Live Free with Josh Howerton - "That's Not Fair" | Ep. 190 | Friday, October 27, 2023

Episode Date: October 27, 2023

We are all in need of God’s grace, but do you ever believe some people are more worthy of it than others? Jonah was thankful when God showed him mercy, but he was angry when He showed the same mercy to Nineveh. God’s grace gives all of us what we do not deserve, and that is not fair. Thank God today for not being fair with you. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, what's up? Thanks for joining us for the Daily Drive. I'm Mike, and this week we have been unpacking an awesome story about a guy named Jonah, and we have been binge watching it, Netflix style. And today we hit the final episode, so let me just say one last time, previously on Jonah. Jonah's a prophet. He's a spokesperson for God. God gives him an assignment. Jonah refuses. He runs from God in the opposite direction from the city of Nineve where God had told him to go. A storm comes up on the sea. He's a person. He's a person. He's a person. He's a person. He's a person. He's a person. He's a person. He's a man. He says, as Jonah attempts to sail away from God. The sailors throw him overboard to save their own lives.

God rescues Jonah from drowning in a supernatural way. Jonah ends up on a beach extremely grateful for God's grace, agrees to finally go, although reluctantly, to give Nine of God's warning that if they don't clean up their grossly immoral act, God was ready to drop the hammer. Jonah is hoping for the latter to happen. But as he tells them to repent, they do. They begin to express profound sorrow and they turn away from their evil and they turn toward the true and living God and God changes his mind.

He withholds his wrath and he gives them mercy and grace. And Jonah is absolutely thrilled. Not so much. We're calling episode 4, offended by grace. I couldn't help but think as we worked through the story of Jonah about the day in 1992 when we got a call. God was asking us to step out of her comfort zone and move to Las Vegas to plant a new church. And then growing up in Kentucky, Vegas felt like Nine of it to me. It was called Sin City. And the call felt so strong that for us not to go, it seemed like we were like running in the opposite direction.

And it was a great adventure. And I learned more about myself and about the grace of God than ever before in my life. And we refused to call it Sin City. We call it the city of grace because the scripture, says were sin abounds, grace abounds that much more. And people from every walk of life and dysfunction discovered the God of second chances and found his grace to be the most amazing thing in the world. It was so refreshing. And I learned a ton. It was there in Vegas that I got absolutely captivated by the grace of God. I said it before in these episodes, the grace of God reaches lower than your worst mistake. It runs further than you could ever run away. And all of us, all of us stand in need of it. And you know why Jonah knew that? He knew all about God's grace. He was a

recent recipient of it. He had just written a psalm about how grateful he was for the rescue. And as long as grace was being showered on him, he found it amazing. But when God chooses us to give it to the people of Nineveh, Jonah gets hicked. It says this in chapter four. This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry, so he complained to the Lord about it. Didn't I say, before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That's why I ran away to Tarshis. I knew that you're a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and fill with unfailing love. You're eager to turn back from destroying people.

Can you believe this? He's going, that's just like you, God. I knew you'd do something like this. You can't get past that soft spot you have in your heart for people, always trying to lavish love on them and give them a chance to come home. That's why I ran the opposite direction. God, you know these people are our enemy. I hate these people. You should too. You know all the incredibly horrible, evil stuff they've done, and you know how they flaunted their sin in your face. You know how rebellious they've been. These are not good people by any stretch of the imagination.

Plus, guess what, they're not really sorry. They're not going to change. They're playing you. You're going to be sorry for this, God. You should have burned them when you had the chance because they're going to burn you. I mean, Jonah is ticked off. I mean, it is incredible. He was just a recent recipient himself of the amazing grace of God and now he's offended by it. This is outrageous, God. This is not fair. Aren't you glad God isn't fair? Oh, he's just and true and faithful. But in regard to our sin, when we humbly walk with him, his grace gives us so much more than we deserve, and gang, that's just not fair. It wasn't fair that God would miraculously scoop Jonah up out of the sea. It wasn't fair that God would give him a second chance. It wasn't fair that

God allowed him to continue to be his spokesperson. It wasn't fair that God gave him the opportunity to stomp and sulk and talk to him that way. But that's God's grace. You know, Jonah, it kind of reminds me the older brother in the story of the prodigal sign, where the little brother comes home and finds a welcome mat out and the porch light on, the dad running to embrace him. Well, the older brother, he gets ticked off. He pouts, he throws a fit. What about me?

You never throw a party for me. This son of yours comes home and we have this big party. It's not fair. He's ticked off at the kindness of the father. He's offended by grace. Jonah kind of reminds me of the story that Jesus tells about these vineyard workers who work all day and they get paid for what they agreed to work for. and then they get really upset when they learn that the guys who only work one hour,

they got paid the exact same, and they screamed, that's not fair. They get ticked off at the generosity of the landowner. They get offended by grace. Yeah, Jonah kind of reminds me of me at my worst. You ever get offended by grace? Are you grateful that God has shown you mercy? But appalled that he would show it to a guy like that, a girl like that?

Ever wrestle with the 11th hour conversion of a convicted murderer, or a rapist someone you've already sentenced in our hearts. We've locked them up in the prison of our disgust. And then the impossible happens. God breaks through. And like Nineveh, they sincerely humbled themselves and genuinely repent. We can forget about how much we've been forgiven, and we can cross our arms like Jonah and say, that's not fair.

That's just not fair. Yeah, right. You think if God is going to forgive you? Think again, because grace, grace is for average. sinners like me, not for deviant sickos like you. Gang, God has called us to despise evil and the damage it does in this world, but never to despise people. God wants us to have the same kind of heart he has towards sin, but also the same kind of

heart he has towards people, and we have never locked eyes with someone that Jesus did not die for. And that's why God asked Jonah in verse 4, is it right for you to be angry about this? Is it right for you to be angry about this? Take a second, Jonah. Think about all the second chances I've given you. All the mercy and grace I've shown to you, all the times I pursued you and stayed with you and forgiven you.

Because of their humility, their sincere repentance, I've decided to give these people a second chance as well. Is it right for you to be angry about this? Jonah, what's wrong with your heart? You've been my spokesman for years, but you've never captured my heartbeat for people. I love these people. I created these people.

I care about them. I want to walk with them too. And you know what, Jonah, you're right about one thing. I am a merciful and compassionate God. I am slow to become angry and filled with unfailing love. And I want you to be as well. But you've got a long way to go. And so do I, don't you?

I want to love people. I want to love all people the way God does. I want to never forget how much I have been forgiven. for because Jesus said those who've been forgiven much, they love much. But those who think they've only been forgiven a little, well, they love little. You know, I hope I never lose the wonder of God's grace. Sometimes we start out blown away by the kindness of God and we call it amazing grace. But if we're not daily captured by it, then through the years it becomes intriguing grace. Then, interesting grace, and then pretty much ya, grace. Oh, yeah, grace.

I hope that you and I will never be offended by God's grace, but we will be absolutely captivated by the amazing grace and unfailing love of our Father. Man, I'm prayed you have a great day to day. See you back next time. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Also, if this podcast,

was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.compt.combe. Church slash Daily Drive.