Blessing of God for a Purpose Ps 67:1-7 God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us,—-1 Selah That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.—-2 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.—-3 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth.——4 Selah
Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.—-5 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us.—-6 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.—-7
Offering Song— 6) Sermon —— “The Reluctant Soul Winner” ( From the life of Jonah )
Intro: April 15, 1912 as the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean, the musicians played the song “ Nearer, my God, to thee” 1,514 people went into eternity that night 694 people survived All that could be said about their lives of the 2208 people that were on the Titanic… Was saved or not saved. Play Video I sent One day, each of us will go into eternity, and all that will be said of our lives… Is saved or not saved. Romans 10:13 Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Greatest Privilege for any believer is to lead someone to Jesus.... to the cross Second .... is to help disciple the new believer
2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,
but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Steps to spreading the Gospel Matt 12:39-41 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
God wants to reach the world �� through “imperfect” people like Jonah. Jonah 1:1-5 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. vs 3 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. vs 4 .....But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6 Steps ( Keys ) to Soul Winning
G - Go ————————————— Jonah 1:1-2
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” O - Overcome = ( fear, insecurities, distractions,… ... anything that would cause you to neglect or disobey ) Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word. Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. S - Surrender to God’s Purposes God’s plan was for Jonah to… Arise, go to Nineveh … Because… God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But… Jonah did not want to surrender to God’s Plan
Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.