The Making of a Witness

Today I'm reading methods from God rolling in the convincing and the persuading of the finest presentation of the gospel ever God is not working in their hearts what you said will have the slightest effect of the sink that you give a lousy presentation of the gospel and God is working in the heart.

God will use it because salvation belongs to God.

The Bible. Legend JD Greer.

I'm your host Molly events continue to study the gospel revealed in the book of Jonah. Pastor Ginny reminds us that people don't come to Christ through our eloquence, beaches, or are persuasive arguments.

People come to Christ through God's relentless love are you glad it's not just up to you to convince people with free message about God saving grace, and it's part of our series titled passed away.

Now let's join Pastor JD as he shares today's message title making of the witness. One word of the Lord came to Jonah.

The second side might say that again for what you said then the word of the Lord came to Jonah. The second side. Aren't you grateful for second chances with God. I know a lot of people get very far from God, and they start to ask you been never verbalized of a short essay cannot come back and live too far gone.

You have not done for going farther than tortious or the belly of the whale right and so yes you can come back the word of the Lord comes to you again a second time the gospel speaks to this in at least two different ways.

First of all, Jesus Christ died for all of your sin, which means that he died to put away the guilt and the shame of it forever.

Yes your sender wondering may have been bad but I guarantee you it does not compare to what Jesus went through to forgive you so you can lose this question of had you done something so bad you can't to come back by looking into the sacrifice of Jesus may try the other way the gospel addresses this is the resurrection. We serve a God who not only died for our sin. We serve a God he was resurrected so that he could re-create her future so that he could say to you what he says to all of us in the resurrection, and that is be all I make all things new.

So yes you can come back, he says, verse two, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and call out again for the message. But I tell you nothing in the déjà vu. You recognize that is exactly what he said in chapter 1 see here's the thing about second chances with God.

God always takes you right back to the place where you said no and sometimes one overlooked. I don't you and God had you and I will tell you had an argument you want to chalk it up now to an irreconcilable difference, but you feel bad about. You don't want to be separated from God. She does want to come back in and act like nothing ever happened. That's not how it works. But God is always right. You were always wrong. You can just ignore the place you disobey God and leave it unresolved. One of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld under that old horizontal bands, but enough of you as were George gets mad, blows up at his boss storms out leaves never tell his boss off that we can feel bad about it… I just quit my job and on the job shows up on Monday back to the board room table like nothing ever happened right and I just can't do that you can't do. You can't do that with God, you go right back to the place that you said no and that's where it begins you repent conveyor verse three. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord Nineveh was an exceedingly great city three days journey in breath. Jonah began to go into the city going to days journey any called out as he went yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Now get this picture okay.

Jonah has been in the belly of the fish for how long. For three days. That's right with the gastric juices of this vicious stomach watching over him, which means he would have been bleached white white hair glowing like an angel that would have to have been a nice effect for a preacher, wouldn't you agree right and he's got an eight word message yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

That's actually in Hebrew. It's only five words your day all about team bending a volume in the pocket. That was it tells the whole message. All of the points.

It didn't rhyme it and have fun illustrations.

Five words always said verse five and the people of Nineveh believed God may call for a fast on the put on sackcloth and from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne removed his robe covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. Here's a question. What what made them believe like this Jonah's message doesn't appear to be that persuasive.

By five words long. Didn't even invite them to repent. You notice that telemedical says that you can be destroyed. So what made it so effective we don't know is that God sovereignly arranged the events that were going on and then a buddy prepare their hearts. Some historians talk about unusual astronomical activity that was taking place in natural disasters that had occurred around Nineveh right what we don't know if that's contributing to the waiter listening to Bissell.

What is clear is that God's spirit took these five words and made them seem so real and so urgent to these people. But the whole city repent. Verse seven he issued a proclamation and publish it for Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles let neither man nor beast hardware flock taste anything, let them not feed or drink water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth man and beast.

I put sackcloth on the towels. Many food make them fast.

The more they gone wrong. Nothing was account doing is hungry you are or are you really redneck about the notice, it moves that's what he does when it's hungry.

Imagine you got all the towels anything this big movie all the time.

It's contributing to the sense of morning right this whale that's going out from the city. Same with sackcloth that is not God prefers that you know initially put that on the make you happy. It's it's that represented the inner torment of their hearts and let them he says call out mightily to God ship until now, the Ninevites had boasted him being mighty in the Army, mighty in their strength mighty in the riches. Now they are mighty in humiliation and repentance and let everyone says the king turned from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows God may turn and relent 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. He did not do it. Why, because God overflows with compassion and mercy God doesn't delight in judgment. Ezekiel says he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God delights in mercy. He is like a father.

Jonah would explain in chapter 4 that fills that word approach last week Rachel and compassion for a broken child when I'm angry at my kids about angry at them for something that they done when the moment I see that brokenness in them that repentance. My heart just overwhelms them with mercy. I love this picture of God. Got half a chance, give got half a chance in your life, and he would overwhelm you with mercy right is a lot of different directions we could take this passage but I want to use this passage to reflect a little bit this weekend on the nature of how God uses you to work in people's lives.

You see there's there's two or three different macro themes I could say that way that are going on in Jonah, and I kind of what is about to use when describing one of the purposes of the book of Jonah.

If you want a job is down for your your study notes later is that you want Jonah's purpose is to show you how God pursues centers as love explained you were Jonah just let God work in Jonah's life is working in your life you put the storm in your life so that you can not be paid back for your sensitivity can bring you back from your rights or your Jonah that's that's one way another purpose of the book of Jonah is to contrast the difference in God's heart philosophy. What arts Jonah wants to destroy his enemies.

God was to forgive them.

Jonah cries out for revenge, God cries out for mercy. So it's given to contrast the two things of third purpose of Jonah, which is what would I do it this weekend is to show you how God uses his people in the world to show you how God uses his people in the world, God using you to bring people to himself is what we call ready evangelism.

Now I know that word terrifies some of you some of you know me, don't come to church. Alexi, this is why I don't come to church because you Christians are always talking about how to convert the rest of us and I hate that. I understand you should rest assured that that word makes most believers as nervous exit makes you good that there's a sense of this event, the heart of the definition of evangelism is to bury nervous people talking to each other. Okay one nervous because he's being talked to the other numbers were to seize one doing the talking right most of us are paralyzed when it comes to evangelism as you. I want to know where to start, I would know what to say. You're terrified about saying something wrong. You're terrified about creating some unbelievably awkward, socially awkward moment right. I understand that I have been there. I've been in more socially awkward evangelism encounters that anybody in this room I can assure you I understand that that bit that reservation that you that you have 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 111 of our pastors help me see this in about as simple and so clear and so helpful Warner A.

Salvation belongs to the Lord.

They come from believing that salvation belongs more Jonah 29 like I showed you in this text or the sermon was not even that impressive five words long. His heart wasn't even in right even pray that they would listen to this even say it with tears by giving them printer they would listen before you find a he's prayer basically say, God, you know, I want you to shut their ears and close our hearts open to totally reject this is hearts not in it.

He's a hypocrite, but God used it. Why, because God is the one who works salvation to the Bible teaches that repentance is something only God can work in our hearts we can do.

He's the one that convinces people to believe he's the one who arranges circumstances so that we want to know God is 12 three no man can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. You can't do the words nobody will from their soul. Confess the Lordship of Jesus, unless the spirit of God put that in them. Ephesians 289 for it is by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. If the gift of God. Here's a question. What is that refer to the great human safety debate and that not of yourselves together. Greek New Testament open that almost all you do, you'll notice that that refers to the whole previous sentence. In other words, it's not just Jesus doubt that is a gift to you the faith to believe in that gift is also a gift to you.

John chapter 1 verse 13 through as many as received him, John says to them he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of flesh nor the will of man, but of God that something you inherited from your parents is not something I could teach you but I can stand up here by the will of the flesh and convince you of God does in you.

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 and it might raise some questions, but 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 the same time you give a lousy presentation of the gospel, and God is working in the Hartley Jonah lousy presentation of the gospel ever God will use it because salvation belongs to God first hand.

There been times I had preached sermons made here, maybe somewhere else like in the middle sermon on like this. The best sermon I've ever preached. I was feeling that I can feel the spirit of God to move you, me, and I'm like my illustrations are on being funny I tell stories and people or got tears in their eyes. And I'm like, man. It was good. And then after it's over. Just you know based on how you usually tell these things nobody nothing happened in the White House, funny story, but nothing happens in somebody's art another time that I had preached what I would really consider to be the worst sermons F I'm halfway through it on like Lord forgive me. I begin that I want to pray like this my Jesus I've always called him to Jesus. I'm sorry she's I know there were people that were thinking about becoming Christians.

Up until now and I have to rinse them not to be a Christian. I'm sure I'm a Christian any longer. Jesus, after that sermon somebody comes up to me at the end of this just overwhelmed with God's work in your life that almost feel God laughing in heaven the hospital to prove it's not you it's not your persuasive words, not the will of flesh it's me. I salvation belongs to me. People are converted by my eloquent speech of the persuasive powers of your flesh converted by the power of God is you. The end of the day were not dealing with skeptics who need to be persuaded not dealing with bad people need to be convinced become good people were dealing with dead people need to be raised to life.

That's not something you can do something on the power of God can do references before the Princess bride that old classic movie really get the person is like always dead That is nearly dead thing and maybe some dormant and easily merely get that that caliber doesn't really exist. People who are outside of Christ are not like nearly dead their dead and for somebody that is dead to come out of the grave. It takes a work of God, not because I stood up here gave a sermon that was powerful, made the hairs on the back your next and I'm told funny stories and made you cry once is not what does this the power of God and sometimes he takes people like Jonah who speak the word of God, even against their will in all their hypocrisy because salvation belongs to him. Someone says I want you to interpret what a meaning the right way once is what you relax because the pressures is not on you. Salvation belongs to God. Salvation belongs, got number two were B. Faith comes only by hearing faith comes only by here is Romans 1017 now 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 all kinds of analogies in the Bible for the second word is for six says the Lord God like a ray of sunshine that brings light to the earth. Second Timothy 316 says is like the breath of God that creates life out of nothing. First Peter 123 says it's like an imperishable seed of life that burst in the fruit.

Even the most dead places is a 55 says that the word is like the rain that comes down from heaven and makes the earth sprout and blossom. The word of God is a healing rain on our hearts, that brings life out of death board of God is not just information or commands, the word of God has in itself. The power for you to do the very things that God is telling you to do it. Think of it, almost like Jesus on earth would tell somebody who was lame, he would say, rise, take up your bed and walk.

Not that command coming from anybody else has no effect Jesus words unadorned just because he said have in themselves the power for that guy to obey the commands the word of God has in itself. The power for us to obey the power for us to believe. So here is the important part for you. The word of God cannot do its work were 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, people pleasing to our objective is not their salvation. What I say that you like about us and what you mean when you say that your wellness from pre-surviving one seat in Congress but my objective, your check is another salvation.

What salvation was a God and it's because people don't understand that they had this unbelievable paralyzing burden on them that keeps them from doing one thing that God would have them do it belonging to the women in my column is when I am sharing the word of God with people see Isaiah says that God's word will not return to him void it will accomplish all that he is purpose for it. She God is at work all around you.

What he was in Nineveh, but there's a part that only you can do you think most people have.

They limit this myth that God is so I somehow magically just bringing people to church to bring people to faith in me to show up, come forward and get baptized messes how this is how it works. Note God is at work all around you, there's one thing he will do through you and that is speak the word of God. The thought here and ready for this study the book of acts.

The only beings who preach the gospel and acts or humans, not axis filled with all kinds of crazy stories about God doing some pretty wild stuff. But the one thing that only a human being does is preach the gospel. In fact, it's kind of like the way it's written is almost it's it's never seen this. This is big point.

Try to be made at separate three children are at separate interpreters got the decoy Ethiopian eunuch was reading the scroll of Isaiah says it is reading you travel the desert raise up a little cherry to whatever is read that and become supported in Isaiah 53 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 right mind you teleports it out into the desert so that Philip can explain what my doing here is a good thing on his weight. Here's a guy reading is going to live your share of the word of God, not why would God, a God who could do anything, just like say felt the trouble let him sit in Samaria. All the magic stuff. Why not just do it himself.

Going human being can do it at separate 10 jump about getting Cornelius. He's a Roman soldier he's been seeking God's. And there's not something I dislike was no doctors. I gotta want to know you. Etc. etc. God appears to him as an angel entering and says Cornelius, your prayers and come up to God. God wants you to know him, so that's good news.

I am so what is the angel. To go, it might explain him what the gospel is no reason that they what what you go over by the got a Peter is on the other side of the city and I want you to get him to explain to you so meanwhile the Sun City beers up on top of the house where you stay in for you, even prayers. And as these Brady falls into a trance and this honest dreams ever recorded. She falls out of the sky and in the sea are like all kinds of unclean animals, pigs and squirrels and dogs and voices to Peter rise kill and eat and only debt is unclean and the boy says I'm God argued me and so Peter wakes up from his dream and try to forget what it means is this pigs in a blanket remain okay that's my name for what is it me and and and just then something knocks at the door and down and Cornelius says hey I had this angel so hump until many talk to you and it is like I had thought of the sky and somehow that they got human and and and preaches the gospel to why the gotta get all that because human beings all wanted to do it in between those that suffer nine. You know the story Paul Saul at this point driving on the Damascus road ride his horse got appears to knocks about the horse knocks on his back. Jesus appears to him and says GAP are what are meeting us all 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 seas.

I got understand that all samples are the glory of God you like that one day I the wages of sin is death, then do that. He says go talk to Ananias and Ananias shares the gospel with him. What in Jesus is going close the deal.

God is bad to stay there in the clouds go ahead and share the gospel now always gotta be a human being that doesn't always you will not find one illustration anywhere in the Bible anybody but another human being actually share the message of the gospel.

For this we may dramatically's of the word of God has to be spoken to the lives of human God is all around you doing the rest of you just open your eyes of those two bags that salvation belongs to God that pain 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 and confident person shares were priced in with all his feelings and still used in amazing ways. You're listening to Senate life with pastor Arthur and theologian JD Greer wearing a series called Castaway if you happen to join us late today or if you'd like to catch up on previous messages in our study in the book of Jonah. Visit us online@tdgreer.com here you can listen to all of our previously aired broadcasts free of charge. Today is the final day to request our latest Senate life resource 2021 day planner, the beginning of the years agreed time to challenge ourselves in the discipline of Bible reading. If you'd like to take that challenge and read more of the Bible than you ever have before.

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