A Witnessing Heart Part 1

Looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter of our printers need power to raise and we need power to be effective witnesses for Christ today to witness with absolute confidence as we learn from Jesus about the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Sir, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line after Luther what does it mean to be a witness for Christ Dave. Throughout the years.

I know that there's been a discussion as to how we can best witness for Jesus Christ is through our lives or is it through our words. In my opinion, putting the question that way is like asking what is most important on a plane. The right wing or the left wing will of course the answer is both.

We witness for Jesus Christ.

Best when our lives reflect him.

His love is passion, his concern, but at the same time we have to tell people about Jesus.

Because if we don't use words, they will not have an explanation as to why we live differently. You know, this message of hope through the ministry of running to win goes to many different countries. About 20 different countries, and it's because of people like you who support this ministry, would you consider becoming an endurance partner endurance partners are people who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts.

Of course, the amount that you give is entirely up to you.

Here's how you can find info go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com and when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you wish, you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now once again we listen to the words of Jesus words of comfort, hope, and challenge from the upper room and all of us have memorized that little jingle that goes convince a man against his will and he will be the same.

Still I suppose that it is not any more true than it is when it come to the issue of religion just get somebody to change his religious perspective and you try to convince him against his will, will be of the same opinion still is an 18-year-old college student who goes to retreat comes back receives Christ as Savior while he's there suddenly has a sense of peace and joy and a sense of liberation. Finally knows that indeed he knows God he comes home and he is so excited and he tells his parents. He says you know I received Christ as Savior and I can tell you honestly that my life is different.

I been born again and finally, the guilt is gone and I really do know a sense of meaning. Now that I trusted Christ, and he expects his parents to say oh we just been waiting to hear this message.

May we sign on the dotted line right now. Instead, what does he hear what what what are you talking to us about things like that. We are Christians to that's one possibility of what he might hear another one is what you are you some kind of a fanatic. What makes you think that you're right there other ways to God, what, what's the big deal here is aware off when he finds the same response back at college and he can't leave it because to him.

It's like having found a bag of gold and there's more gold to be found is telling his friends where it is he can't get them to be the slightest bit interested, but that young man must learn is what all of us must learn that it is impossible for people to come to Christ a saving faith in Christ unless they are drawn by the Holy Spirit.

In fact, Jesus said, no man comes accept this spirit draws him in the Greek word is a very strong word. It means no man, unless the spirit I is him do I speak today to someone who had to be dragged by the Holy Spirit to come to Christ. Now God asks us to participate in the ministry of the Spirit in the world.

I believe that when today's message is over. I been asking God, but as a result of that you and I will witness with more confidence than we've ever had that we will not become discouraged in our witnessing, but that we believe here anxious to share with someone today or definitely tomorrow.

The good news of the gospel with the love and caring. Trusting the spirit to do the rest of the work.

Our text is found in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus was just talking to the disciples about persecution.

If you are with us last time. You know that that's what we were speaking of.

And Jesus talks to them about persecution, but of course the question that arises in the lives of the disciples. Is this in light of the fact that we can expect hostility and persecution. Should we just write the world off should we just simply say hey look at the world hates us, so we're outta here working to build our own little colony were gonna live in our own little desert were going to do our own little thing and let the world go to hell, if that's the way they are them. That's the way they are. Jesus does not want them to think that way.

So what he's going to say is this disciples. The Holy Spirit of God has a ministry in your life, most assuredly, but it also is going to have a very specialized ministry to the world. You'll notice that the Scripture says that when the counselor comes I'm in verse seven. Now chapter 16.

It is good that I am going away, because unless I go away, the counselor will not come to you, but if I go, I will send them to you. Verse eight when he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin because men do not believe in me in regard to righteousness because I'm going to the father where you can see me no longer and in regard to judgment because the prince of this world will be judged or is already condemned what Jesus is saying is, is that the spirit is going to convince the world.

My translation says in verse eight. Convict that word has many different meanings. It's actually a legal term. It can mean prosecute. It can mean indeed to convince it means to convicted means to probe it means to show the truth to show reality. And that's the role that the Holy Spirit will have among the people of the world and we speak of the world. By the way, as those who are unbelievers.

That's how Jesus is using the word what I'd like us to do is to look briefly at how the spirit of God uncovers the truth and how he helps people be rid of their lies because we all grow up believing lies about ourselves and about God and the truth is that the spirit of God is committed to show to the people of the world. First of all, Jesus said he will convict the world of sin, the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment sin last part of verse nine. Because men do not believe in me.

I think Jesus means first of all that the spirit will convict people of the reality of their sins has for the spirit begins this work because there most of us believe that we're much better than we are. Until we meet God. And then we get a realistic picked, remember that college retreat where the director of the college ministry put above the door for sinners only and the college students looked at one another and said well if that's for sinners only, then where do we go on are you trying to make all of us out to be sinners, so there are those who think that their sins are small, there are those who think that their sins are insignificant and they themselves can manage theirs in so the spirit of God convicts them of the reality of their sin, but also convicts them of the one sin, the greatest sin which is unbelief. Jesus said, because they believe not on me, left to yourself, you will never believe on Christ. You may believe about him historically. You may think wonderful thoughts about him, but you will never transfer your trusts stay him until he shows you that unbelief is sin. It says in first John, if we believe not remake God a liar. What is the biggest sin the greatest sent is really unbelief because it lies at the rate of all other sins even when I choose to disobey. It's because I don't believe God's promises that his way is best. There's a sin in the New Testament called the unpardonable sin in the book of Matthew. What is this unpardonable sin, but first of all, it was a national sin because Jesus revealed himself to the nation Israel and they rejected him. So Jesus that I'm I'm finished in effect with the nation.

Secondly, it was a sin committed by unbelievers, but it was hard to end unbelief.

A fundamental determination tend not to believe on Jesus and that was the wrote from which all other sins sprung. I don't believe that the unpardonable sin can be committed today as it was in New Testament times because it was a national sin. It is a sin that unbelievers commit but hear me carefully.

There is an unpardonable sin and that is unbelief. So I need to speak to you today. You have heard the word often and you have rejected it often beware because God does not take your sin lightly. It is a serious sin and don't harden your heart against the conviction of the spirit he will convince you of the reality of sin, and particularly one sin, unbelief, let's notice what else the spirit shows first of all, the oneness sin.

Secondly, the one standard righteousness notice he says I he will convince the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to righteousness. Verse 10 because I'm going to the father where you can see me no longer what is the ministry the spirit with regard to righteousness. The Bible says that there are two different kinds of righteousness is man's righteousness and man's righteousness can never attain the righteousness of God which stands in sharp contrast to it two different kinds of righteousness.

Human righteousness looks good to us. God says it is as filthy garments, he can't accept human righteousness. The only kind of righteousness God accepts is his own. That's why salvation has to come from God himself who is the Redeemer because he he accepts only his own righteousness. Paul says regarding the Jews of his day, they turned away from God and they establish their own righteousness and did not submit yourselves to the righteousness of God is he with the Holy Spirit of God does is he creates within the conscience. This restlessness, this feeling of guilt.

You'll notice that I read the text too quickly. It says that he will convince the world of guilt and then it goes on to define what that mean and and what the Holy Spirit is doing is he showing that we are not meeting God's high standard.

That's what the conviction of the spirit is all about. How is it interesting that psychiatrists and here I'm not talking about all psychiatrist but I'm talking about some psychiatrists are unbelievers. People come to them and they feel guilty and they said well you know I got this medication for you.

They are trying to make people feel good. To whom God is trying to make feel very not good psychiatrists are trying to bring peace to people that God is trying to bring restlessness and conviction to it's the role of the spirit to show the difference between that kind of righteousness is not only the two different kinds of righteousness but also the spirit would want to show that the righteousness of God is a gift that has to be a gift you're thinking people.

So let's follow this since it is God's righteousness, and it's different from our own.

It's not human righteousness added together fiercely.

It has to be a free gift because there is nothing in God's righteousness to which we can contribute.

We cannot make it any better. We cannot detract from it. We most assuredly cannot burn it all, that we must do is to humble ourselves and to receive it. And so Jesus is saying that the spirit of God will show you that he and then he says this will happen because I'm going to my father.

What's the connection there between the conviction of righteousness and the going was father put it this way. When Jesus was in the world. Jesus was the one who exposed people sin and their need for God's righteousness, and of course he could do that only to a few people, relatively speaking, there's a whole group of people outside of the land of Israel, and even within its borders. The Jesus never got to twice as it's good for you at the spirit comes in. I leave why because, as we'll see in a moment. The Holy Spirit of God is going to now use believers you say all throughout the world. Whether it's Africa or whether it's India or America or South America. God is going to use believers, through whom the world will be convicted when the spirit comes to you.

Now I'm going to the father and that put you in my place. The spirit will convict the world of oneness sin primary sin, unbelief, the spirit will convict the world of righteousness. One standard God's righteousness, but he will also convict the world of judgment. Jesus said that the counselor comes and he convicts the world of judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned last part of verse 11. The connection there between those phrases you see man's judgment is oftentimes faulty because people looked at Jesus dying on the cross and I thought for certain. He died defeated. It looked as if the devil an evil one. Actually it wasn't that at all. Jesus one and Satan was condemned, Jesus is saying in light of the fact that Satan is condemned.

Be assured that all those who do not believe in Christ will be condemned with him judgment is coming and so Christ is saying the spirit will convince the world of the wrongness of their judgments but also will convince them of coming judgment now isn't this remarkable. It says in the book of Romans that a day is coming when God is going to judge the world and the secrets of man by Jesus Christ spirit causes legitimate fear of that judgment just like we spoke to someone this past week who said she is scared, terrified of hell. She is not yet believed, but isn't that wonderful. That's the work of the spirit, now one sin, unbelief one standard righteousness. One danger judgment, but I would not be true to this text unless I didn't point out that there is one channel and that is believers look at what the text says in the very last verse of chapter 15.

You also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. Said Jesus, you're gonna be my witnesses you're gonna be my representatives and now let me pick up the text again that I've read moments ago.

It is for your good 16 verse seven that I am going away, because unless I go away, the counselor will not come to you, but if I go, I will send them to you. And when he come, he will convince the world how will he do that on my friend today. He will do that through you. The Holy Spirit does not work in a vacuum is very seldom that someone is walking down a street in Chicago and then is suddenly with conviction and says it just dawned on me that I'm a sinner and I have to believe on Jesus.

I could happen occasionally people are saved. Just by reading the Bible that happens to fall into their arms or lap.

But that's that's the unusual case in the vast majority of instances. It's something like this. Will you know I was going along and I thought my life was okay and then I met this person at work who was so kind to me and took me to a Moody business luncheon and I began to be interested in. In these things and somewhat intrigued about Jesus. And then I began to think to myself, you know there is something in my life that is missing. I began to realize that I couldn't rectify it myself and that I needed God and and on and on it goes in and pretty soon through you and through me. The person comes to saving faith in Christ. This may now be the most important thing I'm going to tell you today. The Holy Spirit of God. Jesus says that comes to live in us works through us to convince the world of sin and righteousness and judgment.

And just like Jesus.

The second member of the Trinity needed a body so that he could be incarnate to represent God here on earth. The spirit of God needs bodies through whom that spirit works so that the light of the gospel goes to people and the spirit is free to do is work when the spirit comes to you, he will convince the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This is pastor who absolutely love those words of Jesus. What he is saying is that the Holy Spirit will use us to convince others of their sin and bring them to faith so convincing people of their sin is not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to give them the message, and then trust the spirit to do what we can't.

The ministry of running to win is supported by people just like you, we have what we like to call endurance partners who give to us regularly with their prayers and their gifts I have in my hand a letter from someone who writes it's a huge blessing for me to be an endurance partner with such an awesome ministry that's truly grounded in Christ like running to win them the letter goes on to say that he and his wife have been leading a Bible study and they rejoice that they can be an integral part of this ministry that I need to emphasize that we give God all the glory for what he is doing through the ministry of running to win.

This is not our ministry.

It belongs to him and it belongs to people like you who support this ministry, would you consider becoming an endurance partner. Here's what you can do for more information, you go to RTW offeror.com that's RTW offeror.com and by the way I'm going to be giving you this info again. But when you're there you click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer, hope that you can get a pencil quickly enough to write down this number 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us. I believe that right now God is speaking to many of you who say yes we want to help in this ministry, which goes to 20 different countries in three different languages. Here is this info again. You can go to RTW offeror.com know when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or you can call right now at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us and to all the endurance partners out there. We extend not only our greetings, but our gratitude and remember you are holding our hands as we serve the Lord together you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago.

I 60614. When we speak a word of witness for Christ.

We never know how people will react, but we can know some are ready to believe that's because the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of those. The father is drawing to himself next time. Why, you can witness with confidence knowing that the Holy Spirit is preparing the way for your words of testimony to Beyoncé.

Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the church