Realigning with the redeemer

Jonah 4:5-11

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Our next series will be on God's heart for the city and our role in the city.

The book of Jonah is less about the city of Nineveh. Rather, it is about the heart of Jonah. A prophet of God should be closest to God. But you notice the misalignment of God and his prophet. He does not see what God sees, he does not love what God loves. He reconciles Jonah to Himself by using a storm,a fish,a city's repentance... 

God sends a plant to shade Jonah. Then a worm to make it wither. And Jonah is angry enough over this to wish he could die. God uses this plant as an argument for the salvation of Nineveh. He asks Jonah why he cares more for a plant yuan for the entire city of Nineveh. A plant that lived for less then a day...compared to the entire population of the city. A city that God had created and cared for. God reveals the skewed priorities of Jonah's heart.

In this, Jonah serves as a mirror for our hearts...the people of God. We have our own. Our grades. Or job problems. Or someone is slacking on our group project. Or our sports teams. Such joy and anger over such small things. Consider what God thinks of these things in our lives. We get so worked up over what happens on a field, over our grades, and what happens at our job... But God is concerned with those who do not know their right hand from their left. Who do not know where life is found. Who are not saved. Those who are lost.

That is the gospel. God seeks to save that which was lost. This is what our lives are for. We are to advance the gospel with our lives. God prioritizes the lost, therefore the people of God should prioritize the lost and the city. Harvie Conn and others speak of ministry to cities. (Tim Keller and Manny Ortiz)Ronald J. Sider speaks of evangelical flight from the city. What kind of priorities do you have? That of a child of God? Or a self-seeking atheist? If you move based on schools or restaurants, then you're acting as a non-believer.