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Run: How to Run From Bitterness
May 30, 2024 · 39 min
This talk focuses on Jonah's struggle with bitterness and disobedience while looking at practical steps to overcome bitterness and choosing joy instead.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton May 30, 2024 · 39 min · "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton
This talk focuses on Jonah's struggle with bitterness and disobedience while looking at practical steps to overcome bitterness and choosing joy instead. ...more Show the full description Show less This talk focuses on Jonah's struggle with bitterness and disobedience while looking at practical steps to overcome bitterness and choosing joy instead.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
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John Mark is the Senior Pastor of the thriving Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, where he has served since 1995.
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0:00 Well, amen. You're glad you're in God's house today? Give God a hand. Man, what a blessing it is to celebrate these graduating seniors as well as, today we finish,0:12 a series we've been in over the last couple of weeks entitled Running With Purpose, and it's from the book of Jonah. And so, I want to invite you to reach and grab your copy of the Bible, your Bible, and turn to Jonah0:22 chapter 4 as we close out this series today. You know, if you haven't been with us, let me just tell you a little bit about Jonah. We love the story of Jonah. And my guess is if you grew up in church or you went to0:33 Vacation Bible School, or you were somehow in Sunday school as a child, you remember the story of Jonah. You love the idea of Jonah being a prophet of God who who ran from0:44 God, ended up being thrown in the ocean, in the water, and a great fish swallowed him and then spit him up on dry ground. And Jonah ultimately gets a second chance, and Nineveh repents. But the rest of0:56 the story is this. Of all the prophets in the Bible, he is actually 1 of the most discouraging and disappointing prophets in all of God's word. You say, why is that? Because1:08 if you read Jonah and you look at Jonah, we're gonna see it all the way to the end of the book today. Jonah is a prophet that is known more for what he does, and it's not1:20 good, than what he says. Jonah is the only prophet in the Bible who actually physically turns and runs away from God. There are some prophets in the Bible that they question God's call on their life, or1:32 they question what God wants them to do, but he's the only 1 that truly turns and runs away. Instead of heading toward Nineveh, he heads toward Tarshish. Sadly, as we journey through the book of Jonah and we see his1:44 hard heart towards the Ninevites and towards God's Word in his life, we never see a moment in Jonah's life where he repents, where he says, God, your will not1:56 mine. And sadly, we're gonna get all the way to the end of the book today, and we're gonna see that at no point in the entire book does Jonah experience joy. Even after2:08 he preaches to Nineveh and they all pre they all repent, Jonah is still angry and bitter. And so the last message we're gonna teach in this series, we looked at a lot of them over the last couple2:19 of Don't run from your calling, don't run from your purpose, don't run from God. If you do run from God, run back to God in prayer, and run back to God in obedience, and see and see see and receive God's blessing. That2:31 God is a God of second chances. All of those things we've already seen. So now, we come to the end of the book, and there is this longing and there is this desire for all of us. We're gonna see it in Jonah that you're2:42 like, okay, Jonah's finally gonna get it. He's gonna see what God is up to, and he's gonna know God's joy. But as we read here in a second, we're gonna see Jonah2:53 literally never gets there. Why? Because Jonah lingers in bitterness. And so we're going to close this message series today on running from your3:05 bitterness. And maybe there's some folks that you're here, and there have been some things that have happened to you in your life, in your past. What commonly causes people to be bitter, some sometimes3:17 it's personal relationships. Maybe maybe it's something that took place with your mom or your dad or your brothers or your sister or maybe an ex or a romantic partner3:28 somehow, some way that something has gone wrong in your life, and you feel like you were wronged, and you are living in bitterness. I'm gonna encourage you today as we look at Jonah, man, let's move beyond that because3:40 you will never truly have joy in your life if that's what happened. You know, another place that people are oftentimes bitter, it's in their profession or their occupation that they look back and they feel like they were3:52 passed over for some promotion, or somebody at work said something about them, or undercut them, or stabbed them in the back, and impeded their progress, and they can't4:04 leave that in the past. They can't move forward. They can't really be the employee they could still be, because they live in bitterness. You know, you can also ask psychologists, there are some people4:16 that they're not bitter at family or relationships, they're not bitter bitter at a boss or someone else at the office, they're bitter at themselves. That there are things that they've done in their life that4:28 they know impeded their progress, kept them from getting the promotion, or or being all that they want to do. Can I just tell you? Don't let bitterness because of4:40 something that happened in your past destroy your future. And that's what we're gonna see with Jonah is Jonah really never comes around to experience God's4:51 true joy. Why? Because bitterness is an awful taste. Everybody knows this. You probably in your tongue and on your tongue, you have every adult has5:03 between 2010 thousand taste buds. On every 1 of those taste buds are these taste receptors. Every 1 of those taste receptors have about 50 different elements, that they taste different things, but they5:15 essentially only taste in combination about 5 tastes. That's about all we have. We have sweet, sour sweet, sour, salty, savory, and5:26 bitterness. And it's interesting, probably the greatest variation in taste is that of bitterness. That some people don't have much of a taste for5:38 bitterness, and they are actually referred to as non tasters. But some people have an exaggerated taste of bitterness, and they are called super5:50 tasters. And so, don't know when I talk about bitterness today if there are some people, you're non tasters. You've just let the past be the past, you've let it go. Man, people have hurt you, and let me6:01 tell you what, everybody in this room, somebody's hurt you, someone stabbed you in the back, someone's wronged you. The question is, do you still taste it as though it were today? And if you do,6:13 I want you to know bitterness will keep you from experiencing all that God has for you in the days ahead. So let's look at Jonah, let's kind of remind ourself of the story, and then let's move to the end and see how we6:25 can walk away from bitterness, but sadly see that Jonah never does. Go back to Jonah chapter 1 verse 1. Let me reset the stage for you. Here it says, in Jonah chapter 1 verse 1, the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son6:36 of Amittai, and God said, go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. Why? Because its wickedness has come up before me. It was a wicked city. But, Jonah did what? Ran6:48 away from God. And maybe there's some of you here today that that because of what God has asked you to do, you've chosen to go your own direction, in your own way, in your own place. Can I encourage you? God is still7:00 inviting you today to follow Him, and He will show His blessings to you and His grace to you. It says, but Jonah ran away from the Lord, and did what? He headed toward Tarshish. Nineveh was7:11 5 500 miles to the east. Tarshish was 2500 miles to the west. He headed as far away from God's will as you possibly could have gone.7:23 And so it says, but Jonah ran away headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship that was bound for that port, and after paying the fare, it always cost you something, he went on board and7:35 sailed for Tarshish to do what? To flee the Lord, to run from God. And now, all know, remember the story. God sends a great storm. The sailors on the vessel, they begin to get nervous. They7:47 start rowing, hoping they can get back to shore. It seems that they're gonna be shipwrecked, so they start throwing the cargo overboard. And where is Jonah? He is asleep in the belly of the boat.7:59 And so finally, after giving up all hope, they're praying to their God, the captain finally goes down to Jonah and says, Jonah, we need you to get up. We're about to drown. Everybody is praying to their God. You need to8:10 pray to your God. And so, everybody prays to their God, and so then the sailors decide, you know, somebody on this ship has made some God mad. And all the other sailors, they they were praying to8:22 their pagan gods giving them nowhere. So they they cast lots, and the lots fell on Jonah. And the sailor said, what captain said, what have you done? He goes, well, the god God asked me to go8:34 this way, Instead, I I am going this way. And Jonas says, well, throw me overboard. Remember what happens? Even these pagan sailors didn't wanna throw him overboard. It says the8:46 sailors rolled harder and harder and harder. Child of God, if there's someone in this room or maybe someone online that you are heading the wrong direction away from God and you're8:58 living in disobedience, probably those around you are having to work harder. They're having to row harder because you're not walking with God in such a way that it brings God's9:09 blessings. Beyond that, it cost them all something. Man, these sailors hadn't done anything, but all the cargo went overboard. And so I want you to know if you're living in disobedience, you're9:21 heading away from God instead of toward God, that it it it is causing those who love you the most to work harder than they should have to work. But it's also costing them9:33 more than you think it's costing them. We never sin in isolation. It's always in relationship. So here's what happened. Jonah's thrown overboard. God certainly provides a great9:45 fish. But the beautiful thing about the book of Jonah is that there is actually a Jonah 2. Because Jonah chapter 2 is all about God's second chance. That although Jonah disobeyed, Jonah was9:56 thrown into the water, God provided a fish, that fish vomited Jonah up on dry ground, and it says the word of Lord came to Jonah a second time. And maybe you are here, and you've been in a space where10:08 you've been running from God, and running from God, and running from God. Can I tell you, God desires nothing more than today, either in person or online, to come to you a second time, to invite you10:20 to follow Him? And so God comes to Jonah a second time, says listen Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh, I want you to preach. Now, you know the story, can read this, we're not gonna look at it today, but Jonah goes to10:31 Nineveh, a city he hated, a filled with people he hated. He preaches, and they all repent. And God withholds His judgment and shows compassion and mercy on them,10:43 and the natural human being would think Jonah should Jonah should celebrate that had been called as a prophet to preach to a wicked city, this whole wicked city, repents, but instead of10:55 Jonah celebrating, he goes up on the side of the mountain, he begins to pout. And so jump forward to Jonah chapter 4 verse 1. This is where we finished last week. It says, but this seemed wrong11:07 to Jonah. What was wrong? That God would show mercy on these wicked Ninevites. See, here's the interesting part. Jonah was happy to have God's mercy11:19 on me, but not on thee. See, Jonah's already experienced. He's only alive because of God's second chance, and God's compassion, and God's love, and God's mercy on Jonah. And Jonah was11:31 happy with receiving God's mercy on him, for his failures and his disobedience, but the last thing he wanted was God's mercy on them. And so it says Jonah goes up on the side of the mountain. He's this11:43 seemed very wrong, and he became angry, but it doesn't stop with his anger. He says he prayed to the Lord, isn't this what I said Lord, when I was still at home. That is why I tried to forced off lean to11:54 Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God. That you are a God that is slow to anger and abounding in love. A God who relents from sending his calamity. He says, now Lord, take12:06 away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. And let me just tell you, it's a terrible answer. It is never better to die than to live. Now, we know as12:18 Christians to be absent from the body is to be present with Christ, so that's good. But there also is a reality, as long as you and I have I have breath in our lungs, God can12:30 use us to encourage and minister to someone else, and God can bless us. So notice God's God's question back to Jonah. But the Lord replied, is12:42 it right that you should be angry? You know, if God would have said it like I would have said it, it'd have been something like, of all people, Jonah, really? I mean, but12:54 Jonah, remember your life? I asked you to go this way, you went that way. Instead of you just repenting and going back, you had the sailor throw you in the deep. I had to send13:05 you a fish to swallow you, to spit you up on dry ground, to do what? To come back to you a second time, to give you a second chance. Why? Because I am a God that is slow13:17 to anger, abounding in love, abounding in kindness, and abounding in grace. That's what God could have said to Jonah, of all people, do you have a right to be angry about My13:29 love and My grace on the Ninevites? But Jonah says, absolutely. Why? Because Jonah wanted to linger in his anger, but he lets it then move on to bitterness. He's just bitter at God. He's13:41 bitter at the circumstances. He's bitter at the things that have happened. He just hates the Ninevites, and he just can't truly experience God's joy and God's blessings. Well, let's read the rest of the story, and this13:53 is where we'll finish today. So notice what happened. God says, is it right for you to be angry? Jonah, look at verse 5, had gone out and set down to a place east of the city. So Jonah preaches to the city,14:05 incredible revival happens. Jonah is mad because he wanted God's judgment, not God's grace. He wanted God's bitterness and not God's love and compassion. And so14:16 Jonah goes out to this to a place east of the city and he sits down there. Says, there he made a shelter, made himself a shelter. Notice, it's about him. He sat in its shade and waited14:28 to see what God would do to the city, or what would happen to the city. So here, Jonah goes up, he's looking down on Nineveh, and he's really wanting God to change his mind. He's wanting God to say, you know,14:40 I don't want to have compassion on these Ninevites. They are wicked. I don't want to love them. I don't want to extend grace. So Jonah is saying, let me just see what's gonna happen. Look at verse 6. Then the Lord14:51 provided a leafy plant, made it grow up over Jonah to give him shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. Now notice, we're gonna glean some insights from these15:03 words right here on how you and I can live apart from bitterness or walk away and run away from bitterness. But notice first of all, here's what happens. Jonah goes outside the city because he doesn't want God's grace in15:14 their life. As he goes outside the city, he makes him a shelter. But God says, you know, that's not good enough. I'm gonna make you a better shelter. I'm gonna send a plant. Now, notice it says15:25 Jonah, for the first time in all the book, all of a sudden Jonah's happy. Why? Because Jonah only cares about self. And it says this plant made very made Jonah very15:37 happy. Now, look at verse 7. But at dawn, God says, I'm gonna teach him a lesson. But at dawn, the next day, God provided a worm. Just like the plant, God provided a fish, God provided a storm, all the way15:49 through. We're gonna see lesson after lesson after lesson God has tried to give Jonah. Jonah never learned the lesson. That worm, what did it do? It chewed up the plants so it withered. Look at verse 8. When the sun16:01 rose, God then provided a scorching east wind. More lessons. Scorching east winds, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die again. It is better for me to16:12 die than to live. Look at verse 9. God speaks to him again. And I want you to know there are people here today that God wants to talk to you today. God wants to invite you back to Him today. Look at16:24 verse 9. But God said to Jonah, is it right for you of all people to be angry about the plant? First, were angry about my compassion and love. Now, you're angry about this plant that you didn't do16:36 anything. He says, it is And He said, and Jonah, I love this, he says, it is. And I'm so angry, again, I wish I was dead. But look at verse 10, God speaks to him again. But the Lord said, you16:48 have been so concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and it died overnight. Notice this, verse 11, and should this is God asking him, and17:00 should I not have more concern for the great city of Nineveh, Nineveh, which there are more than 120000 people inside who cannot tell their right hand from17:11 their left hand, and also many animals. You want to know what the saddest thing about this book is? There's no verse 12. It stops17:23 right there. There there's no verse 12. There there's no verse where Jonah all of a sudden says, I get it.17:35 I get it, God. You're a loving and compassionate and gracious God. I am sorry for being angry. I'm sorry for being bitter. I I repent. God, return to me the17:47 joy of my salvation. Man, that is the saddest thing of all. Is that in the midst of the beautiful story of of Jonah that that that sells well at vacation bible school or in Sunday school for17:59 kiddos, the reality, the person, the prophet of Jonah, is a sad story because at no point through the entire story does he really get the mercy of God.18:12 You say, pastor, tell me a little bit about the mercy of God. Can I tell you it's his very character? If you think of the essence and the character of God, his very nature is a18:24 nature of mercy. Not only is His character as God a God of compassion and mercy, but if you go look at the psalmist, the psalmist says your creation screams of18:35 your mercy. What about the forgiveness we have of sins? That's all of God's mercy. The Bible says for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.18:48 That's all God's mercy. You want to know the greatest demonstration of God's mercy and compassion? It's called the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Now think about this.19:00 God looks at a sinful humanity that has rejected Him over and over and over again, but because of God's great mercy and great compassion and great19:12 love, He allows His Son Jesus to be born as a baby, to be placed in Bethlehem. God's mercy allowed Jesus to live a perfect19:23 life, to teach, to feed, to heal, to love, to encourage, to point people to Jesus, to God never sinning. It was God's mercy that did that, but it was also19:35 God's mercy that allowed Jesus to be delivered into the hands of sinful men who would beat Him, spit on Him, mock Him, and abuse Him, drag19:47 Him outside of the city, and nail Him to the cross. You wanna know what God's mercy is? When Jesus is hanging on the cross unjustly, His first19:58 words are to look up into the Father's eyes and say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Man, that is mercy. And go read the book20:10 of James. James, the brother of Jesus in the book of James, says, listen, mercy always triumphs over judgment. See, we serve a God who20:22 desires to show mercy more than judgment. Judgment will come if we don't receive mercy. But, man, as we think about this story, here we are, Jonah20:34 never truly gets it, and it keeps him from having a verse 12 in his life. The bigger question is, what about you?20:46 Are you caught in bitterness? I love what Proverbs chapter 14 verse 10 says. Let me just put it on the screen for you, and we'll read it. It says, Each heart knows its own bitterness.20:58 There's not a person in here that hadn't had something bitter happen in your life. Either someone has hurt you, something has happened to you, man, some job you've missed out on, some relationship is21:10 broken or you've let yourself down. It says each heart knows its own bitterness and no 1 else can share its joy. Interesting, if you look at this passage in the21:22 Hebrew, it's almost as if the wise writer of Proverbs is saying, listen, if you take all the emotions you could possibly have,21:34 on the 2 far extremes are joy and bitterness. Just like the continuum, we'll put it up there for you. Man, and if you are caught in bitterness, you21:46 can never have joy in your life. You ever known anybody? I certainly have. I've sat in my office, I've counseled with people, I've gone and had breakfast or coffee or something with people, and when you just begin to21:58 talk to them about, they are talking about things that happened to them 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, as though it happened 30 minutes ago. How many of you know what I'm talking about?22:10 Why? They are caught in bitterness, and what you do is you look into their eyes and look into their heart and look into their soul, you notice, listen, they are so hung up in bitterness, they22:22 are far away from joy. So when it comes to this idea today about does it matter if I linger in my bitterness? Absolutely. Because you can never stay22:33 in your bitterness and experience joy in your life. So let me give you a couple of thoughts from these verses we've already read, and if you are caught in bitterness or if you know someone that is lingering in22:44 bitterness, here are 5 quick ways just from Jonah's words, we've already read the verses, that you and I can run from our bitterness. Number 1, don't ever forget that bitterness22:56 always grows in isolation. Bitterness always grows in isolation. If you are bitter and angry and you separate yourself from others, can I tell you your bitterness won't go23:08 away? It'll increase. Didn't you see what Jonah did? Look at Jonah chapter 4 verse 5. It said, Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place that was east of the city, and there he made23:20 himself a shelter. Set in his shade, waited to see what would happen to the city. What did Jonah do? He was bitter, he was angry, he was mad at God, and so he separated himself. He isolated himself. He built23:32 his own own shelter. The word himself in the Hebrew is actually emphasized that it isolated Jonah. He wasn't able to go through. Can you imagine the difference? So, instead of Jonah walking away from23:44 the Ninevites, what about if he goes down into the city, and he starts seeing a little boy and a little girl, and they're they're celebrating and singing about God and singing about salvation, and then there are other23:55 people that are saying, thank you so much for preaching that message of of repentance and salvation. We've turned to God. Man, that would have brought joy in his life. But instead, he separated himself from them. He24:05 never saw the change in their life, and all that happened is his isolation led to more and more bitterness, and he became angrier and angrier and bitter and bitter. And no joy is ever24:17 found in the Scripture. If you jump into the New Testament, Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 says, listen, children of God, make every effort to live at peace with everyone and to be holy.24:29 Now notice this read on. Without holiness, no 1 will see the Lord. Look at verse 15. See to it that no 1 falls short of the grace of God. That's exactly what Jonah had done.24:41 He didn't figure out God's grace and compassion on the Ninevites, and that, listen to this, no bitter root grows up and causes trouble24:54 to defile many. Just just ponder that last phrase, that no bitter root would grow up and defile many.25:05 You know, if you look at that Hebrew word bitterness, it really means sharp like an arrow, disagreeable, pungent,25:18 but here are the 2 ways they use this Hebrew word for bitterness most, venomous and poisonous. If the Hebrew saw a venomous snake or a poisonous25:30 snake, they would call it a bitter snake, and they would say, Stay away. Why? What do venomous, poisonous snakes always do if you try to play with them? Now, if you25:42 are a snake charmer, good luck with that. But what do snakes with venom and poison try to do? They try to share it. Have you seen that?25:54 And so here's what happens. If you are filled with poison and venom of bitterness, you can't help but inflict it on those people you love and you care. So the writer of the book of26:06 Hebrews said, listen, don't let any rude bitterness grow because it will hurt or defile many.26:18 Read a number of articles this week about bitterness, and if you look in your relationships, there are 5 negative consequences that all psychologists will tell you26:30 that will happen if you linger in long term bitterness. Now, listen, something happens in your life. You can be angry, you can be bitter, but you better get over it. But if you allow bitterness to26:41 develop into long term bitterness that you just replay it over and over, here are 5 things that'll happen in your life. We'll put them on the screen for you. It will actually change your personality. If26:53 you are bitter, it will actually change your personality if you didn't know this. Number 2, or in your self image. Anybody ever been around someone that you remember, man, there were seasons or or decades27:04 or 5 years ago, they were just a joy to be around. Right? And then all of a sudden something happens in their life that they just can't seem to get over, and they're always living in the past and you're like,27:16 man, what what happened to that person I used to laugh with? What happened to the person we used to hang out with? What happened to that person we used to enjoy being around, and their personality totally changed?27:27 Psychologists will tell you, if you linger in bitterness, it will change your self image, it will change your personality. Second thing, it will elevate cynicism and paranoia in your life. That you're then always gonna27:39 think, if you live in long term bitterness, you're always gonna think that someone is out to get you. Someone is trying to hurt you. How many of you know that, you know, sometimes bad things can happen to you and the27:51 person didn't mean for it to happen? If you live in bitterness, you're gonna see every wrong, every slight, every person that doesn't open the door for you, if they don't smile at you, they don't shake your hand, you're28:01 gonna take it personally. It's gonna destroy your joy today because of something that took place yesterday. Not only that, it's gonna waste valuable time and energy as you just play the negative28:13 event over and over and over from your past. It has always amazed me that that as a pastor, and this is just a word of encouragement, someone will start telling me a story.28:25 And they're telling me the story like it happened yesterday. And it happened 20 years ago, or 25 years ago. And they're just living in it, they're wasting their energy, and they don't see28:37 the joy that God has in their life today. Literally, long term bitterness psychologists will say, it stops the clock in your life. It just circles some place and some bad event in the28:49 past, and it just stops the clock of your life and never allow you to progress. But here's probably the worst thing, is if you linger in long term bitterness, it29:00 will negatively impact your current relationships. Yes, I can 100 percent validate that what took place in your life all those years ago was wrong,29:12 it was bad, it should have caused you to be angry, it should have caused you to be bitter, but I also want you to know as your pastor, you can't linger in your bitterness. Why? Because you'll end up like Jonah without a29:24 verse 12, where your life will just stop short, and you won't know that joy, you won't know that happiness. And here's the greatest sadness of all as a pastor. Neither29:36 were your spouse, neither were your kids, neither were your friends. They won't celebrate the joy that you could have if you just moved beyond that bitterness. Here's number29:48 2. Bitterness grows when I celebrate God's mercy in my life, but not in others. It's the whole idea of man, I I I certainly want God's mercy on me, but not30:00 on me. Especially if you've hurt me. Especially if you've done something wrong. Say, well, you see this. Look at verse 6. It says, then the Lord God provided a leafy plant, and He made it grow up over Jonah and gave to30:12 give him shade for his head and to ease his discomfort. Now notice what it says, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. Jonah was all about God's mercy on him. See, Jonah had already30:23 experienced God's mercy because God's gave him a second chance. God provided a fish, still called him, gave him a purpose, gave him ultimately a message to preach. The whole city repented. Jonah saw God's mercy and he30:35 celebrated God's mercy on himself, but he did not want to see it on others. Well, if you read scripture, don't ever forget, God causes the rain to fall on the30:47 just and the unjust alike. So I wanna encourage you, you set yourself up in a trap just like Jonah did if you wanna be the 1 that chooses who God gives his30:59 mercy and compassion and love to. Because we don't ever wanna be the kind of people that say, God, forgive me and love me and be compassionate with me and be be merciful for me, but not them.31:11 Because the moment you say not them, you have set yourself up to be bitter if God blesses them. Here's thought number 3 as we just continue to read. Bitterness grows when I don't learn the valuable31:23 lessons. If you go from chapter 1 all the way to here, God has just been teaching Jonah lessons over and over and over again. In chapter 1, Jonah tried to run from God. God31:35 reminded him, you can't run from me. Jonah says, well, I'm gonna get on a ship and I'm ahead. God says, who created the wind and the sea? Jonah says, well, I'm just gonna die. I'm gonna go overboard.31:47 And God provides a fish. You say, no 1 can survive in a fish. Well, Jonah did. And so then what happened? Jonah's vomited up on dry land. God provides him a lesson. Jonah cries out from the belly of the31:58 fish. God says, Jonah, even though you disobeyed, you ran, you wanted to die, you you went into the water, I still have a plan for your life. Valuable lesson. That regardless of where you've been, whether32:10 you're in this room or online, regardless of how far you've run from God, God still has a plan for your life. Valuable lesson. So Jonah says, you mean I can still go preach? I can go32:22 preach. So God sends him, he goes into Nineveh, he preaches. All the Ninevites repent. Of all the people Jonah would have said, well, I don't know why I'm even gonna bother go preach in Nineveh because32:34 they're not going to repent. Sure enough, God provided a lesson that some people repent. Jonah goes up on the side of the mountain. He wants to see what's gonna happen. He builds him a shelter. God says that's not not32:45 good enough. God sends him a plant for a little more shade, a lesson. And my guess is there are some of you here, and I've been in these seasons in my life where I've been in disobedience32:57 and I'm walking from God, but God still provides shade. He still shows His mercy and still shows His grace. Taught him a lesson. Then God sends a worm. Why did33:09 He send a worm? Because Jonah cared more about the plant than He did about the people. And so folks, just learn the lessons. Man, as your pastor, I want to constantly and consistently33:21 learn the lessons that God wants to teach me. Here's number 4. Bitterness grows when I care more about things than I do about people. At the end of the day, that's where Jonah33:33 was. He cared more about the plant than he did about the hundred and 20000 people. Pick it up and read verse 9. But God said to Jonah, is it right for you to be angry about the plant?33:46 And Jonah still doesn't get it. He says, it is. I'm so angry. I wish I were dead. But the Lord said, you have been more concerned about a plant, a thing, though you did not tend it or make it grow.33:58 It sprang up overnight, and it died overnight. So what is God saying? You care more about things than you do people. And I'll just invite you in close. We just34:10 celebrated a bunch of seniors going across this stage. We've got a bunch of moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas out here. Let me ask you a question. Do the people in your life34:23 know you care more about them than you do the things in your life. Dads, husbands, do your children and your34:35 spouse know that you care more about them than the things in your garage or the things at the hunting camp or the things at the fishing34:46 camp? You say, pastor, are you against hunting and fishing? Absolutely not. Invite me. I'll go. But, dads, do your children34:58 wonder if you love your things more than you love them? Moms, wives in the room, does your35:10 husband, does your kids know that you love them way more than you ever love things? Church, in Jonah's35:22 context, are we willing to let the people outside the walls of this church know that we love them more than we care about things? Because God loves35:33 them so very much. Don't ever care more about things than you do about people. And here's the worst thing of all, number 5. You ready? Get this.35:45 If you stay and linger in your bitterness, it will always leave you short of your finish line. See, this story would have been so much better had Jonah35:57 said, I get it. God, I'm sorry. Can you imagine the testimony Jonah could have had? Had he gone back to Israel and said, y'all are not going to believe what just happened to me.36:10 Can you imagine that story? And you're not going to believe this. I ran for Tarshish, I ended up, I fish had me for a couple of days, vomited back up, God still used me. I went preached to them. Preachers, come here.36:21 Anybody ever preached and a whole city repented? And he goes, and I was joyful, and you should have seen me. I was walking through the city with these children who didn't36:33 know God, and these moms and dads who were wicked and evil, and they were praising God. Have you ever seen that? I mean, I would have been a little proud if I was Jonah. But Jonah never gets36:44 there, because he stopped in verse 11, and he lingered in his benefit in his bitterness. If you don't get36:56 anything out of this message, get this. You will never enjoy the life that God wants you to have if you linger in bitterness37:08 because there is no benefit in bitterness. Even anger has a benefit. Go read it. It'll motivate you to do better,37:20 but once you settle into bitterness, you feel helpless to change and helpless to move forward. I'll just tell you this. I believe God's got more and better for37:32 every person in this room than to leave you in your bitterness. God wants to write a verse 12, and it starts today. Let's pray. God, thank You so much for this day. God, thank37:44 You for just leaving this for the full story of this guy named Jonah, this prophet, who had so much opportunity, and saw so much37:56 blessing, and saw Your second chance, and saw forgiveness, but still, at the end of the day, never saw joy. God, thank you for leaving that38:08 part of the story in the Bible, that we can realize that too often we want a second chance from you, but we don't want others to have that38:20 second chance. God, thank you for leaving us Jonah's story that reminds us that even as followers of You, we could get to the end of our life and never truly38:32 find our finish line. God, thank you for the encouragement today that we all have to leave here and write our verse 1238:44 apart from anger, apart from discouragement, apart from bitterness, where we find true joy. In Jesus' name we38:55 pray, amen and amen.
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