Pastor Marty Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 3:10PM This sermon was preached on September 25, 2022 by Missionary Robert Specter of Rock of Israel Ministries.
There will not be an article on this sermon, but the audio is now available.
Email Article | Print Article | Share Article | tagged Belief, Evangelism, Israel, Jews, Revival, Salvation Pastor Marty Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 10:01AM John 16:7-11. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on October 24, 2021.
We have been talking about repentance the last two weeks. Repentance always begins in the Holy Spirit working on the heart of a person. He works upon believers and unbelievers for different purposes, but today we are going to focus on how the Holy Spirit works on unbelievers.
It is clear from Scripture that the Holy Spirit works in partnership with and through believers. However, He is not limited to only working through us. It is important for us to focus on how the Holy Spirit works in the unbeliever’s life so that we can better cooperate with Him.
Let’s look at our passage.
The Bible doesn’t give us a detailed explanation of the ability and limitations that are work here. We know that the Holy Spirit only resides within believers. So, unbelievers do not have the Spirit of God inside of them. In that sense, they are not spiritually alive to His presence and voice. Thus, He works through the various inputs in their life, drawing their attention to some. I will not pretend to understand its entirety, but is important for us to know that it is happening, and to learn how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. It should be noted that there is a spirit of this world that is also working on the unbeliever. This spirit has far more leverage on the unbeliever because of the self-serving desires that the person has.
When we share the Word of God, and live the life of Jesus, we are giving the Holy Spirit more to work with in their life. Yes, Jesus could personally visit every unbeliever on the planet with a vision of himself giving them the Gospel, but he wants us to partner with him and learn to speak into their lives. The Holy Spirit works in tandem with us, or better, through us. This is why it is so important to prayerfully ask the Spirit of God to lead us in the things we share with unbelievers. The Holy Spirit knows them far better than I do.
Our passage mentions 3 things about which the Holy Spirit brings a conviction to the heart of the unbeliever. Before we look at them, let’s take a second to mention what is meant by “to convict.” This has to do with correcting, refuting, and bringing light to the truth of a person’s legal position before God. So, we use this word in reference to an external thing that happens. For example, in a courtroom, a criminal may be convicted by the court, but that tells us nothing about what is going on in his heart. Did the moral and legal arguments of the prosecutor and the decision of the judge make it into their heart and cause them to sorrow over their criminality? This is when the external work becomes internalized and the criminal agrees that they have done wrong and need to make things right. Many people are convicted externally, but their hearts are hardened towards any inner conviction about their sins.
The unbeliever is guilty of not putting their faith in Jesus. This is the first conviction the Holy Spirit attempts to bring to the unbeliever. Jesus is the savior that God has given to the world, and He will not send another. Yes, unbelievers are guilty of all manner of sins, but these can only be removed and forgiven when we deal with this foundational sin. Unbelief towards God, and His Rescuing Son, is the reason we pursue all manner of sinful activities. People need Jesus more than they need to quit getting drunk, aborting babies, and being hateful to others. Without putting real trust in Jesus, we will be powerless to achieve real, lasting reform in the other areas of sin in our lives. The believer must be careful not to lose sight of this. We can focus so much on the problems of sin in their life, and forget to point them to their lack of trust in Jesus, that is what needs to change foremost.
The unbeliever is guilty of a woefully inadequate righteousness. Everybody believes that they are pretty good and can always point to other people that are far worse than them to justify themselves. Jesus is not currently on this earth, and thus people do not see how perfectly righteous he is. They can only see his righteousness when believers share God’s Word with them, and by how believers live. Those who put their faith in Jesus will listen to the Holy Spirit in order to do and to be the righteousness of Christ. This is a righteousness that can only come from trusting Jesus and saying, “Yes!” to the Holy Spirit. When confronted with the Word of God and the life of a believer who is crucifying the flesh, the unbeliever will be convicted that their “righteousness” does not stack up to the righteousness of Jesus. Only the life of Jesus was perfect and acceptable to God. Only the death of a perfect man could both pay the price for our sin, and allow for us to live. Praise God that He not only desires that we live, but that we live in an eternal relationship with Him. He invites us into His family, but we have to let go of the trust that we have in our own righteousness outside of a faith in Jesus.
The third thing the Holy Spirit brings is the reality of what that guilt means. God’s judgment hangs over their head along with the ruler of this world. Are you convinced that the judgment of God is even now looming over this world? The only reason it hasn’t fallen yet is because God is merciful and is not willing for so many to perish. This world is guilty of surrendering itself to the influence and control of the devil and his infernal cohorts. The Holy Spirit is working to convince the unbeliever that they are in danger; but are also able to switch allegiances. This is the good news of the Gospel. God is calling you to switch sides before He lets the hammer fall. In fact, the judgment will be meted out by Jesus himself.
Knowing that the Holy Spirit targets these three things: to convict them of their unbelief in Jesus, to convict them of their woefully inadequate righteousness, and therefore to convict them of their looming judgment, believers should pay particular attention to these areas in their life and speech to unbelievers. Unbelievers need to see us living out faith in Jesus. They need to see the righteousness of Christ in those of us who are rejecting the spirit of this world. No one will ever be saved by us becoming more like the lost world around us. They will only be saved by receiving a powerful revelation of just who Jesus is, who they are, and the judgment that he will save them from, if they will trust him.
Of course, there are different responses to the Holy Spirit’s work (and our partnership with it). A person may respond one way, and then later change in their response. No one is locked into any particular response, and this is the weakness of the devil’s hold on people, but more on that in a bit.
Some people are simply unmoved by the Holy Spirit’s convicting work, and basically pay it no attention, if they even see it at all. This is probably the response of the majority of people. Like a dead man who cannot respond no matter how hard you shake them, many continue on with life content to embrace the world system around them. In a sense, we must “leave room” for the Holy Spirit to bring them to the place of repentance. Having shared the Word of God, and continuing to be a picture of trusting Christ, we pray for them, and we pray for ourselves that we will be led by the Holy Spirit if there is anything more to do. Jesus did not run after the rich young ruler as he walked away sadly. You can only do so much, and the rest is up to God. Yet, always open to his leading down the road to say or do more.
Some people are enraged by this convicting work and become hostile to it. This hostility will often be focused upon Christians and the Church. In fact, we must recognize that even those who are outwardly apathetic are internally hostile to the Gospel. However, for some, that hostility easily bubbles to the surface and targets believers. Hebrews 12:3 reminds us, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” The writer then speaks of that very hostility as a kind of discipline, or chastening, for believers. When you run into hostile responses, do not be discouraged. This will test your trust in Christ, and train you to fight the spiritual battle. Such unbelievers do not understand that they are becoming the “tip of the spear” for our spiritual adversary the devil. However, God will use this in your life to make you stronger if you persevere. On top of this, continue to give room for the Holy Spirit to work in their life. Pray for them, and don’t give up on them even when they tell you to go away and never bring it up again.
The third general response is that some go on to believe. There is a mystery of salvation that we can never figure out and forecast. Some will be interested and want to hear more, but then become like King Agrippa in Acts 26. “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Some believe quickly and embrace faith in Jesus. Whereas, others believe after a long period of apathy, or hostility. The Apostle Paul has ever stood as an example of one who was so hostile to the work of the Holy Spirit that most believers had a hard time believing that he really had changed. It doesn’t matter how hard people are, some days the Holy Spirit just breaks through and their defenses fall like a house of cards. God will never overpower a person’s free choice, but He does powerfully work in our lives.
Part of having faith in Jesus is knowing that no one is unreachable simply because of their apathy or hostility. Our faith in him gives us the faith to keep looking for an open door in their life. May God help us to embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in our life, and partner with His work among unbelievers.
Email Article | Print Article | Share Article | tagged Belief, Conviction, Holy Spirit, Judgment, Persecution, Unbelief Pastor Marty Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 12:18PM Mark 1:14-20. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on February 17, 2019.
Last week, we saw Jesus preparing to minister to the people of Israel. In the passage before us today, he begins.
The first thing that we see is not miracles and wondrous signs. Rather, we see Jesus proclaiming or preaching to the people. Mark focuses on the natural transition point of John the Baptist being imprisoned as when Jesus entered Galilee to minister.
It is important to recognize that throughout the Bible we see that people generally resist a true prophet of the Lord who comes speaking the truth of God. This general resistance can be overcome. However, we should recognize its prevalence. An underlying theme throughout all of this is that God’s Word/Voice cannot be silenced. If one is imprisoned then another will speak forth. If one is killed then another will take their place. It is not just a secular thing. This world, both secular and religious, often operates in a way to try and silence what the Spirit of God is doing through those who listen to Him. It hates the fact that they march to the beat of a different drummer. It hates the message that there is something wrong with it. It hates the message that people need to turn back to the ways of God because they already feel that they have the truth. This silencing is sometimes with brute force, imprisonments, and violence. However, it is sometimes with propaganda, narrative-control, disinformation, and manipulative and seductive memes.
In whatever way this world tries to marginalize the true work of the Spirit of God, it cannot stop what the Spirit is doing. Those imprisoned just preach to their captives and demonstrate the value of God. Those who are killed are replaced by others who may be even more powerful than they. God’s Word cannot be silenced because it is empowered by God Himself. In another way we can say that it cannot be silenced because it represents real reality, which no one can run from very long without running smack into its stubborn existence.
We must understand this about Christianity. It is not the institutional trappings that Christ is promoting. Though it may look like the world is winning, we must understand that we are on the side of the God of the universe. He will not fail, and I must do my part, whatever it may come to be. John the Baptist probably did not envision imprisonment and later death (Mark 6), but that is what was asked of Him by the Lord.
Thus the preaching of Jesus comes on the heels of one of the greatest preachers/prophets that Israel had seen in a long time. Now let’s look at what this preaching proclaimed.
Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. All of the Gospels emphasize several things about the teaching of Jesus. At its core, He was proclaiming the good news that the Kingdom of God was drawing close. This had been the hope of Israel for over 1400 years, obtaining more and more information from God’s prophets regarding what that would look like along the way. For the previous 500 years they had specifically suffered under the imperial rule of the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, which still ruled over them in the days of Jesus. The faithful still waited and hoped for God’s Anointed man (Messiah is the Hebrew word for Anointed One) who would judge the nations and rule over the world from Jerusalem. When would this wait ever end? John the Baptist had shocked the nation with his insistence that he was a forerunner to the Messiah. He told them to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord. Thus Jesus tells them the good news that the Kingdom was drawing close. The long wait was coming to an end!
In fact, Jesus uses a phrase that the time was fulfilled or completed. God had determined a particular time in history for the Anointed One to come forth. Their long wait was done and the transition time was upon them. Of course, things did not go the direction they all hoped it would go. We now know that there are two phases to this Kingdom’s arrival on earth. The first phase focused on spiritually changing those who would be its citizens. It is a time of invitation and grace. In this phase Christ rules from heaven over the hearts of those who believe in Him as the number of believers/citizens increases. The second phase, which will occur at the Second Coming of Christ, is taking up of political control of the earth and removing the wicked leadership of the nations (which will only grow worse and worse). This is often referred to as the Day of the Lord and as the Judgment of the Nations by the God of heaven.
Believers today live in this strange period where the Kingdom of God is now, but also not yet. Though we may long for the coming of Christ and His rule upon the earth, we are still in the day of God’s invitation and grace to the people of this world. Anyone, who so desires, can become a part of God’s Kingdom. Thus it is important for current believers to keep their hands on the plow and keep working to share the invitation while there is still time.
Like any kingdom, the king has rules as to how one becomes a citizen. Yes, any who so desired could come forward, but they were called upon to repent and believe in the gospel. The need for a person to repent literally means to change your mind, or your way of thinking. In so many personal ways, each person of that day was following the dictates of their own heart and mind. Some in complete rejection of God’s Word and others with a partial rejection (sound familiar?). The Spirit of God calls us to change the way that we are thinking, but also in a specific way. Another metaphor that is used of repentance is turning. We, who have turned away from God’s Ways into other ways of our own choosing, need to turn back to God in our hearts and minds, and follow His ways.
Repentance is always needed in our lives because we live in a world and a body that continually questions and rejects the ways of the Lord. Christians are not those who repented long ago, but are those who continue to be a repentant people.
So it begins with repentance, but then it moves to faith. They needed to believe what Jesus was telling them. Even though Mark emphasizes believing in the good news, Jesus Himself is the good news! To believe in the Gospel is to believe in Jesus. God had joined mankind in order to lift us up out of the horrible fate we were plunging towards. Thus to believe in the Gospel is to believe that God has not abandoned us, and instead He has stepped into the muck and mire with us in order to save us. This is good news indeed, for who can stop the Lord Almighty!
In verse 16 Jesus begins to call certain people to follow Him everywhere. The term disciple is not used here, but they were called to learn from, be students of, Jesus. In the New Testament, Jesus called 12 disciples to a special task. They would become his apostles, sent-ones, who would go to the nations and lay the foundation for His Church. They actually lived and ate with Jesus as they helped Him in His ministry. Many other people were students and believers of Jesus. However, they did not live with Jesus day to day. So we should recognize that even though the outward form may be somewhat different, all of these disciples had one thing in common. They were now following and listening to Jesus as their master and teacher.
Let’s explore the passage. Notice that Jesus stands on the shore and calls 2 fishermen to follow him here, and then 2 more fishermen to follow Him there. These would be the core of the 12 disciples: Peter and Andrew, James and John. Though Jesus is no longer physically on the earth, he still approaches people through his disciples and calls people to believe upon Him and to follow Him. None of us today pack up our bags and follow a physical Jesus to Jesus-ville. However, we do these things spiritually. To follow Jesus is to quit listening to those things you did before and to start listening to His Words and those of His Apostles. It is to follow them. It is to reject the mindset of this world that marginalizes Christ and His teachings, or even hijacks His teachings and twists them to other ends. To follow Jesus is to have a spiritual journey every day where the Spirit of God leads us, much as Jesus led The Twelve 2,000 years ago. We must ask ourselves this question each day. Who am I following? Am I following a favorite religious leader or philosopher? Or am I following Jesus and the Spirit of God?
The second thing about being a disciple of Jesus is that they were called to draw others to Christ. These men had lived their lives catching fish and thus Jesus uses their life experience as a metaphor for what He was calling them to do. They would fish for people. Ultimately their lives would become about drawing people to Christ.
As in any analogy, fishing is a crude one. God does not use tricks to hook people and drag them to shore in order to eat them. Thus the metaphor is intended only so far. God will work with people to live with and speak into the lives of others in order to draw them to Christ, to join His Kingdom. Part of God’s call on your life is to be a light to the world around you. You are to be a drawing influence through your life and the worlds you speak. However, we are not to be drawing people to ourselves, but rather to Christ.
We are told that they dropped their nets and left their father in order to follow Jesus. This recognizes the sacrifice that is made by all who follow Jesus. Not every disciple was called to physically leave their families behind in order to follow Jesus. However, we are all called to spiritually leave our old life behind and the attachments it has made upon us. If I was a business man before I met Christ, He may call me to become a missionary or a pastor and I would literally leave that life behind. However, He may simply call me to quit being the old business man that I was and to become a new creation in Christ who runs a business in a whole new way. Regardless, the point is that if we are truly listening to and following the leadership of Christ, we will leave the old life behind. I cannot hold on to the old way of living and survive. I will either be pulled in two, or I will let go of one and cling to the other. What am I clinging to today?
Let me close by recognizing just who Jesus chose to follow Him. He was not in Jerusalem picking the top rabbis of the day. He wasn’t even picking those Pharisees who would even one day believe on Him. He was in the rural back country of Israel. He was picking from among the lowly of society. I do not mean they were lowly in a moral way, though we are all sinners. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says it this way, “Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
We must quit looking at ourselves and our lives, becoming discouraged, and letting the enemy draw us away from Christ. Rather we must rejoice that God loves to use the weak and lowly because then it is clear that it is His power working in us and not our own! Yes, a rich man can be saved and even a powerful politician. However, they will have to die to their riches and to their power before they can become a disciple of Christ. Drop your nets (that which hold you back) and follow Jesus today!
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