When God Doesn't Make Sense | Randy Frazee | Don't be a Jonah
Going Deeper
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah 4:1-3
In the above passage Jonah is upset because is ending h to the Ninevites. Jonah as many good reasons for not wanting to go and serve these people he finds deplorable. Is there a group of people that, if God asked you to serve them, you would genuinely hesitate? It could be a political or cultural group. It cold be a competing business. It could even be members of your family. Who are your Ninevites?
What would it take for you to give up your comfortable perspective? Has God ever put you in an uncomfortable situation in order to reach or serve someone you didn't like? What was the outcome? What did you learn.
Isaiah 59:9 – “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” - How did you know God was asking this of you? Did it require you to trust Him?
If you were to relay your "Nineveh" story to a teenager, how would you frame it? What would you say? How should they pray?
Teaching Notes
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah 4:1-3
Why is Jonah so upset?
Jonah is selfish
Jonah is prejudice
Jonah is filled with pride
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, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.
Jonah 4:6
Jonah wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah 4:8
But the LORD said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
Jonah 4:10-11
Application
When God doesn’t make sense to you…trust that our linear perspective from the Lower Story doesn’t tell the whole story.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Isaiah 59:9
When God doesn’t make sense to you…trust that God will make things right in his time.
When God doesn’t make sense…trust his grace and love is great and applies to all people, including us.
Be a Jonah by:
Inviting someone Sunday
Sunday Set List
WFC Online/WFC Lenexa
Great Things- Phil Wickham
O The Blood- Mitch Langley
O Praise The Name- Hillsong United
Peace Be Still- The Belonging Co./Feat. Lauren Daigle
WFC Speedway
Great Things- Phil Wickham
O The Blood- Mitch Langley
O Come To The Altar- Hillsong United
Graves Into Gardens- Elevation Worship/Feat. Brandon Lake
Be sure to follow our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday’s set!