Mad at God - Week 3 - St. Peter - Pastor Tim Glende
Mad at God
Week 3 - St. Peter
Pastor Tim Glende
Once again, welcome to week three of our study of the Book of Jonah entitled Mad at God, How many of you have ever had a “come to Jesus” moment?
Like that moment when you realize that you were headed in the wrong direction, That moment you understood the lightbulb went on that, you were getting nowhere with the path that you are on.
That moment where you realize that if your mom found out maybe that when your mom did find out that your heart was broken. Because of the hurt you caused.
But how many of you have experienced a moment like that or moments like that? If you're old enough to have experienced more than one in your life, I'm aware you realize. I'm walking down the path, this is where I'm headed into life. The light bulb goes on whether maybe through someone else's words maybe because of the word you've heard before, maybe because you sink. So deep like Jonah that the light bulb goes on you realize I have to go in the opposite direction. How many of Had a come to Jesus moment.
Like, don't be ashamed to admit it. I've experienced multiple ones in my life.
Or how many of you have actually received an invitation to a, come to Jesus meeting like the light bulb. Didn't go on something happened. Maybe you ended up in the hospital because of a choice that you made, you realize I don't want to be here, I gotta do something different. Know how many of you had to have the light bulb go on because someone had to actually call a meeting and have a conversation? Like it got so bad and you were so far down the road that you couldn't see it. And in order for there to be a change, they had to call you in. They had to have the conversation.
There been times in my life when I've been on both sides of the invitation, I've extended them. And I have also been invited to them.
Like that's what we find. Ourself In Jonah right now.
Want you to have that in your mind, I want you to have that on your heart. We're going to see in chapter three, it come to Jesus moment and meeting. That is going to take place. I want you to think about maybe how you reacted a respond to it, how you would or how you did what it happened.
Because Jonah literally had a come to Jesus moment, right? He's on the ship, going the wrong direction. Gets thrown overboard, he's sinking down. He doesn't die. As he's going down to the the bottom. He gets swallowed by a fish. Three days, and three nights in the belly of the fish him and God him and Jesus. He's pushing he's praying. He's talking to God or having it come to Jesus meeting. So, John kind of got both all the same time, the moment led to the meeting. In the fish.
And chapter two leads us to what happened as a result, Jonah. From the belly of the fish, he pushed he didn't blame. Didn't point the finger at others while he wrestled with himself, he didn't get overwhelmed and get paralyzed. But in that moment, he responded to it by praying, until something happens in something, did the Lord commanded the fish? And it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Like, we see the results of the moment and the meeting Jonah ends up breathing outside of the belly of the fish on the seashore. Perhaps half covered in fish bile and fish guts.
But no doubt rejoicing because his life had been spared. He been given a second chance to literally live
And that's what chapter 3 gives us the opportunity to investigate a truth that I kind of believe it is a reality when you've had a come to Jesus moment or a come to Jesus meeting. Like I've actually used this phrase with people in my life, people that I'm close to. When it comes to those moments, when you realize I've gone down the wrong path and something needs to change some powerful and important.
People, excuse me, people will not judge you based on what you did. As much as they will based on how you respond. Like what you did could have been big and bad, but in that moment, when you have the come to Jesus moment and the meeting, what you did will be less memorable than how you respond. Like did you learn from it? Did you actually change? Did you actually do something differently or was the moment only a moment and was the meeting not worth it?
So how did Jonah respond?
How to God respond?
Chapter 3 gives us insight as Jonah's there on the seashore. Maybe considering what's next thinking about where should I go? What should I do? We see what God does the word of the Lord came to Jonah second-timer. Time one he called him to go to Nineveh Jonah ran the opposite direction. The word of the Lord came to Jonah second time. Go to the great city of Nineveh and Proclaim to it, the message I gave you go to it, but I told you to do before I want you to do now. God gave Jonah a second chance.
And while I love it, there's a part of me that wrestles with it.
Like you see God and all he's doing along the way you see God being generous with, with grace, to Jonah and sparing his life. You see God using discipline in a loving way to wake him up so that he has the moment. So that the meeting that that takes place in the belly of the fish were God’s on at work on his heart and Jonah is talking to God. All those things happen like I love all those things, but I don't know about you, but if I was God, I'm not so sure I would ask him to go after the first time.
You want to trust something that important to that kind of person. He literally went in the opposite direction of God.
Eugene he doesn't confess his sins, he doesn't call on God, for mercy to stop the storm. He says no that little stop. The storm is you putting me in the ocean?
Like it's only as at sea with his wrapping around his head as he sinking down but God the light bulb, the moment happens.
That's not how God operates. And I want you to see that it plays out in the story of chapter three as well. It's actually very biblical of God. Like this what God does? He's a god of second chances even to some of the most
So we say horrible moments that take place in people's lives when they don't do it God's way.
Like the God of second chances gave a second chance to the deceiver. That was known as Jacob. But God, literally told Jacob you're gonna be the one, who's gonna get the promise. You're gonna be the one who the Savior in the family tree is gonna be a part of and, yet Jacob took it into his own hands, deceived his dad. Ripped off his brother and had to run for his life. And yet later when God has wrestling with him God renames him to Israel. The one who is the father of the 12 tribes of God's people. Of the tribe of Judah which eventually was the tribe there which Jesus came .
I don't want to Jesus owned Peter. I will never run from you. I will never deny you. I will go down swinging for you Jesus but when push came to shove when the pressure was upon him, when he feared for his life, Peter was quick to deny three times before the rooster crowed as Jesus predicted.
And, later after his resurrection, Jesus has a one-on-one, a come to Jesus meeting and moment with Peter and reinstates him and he becomes the leader of the early Christian Church. God is a god of second chances. Or about Saul renamed Paul the one who took great pleasure in persecuting Christians, dying has a come-to-Jesus moment and meeting literally on the road to Damascus and the life direction that he was on goes 180 degrees in the other direction. And he goes from being one of the greatest.
Is to the greatest missionary and lover of Jesus Christ, the world has ever seen. Like this is how God operates. If you might have any doubts or questions, why God would give Jonah a second chance. This is what he does,who he is.
That's how he responds.
Now, you might know the story but in that moment,
What Jonah had done in the come to Jesus meeting that he had had, how would Jonah now respond to this opportunity? Verse 3 says this, Jonah obeyed. The word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Like he didn't barter with God, he didn't have an around the fire moment. Like Moses. Questioning God, or question himself, I don't know if I can do it. No, he simply obeyed. And went. this time, he responded differently.
The meeting he had had with God. The the work that God was doing on his heart, that loving discipline, that God showed him, put Jonah in a different direction. He obeyed. Any went?
He responded differently.
Been praising God, for the work that he had done on Jonah's heart. Praise God for the grace, that he had shown Jonah giving in a second chance to do the job that he had called him to do to go and preach in an event and Jonah did.
But now Jonah has about 25 days. If even the shortest amount of math, the 300 plus miles that the nearest seashore would have had for him to walk from where he was to dinner. So a lot of time to ponder and think about God's grace it a lot of time to think about the sermon that he was going to give as he got to Nineveh, like just imagine if I got 25 days it would be more than 35 minutes this morning.
Why are you laughing?
It's not that's not how you're supposed to respond.
Jonah obeyed and he went. And I'm partly guessing that each and every day, he celebrated, the amazing grace of God. That gave him a second chance. And yet, I'm guessing there was a little bit of anxiety, some wrestling that he was doing in his heart, maybe talking as he was walking along the road out loud about the nine of us, how would they be received him? How he might be scared about what he was about to encounter? I mean, this city was a powerful city, the city was a heathen city. This city was known for its wickedness, for being willing to kill and chop off on Stakes of anyone who opposed them. That's the kind of place he's going.
So what would Jonah do with all that time as he was walking? And then what would he do when he got there.
You made, he did. Ninevah was a very large city. Literally, when you look at the text of it, the Ninevah was a great, great city. So the NIV translates it in a way that you could it was big very populated. It was no doubt that but maybe just as likely or part of the explanation is what is being described to us here. Is that the city of Ninevah is a great, great city in every way possible.
It was a great, great city. I always looked to as like on the leading edge of culture in its day and age. Like if you think of New York from theater, to fashion shows, to architecture to everything else, like that kind of city. It was known for its status in the world of beauty and parks and all sorts of things that would make.
A great, great City, not just in population, but in every way possible. And it took three days to go through it. That's probably not the best. If you have in your mind, it took Jonah three days to go from point A to crisscross the city, but it was probably not that big. Nineveh itself even though as a great, great City. It might be descriptive of Nineveh and its surrounding area, its suburbs. So if I started hearing Freedom and I started out on a day's walk and I kind of wanted to walk or if you think of the valley and of itself from Green Bay down to maybe Fond du Lac that extensive of a surrounding and community of Nineveh could have been three days more likely. What it's saying is it was a 3-day journey for Jonah to hit all of the different pockets in areas like in Appleton you think of the different areas where you live you live by a certain part. You call yourself by that neighborhood. If you have ever been to the city of Chicago, there you live in Chicago but there are like 26 neighborhoods that are Chicago, like it was taken three days for Jonah to get to each and every bit and part of Nineveh. So the message got circulated throughout. In other words, what is being described as God made sure and Jonah understood to crisscross the city and hit every part of it. So no one could have.
Who's that? They didn't get the message. And Jonah began by going to a day's Journey Into the City, proclaiming 40 more days and Nineveh will be overthrown. Like it's a summary of Jonah’s message. It's not the only message he gave. Like, I'm pretty sure he just didn't walk up to random strangers and say, Hey, you 40 more days and it will be destroyed. Like I think there was more of a little bit about God who he is a little bit about God, what he expects a little bit about them and what they were doing in a little bit about the reality of all those who sin against God are worthy of being condemned. And if you do not repent, if you do not believe in God, the city of Nineveh you and your family, and all of you will be overthrown. Like God can do this history proves it, this is what God has called you to do. Like I'm guessing Jonah's message was filled with a whole lot of what we call 200 proof truth which is the law.
But even in that summary of the message, you also find 200 proof Grace.
Do you see what Jonah's message included?
God is giving you, city of Nineveh, time of Grace.
Forty days.
40 days to think about your sin. 40 days to repent of your wickedness. 40 days to turn to God, 40 days to ponder and think about the idols that you have the sins that you have committed. And believe in the one true God Of Heaven and Earth who can wipe you out the one true God Alone who can save you from The wickedness that you have committed.
Like just the very fact that God was giving this wicked Heathen nation and City. 40 days was 200 proof Grace.
And God does the same for you and me.
Like, where do you see yourself in the story of Nineveh, like Pastor Tim usually doesn't come knocking on doors and have a call a come to Jesus meeting and literally tell you like three days or else, like we'll talk about Sin, we’ll deal with sin, but we don't have the specifics from God, that Jonah did, but we all have a time of Grace. When from, when we take our first breath to, when we breathe our last breath, that God allows us opportunities to have come to Jesus moments.
And we all need them.
Because we're all sinful.
And before that last breath gets taken having our relationship with God in the right place is vital and essential.
And so what happened? Like we seen how God responded to Jonah’s in he disciplined him but he shared it with Grace. We see now Jonah responded to the second chance that God gave him. He went he preached a bold message, a strong message that you wanted proof Grace and Truth message. How did the Ninevites respond? To that message, their wickedness, they believed God, a fast was proclaimed. They stopped eating and all them for the greatest to the least. So this just wasn't a rich thing or a poor thing. This was an everybody thing, no matter what your status in this great, great City from Rich to poor grades greatest, to least they put on sackcloth every last one. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh he rose from his throne took off his Royal robes covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. The sign of grief, a sign of mourning a sign of sadness. Remember, our story in the Book of Job last year, that's Job and his friends did in the midst of the pain and the loss there. A sack cloth. There were ashes. This is the proclamation issued a Nineveh by the decree of the king. And his normals, do not let people or animals,Herds our flocks taste. anything do not let them eat or drink but let people and animals be covered with sackcloth the ruler said, change your ways. Let everyone call on God. Ask God for Mercy, let them give up their evil ways and their violence. We need to correct. our Behavior are we Goodness, the message. Jonah. Preached hit them in the heart. They understood the truth, they acted and responded. Who knows? God may yet relent, and with compassion turn from his fierce anger, so that we will not perish.
What did the Ninevites do with the chance that God gave them? How did the Ninevites respond to the message that God sent to them?
All those words that you just heard read. I would say actually describe one of the greatest miracles in all of the Bible.
Like the Book of Jonah itself is littered with Miracles like chapter, 1, God causes a great storm, chapter 1 Jonah. Just happens to draw the lot and gets identified as the reason for the storm Jonah, gets thrown in the water and God's Stills, the storm Jonah doesn't die as he drowns, God keeps him alive and sends a fish to swallow him up when that doesn't chew him or eat him, but but saves him and then God causes the fish to vote him out. We're gonna see more miracles in chapter 4, So many miracles. But the greatest miracle in the Book of Jonah, is that an entire city, perhaps, a 500,000 people from greatest to least drops down to their knees. Here's the message that God sent and repent of their sins, literally summed up in that first verse the half of verse 5, the ninevites believed God. They believed.
Like faith is a miracle of that, only God can do
Experts believe, probably, at this time there were upwards of at least half a million people in Nineveh, greater Nineveh.
They just think about that.
I'm not saying every last heart was converted, but a majority of them were in the Bible's very clear on everyone, acted. I mean, a great majority of this would be like, six Appleton's. Repenting, believing in God, could you fathom that? Like I would retire from the ministry a day after that, if that was mine. Last sermon like a man got close, the books, call me home, we're all good. Like half a million people. Like I'm happy. If two of you leave and go Pastor that really hit me in the heart. I need to work on that. Okay, amen. Like we think we're a big church. 3,000 people. Half a million people repented. Believed in God.
Came to Faith and God and turn from their sin and trusted in their savior.
Don't let that be forgotten in the story of Jonah like, great fish Pastor Tim talk about bile and guts as he came out. Like, yeah, that's cool. That's great. Hundreds of thousands of people were saved. Praise God.
Which is probably why it would be good for us to stop and see. one of the things that transpires in the Book of Jonah, that's a vital and important for people of God, who believe in God to understand about the life of Faith, it's a life of repentance Like, we've all been given a time of Grace to get our relationship with God, right? Praise God, that he's created faith in your heart and mine that he's called us to believe. But even in our life of Faith, you know, I we do words of sending Grace every week, not because we want to bore you, not because we want to make you feel bad, but because we want to give you an opportunity to be in the right place with God. Like, what is it? That took place this last week that you need to bring to God. What's going on in your life right now? That is wicked. In the eyes of God, that you need to turn from that. God's word needs to call you from
But don't take it lightly, don't just go through the motions but understand what the Ninevites did, what God called them to do, what is what God's called his people to do from the time of Adam and Eve to the to the end of time. Stop sinning turn from your sin believe in God. He's the only solution in the only savior.
The Ninevites give us an example of what true repentance looks like, what Biblical printing, repentance is John the Baptist message that you heard before is in keeping with this as well. He highlighted some of those things repent and believe the Kingdom of Heaven is near what does a repentant heart look like? What is a crash course, at the new minds can teach us all so that we can apply it to our life and live. It just like they did. 34 C's in the crash course on repentance, the first one is confession.
Like biblical confession repentance is confession. Owning it acknowledging it. In the sense just like the ninevites believed in God, they believed his message. They believed that they were Wicked. They believed that they were wrong. They believe that they deserve punishment confession. Owns it acknowledges, it admits what we deserve, and understands it, and and confesses to God,
Second front alongside of confession is contrition.
But can true Contrition. And as a part of repentance is sincere sorrow over sin.
It breaks your heart because you've broken God's heart. Kind of Sorrow. Like true Contrition is it's not sincere sorrow over having gotten caught,
True repentance that and true Contrition is sincere sorrow because what I did offends almighty God, and I've broken the heart of God, I might have hurt other people, but my sin ultimately is with God.
And that should break your heart.
And it broke the Ninevites heart. Like, you can see, they were truly sorry, because they called, on God, they confess their sins. They put on sackcloth and Ashes, like, you don't just do that because you got called out, like, they literally lived it and wore it confession Contrition. And step three is probably one of the biggest differences when it comes to when someone has sinned and done something wrong, true biblical repentance, involves confession, Contrition and truechange.
Like owning it is one thing being really sorry for it is nothing and true repentance is to do what the word repent. Literally means to turn in 180-degree direction, that come to Jesus moment. The Light Bulb Has Gone on. Maybe it's your the word that God sent through a pastor through a teacher, through a family member, through a friend, where that message that was sent, Drop to your knees, you understood it broke, the heart of God and you made a promise, and you said, I need to, I need to change. I need to go in the opposite direction. 180 degree turn. Now, This Side of Heaven, please understand there we will never reach Perfection, but God calls for change of Direction. Like true repentance. Is about the change of Direction. What has God called me to do? How has God called me to live, when I fall and fail on that path? Maybe, when I get lured in by that same sin, God willing. The light bulb goes on and true repentance again. Daily repentance that Martin Luther describes. I confess the sin. I'm contrite for it and I get back in the right direction. And I need some of you to hear this right now. You and God might not be good because this is not taking place.
And it's a benefit of the story of Jonah for us to examine our own hearts and examine Our Lives. Is there something that needs to change?
Like maybe it's the way in which you are behaving in your personal life. Maybe it's you're going down the path of self medicate and abusing something that you shouldn't do. Maybe it's an issue of loss that you have in your heart. Maybe it's in the relationship that you are currently carrying out, like looking at God's word, the message that he has sent. But understand God has given you a time of Grace.
Like shall we go on sinning? So that Grace might increase no like do not as a Christian. If you are a Christian Living in light of this fact that you just believe, Jesus died, and he paid for my sins. It doesn't matter what I do. Wake up.
The Bible is filled with passages of wake-up calls.
And you and I don't get this warning like 40 days. You got some time. Like you don't know when your time ends when the time of Grace is up today's the day. For you. And for me, if this is us to have a come-to-Jesus moment, I pray that God might use this conversation as a come-to-Jesus meeting to get in the right direction. Because the fourth part of confession repentance is calling upon God. A repentant person is one who believes God. Repentant person is one who is sorry for their sins. A repentant person is one who changes their actions and path in a repentant person is one who calls upon God for compassion because only God can rescue and deliver ultimately, from sin. And what we deserve,
It's modeled all of that, the Bible teaches all of that. God calls, you and me to Faith. He's given us the greatest of all miracles personally but he's also put in front of the greatest plan. Its a crash course in through the ninevites of what it looks like to live the Christian Life, we will never be perfect This Side of Heaven but God wants us walking in the right direction of daily life of repentance. It's why we do it weekly here in church by beginning each day in your home.Might be a great thing to do to own your sin to talk to God, to give it to God, to call on God, to help you get in the right direction, to give you strength and guidance. You need Lord, where would you have me go? Go like repentance on a daily basis is a huge blessing because you know we all totally takes you the only place where sin and wickedness can be Inside of the cross of Jesus Christ.
The Ninevites responded and you know how God responded to their Repentance? It's an amazing verse. When God saw, what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and in, not bring on them, the destruction, he had threatened.
Like God does not change his mind. The Bible says, But God is entitled to a change of paths.
In this case, he changed pass.
He relented.
Because they repented, the word worked on their hearts. They came to Faith In Jesus, they understood a God was God.
And they believed in him as the only one who could save.
Praise God. He's done the same thing for you, and for me, He only says in his word about Sin, the wages of sin is death, you and I deserve death, but you know what? God relented on you and me. And the punishment we deserve. Because he changed course of action by sending his son into this world to pay the price that you and I couldn't pay. So when we sin God is faithful and just and forgives us for all unrighteousness as we come to him as we repent in faith trusting in Jesus Calling on him for mercy. The fact that he relented and put on Jesus what was deserved by us as yours and mine? The big takeaway from Jonah chapter 3. God relents when we repent Through the word that is sent.
Like you and I have been blessed through the word that has sent. You may have had a person, a parent, a friend, a pastor, a teacher who God used to have a come-to Jesus meeting to cause the light bulb to go on to that. Come to Jesus moment. Perhaps today's the day, praise God. But celebrate this God relents. Repentant Christians who in faith turned to God, on their sin are sorry, for their sin, turn in the right direction and when they fall and fail celebrate and know that they can turn back to God call on God and work that process. And those steps. God relented on you and me because of Jesus Christ. It's biblical. Like God gives us all the time of Grace, God Longs for us to repent. It's a part of a life of Faith. Look at 2nd Peter, when Christians were asking, why isn't Jesus coming back? Sooner? Why does he know and all this? Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance what happened for Nineveh, what God wants for you, what God gave to Jonah, what John, the Baptist was calling for people as the same that God wants for others in your life. Maybe you're the one who might need to call the come to Jesus meeting. Maybe someone else might need to call on with you, praise God. Because in your time of Grace, God wants you and me to come to repentance. He doesn't want any of us to perish.
And as we do, Sometimes it's easy to think, how could God forgive me? Be overwhelmed with guilt or shame? Like a repentant heart as you bring those sins to God. It's hard because they're real, they're big like they're ugly. It's wicked King. David who was a guy? Who got a second chance? Understood this. He said My Sacrifice, O God, is a broken Spirit, a broken and contrite heart. You will not despise God will not turn his back on you. God will not turn away from you. But God, who welcomed with open arms just like that prodigal son, who got a second chance. This is how God responds to you and me to repent. And to Christians, your sins are forgiven, you have peace with God, your sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus.
And oh how I wish that was the end of the story.
Like the amazing Miracle of the great, great city of Nineveh and all of them coming to believe in God. Like, that's how Hollywood movies and right, like, close the chapter Jonah goes home. He tells everyone about it, like just think about that, if Jonas, Jonas, sermon, was that short? If he could do that in one day, I get 40 days and it will be destroyed. That short of sermon causes hundreds of thousands to believe like Amen, like praise God. Sadly, it's not.
Because, you know, this side of Heaven, sometimes we get in the right direction, like Jonah. Did he responded? But they're bumps and detours on the road, that leads back to a bad place. Mad with God plays, you got to come back for week, 4 to see how God continues to work. The Point of Jonah and sadly the issues that still remains in his heart. Something all of us will probably struggle with but for today, Celebrate, the governor Lentz. Then Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven. That's how he loves all people. You, me the Ninevites. Jonah. That's the God who loves and Longs for all of us, in our time of Grace, to celebrate it and live, a life of repentance.
