Why We Fail To Witness
Part 6
"We Just Don't Care"
Jonah's problem is that he was selfish.
We don't care because we are selfish as well.
What if God were to ask you the following questions:
- What makes you happy?
- What makes you angry?
- What makes you want to give up?
- Do you have compassion for the lost?
Solutions for Selfishness
- Replace thinking about what you want with praying for the lost people in your life.
- Replace spending time doing what you want with building relationships with lost people.
- Replace judgmental thinking with reaching out to those outside your comfort zone.
- Remember where you came from and what God has done for you.
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Why We Fail to Witness
Part 5
We Forget What Our Lives Represent
(Luke 11:29-30,32) And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
What Do Our Lives Represent?
- Resurrected life (Ephesians 2:1-5). We have been quickened, made alive in Christ Jesus. What we were then versus what we are now--a sign of God's power.
- Eternal significance (Ephesians 2:6-7)
- God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- God's purposes (Ephesians 2:10)
- Sin will dishonor God's attempted work in my life and not allow me to be useful to Him
(2 Timothy 2:19-21) "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." |
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Why We Fail to Witness
Part 3
"We Have Given Up"
The first two reasons for why we sometimes fail to witness:
- Not spending enough time in the presence of the Lord - leaves us cowardly, powerless, and distracted
- Asleep spiritually - leaves us unable to help those in the storms of life ready for spiritual answers
Jonah's Solution for the Storm
(Jonah 1:11-12)
Jonah decided he just couldn't do what God had asked him to do - so he had given up - choosing death over obedience.
I can't witness because...
- "I wouldn't know what to say" -- You need to get equipped
- "I am afraid of how they will respone to me" -- You need to get over yourself "The fear of man is a snare"
- "I don't know any lost people" -- You need to start builiding some relationships and meeting new people
The Sailors' Compassion for Jonah
The people of the world give up less often on their causes than we do as believers in spreading the gospel.
Man Overboard
(Jonah 1:15-17)
Jonah had given up on his calling but God had not given up on Jonah.
How to keep from Giving Up on Witnessing
- Eliminate your excuses.
- Cultivate your compassion.
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38) |
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Why We Fail to Witness
Part 1
"Leaving the Presence of the Lord"
"Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3)
Notice Jonah's response to God's call:
- "...rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD..." (Jonah 1:3a)
- "...and went down to Joppa..." (Jonah 1:3b)
- "...and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it..." (Jonah 1:3c)
- "...to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD" (Jonah 1:3d)
(Mark 16:15) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
One reason you may fail to witness like you should is because you do not consistently live in the presence of the Lord.
It takes power to witness and the only way to become filled with that power is to spend time in the presence of the Lord.
- You will become a coward when you are not living in the presence of the Lord.
- You will become powerless when you are not living in the presence of the Lord.
- You will become distracted when you are not living in the presence of the Lord.
What do I need to do in order to make sure that I am living in the presence of the Lord?
- Schedule daily times of prayer and meditation on Scripture.
- Be filled with the Holy Spirit moment by moment.
- Obey the promptings of the Lord.
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