Mad at God - Week 3 - The CORE - Pastor Mike Novotny
Mad at God
Week 3 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
That's good news. I woke up today to the mercy of God and an email that gave me great joy. If you don't know, Pastor Michael does so much of the Pastoral Care Ministry here, that's kind of, behind the scenes, I tend to be the guy that gets to preached more sermons and make more videos. But I can tell you what that spiritual health of our church and the way that we're able to love and serve people is a majority of what he does here as your pastor leading our staff, doing so much of the stuff that you might not see in a Sunday morning. So I'm personally, super, super grateful. He's here, it makes this ministry a billion times stronger. So give me a fist bump. If you see him give him a big hug. You like, hugs, Pastor Michael. Can I have everyone hug you afterwards just group hug after church in the lobby. We'll see you there. Alright, welcome back to week number three of four of the sermon series on the Book of Jonah.
If Jesus gave our church, a report card what kind of grades do you think we'd get?
100, that question the other day, if Jesus was sitting in the back row, kind of observing a Sunday morning, if he gave it more than one Sunday, but stuck around for a month or six months, for a whole year and ended up just say what's going well, what could use some improvement? What do you think he would say? I'm totally guessing obviously Jesus didn't send me a PDF and an email this morning. And I wonder if you agree with my analysis because I think that Jesus would look at the way that our church tackles some pretty difficult topics and I think he would be pleased. You give that like we're going to shy away from things. If they're countercultural or complicated or taboo which is grab the book, open it up. Say What God Says with compassion and truth, I think he would love how we do it as a church.
And I say this because he's blessed us in substantial ways. I think he'd be really pleased with how much we talk about that.
That the feel the mood of our church is not just do do, don't don't, but it's so much about what Jesus has done right here, about forgiveness, and mercy, and salvation, and Heaven as a gift and were justified by his blood. That's like, not just a Christmas and Easter slapped onto the end of a sermon kind of thing. That's, that's what we're all about. The gospel of God, and not just the laws that we should obey as Christians. I think he'd love that.
But there's another part that I'm not sure, Jesus would be so excited about
I think it wouldn't be our best grade. I'm almost positive. It won't be my best grade. I think the thing that Jesus would want me and us to improve on is our Clarity on the doctrine of repentance.
Here's why I say that. Every year I have a chance to go to a local Christian High School and speak to what.. 100 high school seniors. Many of them have been raised in this church or local churches like ours we talked about a little book that I read, book that I wrote on Christianity and sexuality all the kids get to send me a question anonymously and as I read these questions, not just one or two of them but hundreds of them over all these years that I've done this, I've realized That these kids really understand the idea of sin, right? That sin is serious to God. Is a holy God, he's a perfect God. When we don't do what he wants, that matters much to God the wages of sin is death. I think these kids get that And based on their questions. I think they understand that God is the one who forgives sins. You don't have to do enough, good things like climb some ladder to get back to God. There's no scales to balance out your bad with your good. They understand that God loved the world so much. He sent his son and through that son. Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins and the free gift of Heaven. It, they get that
But the thing that I sense that a lot of them don't get, Is repentance.
For sure everyone in the world has sinned for sure. God loves everyone, the world so much, he sent his son but that part of the middle about repentance and Faith but a change of heart about what get someone over the line from outside God's family to inside of it based on their feedback, their confusion. I think I know what they get it.
Hit me one year.
These kids don't go to another church.
Lots of them, come to this church.
I can't blame another Pastor for not making it clear. I have to Take a long look in the mirror. These are the kids who have been coming here for years, week after week, hearing me talk sermon after sermon. And they don't understand what I would say is a fundamental part of the Christian faith. I wonder if there's not tons of room for improvement, have I taught them clearly about something. Jesus talked about all the time about repentance.
And as long as I'm asking the question, have I taught you clearly?
Well, let's see. Got a pen in your hand. Take it out. Let me hear the click. I left you a spot in your bulletin. If you're watching at home, you can find something to write down on a spot that just has repentance equals. I'm going to give you 20 seconds of awkward silence, and I want you to write down anything and everything. You can think of repentance, what is it? What does it look like? How do you know that your pencil? Why is it important? Whether it's your first time in church in a long, long time or you've been here every single Sunday and every time we're different, 20 seconds, everything, you know about repentance and your marks Get set, go.
Three, two one. Alright, pens down, are you take your paper exchange it with the person next to you. Get nervous on the teacher would say that man I wish I had time to read all of your notes because I'd be super curious what you said. Like if you thought repentance was something that happens here in your heart, it's a good change of the way you feel about something or it happens here in your head, it's just a change in your beliefs and way of seeing the world. Is it a change with your Hands is repentance. Something you do that. People can see. Do you really need repentance? If God loves the world and Jesus died for the sins of everyone. I wonder how you processed all those big questions. Because I can tell you this to our lord. Jesus repentance mattered so much. Let me show you in the Gospel of Luke chapter 24. Jesus is versus away from zipping, back up into heaven, and here's what he says to his friends. The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. There is forgiveness at the cross Resurrection on Easter morning, and Some Jesus’ closing words. Repentance for the Forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to All Nations, where Peter and James, and John, and Mary, and Martha, and me. And you supposed to do in the name of Jesus. Go to All Nations. Doesn't matter where you're from. You could be Russian, Brazilian, Mexican, North American. You should preach in Jesus' name, for sure. But what did you preach repentance for the Forgiveness of sins? You're about to find out that repentance matters, massively. It's the thing that gets you from outside to inside, from in danger of the wrath of God to not being afraid for a single second of his judgment repentance is the thing. If done rightly that can restore relationships and marriages father's with children, it can be cheap. Keep a church together in love and unity. Before I say Amen, I hope you're going to do a ton about the Biblical teaching of repentance.
Because that's what Jonah chapter 3 is all about. We're at a third installment here. The Book of Jonah. If you're just jumping in, we meet this guy. Jonah, he's kind of bad because he runs from God. But God goes after him, God catches him. There's this big fish involved, it sounds kind of crazy. You gotta listen to last week's sermon, this fish swallows Jonah, vomits him back up. Jonah, I think dripping, needing a shower and God speaks to him for the second time and we're to learn all about that and all about repentance here in Jonah chapter 3 verse of the chapter starts. Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Go to the great city of Nineveh and Proclaim to it. The message I give you. Jonah obeyed, the word of the Lord, and went to Nineveh. Now, Nineveh was a very large city, it took three days to go through. It Jonah began by going, a Day's Journey Into the City, proclaiming 40, more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.
So Jonah goes. And don't miss the numbers here in these verses. He goes to this huge Metropolitan City picture like wandering the streets of New York, I take three days just to get through. Now, if the little town and some of you grew up in is massive but Jonah doesn't wait for the third day to start preaching. On the very first day, he starts to proclaim his message and his message can be squeezed down into just a few words. The single sentence here in our English Bibles 40 more days and Nineveh will be overthrown in Hebrew. It's just five words on day one. We know that Jonah preached has five Hebrew words and he says Nineveh you got 40 days Well, you might be big and strong. You can torture and oppress other nations. But my God holds you in the palm of his hand. You got 40 days until he crushes you like a bug, repent turn or you will burn. God's Wrath will come down like a fireball from Heaven Jonah all by himself, wandering, the streets of this, Metropolitan City, preaches boldly and brashly and in their face. So what do you think these people do?
Ignore him as some crazy sidewalk prophet?. Arrest him, dragged into the king, impale him, stretch him out and Flay him like they did other opponents of the Assyrian Empire. Those would be reasonable guesses. Actually, here's what happens. The ninevites Believed God.
In the original Hebrew, the first word of that sentence is believed Jonah. One guy, Preachers, five words that he received from God. And the very first word of response is believed the most unlikely people believed God. And is more a fast was proclaimed and all of them from the greatest to least put on sackcloth.
Mourning, reach the king of Nineveh. He rose from his throne. Took off his Royal robes covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation. He issued to Nineveh. By the decree of the king. And his Nobles do not let people are animals, herds or flocks taste anything do not let them eat or drink but that people and animals be covered with sackcloth, let everyone call urgently on God, let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows, God, May yet relent, and with compassion turn from his Fierce anger. So that we will not perish.
Man, something hit them hard in the heart. And everything changed.
From the greatest to the least. The text says, from the King on his throne, to the beast in the barn, everything changed. The way they thought about their own behavior, they now call the evil ways that needed to be turned from, Things changed in their hands. They reacted and I'll word ways that people could see what happened here by the power of the word of God was, I think the biggest conversion in Biblical history,
And you can see it. It's what the sackcloth and Ashes for all about. You know the biblical custom of wearing sackcloth and Ashes. Whenever you felt like it really, really bad either because of grief or guilt in your heart but you know, your neighbor can't see your heart. In ancient cultures, they would often have the custom of showing how they felt on the outside. And we do a tiny bit of that when you wear black at a funeral, I'm grieving inside. So I'm not going to come in my brightly covered floral dress to mom's funeral or they'll be disrespectful but they would go even a step further. They would take sack cloth, which like, those burlap sacks will be packaged coffeevbeans in and they dress themselves in it. Because just like the bristly fibers were irritating, their skin. So the thought of their own sinfulness was irritating to their soul.
And the dust and the ashes, the king sat down and them off in the Bible, you take scoops of them and just dump them on your head. Because if you felt this ugly inside about the choices you had made, you don't want to look beautiful on the outside. You let your hair go. You won’t put makeup on if we don't be close, you don't want the world to see what I've done. It. Just feel so foul in my heart. I want to display that so that the world knows it.
And this little snippet. The word of God comes. Hearts change and heads change and hands change in ways that people can see The people are grieved by what they've done and get their calling you urgently upon God to not treat them as they deserve. This is this perfect little snapshot of what it looks like to repent.
Grab a pen, let me break down just some key principles we see here that apply, not just back then but to you and me today, For things, I think we learned about repentance is the first.
First of all, repentant people believe God.
That's where it all started, right? The Ninevites believe God, An unrepentant person doesn't believe. God, God says, this behavior is bad on her pain persists. No, it's not. It's normal. It's natural. Doesn't seem that bad to me. Repentance starts with believing that God knows what he's talking about. He recorded in the Bible. If he said it's bad, it's worthy of punishment in hell to repent. Means to believe him. I'm not going to redefine right and wrong. I'm not going to follow my heart. I'm not going to check this latest survey in America. I'm going to listen to What God Says believe him. That's where repentance begins. Remember when the very first Temptations, when the devil came to Adam and Eve, That they got really say. You shouldn't eat that fruit. Yeah, he said we should touch it. You won't die. Don't believe God.
The repentant hearts are humble enough to say if he's God and I'm just me. If he's been around for all eternity, with the Pinnacle of wisdom and I'm 42 and a half and forget like the passwords to find my own accounts. Well why wouldn't I believe him? Repentance starts with humility that leads to believing in God. Number two, repented people are sorry for sin.
Let me say this really clearly: repentant people, Christian people do sin. They sinned a lot. They're tempted by sin. They fall into sin, every one of us for the rest of their life is going to struggle with sin. We're never going to get to that spot where sin is part of our past instead of our present, but here's what repentant people do. They have a sorrow over sin? I can't be proud of my sin if God isn't proud of it. I can't live in a lifestyle if God doesn't like it. Yes, I might relapse. Yes. It might draw me like a magnet, but I can't wake up and say I'm proud of it. I do it again. I'm planning on doing it tomorrow. That it's not what repentant people feel. Because repentant people believe God. They love God. They want to follow the spirit of God.
And so the difference isn't between good behavior and bad behavior. The difference happens to the heart Two people might commit the same sin. One is proud of it when it's grieved by it. That's repentance. We believe God as those who've been loved by God and we're sorry for sin. Three.
Repentant people show that they are sorry.
So I can't see your heart. You can't see mine. I don't know if you're proud of the thing you said or deeply grieved by it, and so, throughout the Bible, there's this theme, we can't dictate the details, but repentance will show up. Just like fruits shows up on a living tree. John the Baptist actually talked about the fruit of repentance. You're sorry, praise God, how can you show the world that you're sorry? You didn't love your neighbor as you should. I'm glad you realize that serious to God. Not the, how can we let your neighbor know that you want to be a different kind of person? For the king of end of it was sackcloth and Ashes for you and me and might look different. I will talk about more about that in a second. Finally, they'll repentant people call on God's compassion.
And with the King said, let everyone call urgently on God, who knows? God May relent and with compassion turn from his Fierce anger, so that we will not perish. The king didn't fall into that modern trap where, well, God is love. So he never be angry at anyone. No. I mean, we get angry at Deep Injustice has at children being hurt at abusive things that we think are evil. We get emotional about God does too.
But the king said I deserve the fierce anger of God is wrath, should fall down from heaven? But maybe if I call out to him, he'll have mercy. Maybe you won't treat me as I deserve to be treated. I'm not worthy of his love and affection. Maybe he'll give it, even though I'm not. Maybe he'll show me Grace.
And you put all that together. And you got a good snapshot of repentance.
Repent of people believe God which leads them to be sorry for sin, which leads them to want to do things differently, and show the world that they're storing the whole time. They're calling upon God for grace mercy and forgiveness that they don't deserve.
And you won't believe. Unless you're a believer. What God does next verse 10? Get this. When God saw, what they did and how they turn from their evil ways. He relented. And did not bring on them the destruction that he had threatened. What the people of Nineveh, the terrorists, they humble themselves that they drop to their knees. Covered themselves in sorrow and God's heart was so compassionate, so big. So loving. You don't make them balance the scales, he didn't make them fix their karma. He just offered them. The one thing that no one would think they had coming his Mercy, his love and his forgiveness.
So I would summarize Jonah chapter 3 in this way. Write this down, God relents when we repent.
And we repent through the word, God sense.
Right. What's my grade for Jesus’ Church? Reps you like that one? Oh God relents, we see that. Literally he relents when we repent he saw what they did. He backed off from his anger and Justice. God relented when we repent but before any of us think well how great that I'm a repentant person know this, they would never have repented if it wasn't for the word that God sent through the prophet. Jonah. God gets the credit for forgiving them. God gets the credit for changing their hearts, which is why we say being saved. Even Faith itself is a gift that comes down from God. I can't teach you everything about repentance today but I hope you remember this key truth God Reliance when we repent and we repent through the word that God sent.
Yeah, but 500 years ago, there was another Pastor who gave his church a report card He was read his Bible and thinking about his church, his church culture, the denomination. He was a part of notice, some things that lined up really nicely with the scriptures and there were some other things that didn't seem to fit. And so, the pastor started to make a list of things you want to talk about. And you weren't on one thing and then five things, and then 10 things, and then 30 things, and then 50 things. And then 70 things past relate to talk, huh? And then he reached 90 things and 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 things, In fact, my whole list, The local bulletin board of his town. The door of the local church. He hammered it. There the start of a conversation and, you know, the story there was 1517, the man was Martin Luther and the 95 things are what we call the 95 Theses, let me show you a picture. The 95 things is Pastor wanted to talk about, you might have heard that story before if you're new to church, maybe not. But do any of, you know, the very, very first thing on Martin Luther's, long, long, long list, I'll show you forget the typos, and I quote Luther wrote this in the very first thesis when our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ said repent. He will door Jesus wanted the entire life of believers. To be one of repentance.
What was he saying? He's saying what Jesus said, repent and believe the good news. He was telling us the whole thing
Footnotes in the story of the Christian faith. Repentance believing God taking sin. Seriously earnestly Desiring to serve god with your life, calling upon his mercy and compassion. This is what it's all about. Right. In other words, repentant people are Christian people. And anyone who's not repentant is not Christian. And anyone who has repented is
Anyone who's proud of their sin, instead of soaring for it, no matter what they call themselves is not good with God. And someone who is grieved by their sin and believes in Jesus, no matter how much they struggle with it is good with God, because the one who repents and believes in the cross of Jesus, is the one who will be saved.
Which is why I want to leave you today with four quick takeaways. I don't have room in your notes for this but if you can write them down you can there's just four things that I'm taking away really practically for my life today. And I want to share with your life to everyone. Ready for it. Repent shocks was actually Jesus. First sermon, I think Gospel of Mark 1:15. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near repent and believe the good news.
Some of you here today and you're holding onto sin, kind of like it. There are some short-term benefits. Jesus would say, do not, do not, do not throw away the kingdom of God, Eternal joy and happiness, just to hold on to something like this. Should change your mind about it. Change your heart about it. I have no doubt, it feels good. I have no doubt. It's going to be hard to follow me, but I'm offering you eternity. Don't throw it away for the things of this world. It's better to die to yourself now and have life with God. Then if that doesn't describe your Heart just yet. Repent, it's not too late. Maybe it's why God brought you here today. Number two.
The Bible.
I'm about to tell you as a pastor on a Sunday morning to read the Bible. Well shots, here's why it's God relented. When we repent but we repent through the word God sent. Then how important is the work God sent?
We often think, you know, if we were raised with a lot of church and we've read the Bible before like again, I know that I know where my faith is. I maybe don't need organized religion or a morning devotion or Sunday church service. I'm still going to pray. I'm not going to become an atheist tomorrow but here's what happens. The human heart is a lot like the the alignment on your car.
It's going perfectly straight. And even if there's not a major accident, just it starts to drift.
You really think about math, just one percent or two percent off over time? Ends up with a big gap.
I call this the Christian kid at ecology effect. I'm talking about. I know somebody. Really great young men and women who are raised with a ton of church, ton of Jesus ton of law, ton of gospel, maybe they go to a Christian School, where there's Chapel Services and memory working. They know a lot about the Bible and so they get to graduation, they go off to college and, you know, college is crazy and things are busy and maybe don't have a car on campus and your church. Home is so far away. So Christian kids don't think what my faith is going to be fine. Even if I'm not connected to the word of God right now.
And it is.
But then as the alignment starts to shift a little bit when God doesn't have a chance to shape your thoughts and your values and your actions. Maybe you remember what the church back home teaches? But you start to forget, why did I believe that?
What was the passage that led me to that conclusion? What was the chapter in the verse that gave me that conviction? When that starts to fade from your mind is like studying Spanish verb forms back. When you were in high school, thanks, if you don't use it, you start to lose it. The same thing happens with faith. And so for all of you who are maybe going through a time of transition, maybe you're sending a kid off to college or you're going to college, I may be your close to a big move or you won't be close to this church anymore. I just want to urge you and beg you. If repentance matters as much to Jesus, And repentant Hearts happen through their contact, with the word of God, just like the Ninevites In Jonah, then, I'm just begging, you don't don't presume that. Your faith will be fine without the thing that creates and strengthens faith.
Don't get royalties. When you download the Bible app, come on the Bible app. We're not selling Bibles in the lobby, we're giving them away. Grab one, whatever it takes for you to remain connected to this word. So that your faith and your future is lined up. Towards the kingdom of God is worth every second.
Number three: Produce fruit.
Remember I said that people who are sorry for sin, they try to show that, they're sorry. That's what the what John the Baptist called the fruits of repentance and it is so powerful. If you ever read your Bible or you're here in church and listening to a message and the Holy Spirit convicts, you of a way that you've treated, another person isn't good and loving That's a great start. It's not be proud of a sin, you've committed. But to be grieved by, its want to change and be a better person is amazing, but the person may be that you sent against that you haven't traded, well doesn't know what's happening in your heart. And that's why it's so important to produce fruits to do something that they can see. I can't dictate the details of what this looks like. It's different every situation, but if you can think of someone, like, if you haven't had the strongest relationship with them, there's some tension at work. He had an argument with an old friend things that marriage are terrible, but they're not great. What would it look like for you to produce fruits?
If you're the husband, who's maybe reading the Bible and you come to that part, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy. And you think, oh, man. Like I have a contract with my job and I have a covenant with my wife and I pour my time and energy and passion into one. I'm not So sure how much I poured into the other.
He just realized, you've literally worked harder to make the boss Happy who will soon replace you and have presumed upon the sacred vow and Covenant that you've made with your wife. If that hits you. Praise God. For that moment. Now, it's time to show it.
It's time to sit down and take her by the hands and say, wow, I've taken our marriage for granted. I don't know how to be less busy at work just yet. It's going to be messy, but I want you to know that you are a priority in my life. I loved our kids. But you came before the kids, I love my job but it's just a job. Why don't you tell me? What would it mean if you could see that kind of fruits
It gives you hope it lets you know, that this situation, we're trying to get it back on track like producing fruits is what people that God can see your heart, your neighbor cants
If you're that mom, who's gotten like totally caught up in America and child-raising culture, you know, this is the kids got to be cute little onesies and we got to have a fancy birthday cake window. And it just hits you in that moment. While I put seven hours into a crazy birthday party for my one-year-old who will not remember. When saw last time I spent 7 hours thinking about how to love my husband as backwards, right? And we all know it's Like when that conviction happens, and that's coming from God. How can you show him?
All right, how can, how can you Wing the birthday party, but plan to get away.
For the sake of the one-year-old itself, how can you make sure that this is strong instead of flipping it upside down and I don't know what that looks like. If it's a text a date on vacation you booked an apology but I'll tell you this, when people see fruit, it gives hope
An argument with someone and there's fault on both sides. Let's see what their relationships just going to drift until someone produces the fruit and says, you know what? And it was a hard conversation but my God wants me to be patient and kind and when I said that to you, that was not patient or kind, I'm asking for your forgiveness.
A human beings families churches and get through almost anything if there is repentance that is visible through fruit. And so, when the word of God convicts us to get back to the love of God, let's produce the fruit of the spirit that other people can see.
Fourth. Finally.Jesus.
Put a box around it, put a bunch of stars, whatever you got to do. Jesus. Remember the king of Nineveh said, who knows God, they were cleansed and with compassion turn from his Fierce anger. If you know about Jesus, your hands going to go up and say, your king, I know. Will God relent? Do I have to hold my breath? He's the fireball of his judgment going to come down on me. If you know Jesus, you don't have to wonder about such things.
We know that God has turned from his Fierce anger. We know that Jesus said in John chapter 3, he did not come 2000 years ago to judge the world, but to save the world We do know that even we, that we struggle with so many things that we have a savior, who wiped us clean that the, the fear of God looking down on us, judging us punished
Gone because we have a Jesus who took the punishment in our place. But God looking at us like sackcloth and dust and ashes and ugliness not I don't know. That's not how God sees his people. As the blessing says, his face shines upon us, those were clothed in the perfection and righteousness of Jesus. Just like shocking story, the people of Nineveh, they cried out to God for forgiveness and in the very next verse God gives it. He does the same thing today. The same.
They're sitting there. Wishing, you could do things over, you have to make it up to me. There's no scoring system, I'm not into Karma, I'm into compassion, I mean to Grace. And right now, in this moment, I've relented and smiled upon you as my forgiving child.
At the heart of repentance is not beating ourselves up and trying harder at the heart of repentance is turning away from something that isn't Jesus. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing like Jesus.
That's why I want to leave you with the video today.
Just a minute. I'm gonna show you a clip from a video of one of my favorite artists Christopher Powers. I love this clip. It's always been my favorite clip from his work and here's why.
Because Christopher doesn't shy away from the Wrath in the Holiness of God.
You knows that God hates sin, my sin, and your sin, that he has to take it seriously because sin hurts people. That hurts our connection with Jesus. God has every right in his Justice to send the fire from heaven to overturn our lives, and our eternities. And yet, This video also reminds us that two thousand years ago. Jesus was lifted up high in a cross. It wasn't doing that for other people. He was carrying my name on his shoulders, your sins. And your story was on his mind, he was thinking of you when he went to that cross. So God's justice would be satisfied. The Judgment would be over that Satan, that ancient serpent would lose his grip on our soul. And instead, we would stand white and pure and clean in the sight of a holy and good God. Three. We think we're repentance leads. It leads us to the foot of the cross where there's nothing but forgiveness and eternal love of God.
