The Making of a Witness, Part 2

Today on Senate life with JD Greer if salvation belongs to God in prayer, asking God to do what only God can do should be our greatest resource.

Now here Joan is not an example for us. John wooden ramp banana light salvation a bad friend against the question ready for this. If God answer in one fell swoop.

Every prayer you prayed last week.

Would anybody Nubian thing.

The Internet boom of the 90s tech companies across the country have employed a buzzworthy business model of Schmidt's and client and entertaining clients is to promote their good services and company branding across the globe called the art of evangelism. This method of pushing products and services has rent lies the tech industry, but today is pastor JD continues our study in the book of Jonah. He reminds us that biblical evangelism is about schmoozing or entertaining is really no art to it at all. It's simply about sharing God's free gift of salvation. Grab your Bible here in Jonah chapter 3 verse three Jonah arose and what the men about. According to the word of the Lord was an exceedingly great city three days journey and Brett Jonah began to go into the city going to days journey. Eddie called out as he went yet 40 days and none of us shall be overthrown and the people of Nineveh believed God, a call for a fasting to put on sackcloth and from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of metal body arose from his throne removed his robe covered himself with sackcloth and set in ashes.

Here's a question. What made them believe like this Jonah's message doesn't appear to be that persuasive. We don't know this is that God sovereignly arranged the events that were going on and then a buddy prepare their hearts. Verse seven he issued a proclamation and published Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles let neither man nor beast heard flock taste anything, let them not feed or drink water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and let them he says call out mightily to God what everyone says the king turned from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands knows God may turn and relive from his fierce anger so that we may not perish burst him. God saw what they did, how they turn from Their Evil Way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them right is a lot of different directions we could take this passage but I want to use this passage to reflect a little bit on the nature of how God uses you to work in people's lives God using you to bring people to himself is what we call evangelism becoming an effective evangelist comes from believing two things to very simple things, both of which are to see in the story right here is number 110A. Salvation belongs to the Lord because from believing that salvation belongs more Jonah 29 like I showed you in this text. The sermon was not even that impressive five words long. His heart wasn't even in but God used it. Why, because God is the one who works salvation. John 644.

Nobody comes about me and was the father who sent me draws him. That means that people can't, Scott drawled God drawn the milk. Now that my maker might hurt but it should also make you relax because that means the weight is off of your shoulders. It's not on you to convince them. God does the drawing and the convincing and the persuading you give the finest presentation of the gospel ever God is not working in their hearts what you said will have the slightest effect. At the same time you give a lousy presentation of the gospel and God is working in the heart. Like Jonah did a lousy presentation of the gospel ever God will use it because salvation belongs to God. Salvation belongs, got number two were B. Faith comes only by hearing comes only by hearing. Romans 1017 L it's not obviously in Jonah, but you see it there in Jonah 23 God's instrument of life is his word. The word of God is not just information that God wants us to know it's not commands the word of God has a power in it. The word of God is a power to here is the important part for you. The word of God cannot do its work where people haven't heard, which means that our objective is to get the word of God and the people's lives to get them in the presence of it because then and only then can God do his work. See God is at work all around you, but he wasn't Nineveh, but there's a part that only you can do so in the book of acts. The only beings who preach the gospel in acts or humans. If you never seen this. This is big point. Try to be made after Britain's got the decoy Ethiopian eunuch was reading the scroll of Isaiah and become supported in Isaiah 3 about Jesus died for Sands and he's like you know what this means. Okay, so what God does is rather damp, like appearing as an angel to him and explain him what that means he gets Philip from over in Samaria and he teleports him, teleports, and out into the desert so that built-in espresso like what my doing years ago noticed was white is going to live your share of the word of God. Why would God, a God who could do anything, just like say felt the trouble and consider Samaria is good all the magic stuff when I just do it himself.

Going human being can do it at supper. Nine.

Paul Saul at this point, Jesus appears to limit says Saul what you doing hard for you to kick against the pride of the Holy Spirit, and salsa columns are, you know what is Jesus telling the pieces go talk to Ananias and Ananias shares the gospel with him before this, we may dramatically use of the word of God has to be spoken to the lives of human but God is all around you doing the rest of you just open your eyes, so those two facts that salvation belongs to God and that faith only comes by hearing and hearing only by you. It would have the most profound affect on you believing those two things make you into a bold, competent and effective person who shares the word of Christ with others see so many illustrations with my life years ago had a part-time job as a working in the yard maintenance and a little group of guys were just very very rough. You know, just, and they curse like nobody's business.

I got an allergen new this creatively because I didn't realize it was an art you guys. It was like man I write it down a stone without a doubt was a great height.

So then because all the time. This one guy was that the leader of it. I learned his real name: Ivan because people look like a big out of where his message from the Russian guy is huge guy, this person, he could not speak a sentence without your drop in all these foul words in it and one day he got on a kick saying like the queen mother will curse original, G. D. Got one just I'm just I'm just stuck, was not about God and I was provoked and I was like will sit there and I was just a man was boiling the way this is the disrespect he was showing toward God and find I felt like the Holy Spirit rage into my chest and I turned to him and I was like, like Ivan, you need to shut your mouth is applicable all this other stuff and it didn't really bother me.

Honestly all that much. We hear you are blaspheming God one day your to stand before God want to look at his face and you do not want stable for him, having treated him with the disrespect and having taken his name in vain.

The way that you do some casual and the Holy Spirit completely left me right at that moment just all by myself about you know not turn out sword walk away. The heard these big feet run because he sees what she sent me that I repeatedly just but much gentler tones of what I had shared with him and he says he says you know we said, I've known that something is not right between me and God. But I just don't.

I don't know and am convincing a long conversation. He says I've only known would ask where to start and this led to this conversation that took place over several days where I kept talking to him about this and never be in the midst of this thing, and he revealed to me that that he just been diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer didn't know you was called because all this chaos in his life and he and his girlfriend to live with her started asking questions and and members share with him one afternoon just talking to him and that was us not far for this huge accident where only by you died and it was bad and and and this truck flipped over on its side was a kid trapped on the and and so world leaders to three guys trying to lift the truck up, he was tearing across his field because of his truck and he hits it, not the truck up on it's it's I just he was a bee sting was his business moment where regency was seen as kid and look like he was dead and just like he is overwhelmed with emotion and the restatement air went away for the police. The cops were witnesses of the accident. He's like me, like 666 or somebody's at eight. Got struck speak to me as an amen I got screaming to you on top you listen is very shortly thereafter that he is girlfriend trusted Christ.

God is all at work around you as it is apparent that only you can do it. Speaking the word of God in that moment God is salvation belongs to the part that is given to you and only you can do that make sense more times I can tell you where I was doing something Sherry Christ and I did up like getting up you for the purpose of a personal thought some of those listening in. That was a bus trip one time and I'm uncertain. Erin saw the person next to me and conversation turns the gospel to get out have trip Emmett, I just was like I was going after this person like you know they kept arguing user; I was exploited settlement and business person's heart was so hard to be snide comments always document at the end of like an hour to have the bus that were both very good. All become like you know total failure. I stand up in the girl behind us stands on skeptic tears right. She says that was awesome bullet ricocheted evangelism where God's word bounces off one hardhearted my goose into another one is more. I don't know how to work. I just know that there is a role that God has given to you. See and if you understand that it should lead you to do two things constantly. I want to get the word of God in the people's hands know what what what what I mean that I am. I thought about the whole member that first week about what traction we like we random gospel pamphlets and restroom. The waitresses like hey here's a tip. Try Jesus and its effect in Auburn. I'm not talking about that I'm talking about the word of God in the context of a relationship where you speak the word of God to people in the context of relationship that's always how you see it for the word of God in our hands and then you guide them. Why would you be really simple idea to help you with this. I listened make a list of verses for this person versus that are very significant to you right in and give them to them as a here's a list what I want you to do is return of day, and I want you to write out in one sentence what you think it means and then write out what it means to you. What is it meaning to what is it saying to you and then in another way will come together will discuss some of these verses given the presence of the word of God and let God's word do the work in the Bible you carry a slight weight like all got alike ready to answer all questions you know the second thing that you will do as you will pray like crazy. Pray like crazy.

Salvation belongs to God in prayer, asking God to do what only God can do should be our greatest resource. Now here Joan is not an example for us. Jim John wooden frame for the Ninevites salvation a back frame against Jonah 1 prayer of the Ninevites get this. But Jesus was yonder that is when Jesus was on the cross what he say over and over again. Father forgive them. By the way John Stott says that in Greek. It's written in the clause, which means that he repeated that when what you can say father forgive them. One time he prayed it over and over and over and over. Get Jesus prayed for the Ninevites and what you essentially do when you pray as you join your faith in Jesus's fate that's pretty good company to be in. But I just pray and the same thing.

Jesus prayed that you described before the laser.

No laser works. She got what a light wave and you amplify it by adding another light wave, look at Jesus prayer father forgive them as one wave and what God is allowing you to do is join your weight to his and that becomes a laser of God's power to that person's life father forgive them you were joined that God let them see God do what only you can do by the way you want motivation to pray realizing when Jesus prayed that father given he was praying for you because he prayed for you that gives you the ability to pray for the Ninevites.

Jonah didn't think you need a prayer thought he was a prophet. If you understood the Jesus of pray for him that would have graded his heartbeat love to pray for Nineveh right so here's a question. How many people you praying for right now to be brought into the kingdom. Or here's a question ready for this. If God answered my name in one fell swoop, got answered every prayer you prayed last week when anybody newbie in the kingdom.

If I can. One fell forgot that I will answer everything a prayer bravery last week with anybody newbie in the kingdom as it is, generally, but if not, shame on you.

What were you doing one who is Jesus to you. What is the gospel to you if you understand what Jesus saved you from you understand what he saved you to is for you to preach the people that were the same with you doesn't praise him and what I do. I mean just sharing God's word to them. My whole point is a God is all work around you.

God wanted to he could say the Ninevites the obstacles Jonah God wants to he can say people all around you, for many of us, the obstacles us is never shown up. Given the word of God, to them that before closes really quickly want to deal with one objection to some of you have the opposite problem of what I'm saying I want to give this person the word total close my listens to me was that mean I finally ready. We have a timer for rootlessness in your life you have one of three reactions to it. One of them is bad to them are good right one of them is self-doubt you share with somebody they're not listening to what you conclude there's something wrong with me. My Christianity God mightily displeased within me and that's why can be fruitful so that I have the times I've been struggling up, but I'm spiritually sterile. Of course, the gospel is that there was something wrong with you and you are spiritually sterile and God was mightily displeased with you and God gives his grace to those who acknowledge that, of course, are spiritually impotent.

That's gospel 101 when you get gospel 101 you can understand that the gospel is for those who embrace the God given his power not as a demerit is a gift. In fact, only those who are spiritually sterile will have access to the mighty power of God. Those who believe in internal spiritual power will end up impotent. Since one self-doubt. Here's a second, they can lead you to lead you to make more demands on God's grace.

That's good. Now I use a word demands on purpose even almost a note to make some of you uncomfortable joy.

We should be demanding anything of God mutated some of the greatest movements of God came from a bold presumption on God's grace. So I think God don't you care told you before, Charles Spurgeon had this way of praying that tenant treat people out around… You cover the situation. I care about.

I know you care about your level loving father that I how can you watch this and not do something presumption. That's kind of think Jesus actually really likes. He said the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, by people who understand these things in Ashford and think of Jacob wrestling with God. This Genesis we hold God down the angel then says I will let you go to you blessed me that sounds sacrilegious but God was pleased with Moses, I will go up much of the women.

Luke chapter 8 verse 44, the woman who comes up and presumptuously grabs a hold Jesus Gorman even though she was ceremonially unclean. She said I know how loving and compassionate. He is the woman who goes up to Jesus and says hey come here. My daughter is like a cat your Gentile take the bread. It was chilly give the dogs to see the score dog you haven't read scholarly like all noon. We met there was little puppy yeah a so-called dog even if it's a little cute little dog she didn't shoot and blame, because she says yeah but even the dogs could evil falls off the master table. In other words there so much grace in your table.

Jesus there's nothing for dog like me you understand the depth of God's grace and you make demands on Luke 18 Jesus compares prayed when annoying widow what the judge going to get what you want. These are the metaphors Jesus church for prayer service. We hear you Tony Evans. This average American pastor on Dallas unwanted fantastic speaker was doing this big rally big evangelistic meeting whatever down in South Carolina. It was open-air several thousand people there right before the start.

These huge rain clouds come building it is raining and the people in the news like a ton percent chance of rain so all pastors are part of this get together and elsewhere.

If any of us that arose from his nice little kind of polite you know God. We want your will would God do what you want. Gonna know prayers and everything and was all you theologically correct in their go around this woman named Linda love its real name and he said so never forget. She stood up and she said this right will always pass… Is Lord, thousands have gathered to hear the good news about your son.

It would be a shame on your name.

For us to have all these unbelievers go without the gospel you control the weather. After all, and you don't stop it in the name of Jesus Christ address this storm that into the prayer meeting goes out picture places under the dark sky present state. Always pastors always umbrella start opening up the rains come in this morning when the soundstages nothing of an umbrella seasons was bizarre. Things ever since of the huge storm coming right over the art. She said little is split into and went to the right to left.

He said not a drop of rain touched anybody.

He said the why was it that she prayed like that, why was it a God heard her prayer. See is because there was a shameless boldness.

It prayer you see is not overcoming God's reluctance prayer is laying hold of God's willingness floods of salvation, you presume upon the compassion of God. When you hold of God's compassion in front of his face so were supposed to do is I know how compassionate you are. Kathy is lasting C birther. This is also good response wait upon God. So the greatest movements of God happen after somebody labor for years with no fruit Judson for her Monday my son first American missionary was in Burma for seven years now me on Margaret that that's how Scarborough for seven years that a single convert. He said that after he labored. He kept holding something God face to God you care about these people convergence it came like rain so don't give up. There's nothing wrong with you. The gospel doesn't address in Christ. There's nothing you did, my God love you more, nothing he could do could do that would earn his power anymore. The gospel is that God cares for people presume upon and ask God because salvation belongs to God and faith comes only by hearing the bottom line is this Joan is what stood in the way of Nineveh's forgiveness. Their sin was not the obstacle, Jonah's failure to get the more the word of God was. I told you Jonah to a whiskey person. Joan remember this.

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs from Jonah 3. What you see is those who cling to worthless idols forfeit not only their own grace also forfeit grace, it could've been other people sue who is there in your life that is not experiencing the grace of God, not because God's not willing or able because you have never simply spoken the word of God, to them, you never put them in a place for God to be able to take five words open their hearts. Salvation belongs God. Faith comes only by your that's where you are going to stand and pray on creation, don't give up on the one you're praying for continued foundation. The word of God, challenging message from Pastor JD Greer on Senate life. If you any of the previous messages in this castaway series.

You can find them online@jdgreer.com. We are committed to equipping you for great commission work and sharing the gospel to the most important told we had is the word of God. That's why our latest resource is designed specifically to help you know the Bible better.

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Get online@clear.com and if your new Senate life you'd like to get to know your email last devotional as well as the popular for your weekend described right now when you get clear.com Molly Winternitz inviting you to join us tomorrow and Pastor JD Eddie in the book of Jonah calling phone Tuesday Senate life