Transcription
So good to be in church, especially as we continue in our series and actually wrap it up. Our series in the book of Jonah, Rebel With a Cause. We're wrapping up today. So if you've got your Bible, you want to go ahead and grab that. Maybe you've got a phone on you, you can grab the app and get the notes that way. But go to Jonah chapter 4, Jonah chapter 4.
And uh God has got so much to speak to us through this chapter. And as I was studying, you know, actually last This today is my birthday. Last weekend was uh Becky and I's 13th wedding anniversary. So um that's Yeah, you can clap for that. Thank you, somebody. That's so much. Yeah. So it's a power-packed week. And um but as you think about your wedding anniversary, as you kind of, you know, you're celebrating that, you go down memory lane. And so this week as I was studying and thinking about, you know, what life was like with our children, but what life was like before children. I think maybe just in a word, it was different. So uh it was it's really great now and it had some great things back then, too. Um but one of the things is that you can travel just whenever you want to travel. You want to go somewhere, you go somewhere. And so something we determined as a couple is wait, before we have kids, we want to do like a like kind of a trip to Europe. I wanted to go to Europe. And so I asked Becky and she wanted to go to Europe. So we were agreed and we picked France. And so a couple years into marriage, we did a trip to France. We flew into the south of France, landed in Nice, went up into the foothills, and then we're doing several stops. So we went down from there to a beach town called Villefranche. And right on the coast, we stayed there two nights. And then we were going up into the French Alps, right on the border of Switzerland. And so we need to catch a train. And the train was leaving really early in the morning. And so um we knew that, we set our alarms really early, got up at 3:30 in the morning. We did not pack well for that trip. So I had huge suitcases, which is not the way to do Europe, but we did it and we were excited about it. So um in the middle of the night, basically, we're rolling through this little town, cobblestone streets, and the echo of our suitcases bouncing against the cobble I mean, it was loud and we were the only ones awake. I kid you not, not a single light on in the entire town. And so we we had to walk to the train station from the hotel because nobody else was awake. And so the train station was built into the side of the of the cliffs there. And it was a this platform was five stories up, no elevator cuz you're in Europe, take the stairs. And so we did that. We got all of our luggage, we went up the five stories of stairs. We're ready, waiting on the platform. Here comes the train. It's coming around the bend, along the mountainside, light on, and we step up to the platform with our luggage and it goes whoosh and zooms right past us. So we're like, okay, so we check our little paper in French. We don't read French. So we're like, yeah, this looks right. And uh look at the sign, also in French. It's before Google Translate. So um we were just kind of hoping it hoping that it works. And so we realized we're waiting. I'm thinking we're going to miss our train. We are going to miss the train and the the next one that takes us up into the Alps. Uh because we had to connect with that train in Nice. And so uh we're waiting and waiting, no train. So it's the middle of the night, it's dark. Here comes a delivery truck into town. We can see the whole town below us. And so we've got all of our luggage up there and it pulls into this I guess like a little grocery store right there and he's just sitting in his truck, he gets out, he's starting to unload, but he's the only one awake. And so Becky says, "I'll I'll just run right down there and I'll talk to him." And I said, "I'll guard the luggage." So um that's what I did. And she ran down there in the dark. I was like, "I can see you from up here." Um so she she ran down to talk to this delivery truck driver. And I'm watching it. So all of a sudden though, she goes around the side of the truck, I can't see her anymore. So it's the middle of the night, I'm thinking, uh-oh. I mean, where's where's my wife? Um and then I'm like, one Mississippi, two Mississippi, she's not coming out. So I'm like, I got to go rescue her. So I grab all the luggage because she left hers up there, too. And I go down the five stories worth of steps. As soon as I get to the bottom and set down the luggage, here she comes around there. She's She's like, "Yeah, HE SAID HE SAID THE TRAIN'S ABOUT TO COME. So we got to go back up." And we go Okay, great. So here we go. I go all the way back up all the five stories. We get to the platform and he was right. Here comes the train. So we step up to the platform. Here comes the train around the bend and whoosh, right past us. So he was not right. Um So what are we going to do? We're going to Now we're really going to miss our connecting train. So here comes a little taxi puttering through town. So now there are two people awake. And she says She's a godly, wonderful wife. She says, "I'll run down there and talk to the taxi driver." And I said, "I'll guard the luggage." So um she runs down and she's she's like, you know, maybe he'll give us a ride to Nice. It's like 45 minutes away. Um so she runs down, she's talking like in the driver's side window. I can see from the platform to the taxi driver. And she waves at me. So I think, great, he's going to give us a ride. So I grab the luggage cuz I can't hear her, I can only see her. So I grab all the luggage and I go down the five stories worth of steps. And she goes, "No, no, NO, NO, NO, NO." WHEN I GET TO THE BOTTOM, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? He said that the train IS COMING AND IT'S COMING RIGHT NOW." So I grab the luggage and I go back up all the five stories OF STEPS. WOO! NOW I'm sweating and we're definitely missing our train. But so we're waiting, we're waiting. Here comes the train. And it stops, doors open, we get in. We make it to Nice. We get to Nice and we find out that those trains into the Alps actually run every hour. So we it would have been okay. But um so now we're getting on this train to go up into this this beautiful scenic mountain train ride into the Alps. I slept the whole way. The whole way. I just didn't have the heart for it anymore. I was like, yeah, I'm done.
And honestly, when we come to the book of Jonah, in a much more serious serious setting, we come to a guy who has lost the heart for what God has put him in the middle of and what honestly what God wants to do through him. His heart We're going to find out why, but he's completely lost the heart for God's call on his life. Completely lost it. And we come to really some verses that are not only a cautionary tale to every one of us about the state of our own heart, but also a brilliant shining glimpse into God's heart and what he wants to do in us and through us. And we're going to actually back up just one verse into Jonah chapter 3 to give us some context. But Jonah chapter 3 verse 10 says, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil way, God relented from the disaster that he had said he would do to them. And he did not do it. 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 in my country? This is why or that is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, oh Lord, please take my life from me. For it is better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry? Do you do well to be angry?"
As we traverse through chapter 4, Jonah chapter 4, what I want you to see is not only where Jonah's heart is at, not only where God's heart is at, but I want you to see what God's heart for Jonah is when he's lost heart. What's God's heart for Jonah when he's lost heart? And the first lesson that we pull from this text is that God loves us enough to challenge our pride. God loves us enough to challenge our pride. I mean, can you imagine this for a moment? Jonah has just preached the largest three-day revival in human history. He is the Billy Graham of the Old Testament. And when it happens, he is not only shocked that they respond, he's dismayed. He's angry. He's frustrated. He preached a five-word sermon and these brutal, violent, wicked, oppressive people steeped in paganism and witchcraft respond in mass to God's call through Jonah the prophet. And yet in Jonah chapter 4 in verse 1, what do we read? "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly." This word displeased actually can be translated calamity. In other words, to Jonah, it was a disaster, a great disaster. Jonah watches, he preaches this message. All of Nineveh is response. Man, woman, boy, girl, everybody responds to this altar call and he is beside himself. And he looks at it and he says, "This is a total disaster." Why? Jonah chapter 4 and verse 2. "For I knew that you're a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster." You see, here's the here's what you need to remember. Jonah didn't run from God's plan because he was scared of the Ninevites. As bad as they were, as brutal as they were, as oppressive as they were, he didn't run because he was scared. He didn't run because he didn't think he was capable. He didn't run because he thought it would be hard. He ran because he knew what God is like and he didn't like it. This is Jonah's a Bible guy. Jonah's got a lot of knowledge about the Bible. In fact, he's quoting where right here, he is quoting from Exodus chapter 34 verses 5 through 7. Where we read this. This is Moses on Mount Sinai leading the children of Israel through the wilderness. He goes up on the mountain. God says, "I'm going to reveal myself to you." The Lord descended in a cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, faithfulness and and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Does Jonah have good theology? Yes or no? Yeah, he has great theology. If your theology is basically a verbatim quote from the mouth of God, you have good theology. Jonah has really good theology, he just has a bad heart. Here's the thing, you can know all of the right answers about God and be very far away from God's heart. That's where Jonah is. You can know a lot about the Bible and not know the God of the Bible. You can know a lot about the God of the Bible and not walk with the God of the Bible. You can know a lot about God. You can have a lot of theological acumen. You could have gone to Bible college or seminary and be cold and aloof and distant from God's plan and purpose being accomplished in your life. How did Jonah get there? Why is Jonah so angry? What's fueled this in his life? And I want to suggest to you that he's got there's a missing piece of the puzzle in his spiritual life. Because Hebrews chapter 4, I'm going to the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12 says, "For the word of the Lord is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart." Here's the thing, Jonah is fine as long as this sword is used on his enemies, but he's not okay if the scalpel of God's word does surgery on his own heart. Sometimes we're okay telling people what God's word says for them without first applying it in terms of what it says to us. And Jonah, this story about Jonah is a warning that you can know a lot about God, but if you allow God's word to be head knowledge without it ever becoming heart knowledge, then guess what? You're bound for trouble. You're bound for a destiny of future spiritual futility. That's where Jonah sits. That he's miserable, he's angry, and not only that, the root of in all of this is honestly that he's prideful. It's made him very, very, very proud. We see this when you go back to Jonah chapter 4 verses verse 2. And the Lord and he said, he prayed to the Lord and said, "Oh Lord, is this not what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish." Who's Who's the prominent character in this prayer? JONAH! I! I DID THIS. I DID THAT. THIS IS why I did what I did. You know what? Here's the thing, notice that pride thinks it has something to teach God. Wow. Pride thinks, "Hey God, like here let me tell you a few things. God, let me explain a few things to you." Not only does it have a few things to teach God, but what also is happening in Jonah's pride? Pride justifies the reasons why he didn't obey God. This is why I fled. This is why I didn't go where you called me to go. This is why I didn't do what you asked me to do. See, is it all making sense to you, God? Is it Is it kind of clear for you now? You understand why I couldn't go here and couldn't do this because I knew you would forgive them. I knew what you were like. I knew at the drop of a hat, people man, if people repent, you're like that. You're really good like that and I do not like it. But honestly, that's where Jonah's at because he thinks there are ultimately two categories of people. There are people who kind of like, yeah, they've got some issues to work out, but deep down inside at the core of them, they're good. And therefore, God of course God would forgive them. Like the Israelites, definitely good people. Definitely. Because, you know, deep down at the core, they're good. And then there are bad people and bad people, God can't do much with them, nor should he because they deserve judgment, wrath, fire and brimstone. That's all they're good for. And so you've got these people and you've got those people and I can never reach out to these people, nor should God reach out to them because ultimately they're just bad people. They're bad. Jonah says there are good people and there are bad people, but the Bible is crystal clear on this. Romans chapter 3 and verse 10, what does Paul say? AS SCRIPTURE SAID, "NO ONE." SOMEBODY say no one. No one. No one is righteous, not even one. So here's what the Bible says about Jonah's perspective. The Bible says, "No, no, no, no, no. There aren't good people and bad people, there are bad people and a good God." There are bad You know what? And God in his graciousness, God in his compassion, his heart is to reach people. And it doesn't matter where they're from or what they've been through or what they've done. God's heart is for them and so that's what God wants our heart to be for them. God loves people. But Jonah's pride, Jonah's arrogance and Jonah's perspective are keeping him. His pride is keeping him from entering into God's mission and participating in what God's heart is for the lost people, for the hurting people around him. God first loves Jonah enough to challenge his pride. Secondly though, I want you to see God loves him enough to confiscate his comfort. God loves Jonah enough to confiscate his comfort. Jonah chapter 4 and verse 5. Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there and he sat in it in the shade till he should see what would become of the city. So just kind of play this out in your mind here. So he goes through the city and we know from him going through the city, chapter 3 and verse 4, how long is he What did he say to them? Jonah began to go into the city and going a day's journey, he called out and said, "Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." So he does that. It said we learn that it's a three-day journey through the city. So for three days, he walks through the city and he does basically the bare minimum. 40 days and you're going to be overthrown. Then he walks to the next location. That's his whole sermon. And so that's that's Jonah's evangelistic appeal. Then at the end of that, he says, "Well, they've repented, but maybe it won't stick." And so he knows he's got to set his stopwatch for 40 days. He goes out in the sand. He sits a distance from the city and he watches. What is he watching for? He's wondering if God maybe might just destroy them. So he goes and gets his lawn chair, he gets his umbrella, he gets his lemonade and he sits in the sand and waits for a fireworks show from heaven to consume the people of Nineveh. This dude is messed up. He's not Not all is well with Jonah. He's not in a good place. He's totally ambivalent to the people who he has just preached to. It's not a good situation. Why does he find himself there? What's going on in his heart? Before we answer that question now, I would just I would just stop and say, when you think about that scene, what strikes me is what a missed opportunity that is. Why is that a missed opportunity? Well, he's got hundreds of thousands of people who have just said, "Count me in on following God." Come on, I want to I want to serve God. I I want to know more about God. Think about all the people that need to be discipled. Think about all of the hurting people who've got struggles they've got to work through. Think about all the people who are like, "Man, if I just knew more than 40 days and you're going to be overthrown, I'd really like to enter into a walk with God." Where is So Jonah is perhaps the preeminent at the time prophet in Israel. He's the best Bible teacher in the nation of Israel and he's sitting in the sand outside of a city filled with new believers and he won't go in. Do you realize Here's Here's what I would say to you. The first thing that strikes me about Jonah's desire for comfort and his ambivalence towards the call of God, it's causing him to miss a massive opportunity that God has strategically positioned him to take advantage of, namely pouring into and investing in the lives of other people. Here Can I just stop? I I would be remiss if I didn't say this that like we've got life groups happening all over the not only the greater Springfield area, but all over Southwest Missouri and there are some in this room and you're saying, "You know what? Too busy. Can't do that. Not interested in that. I think that's for other people and not for me." Can I tell you something? YOU'RE MISSING A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY. You're missing IT. WHY? BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU GIFTS, AND GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A STORY, AND GOD HAS GIVEN you experiences, and he didn't give that to you just for you. He gave that to you so that you can make a deposit in the lives of other people. Because it's not just about Jonah, and it's not just about us. But Jonah's made it about Jonah. Jonah's made it about his comfort. Jonah's made it about his preferences. Jonah's made it about what he'd rather do. Jonah has made it about Jonah. And so, what does God do with Jonah? Well, this is interesting. Chapter 4 and verse 6. Now, the Lord God appointed a plant. He appointed a plant. Would you like to see what that plant looks like? There it is. That's the plant. So, scholars kind of talk about this. What kind of plant was it? Some translations translated a gourd. I've always wondered how you got a lot of shade from a gourd. Um but the when you kind of dig a little bit, what you find out is that it was actually the trans- the translation of gourd is not quite appropriate. The actual plant is a castor oil plant. Um and these are kind of hard to find in Ozark in late September. But, we found one for you. So, we called every nursery in the surrounding area. None of them had, surprisingly, these beautiful specimens on hand. Um so, but we the last place we called said, "You know what? We don't sell them, but we have one growing in our backyard." WE WERE LIKE, "OH, PRAISE GOD. That's awesome." He was like, "But my wife would kill me if I gave that to you. Can't give it to you." He was like, "But my neighbor He's like, "She has some, and she might be totally fine with it." So, we're like, "Where do you live?" So, we drove over, knocked on her door. She wasn't home. The neighbor across the street was like, "Hey, are you looking for her?" Yeah, we want to dig up one of her plants. And uh he was like He was like, "Well, I don't know what she would say about that. She's not home right now, but she might be totally fine with it." So, we came back, and this gracious, wonderful person said, "Yeah, you can totally have it." So, castor oil plant. There you go. OH, GOD APPOINTED A CASTOR oil plant to grow up, and he made it come up over Jonah that it might shade him, might it might be a shade over his head to save him from his discomfort. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. So, I don't know if you remember all the rest of the book of Jonah, but this is the very first time that Jonah is happy about anything in the entire book. You can read the whole thing cover to cover. He's not happy about anything. Jonah's not happy when God calls him. Jonah's not happy when God speaks to him. Jonah's not happy when he's thrown into the sea and a whale or a fish sa- this great fish saves him. He's not happy when the whale spits him out on the beach. He's not happy when the people of Nineveh repent. He's not happy about anything. But he's happy about this. Why? Because Jonah is much more committed to Jonah's personal comfort than he is to anything God asked him to do. Jonah can say all he wants he's God's prophet. Jonah can say all he wants, and hey, God has used Jonah in spite of himself, but the fact of the matter is Jonah can say all he wants that he's committed to God's plan, committed to God's purpose, but when push comes to shove, what Jonah is ultimately committed to is his comfort. Even if it comes in the form of a raggedy old castor plant. Here's Here's what I would say. When you look at this plant, it isn't much to look at. Nor do I get the sense that it provides all that much shade. But to Jonah, this is everything. Which on- honestly reminds me that often what we trade for God's call in the name of comfort is sad. And that anybody looking at it would say, "What are you doing?" What are you doing? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE HAPPY ABOUT? YEAH, I'M REALLY I'M REALLY HAPPY about this. See, I I've Man, I've got this castor oil plant. Really excited about it. And you're But so, that's going to keep you from going and doing what God's called you to do? Yeah, yeah, I'm really pumped about it. It gives me shade. It's really nice. I don't get a sunburn on my head. Super awesome. Everybody can see it, but Jonah can't. He can't see that his comfort is though in the way of him pursuing God's call. And how many of us find ourselves in the exact same situation? Here I mean, I well, have you talked to your neighbor about Jesus? Well, you know, they're not home very much. I I just seem to miss them. So, do you Are they home Do they live there? Well, no, they live there. They live there. I just, you know, my work schedule, their work schedule. We've got, you know, I've got a barbecue this weekend. I I just couldn't No, no, no. Okay, so let's back up. How does your neighbor know that you know Jesus? I don't I don't I think so. Well, apparently, you know them well enough to know that they're busy. Does your neigh- So, what what For all of us, I think we have to stop and and step back and go, "What's keeping me from doing what from from reaching out to the people that God's put in front of me?" What's keeping Jonah from reaching out to the city of Nineveh? What's keeping him from investing in the lives of people? This guy right here. And how many of us, if God allowed us to zoom back out on our lives and actually see what he sees, and really expose our comfort for what it is, would realize and recognize that we're trading this for what God's got in front of us? The reality is this, that God has put people all around you, and he's put people all around me, and all it takes is you and I being willing to step out. ALL IT TOOK THINK ABOUT HOW CLOSE Jonah is to the city. He can He's sitting at it. He's watching it. He's looking at it, but he won't go in it. And how many of us we pass the same people every day. You see the same people. You know them. They know you, but they don't know the most important thing about you. Nor do they know the information that you have that is the only thing that can change their eternal destiny. Here's what the part one of the major lessons out of the story of Jonah is for every one of us. Never ever ever ever sacrifice your calling. What is your calling? Jesus said to the disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the good news. Preach the gospel." What's your calling? That's it. Number one. Number one. Never sacrifice your calling on the altar of comfort. Never. Why? Because we're trading Jonah's trading a rag- raggedy old plant for God's amazing, gracious call. Think about He is party to the largest revival, three-day revival in all of human history, and yet he'd rather be under a castor oil plant in the desert. Where is God calling you? What is God speaking to you? Where is he moving you? And can I tell you this? Whatever you've got in front of you that's keeping you from stepping into that, kick that sucker out of the way. KICK IT OUT OF THE WAY. SAY, "I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANYTHING." WHAT JONAH SHOULD HAVE DONE WHEN THAT PLANT grew up is he should have cut it down AND SAID, "NO, I'M GOING TO NINEVEH. NOTHING IS GOING TO KEEP ME FROM HELPING THOSE PEOPLE. NOTHING." GOD YOU SAY, "WELL, GOD gave it to him for his comfort. He gave it to him to alleviate his discomfort." Here's the Can I Can I clear something up for you on that? God gave him the plant to clear to alleviate his discomfort from the sun. Where could Jonah have gone and gotten shade? Any ideas? Nineveh. He could have gone and gotten shade in Nineveh. Do you remember how in chapter 3, the king repents in sackcloth and ashes? Here's what I'm betting. I'm betting if Jonah went to the king and knocked on his door and said, "Hey, would you like to do a little like small group Bible study? I could just stay at your place cuz I'm from out of town." The king WOULD BE LIKE, "YEAH, YOU CAN HAVE THE MASTER BEDROOM." LIKE, HE WOULD have thrown OPEN THE DOORS. THIS IS NOT a comfort issue. Jonah knows where he can get shade. So, what is the plant What is God doing? It's temporary temporarily relieving him of his discomfort to paint a picture of where he actually is. The plant is a picture. So, Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. Now, what does God do? Let's skip down to 7 and 8. So, God appoints the plant, and Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant, but when dawn came, the next day God appointed a worm that attacked the plant. For the plant, God had a worm. God had something he was going to do in Jonah's life. He was going to flip the script, as it were, because God wants to expose what is eating at the root of Jonah's spiritual life. Can I tell you this? What Here not only does comfort keep us from pursuing God's call, but the reality is this, there are sometimes when we're thinking, "Man, why can't I hear from God? Why you know, so-and-so, they said that God speaks to them. They said that God is leading them. They said that God is providing for them. I don't feel like God's anywhere to be found." And the fact of the matter is, we've got this plant in our lives, we've got this comfort in our lives, and it's keeping us from entering into what God wants to do in us and through us. It's keeping us. And so, what does God do for Jonah? The gift is not the plant, the gift is the worm. There's He sends a worm to eat at the root of what is causing Jonah's spiritual decay. Could it be this morning that some of you are mourning the loss of something in your life that God purposely killed? God was getting it out of your way so that you could step into the future that he has for you. And Jonah shouldn't be thanking the Lord because of the plant, he should be thanking God for the worm. Because the worm is going to be the source that wakes Jonah up to his purpose. I don't know where where you find yourself this morning, but the truth of the matter is this, that God has a world out there that we're called to reach. He has people that you're called to engage. He has things He has areas where you could use your gifts to serve and invest and strengthen the church. And whatever's in your way from stepping into what God has for you, step right over that and walk into his purpose and plan for your life.
Finally, I want you to see this. God loves Jonah enough to change his perspective. He loves him enough to change his perspective. Verse 9. Verse 9. But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry. Angry enough to die." And the Lord said to him, "You pity the plant for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came up into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much more cattle?" Now, when you read that, do you think, "Why does he include the cattle? Like I mean, I like cows, too." What is God saying? He's saying, "Jonah, I know that when you look at that adult population of Nineveh, you don't pity them. I know you don't care. But it's not Let's just not Okay, let's not just think about the men and the women in that city. There are 120,000 people, people. And they're so little, they don't know their right hand from their left. These are These are the kids of Nineveh. Jonah, if you don't care about the adults, then do you care ABOUT KIDS? CUZ I CARE ABOUT THEM. Cuz I love them. YOU CARE ABOUT A PLANT. Do you care You didn't water that. You didn't fertilize it. You didn't give it to yourself. Your source of comfort is not something you made. You didn't do anything to deserve it or earn it. I made these people. I love These are These are my creation. They're made in the image of almighty God. Do you care about them? I not only made them, but I made everything in that city. I even made the cows. Jonah, do you Do you care? Jonah, do you Do you see? It's interesting this this book. God loves Jonah enough to change his perspective. We don't get the end of the story on Jonah. We can only assume because Jonah's the one who wrote the book that at some point he was willing to tell the story to see for us to be able to see what happens to your heart when it's that far off. But also to see in brilliant living color the heart of God. Here's the thing this morning. The book of Jonah ends on an unresolved question, because the question that God asked Jonah is the same question he's asking you. And he's asking me. David, are you Are you going to put your comfort in front of my call? Mark, are you going to put my comfort in front of your call? Are you going to harbor Are you going to harbor pride? Are you going to have it your way and miss out on what I want to do through you and what I have for you, or are you going to say, "God, whatever it is you have, I want." God, whatever it is you're calling me to do, I'll do. God, whoever it is you want me to serve, I'll serve. God, I won't I won't ever I won't ever put comfort in front of the people that you've called me to reach. Do you have God's heart? Do I have God's heart? The book of Jonah ends with a lingering question, an unresolved question, because it's the question that every one of us every one of us every follower of Christ has to ask, "Where in my life does my heart not line up with God's? And what am I going to do about it?" Because God's heart is for people. God's heart is for the lost. God's heart is to save. God's heart is to transform. And guess what he's called you to do. God has called you to enter into that mission, to embrace his heart, to see a world transformed by his love expressed through you.