Where Displeasure Meets Grace—part I

WHERE DISPLEASURE MEETS GRACE Part I—Jonah 4:1-11

On a stifling hot day, a man fainted in the middle of a busy intersection. As traffic began to pile up in all directions, a woman rushed to help him. As she knelt down to loosen his collar, a man emerged from the crowd, pushed her aside, & said, "It’s all right, honey. I’ve had a course in first aid."

She stood up & watched as he took the man’s pulse & prepared to administer artificial respiration. Then she tapped him on the shoulder.

"When you get to the part about calling a doctor," she said, "I’m already here."

His displeasure at her attempts met her gracious attitude.

Miller in line at Taco Bell/Single man in line with woman & 3 kids/TB Opened another line/Miller goes to it/Man—‘Did you know I was next in line?’/Thought you were with her—You go ahead/His displeasure met her grace

Displeasure met grace.

Need:

God’s people can become disappointed/displeased with the direction God takes or the way God does things.

Jonah’s displeasure with God’s actions was met by God’s grace.

Displeasure is met by God’s grace.

What is present where displeasure meets grace?

1—Where displeasure meets grace there is

INAPPROPRIATE ANGER(:1)

—Explanation:(:1)

“But it greatly displeased Jonah, & he became angry.”

Conviction of wrongness of action.

—Argumentation:

Isa. 45:9—“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?”

—Illustration:

Caught in sin/Anger Inappropriate

Welfare recipients angry about lost benefits/Honestly believe the state owes them something/INAPPROPRIATE ANGER

Cotton Harvest/Its not fair to take it to Funston to be ginned/Upset/INAPPROPRIATE ANGER

—Application:

?You ever been Angry that God has taken a loved one?...that a Business deal went sour...that a friendship was lost, etc.

?You become ANGRY at God’s perfect will?

?What happened when your Displeasure met & interacted with God’s grace?

2—Where displeasure meets grace there is

INAPPROPRIATE GLORY(:2a)

—Explanation:(:2a)

“And he prayed to the LORD & said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country?”

Jonah sincerely believed Ninevite salvation was wrong.

Jonah let God know in no uncertain terms that he had known of God’s actions even before they occurred, while in Israel.—Placing self above God.

Jonah felt God knew nothing of the future & had missed the coming ‘atrocity’ of Nineveh’s salvation.

Jonah beleived he had seen this coming when God didn’t!

—Argumentation:

Php. 2:1-4—“If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Lk. 10:25-29—“And behold, a certain lawyer stood up & put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered & said, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS, AND YOU WILL LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

—Illustration:

Buy Lottery tickets/Win!/Justify yourself by giving to the church/INAPPROPRIATE GLORY

Cotton Harvest/Jim told you, it would be taken to Funston Gin Co. instead of local one/I saw it coming/INAPPROPRIATE GLORY

—Application:

?You sought to GLORIFY/Justify yourself before God?

?What happened when your Displeasure met & interacted with God’s grace?

3—Where displeasure meets grace there is

INAPPROPRIATE INTERVENTION(:2b)

—Explanation:(:2b)

“...Therefore, in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish,...”

Jonah sought to “Forestall” God’s movement, because he found fault with it.

Church people can seek the demise of those who would have the church to grow.—New Direction—People—Leaders—Buildings— Missions— Application of the Gospel, etc.

—Argumentation:

Job 40:8—“Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?”

—Illustration:

Patrolman pulls speeding car/Headed for hospital/Injury-bleeding /INAPPROPRIATE INTERVENTION

Cotton Harvest/Jim told you, it would be taken to Funston Gin Co. instead of ??/I saw it coming/I sabotaged the cotton combine/Somebody had to take action!/INAPPROPRIATE INTERVENTION

—Application:

?You sought to INTERVENE in God’s plan because you knew it was flawed?

?What happened when your Displeasure met & interacted with God’s grace?