All right, if you have your Bible, we will be concluding the book of Jonah today, and Lord willing, looking at the book of Ruth next week, starting that study, and we're finishing up this book of Jonah. A Self-Absorbed Life is the title of today's message. We're living in times Writes one illustration of David Cloud, where the world's model of be true to thyself, or as Dr. Nathaniel Brandon has had a massive influence in the promoting of self-esteem through books. He treats self-esteem as a basic human need that is essential for mental health. He says, the first love affair we must consummate successfully in this world is with ourselves. Only then are we ready for a relationship. Can I tell you that this conflicts with the Bible? The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3, verses 1 and 2, this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. And unfortunately, it is this case with which Jonah has adopted this mindset, a lover of self. We don't need more love of self, we need less of self and all of Christ. In Jonah 4, verse one, would you follow along with me as we read the chapter? Jonah 4, verse one. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord and said, I pray unto you, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? And therefore I fled before into Tarsus, For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me. For it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow. Till he might see what would become of the city, The Lord God prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah It might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day and it smote the gourd that it withered It came to pass when the Sunday to rise that God prepared a vehement east wind and the Sun beat upon the head of Jonah That he fainted and wishing himself to die and said it is better for me to die than to live and God said to Jonah do us out well to be angry for the gourd and And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the Lord, thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither made us it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand, and also much cattle? Jonah has adopted the 21st century mindset. My comforts, my desires, those are my greatest need. His philosophy aligns well with current psychological thinking on self-esteem and positive thinking. A little bit further on this, let me read some things for you. According to the doctrine of self-esteem, man must pursue his own self-love or self-confidence for the sake of psychological wholeness, and anything that damages self-esteem is wrong. The mystical path to the development of self-esteem is psychological counseling. Since absolute rules produce guilt in those who don't live up to them, the pursuit of self-esteem emphasizes the need for new rules which will allow us more freedom of movement and encourage us to accept ourselves just as we are." The Dark Side of Christian Counseling. Atheist Abraham Maslow emphasized the need for self-esteem in his books. He taught that a lack of self-esteem can lead to neurotic trends, rejecting the doctrine of the fall, which is when Adam and Eve ate the fruit. He believed that man is basically good and there is a positive, self-actualizing force within each person that is struggling to assert itself. If it is permitted to guide our life, we grow healthy, fruitful, and happy, he goes on. Leading evangelical spouse Christian psychiatrist. Dr. James Dobson claims that lack of self-esteem produces more symptoms of psychiatric disorders than any other factor yet identified and confident healthy families 1987 pages 73 and 74 Dobson believes that lack of self-esteem is the cause of every social ill Can I tell you this is not what the Bible says. I The Bible says that you and I were born fallen from God, the fallen nature. These leading so-called professionals who have diagnosed Jonah's depression in terms that were in opposition to the true condition of his heart. If we study Jonah's situation, study the biblical concept of sin, we can see why there is so much distress and struggle in the mind of Jonah. I was actually asked that question this week by an officer. Do you believe that people are born, some are born good and others are born inherently evil? And I said, no. We're all born selfish sinners. His depression, Jonah's, and life-ending requests were rooted in his self-esteem, which is nothing more than the Bible calls pride. And man's conception of self-actualization, or as the Bible calls it, conceit or pride. Pride always debases. It always produces a shame. When it is not allowed, it desires. When pride doesn't get its way, it will react. And we see the symptoms of pride in Jonah's life. A selfishness that sets in. The health and mental well-being of a person are surely affected. Because Jonah's life was all about himself. Jonah had failed to follow 1 Peter 1.13, Jonah thought of himself. My desired justice. These people need to be judged. Jonah had probably thought about the Ninevites who had abused and potentially tortured his own people. It is likely he harbored bitterness against these Ninevites of bitterness and hatred. He probably considered the fact that God wanted him to do something that he did not want to do, and so in essence he throws an adult temper tantrum. He pouted about his unfair and unjust treatment by God. Why can the Ninevites get off scot-free? Jonah's world God owed Jonah his desires because of Nineveh's reputation Jonah was very selfish man Whose thinking was directly opposed to God's benevolent grace God's justice to him was wrong God did not properly deal with people according to Jonah God allowed a wicked people to avoid justice when his own people had been abused and tortured by the vile Ninevites God just wasn't fair We could ask, where is justice in this world? Where is God? Why would a loving God allow this? I want to look today at the fruit of selfishness. This selfishness would lead to anger. Anger would lead to suicidal thoughts or life-ending thoughts. Both secular and sacred individuals will show a strong link between anger and suicide. When anger is not expressed outwardly, it turns inward. And so Jonah allowed an expectation of life that was not aligned with God. And the result was dangerous. And can I tell you this morning, we must resist all selfish thinking. We must love God first with all that we are and yield ourselves unremittingly to His divine plan for our lives. There was a video we were watching last night and going through and it talked about giving God ownership of your life, the title deed to your life. I want to ask you, does God have all the control of your life? Have you given Him everything? Because so often we say, it's my life. The Bible says, love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. You know what that means? There's no love of self. But guess what? I don't find my identity in me. I find my identity in Christ. And that gives me a value far beyond self-esteem. Because I'm a child of God. And if you know Jesus, you're a child of God. You're loved, you're cared for, you're bought with a price. My friend, that'll pick up your spirits way more than self-esteem ever can. And we must know this, your way and God's ways are incompatible. There is no room for me in God's way. Decide the outcome of your days by whose way you follow. Am I gonna follow me and my own self-esteem? Jesus said in John 14 6. I Jesus said the name I am the way the truth and the life No man cometh unto the Father, but by me the life it said I Want you to look with me at mark 834 and then we'll pray I This is a message that is so fundamental to our Christian lives. When we find our identity in Jesus Christ, and you might be saying, Pastor, I don't know if I agree with you. Would you hear me out? Would you listen? Let's see what God's Word has to say. And you can say, God, show me truth. In the book of Mark, the gospel of Mark, chapter 8, verse 34, and when He, Jesus, had called the people unto Him, with His disciples also He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. I want to ask you, where is it for my ways in my life? God won't force you. But can I tell you in my own life, God has produced unbelievable blessings. I got to say this morning was a pretty, it blew me away. I was going into the kitchen and I heard my daughter say, Daddy, Sometimes in the morning, she likes me to come and cuddle with her, so I was like, you know what, I got a little bit of time, I'll go cuddle with her. And I went and laid down, hugged her, kissed her, and then she said, Daddy, I need to be saved. Can I tell you that? And that's like a dream of my heart, to lead my daughter to Christ. But I realize that I never surrendered to Christ. I have a wife I've been married to 15 years. She is my absolute best friend. It's a privilege to be here at this church. It's not my right. It's a privilege that God has allowed. And I get to see God do great things. There's been some tough times. But I want to tell you, when we live a self-focused life, you fail to see God's goodness. And what God calls us to do this morning and every day is deny yourself, take up your cross, take up your wishes, your desires, your dreams, give them to Christ and let Him determine the direction in your life. I would have never imagined As a young boy, when I got saved, I wanted to be in the ministry. Years later, I became an engineer in the military, and I would not have imagined I would be where I'm at today. In the community where I'm at, with a love for the community that I have. But it took saying, God, I'll go wherever, however, whenever You want me to go, as long as You go with me. And can I tell you, there's a presence and peace of God that is indescribable for many earthly means, because you have the Spirit of God that walks with you day by day. Christian, we have the greatest gift, as we find Jesus the greatest gift ever given. And with those words, let us open in prayer, and then we'll continue. Our Father, we thank you for this day. I thank you for these blessed people. Lord, I thank you for your tremendous love. God, I'm sure not worthy. Father, I yield it all unto thee. God, I need you. We all do. Lord, should there be someone watching or here today that has never come to a recognition of their own sinfulness to ask Jesus Christ to be their Savior, I pray that today would be the day of salvation. that they would realize that just bow their head and ask Christ to forgive them of all their sins and be their Savior. And Lord, we're eternally forgiven. Father, may we yield our lives, give over the title deed of our lives to you and say, God, you take my life and I'll follow. God, we know that we're secure, we're safe in Your arms. And Father, may we yield to You. I love You. And I love these people You've allowed me to minister to. And I pray that our hearts would be stirred to hold nothing left, nothing back from Your will. Hold nothing back of our lives, and God, give it all to You. And we'll watch You do great and wonderful things. I love You. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen. As we look at verses two through four here, we see a persistent plea. He prayed to the Lord and said, I pray thee, O Lord. Verse three, therefore now, O Lord. I mean, he, and then verse six, you know, and the Lord. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd, but God prepared a worm. And now he's like, it's better for me to die. Jonah was so angry in his self-righteousness, self-pity, his own envy, his own unmet expectations. Life didn't work the way I wanted it to. You ever have that thought? Life's not working out the way I planned it. Jonah had allowed Satan to capture his thoughts. And it led to some very destructive thinking. Selfishness is idolatry. And it is destructive to you and it is destructive to others. You see the selfishness and self-pity of Jonah allowed Satan to get a place in his life And it led him down a road of destructive thoughts Ephesians 4 26 and 27 be angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil realize this The anger in your life is a foothold spiritually of Satan in your life Frustrations are a foothold of Satan in your life. I And I want to tell you, Satan wants to find a weakness. 1 Peter 5, 8, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour. He's looking to destroy you. Unmet expectations. Things don't go the way you want them to. And you get all bent out of sorts. Because it's about my life. I want you to understand there's a God in heaven. He knows all that's going on. In Hebrews 2.14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he, Jesus, might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. Jonah's idolatrous heart led to anger. His depression was brought on by anger as a result of selfishness and pride. Could it be the struggles in your own life, the mental crises in your life, is because you're sitting on the throne of your life? There's pride that you've never dealt with. In a psychological source here by Tom Sheave, What is the link between depression and anger? He writes, depression-related anger can be a reaction to the perceived hopelessness of a situation or even frustration over recurring states of depression. A problem that offers no effective solutions or positive outcomes is going to produce its fair share of frustration and anger. For similar reasons, anger is also a common stage of grief. As is the case with depression, grief-induced anger is the result of a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Sometimes, though, the depression-anger link can seem to work the other way around. Think of the common saying regarding depression. Depression is anger turned inward. When you feel angry, that feeling is often derived from a sense of hurt. An angry person may seek to pass that hurt on or take drastic action to change the anger-inducing situation. " Things don't go the way I want, I can't control it, so there's one thing I can control. And so he desires, God, take my life. There's unmet expectations. You see, as a Christian, in Hebrews 11, six, without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Without faith it is impossible. Can I tell you that God's desire in these hardships is God's trying to do something in your life. Sometimes it's for sin and other times he's allowing it because he knows it's gonna make you a stronger Christian. But they're unmet expectations and I don't want it. Things in life did not go the way Jonah desired them to, and his pride was injured, and he was furious. And when we allow pride, evidenced by selfishness and ungratefulness, into our life as a result of how life has treated you, there are two possible directions to go with a result to your frustration, which is anger. One direction, you lash out at others with an anger problem. God would question those with anger. Problems about the reasoning of their anger. Jonah 4.4, look with me here. Then said the Lord, doest thou well to be angry. In Genesis chapter four, very similar. Cain and Abel. Cain was angry at God that God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not his sacrifice. Turn with me to Genesis chapter four real quick. We'll come back here to Jonah. But in Genesis chapter four, verse six. Genesis chapter four verse six, and the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance falling? If thou do us well, shalt thou not be accepted, and if thou do us not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. But God very politely, why are you angry? Why are you wroth? So he lashed out at his brother. Unmet expectations. Things don't go the way I want them to, and I'm going to make you pay for it. There's another direction that we can go. You lash out at oneself. When life is unfair, can't be changed, a person may seek to harm themselves. In Jonah 4, verses 2 and 3, As he said, I knew your gracious, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentance to thee of the evil. That's end of verse two. Therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech thee my life from thee. You have an entire city of people who have repented, gotten right with God, and Jonah's man. He says in the end of verse eight, it is better for me to die than to live. Jonah, get up from your sulking, get your behind back into Nineveh, and begin to minister. Can you imagine if Jonah had not been selfish, he goes back to Jonah, he starts up essentially what we would think of today like a church, but like a synagogue or something like that, and begins to teach the scriptures. Because in 150 years, the Ninevites will be destroyed. The book of Amos discusses this. Nahum, excuse me. You have families, generations change, but he's so focused on himself he doesn't see what God did. You miss out on God's blessings when life is about you. Biblical precedents for those who, like Jonah, desire death, there's suicide, self-murder. To get to the root of the problem here, we need to look at the Bible. In all of the situations, some of them Cain and Abel and Jonah and some other that I'm going to bring up, there's a frustration and anger over the events of life that led to feelings of self-pity and hopelessness. When Satan gets a foothold in your life, when things don't go the way you want and you get all angry, you get all irritated, pride raises its ugly roots, its ugly head. And it takes place in your life. How many people have been offended in church and they said, I'm never going back to church? Can I tell you in Matthew 15, 19 and 20, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, these are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man. Jesus is saying, you know, he's like, listen, so many people are like, they didn't wash their hands, you know, ceremonially clean, they're not clean. He's like, no, what comes out of your heart makes you dirty, not what's on your hands. Praise the Lord for that, amen. How about Moses, Numbers chapter 15. And if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favor in thy sight and let me not see my wretchedness. It was a situation where Moses, he was mad over the direction that God was going and the Israelites were against him and he's like God just kill me. Self pity turned to despair as it usually does. When David Sorensen said, feeling sorry for oneself leads to depression, he complained, Moses complained, I'm not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me. His complaining led to even worse. He told God to kill him unless he continues in his righteousness. Notice the downward progression of wanting more, complaining about not having it, self-pity, which turns into depression and even suicidal thoughts." And we can go forward from there into discontentment. Numbers chapter 11, verse 20. even the Israelites, but even a whole month until it come out of your nostrils, talking about all the quail that came, and to be loathsome unto you, but because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, why came we forth out of Egypt? God, why did you deliver me out of Egypt? I don't know about you, but I don't wanna go back to the life before I was saved. I was young, but I don't wanna go back to being unsaved. I don't wanna be unsaved. Saul was wounded. Wounded in battle, the king Saul. He told his armor bearer, kill me, and the armor bearer's like, I'm not touching the Lord's anointed. So Saul fell on his sword. Saul's rebellion and disobedience would lead to a place where he'd end up taking his life. Ahithophel, another one, a counselor. Ahithophel was a grandfather of Bathsheba. You remember the story of Bathsheba, the adulterous affair with David. And he goes to Absalom, who's done a coup or treason against his dad, David, and Ahithophel was David's counselor. He goes to Absalom because he'd matted David because of, you know, killing her husband, Bathsheba's husband, and the whole thing. So he gives Absalom instruction. Absalom doesn't listen. So Ahithophel's like, forget it. He gets his house in order, and then he goes and he takes his life. There's a guy named Zimri. Again, was a servant of the king of the 10 tribes whose name was Elah. He killed Elah when he was drunk and then killed all of Elah's male descendants as well as his friends, thus setting himself up into the place of a great king. He was only king for three days before he was destroyed. Elijah, remember the 450 prophets of Baal on the top of Mount Carmel? I mean, God rained down fire from heaven and consumed all the ox, all the altar, all the stones, consumed, gone. The prophets of Baal destroyed. And one woman, Jezebel, said, let's kill Elijah. And Jonah's like, oh, God, let me die. God just did a miracle. Elijah felt alone, self-pity, isolation. Can I tell you the worst thing you can do for your life when you're hurting is to be all alone for long periods of time. You need people. You need a loving, caring church. Don't be alone. Your mind will be your worst enemy. And Elijah was alone. He said, God, let me die. Job. Job longed for death. He had friends, three friends. I wouldn't even call them friends, acquaintances. They were miserable friends. They accused him of all sorts of wrongs. He didn't do it. Job longed for death but didn't come. Job chapter six, God, please destroy me. Job chapter seven, my soul chooses strangling and death rather than my life over and over and over again. How about Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 14? Cursed be the day wherein I was born. Let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, a man child is born to thee. Jeremiah's like, God, what have you done? Jeremiah was a prophet of God who God used, and in his entire ministry, no one listened to him. and God told him that's going to be your ministry. Sign me up for that ministry. No way, Jose. You have to preach God's word and God says no one's going to listen to you, but I want you to preach it anyways to hold them account. And then he says, Jeremiah says, Lord, you didn't slay me from the womb, verse 17, or that my mother might have been my grave. He said, I wish I would have died. Why did I, why was I even born? He was alone. And in his loneliness, self-despair, self-pity, how about Judas? He went out and he hung himself. Selfishness leads to remorse over our actions, wicked actions. Regret sets in, loneliness. We can't change. So we said, it's better for me, for God to let me leave this earth than to stay. But I want you to notice with me something that opposite happened. Peter's reaction in Matthew 26, 75, and Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said in him, before the cock crowed, thou shalt deny me thrice, and he went out and wept bitterly. Peter, but then, but then, later on, Peter did deny Christ. He looks over the courtyard as they're doing the judgment hall, and he catches the eye of Jesus. The other gospel writer lets us, one of the other gospel writers lets us know and he goes out and he weeps bitterly. I mean, he's broken. He's like, what Jesus said that I would deny him is true. Oh man. But can I tell you what happened with Peter? The next time he saw Peter or next time Jesus, Peter saw Jesus resurrected on the boat, he's coming into shore. He jumps out of the boat and he runs to Jesus. He runs. I want to tell you something. It is easy to look at our circumstances and say, life stinks, it's better for me to leave. How about we stop thinking that way and run to Jesus? Secular and sacred individuals will show a strong link between anger and suicide. Again, when anger is not expressed outward, it turns inward. How does all this relate to anger? Good question. Suicide is a very violent act. It's complex because the victim and the perpetrator are the same person. There's always anger and violence. The thought process of a suicidal teen might be something like, they don't care about me. I'll show them. Let's see how they feel after I'm dead. You can certainly see the anger in that type of thought process. People need to find their identity in Jesus. You need to know that there's people that say, you know what? You got a lot of things that God wants to do in your life. If it's self-esteem that you don't have, if it's about self-esteem and I want to feel good about myself, then you are the very foundation for your happiness. That's going to wear thin. But if Jesus is a source of my happiness and joy and peace, it never runs dry. It's a draining and exhausting thing. It's unhealthy for the spirit, the mind, and the body. Recent research suggests that anger and happiness are actually measurable in frequency. That means it's a real and tangible thing that not only affects you, but others too. A big component of anger, writes this one source. How to Control Excessive Anger and Suicidal Thoughts by Life Change Magazine, April 19, 2017. A big component of anger is often a heavy underlying fear or overall frustration. The fears of things like not feeling good enough in a job, relationship, or pursuit can be crippling and if not acknowledged and dealt with can lead to intense anger and a sense of isolation. Similarly, frustrations from setbacks, failures, mistreatment from others, and even mistreatment of self can all contribute to a persistent undercurrent of anger. It is when the deep-rooted issues are confronted with love and honesty in a safe space that grieving, healing, and eventually joy can take its place. I want to say that church should be, biblically should be, a place. Finding my identity, my purpose to serve Christ, but also to receive the encouragement from others, not people that are accepting of Sinful actions, but they're accepting of me as a person There's so many stories on psychological psychology website secular counseling Of individuals who have contemplated suicide who had anger issues One counseling website asked people who are angry to journal to help their anger There's a power in journaling secular people would even say and can I say even from a spiritual standpoint that Journaling like meditating It fundamentally changed in my Christian life when I began to journal when I'm reading the Bible I'm reading and I'm writing down what I'm learning Sometimes it might be a whole passage other times. It's a few verses whatever the case You're not in a hurry to get through God's Word. You're there for God to feed you And you journal and write down how God sometimes you're frustrated you don't understand it and you're writing out to God help me I don't understand God calls us. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, he tells us in Hebrews. Many times, the drastic life-ending action of suicide comes from anger, whether it's regret or shame, or shame in regards, or hopelessness, or loneliness. Now, I'm not saying that these are the entirety of the reasons, but they're oftentimes a pretty big indicator The inward behavior is aimed at marring the image of God. Satan can't destroy you, so he throws thoughts into your head to destroy yourself. Don't give place to the devil. When frustrations happen, you say, God, I don't understand. Help me. I'm really angry. I'm really frustrated. God, please. And I'm taking those burdens, and I'm laying them at the foot of the cross. I want you to look with me at Romans chapter 12, verse 17. Romans chapter 12, verse 17. The Bible says in Romans 12, 17, Recompense means don't revenge to no man, evil for evil, provide things honest inside of all men. Verse 18, Romans 12. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, verse 19, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore thine enemy hunger, feed him if he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. People are going to disappoint you. People are going to let you down. If my stability is people, my life will be a very big roller coaster. The root of the problem, let's look at Jeremiah 17.9. Bible, I mean he says here live pleasantly with all men. I can't do that unless I'm living With Christ Jeremiah 17 9, let's look at what God says about our heart. I Had one time a while back we were doing Wednesday night Bible study as we do every week and I had this person they said do you believe that we're all born? sinners Don't you think there's any good? Well, let's see what God says. Doesn't matter what I think, it's what God thinks. Jeremiah 17, nine. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. Do you ever have it in your life? Like how in the world could I think a thought that would be so bad? How could I think to do that to someone? You ever think that? At least I have. Maybe I'm being transparent here. Deceitful of all things and desperately wicked who can know it. I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings But he says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked That's not me saying it. That's the God who created us He says listen, you are a sinner for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God If we do not deal with our anger in a biblical manner and confess it as sin, then no worldly method will provide the healing and hope that only God's word can. In Global News, he says, unprocessed anger can also lead to medical issues, and most especially, relationship issues. Unaddressed anger festers in the body's mind. It sits there waiting to be unleashed. It either does get unleashed, causing chaos in the person's life, and or leads to addiction issues, end quotes. We gotta get to the root of the problem. The root of the problem is in our heart. There's sin in our hearts that needs to be dealt with. And then the patient pattern of God's patience dealing with us. We go through this here. God's patience. God was very patient with Jonah. He put up with Jonah's rebellious attitude. He dealt with Jonah throwing a pity party. I mean, God saw more than 120,000 people here that were likely to be destroyed. They needed God's kindness and grace. David ran for his life and people valued him because of how he cared for them. And God cared for these people. People need to know there's a caring ruler. Rather than sitting in self-pity, despair, isolation, destructive thinking, the solution is to reflect upon the goodness of God. Jonah 4, verse 6. And the Lord prepared a gourd and made it to come up over Jonah. God prepared relief. But Jonah didn't see the relief. And the path to victory, what do we do? Praise the name of God. We have up here a little journal. I preached on this some time ago about the 12 stones, and in this journal, we write down praises, things that God's done for our church, some have written personal. You're welcome to do that. It is open to being looked at by others, so if you want to be anonymous, you can do that. But we write praises in here. Why do we do that? Because I want us to get used to the mindset of even in bad times, or what I account as bad times, God is still good. God's still working. God's still got work for me to do and you to do. Jonah, praise God. We must follow God's word. Just because someone else does well, I don't need to be envious. We must stay in communion with God. Pray without ceasing. In everything, give. What does the Bible say in 1 Thessalonians 5, 18? In everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God. What is God's will? Give thanks in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit. Give thanks. You get bad news. How can I give God thanks? I'm preaching to myself on this. It is not easy. Philippians 4, 6, be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. God says if you're asking of God, then give thanks as a precursor to then asking Him. In everything by prayer and supplication, oh God, please do this, with, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. I am putting an envelope of all my needs and outside that envelope of needs is the thanks to God. That's how I deliver the present to God, with thanks and the needs inside. I'm to appreciate God's provision. I'm to deny myself and take up my cross. This is not natural. Look with me at Hebrews chapter 12. I'm almost to the conclusion here. I know I've gone longer today. I want to finish this up. I just had a little bit left. I'm telling you, this is incredible stuff from God's word. Look with me at chapter 12, verse one. Hebrews 12, one. Wherefore, you gotta think of why it's therefore, right? Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. That's chapter 11. That's the witnesses many times. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which is so easily beset us, those sins in your life that continue to cause you to fall. And let us run with patience. You know what? Running is an endurance of one step at a time. The race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him, that's Jesus, that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. He says, listen, Jesus had a whole bunch of people against him. Don't be weary, don't be faint. Look to Jesus. Protect your mind. The Bible tells wherefore gird up the loins of your mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you. The revelation of Jesus Christ. In conclusion, selfishness complains, throws pity parties. Jonah didn't get his way. Selfishness looks only to one's own demise. Selfishness seeks only one's comfort. Selfishness puts yourself as the king or queen of your life. Jonah hoped in his heart to see the city destroyed, still desiring their destruction. Selfishness values objects of comfort over people. Selfishness refuses to look at God's provision and instead looks at the problems. Selfishness refuses God's advances of affection. Selfishness will do anything to get out of discomfort. God looks upon selfish anger as a foolish position. God allows us the trials to show us our selfishness. Selfishness looks at the temporal, not the eternal. Selfishness lives for the moment. Selfishness does not focus on God's desire. Sin blinds, sin distorts, sin kills. And selfishness has pity on those things that cause us comfort, gourds, dogs, boats, friends, et cetera, but denies value to those things that have responsibility and labor. Christian, if we're living in discontentment according to our own ways, we're guaranteed to have increased trials and greater mental problems. You're guaranteed. Proverbs 14, 12, there's a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. God saw the works of Nineveh and God repented of the evil. God says, I'm going to withhold justice. And if you're here today and you've never been saved, today is the day of salvation. Would you accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior? The Bible says in Isaiah 64, 6, but we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. Don't cry about the circumstances. Why don't we accept the free gift of God if you've never been saved? And Christian, there is a joy to living a crucified life. God, it's all yours. Jonah had a self, a selfish life, a self-absorbed life. and he would suffer great mental anguish. We're going to have a song play in the invitation period. It's number 204 in your blue hymn book, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. As the song will play, I want to give you some time to pray and talk with the Lord. It's so important, Christian, that we remove ourselves from a worldly way of looking at things and we accept God's way. You're a child of God. You're loved. You're bought with a price. You're never rejected. You'll be His child forever. His presence is always with you. You have an eternal home in heaven. You have a great commission as His ambassador. You have a great job to do. You have brothers and sisters in Christ to walk with you. I'm telling you, there's tremendous blessings as a child of God. Christian, let us embrace the cross, deny ourselves, and watch what God does. As the song will play, I trust you'll take some time to talk with the Lord.