November 19, 2023
Pastor Ricky Smith

Sermon Notes

I. Jonah Stubbornly Exercises His Preference

Jonah 4:5
Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Our expectations and preferences expose our priorities.

II. God Graciously Executed His Will

Jonah 4:6-8
Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

God Will Not Let Our Idols Reign Over Him

Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

III. God Exposes the Hardness of Jonah’s Heart

Jonah 4:9
But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”

The patience of God is greater than our stubbornness.

Next Steps

• I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
• I admit that I am angry at God for showing mercy to others.
• I choose to carry hope to my neighbor and my enemies.

Deep Dive

1. Read Psalm 121. If God is our keeper, why are we tempted to rely on ourselves?
2. If the Lord gives and takes away, how can we learn to trust Him if our expectations are not met?
3. Do you ever get angry at God if He does something you don’t like? How should we handle this?

Springboard

1. Do you overreact when the phone screen cracks or the car breaks down?
2. What does our reaction to temporary things reveal about our priorities?
3. Read 2 Corinthians 4:18 and list things that are eternal versus temporary in our life.