Do You Have The Right To Be Angry? Series

Text: Jonah 4:1-11

Title: HAVE YOU ANY RIGHT TO BE ANGRY?

Introduction

Today we are finishing up our series LIVING WITHOUT REGRETS based on the book of Jonah. As we look today at Cchapter 4 we are going to see a side of Jonah that’s very un-Jonah like.

• Jonah’s name means DOVE

However we find out today that Jonah is not very dove-like.We find out today that Jonah is a very angry man. Now there is nothing wrong with being angry provided you are angry for the right reasons. The Bible says be angry…but sin not (Eph.4:26)

Be angry but be angry about the right things. Be angry about the things God is angry about. Be angry about all the spiritual and physical suffering going on in the world. "Let those who love the Lord hate evil.(Psalm 98:10)

The Lord says to Jonah twice in chapter 4 “Have you any right to be angry?”

MEANING: It's not right to be angry over the things we have no right to be angry over.

Our Sermon Series on the book of Jonah is called LIVING WITH NO REGRETS. It's impossible to live with no regrets if we always get angry over the things we have no right to get angry over.

Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires (James 1:20)

If we honestly thought about what caused most of our huge regrets-

The answer would be our anger.

We said something or did something out of anger–andnow we regret it.

And how much more do we regret it when afterwards we realize we were angry over something we had no right to be angry over.

Our prayer today is God show us what are the things we have no right to get angry over.I know what many of us think the RIGHT answer is.If I get angry over it then it’s definitely the right thing to get angry over.That’s only the right answer… If God also gets angry over it.

I think this message today is going to save us all from a lot of future regrets if we apply it to our lives.

The good news from jonah 4 is that God can still use us even if we get angry over the things we have no right getting angry over. The bad news from Jonah 4 is that the devil can also use us if we get angry over the things we have no right getting angry over.

That’s why IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!

So WHAT DID JONAH GET SO ANGRY OVER THAT GOD SAID HE HAD NO RIGHT GETTING ANGRY OVER? WE FIND OUR ANSWER IN THE VERY FIRST VERSE OF JONAH CHAPTER 4

(V1) “But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry”

Jonah became angry BECAUSE HE WAS GREATLY DISPLEASED ABOUT SOMETHING. WHAT WAS HE GREATLY DISPLEASED OVER?

“When God saw what the Ninevites did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (3:10)

WHY WAS HE GREATLY DISPLEASED OVER THIS? WE DON’T NEED TO SPECULATE - BECAUSE WE FIND THE answer IN what the phrase “greatly displeased” means in the Hebrew.It means “having an attitude that rejects God’s authority”

V1 “Having an attitude that rejects God’s authority -Jonah became angry

JONAH GOT ANGRY BECAUSE HE REJECTED GOD’S AUTHORITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT JONAH DIDN’T LIKE!SO GOD TOLD JONAH HE HAD NO RIGHT TO BE ANGRY.

DOES ANYONE REALLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY WITH GOD? NONE OF US WOULD EVER DREAM OF GETTING ANGRY WITH GOD. BUT IF GOD HAS AUTHORITY OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME. AND I BELIEVE THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT HE DOES.

AND IF I GET ANGRY OVER SOMETHING THAT GOD ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO ME AM I NOT EXPRESSING AN ATTITUDE THAT REJECTS GOD’S AUTHORITY?

AM I RIGHT IN GETTING ANGRY OVER IT? IF I REALLY BELIEVED THAT GOD HAS AUTHORITY OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME. I WILL NEVER HAVE THE WRONG KIND OF ANGER AGAIN! JOB HAD NO ANGER WHATSOEVER

Job SAID “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21)

WHY HAD JOB NO ANGER WHATSOEVER? HIS ATTITUDE WAS THAT GOD HAD AUTHORITY OVER EVER PART OF HIS LIFE.THE LORD GIVES- THE LORD TAKES AWAY.

WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE LORD GIVES PART!

WE HAVE HUGE PROBLEMS WITH THE LORD TAKES AWAY PART!

-MAY THE NAME OF THE LORD BE PRAISED!

MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE TAKING THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN - NOT PRAISING THE NAME OF THE LORD!

HOW DO I STOP BEING ANGRY OVER THINGS I HAVE NO RIGHT BEING ANGRY OVER?

1. KNOW THAT GOD HAS AUTHORITY OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU