A little bit long this morning, but I want you to understand
this morning that God's way still works.
God's way still works. Matthew chapter 28.
The Bible says this in verse #18 And Jesus came and spake unto
them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Now without, without his power, without this power, the command
to evangelize the world is impossible.
And yet with that power, it's a mission that's not only
possible, it's it's, it's probable and very likely because
our Lord has given us everything that we need.
Think about who Jesus was talking to in this passage.
He's talking to the disciples, a girl, a little handful of just
unlearned disciples, fishermen, ordinary people, no degrees, no
college, no prestige, no money, no machinery.
And he tells them, I want you to evangelize the nation's.
I want you to go to all the world and preach the gospel.
He says that in verse #19 Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you.
And lo, I am with you all way, even unto the end of the world.
Amen. You think about this.
This is the last words that Jesus Christ spoke before He
went back to heaven. The last words of anything.
You know, you think about people probably, I don't know, think
about what they, what they want their last words to be.
If they have that choice, you know, they're laying on their
deathbed. What am I going to say as my
last words? And I, I don't know if people
think about that or not, but Jesus had plenty of time to
think about what the last words were that he wanted to say
before he went back up to heaven.
And this is what he chose to talk about.
Go and tell people about Jesus Christ, go tell the world, go
evangelize the world and then baptize them and then disciple
them. That's, that's, that's the last
thing he, he chose to give his his his disciples before he
left. It's just this little handful of
people and here they're going to go out and, and, and go against
the, the iron legions of Rome and they're going to go out in
against the sophistication and the intellectualism of Greece.
And they're going to go to the, the, the, the stiff necked
nation of Israel to try to share the message of the gospel with
them. How do you think they felt when
they sent them out to do that? Maybe a little bit like the,
the, the cows that were out in the field one day they were
grazing and they, they looked up and this milk truck went past
that was advertising the dairy that they were a part of and
they read on the side of that truck.
It said pasteurized, homogenized, fortified vitamin
enriched milk from contented cows.
And one of them looked at the other one and said, makes you
feel kind of worthless, doesn't it makes you feel a little bit
inadequate. And that's I think, I think when
we think about this Commission, when we think about what God's
given us to do, we feel inadequate to, to carry out the
Commission of giving the gospel to the entire world.
But that's the Commission that he gave us and and our
deficiency with his sufficiency is all we need.
We don't need anything else, right?
He said, all power is given unto me and that's what we sing
about. Little is much when God is in
it. Our Lord said all power is given
unto me. And so they went.
And the book of Acts really is, is a success story.
And we read the the the story. I love reading through the book
of Acts, but you just see one success after another of them
leading people to Christ and them starting churches and them
doing the work of evangelizing and getting the message of the
gospel out to that lost and dying world.
And those early Christians had something that that swords
couldn't kill. They had something that that the
water couldn't drown, something that that fire couldn't burn,
something that the jails could not hold.
They had a message that was given to them by Jesus Christ
himself to take to the rest of the world.
And they did that. There was no power that seemed
to be able to stand against them because the authority had come
from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
All power is given unto me, Jesus said, and that's why God's
way still works. He said, Luke chapter 10 and
verse #3 that he was going to send us out as lambs among
wolves. Boy, I don't know what it would.
Well, I don't know what lamb wants to prance out in front of
a bunch of wolves, but that's what he said.
It's going to be like when we go out with the gospel.
It's going to be lambs among wolves.
But still he told us to go. And it doesn't make logical
sense in a lot of ways, but God's way, going out into the
highways and hedges and compelling them to come in God's
way, doing everything that we can to share the message of the
gospel with the law still works because he gives us the power to
do it. God's way still works.
And that's what I want to talk to you about for just a couple
minutes this morning. Let's have a word of prayer and
then we'll jump into the message.
Father, again, we thank you so much for your goodness to us.
Thank you for an opportunity we have to be here together this
morning. God, I do thank you again for
those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, that they they
know they're on their way to heaven, their sins are forgiven.
And God, I do pray that if there is somebody in here that still
does not have that settled, still doesn't have that taken
care of. God, may you burden their hearts
this morning with their need for you.
We thank you for those who have made that decision.
And we're getting baptized today.
And God, may we just be reminded that the way that you've told us
to do it still works. Modern world, the modern
Christianity tells us today that it doesn't.
We have to have better programs. We have to have better methods,
we have to have better buildings and all these other things in
order to try to get the message of the gospel out.
But God, we know that your way still works because it's your
power that matters. And God, may we be reminded of
that this morning as we go through the message.
May you speak to our hearts and we'll thank you for all you do
for us in Jesus name, Amen. Turn over if you will, the first
Corinthians chapter 3. I want you to understand first
of all, that witnessing works. It doesn't always work in the
way that we expect it to work. And I think that's one of the
things that we get discouraged about many times, but we often
go and go and go without seeing results in.
But then God brings in the ones who are willing and ready to be
saved. The Bible says this.
Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 3 and verse #4 For while
one saith, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos.
Are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is
Apollos? But ministers by whom he
believed, even as the Lord gave to every man, I have planted,
Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planted anything, neither he
that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth, and he that watereth are one.
And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own
labor, for we are laborers together with God.
You're God's husbandry, you're God's building.
There's a lot of times when it seems like we're just spinning
wheels. I think we're going out and
knocking on doors. We're going out and trying to
give out the Bibles. We show up week after week and
we stand out in the heat, in the cold, holding signs and trying
to get people to come in and, and get a Bible so we can have a
opportunity, hopefully an opportunity to share the message
of the gospel with them. And we go on and we knock on
doors and we try to give the message of the gospel to people
and hope for a conversation that we can just just lead them to
Christ, show them what they're missing in their life, show them
that they need a savior. We're not trying to get them to
church as much as we're trying to get them to Christ.
We're not trying to to convert them to some religion as much as
we're trying to get them to realize that they need their own
personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And we knock on doors and get rejected and we hand out cards
and we get rejected from time to time.
And we give them out knowing that not not knowing if
somebody's ever going to look at that card again, not knowing if
they're going to scan the QR code and watch that video.
That'll tell them how they can know for sure that Jesus Christ
is their savior and that they're on their way to heaven.
Galatians chapter 6 and verse 9 says, let us not be weary and
well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
I think the problem is in most churches is that people start to
faint before they reap and they give up before the reaping
happens and they quit because it's hard.
It's not easy being a Christian, especially in the day and age
that we're living in today. It's not easy to try to give out
the gospel in a, in a, in a, in a day and age when when most
people are hostile toward the gospel.
But he says in due season you shall reap if you faint not.
I can't help but think that today is a day of reaping.
All those who have been saved in the last couple months is a
reaping. All of those who are getting
baptized today because they know they're saved, it's a reaping.
Some planted some water. God gave the increase.
And if you faint not, you'll reap.
That's why God's way still works.
Witnessing works. That's what I'm here to tell you
this morning. Witnessing works, but also #2
witnessing is wise. Proverbs Chapter 11, If you'll
turn over there, boy, you're dead this morning.
Nobody's awake. Is everybody awake?
Everybody All right. Proverbs Chapter 11, this
morning, witnessing is wise. I don't know if you're feeling
like you're, you're guilty because you're not witnessing or
what, but I know most of you are out here on Saturdays.
Most of you are out there knocking doors and passing out
cards. This ought to be exciting to
you. Proverbs Chapter 11, you know,
to the world, witnessing, as we call it, giving out the message
of the gospel. It's foolishness.
Who are you to project your religion on me?
Who are you to try to tell me that the way that I'm trying to
get to heaven is not right, and that the way that you're telling
me is the only way that's right. Oh, Jesus said I am the way, the
truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me, so it is the only way to heaven, but I'm not.
We're not just trying to project a religion on you.
We're trying to help you understand that you need Jesus
Christ, and without him you have nothing.
Without him you are nothing. But that's what God's told us to
do. He's given us a Great Commission
that we, I think we use that term so many times we forget, we
don't realize that great is actually an adjective of, of the
Commission that he's given us. It's a Great Commission.
It's a tremendous Commission. It's a wonderful Commission that
he's given to us, but it comes with a lot of responsibility.
Once you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you have a
responsibility to tell other people about Jesus Christ.
And I'll be honest with you, it's not just a responsibility,
it's a burden that God puts on your heart.
Why would you not want to tell other people about Jesus Christ
once you know the truth, that's it.
Reminds me of brother Nitin when he got saved.
They, they, they thought for years and years that because
they had at 18 years old, this is over there in India, 18 years
old, they say, hey, do you believe in Jesus?
Hey, do you, do you, do you accept Jesus Christ?
Yes, I do. All right, well, you can be
baptized and now you're saved because we baptized you.
And for years he thought he was a Christian until he heard the
truth and he realized that it's not about baptism that saves
you. It's not about trying to be a
good person that saves you. It's not about any of those
things that most of the religions of the world are
trying to get you to do. Most of the religions say do,
do, do, do, do. Jesus Christ said it's already
been done. You don't need to do anything
else. He's already done everything
that needed to be taken care of, but Ninton got saved and he got
such a burden for his family, said, If I wasn't saved, and
that means most of my family back home in India is not saved
either. I've got to tell them.
And obviously, you know, God worked it out perfectly.
And, and we had a few years to train him and he went back and
he started the church and they had they had the service today
again at their church. But before he went back, by the
time he went back, he had 75 people every single week that
were on a Zoom call that he was preaching to and trying to share
the gospel with. And many of those in his family
and many of his friends in the area that he grew up in have
gotten saved because God put such a burden on his heart.
He said, if, if, if I'm not saved, if I wasn't saved, and I
know I am now, then how can I not tell other people about
Jesus Christ? And that ought to be the same
burden that we have. He's given us a tremendous
Commission. He said that when we seek to
follow that Commission, we're wise.
The Bible says this in Proverbs Chapter 11 and verse #30 The
fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
And he that winneth souls is wise.
That's where that term soul winning comes from.
He that winneth souls is wise. And I hear people ask from time
to time, are the heathens lost if they don't hear the gospel?
And I want to turn to them and ask, are we even saved if we're
not trying to share the gospel with them?
Why would we not be doing everything we can to give them
the message of the gospel? Suppose somebody were to offer
you $1000 for every person that you seriously tried to lead to
Christ. Would you do it more than you do
now? If somebody were to give you
$1000 for everybody that you sat down with and took the Bible and
shared the message of the gospel with for $1000, would you do it?
Or let's raise it and say it's $10,000 for every person that
you set and share the gospel with.
You think you'd share the gospel with more people?
And I think you understand where I'm going with it.
Are you willing to do for money what you're not willing to do
because you love Christ and because he gave you salvation?
Oh, it just shows you where our priorities are at.
Oh, if you give me $10,000, I'll tell anybody about Christ.
Hey, he died to save you. He gave his life for you.
He's given you eternal life. He's given you a home in heaven.
Why would you be willing to do something for $10,000 when you
wouldn't even be willing to do it for him when he gave you
everything? Man, that ought to be convicting
to us. Be wise.
Share the gospel while you still can.
Turn over, if you will, to Daniel chapter 12.
I want to give you the last point this morning.
Witnessing works. Witnessing is wise, but I want
you to understand this. Lastly, witnessing is worth it.
Witnessing is worth it. I want you to know this this
morning. It pays to serve Jesus Christ.
Is it difficult? Yes, sometimes.
Is it embarrassing? Yes, sometimes.
Does it take you out of your comfort zone?
For most people, yes, it takes you out of your comfort zone,
but it's worth it. And I could preach several
messages about this, but I want to just show you a couple verses
before we close this morning. In Daniel chapter 12 and verse
#3 the Bible says, And they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
Hey, you want to do something that's going to be remembered
for all of eternity? Turn somebody to righteousness.
Lead somebody to Christ, show them how they can be saved.
They that should they that they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to
righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
Turn over to Psalm 5 one last verse Psalm 5.
We started a new way of reading the Bible with, with my family
and, and we're, we just started again in August or sorry, the
beginning actually just last week, last week we started, but
I printed this out. There's a, there's a little, a
Bible reading app or not even an app, but like a little Bible
reading website. You can set it up to read it
however you want to. We decided that we're going to
read the Bible through in a year chronologically based in the
order of when, you know, when all these events actually took
place. And it's very interesting.
But we also added a Psalm of the day and Psalm 5 was the one that
we read the other day. And this, these verses really
stuck out to me. Verse #11 But let all those that
put their trust in thee rejoice, Let them ever shout for joy,
because thou defendest them. Let them also that love thy name
be joyful in Thee. For thou Lord wilt bless the
righteous with favor. Wilt thou compass him as with a
shield? Can you think of anything that's
more valuable than that? Can you think of anything?
You can't pay enough to ever be able to buy something like that.
You can only have that by following God's way.
God's way still works. The Great Commission still
works. There are still billions of
souls waiting to be given the gospel.
The Great Commission is still in effect today.
He gave it to those disciples all of those years ago, but he
gave it to us. It was for us as Christians.
There are still people at your work that need to hear the
gospel. There are still people in your
family that need to hear the gospel.
There are still people on your street in your neighborhood that
need to hear the gospel. Sharing the gospel with them is
still worth it. It's still worth it.
I heard a story about a man whose name was Doctor Broadus.
And when he was a little boy in a, in a, in a, in the town that
he grew up in, he was led to Christ in a, in a message.
And he immediately got a burden for his little friend that went
to church with him. And he's started to try to share
the gospel with that little friend.
And he said, once you, once you accept Christ the way that I
did, little, little redheaded freckleface kid.
And that kid's name was John. And he said, perhaps at some
point I'll accept Christ as my Savior.
Well, it was about 6-8 months later and he was sitting in a
service and he heard the message of the Gospel very plain.
Then he went forward and this little boy accepted Christ as
his Savior. And as soon as he accepted
Christ, he walked across that auditorium to where Doctor
Broadus as a, as a little boy was sitting.
And he walked up to him and he grabbed his hand and he said, I
thank you John. I thank you, John.
Well, Doctor Broadus obviously grew up to become, he left that
little town. He became a great scholar,
became a theologian and a theological college president
and and obviously went on to do very good things as as far as it
related to the word of God. But every summer he would go
back home almost without fail. He would go back home to visit
that little church that he grew up in.
And every time he went back home, that little red haired
farmer dressed in his overall sitting there in the church
would come over to him and say, I thank you John.
I never forget, John, I never
forget. And Doctor Broadus, many years
later, as he was laying on his deathbed with his family around
him, I said, many people think about the last words they're
going to say. I don't know if he thought about
those words ahead of time, but this is what he said as he lay
there dying, He said, I'd rather think the sound sweetest to my
ears in heaven, next to the welcome of him whom, having not
seen I have loved and tried to serve, will be the welcome of
John Jones as he'll thrust out his great hand and say, howdy,
John. Thank you, John.
One day it'll be worth it all. God's way still works.
Witnessing still works. Witnessing is wise and
witnessing is worth it. Don't miss the chance to share
the gospel. Don't, don't pass up on the
opportunities that you have to give the message of the gospel
out. Don't miss an opportunity to be
here on Saturday when we go out and try to get the gospel out.
We only have a short window left.
If God tarries, if everything continues the way that it's
going, we don't have a long time before Christ comes back.
We need to use every opportunity that we have.
It still works. God's way still works, and we'll
find that out this morning as we'll see in just a few minutes
that people are still getting saved.
God's still in the soul saving business and I'm so glad that He
is. Once you bite your head and
close your eyes with me, we're going to have a word of prayer.
Father, again, we thank you so much for your goodness to us.
We thank you for the opportunity that we have to be here in this
service this morning. God, may you use the service in
our hearts. May you use us to share the
message of the gospel while we have the opportunity to do it.
God, break our hearts for those that we know that are lost and
dying without you. God, I pray that if there is
somebody in here that does not know for sure that they're
saved, that they'd get that settled today.
So they can go out and be a witness for you as well.
But God, we thank you that you've given us not only the
way, but that you give us your power to do it.
And God, may we be convinced that your way is still the best
way. May we continue to do it with
the time that we have until you come back or until you take us
home. Convict us.
God, please help us to be what you need us to be again, for all
you do for us in Jesus name, Amen.