gives me

because of

his

great love

not because

of what I

deserve

there is no

room for

boasting

and no

room for

pride

only

gratitude

and

thankfulness

one of

the things

that we

have started

doing in

youth ministry

here at

St Paul's

and that I

also did

in my

previous

church

is we

made a

decision

and if

I'm honest

I made

a decision

and told

everyone

else

we decided

that we

would preach

through the

gospels

through Matthew

Mark

Luke and

John

every week

we did

Mark for

almost two

years

we have

just begun

John

and we are

working through

that

summer camp is

going to help

us make

some progress

forward

and next

year we

will begin

Luke

and that

will probably

take us

two or

three years

to get

through

we are

just doing

it a little

bit at a

time

just working

slowly

but surely

and sure

enough

after enough

time

in my

previous

church

I was

six years

as the

youth

pastor

and kids

start to

figure out

what you're

doing

it takes

them surprisingly

long

but eventually

they figure

out that we

just been

doing the

same book

every week

that all we

keep looking

at is Jesus

week after

week after

week after

week and

they're like

can't we

look at

something

else

I need

something

a bit

meatier

than Jesus

and that

is the

most

concerning

thing

that any

Christian

can ever

say

but you'll

be amazed

at how

often

you hear

it and

not just

from

teenagers

as soon

as we

stop looking

at Jesus

we have

begun to

treat him

like something

we own

something we

deserve

something we're

entitled to

I've got him

now I'm ready

for the next

stuff

that is never

how following

Jesus works

the gospel

says you

deserve to

be punished

from God

you deserve

to be separated

from God

but because of

his love

because of

his compassion

you can

instead know

life and

hope and

a relationship

for all

eternity

do you

look at the

people around

you

based on

what they

do

how they

dress

what they

say

how they

treat you

or do you

look with

God's eyes

and see

only those

who know

God's grace

and those

who need

God's grace

God's grace

to you

is that you

might show

God's grace

to other

people

God's love

for you

is to release

you from

this sense

that you're

better than

anyone else

and instead

enable you to

realize that

his love is

so incredible

a gift

for you

that he's

going to let

you share

that incredible

gift with

other people

God's grace

doesn't even

stop when we

take the step

of following

him

when we

make the

decision to

call ourselves

a Christian

and completely

give our

lives to

his purpose

and his

glory

his grace

is new

each and

every day

as he

chooses to

guide us

step by

step through

situations

and relationships

as he

places those

in need of

God's grace

in our

path

that we

might love

them

and share

the gospel

with them

and speak

of the hope

that we

have in

Jesus

grace is

by definition

something that

we do not

deserve

we need to

remember that

grace exists

not to make

us feel

special

but to

show us

our glorious

loving

compassionate

and majestic

God

and grace

does not

exist to

just sit

here

grace exists

to flow

through you

the people

around you

that need

that grace

too

will you

start looking

with God's

eyes

and see

the people

who need

to know

what you

know

let's

pray

father

god

we want

to thank

and praise

you that

you love

us even

though we

don't deserve

it

we want

to thank

you that

in the

story of

Jonah

we are

reminded

that

you alone

have the

power to

forgive those

who are

unworthy

that you

alone have

the love

and compassion

to forgive

people who

are disobedient

and rebellious

that you

alone have

the patience

to bear

with consistently

disobedient

servants like

Jonah and

like us

father please

forgive us for

looking on other

people as less

deserving or less

worthy of your

grace

instead open our

eyes to see you

clearly

to see your

love

to see our

own sin

and to be

reminded constantly

that your love

holds us

that your love

humbles us

so that we

may be

exalted

with you

for all

eternity

father give

us eyes

to see those

that you

bring into

our lives

and across

our path

who don't

yet know

the hope

that we

have

give us

boldness

to speak

to them

give us

hearts

that love

them

even if

they are

our

enemies

even if

they hurt

us

help us

to trust

in the

power of

your grace

to transform

even the

darkest

heart

god

please

let your

grace

overflow

in us

keep us

from just

holding on

to it

ourselves

may we

be a

fountain

that just

waters

the earth

that you

have

placed

us

on

that

brings

your

love

and your

hope

and your

forgiveness

to people

who are

desperately

searching

for

meaning

and

identity

god

give us

your eyes

to see

amen