[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. This is the next message in our series on the book of John entitled, Jesus is God.
[0:14] He is the sent one. John chapter 7 and verse 14. Before we read that, just before this, Jesus is ready to go to, Jesus is ready to go to the feast. His brothers want him to go to the feast so he can probably be made king and he's on his way, but he knows people want to kill him.
[0:32] And now we're kind of in the middle of the feast. We're in the second day of the feast and people are all around him and there's like three crowds of people around him. There's one crowd of people that they want to kill him. There's this group and they really are just tired of Jesus.
[0:46] They're tired of him. They don't want to hear any more about him. He claims to be God. He claims to do things that they can't do. And he reminds them that they are sinners all the time. And they really don't like that. They do not like being reminded that they have sinned against the Holy God. Fact is, they're very good moral people. They're the best moral people of their day. And so they really want him dead. There's another group of people that are going to believe on him.
[1:13] They see him come and they've come to the point of decision and they make their mind up. I'm going to put my faith and my trust in Christ. I'm going to believe in Jesus. And then there's a third group of people that just can't figure him out. They don't know what to do with him. And so tonight I want to ask you, what do you want to do with the sent one? What do you want to do with the sent one?
[1:32] So take your Bible, if you would, and read with me starting in John chapter seven, verse 14, John chapter seven, verse 14. If you got your Bible and your ink pen there, mark it every time you see the words sent one or sent me or sent, you'll see that and you'll know what's talking about him.
[1:48] Verse 14. Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and talked and the Jews marveled saying, how know what this man letters having never learned? This guy never went to school.
[2:01] He never went to one of our Bible colleges. How does he know stuff? 16. Jesus answered them and said, my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. My doctrine's not mine, but it's his that sent me.
[2:15] If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law and yet none of you keep the law. Why go you about to kill me? The people answered and said, thou hast the devil who goeth about to kill thee. Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work and you all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers and you on the Sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the Sabbath day received circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken. Are you angry at me because I have made a man every whit hole on the Sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Then said some of them of Jerusalem is not this. He whom they seek to kill, but lo, he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very
[3:28] Christ. How be it? We know this man whence he is, but when Christ cometh, no man knows whence he is. Then cried Jesus in the temple. As he taught saying, you both know me and you know, whence I am and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true whom ye know not, but I know him, but I am for I am from him and he has sent me. Then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him and said, when the Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these, which this man has done? The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus unto them, yet a little while am I with you. And then I go into him that sent me. Ye shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am, thither you cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, where's he going to go? Whither will he go? What that, that we shall not find him. Will he go into the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, you shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am, thither you cannot come. Let's bow our heads for prayer. Father, I pray that you would open your word and deal with our hearts and convict us. If we're not saved tonight, I pray that you would show anyone who's not born again, who hasn't trusted you.
[4:57] I pray you'd show them their condition, cause them to realize they've sinned against the Holy God, cause them to realize they need to be saved. And Jesus has done everything for them to be saved tonight. And all they need to do is receive the free gift of God and his grace. I pray you do that.
[5:13] I pray God for Christians tonight, that they would figure out what they will do with the sent one, that God, that they would obey Jesus, that they would love him. They would share him with other people. God do a work in our lives tonight as we figure out what we will do with the sent one in Jesus precious name. Amen. I don't know if you have your Bible there. So I'm going to just kind of give you these, uh, a couple of these things that I really wish that you would mark. If you go to verse 15, they were astonished at Jesus because he didn't go to school anywhere. And that was shocking to them. How could he know so many things and speak with such authority? Like he really knew God, if he'd never gone to school and he had never studied the church fathers. And he's going to tell them, I'll tell you how I know him because I came from him. He sent me and I know him. Fact is, he's even going to tell them this. I know him. You don't know him. I'm going back to him. You don't know him. That was like a slap in the face because some of us are just really too good to get saved.
[6:18] You know, I like that, but here's what they're saying. These were religious people. These were people that did all the good stuff. They didn't do the bad stuff. I mean, they were really good, good moral people. They kept all the law that they could. They tied, they been baptized. They did everything on the list. If you have a list of, you remember the rich young ruler when he came to see Jesus and Jesus said, he said, well, what do I do? He said, keep the commandments. And the guy said, well, I've done that ever since I was a kid. I've always been a good guy. Well, those are the people that Jesus is dealing with and they cannot understand how he knows so much and how he knows what's going on.
[6:54] Go, if you would, to verse 26, he goes into town and he speaks boldly. He just told his brothers, they want to kill me. And now he's in town. He's not afraid. I told you that he doesn't try to escape his duty and he gets right in the middle of the town and look what he does in verse 26. But lo, he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ, the very act that he could be under threat of death and not be afraid and be willing to just stand up and boldly preach and boldly tell the truth. That shocked the common people. They're like, maybe he's for real. Maybe these guys ought to come and catch on to it. But in verse 30, I want you to underline this. His hour was not come yet. It said, then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come. He's got a time to die. He came to die.
[7:49] Does everybody understand that tonight? I want to talk to you about the sent one. What in the world do I mean when I say that the sent one, you see, God was in heaven and man sinned against God. And when man sinned, man sin separated man from God and caused man to enter into death. Sin entered in the world and death by sin and death passed upon all men. All men have sinned and all men have failed God.
[8:15] And there was no way for people to get back to God. And so God wrote a plan of salvation. God, the father, God, the son, and God, the Holy spirit made a plan. And in that plan, God would send somebody to the earth who would pay on our debt on the cross. Somebody would pay our debt and cause us to have the privilege of receiving a free gift of grace that Jesus died for us. First thing I want you to look at. Jesus is the sent one. Do you have your Bible open there? Jesus is a sent one. Go with me to verse 16. If you would, Jesus came from the one that sent him. It says in verse 16, Jesus answered him and said, my doctrine is not mine, but him that sent me. He said, I'll tell you, I didn't go to one of your schools and one of your big shots. Didn't teach me. And, and the, and the high, the, the high priest and Gamaliel and, and Hillel and the other leaders, they didn't teach me. I came straight from God. Go down. If you would, to verse 18 and verse 18, he said, he that speaketh of himself, seek of his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him. The same is true. And no unrighteousness is in him. That's really kind of a slap in the face. He said, now, let me just tell you, you guys all go around and see these rabbis. They had this custom. They walked down the street and people called them by their title and always honored them and kind of stepped out of the way.
[9:36] Like, boy, here comes the teacher. And he had all these followers following him. Everybody listened to every word he said. And Jesus said, I didn't come here to get my glory. I came here to glorify the one that sent me. I come from the father. And by the way, since I come that way, there's no unrighteousness in me. You see, there's unrighteousness in all of us. Every one of us would be, I'm in it for my pride. I'm in it for what you think of me. But Jesus went out because he was to glorify the father. Look in verse 28. He's the sent one. In verse 28, the Bible said, then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, you both know me and you know him, you know which I am. And I am not come from of myself, but he that sent me is true whom you know not. Boy, I need you to look at this verse. Look what he says. He says, y'all don't think I'm the Messiah. Y'all don't think I came from God. Y'all don't think I'm the sent one because you know me, you know my mama, you know my daddy, you know my brothers and my sisters, you know where I'm from.
[10:31] But you really don't know him that sent me. Look at the verse. You need to underline right in the last part of your verse. It says, he that sent me is true whom you know not. Now that's really rough talk. You got to understand he's got all these evangelical pastors sitting there. He's got the pastors of the big Methodist church and the pastor of the big Baptist church. And he's got the pastor of all these churches. They were Pharisees and Sadducees, but they were the religious leaders of his day. And he looked at him and said, Hey, you think, you know, because you say, well, he comes from this city over here and we know his mom and we know his daddy and we know he's a carpenter.
[11:04] And he said, but you don't know who sent me. You don't know God. You're religious, but you're lost. You don't know who sent me. The father, the father sent me is what he tells him in verse 28.
[11:16] Look, if you would in verse 29, but I know him, you don't know him, but I know him for I am from him and he has sent me. I am the sent one. God sent me. Look at verse 33 last verse for the sent verse. I just want you to notice that there that he's the sent one. Then said Jesus unto them, yet a little while am I with you? Then I go unto him that sent me. You know what he said? He said, by the way, I got here. I got here a special way. I'm just not a normal guy. I didn't come in this earth. Normally I'm not leaving this earth. Normally I'm the sent one. You see, he was born of a virgin. That's what we celebrate at this time of the year. He was born of a virgin. It was a miraculous birth. Everything about it was miraculous. It was recorded. People knew about it. Herod killed people. It was on the calendar. This Jesus was not normal. And now he says, I'm, he said, I'm going back to the one that sent me. Soon he will go into town and they will crucify him. He will be dead, dead, dead. They will bury him, close up the grave, and he will be dead and sealed up for, for a total of three days and three nights. And then he will come out of the grave and he'll prove it everywhere he goes. He'll walk around. He'll say, touch me, touch me and know that I'm alive. He'll eat food in front of them. He will teach them the Bible and he'll, he'll have up to 500 witnesses. He is alive.
[12:37] And then one day in Acts chapter one, he'll just step on a cloud and be taken up into heaven. He said, I'm going back to the guy that sent me. I am the sent one. Now there are three groups of people there.
[12:48] And I really want to know which group you're in tonight. There are three groups of people there. The first group wants him dead. The first group wants to kill him. That, that, that, if you'll go with me to verse chapter seven, verse 12, look what it says in chapter seven and verse 12. It says, and there was much murmuring among the people concerning him for some said he's a good man.
[13:09] And others said, nay, but he deceives the people. And so they were like, we don't, uh, we're going to get rid of him. Uh, because we're not sure he's not a fake because you see the first thing they want to get rid of him because they're not sure about his doctrine. They wanted to stand back and say, is he for real? Is he a madman? Is he a deceived man? Some guys thought he was good and some guys thought he was bad and they couldn't understand what he was teaching. What he was teaching was so different than anything they'd ever heard. And the plan of salvation is so different than anything you've ever heard. We've grown up with a religion all around us. We really believe that God's pleased with us. If we get baptized, if we join the church, if we pray the prayer, if we give money, if we don't, if we don't steal and we don't cheat and we don't lie and we do all these good things, we think God's pleased. And here's exactly, that's exactly what those religious people were doing. And Jesus said, that doesn't cut it. You are not saved by what you do. You're saved by Jesus and putting your faith in him. You could have been baptized till every frog in Georgia knows you by name and you won't be saved. You could have heard the gospel preached. You could have gone to church. You could have taken the Lord's supper and you're not born again just because that's what's going on. They said, we don't know. We don't understand this guy. Fact is, how can you trust him? Look at verse 15, chapter seven and verse 15. They said, marvel. They're like, wow, don't get this. How's he know it? How does he know this man? How's he know letters? How can he read books? How can he understand stuff? He never learned. That means he never went to school. Nobody ever learned him nothing. He didn't go to school. He didn't take any classes. Where did he learn this?
[14:49] What seminary did he graduate from? And he said, well, I'll just tell you the truth. I'm not teaching anything you guys have ever heard. I'm teaching what he that sent me, told me to teach. He didn't study in their famous schools. And he says, and you'll know it's a truth. If you'll believe, look at verse 17, if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God and whether I speak of myself, you see there, there, there's a lot of people that want to kill him.
[15:20] Some of them are wanting to kill him because they're not sure about his doctrine. They're not sure about his character. They don't know what to think about him. And he says, you guys can know if what I'm telling is the truth. If you'll believe now, that's not a comment like try it and you'll like it. It's not a comment like, see if you enjoy it. It's a comment that means this, you're not really going to be born again until you sell out and say, I believe Jesus. I put my faith and trust. He said, if you'll believe, if you'll do my will, you'll know that the doctrine I teach is true. Those of us in this room. And I think there's a lot of you would agree. You came to a point in your life and you realized you had sinned and you realized you deserve to go to hell and you place your faith and trust, trust in Christ. And you would say it does work and it is real. And the Bible is the word of God. And I know it because God's done a work in my life. How many of you can say amen right there?
[16:15] You know how you know that because you trusted him and you stepped out on him and out on what he said. And it's a true commitment of faith. They weren't ready to do that. They weren't ready to make that step. They weren't ready to personally act in deep commitment to him and what he taught. They even thought, he said, y'all want to kill me. Look, if you would with me in verse, in verse 20, going to verse 20, the Bible says the people answered and said, thou has the devil who goes about to kill you.
[16:44] You see, in other words, Jesus comes down and he said, you guys want to kill me. And so they, they're not about to admit that. They said, what are you crazy? You got something loose upstairs? You, we don't want to kill you. That's not our goal. We don't want to kill you. They really did want to kill him. And then they accused him of having a devil. I mean, that's pretty bad to tell God he's demon possessed, but that's what they do. Now, let me just stop before I go to the next crowd and ask you a question. How many of us would like to kind of get rid of Jesus? I think that's the real question. You see what they want to do. It was a whole lot easier doing religion than being saved.
[17:19] It was a whole lot of do easier doing religion than having a relationship with Jesus Christ. And they wanted him out. It was a whole lot. They were doing just fine till Jesus showed up.
[17:31] You know, the truth is many Christians quote unquote today have a real problem with Jesus. Jesus. It's not a problem with the Bible. It's not a problem with the church. It's a problem with the person of Jesus, because you don't want to admit he is the only way and you have to believe in him and your good works don't get you there. And you can't be good enough to get saved. And you say, I'd just like to get rid of him. There was a group that wanted to kill him. They wanted to get rid of him. Go with me to verse 24. There were some people that just couldn't figure him out. Look at verse 24 with me. If you would judge, not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment, judge, not according to parents, but judge righteous judgment. You see, now listen to this.
[18:16] You're not going to, you're not going to figure God out and you're not going to figure salvation out. And you're not going to logic this out. And there was a group of people that were just trying to figure him out and to judge by logic. They said, well, we don't know if we can follow him. He didn't go to school. He didn't graduate from the right college. That's what they said in verse 15. He never learned in verse 27. They said, well, I mean, he's been working a lot of miracles. He's walked on water.
[18:44] He's turned water into wine. He's fed 5,000 people. He's been working miracles like crazy. Could anybody work any more miracles? But he couldn't be God. Let me think that out. He couldn't be God. And he couldn't be who he says he is because we know his mama and we know where he comes from.
[18:59] Look, if you would, look, if you would in your Bible in verse 27, how be it? We know this man, we know where he's from, whence he is. But when Christ comes, no man will know where he, know where he's from. Nobody's going to know where he's from. So we don't, we don't get it.
[19:15] This doesn't make sense to us. Look in verse 36. What manner saying is this, that he said, you shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am thither, you cannot go. They said, this isn't making sense. I mean, he says that he's not from where we think he is and he's not going where we think he's going. And he says, he's going somewhere where we're not going to get to go.
[19:38] This doesn't add up. There's one group that wants to kill him. There's another group that's trying to figure him out and figuring him out. Isn't going to work. The truth of the matter is, this is trust him, believe him. You're not going to figure it out. You're not going to have it all worked out.
[19:53] You're going to believe him. It's not the facts that they think they know or the things they think they can see. It doesn't necessarily make sense to your logical mind. You don't decide what the public opinion or the court of public opinion says, but you decide I will trust Jesus. The facts are that everything about getting saved kind of goes against the grain, kind of rubs us the wrong way.
[20:20] If you're truly born again, it's really kind of rough because to really be born again, you end up saying stuff like this. I know I sinned and I know I'm not that good a person. Fact is, I'm not a good person. Fact is, I know that if I got what I deserved, I'd go to hell. Most of us are like, no, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I might be bad, but I'm not that bad. I'm not near as bad as those prostitutes. I'm not near as bad as those, there's those murderers. And I'm not near as bad as those pedophiles. And, and then I know, wait a minute, I might be bad, but I'm not that bad. And so we don't like it. Logically, we're sitting there going, wait a minute, let me add that up. Now, bad's bad, but I'm not bad, bad. I'm just kind of bad. Now, I'm not even really kind of bad. I'm just not good. And so it kind of goes again, but we just don't like to admit it. So, I mean, you just can't figure this out. And Jesus looking out and he's looking at religious leaders and saying, no, you guys are bad. He's looking at religious leaders and saying, you guys are bad. And then when you realize you're bad, you say somebody who lived 2000 years ago, says he came from God, says he came to earth and lived on the earth for 33 or so years that he died on a cross and he was buried and he rose again. Never knew anybody was rose, has risen from the grave. Never knew anybody that came back to life, but that's what he says he did. Not only that, he says that what he did on the cross is enough to pay my sin debt.
[21:32] So we're sitting here going, no, wait a minute. That doesn't add up. I'm not sure how that works. How does that happen? So there's two groups going on here. Group number one says, just get rid of him. We don't want him. Group number two said, man, we might be interested, but we can't figure it out.
[21:47] We might be interested, but we just can't figure it out. Which one of those two groups are you in right now? Which one of those two groups are you in right now? Are you in the group that says, I just don't want anything to do with Jesus. Fact is, it's really hard for you to deal with a lot of talk about Jesus and it makes you uncomfortable when he's talked about, or are you in there saying, no, I'm really not against what you're saying.
[22:06] I'm just trying to figure it out. I'm just trying to reason it out and make sure I understand it all. I got to understand God and I've got to understand how he could die. And you're trying to figure it all out. Which one are you? Or you, there's a third group that's mentioned here and they believed on him. Go with me to verse 28, chapter seven and verse 28. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught saying, you both know me and you know, whence I am and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me as true whom you know not. You know what he said? This is really rough. They were the people of God.
[22:43] They were God's chosen people. They had the Bible. They had written the 39 books of the Old Testament. They were the circumcised guys. They were the guys that had a temple. They weren't like all the other pagans. Everybody else had dozens of gods and thousands of gods. And they only had one God and they knew God. And he looks at him and he says to him, he cries out and he says, you don't, you know me, you know where I'm from, but I didn't come on my own, but somebody sent me and he's the truth.
[23:16] You guys don't know him. You know why you can't believe Jesus? You see, everybody's like, well, I believe in God. It's the Jesus that kind of hangs me up. Here's the facts. If you can't believe in Jesus, it means you really don't believe God because here's what Jesus said. God sent me.
[23:34] God sent me. So if you don't believe God sent me, of course you can't believe in me. And if you believe in me, you have to believe that God sent me. He said, so are you going to believe? Look, if you would in verse 17. See, you'll never be able to fully believe him until you make full commitment. Verse 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. Jesus looked at him and said, guys, you know, I've been really getting a little tired of this. All y'all do, you want, you want to argue with me? You want to fight with me?
[24:04] I've proven over and over who I am. I've done miracle after miracle. I have proven who I am. I've preached who I am. I've taught you who I am. And you guys don't get it, but you're not gonna get it. You're just going to have to say, I have sinned and I am going to do his will. And his will is that you believe God sent Jesus, that you believe that Jesus is God in human flesh.
[24:30] That's the will of the father. Will you believe on him and what he did on the cross? Will you trust him to be your savior? Will you come to a place in your life when you say, I know that it is Jesus and what he did on the cross of Calvary. That's what it takes to be saved. It's not like you try it and see if you like it, but you really believe it means you trust him. It means that in spite of what everybody else thinks, you decide I will trust Jesus. Verse 34, you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am. Thither, you cannot come. That has got to be one of the strongest statements in the whole passage. Here's what he said. You know, you guys don't know where I'm from. You don't know who sent me and I'm about to leave here and I'm going somewhere. You're not allowed to go. We won't fully understand that until we get to John chapter 14 and John chapter 14, he tells his own apostles, I'm about to leave here and I'm going, but don't worry. I'll be back. I'll prepare a place. I'm in my father's house for many mansions. If it were not, so I'd have told you. And here's what he was saying. You're religious, but you're lost. You're religious, but you're not going to go to heaven. Yes, you've been baptized and yes, you prayed the prayer and yes, you've done all these good things, but that's not it. It is do you trust Jesus? Do you trust Jesus? He is the sent one. Here it is. God in heaven loves you and wants you to be saved and wants your sins forgiven. He has already done all of that. He has paid your sin debt. He is not holding the sins against you. The gift is sitting here ready and waiting for you. He has done it all. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.
[26:21] The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. God looks and says, you haven't got to do anything but receive the gift. You don't have to do anything but trust, put your faith in Christ.
[26:34] So I have three questions for you. And it's really, which group are you in? Are you one of the people that say, look, somebody just recently, somebody told me they were witnessing to somebody and the guy just looked at him and said, that stuff's not for me. I've heard it two times this week. That's just not for me. Well, maybe that's you, but just let me remind you that's your decision.
[26:50] And that decision brings consequences. There is a hell and those who do not trust Christ, those who are not born again, we'll go there for all of eternity. And if your decision is, I just don't want to have anything to do with him. You chose to reject Jesus. There's a second group and they're saying, well, I just can't figure it out. Uh, you know, I'm just too smart. They used to tell me when I lived in South America, they used to say, go tell the real poor people this.
[27:25] They're dumb enough to believe it, but I'm highly educated. I've been to college. I know better than this. I know that's not true. And maybe that's where you are. But can I go ahead and tell you this, that if that's where you are, you're in no different place than the guy in the first group, because you are rejecting Jesus Christ. You are saying, if you don't come to me, God, on my terms and the way I understand it and the way I want it, I won't believe in you. And if that's your stand, then you're rejecting Jesus Christ. So everybody in this room is either accepting him or rejecting him, either believing that he died on the cross and paid your sin or not. And the other group said, man, can there be anybody else like him? He is God. He is the very Christ. And even the bad guys recognize that. So in just a minute, I'm going to give you a chance to accept Christ.
[28:16] And if you're here, I want you to know, you need to realize that sin separates us from God. I want you to realize that you are already on your way to heaven or hell. If you say, I've not yet made a decision, the Bible says in John chapter three, that you are condemned already. In other words, you're already marked to go to hell. Everybody's condemned already until they receive the gift.
[28:40] Will you trust Christ? Then I'd like to say to you Christians, boy, you believe this? Do you believe this? Have you 100% believe Jesus? Have you accepted his doctrine and accepted his truth?
[28:51] Are you fully committed to it? Then we ought to talk about him to people. We ought to share the gospel with other people. We ought not be ashamed of him. We ought to realize he is life and without him, there is none. So here I come. Are you here tonight? And maybe it'd be a tad embarrassing for you, but right now in your heart, you know that the message has been for you. And you know that you have sinned against God. And you know that you deserve to go to hell. And you know, you have never trusted Christ. But in the inside of your heart right now, you know, you know, you know that's about you. And you would say, man, I want to be born again. I want somebody to help me. I want somebody to show me. Let me just tell you that he loves you. He loves everybody. There's not one person who's, who he does not want to save. Not one person who is not reaching out to give eternal life. He wants you to be born again tonight. The Bible says in John 1, to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become his son. You trust him. You believe on him and you can be saved. He has done everything.
[29:57] Salvation is yours for the receiving, for the accepting, for the believing. Would you accept Christ? If you would, there are people right now that are ready to take the Bible. They'll show you from the word of God, how to know you'd go to heaven, that God can make a difference in your life tonight. You can know this is true. If you will do his will father in heaven, I thank you for the chance to be here tonight. I thank you for every person that's here. And I pray God that those that are listening might hear your word, might be convinced of their sin, might be convinced of their need. And God, I pray for Holy spirit, power, and conviction that people would trust you and believe you. And tonight, somebody would accept you. Somebody tonight would receive the gift of salvation and know that before they leave here, that they go to heaven. God, would you do a work?
[30:46] Would you magnify yourself? And I'll praise you with every head bowed and every eye closed. As best I know how I've asked you, what will you do with the one God sent? What will you do with Jesus?
[30:58] Will you accept him? Do you want to reject him? Are you trying to figure him out? Or will you just say, no, I surrender and I will be saved tonight. And if you're a child or an adult or whoever you are, I will not embarrass you, but I would send somebody to you if you'd allow me. They'd take the Bible.
[31:14] They'd meet with you in a, in a, in another room. They would answer your questions. They would not pressure you. They would show you how to place your faith and trust in Christ. And you would choose to be saved if that would be what you want to do. Would there be anybody tonight that would say, I'm not sure I'd go to heaven. I'm not sure I'm saved. I'm not sure I've received Christ.
[31:31] I'm not sure if I'm religious, but lost. And I want some help. Would you just hold your hand up? Would there be anybody like that in the room tonight that say, pastor, help me show me from the word of God, how to be saved. Would there be anybody like that tonight? Would you let me send a counselor to you to help you? Would there be anybody like that? Would there be anybody like that in here tonight? Would there be any Christians in here that would say, man, the Holy Spirit's dealing with my heart. I have, I have believed and I am born again, but I have been acting like one of those that don't want him around. I have been acting like one of those that reject him. And tonight, the Holy Spirit's dealt with my heart and I want to, I want to get things right with God.
[32:07] I came back to church tonight for a special event, but I know God's dealing with my heart and it's time for you to surrender. Why don't you right in your seat and say, God, forgive me for my rebellion. Forgive me for the way I've been living away from you. And why don't you get things right with him? If you're already saved, if you're already saved, pray that prayer.
[32:24] And if you're not saved, pray and say, God, forgive me for my sin. I trust Jesus tonight. You can be saved and we'd help you. We're going to sing a song in just a minute. And if you'd like, you can come forward and pray or somebody to come to help you. And whenever you finish praying, pray in your seat or pray at the altar. Whenever you finish praying, you stand and sing with Jonathan. Father, deal with hearts tonight, convict people, cause them to put their faith and trust in you. And I will magnify you and glorify you and praise you for what you're doing.
[32:52] You have been listening to Austin Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church. For contact information, location, service times, or more audio and video recordings, log on to www.visionbaptist.com.
[33:09] Thank you.