Redefining Joy.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up to Jonah chapter 3. [0:04] We’re going to start at the end of chapter 3 and verse 10. [0:07] We’re going to carry on through to the end of the book. [0:09] We’re finishing the book of Jonah this week. [0:11] I’m pretty excited. [0:12] Next week, like I said earlier, we’re starting a series on the book of Titus

[0:18] called Dangerous Church and just the idea that if the church functions [0:23] the way that God intended and the way that God designed it to, [0:26] it is a dangerous force in the lives of the people and the culture that it exists within. [0:32] And if the village functions the way that God intended for it to, [0:37] it will be a dangerous force for redemption in the town of Midlothian [0:42] and in the county of Chesterfield and the city of Richmond and beyond

[0:46] as we take part in God’s global mission to redeem it back to himself [0:50] through the gospel of his son Jesus. [0:53] And we’re taking steps right now to ensure that we keep that as our vision, [0:59] keep the mission of Jesus as our vision, [1:02] and keep driving outside of our own walls so that we can, number one, [1:06] grow so that we can function as a church through growing as a church,

[1:10] through seeing people come to know Jesus right inside of these walls, [1:13] but also so that we can leave these walls and go to other areas of the country [1:18] or even the world as we’re getting ready to go to China in the fall [1:21] and seek God’s global mission, how God is already at work [1:25] in areas that we don’t even know about yet. [1:28] It’s not that we’re taking God anywhere,

[1:30] it’s just that we’re joining God where he already is, [1:33] where he’s already working, where he’s already planting seeds of redemption. [1:37] He doesn’t need us to go. [1:40] He wants us to go with him because he’s already going. [1:44] It’s just the question of whether we’re going to join him in his mission [1:46] or whether we’re going to join him in his journey,

[1:48] whether we’re going to sit in our apathy as we’re really going to see today [1:52] as Jonah really ends on a sour note. [1:55] We’re going to see today that Jonah did not want to join God on his mission, [1:59] but I don’t want to be left behind, not in the Timah-le-Hasen, [2:03] but in the mission of Jesus sense.

[2:08] I wonder if he got a trademark on that [2:10] because it feels like every time I say that phrase, [2:11] I have to give him credence for it for some reason. [2:14] But go ahead and go to Jonah. Let’s forget I even mentioned that. [2:17] Let’s go ahead to the book of Jonah. [2:18] I’ve gone too far.

[2:20] The book of Jonah chapter 4. [2:23] And what we’re going to see is we’re going to see how God’s people react [2:27] when God actually does what he says he’s going to do [2:30] and how we have a choice in our reaction [2:34] whether we will take joy in the mission of God [2:36] or whether we will try to find joy elsewhere

[2:39] and in the end find misery, find sadness, find emptiness. [2:44] And today what we’re going to do is we’re going to talk about redefining joy [2:49] because we all have a definition of joy in our lives. [2:52] We all have a thing or many things that bring us joy [2:57] and the question is are they the same things that God tells us will bring us the most joy? [3:03] I had another title, but I just thought it was way too negative.

[3:06] So today is you can either call it redefining joy or how not to waste your life. [3:12] That’s pretty much what we’re going to be talking about today. [3:15] When I was studying for this a couple weeks ago, [3:17] I just in the Bible that I study in at home that’s like 17 pounds. [3:21] So I don’t bring it up here. [3:23] I just bring my little Bible up here.

[3:24] I just wrote over Jonah 4 just the wasted life [3:28] because that’s really I’m just going to let you in on something. [3:30] That’s what we’re going to be taking a look at today. [3:32] We’re going to read through Jonah 4 [3:33] and we’re going to see exactly how to waste your life [3:38] and I’m going to show you how many of us end up wasting our lives as well

[3:43] because it’s really easy to get really excited about the gospel for a little while. [3:48] But as we see throughout our lives living the life of the gospel [3:51] and living in a New Testament Church is not about a sprint. [3:55] It’s about a long marathon that really gets discouraging sometimes [4:00] because we still struggle in sin even after we know Jesus. [4:04] And so we’re going to take a look at that marathon.

[4:06] But if you’ll remember with us last week we saw that Jonah [4:09] after going through an extraordinary series of events [4:13] a survivor like thing where he’s eaten by a fish [4:16] and he lives inside of a fish. [4:17] However, that looked I don’t know. [4:19] But then he spit up on dry land and he finally makes it

[4:21] to where God originally called him to in Jonah 1 in the first place. [4:24] He gets to Nineveh and he preaches the judgment of God on the people of Nineveh. [4:31] And in Jonah 3 we saw where he preached just a simple message that [4:35] Hey Nineveh, you’re a bunch of sinners. [4:37] You sinned against God. God knows it. [4:40] And in 40 days, he’s going to destroy you.

[4:43] And that’s the message that he preaches to these Ninevites. [4:47] And how they respond shows us the power of the gospel. [4:52] Because when we think gospel, we think this wonderful little message. [4:56] You know, God loves you and God has a wonderful plan for your life. [4:59] And that is not as we saw last week. [5:01] That is not the message that Jonah brings to the Ninevites.

[5:04] God brings a message to the Ninevites that God hates you. [5:07] And he has a terrible plan for you guys. [5:10] All right. And so he preaches this message. [5:13] But what’s interesting is we see that the Ninevites do not respond [5:17] in the way that I think many of us might have responded to such a message. [5:22] We see that what we would respond, what I would respond,

[5:25] somebody comes to me and says, hey, you’ve sinned against God [5:27] and he’s going to destroy you. [5:29] And we don’t even know if the Ninevites knew who the God of Israel was at this point. [5:33] And what my response might be is, how dare he? [5:35] I don’t even know him. Who is he to judge me? [5:40] How dare God not give me everything I want and more.

[5:43] But instead, he’s promising me terrible things. [5:45] What the Ninevites do is they accept the truth. [5:49] And they see, wait a second, if there is a God [5:53] and we aren’t following him and we’re actually living in rebellion against him, [5:57] we are in trouble because we’re responsible to him because he’s the creator. [6:02] And what happens in Nineveh is that they all begin to repent.

[6:06] And we see this outward repentance take place [6:09] to where they actually put on sackcloth, [6:12] I guess it’s basically just uncomfortable sacks. [6:17] And they pour ashes all over themselves and they sit in ashes [6:20] and they just sit and anguish over their sin against God [6:25] and they beg God for mercy.

[6:29] And we see that this message from Jonah, [6:32] one guy coming into what is called a great city, [6:35] it would take three days to walk across the city of Nineveh. [6:38] We see that the message of Jonah goes all the way up to the king [6:41] and rather than the king saying, we’ll kill that guy, [6:44] he’s bringing us some bad news, he says, oh my gosh, he’s right, let’s repent.

[6:49] And he issues a decree to the entire city of Nineveh [6:52] that everyone must repent to the God of Israel. [6:55] And he himself takes his crown off, I guess maybe he had one, [6:59] in the Walt Disney movie he would have had a crown, [7:01] and in the Disney movie he takes his crown off [7:03] and he himself puts on sackcloth and repents in ashes

[7:06] and anguish over his own sin.

[7:11] Let’s see how God responds in verse 10 of chapter 3.

[7:19] When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, [7:25] God relented of the disaster that He had said He would do to them [7:30] and He did not do it.

[7:36] The gospel changes everything.

[7:44] And you may be sitting there saying, Jesus hadn’t died yet, [7:46] how’s that the gospel? [7:48] The root of the word gospel, it simply means good news. [7:53] In Rome, whenever they would send their armies out [7:57] and they would have a great victory, [7:59] they would send someone with what was called the gospel back to Rome

[8:03] to preach the good news that they’ve had another victory.

[8:07] You say, well it doesn’t sound like very good news [8:08] that God was going to destroy them.

[8:11] What I want you to see is, it’s so interesting how God works. [8:15] Okay.

[8:18] Because what we see in this passage [8:21] is that God’s mission reveals to us God’s character.

[8:31] We see that God is not sending Jonah [8:35] so that God can show up in Nineveh. [8:38] Like I was saying earlier, [8:39] God has already been there, [8:41] God has been working in their hearts [8:43] and He sends Jonah with a message that He’s prepared in Jonah’s heart

[8:48] and He’s telling Jonah, He says, [8:50] Jonah, go preach this [8:51] and God has already prepared them for what is going to happen. [8:57] God says, preach my judgment [8:59] because God knows if judgment is preached to them, [9:01] then they will repent.

[9:05] And so God has judgment preached [9:06] and we see this as bad news [9:08] and they see it in their lives as a cry for change. [9:12] And we see this seemingly bad news come into their hearts [9:17] and we see anguish [9:18] but God works through this repentance when it is true.

[9:24] Because it starts with this change in their mind [9:27] of a God that they may or may not have known about [9:30] in the history of, we’re thinking about Assyria, [9:32] they may not have known Him.

[9:36] And we see this change of mind [9:39] but it doesn’t just stop there. [9:41] Because often times when we think about repentance, [9:43] we think about a change of mind [9:44] and absolutely that is necessary. [9:48] My body doesn’t do anything that my brain doesn’t tell it to do.

[9:53] But what happens in their mind comes out into their lives. [9:57] And they don’t just simply say, [9:59] well let’s switch teams. [10:01] Alright God.

[10:04] But instead we see their repentance in a physical action.

[10:11] And when this happens, [10:14] God relents. [10:17] The actual original language in verse 10 [10:19] is this idea of a turning in compassion. [10:25] It’s the same root for both words, [10:26] it’s the synonyms that are used here.

[10:29] And God turns in compassion [10:31] for the people of Nineveh. [10:36] And we see His missional character [10:39] coming through. [10:41] Where God is not this cosmic killjoy [10:45] that we often reveal to the world

[10:48] that we think He is.

[10:52] If you watch the way that Christians are portrayed [10:54] in the media and we get mad about it, [10:57] we’re like, well we’re boycotting that movie.

[11:00] I don’t think they care in the first place. [11:02] But the big thing you’ve got to understand [11:04] about the way we’re portrayed in the media [11:05] is sometimes we deserve it. [11:09] Because, yeah, is it a caricature? [11:11] Absolutely.

[11:15] But I’ve met a lot of people [11:16] the way we’re portrayed in the media.

[11:20] And sometimes we are very good [11:22] at giving an impression about God [11:24] that God is mad at everybody [11:27] and He’s going to kill them.

[11:31] And God uses the book of Jonah [11:34] and He uses the message of Jonah [11:36] where Jonah gives that exact message [11:38] but then God reveals Himself [11:41] in the fact that when they repent, [11:42] what does God do?

[11:45] God responds in grace, [11:47] in mercy, and love.

[11:51] God responds by saying, [11:54] this was my plan all along. [11:56] You say, well how do you know this was His plan all along? [11:58] Go to chapter 4.

[12:03] He knows the questions we’ll have [12:04] so He answers them for us.

[12:10] Chapter 4 of Jonah, [12:12] it’s one of these books that’s so rare [12:13] because it doesn’t really give me the resolution that I want. [12:17] But it gives me the resolution [12:18] that’s true of my heart.

[12:23] Chapter 4 verse 1. [12:24] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly. [12:29] And he was angry. [12:31] So, remember, [12:33] God has sent Jonah [12:34] as an agent of change

[12:37] to Nineveh. [12:40] God relents of the disaster [12:41] that He’s bringing them for their sin. [12:43] He brings repentance into their hearts. [12:46] A revival takes place [12:47] that goes all the way up to the king.

[12:49] Jonah, probably in the eyes of the Ninevites, [12:51] Jonah’s this hero, [12:53] this ambassador of God, [12:54] reconciling them to God. [12:56] And how does Jonah respond? [12:57] Well, he’s mad.

[13:00] In verse 2 he says, [13:01] And he prayed to the Lord and said, [13:03] O Lord, is not this what I said [13:05] when I was yet in my country? [13:07] This is why I made haste [13:10] to flee to Tarshish.

[13:12] For I knew that you are a gracious God [13:15] and merciful, [13:16] slow to anger, [13:17] and abounding in steadfast love [13:19] and relenting from disaster.

[13:25] Jonah knows the heart of God.

[13:29] That’s why he ran. [13:31] God gives him a mission. [13:32] Go to Nineveh, Jonah. [13:33] I hate him. I’m going the other way. [13:37] See, because if Jonah had truly thought [13:39] that God was going to destroy the Ninevites,

[13:42] Jonah would have gone headlong [13:43] into that city. [13:44] But in chapter 4, verse 2, [13:45] Jonah reveals what has been true all along. [13:48] He says, God, I knew that if I came here [13:50] and I preached Your truth,

[13:52] that You would forgive these people. [13:54] I knew that You would love them. [13:56] I knew You would have compassion. [13:57] I knew You wouldn’t actually bring disaster on them, [14:01] because You are such a loving God. [14:02] How dare You!

[14:11] Look at what He does.

[14:17] Therefore now, [14:19] I like to put a tone of voice. [14:21] Oh Lord, [14:22] He’s like, Oh God.

[14:25] Please take my life from me. [14:30] For it is better for me to die [14:32] than to live. [14:33] And the Lord said, Do you do well to be angry?

[14:38] Jonah throws what amounts to me [14:41] as a fit that I see [14:42] seven year olds throw [14:43] when mom won’t buy them a butterfinger.

[14:50] Oh God, I might as well just die.

[14:53] Just kill me!

[15:00] It’s astounding [15:02] just logically, [15:04] because if you’re a follower of Jesus, [15:07] and I hope you are, [15:09] you’ll spend a lot of your life [15:11] begging Him to bring revival.

[15:15] Or begging Him to take His mission to people.

[15:21] And Jonah sees what most of us [15:24] will never see.

[15:28] Jonah sees an entire city [15:30] on their knees [15:34] praying to God. [15:36] Repenting of sin. [15:37] We’ll find out in chapter 4, verse 11 [15:40] that 120,000

[15:43] people [15:44] are redeemed that day.

[15:49] And Jonah says, [15:50] this is the most disgusting thing [15:52] I’ve ever seen in my life. [15:53] It’s making me so miserable, I want to die.

[16:00] God shows him this [16:01] character of redemption, [16:02] this character of mission. [16:06] Where God says, I’m sending you [16:07] as an agent of change Jonah. [16:09] I want to save these people.

[16:10] And from the very beginning Jonah knows it [16:12] because Jonah is a prophet of God. [16:14] And Jonah says, I know you God. [16:15] I know what you’re going to do, so I’m going to go the other way [16:17] because I hate those people so much.

[16:25] And so Jonah runs from [16:26] mission.

[16:29] God does extraordinary things in Jonah’s life. [16:32] He sends a storm. [16:34] Sends a fish. [16:35] Jonah lives in a fish for three days. [16:38] This great vessel of hope. [16:40] This vessel of mercy.

[16:41] This supernatural event. [16:43] Because I promise you, if you get eaten by a fish [16:45] the same thing’s probably not going to happen. [16:48] You’ll just be digested.

[16:51] Jonah spends three days in a fish. [16:53] He’s vomited out by the fish. [16:55] Onto dry land. [16:58] Just the idea of what that must have looked like, [17:00] what that must have been like [17:01] is extraordinary to me. This is truly a miracle.

[17:05] And he says, fine God, I’ll go to Nineveh. [17:08] God does amazing things in his life. [17:10] God shows up in mighty and powerful ways. [17:13] Then he shows up in even more mighty [17:16] and more powerful ways. [17:18] And Jonah hates him

[17:20] for working redemption in other people’s lives.

[17:25] What is revealed to us [17:27] by Jonah’s actions is a heart [17:30] that is steeped

[17:33] in religion.

[17:37] Steeped [17:38] in self-centeredness. [17:41] Steeped [17:42] in hatred. [17:44] And steeped [17:46] in an unmissional

[17:48] attitude.

[17:52] Jonah believes that he deserves [17:54] God more [17:56] than the Ninevites.

[18:00] Because he’s done more. [18:03] He’s of a special people group. [18:06] He’s lived better. [18:08] And how dare God [18:09] makes the Ninevites [18:10] equal to him.

[18:16] So what does he do?

[18:19] I love how God deals with him. [18:21] God’s so facetious sometimes. [18:23] He looks at Jonah and he says, [18:25] hey how’s that anger working out for you?

[18:28] Then in verse 5,

[18:32] his fit gets even worse. [18:34] Jonah went out of the city [18:35] and sat to the east of the city [18:37] and made a booth for himself there. [18:39] He sat under it in the shade [18:41] of the city.

[18:43] He sat under it in the shade [18:44] till he should see what would become [18:47] of the city. [18:47] So we know that the 40 days, [18:49] because Jonah prophesied, [18:50] if you weren’t here with us last week,

[18:55] Jonah had prophesied to them, [18:56] in 40 days God’s going to destroy you. [18:58] So it’s apparent that the 40 days are not up yet. [19:00] God just possibly, [19:02] to me on day one, [19:04] they’re all redeemed.

[19:06] So the 40 days isn’t up. [19:08] So instead of continuing in the mission, [19:10] starting a small group or planting a church, [19:13] and maybe discipling a couple [19:15] of these Ninevites, [19:16] Jonah’s like, alright, I’m out of here.

[19:18] So he goes and he builds himself. [19:20] The historians say it was probably [19:21] just like, you ever watch Man vs. Wild [19:23] or Survivor Man, there’s these little [19:25] shacks of leaves and trees put together. [19:28] But he’s in the desert, so it probably wasn’t that nice.

[19:32] So Jonah builds [19:32] this shack outside of town, [19:34] in the desert, and he’s going to [19:36] sit there and just watch. [19:39] And say, well, God, you’ve redeemed them, [19:41] but I’m going to sit out here in hopes that you’ll destroy them.

[19:45] He builds a shack.

[19:50] Verse 4, [19:50] excuse me, verse 6, he says, [19:52] Now the Lord God appointed a plant

[19:56] and made it come up [19:57] over Jonah, that it might be a shade [19:59] over his head, to save him [20:01] from the discomfort. So Jonah was [20:03] exceedingly glad because of the [20:05] plant.

[20:08] Look at the heart of Jonah. [20:10] If you go back to [20:11] chapter 4, verse 1, [20:13] but it displeased Jonah [20:15] exceedingly.

[20:17] Then go back to verse 6, [20:19] so Jonah was [20:21] exceedingly glad because of the plant. [20:24] Same word.

[20:27] Jonah finds [20:30] exceeding [20:31] discomfort and anger [20:33] over redemption taking [20:35] root in the lives of the Ninevites. [20:37] But he takes exceeding

[20:39] comfort and exceeding gladness [20:41] in a plant.

[20:48] Jonah’s heart [20:49] is so overcome [20:51] with anger and bitterness [20:53] because God didn’t [20:55] work things out the exact [20:57] way that he would

[20:59] have chosen to have [21:01] it work out. Because God [21:03] didn’t do things according [21:05] to Jonah’s plan. [21:07] Because God told Jonah, [21:09] you change your life to meet

[21:11] my plan rather than I’m not going to change [21:13] my mission to meet your plan. [21:15] That Jonah goes out, throws [21:17] a fit, sits in the hot sun, [21:19] puts a couple of sticks over himself. [21:21] God sends a plant up over

[21:23] him to give him a little comfort. [21:25] And Jonah says, oh, God still loves me.

[21:34] God’s mission [21:36] must be our joy.

[21:40] Not a shack in the desert.

[21:43] Not a plant offering you a little bit [21:45] of shade.

[21:48] But His mission.

[21:51] You say, what does that mean? [21:53] Look at what’s happening [21:54] to Jonah. Let’s read a little bit further. [21:56] Let’s go on down to verse

[21:59] 7.

[22:02] But when dawn came up the next [22:04] day, God appointed a worm [22:07] that attacked [22:08] the plant so that it withered.

[22:12] Oh, look at this. And it’s just like, [22:14] God, you’re kind of an [22:16] agitator.

[22:20] If you don’t appreciate sarcasm, [22:23] read Jonah 4. [22:25] First, God’s sarcastic about anger. [22:27] Then He gives him a plant for like 12 hours [22:29] and then He kills it. [22:33] Verse 8. When the sun rose,

[22:34] God appointed a scorching [22:37] east wind. [22:39] And the sun beat down [22:41] on the head of Jonah [22:42] so that he was faint. [22:44] And He asked that he might

[22:47] die in the sun. [22:47] He said, die. [22:48] And said, it is better for me [22:50] to die than to live.

[22:56] Alright, there’s a couple of things [22:57] I want to point out first. [22:59] So Jonah’s sitting here, he’s got his little plant, [23:01] he’s got some shade, I guess it’s maybe [23:02] he’s thinking it’s turning into an oasis. [23:05] He’s like, well, God sent a fish,

[23:07] maybe He’ll send a camel. [23:09] And so he’s sitting under the sun, [23:10] then he wakes up the next day, the plant’s gone. [23:14] And he says, oh, [23:14] just kill me. It’s hot. [23:17] Sun burnt.

[23:21] You realize Jonah could have just gotten up [23:23] and gone back into Nineveh and asked somebody for a cup of water?

[23:28] I never thought about that [23:29] until I was reading it this week and I was like, [23:33] you know, he didn’t have to be out in the scorching sun.

[23:37] I heard a pastor named Matt Chandler give this [23:39] example one time.

[23:41] People are just [23:43] infamous because what we do is oftentimes [23:46] we’ll be on the path [23:47] that God has for us. [23:48] We’ll be on a path where the gospel is meaningful. [23:51] Where we see the work

[23:53] that Jesus is doing, the work that [23:55] God has done for us in Christ. [23:56] And we’ll be on the road and God will say, [23:59] you just go this way. And we’ll say, [24:00] I don’t like that way that much so I’m going to go this way. [24:03] And we head ten miles into

[24:05] the desert this way. [24:06] And we end up ten miles into the desert. [24:09] At that point we’re lost. We can’t see the road. [24:11] And we look to God and say, God how dare you let me be lost!

[24:18] I just imagine [24:19] God saying, well I didn’t tell you to get out in the desert in the first place.

[24:25] But this is what we do.

[24:29] We get so far [24:31] into our anguish, [24:32] into our own [24:35] resentment

[24:37] for these things [24:39] in life that we find our joy [24:41] in, these plans [24:43] that we weren’t allowed [24:45] to make in the first place [24:48] don’t work out

[24:49] so we get mad in God. [24:51] And instead of doing something to get ourselves [24:53] back, instead of repenting [24:55] as the Ninevites were doing while [24:57] he’s out in the desert [24:59] begging God for death, Jonah

[25:01] just lays there in the hot sun. It’s like [25:03] a child laying in the middle [25:05] of Wal-Mart because he can’t have [25:07] a toy.

[25:11] How often are you like that? [25:14] You have to look at my eyes and say, how often [25:15] am I like that? [25:17] Because what happens here, see we’d say that God’s [25:19] mission must be our joy. [25:22]

[25:23] God is the source of joy. [25:25] When we believe the gospel of Jesus, [25:27] when we see the gospel for what it really is [25:29] for Jesus taking our sins away, [25:31] giving us His righteousness, [25:33] dying to pay a penalty that we

[25:35] could not make, when we see God’s character [25:37] in the gospel, that He is [25:39] not just looking for people to destroy [25:42] for a payment that they can’t [25:43] live through anyway, so He lays it on His son [25:45] absorbing it Himself, giving

[25:47] us a righteousness that we don’t deserve anyway. [25:49] When we start living our [25:51] lives under the gospel, when we’re [25:53] headed that way, God [25:55] must be the source of our joy. [25:57] And when He is the source of our joy,

[25:59] He will put us on a mission that [26:01] we will find joy in, and anything [26:03] else is a less than joy. [26:05] But what we do is, we look at the mission, [26:08] we see Jesus say things like, [26:09] take up your cross and follow Me.

[26:11] If I suffered, you’re going to suffer. [26:14] Narrow is the road that leads to Heaven. [26:15] Wide is the road that leads to perdition [26:17] or hell. We see these words [26:19] and we say, well that’s probably true for pastors, [26:21] but not for Me. I’m going to take the

[26:23] wide road and get Heaven in the end, because I got my [26:25] get out of jail free card, Jesus did that for me. [26:27] That’s not the gospel. [26:29] The gospel is that God is [26:31] the source of our joy, and He has done [26:33] everything to secure Himself

[26:36] for us, so that we [26:38] can now have the privilege [26:40] of joining Him on mission.

[26:43] But our problem is, [26:45] is that we get wrapped up in this world.

[26:51] And we find joy in other things.

[26:55] When those other things are taken away from us, [26:57] well how dare God. [27:00] The problem is that wasn’t supposed to be [27:02] what you were finding joy in in the first place.

[27:06] We all have this problem.

[27:10] Every single one of us.

[27:13] Tim Keller, I’ve said this before, [27:16] pastor in New York, [27:17] he says that idolatry [27:21] is when we take a good thing [27:24] and make it an ultimate thing, [27:25] so that it becomes a God thing, and then it becomes

[27:27] a very bad thing. [27:29] In other words, the things that we live our lives for [27:31] are not in and of themselves bad things, [27:33] but they’re bad things when we say that’s what my life [27:35] was all about.

[27:39] The problem is, what happens [27:42] when that thing is taken away from you?

[27:48] Let’s use an example. [27:49] I’ll just use me. My wife. I love my wife. [27:52] She’s in the nursery, [27:53] she’s watching my son, I love him too. [27:55] I love him to death. [27:57] I’ll tell you, I’d die for them.

[27:59] I would.

[28:02] But here’s the thing. [28:04] I love my wife so much [28:07] that there is a possibility, [28:09] and there’s always this temptation, [28:10] there’s always this tension in my life, [28:14] where she can become the ultimate

[28:15] thing for me. [28:18] And I base my joy [28:19] and my happiness [28:21] fully on her. [28:24] Let me ask you this question.

[28:28] God forbid, but what happens if she dies?

[28:35] If I’m living my life [28:37] based fully on her, then my joy dies with her.

[28:43] I’m probably going to resent God. [28:45] Because he took my joy.

[28:48] Same thing with my son.

[28:51] Same thing with the Washington Redskins. [28:55] You laugh. [28:57] I have seen [28:58] 300 pound 45 year old men [29:00] cry when a bunch of 25 year olds [29:03] don’t throw a ball the right way.

[29:10] Where are you finding your joy?

[29:13] How do you define joy in your life?

[29:18] Maybe it’s a job.

[29:20] Maybe it’s a car. [29:21] Maybe it’s a house. [29:23] For Jonah, it was a plant. [29:25] So it can be some pretty retarded things.

[29:29] So I’m not going to [29:31] thank too highly of you guys. [29:33] Because there’s a prophet in the Old Testament [29:34] that’s worshipping a ficus.

[29:38] So I don’t think you’re above him.

[29:42] Where are you finding your joy? [29:43] Because the key is, not that I’m trying to make you [29:45] feel bad about what you’re finding your joy in, [29:47] but you need to redefine your joy [29:50] based on the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

[29:54] That’s the high calling of the Gospel.

[29:58] What if my joy, [29:59] and by the way I eat this is not true, [30:02] what if my joy is my health?

[30:06] What happens if I get sick?

[30:10] People get sick every day. [30:12] Go to Wal-Mart. [30:14] You can see it. [30:16] It’s like, that guy’s sick.

[30:21] Alright. [30:23] I eat enough candy bars that that could happen to me. [30:27] I’m not like sitting in my house eating broccoli for lunch. [30:30] I should be.

[30:33] He’s still working on me.

[30:38] What happens if you lose your health? [30:40] I would say that’s probably the number one [30:42] thing that causes resentment in people’s lives towards God.

[30:47] Either your health or someone else’s.

[30:50] Is he not God?

[30:57] The mission [30:58] must be our joy. [31:01] Jonah preferred [31:02] sitting in anger [31:04] over walking in joy. [31:07] The whole time Jonah is sitting there

[31:10] outside of town getting a scorching sunburn [31:13] and he’s thirsty and he’s begging for death. [31:16] He had the option to get up [31:19] and join God on his mission in Nineveh. [31:22] And he does not do it. [31:24] Not because God doesn’t make that possible

[31:27] but because Jonah was so [31:30] situated and so [31:32] comforted by his [31:34] resentment towards God [31:36] and towards the fact that God was [31:38] doing something that he did not

[31:41] really appreciate that much. [31:43] That he was finding more joy [31:44] in his sadness and his [31:46] anger than he was [31:48] in actually getting up and doing [31:50] something about his discomfort.

[31:54] We have a term for that in psychology. [31:56] It’s called masochism.

[32:00] And many of us struggle with it. [32:02] Over something.

[32:07] Grief is good. [32:09] Because in the end [32:10] it can produce [32:12] some great things.

[32:16] But we are not meant to sit in our grief [32:18] for the rest of our lives. [32:20] Because if we do that [32:22] God is not our joy.

[32:26] Because Jesus did not stay dead.

[32:30] Jesus rose.

[32:33] When he got up [32:33] he was feeling victory over death.

[32:39] We must find the true [32:41] source of joy. [32:43] And redefine [32:45] the way we see joy in our lives [32:47] by that. And that true source is the gospel of Jesus. [32:50] That true source is

[32:51] God. [32:53] But then we must fight for the rest of our lives [32:55] to maintain that. [32:57] Because we are all tempted [32:59] every day to find joy [33:01] in meaningless, worthless

[33:04] shacks that we build [33:06] by our own hands.

[33:09] The storms are going to come. [33:12] And those shacks sometimes fall down. [33:15] But when God is our joy [33:17] we praise him through the storms.

[33:21] But with Jonah’s heart you can’t do that.

[33:26] That’s why so many people [33:27] are critics.

[33:30] You should be straight up with you right there. [33:32] That’s why so many people sit in church. [33:34] Well they changed that this week. [33:35] I wouldn’t have done that. [33:38] Well I don’t like this about the service. [33:39] Why didn’t they have drums this week?

[33:40] They had drums last week. He’s on vacation by the way. [33:42] You play drums. [33:43] We could really use a backup. [33:45] Because when he leaves, well [33:48] we go unplugged. [33:51] They’re good unplugged, but

[33:52] I like drums.

[33:58] But the truth of our lives [34:00] is always manifested

[34:04] when something happens that we [34:06] wouldn’t precisely choose [34:08] to do it that way.

[34:12] But when you have a mindset [34:14] of the gospel and you have a mindset [34:16] of the mission, what happens in your [34:18] lives is you have this humility and you can [34:20] step back and say, well if it furthers [34:22] the gospel, then we

[34:24] should do it that way.

[34:28] It may not like this or that. [34:30] It may not be my preference to do this [34:32] or that, but if it furthers the gospel [34:35] then that’s the way I do it.

[34:40] But when we’re all stuck [34:42] on our traditions [34:45] and our [34:46] way of doing things [34:49] and our preferences

[34:53] then all that we’re going to become [34:55] is an angry,

[34:59] resentful critic. [35:01] Because if you get down to it, that’s what [35:03] Jonah’s doing. [35:05] He’s criticizing God. [35:08] Not to hell with it, it’s not constructive [35:09] criticism. Typically constructive

[35:11] criticism is not followed by I just want to [35:13] die.

[35:16] Alright, I’m all for constructive criticism. [35:18] But sometimes [35:20] you’re just critical because [35:21] you’re a resentful human being. [35:23] And you need to repent. [35:25] You need the gospel to start working in your life

[35:27] because it has to start working in your life.

[35:31] If you have zero joy in your life [35:33] God is not the problem.

[35:37] Because He’s joyful. [35:38] We even sing a song about it. [35:41] Joyful, joyful. We adore Him. [35:43] He’s the joyous King. [35:45] You look through scripture, God is not [35:47] this Zeus-like

[35:49] lightning bolt thrower. [35:51] Rather the scriptures, especially the book of [35:53] songs, portray God as a loving [35:55] King. A peaceful [35:56] master. A rock that we can [35:59] hide under through the storm.

[36:03] So if your life [36:04] resembles Jonah [36:06] more than it resembles the God who’s [36:08] bringing redemption, you [36:11] need the gospel [36:12] to work either more

[36:14] in your life or just to begin [36:16] working in your life. [36:19] Because [36:20] God’s people must carry [36:21] God’s mission.

[36:25] Understand [36:25] that if you [36:27] do not have joy in the [36:29] mission, you cannot [36:31] carry the mission.

[36:34] You cannot begrudgingly [36:36] live a missional life. [36:38] You can try, but you [36:39] will not last very long. I see a lot of [36:41] people, [36:43] as long as I’ve been working in churches, I’ve seen tons

[36:45] of people say, alright, I’ll live for this mission.

[36:51] Months later they’re gone. [36:54] You can’t do it [36:55] in resentment. You can’t do it [36:58] in contempt. You can’t do it [37:00] in agony.

[37:03] God doesn’t [37:03] want to drag you kicking and screaming.

[37:08] God wants to give you joy [37:10] and then let you walk down the path [37:12] through the hard times with Him [37:13] as your rock, with Him [37:15] as your security, with Him as your identity. [37:18] Because that’s what the gospel

[37:20] does. It gives us God.

[37:24] And we were created [37:25] to live the mission. [37:28] We were created to live for God. [37:29] Keep going. In Jonah, [37:31] look down in verse 9. [37:34] Jonah has begged for death

[37:35] one more time.

[37:38] It’s really interesting. As many times as God has saved [37:39] his life. [37:41] I was like, alright, just kill me. [37:42] Just end it. [37:44] Verse 9, but God said to Jonah, [37:46] I love it that He says this again,

[37:48] do you do well to be angry for the plant?

[37:52] God’s just like, [37:54] [37:55] anger’s still going pretty good for you, huh?

[37:58] And He said, [38:00] yes, I do well to be angry. [38:02] Angry enough to die.

[38:05] And the Lord said, [38:07] you pity the [38:08] plant for which you did not labor, [38:11] nor did you make it grow, [38:14] which came into being [38:15] in a night and perished in a night.

[38:18] And should not I pity Nineveh, [38:21] that great city [38:22] in which there are more than [38:24] a hundred and twenty thousand [38:26] persons who do not know [38:28] their right hand from their left

[38:30] and also much cattle. [38:32] God ends it in a little bit of sarcasm. [38:34] He’s like, look, they’ve got cows. [38:36] And cows are obviously more important than plants.

[38:40] But look at the heart of God in this passage. [38:43] God looks at Jonah and says, [38:45] Jonah, you didn’t even make the plant. [38:47] I did.

[38:51] And you’re going to sit there [38:53] and you’re going to have pity for a plant, [38:55] but you have no pity [38:57] for a hundred and twenty thousand people [39:00] that I created.

[39:05] Am I not allowed to pity [39:07] my own creation?

[39:12] God gets right to Jonah’s heart [39:14] and he indicts him. [39:15] And he says, Jonah, you are pretending [39:18] that you are me. [39:20] How dare you.

[39:27] You are not God. [39:29] Quit pretending you are. [39:31] Even if you’re doing it in your own mind, [39:34] stop, repent.

[39:39] You do not have the authority [39:41] to say what direction [39:43] your life goes in. [39:45] You do not have the authority to say [39:46] what direction someone else’s life goes in. [39:49] Only God has that authority.

[39:56] And Jonah, who’s a prophet of God, [39:57] privy to the voice of God [40:00] in his life, [40:01] lives like that. [40:04] And this is the last [40:05] we hear about Jonah in history.

[40:11] I don’t know how Jonah reacted. [40:13] I don’t know how he responded.

[40:15] It’s possible that he just sat there and died.

[40:21] But the revival in Nineveh [40:24] went on without him.

[40:28] Years later, [40:30] the Assyrian Empire [40:31] marched right into Israel [40:34] and took him into captivity.

[40:39] I don’t know that this caused that. [40:42] But I know that when God’s people [40:44] run in rebellion [40:45] away from God,

[40:49] God does everything he can [40:50] to redeem them back to him.

[40:57] God looks to Jonah.

[41:01] He says, [41:02] there were 120,000 people in Nineveh. [41:03] I loved every single one of them. [41:06] That’s why you carry my mission. [41:08] God looks to Jonah [41:09] and here’s what he says.

[41:10] Here’s how God closes the book of Jonah. [41:13] This story is so much bigger than a fish.

[41:17] And we see that [41:19] people matter to God.

[41:24] That’s the point of this book. [41:27] God is the main character. [41:29] Because God is screaming [41:30] into the life of His people [41:31] that people other than you matter to Him.

[41:36] The village that I stand before you this morning [41:38] when I close with this,

[41:42] there’s people that matter to God that aren’t in here.

[41:46] There’s people that matter to God that aren’t in church this morning. [41:50] There’s people that matter to God that are waking up this morning [41:52] with a terrible hangover [41:53] cursing God. [41:56] There’s people that are in agony [41:57] because they’ve lost a loved one and they can’t get the comfort of God

[42:00] because they don’t know Him. [42:01] So they’re living their lives just cursing Him in anguish. [42:03] They matter to God. [42:06] People who are far from God [42:09] matter to God.

[42:13] Richmond, Virginia has 1.3 million people in it. [42:17] Chesterfield County has 350,000 people in it. [42:20] The Middle Oathian area has close between 85,000 and 90,000 people. [42:27] It’s the newest estimate.

[42:30] God wants every single one of them to know [42:35] that they matter to Him.

[42:41] So the question is [42:43] are you going to sit in your shack [42:46] that you’re building around yourself [42:47] calling security [42:49] looking at a plant that’s giving you a little bit of shade [42:52] and you’re saying, oh, I’ve got the good life.

[42:55] Are you looking at that and finding your joy [42:57] in the things that God provided for you? [43:00] Or are you finding your joy in the source of those things?

[43:07] Because those things fall apart.

[43:12] But God is sure. [43:13] God is secure.

[43:17] And God wants you to leverage all of those things that He has blessed you with [43:25] and risk it [43:27] so that you can join Him in His mission. [43:31] God wants Richmond.

[43:35] And I believe [43:37] with every fiber of my being [43:40] that He wants to use us.

[43:45] He used one man [43:46] in the book of Jonah

[43:49] to reach 120,000 nanobytes [43:52] who may have never heard of God before.

[43:57] He also stepped down from heaven. [43:59] God the Son [44:01] became a human. [44:03] Do you understand the miracle there?

[44:07] The most fascinating part of the Gospel [44:09] account of Jesus [44:10] is not that He rose from the dead. [44:12] The most fascinating thing to me [44:13] is that God became man. [44:16] The Creator became part of creation.

[44:23] God makes it clear to us in Scripture [44:25] that He does drastic things to redeem His creation [44:28] and redeem His people. [44:31] And He doesn’t just love us.

[44:34] We must be willing to do [44:36] whatever it takes [44:36] to find joy [44:39] in the Creator [44:41] so that we can redeem [44:43] His creation

[44:45] through His work. [44:47] Like I said, He’s already on the mission. [44:51] The question we’ve got to answer this morning [44:53] is are we going to join Him [44:55] on that mission?

[45:00] Right now [45:02] we’ve got to respond. [45:04] Throughout the Scriptures [45:06] God’s people must respond [45:08] to God’s Word.

[45:12] And we do that every week by [45:14] partaking in communion. [45:15] Proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes. [45:17] That’s what He’s commanded us to do.

[45:20] What you’re doing [45:22] when you do this [45:24] is you’re preaching the Gospel to each other. [45:26] See, this is the most special part [45:28] of the service to me because it’s not just me [45:30] doing talking, you know.

[45:32] It’s you guys [45:33] coming forward and preaching the Gospel [45:36] to each other by reflecting communion. [45:39] Jesus’ broken body [45:40] and His shed blood. [45:41] This is a tangible way for us to see

[45:44] the expiation of our sins. [45:46] Our sins taken away, placed on the Son of God. [45:49] And He broke His body. [45:50] He shed His blood because He took our sins. [45:52] But also the imputation [45:54] of His righteousness where He freely

[45:56] gives us Himself. [45:58] And this symbolizes [45:59] us taking His life into [46:02] our own. [46:03] That’s why only believers can do this. [46:07] Because only a believer

[46:08] would understand the significance. [46:11] If you’re not a believer, [46:12] it’s just bread and juice.

[46:16] But if you’re a believer this morning, [46:17] understand that this is far more significant.

[46:23] This is Jesus giving us [46:25] His life. [46:27] So that we can live His mission.

[46:32] If you’re in here this morning [46:33] and you’re not a believer,

[46:35] and you don’t know anything about the mission,

[46:39] you don’t have to leave here that way. [46:42] Today can be the day where redemption [46:44] takes hold in your life. [46:46] And you begin a life of mission [46:48] through the power of the Holy Spirit [46:50] given to us by Jesus.

[46:54] You must do what the Ninevites did. [46:55] You must see your sin. [46:56] You must repent of your sin. [46:58] And you must trust in Jesus [47:00] for everything.

[47:03] If that’s you, [47:05] I’ll be in the back.

[47:09] Let’s pray.

[47:11] Father, we come before You [47:13] and [47:14] God, we love You. [47:16] Because You love us.

[47:20] Lord, this morning as we praise You, [47:22] as we reflect, [47:25] as we respond and [47:26] proclaim Your death through communion,

[47:29] God, may we base our joy on You.

[47:35] Amen.