God is Good
of Fish and Fields
October 24, 2021
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
Jonah 4 teaches that faithful stewardship of God's Word requires aligning our hearts with God's character and will—receiving His mercy and accepting His actions—rather than clinging to personal agendas, comforts, or anger.
Summary
The closing message in this stewardship series draws on Jonah 4 to expose the heart agendas that block us from sharing God's saving message: wanting God to be the way we prefer and wanting Him to act according to our desires. Jonah hated God's gracious mercy toward Nineveh and clung to his own sense of justice and comfort (illustrated by the plant that shaded him and then withered), becoming furious and despairing when God acted as God would. The challenge is to repent of anger at God's providence, reject the two-picture view of reality rooted in hopelessness, and embrace God’s character and purposes so we can faithfully steward and proclaim His Word.
Key Points
- Context: final sermon in a stewardship series using Jonah 4 to examine why people resist sharing God's message
- Core claim: faithful stewardship requires wanting God to be as He is and to do what He wills
- Two heart agendas that block stewardship: (1) shaping God into what we want Him to be, (2) expecting Him to act only as we desire
- Jonah's problem: he hated God's mercy toward Nineveh and preferred a different outcome
- Illustration: God appointed a plant to comfort Jonah; when it withered Jonah became furious, showing attachment to comfort and control
- Warning: preferring our will over God's can lead to despair, anger, and refusal to desire God's ways
- Call to action: repent of anger at God’s providence, embrace His gracious character, and steward His Word by aligning our desires with His will
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