Sunday service: Jonah series

Self-Righteousness Spoils a Heart

Jonah 4

Do you ever have something rotted in your fridge that caused the whole fridge stings?

Same as our life, if something goes wrong in our life, and we leave it in there, it will spoils our life, and the people around us.

Self-righteousness happens in every Christian's life, that spoils us, and caused us din't notice our sins.

1. Self-righteousness causes me to hate God's will when it's different from mine.
Jonah 4:1
Jonah preached in Nineveh, everyone repents and turn away from their sins and they are saved, but Jonah was displeased and angry. Why?
Le's pause and think a minute, isn't this happens in our life too, when we face something in our life, we will angry with God for what He allows. Because that's not what you wish for?
The issues is not God, but our attitude
Question: Do I trust God's goodness when I don't understand?

2. Self-righteousness causes me to resent God's nature unless it benefits me.
Jonah 4:2-4
Even Jonah was angry, he pray, but that's probably the worst prayer. Look at what he prayed: He tried so hard to escape, because he knows God will shows grace and save them. He doesn't want God shows mercy to the people in Nineveh, and he rather die.
Just like the kid doesn't want other kids receives same love as the father gives. *selfish*
God asked: "Are you really so very angry?"
Jonah didn't reply, but left the city.
Jonah shows selfishness and self-righteousness, he thinks he completed God's mission, but God not just want his action, but his heart.


3. Self-righteousness causes me to desire judgement for others but grace for myself.
Jonah 4: 5-11
God appointed a little plant to shade Jonah, and Jonah was very delighted (This is the first time he's happy in the whole Book of Jonah, what?!)
Perhaps in Jonah's heart, he thinks: God finally realized I was right, hah~
However, in the next day, God sent a worm and attacked the plant and it dried up.
Jonah angry and request to die (What? because of the plant?)
God asked: "Are you really so very angry about the little plant?"
God taught Jonah how selfish he is, he cares about the plant which he not work on, yet concern about it died, but not the thousands people in Nineveh.
Jonah thinks he is worthy to be saved, just like us as a Christian. Nobody deserves GRACE, that's why it is Grace.

When we saw people sins, we want people face justice, but not us when we sin.
When grace fills our heart, we forget our own sin, self-righteousness will grows in our heart, spoils and destroys. Once it spoils, our life will become stings and smelly, and that will destroy the relationship with our family, friends, and of course, relationship with God.

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