When God Is Kinder Than You'd Prefer | Kingdom Without Revenge

For four weeks Kingdom Without Revenge has asked what life looks like when we hand our right to get even back to God. The finale lands on the twist most of us never see coming: what happens when God turns out to be kinder than you wanted Him to be? Pastor Eric Rountree opens Jonah 4 and names the last and most hidden form of revenge, resisting the mercy of God toward the people we are sure do not deserve it. Jonah preached, Nineveh repented, and God relented. It should have been revival. Instead Jonah sits on a hill outside the city, furious, still hoping God will rain down fire. He does not doubt that God is gracious and compassionate. He resents that grace being applied to his enemies. When the same mercy that once rescued you starts to offend you, something in your heart has drifted out of alignment with the Spirit. Big idea: The final form of revenge is resisting God's mercy. When His grace toward your enemies offends you, the problem is no longer their sin. It is your heart. The questions to sit with this week: Is my comfort more important than compassion? Is my outrage louder than my prayers? Jonah wanted punishment and got a front row seat to grace. Jesus absorbed the punishment so grace could reach everyone, even the people we would rather write off. The invitation is to come down off the hill and start praying for the ones we have been waiting to see judged. Scripture: Jonah 4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 19:41-44 Chapters 0:00 A kingdom without revenge (series recap) 1:23 What if God is kinder than you think? 2:21 When you think God got it wrong 2:49 The story of Jonah 5:20 Jonah's anger at God's mercy (Jonah 4:1-3) 6:49 The plant, the worm, and the wind (4:6-8) 7:45 The final revenge: resisting God's mercy 9:02 When mercy offends you 10:02 Who do you think doesn't deserve it? 11:44 Rather die than see them saved 14:42 When comfort matters more than compassion 16:28 "I only want to hear good things" 20:21 God's two questions to Jonah 22:19 Jonah and Jesus: a stark contrast 24:34 Is your outrage louder than your prayers? 26:04 Closing prayer New here or planning a visit? Start at hopecitysd.org/new Invite a friend: bio.hopecitysd.org/invite Give: hopecitysd.org/give Find a group: hopecitysd.org/groups Hope City Church San Diego Sundays at 10am 728 Pepper Drive, El Cajon, CA 92019 Website: hopecitysd.org Instagram: instagram.com/hopecitysd Facebook: facebook.com/hopecitysd YouTube:    / @hopecitychurchsd