“Do We Have God’s Heart For People?”
Jonah 4
Sermon Series: “Jonah”
Introduction: There are over 6,000 people groups-1.7 billion people-with little or no access to the gospel. Do we care? There are approximately 259 million people in North America without a personal relationship with Jesus. Do we care? During World War I in the United States, there was 1 church for every 430 people. Today that number is 1 church for every 6,194 people. Do we care? Tennessee has close to 3 million (estimated) people without a relationship with Jesus? Do we care? Or are we more concerned about the prospects of the UT football team this season? Half of the people who live in Jefferson County are completely unchurched and less than 20% are in a church on any given Sunday. Do we care? God does.
Main Idea: God’s heart breaks for a lost world. Do we have His heart for people?
1. If we have God’s heart, we will love all types of people. In other words, we will not be prejudiced. Part of Jonah’s problem is that he was prejudiced towards the Ninevites. He did not want to be a missionary to them because of his attitude toward them. God was speaking to the Israelites through this because they were not fulfilling their missionary responsibilities to the Gentiles because of the prejudice they had toward them. However, God’s plan is that “a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) will be standing before the throne of Jesus. Everyone is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). Galatians 2:6 says, “God shows personal favoritism to no man.” 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Prejudice does not come from God’s heart, but it is a sin that can keep us from sharing the gospel with some of the people that we are called to tell about Jesus.
2. If we have God’s heart, we will be people of grace. Jonah had great theology. He confessed, “For I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.” However, he was not living out his theology very well. He knew that God is gracious, had experienced God’s grace, but he did not want the Ninevites to receive the grace of God. He wanted them to be judged so he was mad when they repented and the Lord forgave them. Everything we are is by the grace of God. How can we not want others to receive this grace? Have we forgotten God’s grace in our lives? Jesus was called a friend of sinners by the religious leaders of His day. They meant it as an insult, but He took it as a compliment. They were legalistic and self-righteous, but Jesus perfectly blended and embodied grace and truth (John 1:14). Jesus wants to forgive you by His grace today.
3. If we have God’s heart, we will be more concerned with people’s souls than our personal comfort. Jonah got mad about God forgiving the Ninevites, about the plant being taken away, and about the wind blowing. He was completely thinking about himself. On the other hand, God had pity on Ninevah? Which one are we more like in regard to the world around us? Are we self- absorbed while multitudes are perishing? I am not saying that we should not take care of ourselves and our families. I am not saying that we shouldn’t ask God to care of us as well. However, I do think we need to ask ourselves this question. What kind of sacrifices are we making so that people can hear the gospel? Do we care more about making life easy and comfortable than we do about keeping people from an eternity in hell? Paul wrote, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24). What if Jesus had decided that heaven was too comfortable to leave? What if He had decided that He did not want to make the sacrifice of the cross? We would have no hope if He was more interested in His personal comfort than our souls.
