1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 We've all been hurt. We all have scars. And through a relationship with Jesus Christ, 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:14,000 we can all overcome and we can all be healed. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Well, welcome back to the sanctuary everybody. It is time to jump in the word again. 4 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,000 And we're going to go back into our study of Jonah this week. 5 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:32,000 And we're going to see where his mission takes him and the response. 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Now, if you recall, previously we had just finished chapter 2. 7 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:43,000 So we're going to pick right back up where we left off by going into Jonah chapter 3. 8 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,000 And of course, we're going to start off with verse 1. 9 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Now, you're going to find that both chapters 3 and 4 are rather short. 10 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Yet, just like every book in the Bible, they're both filled with a lot of great things. 11 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,000 They have a lot to teach us and a lot to guide us with. 12 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Alright, so jumping straight into it this week. Jonah chapter 3 verses 1 through 2, the Bible says, 13 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,000 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. 14 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:21,000 Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you. 15 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Now, as you recall, God had already told Jonah what to do. 16 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,000 He said, hey, this is your mission. Go do it. 17 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,000 And instead of doing it, he ran. 18 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:40,000 However, our God, being who he is, he's a loving, merciful, and gracious God 19 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 who gives us second chances to do things right. 20 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,000 And we see just that with Jonah. 21 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:54,000 Now, remember, we've all fallen short of the glory of God, every single one of us. 22 00:01:54,000 --> 00:02:04,000 And for many, entirely too many really, use it as an excuse to keep doing what they've been doing. 23 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:12,000 You talk to people who have stopped going to services, for example, or Bible studies and so on, 24 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000 but they stopped connecting with the church and you ask them about it. 25 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:21,000 And they'll say that they need to get right first, that they need to stop drinking or using drugs 26 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:26,000 or committing adultery and so on and so forth, whatever their excuse is. 27 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,000 And they're 100% wrong. 28 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,000 Whatever the excuses that they're using, it is 100% wrong. 29 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,000 Everything that came out of their mouth is incorrect. 30 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:46,000 And so, when you're in the church with other believers, like we're gathering now even, 31 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,000 that's exactly where you need to be. 32 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:55,000 When we come together as the church, it's not a hotel for the worthy. 33 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,000 This isn't a luxury suite. 34 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:05,000 This is a spiritual hospital, a spiritual emergency room where the Father can heal us. 35 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:11,000 In chapter 4, verse 16, the Bible says, From Him the whole body joined and held together 36 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:21,000 by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work. 37 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:29,000 So you can see that we need to be together in worship with the Father in order to heal. 38 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Remember, the church is the people, the fellow believers, the brothers and sisters in Christ 39 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,000 coming together in His name, not the building. 40 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:46,000 The church is anywhere and everywhere we gather together. 41 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,000 Without the people, the church is just a building. 42 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:58,000 Matthew, chapter 18, verse 20, the Bible says, For where two or three gather in My name, there I am with them. 43 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,000 So it is the people. 44 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Look, now I get it, you may feel that you're undeserving. 45 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:12,000 You may feel that you're disqualified because of things that you've done in the past 46 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 or things that you're doing right now even. 47 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,000 But that is exactly why Jesus died on the cross. 48 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:25,000 He died for all of our shortcomings, for all of our transgressions, 49 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:35,000 for every single mistake and every single misstep that we have ever taken and that we will ever take. 50 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:42,000 Not a single person is worthy of that gift, not one of us. 51 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:50,000 Yet that is how much God loves you, me, all of us. 52 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,000 How much He loves all of us. 53 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,000 You keep that in mind, that's a good thing to write down. 54 00:04:55,000 --> 00:05:02,000 See, you don't have to earn a spot to come to Him. 55 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:07,000 You just have to come to Him and listen to what He says. 56 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Listen to the things He tells us because He still wants us to carry out His work. 57 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,000 He still has things for us to do. 58 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:24,000 Now let's look at Jonah 3 verse 3. 59 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:32,000 The Bible says, Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. 60 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,000 Now Nineveh was a very large city. 61 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:40,000 It took three days to go through it. 62 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,000 This is important, okay? 63 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Notice it took him three days, not one, not two, but three, to get through it. 64 00:05:51,000 --> 00:06:01,000 Now keep in mind, transportation in those days, for the most part, meant you were walking. 65 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:06,000 In the Marine Corps, we occasionally refer to our boots as Cadillacs, 66 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 meaning that you had no other means of transportation, 67 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,000 so it was time to put those pretty boots to work and start marching. 68 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,000 So there's a couple things here. 69 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:23,000 When the Bible talks about Nineveh, it only says it was a large city. 70 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,000 Let's put that into perspective. 71 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Now the population at that time was approximately 175,000 people. 72 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Now for that day, that was huge, huge. 73 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:48,000 By today's standards, that would still be considered a small city. 74 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,000 I've lived in smaller towns. 75 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,000 I'm sure many of you have as well. 76 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:01,000 What is not taken into account is the size by distance. 77 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,000 So we could break this down a couple ways. 78 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,000 The city proper, if you would, so wall to wall, the boundaries of the city limits, 79 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,000 it was roughly about eight miles. 80 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:19,000 Now you cram all those people into it, and you can see how crowded it becomes. 81 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,000 People are packed in like sardines. 82 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,000 They're living on top of each other. 83 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:29,000 However, if you were to take a look at it, basically back that view out just a little bit 84 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,000 and look at it from the perspective of the administrative district 85 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:39,000 or depending on where you live, you might look at it as a county or a prefecture. 86 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:45,000 At that distance, it was between 30 to 60 miles across. 87 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:50,000 So a little bit bigger, but that's still a lot of people in a small, small area. 88 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,000 So that changes things a bit. 89 00:07:52,000 --> 00:08:01,000 In either case, it's very easy to see why it took Jonah three days to go through it all 90 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,000 and complete his task. 91 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:08,000 I mean, that's a lot of territory to go out and preach in, and that's exactly what he was doing. 92 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:14,000 He was going through area by area and preaching to those who could hear him. 93 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:20,000 So continuing on in Jonah chapter three, we're going to look at verses four through nine now. 94 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:25,000 So Jonah three, verses four through nine, and the Bible says, 95 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:31,000 Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, 96 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:37,000 40 more days and Nineveh will be overthrown. 97 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:42,000 The Ninevites believed God. 98 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:52,000 A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 99 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:58,000 When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, 100 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:06,000 took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in the dust. 101 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:14,000 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles. 102 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything. 103 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:33,000 Do not let them eat or drink, but let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. 104 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,000 Let everyone call urgently on God. 105 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:43,000 Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 106 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:49,000 Who knows? God may yet relent with compassion. 107 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:57,000 Turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish. 108 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:06,000 So this entire section is such a great reminder, and it's an example that God's word is for everyone. 109 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:12,000 No doubt, by this point you've noticed that that's really the underlying theme throughout this entire book. 110 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:17,000 Every chapter. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. 111 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:23,000 It doesn't matter where you've been or where you are in life right now. 112 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:29,000 The word of God is for you. It's for me. It's for all of us. It's for everyone. 113 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:40,000 And we see here that Jonah, he's finally gone out and he's fully engaged in the mission that God sent him on. 114 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:45,000 He's walked the city and preached to everyone who could hear him. 115 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:53,000 And it worked. From the people on the street to the king of Nineveh himself. 116 00:10:53,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Everyone heard the word and was humbled. They repented. 117 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:07,000 They repented. And it's never too late to repent and to change your ways. 118 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:12,000 You don't need to wait for anything. You can do it right now. Right now. 119 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:18,000 Pray to the Father for forgiveness and change your ways. 120 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:24,000 He'll hear you. He'll see you. And he'll forgive you. 121 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:31,000 The Ninevites were absolutely evil, vile, warring people. 122 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:37,000 Yet, they heard God's message loud and clear. 123 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:45,000 And they knew that God had had enough and it was time to make a change. 124 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:54,000 They repented immediately. They didn't wait. They did it right there and then. 125 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Now, I want you to think about the lives that would change 126 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:10,000 if you, if we all, stopped holding back and started sharing the word at every chance we had. 127 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:15,000 And we skip out on a lot of those. We all know people who need to hear it. 128 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:24,000 Yet, most professing Christians don't do it. They just don't. 129 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:31,000 Think about it. All the people that you know and that I know, it doesn't take much to think about it. 130 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Like, wow, how many missed opportunities did we skip over or why did we do it? 131 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Now, there was a piece, there's some research that was published back in January of 2022. 132 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:53,000 And it showed that a mere 29% of unbelievers had ever had a Christian talk to them 133 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,000 about becoming a Christian. 134 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Only 33% had had someone talk to them about the benefits of participating in a church. 135 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:16,000 And 35% have even, you know, have had someone talk to them about the benefits of actually being a Christian. 136 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Not just becoming, but actually, you know, but, you know, like how to become, but the benefits of actually being Christian. 137 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 You know, church, this is our mission. This is part of the Great Commission. 138 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,000 We are failing our mission today. 139 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:39,000 The Great Commission given by Jesus tells us to go and make disciples and to baptize them. 140 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Yet, here we are and we see Jonah going out into a hostile place. 141 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,000 Make no, there's no doubt about it. Make no qualms. 142 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:59,000 It was a very hostile place for him. Yet, he went and he preached. 143 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,000 He was a street preacher. 144 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,000 All right. He was evangelizing right there on the middle of the road. 145 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:11,000 And what happened next? Absolutely amazing. 146 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:17,000 From lowest person to the highest person, the king, the highest official of the land, 147 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:26,000 the end all be all at that point for those people, he himself put on sackcloth and sat in the dirt. 148 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:35,000 So he set an example through action and by royal decree for the people. 149 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:47,000 And you know, because he told them everyone, even the animals, needs to fast, put on sackcloth, pray and repent. 150 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:52,000 Now, we're going to pause here for a second because I've mentioned this a couple of times. 151 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:58,000 And I know that there's a couple of people out there wondering exactly what sackcloth is. 152 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:03,000 So we're going to take just a moment to talk about this and why it was singled out. 153 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:08,000 All right. So it comes from the Hebrew word sack, S-A-K. 154 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:13,000 And it was a coarse fabric that was made from goat hair. 155 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:20,000 So similar to burlap cloth, only heavier and more uncomfortable. 156 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:26,000 It was really rough. And as you can imagine, it was a downright itchy garment. 157 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,000 So it was really uncomfortable in the first place. 158 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:36,000 It really is probably even downright painful to wear. 159 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:50,000 You know, and it was meant to be because it served as a reminder of people's sin and their need for God and His forgiveness in their lives. 160 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:57,000 People would wear it during times of grief, times of mourning, you know, and times of repentance. 161 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:05,000 You know, it was a physical show, an outward or a public showing that they were grieving or that they were repenting. 162 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:18,000 You know, it was a really big sign of change that, you know, in someone's life, you know, and that it was needed and that they were dealing with some really hard issues. 163 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,000 Okay. So that's what it was and that's what it was used for. 164 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:29,000 Okay. So let's finish this chapter and join me here in Jonah chapter three, verse ten. 165 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:45,000 The Bible says, When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened. 166 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:53,000 God saw them. Not only did He see them, He heard them and He forgave them. 167 00:16:53,000 --> 00:17:05,000 This group of pagan people, even their animals, responded to the message God sent them through Jonah. 168 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:21,000 When Israel was still being stubborn, not sharing the word, not repenting, the Ninevites only needed to hear it one time, one time. 169 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,000 And that is all it needed to make a change. 170 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:36,000 These evil, wicked, cruel, warring and boastful people got the message loud and clear. It was crystal clear to all of them. 171 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:45,000 And they immediately repented of their wickedness. So God kept His promise. 172 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:51,000 Now, sure, you might be thinking, wait, what promise? We didn't read about a promise right here. 173 00:17:51,000 --> 00:18:07,000 If you go back to Jeremiah chapter 18, verses seven through eight, the Bible says, If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 174 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:22,000 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 175 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:33,000 That's the promise. And just as God forgave Jonah, He was true to His word and He forgave the Ninevites. 176 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:39,000 And the Ninevites were pagans who didn't even know of this promise. They had no idea. 177 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:47,000 You see, people hear the word judgment and they automatically think of a courtroom or a court of condemnation. 178 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:55,000 Courts never bring a good feeling, unless of course you're watching Night Court. That's just a fun show. 179 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:04,000 However, God's judgment, it's not about revenge. It's not necessarily about punishment. 180 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:13,000 What it is about is compassion for those who seek Him. So those who turn their back, that's a different story. 181 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:20,000 But when it comes down to those who are seeking Him, it's all about compassion. 182 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:27,000 And in those cases, it's used as a tool for teaching and correction. 183 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:35,000 And we know this because the Bible tells us this much in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 through 17. 184 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:41,000 So in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 through 17, the Bible says, 185 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:50,000 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 186 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:59,000 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 187 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:07,000 So we need to remember, God doesn't want anyone to suffer and die or be condemned to hell. 188 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:13,000 What He wants is for the very best for each and every one of us. 189 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:19,000 Yet it's on us to listen to what He's saying. 190 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:26,000 As much as we like to think that just listening to His Word is enough, it's really not. 191 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,000 Listening and hearing are two different things. 192 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:40,000 Because when we hear the Word, we understand that we need to be obedient and respond to it, to actually do what we're being told. 193 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:46,000 And that response and that action, that reaction to it, I should say, 194 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:55,000 when we start doing the things that the Father wants us to, that is what is actually pleasing to the Lord. 195 00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Now, we've seen what happened when Jonah proceeded on mission and engaged with the enemy. 196 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:13,000 It's safe to say, as far as that part came with going and preaching to the Ninevites, mission accomplished. 197 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,000 He got it done. However, we're not done yet. 198 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:25,000 We're going to continue on now into chapter 4, and we're going to see what this book still has in store for us. 199 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:34,000 Now, we're going to go right to the very beginning, just like we always do, Jonah chapter 4. 200 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,000 And we're going to start with verses 1 through 2. 201 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,000 So, Jonah 4, verses 1 through 2, the Bible says, 202 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:48,000 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 203 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:56,000 He prayed to the Lord, Is it this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? 204 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:04,000 That this, I'm sorry, that is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. 205 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:18,000 I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 206 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:27,000 Despite how far Jonah had come and the mercy he was so grateful to have had in his own life, 207 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:35,000 he was still blinded by his hate and his contempt for the Ninevites. 208 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:41,000 The whole reason for his attempt to run from this mission was because he didn't want them to be forgiven. 209 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:47,000 He wanted them to be dead, wiped from the face of the earth. 210 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Jonah didn't believe for a second that they deserved God's love and mercy. 211 00:22:54,000 --> 00:23:01,000 Instead, he looked at it from a very nationalistic viewpoint. 212 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:11,000 See, he didn't understand that God wasn't just the God of Israel, but the God of the entire world. 213 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,000 We see this even today. 214 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:20,000 Now, think about it. We all get caught up in our own views of things, and it's not just as individuals. 215 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,000 We do it as nations as well. 216 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:29,000 Just look at some of the music. God bless America. God save the Queen or the King, and so on and so forth. 217 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:35,000 Everyone has their hand in the cookie jar when it comes to these kinds of things. 218 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:42,000 But God isn't just looking at one country. He wants everyone to be saved. 219 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:51,000 Jesus died so that we could all belong to one kingdom, God's kingdom. God's kingdom. 220 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:59,000 When we see someone turn to God, we need to be grateful and celebrate that with them. 221 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:06,000 Not be upset because they're not being punished the way we want them to. We should be celebrating it. 222 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,000 It's a part of our own spiritual maturity. 223 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:17,000 We need to learn to be thankful when anyone turns and comes to God. 224 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:24,000 And we need to forgive just like we've been forgiven. 225 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:31,000 Continuing on in Jonah chapter 4 verses 3 through 4, the Bible says, 226 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. 227 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:44,000 But the Lord replied, Is it right for you to be angry? 228 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:51,000 So Jonah had finally done what he was told to, but he didn't like the outcome. 229 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:58,000 And really, for one, the big thing for him at this point, he's embarrassed. 230 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:03,000 He just went and told this entire city that it's about to go down. 231 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,000 They're about to get just wiped out. 232 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:15,000 But instead of destruction, they're renewed in God and standing tall. 233 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:21,000 So now he's speaking, man, I look like a liar. 234 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,000 You know, and the son, he probably does. 235 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:30,000 However, what's more important is the fact that he brought glory to God. 236 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:37,000 All these people are saved because they repented and turned to God, but he's not seeing that. 237 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,000 Instead, he's acting like a child. 238 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:47,000 Oh, it's not fair. This isn't right. Woe is me. Just kill me already. 239 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Does this sound familiar? Because it happens all the times. 240 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:59,000 And let me tell you, life isn't fair. Life isn't going to be fair. 241 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,000 That's why cancel culture is so popular right now. 242 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:09,000 It's a bunch of whiny people that haven't learned that life isn't fair and you're not always going to get what you want. 243 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:14,000 So they're lashing out and trying to pull everyone else down to their level. 244 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:20,000 However, as Christians, we all need to remember it's not about me. 245 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:28,000 It's not about you. And it's not about any other individual other than God. 246 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:41,000 We all need to be focused on pointing the way to Him and His glory, not being selfish, whiny children, not acting like a bunch of babies. 247 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:50,000 Continuing on now, verses 5 through 11, the Bible says, Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. 248 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:58,000 There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 249 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort. 250 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 And Jonah was very happy about the plant. 251 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:20,000 But at dawn the next day, God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 252 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:31,000 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. 253 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:39,000 He wanted to die and said, It would be better for me to die than to live. 254 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:47,000 But God said to Jonah, Is it right for you to be angry about the plant? 255 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:53,000 It is, he said. I am so angry I wish I were dead. 256 00:27:53,000 --> 00:28:05,000 But the Lord said, You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. 257 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:10,000 It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 258 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:25,000 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left and so many animals? 259 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:36,000 See, Jonah was very much caught up in the self-pity train and he's still being ministered to by God. 260 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:41,000 God's not angry, he's not yelling, he's not getting upset in any fashion. 261 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,000 He's just calmly talking to Jonah. 262 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:49,000 Reminds me of my grandfather on my dad's side. 263 00:28:49,000 --> 00:29:01,000 He did not do something and he didn't yell at you or scold you, he had this gentle way of talking to you that made you feel like you're about one inch big, just absolutely small and just start bawling like a baby. 264 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,000 And that's what God's doing here with Jonah. 265 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:11,000 You see, Jonah was upset that the plant died. 266 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:18,000 He was upset that the sailors at the beginning of this book were looking at death. 267 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,000 But he had no compassion or concern for the Ninevites dying. 268 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 And that was point. 269 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,000 See, we all get caught up in our anger and it gets the best of us. 270 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,000 It turns us to our worst really fast. 271 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000 It really does. 272 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:39,000 And at some point, we've all been like Jonah and wished someone dead. 273 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:47,000 You know, for something that they did to us or something that they did to someone we love or care about or, you know, even that, you know, 274 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:59,000 maybe it's just for a specific time of crime or wrongdoing, not necessarily something that was even committed against you, but in general or even just wishing ill on someone. 275 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:10,000 A great example is like when you get cut off in traffic and you say something along the lines of, you idiot, I hope you turn over and burn, you know, estupido hombre, you know, or something like that. 276 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:18,000 You know, you know, here's the thing, God doesn't want harm to come to anyone. 277 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:24,000 And that's why he warns us repeatedly at that, that that's what's going to happen. 278 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:30,000 You know, or, you know, basically he's warning us what's going to come if we don't change. 279 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:41,000 And while we may want judgment and wrath to come upon certain others quickly, that's not God's heart. 280 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:47,000 God has mercy and compassion well beyond our own comprehension. 281 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,000 God created all of us. 282 00:30:51,000 --> 00:31:03,000 He wants all of us to turn from sin, to choose Him and to live with Him for eternity. 283 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,000 It's our choice, though. 284 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:10,000 And when we choose to follow Him, there's a change. 285 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:14,000 We all change, every one of us, and we change for the better. 286 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:24,000 So you need to ask yourself, how do you feel about others and the wickedness they've done? 287 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:30,000 Do you want them destroyed or would you rather they found Jesus? 288 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:40,000 Would you rather they suffer or would you rather they confess their sins and seek forgiveness? 289 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:48,000 Maybe even put yourself on the other side of the coin. What would you want for yourself for the wrongs you've done? 290 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Because we've all done things. 291 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:59,000 Are you like Jonah and the Israelites or are you like the Ninevites? 292 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:05,000 It definitely deserves some time, some meditation. 293 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:15,000 See, God always has a way to teach us to obey and to follow Him, ways to guide us, ways to correct us. 294 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:20,000 He wants us to confess our sin and He wants us to repent. 295 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:25,000 Repentance isn't just saying, I'm sorry, and having regret for something you've done. 296 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 It's much deeper than that. 297 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:34,000 It's also taking action to make sure that this isn't going to happen again, that these actions stop. 298 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:48,000 And let's face it, sometimes it's easier said than done, especially when it's something that's been instilled within us over years or even a lifetime. 299 00:32:48,000 --> 00:33:02,000 Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, the most damaging phrase in language is, we've always done it this way. 300 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:09,000 We need to stop getting caught up in the legalism and the traditions of hate and discontent. 301 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:17,000 Instead of meeting hate with hate, we need to look to Jesus and let Him tell us and direct us on how to deal with these things. 302 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:31,000 The only way for us to see change in the world and change for the better is to start putting into action these things with God and let Jesus just guide the way. 303 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:37,000 And that starts in our hearts and then we take that into the world. 304 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:50,000 Be the light that draws people to Jesus, not the fire of destruction that chases them away. 305 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Remember, we all need to look to Jesus and let Him tell us and direct us on how to deal with things. 306 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:10,000 So that when we put it to action, we can start seeing that change in the world because of God, because it is to His glory, not our own. 307 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,000 God bless you all. 308 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:16,000 Thank you for tuning in to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. 309 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:25,000 If you would like to know more about our ministry or how you can support us, you can find us on Facebook at Be the Light Sanctuary. 310 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:30,000 Or you can go to our website at BeTheLightSanctuary.org. 311 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Thanks again for tuning in and we'll catch you next time. 312 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:56,000 God bless.