Evangelism God's Way, Part 6

In this part of the sermon: He briefly reviews the first five messages, identifying the 'soil' as Scripture and the first two 'taproots': a biblical understanding of humanity (fallen, savable, elect) and…

The metaphor of a tree deeply rooted in nourishing soil (Scripture) with taproots (biblical understanding of man, being the gospel in flesh, prayer for the Spirit) is used to organize the sermon series on evangelism.

In God-honoring, Spirit-empowered, evangelistic endeavors. Now let me attempt to give you in just a few minutes the heart of what we have considered in the first five messages. I indicated that the organizing metaphor would be that of a tree. A tree deeply rooted in rich, nourishing soil.

4:49 - 5:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: For anyone to say God does nothing except He does it in answer to the prayers of His people, one would have to have an explicit text in which God Himself, who alone knows all that He does, and the connection with what He…

The creation of the world in Genesis 1:1 is used as an example to refute the idea that God does nothing except in answer to His people's prayers, as no one was there to pray for creation.

I sat at my desk and I said, you know, the first verse of the Bible knocks that thing right out into the ocean. Who was there to pray that God might make a world? Nobody. God did that massive work, the work of creation of the heavens and the earth.

14:00 - 14:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Little prayer, little blessing. More prayer, more blessing. Much prayer, much blessing. There's a little element of truth in that, but there's more error than truth in it. It can so easily flow into this pagan perspectiv…

The incident on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) is cited as a classic example of pagan, vain repetition in prayer, contrasted with Elijah's simple, powerful prayer, illustrating what Jesus warned against in Matthew 6.

And you see a classic example of that in the incident with Elijah and the false prophets on Mount Carmel. I was re-reading that the other day, or just yesterday, in preparation for today. And you remember the story.

16:02 - 16:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Little prayer, little blessing. More prayer, more blessing. Much prayer, much blessing. There's a little element of truth in that, but there's more error than truth in it. It can so easily flow into this pagan perspectiv…

The image of the prophets of Baal cutting themselves and dancing around the altar is likened to 'monkeys on speed' to vividly portray the frantic, misguided nature of their pagan prayer.

are cutting themselves with knives and dancing around the altar. And the only image that came to me, they must have looked like a bunch of monkeys, mainlining and fetting them. A bunch of monkeys on speed, jumping around cutting themselves. Why?

16:26 - 16:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second line of evidence comes from Acts 1, where the 120 disciples, commanded to 'wait' for the Spirit, engaged in concentrated, earnest prayer before Pentecost. He also…

Martin refutes the 'silly' notion that the disciples spent all ten days between Ascension and Pentecost 'stretched out flat on the floor, agonizing in prayer,' clarifying that there was a mixture of activities.

that, verse 13, and when they were come in, they went into an upper chamber where they were abiding. Well, were they continually in the temple, or were they continually in the upper room? Well, it's not either or, it was both. They were splitting their time between going into Jerusalem and having glory hallelujah meetings, blessing and praising God for everything that had happened, then coming back and gathering in this special place called this upper chamber and praying. Now, some people give the notion that between

35:25 - 35:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: No, they make that the basis of their intense, earnest, persevering prayer. And it is in the context of eminent prayerfulness that the Spirit of God comes, yes, in His unique, once for all, non-repeatable dimensions of H…

He contrasts the common misconception of needing to 'stretch yourself out on the ground and groan' to receive the Holy Spirit with the biblical account of the disciples 'sitting' when the Spirit came, emphasizing the climate of prayerfulness rather than a specific posture.

wind and filled all the house where they were lying on the floor and groaning. No, that's the picture I was given as a young Christian. You want the Holy Spirit in power? Stretch yourself out on the ground and groan.

39:15 - 39:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin turns to Luke 11, where Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, providing a pattern, a parable on persistent prayer, and the explicit promise that the Heavenly Father will…

Martin invites listeners to imagine what it must have been like to hear Jesus pray, confessing no sin but worshiping the Father perfectly, to highlight the profound impact His prayers had on His disciples.

Here in Luke chapter 11, we have the explicit teaching of our Lord Jesus. Here's the setting. Verse 1, Came to pass as he was praying in a certain place, that when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples. Have you ever wondered what must it have been like to hear Jesus' prayer? Never had to hear him confess a sin. He was worshiping. What must it have been

45:26 - 46:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask God to send His Holy Spirit upon us, filling us with love, boldness, wisdom, and persuasiveness to present the gospel to lost friends.

The parable of the friend who goes to his neighbor at midnight for bread (Luke 11:5-10) is used to illustrate the spirit of earnest, persevering prayer that does not give up until the need is met.

the substance of their prayers in verses two to four. And he said unto them, when you pray, say, and here's a pattern for the substance of their prayers. And then in verses five to ten, he gives a picture of the spirit in which they are to pray. And that picture is the parable of the friend who goes to his friend at midnight to get some bread because he's had a friend that's come to him, and he's got nothing in the cupboard. And in that

47:35 - 48:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for the Holy Spirit to grant 'bread' – holy love, holy boldness, holy utterance – to effectively minister to needy wayfarers.

The analogy of asking God for 'bread' (holy love, boldness, utterance) to set before 'needy wayfarers' (lost friends) connects the parable of the friend at midnight to the practical need for the Spirit's empowering in evangelism.

Why are we asking for the Holy Spirit? Do we have tingles up and down our spine? No! We're asking that God would grant us his Spirit in fresh and copious measures, because we want some bread to set before needy wayfarers. And we say, I've got nothing to set before.

50:14 - 50:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God with the promise of Luke 11:13 in hand, asking for the Spirit's work not only in us but in sinners, to open blinded eyes, quicken the dead, and reveal Jesus as precious.

Martin shares his personal frustration of wanting to show blind sinners how lovely Jesus is, emphasizing that only the Holy Spirit can truly open their eyes and make them see Christ's worth.

we know how and delight to give good gifts to our children. How much more? How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those asking for his work, not only in us, but in sinners, opening blinded eyes, quickening the dead, liberating the castawayed, captives, subduing rebel wills, revealing Jesus as precious? As I stand here looking out into the faces of some of you, that's one of the most frustrating things. I say,

50:54 - 51:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The final line of evidence is from Paul's teaching in Ephesians 3, where he prays for believers to be 'strengthened with power through his Spirit,' and Philippians 1, where he…

Paul's digression in Ephesians 3 is used as an example to comfort preachers who occasionally make 'holy digressions,' acknowledging that even inspired writers did so.

fourteen? For this cause, he started out to say what he's saying here in verse fourteen way back in verse fourteen. He started out to say what he's saying here in verse fourteen. And he had a holy digression. So once in a while when your preachers get on a holy digression,

52:57 - 53:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Be thankful, encouraged, and have a growing sense of expectancy that God is not drawing us out to pray to mock us, but intends to answer.

The vivid image of 'nothing deader than a dead prayer meeting' is used to highlight the genuine, Spirit-given nature of the current prayerfulness in the church, which cannot be faked.

meetings. And God has given a spirit of prayer. One of the few things you can't ape in religious life. There is nothing deader than a dead prayer meeting. You can spruce up any

59:11 - 59:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Heed the call not to grow weary in well-doing, remembering Jesus' teaching that men ought always to pray and not to faint.

The analogy of a '40-yard dash people' versus a 'marathoner' is used to challenge the congregation to persevere in prayer and evangelistic effort over the long haul, not just for a short burst.

These weeks. And several months of this endeavor are going to test whether or not we are 40-yard dash people, or whether we've got something of the spirit of a marathoner in us.

60:36 - 60:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for His glory and praise, that we might see the Lord reach out His arm and draw many unto Himself, doing things that make us pinch ourselves in wonder.

An allusion to Psalm 126, 'When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion, we were like unto them to dream,' expresses the hope that God will do such wonderful things in their evangelistic endeavor that they will be amazed and pinch themselves.

I was very much at home with Psalm 126. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion, we were like unto them to dream. Wouldn't it be wonderful if God did things that make us pinch ourselves, and we say, am I alive, or sleeping, or dreaming?

62:15 - 62:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Persevere and ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit in fresh and copious measures upon all of us, to see His blessing upon this evangelistic endeavor.

The example of God making Israel jealous by showing mercy to Gentiles is used to suggest that if God saves 'raw pagans' through their Bible studies, it might stir up jealousy and a desire for salvation among those who have had more privileges.

Amen. Drawing people to himself by making them jealous. Remember he said, I'm going to make my people Israel jealous when I show mercy to those goyim, to those outcast Gentiles. Could it be if God is pleased to use these Bible studies to reach some raw pagans, and you see God's grace being showered upon people who have none of the privileges that some of you have had, it'll get you jealous.

62:50 - 63:15 Read in full sermon