30 June 2024 AM – Text: Jonah 4:1-11 – Topic: Missions
Introduction: Jonah had just preached one of the greatest revivals in history, yet the opening words in Jonah 4 tell us that he was displeased. God had spared Nineveh. Jonah had not wanted to preach to Nineveh because he knew if they repented God would forgive them. Perhaps he felt that God forgiving such a wicked people would hurt his prophetic reputation. He cared more about his agenda than about lost sinners. He lacked God’s compassion. Sadly, I sometimes see that same lack in myself. Does it ever plague you? If so, what can we do about it.
Transition: How can we become more compassionate like God?
We will become more compassionate like God if we will
1. Embrace God’s Heart (v.2)
a. Ponder the heart of God.
1) When we lived in the jungle of PNG, we soon learned that the people feared the evil spirits. Sadly, this is true in many cultures of the world. Many gods are terrifying.
2) Jonah knew the opposite about the heart of God. He knew that the heart of God was tender. Note his words describing God in verse 2.
a) Thou art a gracious God – God was tender and full of grace (unmerited favour).
b) And merciful – that is compassionate, forgiving
c) Slow to anger – He does not get angry with sinners quickly.
d) And of great kindness – full of tender kindness
e) And repentest thee of the evil – This phrase actually means to be made sorry by evil or to be made compassionate for the unhappy.
3) Are these good qualities? “Yes!” Are you glad that our God possesses these qualities? “I am!” If our God was not gracious, merciful, slow to anger, kind, and made sorry by evil, we would be in big trouble! It is likely that some of us would not even be alive!
4) Jonah knew the compassionate heart of God, but he did not share it. Note his spiteful words to God in verse 2.
b. Put on the heart of God.
1) Jonah forgot that he was no more worthy of God’s compassion than were the wicked Ninevites. He had a high opinion of himself and a very low opinion of others, especially terrorists like the Ninevites. He longed to see God overthrow the city of Nineveh in some supernatural way. If that happened, Jonah would become a hero in Israel. Since God spared Nineveh, Jonah was angry with God and wished to die (v.3).
2) Our world is full of God-haters, terrorists, cruel dictators, abusers, haters of Biblical morality, and Christian-persecutors who are just as difficult to love as were the Ninevites. If we are not careful, we will adopt the same bitter attitude Jonah had.
3) To become more compassionate like God, we must put on the heart of God. Jesus said we are to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44) “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” That does not mean giving them hugs and kisses. Love is giving yourself to meet the needs of others expecting nothing in return. Later, Jesus said, (Matthew 7:12) “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Do as you want done to you.
4) To put on a heart like God’s, we must humble ourselves, obey Scripture and depend on God’s help.
We will become more compassionate like God if we will
2. Embrace God’s Empathy (v.4-11).
a. Put ourselves in the shoes of others.
1) God had already prepared a great fish. Now God prepared a gourd, a worm, and the hot east wind to teach Jonah a lesson. Each of these were miracles.
a) The gourd or vine grew quickly on the hillside where Jonah sat. It gave shade and coolness to Jonah. This made him very glad (v.6).
b) In the morning, the worm God prepared, chewed off the gourd vine, causing it to wither (v.7).
c) God then prepared a vehement (i.e., hot, sultry) east wind and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head (v.8). Again, Jonah gets angry. When asked about his anger, note what he said in verse 9.
2) God then applied the things he had prepared to Jonah’s situation (v.10). God pointed out to Jonah that he had pity on the gourd that he did not create or cause to grow. God had done it all. It came up in one night and perished in one night. It was all of God’s doing.
3) Jonah had more pity for the gourd than he did for the thousands of people in Nineveh. Commentator J.V. McGee made this observation. “May I say to you, it’s ridiculous the gourds that you and I get attached to in this world today. How many people have a “gourd” to which they are giving their time, giving their energy, giving their money, giving everything—and what is it really?” The gourds in our lives are of little or no value when compared with the souls of people.
4) Missionary William Carey said, “I’m not afraid of failure; I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”
b. Remember, God had mercy on us.
1) God had mercy on Jonah. He was born an Israelite. He learned the Word of God. God had called him to preach. God had mercy on him when he ran from God’s call. Jonah was blind to all this and now refused to share in God’s mercy toward Nineveh.
2) God had pity on the 120,000 young children and all the animals of Nineveh as well.
3) We too must reflect on the mercy God has shown us. If not for God’s mercy, we could be just like the unsavoury sinners around us. We are no better than they are.
We will become more compassionate like God if we will
3. Embrace God’s Burden
a. God longs for all to hear the Gospel.
1) God longed for the thousands in Nineveh to hear His Word – that is why he sent Jonah to them.
2) Sadly, Jonah did not care about the Ninevites like God did; he cared only about himself.
3) How about you? Do you care enough about those around you to share the gospel with them? Do you care enough about those in foreign lands to give to missions? Do you care enough about the untold millions to volunteer to go to the mission field?
4) “The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” (Carl F.H. Henry)
b. God desires for all to be saved.
1) The salvation of souls is the heartbeat of God. (1 Timothy 2:4) “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.“
2) Jonah did not force the Ninevites to believe God and repent, and we cannot force people to believe today either. However, God was pleased to use His Word to convict Ninevite sinners, and he still desires to do that today.
3) Henry Martyn, Missionary to India and Persia said, “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.”
Conclusion: How much compassion do you have for unbelievers? To become more compassionate like God will you embrace God’s Heart, His Empathy, and His Burden? Is God tugging at your heart to take the Gospel to the untold millions far away? If so, surrender. God may not call you to the mission field, but if you are a Christian, He has called you to share the Gospel with those around you. Will you do it? Pray and ask God to give you a passion for souls. Are you giving and praying for missions like you should? If not, begin today. Time is running out. We need a compassion for the lost like God’s.
If you are not yet saved, God is having compassion on you. Come!
