공동체와 양육

Do We Care About the Right Things? (Jonah 4:1-11)

2009.02.22Rev. 에디 변

Do we care about the things God cares about? Jonah was angry at God's mercy toward Nineveh and missed God's heart for people, but God's grace calls us to celebrate his generosity, thank him for his gifts, and care for the lost.

Losing sight of God's big picture makes small things look big

The sermon begins with a warning that the longer we are Christians, the fewer non-believing friends we tend to have. When we lose touch with the lost, we also lose the heart of God for the lost and begin to make small issues the main issues. The speaker points to a church that nearly split over the color of new carpet and another that drove out drums, and he says that when we focus on our comfort zones, the wrong things become the main things. The question is whether we care about what God cares about.

Jonah is angry at God's mercy instead of celebrating it (vv. 1-4)

Jonah sees Nineveh turn to God after his preaching, yet he is greatly displeased and angry, and he admits that he fled because he knew God is gracious and compassionate. The speaker calls this selfish and childish, like a child who forgets the grace he himself received. We were not good enough to earn God's grace; it was given while we were still in our sin. When God asks whether Jonah has any right to be angry, the answer is clearly no. We must ask whether our view of God's grace includes others or only the people we like.

Thank God for his gifts, even when he takes them away (vv. 6-8)

God provided a vine to give Jonah shade, and Jonah was very happy. Then God sent a worm to chew the vine and a scorching east wind, and Jonah again wished to die. The speaker says all of life is a gift from God, so we can thank him for good gifts and still give thanks when he takes them away. He points to Job, who said the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, and he encourages us to keep a journal of God's daily gifts so hard days do not make us forget his goodness.

God cares for people more than for a plant (vv. 9-11)

God asks Jonah whether he has a right to be angry about the vine, which Jonah did not plant or make grow, yet he cared when it died. God then says that Nineveh has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, along with many cattle, and asks whether he should not be concerned about that great city. The speaker says God's concern extends to all nations, because people are what matter to God and what Christ died for. He asks whether we care for lost people as much as we care about money, possessions, or comfort.

Apply to Life

  • Let us ask whether we care about the things God cares about, not only our own comfort and small concerns.
  • Let us celebrate God's generosity even toward the people we dislike, including those who have hurt us.
  • Let us thank God for the many gifts in our lives each day and keep a record of them.
  • Let us pray for the lost people around us and ask God to break our hearts for them.
  • Let us ask God for a new heart that beats for the things of his heart.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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