A Whole New Kind of Obedience

Janie Greer, when you see yourself as a recipient of great grace God's compassion listen becomes his most precious attribute to you and with God's compassion becomes his most precious attribute to you, then you become compassionate by nature to other study from the book of Jonah today in this small, strictly written, but challenging as we catch glimpses of ourselves through Jonah's disobedience and deliverance. And finally his decision to reluctantly obey God. You won't want to miss a single message that he needed That you can find all the previous broadcast online Janie.

We are.com Pastor Ginny turns to Jonah Chapter 4 to explain what a whole new kind of obedience looks like our profit kind of disease is a disease that I believe most religious people have in this final chapter you see the effects of that disease, probably because most of you are religious you probably see some of the symptoms of the same disease in your own life. Now if you don't consider yourself a religious you will still probably see some of the symptoms of this disease in your own life because essentially at the end of the day, all people were all made up of the same stop what you're religious or not about people asked me JD when you preach you preach to the tracer that seekers ready preach to say people and the answer is I preached a sentence right and sinners are people that you know when you're saved just that simple heart that you work in you when you are a secret were all made of the same stop. So whether you're religious or not. I think that things are going to see in the heart of Jonah are going to be true of you to look honestly and soberly enough at yourself. I Jonah chapter 4, if you remember a context for quick God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and it just meant Jonah want to go because he had been invited to the Ninevites a bit unspeakably cruel to him and his family.

We said no and he got a ship what the other weights of dots in the storm. They jump out of the storm. The big fish swallowed him in the belly. The well for three days and three nights fish eventually got sick of him literally and regurgitated him Bob him bought back on the shore, where he now had learned his lesson and he went to Nineveh to preach he preached and met about a five board message yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

So it sounds like a word just by words in Hebrew, no doubt. Okay, so he doesn't preach as a fiber message the city as a whole repents and seeks God and God is merciful to them and that's where we began in Jonah chapter 4, but it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was angry and he prayed to the Lord and said, oh Lord. Is this not what I said when I was yet in my country. This is why I made haste to flee the charges he still justified himself. He said he might've consented to obey God because he knows that you can't actually fight against God and win.

But in his heart he still disagrees, have explained you before that that that that that that external obedience is like bending a metal bar by been a metal bar up here in front of you on stage Ist heating the middle of it and melting it one of two things will happen, you would get it down to a point where when I took my hands off of it would snap back up in the original position or will come to a point where it breaks what you see is that Jonah has consented because of the pressure of the belly of a well but as soon as pressures are gone. He's going back to its original heart position is justified, himself, and he's expressing his hatred for the Ninevites. Jonah's behavior was in this Jonah's behavior may have conformed to what God wanted, but his heart is still on melted. That's what I call the difference between Christianity 1.0 and 3.0 and some of you at one point you can fight against God and win, but God's not after just obedience is after a new kind of obedience, the kind that grows where your heart delights in him and the lights and what he delights in write more on that a little bit was reading bright new Jonah says that you are a gracious God and merciful out there. You slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and unrelenting from disaster. How awful for three therefore now, Lord, please take my life from me, for it's better for me to dive in the live I love this for the Lord said you well be angry.

Mrs. baseboard saying really Jonah really Jonah's disease is twofold.

Take no Jonah jockeys down number one Jonah is an idolater. Jonah is an idolater.

If you remember I told you Jonah chapter 2 verse eight is a key verse in the whole book and it says that those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. Jonah is behavior is driven by an idolatry. That's the point about verse Jonah's idol is that he loves his racial identity. He loves his status as a leader and a prosperous nation. The Ninevites not being destroyed with threatened that so he hates them because they threatened to take from him that thing which he loves most.

So Jonah will obey God in just about every area except for that area that matters the most to him that thing that defines who we is that soul identity. Let me review for you really quickly what idolatry is because I know that some of you may still have a problem seen idolatry working Jonah did you like Jonah, bow down to a gold statue so I don't understand what that's idolatry. Idolatry is two different things. Jonah jockeys down. Idolatry is first when you build your identity on something besides God. Idolatry is whenever you build your identity on something besides God.

We all have an identity, something that defines us.

Your identity is an internal dialogue would you tell yourself I have more because NOW fill in the blank with that we all got something that we put in that blank. I have worked because I a good mother. I have worked because I am successful. I have worked because I'm good at my job because I've made a lot of money because I'm a good person because I'm successful in school the top of my class because I'm a great athlete because I'm a great friend. Whatever you have told you. Looking back over my life I see a different stages of my life I have gained were from different things when I was in seventh grade, but almost every seventh grade boy. I define my work according to my athletic ability. That's why it's so important for the so competitive as you want to be at the bottom of the kickball pool you because that's your work as a guide is your your athletic prowess. When I got into college and realize that I probably didn't have a future in athletic you know superstar sports it shifted to go that well I may not be the king of the hill when it comes athletic, but I can do well in school. Not sets me apart from everybody so my work was based on my academic success. And as I did in the ministry of my work is now defined in many times by you know about how big or how successful the church is heard a speaker the other day I got speak and then he said a different stages in man's life. You define yourself according to various things depend on what stage it is up to high school guys.

It's almost always athletic ability. This is for college guys become sexual prowess.

He said when you get out of college and becomes earning capacity so different stages of your like me and you have based your identity, probably on those three thanks your identity is when you define yourself apart from God.

Your identity is whatever the most important person in your life. Think about you to whoever is the most important to you.

That is how you would define your identity and when your identity is built on anything other than God's love and acceptance in your life, you become just what Jonah is here. You become fearful you become hateful because you see there's always something about you that makes you worthy and so you worry about losing that are not obtaining it or anybody that threatens to take that from you.

You hate them and you present them so for example I told you I've often been jealous of people who do the same things that I do and seem to be more successful at it. At least get more attention for it. Sometimes I've even delighted when they struggle. I had delighted when they fail not because I'm an overly vengeful person but because they are taking some of the attention that I wanted for myself and they are taking me from it. Which is why I have jealous or hateful feelings toward them and many points of my ministry I get off my life I have lived by the stat sheet. It comes out on Monday morning, but our church and where we talk about help with the attendance was like and what the giving was like many of the tenants was good. If it was up if we had a good offering that week. I'm just on top of the world. I feel like the Catholic man alive has a point near comes out. We have a low tenants Sunday your old offerings not that good. You can scrape me up off the floor.

The spatula because my mom identity is tied up in a certain and a certain success. Other signs that your identity is based on some side got unforgiveness toward people who hurt you or threaten you in those areas or hears nobody seeing Jonah self-pity that people recognize your worth where my kids will reckon of how much about to sacrifice for them. Nobody, nobody really cared. Nobody really knows all the things that I have done and you walk around the central self-pity right you see all of these, and Jonah might so idolatry is when you define your deadly in some side got you today Jonah idolatry. Secondly, when you desire something more than God. When you find happiness in being successful in your career more than you find in knowing God by more delighted being rich more delighted in being married more delight in the dream of being married. Jonah finds more delight in the prosperity of Israel and the destruction of Israel's enemies that he does in knowing and delighting in God not given you several kind of diagnostic questions to help you determine what this is for you what you what you most terrified of losing. What is the one thing that you could not imagine being happy in life without a could be happy about what Mary can be happy, but all have kids look at me happy. If I'm not well back at me, happy people don't respect me if I don't get the disposition, the symptoms of the disease of idolatry are what you see in Jonah's life here, worry, anger, jealousy, hate unforgiveness don't believe it or not listening.

Believe it or not these emotions are precious with EY because these emotions are indicators of a much deeper problem in your life. I have compared it before to you with with smoke from a fire right smoke but you can trace back down to the fires of your idolatry where you are worshiping at the altar of a false God. I'm not a big fan of smoke in my house but at that smoke will lead me to places that my house is on fire, but I'm grateful for these emotions are precious because they are indicators of a much bigger problem was the problem primarily is not really in jealousy and hatred and unforgiveness. The problem is what produces all those things and what produces those things is the idolatry that is the essence of sin. Idols are things that we derive pleasure from more than God and things we seek refuge in more than God, the second the second element of Jonah's disease does ignorant just as ignorant of the grace of God is extended toward him. You see in verse two.

Jonah says I know I know that you were a God who was compassionate. Jonah is resentful of that now. If Joe is going to bring out the compassion of God. He should probably not be resentful of it.

He should probably be grateful because what character in this story has received more compassion than anybody else is not a trick question is named for him.

Jonah. Jonah has been the greatest recipient of the grace of God. But Jonah is resentful because Jonah has watched this already ceased to think of himself as a center. He's already started to think that this is not that bad. That's why he rationalizes in verse two.

This is what happened. This is why would you charge and see him anymore. That's wise, rationalizes it to God. If you see yourself as a basically worthy person. If you see and you believe that God owes you good things been generosity doesn't come naturally, you become resentful when God seems to bless people in ways they don't deserve, especially when he's given the member things you think you deserve. Generosity does not come naturally to you.

Why would generosity come naturally when wet way when you forgot until you give voice of your money. You may never say this, LOL here's what you think I want to do that. This is my money I earn this money I worked carport I say I might give it to somebody else. This is mine does things show that you are unbelievably out of touch with the grace of God. When you see yourself as a recipient of great grace that God's compassion listen becomes his most precious attribute to you. And when God's compassion becomes his most precious attribute to you, then you become compassionate by nature.

To others, that thing that they say where when two people really love and married to each other.

After a while they start to look like each other, or that I'm sure that's not scientifically possible but but I think there's something probably in that because I think what happens is facial expressions and mannerisms and so they begin to look like each other because they so admire one another that they start to imitate each other.

You see whenever somebody is unbelievably beautiful to you then you try to emulate. That's what you dress like people you love, how they dress, or that's what you mimic or you imitator you take on the mannerisms of certain people because there's something about that person. That seems beautiful to you.

When God's compassion is so beautiful to you because you've been such a recipient of it just become by nature a mimic or work imitator of it and you become compassionate others, and here's what I would tell you if you are not naturally compassionate. If you are not naturally generous.

If you are not the kind of person report yourself out, it's probably because like Jonah.

The beauty of the compassion of God is never really come alive in your heart to limit his answer that question. Which of those two would be truer of you. Which of those two mature view when you see God bless somebody that you see is unworthy you see them get a blessing that you wish that you had or you think that you deserve.

How do you react like God. Why them what that person did not blessing more than they are was a golden married.

I never verbalize abductors you think she just shows you your you think you deserve good things totally out of touch with God's grace have others and how generous are you with your money you normally generous with your money, generosity, money is probably because you don't think that Jesus really had to give up that much to save you. You'll never admit that I'm standing here the rest of us and I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that, but you may not. If you are the kind of person you just like there's a tab your money like okay gotta pay that off now get on the golf and do my own thing.

How could you possibly rest of the grace grace of God were you did. Jesus tied his blood for you that he timber since I do without know he gave all of it. My wife and I from the time we have been married not one time never have we ever been content with 10% ever. Why because Jesus didn't hide his blood for us.

My wife and I are grateful for the blessings that God has given us. He has blessed us. We bless each other with some of the money. God give us we bless our children but at the end of the day there something in a hard decision. What we are say because Jesus poured himself out for us. So if I understand it, and naturally I should want to pour out my life, not just to percent of all of it is much as I can spirited for others when you're generous, it's because you understand the beauty of God's grace. If you're not forgiving with your spouse or those around you and you probably don't understand grace now share with you often about my own marriage I had a problem with forgiving my wife and her first years of marriage the way I say to my wife and I have been married for eight wonderful years and three other once for a total of 11 right because his first three years you know is is it it is.

We held each other with such hostility because there was no forgiveness. And it's because I had really no awareness or didn't live in the awareness of how much God had forgiven me of either problem with forgiving her because I didn't see myself in the company of the guilty. But when I started to see myself as a center first against God.

Secondly against my wife, I became much more forgiving. I was not a perfect person who needed no grace. I was an extremely undeserving person that God had given grace to answer now as a recipient of great grace extended will grace my wife can seem like that big of a deal with the phrase that I use and tell you this all the time.

First, center second sinned against person or means before I'm somebody that has been sinned against. I'm a sinner who is received grace because I have first received grace due to grace should not be that big of a deal. You see my unforgiveness problems in my marriage or gospel problems because I did not understand the grace of God I did not extend the grace to other people. Those people who are recipients of great grace become dispensers of great grace.

Honestly, Jonah probably saw his sin and Nineveh sin into different categories like all the Nineveh then about their adulterers, their cruel there mean they kill people there idolaters they take people stems often I staple them to the wall. I've never done that. Jonah say I'm not a bad sinner like them. What had Jonah done what agenda Jonah had look in the face of God said no you with the original sin was the sin because everything else on earth.

The sin that led to all the destruction you what sin Danby human race to hell. Say no to God. It's really got knowledge enabled Adam and Eve disobeyed God and partook of it.

It's not like that in and of itself is not inherently evil. On puppies to get to the tree that's it wasn't inherently bad it is that they look to God and said no you look at people, you are not that bad of a sinner on the on the processing of drugs and never killed anybody, but only like the people in Jersey shore is not that bad of a person that you said no to God in some ways your symbols worse because all the people in Jersey shore. They did because they're ignorant of what God wants you know you knew and you said no Jonah's sin endorsing was blasphemy of the highest order, as I have told you never farther from God when you're close to him and you say no each of you in this room have looked it's got some point in your life, you should know God, I am not doing that and that is blasphemy of the highest order. Jonah didn't understand that you and I don't understand that. Which is why we don't understand how much grace God has given us but is there a spirit of unforgiveness and a lack of generosity is the indication you are out of touch with the grace of God in your life this point you should be writing it down, looking at me with an extreme pain look on your face should not be smiling at me right now. A spirit of unforgiveness and a lack of generosity is the indication that you are out of touch with the grace of God in your life.

That's Jonah's disease, idolatry and ignorance. Finally, and all this after after he is considered to do God's will write me by Jonah Forgione is no longer directly defined of God is he's doing exactly what God wants is not even to impart what God what is all what God wants. That is the picture of most religious people, religious people I want to want to go to hell and I will be in the belly well so I'll do what God wants, but that doesn't mean that you come to the light in God or become forgiving like God delight in watching the light and God be forgiving like God love you like God, those things cannot be produced by the fear of the belly of the well or the fear of hell, delighting in God becoming loving, like God, those things can only happen in you by a deep and profound experience of grace sets for the messianic reading. That's why the messianic reading of Jonah is so important because in the messianic reading, you begin to see that Jesus is the one who suffered all the consequences for your disobedience and when you begin to see that that should produce love and generosity in your heart you what I call the difference in Christianity 1.012.01 put out is what you are handling by to get God stupid. It is stupid God 1.0 is when you begin to love and delight in God. God is not just after obedience. Turning was several new kind of obedience grows yourself in the Lord give you the desires of your heart. God wants the kind of obedience that aligns your desires with his will. I'm sure we all left to strive toward following Jesus like this. You're listening to Pastor JD Greer on Senate life. Tomorrow will conclude this message back just in case you missed any part of this series titled Castaway.

You can find every message free of charge@jdgreer.com yesterday we introduced a brand-new resource to help us memorize 50 helpful and encouraging and challenging verse in the Bible JD Scripture memory can seem like an activity for kids.

So why is it important for us as adults to keep up the practice. Yet you sadly I think we emphasize it in the church mainly to our children. Niagara you want to program me to memorize Scripture and give them candy and trophies and they did so it was great because that stuff got in there and even though I did always learn for the right reasons got embedded in my heart that's great Holy Spirit can only ignite what's in your heart. But in order for him to be able to ignite that you saw it in there and so it's not just for kids. It's a lifelong discipline for level Psalm 119 says, how can a young man cleanses ways how can you walk with God helping you live abundantly by knowing the word of God, but taking heed according to your word, I know a lot of people who ask, how can I know the will of God. The will of God is directly tied to your knowledge of the word of God losing one of the things I was almost one on my own little mini sermon. If you just go to some of elements that one thing here when Jesus confronted Satan.

We all know that he used Scripture don't think about is the fact that Jesus you want Scripture. So if even the son of God to do battle with Satan needed to quote Scripture. How foolish is it for you and needed to engage Satan in our lives and our families.

For the sake of our kids and not know the Scripture that Jesus was Jesus needed Scripture to file Satan.

That's one of the reasons we've given given out this this month.

This pack of versus 50 versus that will will help you memorize God's word will help you plan it deep in your heart.

Hope that you reach out to us get one of these go to JD where.com.

It allows you to become a gospel partner with us allows you to be a part of her ministry here, but as a way of saying thank you for that. Would love to get you these gifts and see God begin to shape eccentric. We left for you to request our newest Senate life resource when you give today to support this ministry for yours that all things are memory card by calling five 865-5220 when you get online when you make your first gospel partner JD Greer.com Molly mitigates inviting you to do anything and Wednesday till next Wednesday on Senate life