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[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.

[0:15] John chapter 12, if you would. We're going to talk about presenting the gospel of Jesus tonight. How you talk to people about Jesus and just a couple of words about sharing the gospel. Good idea is not to wear your worldly clothes so you have your gospel tracts in your pocket.

[0:29] Amen. And not to carry your worldly purse so you'll have your tracts in your purse. Right, Jessica? Say amen right there. And to give out, man, I appreciate y'all working so hard and caring about getting the gospel of Jesus to people.

[0:43] And that's some good stuff. And I'm excited. I happen to know who Robert's talking about sharing the gospel. What a beautiful thing that you're excited about sharing Jesus. Now, after church, men, if you'll hang around just a few minutes, we're going to have a meeting upstairs.

[0:55] Men's meeting. It won't last but just a few minutes to get you a finance report, an update on the sign. I think it's what we'll be doing. So I hope you'll be ready to do that right after the service. Go with me to John chapter 12, verse 31 through verse 36.

[1:08] Jesus has just told the story. He's already told us he was troubled. He's told us it doesn't matter. He is ready to face whatever God has before him.

[1:19] And then in verse 31, he says, Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

[1:34] This, he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever. And how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lifted up?

[1:47] Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

[2:00] While you have light, while you have light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of the light. These things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them.

[2:12] Father, I pray that you would continue to bless Vision Baptist Church, your church, your work. I know that you build it. I know that you minister here. I know, Holy Spirit, that it is your work and that you are working in our lives.

[2:26] I thank you for your word. I thank you for the Holy Spirit. I thank you for the message. I thank you for salvation. I thank you for all that you do. God, I pray you'd help us to become a gospel-sharing, gospel-spreading church.

[2:38] We already have been used by you to do some of that. And I pray, God, that you'd help us do it more and more every day so that more than more people come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. I thank you for the privilege you have of being here tonight.

[2:50] And I pray you'd encourage your people and draw them closer to you. Strengthen them to share the gospel. In Jesus' precious name, amen. If you would go to verse 31, and if you write things down, the first thing I want you to look at is Jesus says, now is the judgment of the world.

[3:08] Judgment has come. Verse 31, now the judgment of the world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. He's about to die. It's obvious. I mean, you would probably think that this is a bad time, and this is a weak time, and this is him being beat time.

[3:23] But the opposite, he's fixing to die, and he goes, all right, it's coming on now. The battle's on, and I'm about to win. Judgment's come, and the big boy's going down because Jesus is going to die on the cross, and he'll be cast down.

[3:37] And I'd just like to go over a little bit about what that means, and we'll proceed on to him drawing all men to him. Look, if you would, in John chapter 7 and verse 7. I want you to notice in verse 31, you read it just now.

[3:49] It says, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. When you read your Bible, you have to watch the word world because the word world has different meanings in different parts of the Bible.

[4:02] For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. There he's talking about all of us, all the world, all the people on this planet, and he cares about them.

[4:15] In this verse, he said, now is the judgment of the world. And you're going to find that he uses the word world in different ways. And often, when we talk about being worldly, and we talk about having your worldly purse or your worldly clothes, which is a joke while I go, this will help you get the foundation of that word world there.

[4:34] Because in the Bible, the world refers, oftentimes in the negative sense, it means that group or that attitude or that rebellion against God. And I want you to get that from a Bible point of view.

[4:46] So, the world speaks of an evil satanic system and all who are in rebellion against God. It's an evil satanic system and all who are in rebellion against God.

[4:59] That's who it is when he says the world's judgment has come. Look at John 7, 7. If you'll go through the Bible with me, I think you'll understand who the world is in this case and what he talks about. We don't want to be worldly.

[5:10] This is what we're talking about. John 7, 7. The Bible says, The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works there are evil.

[5:22] So, he says, there's this world and I testify against it and its works are evil. He's not talking about, of course, all mankind sinned. We'll get to that a little bit later tonight. But here's a system in the world, and there are two worlds in the Bible, and there's a system that's against God.

[5:40] Look in John 8, verse 23. You'll see two worlds. The Bible says, And he said unto them, You are from beneath, and I am from above. You are of this world, and I am not of this world.

[5:53] So now we've got two pictures. There's this world, and there's that world. There's this world that Jesus is not a part of, and there's this world that Jesus is a part of. There are two worlds.

[6:04] The world, this earthly, rebellious, anti-God establishment, they do not understand, nor do they accept the things of God. Look at John chapter 14.

[6:15] John chapter 14, verse 17. This is not us. It's not talking about the two of us. It says, Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

[6:34] There's this world that cannot receive him. They refuse to receive him. They reject him. They hold their fist up in his face. They live life the way they want to live. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, in verse 14, The natural man receives not the things of the Lord.

[6:51] To him they're foolishness, and he can't understand them. 1 John 2, 15 through 17. A passage of Scripture you ought to write down. Whenever you're talking about the world, whenever we're talking about the world, and we're not of this world, and we don't want to be worldly, this is a passage that kind of describes that.

[7:09] And Jesus said, Judgment has come to this world. Look at 1 John chapter 2, verse 15. The Bible says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

[7:23] And then here he explains to us in verse 16. Look what he says. For all that's in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.

[7:34] And the world passeth away, and the lusts are of it. But he that doeth the will of the Father abideth forever. So I'm going to leave that real quickly. I hope you got a basis, and you'll go home and study it.

[7:45] There's a world, a system, a group, a satanic group. Humans are part of that group, and they have rebelled against God.

[7:56] They don't want anything to do with God. They shake their fists in his face. They say, We will not accept you. We reject you. And that's the worldly system. And he says, Hey, let me just tell you, all that are standing against God, judgment has come.

[8:10] Judgment has come. And on the cross of Calvary, he will win the victory, and the world will be judged. The second thing I want you to look at in the verse, in the verse, if you look at John chapter 12, it says, Now is the judgment, 1231, Now is the judgment of this world.

[8:26] Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. So there's the judgment of this world, this rebellious system, this evil, satanic rebellion against God is going to be judged, and the prince of this world is going to be judged.

[8:43] Look, if you would, in Ephesians 2.2, Ephesians 2.2, just some Bible things you ought to learn. Ephesians 2.2, he's the prince of the power of the air.

[8:54] Look at verse 2, Ephesians 2.2, wherein in time past, you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, that the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, lost people.

[9:09] Look at the verse 2.2, Ephesians 2.2, it's right here behind my head. Look at it and mark it. There are two worlds. There are two worlds. You know that, right? There are two worlds. There are two groups. There are two teams. There are two groups, and you're going to decide whose group you're in.

[9:22] I'm in the Lord's group. I'm in the Lord's army. I'm a part of his team. I'm in his world, and you are too if you're born again. Look at verse 2. Where in did time pass before you got saved?

[9:33] You walked according to the course of this world. You did what they do. You ran where they run. You thought like they thought. You had the attitudes they had. You walked according to the course of this world, and you did according to the prince of the power of the air.

[9:46] That's the devil. That's Satan. You did what he wanted. And what's he want? He wants you to rebel against God. He wants you to reject Jesus. His primary goal isn't that you become a drug addict.

[9:57] His primary goal isn't that you become sexually immoral. His primary goal is only one thing. His goal is don't trust God. Don't believe in Jesus. He loves good moral people.

[10:08] He loves people that are so good, like the Pharisees, that they don't need God. Some people reject God because they want to live in wicked sin. Some people reject God because they're just so stinking good.

[10:19] They don't need God. And so they're of this world. Same attitude. So he said that he's the prince of the power of the air. Because of Adam's sin, this world came under his power, the power of Satan.

[10:31] Look at Luke chapter 4, verses 5 through 7. You ought to know this story. I'm sure you do know this story. Read Luke 4, 5 through 7 with me. Look what the Bible says, if you would.

[10:42] And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment. Verse 6. And the devil said unto him, All this power, all this authority will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me.

[11:02] That is delivered unto me. I have it. It's been given unto me. And to whomsoever I will, I give it. One more verse. Verse 7. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

[11:14] Do you realize that right in the Bible, there's a meeting between God, between Jesus and the devil. And the devil looks at him and says, You know I run things around here.

[11:25] You know man rebelled against you. You know your creation chose what I wanted over what you wanted. They chose to rebel against you, and I'm in charge of this world. They gave me, they relinquished control of me.

[11:36] And if you'll just do what I ask you to do, I'll turn it all back over to you. And of course Jesus is going to answer, That's not how God does things. I'm going to whip your rear before the story's over.

[11:47] You don't give it to me. I'm fixing to take it back where it rightfully belongs. But this world's not under his power right now, though he is sovereign and he's over all. And I already told you things don't happen.

[12:00] That he does, it's not God filtered and God approved, but the prince of the power of this world. The Bible calls him the God of this world. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4.

[12:12] 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4. The Bible says, In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, whose image of God should shine unto them.

[12:27] The God, little g, God of this world is blocking the gospel. He's keeping it from them. Here's what Jesus said.

[12:38] Point number one. It's time for judgment. I'm fixing to die. I'll judge the world. And I'll judge Satan, the prince of the power of the air.

[12:50] I'll judge the God of this world. The question you want to answer is, which world do you belong to? Now I know the answer with you. And I know that you know that you've decided to follow Jesus.

[13:03] But you know what a worldly Christian is, don't you? It's somebody who has decided, I'm going to follow Jesus. But you keep trying to follow the course of that world. That's not your world anymore. You got saved.

[13:14] You walked out of that world. And you walked into this world. You got saved. You quit being one of them. And you became one of his. It's like when Betty and I got married, that she quit being a Ferguson.

[13:26] And she became a gardener. Her status in life was highly elevated. Say amen right there. I'm sure that's not true economically. I'm sure that's not true in a lot of ways.

[13:37] But for my story, it'll work. And she quit being a Ferguson. That wasn't her life anymore. That's not who she is. She got a new identity. And I got that in Jesus Christ when I got saved.

[13:49] I am a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Do you know which world you're in? The problem with the church today is it's pretty hard to figure out which one you're in because you're still trying to live like they live.

[14:02] And there is a them in us. There is a them in us. There are those that follow the course of this world. Hey, we're not talking about nitpicky, independent Baptist.

[14:13] I want to fuss at you about your hair touching your ears. We're not talking about that. We're talking about there's an attitude. Man, I chase money. I live for myself.

[14:25] I'm out for my pleasure. I do what I want to do. I live life my way. That's the world. His world says I live life your way. I don't live life my way.

[14:36] I've chosen to serve you. Which world are you in? Which one are you living like you're in? And by the way, hell itself wasn't even prepared for you. Hell wasn't prepared for you but for the devil and the angels and those that followed him in rebellion.

[14:51] The Bible says in Matthew 25, 41, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

[15:06] So I'm going to move from that point to the second thing and the main thing. But I have a question for you. Do you, are you living life your way? Are you doing your own thing?

[15:19] Do you feel crimped, hemmed in by God and what his word says? It is amazing how some believers can't decide whose team they're on.

[15:30] They can't decide which course they're to follow. They still want to live and think and act and breathe and move like they never met Jesus. Judgment has come.

[15:43] Satan, you're down. Cosmic world, demonic world, evil against God world, rebellion against God, you're down. Jesus, I'm going to the cross and I'm fixing to win.

[15:54] And I will draw all men. Satan and all your legions, you don't win. I do. Next verse, 32 if you would. John 12, 32. The world is invited to Christ.

[16:06] The world. Verse 32 says, and if I be lifted up from this earth, from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Just a couple of things. Men need to be drawn to Christ.

[16:19] Because men are wicked and depraved and vile and they don't want to come to him on their own. God moved and God worked. Men are drawn because they have rejected God completely.

[16:31] Look at Romans chapter 1 verse 21 with me if you would. By the way, I'd recommend you take the time to study Romans chapter 1. And you study and you find out where the world stands.

[16:43] You find out where evolution got such a big stronghold in your life and in the lives of our young people. You read the first few chapters of the book of Romans and you find out how wicked and sinful we are.

[16:53] And how desperately in need of Christ we are. And he said, and if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me. Romans 1 verse 21, the Bible says, because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God.

[17:06] Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of God, of the uncorruptible God, into an image made like a corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

[17:24] They knew God. You know, Adam knew God. Noah knew God. Our forefathers knew God. And knowing God, they chose not to follow God. They made a decision.

[17:35] I'll live life my way. I choose not to follow God. So God gave us a schoolmaster to bring us to him. He gave us a schoolmaster to show us that we were bad.

[17:47] Because the facts are, we want, and this is how the law gets misused. I hope you listen to this. I hope you pay attention. We want to think we're good. And we are good. Man, we look around and we compare ourselves to everybody.

[17:59] And buddy, aren't we really good? I mean, the truth is there are no pedophiles in the room. There are no murderers in the room. There are no adulterers in the room. We are a good group of people. And we easily begin to think, man, we're pretty good folks.

[18:11] We're raised right. We're moral people. But we needed God to remind us, no, you're not good. You stink. And so he gave the law. That's what the real purpose of the law was.

[18:21] When he gave those two commandments, they weren't so you could keep them and get saved. They're so you couldn't keep them and know you needed to be saved. He didn't give those rules to say, boy, look at me, how I stack up.

[18:32] There's 435 rules. I keep 434. You only keep 398. So I'm better than you. No, every one of them were to say, you sinned. All have sinned against God.

[18:42] Look, if you would with me. Look, if you would with me at Galatians chapter 3, verse 24. Galatians 3, 24. We needed a schoolmaster. We needed to know we'd sinned.

[18:53] We needed to know we were sick. We needed to know that we were bad off. So the Lord gave us a schoolmaster. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith.

[19:07] That's the story, the whole story in the Bible right there. The law was to show you you were in trouble, to bring you to Jesus so you could get saved.

[19:17] Not by what you did, but by what he did. Not by what you do, but by what he did. The law said, you are in bad shape. Let me take you in. The law is like the receptionist at the doctor's office.

[19:28] It's like the nurse. Whenever you go to the doctor's office, isn't it always fun? They take you back there and they say, all right, get up here on the scales. And they don't let you take your clothes off. They don't let you take everything off. I mean, you've got to get up there.

[19:38] And then that woman said to her, she goes moving that thing. She was going, whoo. Looks at me again like, man, I'm up to 450. How far I got to go before I get your weight? And I'm like, shut up, woman.

[19:48] I got a lot of clothes on. And you know how it is. And then she looks at me and she says, all right, I'm going to put down 528 pounds. And she writes down your weight. Then she takes you in and she checks your blood pressure.

[20:00] Well, she's already got you upset and nervous. And your blood pressure goes to the roof. And she goes, whoo, that's high blood pressure. And then, you know how it is. And then she says, maybe you ought to see the doctor. Lady, that's why I came today.

[20:12] You know what the schoolmaster does? The schoolmaster brings you in and says, hey, I notice you haven't respected God in your life. Hey, I notice you've been looking at ladies and thinking thoughts you ought not think.

[20:22] Hey, I notice you've been having attitudes about people. I'll just be honest with you. You're sick. You're sick. You're real sick. You're dying sick. You're cancer sick. I mean, it's over for you, buddy.

[20:34] But we got somebody that can help you. Let me take you in here to Christ. And we go in there to Christ and we say, look, I've been trying to eat right. I eat healthy all the time. I drink 5,000 gallons of water a day.

[20:45] I walk 100 miles a day. I'm doing everything I can. The doctor says, you can do all that you want. You are sick. And Jesus says, but I can heal you. I can save you. And that's what happened. See, Jesus said, and if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me.

[21:00] He's our schoolmaster. Men come because he draws them through his great sacrifice. All men from everywhere, of every nation, and every background, and every social level.

[21:12] All men. All men. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2, 3 through 6. Well, we should mark this. I wish you'd imprint this on your heart and on your mind. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3, 6.

[21:24] For it is good. This is good and acceptable. 1 Timothy 2, 3. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth.

[21:36] For there's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due season. Boy, it's good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge.

[21:52] He doesn't want you to go to hell. 2 Peter 3, 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise. He's not willing that any should perish. In Hebrews 2, 9, he tasted death for all men.

[22:05] For every man, the Bible says. Third thing I wish you'd write down. Third thing. In case you didn't get the second thing, the world was invited. The third thing. He died on a cross with a purpose.

[22:17] Look at chapter 12, verse 33. This he said, signifying what death he should die. I think this is so important. Well, I hope you'll listen to what I'm going to tell you here. Jesus died on purpose.

[22:29] And even his death and the way he died was on purpose. He died on a cross. It was prophesied he would die on a cross. It was prophesied he would carry the curse.

[22:39] It was prophesied his blood would be shed. And he says in chapter 12, verse 33, he said, I'll be lifted up and I'll draw all men unto me. And he said, I'm telling you that so you know how I'm going to die.

[22:50] Jesus didn't walk into the city of Rome thinking maybe they're going to stone me. He knew he was going to be lifted up. And he was going to die on a cross. It was intentional.

[23:02] Jesus died for us. He knew how he would die. He knew he'd die on a cross. He knew he would die in our place. Just like the lambs of the Old Testament. Can I just stop?

[23:13] It's Sunday night, so I plan to just teach a little bit. But every time you read the Old Testament and every time you hear about a sacrifice, if you're reading your Bible through, which I hope you are, you're back in some of those hard and boring places.

[23:24] You just maybe finished Ruth and you've already gotten through Exodus and Leviticus, I hope. And you're headed into some things and you're going to see sacrifices after sacrifices. You're going to see altars and you're going to see animals dying.

[23:36] And you're going to see all those stories. And they're so beautiful. They're not beautiful if you read about animals dying. All the animal rights activists are picketing the book of Leviticus.

[23:46] They're against it because all those animals died. But every animal that died was a picture of Jesus dying. And he was taking our place. And Jesus said, I'll be lifted up. He said, I'm telling you how I'm going to die.

[23:59] I'm telling you what I'm doing. I'm taking your sin debt. He takes the consequences of our sin. He pays our debt. He is our substitute.

[24:09] Now, how can we be used to bring others to Christ? How can we be used to bring others to Christ? Can I give you just a few ideas that I think we can get from this passage about how we can be used?

[24:24] First thing, I wish you'd really, this is the part I really wish you'd get. The other's kind of teaching. Here comes a real preaching part where I really wish you'd take it. The first thing you need to get is this. We're not going to get anybody saved.

[24:35] It is Jesus who does the drawing. And if I be lifted up, I will draw him in. He's an all-powerful God and he is sufficient. You don't have to walk around under some big cloud of guilt because you're witnessing your grandmama won't get saved.

[24:51] And sometimes we turn this into guilt and manipulate us about soul winning. But you know, all we do is point to Jesus and we let Jesus do the work. All we do is talk about Jesus and we let Jesus do the work.

[25:04] All we do is share the truth and we let Jesus do the work. I just think it's pretty powerful. He said, and I will be lifted up and I will draw all men. So it's him.

[25:14] He's the one that does the drawing. You must remember, I think, that he uses the word draw. So quit trying to drive people to Jesus. Draw, not drive.

[25:27] He gives a desire to come. We don't push him. How many, let's just be honest about our background. We were almost raised to twist people's arms, guilt them, manipulate them, stranglehold them, pigeonhole them, throw them against the wall, embarrass them, force them to get saved.

[25:47] We ought to witness. Well, I'm going to talk to you about that in just a second. But here's what he said. And if I be lifted up, I will draw. That's an interesting word. It's an interesting word. I will draw.

[25:57] I will give them the desire. I will put it in their heart. I will do the work. Boy, when I was a young preacher, my goal was to talk them into getting saved. And I wouldn't let go until they did.

[26:09] I can still remember a guy named Ricky Mathis was his name. I was in my first church. I was a really old preacher. I think I was 19. And I was at his church. I was a youth pastor.

[26:20] And his daddy was a deacon at the church. And I went to see Ricky. His daddy told me, man, you got to win him to Christ. We were paying you as a youth director. I said, brother, if anybody can do it, I can. You just hang on.

[26:30] Watch me. I know the Romans Road backwards and forwards. And I went over to his house. And I sat down with him. And I went through the plan of salvation. And when I got through the plan of salvation, I said, would you like to accept Christ? He said, no.

[26:41] I said, why? He told me why. And I blew that one out of the water. And then he told me why not. And I blew that one out of the water. And after about three hours, him telling me why not. And me telling him why too. I won.

[26:53] And he bowed his head. And he started praying. I said, all right, repeat after me. I know I'm a sinner. And I was about 15 seconds in the prayer. And I looked at him. I said, are you just praying this to get me to go home?

[27:03] He said, yep. But I'm hoping this will get it done. I said, forget the prayer. You see, you tried them. You ever done that? Anybody ever been guilty of that? There's a relaxing when it says this.

[27:14] And if I be lifted up, I will draw all men. Isn't it sweet to let him do the work? Sometimes hard. He don't work as fast as I think he ought to. Sometimes hard.

[27:26] We will not try to bring people to Christ by guilt and manipulation, but by love and concern. Sweet, gentle, kind spirit with people. If we would win people to Christ, then we must make him the subject of our conversation.

[27:42] Now, let me tell you, there's a problem in our churches. You know, we got the one group of people. Buddy, they buttonhole everybody. And they witness everybody. And they try to get everybody to get saved. And so we rebel against that.

[27:52] And we become 007. Never tell anybody. Never carry a track. Never invite anybody. Christians. I mean, we're like, those guys were mean. So I'll be real nice and never tell them.

[28:03] I'd rather be mean than tell them. It's to be like most of us and just let them go to hell and go, I would have told you, but I didn't want to be mean. Can you imagine that?

[28:13] The bridge is out. And the car's running down the interstate at 80 miles an hour. He's running down the interstate. You know the bridge just went out. And there's no signs up yet. And there's no way to stop him. And there's this one guy like an idiot standing in the middle of the road doing everything he can to stop him.

[28:27] And everybody's going to say he was an idiot. He's risking his life. And you say, I didn't do that. I just let him run off in the ditch. Just because somebody else was rude doesn't mean you ought not make mention of Jesus.

[28:40] Can I just say here for a second? He said, and if I be lifted up, I'll draw him in. He was talking about how he was going to die. But can I just say he died that way? You know he died that way. But you go weeks at a time and never mention that he was lifted up?

[28:54] You don't mention his name. You don't share a gospel track. You don't give a story. You don't invite him to church because you're trying to be nice. See, that's not the point.

[29:07] The point is we want to share Jesus. We want them to come. Tell them what Jesus did for you and for others. Lift up Jesus and he'll draw men to himself.

[29:18] Are you involved in lifting up Jesus and sharing his truth? Are you involved in lifting up Jesus and sharing his truth? Is he part of your conversation, lifestyle, life?

[29:32] Before I go to the next thing I want to show you quickly here. And I'll just be honest. You live in Alpharetta. You live in coming. And it's time you to quit being such a sissy about talking to people about Jesus.

[29:46] Or give it out of gospel track. I was at Chick-fil-A with my grandkids yesterday. And me and my wife and four grandkids are sitting in this booth.

[29:57] And there's a Bible study going on in the booth right behind us. We can hear it. And there's a Bible study going on right over there. It ain't like we're in Morocco. You go to the restaurant and somebody's got out a Bible telling somebody about Jesus.

[30:09] You go, hey, it's nothing. It is nothing to see people hold hands and pray at a dinner table in a restaurant in Georgia. What's amazing is that you and I know a lot about what the Bible says.

[30:22] And we're not the ones having those Bible studies. I'll resign in the men's meeting. But isn't that true? Isn't it time you got a gospel track and shared it?

[30:34] Isn't it time you sent a text and invited somebody? Isn't it time you shared at work what Jesus has done for you? Isn't it time that you lifted up Jesus? Isn't it time that he got mentioned? I think it was exceptionally shameful for a family that joined our church in Peru one time.

[30:53] We had led this family to Christ, the Marquina family. We support Julio Marquina. He's out of our ministry in Peru. He's a missionary in Venezuela. And the Marquina family was attending our church.

[31:06] And they got saved. And one day, the neighbor of the Marquinas, which lived not straight out the door, but one house over. I mean, they saw each other every day. Because in Peru, the houses are just right there.

[31:18] You don't drive. Back then, you didn't drive. You walked. And you could have walked out the front door. You could have walked into the other guy's house just about. And that guy showed up at our church. And so some of our soul winners went over and talked to him and said, man, we're glad you're here today.

[31:30] Do you know Jesus? He's been saved for years. Been going to church all my life. And the Marquina family came over to me and said, that guy's been a Christian since way before you got here.

[31:41] And he never told any of us. We had no idea he was born again. That might be something we could consider. If you go with chapter 12, verse 34.

[31:53] Chapter 12, verse 34. You know, people often don't understand the Bible. They misunderstand the Bible. Look in verse 34. The people, they were religious. These guys were like Georgians. These aren't Midwesterners that don't have Bibles and don't know about church.

[32:07] These aren't Northeasterners or Northwesterners. These are people that know all about the Bible. And in verse 34, it says, the people answer him, we have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever.

[32:19] And so how do you go about saying the son must be lifted up? And who is the son of man? They were like, we can have a Bible discussion on that with you. We're ready to discuss Bible with you on that one.

[32:33] You must talk about Jesus. You must get them to church and Bible preaching. They've heard a lot of things, but they don't understand what they have heard. They do not even realize in this story that Jesus is the son of man that he's talking about.

[32:45] The amount of Bible knowledge they have is one of their biggest hindrances. Most people in Georgia have had just enough Bible to get a good vaccination.

[32:56] You get a flu shot to get just enough of the flu not to get sick from the flu. And they've had just enough Bible to know some stuff that's wrong. They believe their goodness will get them to heaven.

[33:08] So you ought to tell your testimony and make sure that they know that you were a sinner and you knew it and you needed a savior. They believe everyone's a child of God.

[33:18] Help them to know that they had to be made children of God. John chapter 1 and verse 12. John 1 12 said, as many as received into them gave you power to become the sons of God, even them that believe on his name.

[33:33] Some people think they're too good and some people think they're too bad. People tend to think they're too bad. So show them what God thinks. The Bible says in Romans 3 28. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

[33:49] The scripture is concluded in Galatians 3 22 that all are under sin. Romans 5 8 says, but God committed his love toward us and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

[34:01] It's time for me to quit. But I want you to see something. I think it's interesting. He starts off saying judgments here and the devil's going down and his whole system that rebels against me. It's going down judgments here.

[34:13] And then he tells us he was lifted up and he invites the whole world. He draw all men to him. And we ought to learn from that a few ways about witnessing and a few ways about telling people about Jesus. We ought to realize that people had just enough Bible.

[34:26] I mean, the people Jesus was dealing with, they knew a lot of Bible, but they didn't know the God of the Bible. They knew a lot about religion, but they didn't know Jesus. And I want you to see what he says to him in verse 35.

[34:39] And that is that the time to believe is short. If we were in Peru, I'd be doing my best to get you to carry a gospel track and to witness to people. If we were on a mission field, I'd be doing my best to get you to share the gospel with your family members.

[34:52] Let's look at what he said in verse 35. Then Jesus said to them, yet a little while, it's just a little bit more time is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness come upon you.

[35:05] For he that walketh in darkness knows not whether he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be the children of the light. These things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself.

[35:17] Jesus is the light. But we don't throw much light. We don't carry Jesus much. And we don't share Jesus like we ought to. I just want to throw a couple things at you. You do know that though he draws all men unto him, not all men will come to him.

[35:31] We don't believe in universalism. That's a word that gives the idea that sooner or later everybody is going to get saved. Not true. Loves everybody. Died for everybody. But they can reject him and the gift that he's given.

[35:44] They cannot hear. They cannot be saved. Though he draws all men, not all get saved. And though he gives the invitation to all, the invitation is not forever.

[35:56] The invitation is not forever. There comes a time in a man's life when it's too late. There's a whole religion built around. Let's pray them out of purgatory and pray them into heaven.

[36:06] Too late. While you have the light, accept. You must share the gospel while waiting on the Holy Spirit. You must show the light of Jesus Christ. Let him bring them. You must know that Satan is actively working to cause him not to see the truth.

[36:21] You ought to use every open door you have to share Jesus. We know Jesus. And I'm not talking about vision.

[36:31] And I'm certainly not talking about Austin Gardner. But let me tell you this. We know beautiful, wonderful truths here. We go verse by verse through the Bible. And we just open a verse and we crack it open.

[36:42] And we see what a wonderful, wonderful Savior we have. We find out about how Jesus died for us and how he took our place. We went through the book of Leviticus and we watched how the lamb was slain to save the world.

[36:55] We went through the book of Hebrews. We've been through verse by verse through Bible, book after Bible book. And we know a lot about Jesus. But knowing about him, we're not to keep it to ourselves. We're not to sit, soak, and sour.

[37:07] We're to carry the gospel message to the world. And we can send missionaries around the world all we want. But we've got to be missionaries to our community, to people we're around. You've got to get this in your heart.

[37:19] They need the gospel. We have the gospel. Let's share the gospel. You don't have to do it in some unnatural, hard thing.

[37:30] Just talk about Jesus. All you've got to do is mention basketball. And everybody in the world has got an opinion but me. During the month of March.

[37:42] I didn't know Kentucky was still doing good. I heard they lost the other night. Found out just a few minutes ago. Trent told me they're going to win. It's just wait until Saturday or something like that. I mean, everybody's got an opinion. Isn't it amazing?

[37:54] By the way, I get email after email from people that no longer attend our church. Send me notes to pray for so-and-so in their political run for office. Boy, we're quick to talk about it.

[38:04] But it comes to Jesus. We're slow to share it. Here's what happens. Jesus purchased salvation. Get the context and I'll close.

[38:16] He said, if a grain of wheat doesn't fall on the ground and die, it can't bring forth fruit. You've got to lose your life. So you can find your life. He said, boy. He said, I'm looking at what's fixing to happen.

[38:28] And my soul is troubled. What do I say to my father? Do I say to him? No. That's why I came into the world. And then he said, then he says, he says, I want my father to be glorified.

[38:40] Father, glorify yourself. And the father says, I have glorified myself and I will glorify myself. And then tonight Jesus says, all right. Now the judgment's here.

[38:52] Buddy, God's on the move. Devil, you're coming down. Evil system and rebellion against God. You're coming down. They stand and say, we know a lot of Bible verses.

[39:04] Oh, you don't know. Light's here. While you have light. There used to be a song we sang when I was a boy. Work for the night is coming.

[39:15] When man works no more. You only have a while to share Jesus. Did you share him this week? Will you share him next week? Do you care about getting the gospel to other people?

[39:31] Father in heaven, I love you. And I ask you to work and move and magnify yourself tonight. And I pray that you'd help us to become witnesses of what you've done for us.

[39:44] And we'd share that Jesus died on the cross and it was lifted up. I pray you'd help us to love our family members and love our friends and people we work with and carry the gospel.

[39:55] God, use us for your honor and glory. Make a difference around the world through us. And I'll give you praise. You have been listening to Austin Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church.

[40:10]  For contact information, location, service times, or more audio and video recordings, log on to www.visionbaptist.com.