Evangelism God's Way, Part 8

Driving home: And thirdly, the third taproot is that we must engage, engage in earnest and persevering prayer for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with every facet of our evangelistic endeavors.

The organizing metaphor for the entire sermon series, depicting God-honoring, Spirit-empowered evangelism as a healthy tree rooted in the Word of God, with taproots and a trunk.

During the last two Lord's Days of the month of February and the four Lord's Days in the month of March, I preached seven sermons in this place on the theme, Some Biblical Perspectives Concerning God-Honoring, Spirit-Empowered Evangelistic Endeavors. These sermons were preached as part of our preparation before launching our six weekly geographically structured home-based evangelistic Bible studies. I smiled because one of my fellow pastors kind of got tangled up trying to get out that lengthy description. And using the imagery of a healthy, well-rooted tree, flourishing in good, nourishing, m...

0:04 - 1:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Concoct your own dose of the divine antidote to discouragement by engaging with God's Word.

Defining 'antidote' as a remedy to counteract a poison or unwanted condition, setting up the sermon's theme of combating discouragement.

distillation, but I looked at my watch and it was thirteen minutes, so that's why I stumbled a bit. Now, my desire before leaving on the physician-mandated four-week break from this ministry was to bring an eighth and final message in this series. But in the providence of God, it did not fall out that I was able to do that. But now, that we have been able to complete four of the six studies, and are two-thirds of the way done, I believe in the providence of God that what I wanted to say then has not only ripened in my own understanding, but I think it will appear much more relevant to some of ...

10:24 - 11:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Concoct your own dose of the divine antidote to discouragement by engaging with God's Word.

A wise old woman's warning to Martin early in his ministry, emphasizing how discouragement can paralyze ministry, illustrating its destructive power.

that works against an evil or unwanted condition. Now, discouragement in this endeavor is an evil and an unwanted. Very early in my ministry, a wise old woman, I can't remember even where it was, said, Now, son, as you seek to minister in this situation, not referring to here, above all else, beware of the demon of discouragement. Now, she did not mean that there was an actual demon whose name was Discouragement, who would sit on my shoulders and mock me and give a hideous laugh. But she understood that once we allow discouragement to infect our spirits in the work of God, we become paralyzed....

11:36 - 12:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn not to focus so much on people's reactions to the gospel, but on God's pleasure in the proclamation of Christ.

Using the imagery of a returning Roman general with the fruits of conquest to explain God always leading believers in triumph in Christ, even in apparent defeat.

because I did not find Titus my brother. And when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, I did not find Titus my brother. And probably the reason was, his burden for the mess at Corinth was such that he had sent Titus there to look things over, and he was so anxious for the Corinthians, and anxious to get a report from Titus. He said, in essence, I was gripped with a holy distraction. Though I came for the gospel, and the door for preaching the gospel was open, I had no relief in my spirit. But taking leave of them, I went forth to Macedonia, but, but, thanks be to God, who always leads us ...

31:36 - 32:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: As John Brown, the commentator, says, we are often like children who think that we can sow and reap in the same way. day. It just doesn't work that way.

A story about a child planting seeds and expecting immediate fruit, illustrating the common misconception of instant gratification in evangelism and the need for long-term realism.

I know what some of you kids were thinking. That's in my ancient history class. Well, not quite. And I can't remember what they did with the money we got from it, but every year, we got issued the opportunity to sell seeds in the spring. A nickel a packet. Yeah. And on those packets, it would tell what kind of seed it was, and there would always be a picture of what that seed would look like when it germinated, fully developed, and was at the fruit-bearing or reaping stage. A little tiny, lettuce seeds. So tiny, tiny. Show these nice big heads of iceberg or romaine lettuce or some other kind o...

36:49 - 37:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Come to grips with the fact that evangelism is often a long-term endeavor, especially in an instant gratification age.

Martin's personal evangelistic endeavor over six years with a doctor and his staff, demonstrating the long-term nature of sowing and watering without immediate visible fruit.

Most of you who are part of this church know how real this has been for me in my evangelistic endeavors with a certain doctor and his staff of ten women. Six years. Dozens of contacts subsequent to Mrs. Martin's death.

45:38 - 46:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Walk by faith and believe that every evangelistic endeavor you make is not lost.

The story of a young man in the congregation who believed after decades of Martin's preaching and others' sowing, illustrating that God works in His own time over the long haul.

What do you know of what God is doing? There sits here a young man that for decades when I would have pointed gospel applications, I'd look him straight in the eye. I'd look him straight in the eyeballs and he knew I was preaching at him. Pleading with him.

48:03 - 48:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain initial zeal and see it increased in God-given endeavors by abiding in Christ and feeding on His strength and grace.

The example of the multitude following Jesus for three days without food, used to illustrate the meaning of 'faint' in Galatians 6:9 as physical exhaustion and weakness.

And what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder, not only in marriage, but in promise. If we faint not. This word faint is the very word that is used of the multitude following Jesus for three days and were hungry and the disciples said send them back into the city. Jesus said no, lest they faint in the way.

54:44 - 55:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Stop kicking against the goads and destroying yourself by fighting light and conviction.

An allusion to Paul's conversion experience, where Jesus tells him it is hard to kick against the goads, used to urge unbelievers to stop resisting conviction and destroying themselves.

Why not stack arms today? Say, Lord, I'm tired of kicking against the goads as Paul was doing. And the Lord Jesus said, not it's hard for me. Think of it.

60:12 - 60:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Come home to the Father's house, where there is mercy, feasting, and His embrace.

An allusion to the parable of the Prodigal Son, inviting unbelievers to 'come home' to the Father's house where there is feasting, dancing, and embrace, contrasting it with the misery of the 'hog pens'.

Come home. Come home. Come to the Father's house. That's where the dancing is.

61:07 - 61:12 Read in full sermon