Jonah 4 is an exhibition of God's gracious discipline Jonah wanted God's word to be time bomb and see the distruction that would happen to Nineveh and its people. He either wanted to teach His people a lesson thorugh this or his nationalism caused him to have a idolatrous view of God. He couldn't rejoice in God nad his work. This chapeter will help you to love what God loves and hate what God ates so that you will rejoice in God's mercy and your self sacrifice. There are several ways in which Jonah 4 teachings us this tuth.
First, in order to love what God loves is to accept the authority of God's revealtion of himself. Jonah was angry with God and with the situation because he did not submit to the authority of God's revealtion of himself in Scripture. All israel knew that God is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger. Jonah knew this but rejected God's relenting of judgment upon Nineveh as right. He believer God was guilty of Sin. So to love what God loves in order to rejoice in God is to accept the authority of Scripture.
Second, in order to love what God loves is to pursue genuine faith in God. True faith is always growing. We never stop learning and coming more and more under the Lordship of Christ. Jonah had stoped pursuing genuine faith and thus was suffering from anger. True faith keeps God in the center and not in the corner. We don't get to define who God is, but only accept his self-revelation. Everything God does is good, but for jonah God is now outside of his box that he has created so he cannot celebrate in God mercy any longer. So to love what God loves is to pursue genuine faith in God.
Third, in order to love what God loves is to Fight Idolatry. Jonah now places his attention on something smaller than God. Since most idols are good things that take the place of God., Jonah now depended upon his own petegree and nationalism. His identity was his idol and he was not anchored in God. This is the reason why in his hear of hearts he still wants to run from God. Think about what, if you lose it, would make you feel like life (like Jonah) isn't worth living. That is your idol. Like Jonah, you can still be rinning from God while technically being obedient to his word. So to love what God loves you must fight idolatry.
Fourth, in order to love what God loves is trust that God's ways and plans are good. Jonah did not trust that God's knowledge of ordaining and governing this world was best. He failed to realize that all who cling to idols, will eventually see the day when they will be sitting under a useless worm withered shad tree. God used the plant to protect him and the worm to correct him because he loved Jonah. So to love what God loves is to trust that God's ways and plans are good.
Finally, in order to love what God loves is to embrace God's plan of redemption for all peoples. We must have a right view of redemption. God has plans to reach this world with His gospel and message of redemption. Redemption is both spiritual and physical. God is going to gransform both his people and this world. He will straighted out everything that is crooked. It is sinful and shortsighted to have a tribal mindset that doesn't see the necessity of the Gospel going in to the world. God is missional, and will cause you to love what he loves so that in self-sacrifice you will be a means of mercy and grace to others.
Loading...
10:00
Metropolitan Jonah delivers sermon at Antiochian House of Studiesby BorislavX390 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)