Amen.
All right.
Well, we're there in Jonah chapter number three this morning, and as we've been talking
about, we've been going through a series.
This is now the seventh sermon in this series on revival, and we are coming close
to an end.
This is not the end of the series, but we're coming close to an end of the series,
and we've been talking about revival.
I don't know if you remember when we started this series.
We began with the great passages on revival, then we started looking at the great revivals
in the Bible, and we've been kind of going back and forth.
In the first sermon, when we talked about, will thou not revive us again, we learned
that revival is two things.
It's knowing God, and it's making God known.
It's individuals getting close to God and knowing God, and then those individuals making
God known, like we're saying already this morning, that all the earth may know, which
is a theme of our church here.
Now, we've spent the last several weeks kind of focusing in on this idea of knowing
God.
We've talked about revival through dying to self, revival through the house of God, revival
through the word of God, revival through prayer.
Last week, we talked about revival through separation, and this all has to do with
knowing God, because the truth is this.
We cannot accomplish much for God if you and I are not close to God, if we don't know
God and understand God and understand God's will for our lives.
Today, we're going to focus on making God known.
I'm preaching on the subject of revival through soul winning, and the reason we're
here in Jonah chapter number three is because Jonah actually led one of the greatest soul
winning revivals recorded in Scripture, if not the greatest soul winning revival
recorded in Scripture.
We find it here in the book of Jonah, Jonah chapter number three, and I want you to notice
several characteristics about a soul winning revival and what that means and what that
looks like.
Maybe you're here this morning and say, I've never even heard of that, I'm not sure
what that is.
When we talk about soul winning, we're talking about going out in the community, reaching
people with the gospel of Christ.
The Bible says that he that win its souls is wise, and we are out there trying to
win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ.
I would just say this, this morning, my goal for Verity Baptist Church is that we would
experience, yes, revival, personal revival, that we may know God, but that our church
would experience a soul winning revival and that we would make God known.
That we would be a church that would make God known in this community and in this world.
You say, well, what does that mean and what does that look like?
I want you to notice three things in regards to a soul winning revival here this morning.
If you take notes, I want to encourage you to take notes on the back of your course
of the week.
There's a place for you to write down some notes.
I'd like you to notice, first of all, the result of a soul winning revival.
You say, okay, you want a soul winning revival, well, what does that mean, what does that
look like?
When that happens, if that happens, what would that look like?
What would be the result?
I want you to notice that the result of a soul winning revival is this, an entire
geographical area being saturated with the gospel.
You're there in Jonah chapter three, look at verse number one.
The Bible says this, and the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time saying,
arise, go unto Nineveh.
Notice there's a city here, this is the capital of Assyria, a world power at this
time and God tells Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh and I want you to notice
that God is telling Jonah a specific location, a place, I want you to go and I want
you to own this part of the world for me, for the cause of God, for the cause of Christ.
He says, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I
bid thee.
Notice verse three, so Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh according to the word of the
Lord.
Now Nineveh, notice, was an exceeding great city of three days journey and for the ancient
world this was a big city, a big metropolis and it would take three days to even cross
the city by foot and in our modern standards, you know, we have mega cities that would
put a city like Nineveh, would make it seem small but for this time with their
technologies, a huge city that Jonah went to and notice what Jonah did, verse four,
and Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey and he cried and said, yet
forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Jonah walks into the city Nineveh and he decides that he's going to preach the preaching
that God bid him, he's going to bring the message to this entire city, whether
they want to hear it or not, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, his goal was
to make sure this entire city heard the message of judgment, yet forty days and
Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Now keep your place there in Jonah chapter three, that's obviously our text for this
morning.
Go, if you would, to the book of Acts in the New Testament, Acts chapter number five.
Acts chapter five and you've got the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and then the
book of Acts.
Acts chapter number five in the New Testament and please understand this, obviously when
we're looking at Jonah we're looking at an Old Testament missions work here and obviously
this was before Jesus had been born and salvation has always been by grace through faith but
it's different in the sense that they're calling upon the name of the Lord as opposed
to us preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing the name of Jesus and salvation
through Jesus Christ, but the principles are the same.
God has always wanted the preaching and the missions emphasis and the evangelistic
outreach to go forth and here Jonah is really an Old Testament missionary being
sent into the city to make sure that the city Nineveh hears the message of God and
look please understand this, as believers our goal, our plan, our agenda has always
been and will always be to reach communities with the gospel of Christ.
In fact you're there in the book of Acts, I told you to go to Acts five and I apologize.
Go to Acts chapter one if you would just real quickly and look at verse number eight.
In the same way that God sends Jonah to Nineveh, God has given you and I geographical areas
and he wants us to take ownership of those areas and to take responsibility for those
areas to preach the gospel there.
Acts chapter one, look at verse eight, notice what Jesus said to the disciples before
his ascension.
He said, but ye shall receive power.
After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me.
He says both in Jerusalem, a geographical area, he says and in all Judea a geographical
area and in Samaria a geographical area and Jerusalem would be the city that they
lived in and Samaria would be like a neighboring location or for us like a neighboring state
and he says and excuse me Judea and then Samaria the same thing and he says unto
the uttermost part of the earth.
And look, ten years ago we came to Sacramento, California and started Verdi Baptist Church
with a goal to reach this city with the gospel of Christ.
We came here with a goal to bring the message of the judgment of God and of the salvation
of God to the city but we've not only done it here.
We've started a church in Vancouver, Washington.
We've started a church in Boise, Idaho.
We've started a church in Fresno, California.
We've started a church in Manila, Philippines and Pampanga, Philippines.
You say why?
Because our goal is a soul winning revival.
Our goal is to plant churches all over this country and all over this world that
will take ownership for their geographical area and saturate it with the gospel of
Christ.
That is the movement of Christianity that Jesus started.
Notice Acts chapter 5.
You already saw in Acts 1a he said ye shall receive power.
After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 5.28.
Here we have the enemies of the local church there.
Notice what they said, saying did not we straightly command you.
These are the enemies of the local church speaking to the leaders of the local church
in Jerusalem and they're saying did not we straightly command you that ye should not
teach in this name and behold.
The enemies of the church in Jerusalem are testifying to this, ye have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
And look, here's all I'm telling you.
You say what's the goal of Verity Baptist Church?
The goal of Verity Baptist Church is that we would know God and that we would make
God known.
That those who hate us, that those who hate the cause of Christ, that those who
are the enemies of the cause of Christ would look at a church like this and say
you have filled Sacramento with your doctrine.
You have filled this area with your teaching.
You are making God known.
Go to Acts chapter 13.
Look at verse 44.
Acts chapter number 13 and verse 44.
Acts 13 and verse 44, the Bible says this.
I just want you to notice, you say, I want to be a New Testament Christian.
Okay, well let me show you what New Testament Christianity is all about
because they filled Jerusalem with their doctrine.
Acts chapter 13 and verse 44, notice what the Bible says.
And the next Sabbath day came almost, notice, came almost the whole city
together to hear the word of God.
Look, these New Testament Christians were not messing around.
The Sabbath day, that's our Saturday.
These Christians were not spending their Saturday hiking.
They were not spending their Saturday fishing.
They were not spending their Saturday doing little league.
They were not, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with those things,
but I'm just here to tell you, New Testament Christianity,
they went out salt winning on a Sabbath day
and the Bible says that that Sabbath day
came almost a whole city together to hear the word of God.
Hey, what to God it would be said of Verdi Baptist Church
one day that on a Saturday,
the whole city of Sacramento just heard the gospel.
That the message of salvation was proclaimed.
You're there in Acts 13, look at verse 49.
Notice verse 49.
And the word of the Lord was published.
Notice throughout all the region,
the word of the Lord was published.
Throughout all the regions,
you say why do we have the church services
and then we have the live streams
and we have the YouTube channels
and we have all those different things
and the mailers and all the things
that we do around here
because we want the word of the Lord
to be published throughout all the region.
But please understand this.
When you go on the offense with the gospel,
realize that the devil is going to attack
and the devil is going to go on the defense.
Notice verse 50.
But the Jews stirred up devout and honorable women
and the chief men of the city
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas
and expelled them out of their cozy.
In New Testament Christianity is this,
they would go into a location, a geographical location
and say, we're going to saturate this area
with the gospel.
We're gonna fill the city with our doctrine.
The whole city is gonna come together
and hear what we have to say about the word of God.
Notice Acts chapter 14 and verse one.
Acts chapter 14 and verse one.
And it came to pass in Iconium
that they went both together
into the synagogue of the Jews
and so spake, notice, and so spake
that a great multitude, both of the Jews
and also of the Greeks believed.
Look, I'm here to tell you,
New Testament Christianity, the first century church
did not practice lifestyle evangelism.
They did not practice, you know,
well, you just live your Christian life
and you just try to have a good marriage
and you just try to raise your children right.
And look, I believe in having a good marriage
and I believe in raising your children right.
And I think you ought to, you know,
do good works that they might see your good works
and glorify your father which is in heaven.
I think all of that is scriptural
but these people actually went out into their community.
I love these words when it says, and so spake.
They spake in such a way that a great multitude,
both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Look at verse 21, the same chapter, Acts 14, verse 21.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city
and had taught many, they returned again
to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
Look, these people were, they were in it to win it.
They were going big.
They had preached the gospel to the city
and had taught many.
Go to Acts chapter 19, look at verse 10.
Acts chapter 19, verse 10.
I want you to understand
what a soul winning revival looks like.
Because look, soul winning and a soul winning revival
are two different things.
Look, and I'm not criticizing any church
that, you know, the church I'm about to describe.
I'm not necessarily criticizing that church
but you can find a whole lot
of independent fundamental Baptist churches
all over the state and all over this country
with, you know, five or six or 20 or, you know,
30 people in the congregation
and they've got three or four or five.
I remember being a young person going out soul winning
and we show up to our soul winning meeting
and there was three people there, two people there
and we were just being faithful
and going out and knocking doors.
They didn't give us maps
because there was no need to give maps
because there was three of us
and there was way more than could be done
than could be done by a group of three or five or 10.
And I'm not criticizing that.
I'm just telling you, I'm thankful for any church
that has a few remnant.
You've got a church of 100 people
and you've got six people that go out soul winning.
I'm thankful for the few and the faithful
and the remnant, but that's not a soul winning revival.
That's soul winning and I'm thankful for that
and we got to start there.
But a soul winning revival is when a church
that knows God, gets on fire for God
and goes out and reaches the city for Christ.
When the whole city hears the gospel.
Hey, I'm thankful yesterday we had 72 soul winners out
on Saturday morning.
72 preachers of the word of God that went out
and preached the gospel on a holiday weekend
and here's what I'm telling you.
You say, what's the goal?
The goal is soul winning,
but you know what the real goal
of Area Divided Baptist Church?
Is a soul winning revival.
That the whole city would hear,
that many would be taught.
You're there in Acts 19, look at verse 10.
And this continued by the space of two years
so that all they, look, notice these words.
So that all they which dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greek.
See Paul and his group would come in
and they'd say look, we don't want to just
reach a few people, we want the whole city.
We want to reach everyone.
We might not be able to win them all
and we understand that not everybody's gonna get saved,
but we can at least warn them all.
He said they continued the space of two years
so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word.
Look at verse 26, same chapter, Acts 19 verse 26.
Moreover ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus,
here again are the enemies of the cause of Christ
speaking, they are commenting
on what the New Testament church is doing.
They said ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus
but almost throughout all Asia,
this Paul has persuaded and turned away much people.
What's a God that they would say
of Verity Baptist Church?
Hey, not alone in Sacramento,
but almost throughout all of California,
this Verity Baptist Church has persuaded
and turned away much people,
saying that there be no gods which are made with hand.
You say, Pastor Jimenez,
you want a soul winning revival,
what does that look like?
Well, look what it looks like,
an entire geographical area saturated
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You say, how are you gonna do that?
Well, we first have to know God
and then we gotta make God known.
We spent six weeks talking about how to know God.
You gotta die to self, you gotta pray,
you gotta spend time in the word of God,
you gotta spend time in the house of God.
We understand that, but look,
it's not just to know God,
it's to know God and make God known.
And you say, well, how will we know
when we're experiencing a soul winning revival?
We'll know when an entire geographical area
is saturated with the gospel of Christ.
When the enemies of Verity Baptist Church say,
can you shut up?
Can you stop preaching?
Can you stop coming here and we don't wanna hear it
and you fill the city with your message,
with your doctrine, with your gospel.
Keep your place there.
If you would, go back to Jonah chapter three,
I want you to notice the results
of a soul winning revival.
Look, I'm just telling you, I'm just telling you.
You say, how will you know when you got there?
You know, when we knock on doors
and instead of the piece of paper
with the red ink, angry handwriting,
when instead of it saying no Mormons
and no Jehovah's Witnesses,
when they start writing no Verity Baptist Church,
then we'll know, yeah, we're doing it.
I mean, when we have that type of impact,
we're tired, we're tired of you coming here
and telling us and warning us and we can't, we don't care.
Look, that is our goal,
that an entire geographical area
will be saturated with the gospel.
But it's not just that.
It's not just an entire geographical area.
That's just part of a soul winning revival.
There's a second part to a soul winning revival
and it's this, that many people
would be saved and discipled.
See, it's not just enough to get people saved
and this is where I lose most soul winners.
It's hard to get people out soul winning
and once you get them out soul winning,
soul winners get in this idea where it's like,
okay, well I go out soul winning
and I get somebody saved so I win.
No, that's not it.
It's not just enough to get people saved.
See, in the story here with Jonah,
he didn't just get people saved.
Now he got them saved, notice verse five,
Jonah chapter three, verse five.
He goes in, he says, I can take over this city
for Christ, I can conquer this city for Christ,
I can preach the message of God in this place.
Notice the result, verse five.
So the people of Nineveh believed God.
They got saved.
What is salvation?
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
In the Old Testament, believing God.
Bible says that Abraham believed God
and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
These people got saved, they believed God.
But I want you to notice, they didn't only get saved,
they also got right with God.
And please understand this, those are two different things.
Salvation is not of works.
You have to do anything to get saved,
just put your faith in Christ,
call upon him for salvation in faith,
believe on Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
But after that, look, salvation is just the beginning.
Then God wants you to walk with him.
Then God wants you to have a relationship with him.
You need to believe to get saved
but then God wants you to get right.
And I want you to notice,
the reason that this story of Jonah and Nineveh,
the reason that it was a soul-winning revival
is because an entire city, an entire city
heard the message of God
but many people got saved and got right with God.
They got saved
and we would use this New Testament term, disciple.
Notice verse five.
So the people of Nineveh believed God, they got saved.
But that wasn't it.
And proclaimed the fast and put on sackcloth
from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
For the word came unto the king of Nineveh
and he arose from his throne
and he laid his robe from him
and covered him with sackcloth and sat in ashes
and he caused it to be proclaimed.
Notice, doesn't it sound like the book of Acts?
He caused it to be proclaimed
and published throughout Nineveh
by the decree of the king and his noble saying,
let neither man, look, this is how serious they got.
They got so right with God,
they even made their pets get right with God.
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything.
Let them not feed nor drink water.
They said, we gotta get right with God.
They said, we're gonna fast
and our animals are gonna fast.
Look at verse eight.
But let the man and the beast be covered with sackcloth
and cry mightily unto God.
Yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way
and from the violence that is in their hands.
Who can tell if God will turn and repent,
turn away from his fierce anger that we perished on?
Look, you know you're getting right with God
when you're making your dog get right with God.
I mean, when you go home and you're like,
hey, listen, Fido, not all dogs go to heaven.
You need to get, we need to make this right.
We're fasting, you're fasting,
I'm tired of your bad attitude.
You know, when you get right with God
and you make your animals get right,
you know you're being serious.
And these people got right with the Lord.
These people got, they made things right
through salvation and they got right in their actions.
Go to the book of Matthew, if you would, Matthew 28,
first book in the New Testament, Matthew 28.
Please understand this.
You know, it's a holiday week and a 4th of July weekend.
You know, unfortunately,
you have many conservative Christians today
that they have their eyes on the wrong place.
You're gonna, this weekend, unfortunately,
or last weekend, you're gonna hear a lot of sermons
of you paying attention
from a lot of conservative Christians
talking about pray for Trump and Trump this and Trump that.
Let me tell you something.
Trump is not the hope for this country.
And you say, are you a Democrat?
Look, let me let you in on a secret.
If you're a politician, you're a wicked person, all right?
See, how do you know when a politician's lying?
When they're talking, they're lying, all right?
Being a president of the United States,
the only way, do you understand the Bible says
that there are rulers and principalities
that we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
that the rulers of the darkness of this world
are the ones that are controlling the politics?
The Bible says that the devil is a god of this world,
lower case G.
And look, I understand that we need to be involved
and pay attention and understand
what's going around us politically,
but please get this,
no politician is the hope of any country.
They that put their trust in princes, the Bible says,
it's a foolish thing, put your trust in man.
And look, and if you think, ah, some politician,
we got a governor that banned singing in church.
Okay, that's where we're at in this country, all right?
You say, I noticed you guys were singing.
Yeah, we don't need to ask permission
of anybody to sing praises to God.
But I'm here to tell you,
you say, well, what's the hope for America?
You know what the hope for America is?
We get people saved and we teach them to walk with God.
We get people saved and we disciple them.
We help them grow.
And by the way, this is what Jesus left us
on this planet to do, Matthew 28, look at verse 19.
Famous passage of the Great Commission, you know it.
Matthew 28, verse 19.
Have you ever wondered why God didn't just rapture
up to heaven right after you got saved?
I mean, you got saved, you call upon Christ for salvation
and you just got raptured immediately.
Why did he leave you here?
Matthew 28, verse 19, knows what Jesus said.
Go ye therefore, go ye therefore.
And notice, he's gonna tell us
what does he want us to do?
Three things, teach all nations.
Now that's talking about going out into our communities
and preaching the gospel.
The Bible talks about preaching the gospel
to every creature.
He says, go ye therefore and teach all nations,
but that's not enough, that's not it.
Look, and that's where most soul winners stop, right there.
Why I went out and I got somebody saved.
Okay, well, that's just step one.
Then he says this, baptizing them.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Why do we have a baptistry that we fill every week
with water and have it ready to baptize
just in case somebody wants to get baptized?
Why do we do that?
Here's why we do that.
Because God wants new believers to be baptized.
Not to get saved, but because they're saved.
To identify themselves with Christ as a believer in Christ.
But I want you to notice the third step,
look at verse 20.
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I've commanded you.
Do you know that discipleship
is part of the Great Commission?
We're supposed to teach them about Jesus and salvation,
then we're supposed to baptize them
so that they can publicly identify themselves with Christ,
but then we're supposed to come alongside
and teach them to observe all things.
Teach them what God wants for their life.
Teach them how God wants them to live their life.
Look, at Verity Baptist Church,
if you don't know this,
or you've never heard me say this, please understand.
Everything we do, everything we do
at Verity Baptist Church falls under these two headings.
We're either reaching people or we're teaching people.
We're either reaching people
with the gospel of Jesus Christ,
or we are teaching people to observe all things.
Yesterday we went out to reach people,
this morning we are teaching people
how to observe all things, why?
Because a soul winning revival
is not just a geographical blitz
of an entire, saturating an entire city with the gospel.
That's a big part of it.
That's a big task of it.
But there's also this aspect
that we go out and get people saved,
and then we develop relationships with them.
We pray for them.
We call them.
We write them notes.
We try to get them to come to church,
and we talk to them about getting baptized,
and we talk to them about coming to church
and learning about, maybe we give them a Bible
and teach them how to read the Bible and help them.
Look, it's not just enough to preach the gospel.
Many of us all want to get excited about,
ah, I'm so excited, I got something to say.
Oh, praise the Lord.
What's their name?
I don't know.
Like, well, how are you gonna pray for them
if you don't know their name?
Here's what I'm telling you.
You say, what does a soul winning revival look like?
A soul winning revival is different than soul winning.
Now, we need soul winning.
But a soul winning revival is when we have
a group of soul winners that says,
I want to go get somebody saved,
but I want to get those people that I got saved
baptized and in church and growing.
I want to pray for them.
I want to invest in them.
I want to develop a relationship with them.
You say, why don't we do that?
Because that's work, because it takes work.
But that's the result of a soul winning revival.
What does a soul winning revival look like?
It looks like an entire geographical area
being saturated with the gospel.
It looks like many people are getting saved
and discipled as a result.
But I'd like you to notice secondly this morning,
not only the result of a soul winning revival,
but I'd like you to notice the requirement
of a soul winning revival.
Go to the book of Jonah if you would.
Keep your place there in Matthew.
We're going to come back to it.
Jonah chapter one.
You say, well pastor, this all sounds nice.
I hope you do it.
I hope you get it done.
Here's the thing.
I believe if we took a survey of everyone in this room,
every single person in this room would say,
do you agree with what was just preached
about a soul winning revival?
And I think all of you would say,
man, that sounds awesome.
That sounds great.
I hope that happened.
Okay, well here's the thing.
There's a reason why it's not happening in most places.
There's a reason why it happens from time to time here
and sometimes it doesn't
and we have to always be working at motivating
and getting the momentum going in that direction.
Because it's not just enough to understand
the result of a soul winning revival.
There's a requirement to having a soul winning revival.
You say, well pastor, why are most churches
not experiencing a soul winning revival?
There's one big reason.
It's you.
You say, what do you mean?
Well you see, the thing is this.
There's a requirement for a soul winning revival
and it's this, God needs a soul winner.
You know that God will not do the work
of reaching people with the gospel without you?
I mean, look at the book of Jonah,
Jonah chapter one, look at verse one.
Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah,
the son of Amittai saying, arise, go to Nineveh.
That great city and cry against it
for the wickedness has come up before me.
Why is it that God went to Jonah and said,
Jonah, I need you to go?
Why didn't God just do it himself?
Here's why, because God will not do it
without a soul winner.
I mean, look at Jonah chapter three and verse one.
And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah,
don't miss this, the second time.
I mean, God already told Jonah to go
in chapter one, you know the story, he didn't go.
He didn't want to, I gotta go fishing, God,
I got other things to do, God, and God's like, okay.
And I'm not preaching about Jonah, but just know this,
you can run from God, but you can't outrun God.
You can spend your time running from God, young person,
but you can't outrun God.
Well, I'll go out to the sea,
God will meet you there with his whale.
You can run from God.
The second time the Bible says,
look at Jonah chapter three, verse two,
and go unto Nineveh, that great city,
and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
See, God needs a soul winner.
God needs a soul winner.
You know what we learned from the story of Jonah?
Go back to Jonah chapter one.
You know what we learned from the story of Jonah?
Here's what we learned from the story of Jonah,
that God is so desperate to save people.
I mean, think about the fact,
God sends his son to die on the cross
to bring salvation to all mankind.
And God is so desperate to get that message out there
that he'll use just about anyone.
I mean, look at this guy.
Jonah is a piece of work.
I mean, this guy does not want to go.
Jonah chapter one, verse one.
Now the Lord came unto Jonah, the son of Amittai,
saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
and cry against it, for the wickedness
has come upon before me.
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish
from the presence of the Lord,
and went down to Joppa,
and he found the ship going to Tarshish,
so he paid the fare thereof,
and went down into it to go with them
unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
He's running from God.
You can run from God, but you can't outrun God.
He doesn't go.
You know the story.
He doesn't go.
God sends the whale.
If he finally gets right with God,
the whale vomits him up.
Chapter three, Jonah goes, preaches the gospel.
But look, even after Jonah went,
this guy had a bad attitude.
Go to Jonah chapter four.
Look at verse one.
Jonah chapter four, verse one.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly.
This is chapter four.
Chapter three, he goes, preaches the judgment of God.
The entire city believes on God,
gets right with God,
makes their animals get right with God.
How does Jonah respond?
Jonah chapter four, verse one.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly,
and he was very angry.
These people, he leads the greatest revival
documented in the Bible,
and he is upset about it.
Has a bad attitude about it.
Look at verse two.
And he prayed unto the Lord and said,
I pray thee, O Lord,
was not this my saying when I was yet in my country?
Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish,
for I knew.
Look, notice what Jonah's mad at God about.
He says, for I knew that thou art a gracious God
and merciful, slow to anger,
and of a great kindness and repentance of the evil.
Jonah says, God, I knew that if I went
and preached to them, that you would forgive them.
Therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech thee
my life from me,
for it is better for me to die than to live.
You know what we call this?
We call this a drama queen.
Then said the Lord, doest thou well to be angry?
And you know, you read the story
and you think to yourself, what in the world?
I mean, is this really, really Jonah?
Is this even real?
Why would somebody be so upset?
You know, if you want soul winning,
you'd realize that there's lots of Jonahs out there.
I mean, I've been soul winning with a lot of people
where it seems like, you know,
it's like, I want to ask them like,
why are you, are you trying to get people saved?
Right, you're just out here to,
seems like you're just out here to pick a fight.
You know, there's many a soul winner out there
who's more excited about telling somebody to go to hell
than trying to keep them from going to hell.
There's many a soul winner, you know,
you start, you know, it seems like they're just on,
you know, they're trying to fight somebody,
you know, just mad about something and angry.
Just out there trying to pick a fight.
Jonah gets out there, doesn't want to go,
has a bad attitude about it even after he goes.
And you know, here's a lesson for us
that God will work with a soul winner
and sometimes God will work in spite of a soul winner.
But God is so desperate to get people saved,
he'll use any soul winner.
Matthew chapter nine.
See, some of you, go to Matthew chapter nine
if you would, Matthew chapter nine.
Some of you use this excuse.
Well, I'm not a very good Christian.
That's why I can't go soul winning.
Well, you know what, shame on you.
Yeah, I'm not a very good Christian.
Well, become a good Christian.
Know God and then make God known.
Well, I'm not a very good Christian.
That's why I can't go soul winning.
Are you a better Christian than this guy?
Because it seems like this guy is pretty lousy.
Seems like this guy is pretty bad.
Seems like this guy, I mean, he has a bad attitude.
He's not right with God.
He's backslid after he leaves the greatest revival.
I mean, good night.
If I let it arrive like this,
I'd write a book and sell it or something.
He's all mad and angry.
I can't believe you forget.
I knew you were gonna forgive him, God.
I mean, are you as bad as this guy?
If God can use this guy, God can use you.
If God can use this guy, God can use anyone.
Yesterday morning in our soul winning meeting,
Brother Oliver preached a soul winning challenge
about Apollos.
Apollos was just out there, just trying.
God helped him and God brought people alongside
to help him learn and teach him
how to preach the gospel properly.
But look, here's what I'm telling you.
God needs you.
If you say, I'll go, God said, I'll take you.
But I don't know, God said, just come.
We'll figure that out.
Sometimes God uses soul winners
and he works with soul winners
and then sometimes God works in spite of soul winners.
But you know, the big problem is this.
The big problem is this.
Why are we not?
Why is this church not accomplishing
what it could accomplish for God?
Why are many churches not accomplishing
what they could accomplish for God?
It comes down to this.
The laborers are few.
See, there's a requirement for a soul winning revival
and it is soul winners.
Matthew chapter nine, verse 36, notice what Jesus said.
And when he saw the multitudes,
he was moved with compassion on them
because they fainted and were scattered abroad
as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples,
the harvest truly is plenteous,
but the laborers are few.
Jesus says, you know, the problem's not
with the harvest.
The harvest is plenteous.
He says, you know, the problem is not
with the results of what, here's what he's saying.
If someone would go, someone would get saved.
You know that?
You know that there's not a week
that the soul winners of this church go out
and somebody doesn't get saved?
Now you might say, well, I went out
and I didn't get anybody saved,
but between the 70 soul winners that went out yesterday,
somebody got saved.
If the problem is not with the harvest,
the harvest truly is plenteous.
Why are they not getting saved?
Because the laborers are few.
Because we need more laborers.
Notice what he says, verse 38.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest
that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
I've always thought this was really interesting.
I mean, we just got a prayer request
from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
I mean, you know, we give out
these little communication cards,
we think, you got a prayer request?
Write your prayer, and we'll pray for it.
We put on our prayer sheet, and look,
I believe in prayer.
We've been talking a lot about prayer lately.
I believe in prayer.
I think God's working amongst us,
and God's answering prayers.
But you know that Jesus has a prayer request?
He says, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest
that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.
You know that Jesus was praying
that you and I would get involved
in the work that he left us to do?
And I'll just say this, I'll just throw this out there.
I'd be really careful, I'd be really careful
about praying in the name of Jesus
to God your Father through the blood
of his son Jesus Christ, and claiming the power
and the presence of Christ for your prayer.
I'd be really careful about praying
to God through Jesus, which is how we pray,
in the name of Jesus, which is the authority
we've been given.
I'd be really careful about going to God
in prayer through Jesus, when Jesus has a prayer request
for you, and you refuse to fulfill it.
I mean, the Bible says that,
don't the Bible say that we should treat people
the way we'd like to be treated?
I wonder how many prayers you're sending up to Jesus
that Jesus is like, well, I'll answer your prayer
when you answer mine.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest
that he would send forth laborers.
How about you answer my prayer
and then I'll answer your prayer?
I wonder if a lot of our prayers aren't being answered
because we're not answering the call, the prayer.
He says, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest
that he would send forth laborers into the harvest.
See, the harvest truly is plenteous,
but the labors are few.
See, there is a requirement for a soul winning revival.
What does God need?
God needs you, God needs me.
That is not, look, God is not going to do it without us.
It's not that he can't do it without us,
that he refuses to do it without us.
I don't know why God set it up that way.
That's how he did it.
Study the book of Acts.
I mean, have you ever thought about this?
God sends the Lord Jesus Christ after his ascension
in his glorified body to meet Saul of Tarsus
on the road to Damascus, blinds him, scares him,
and then says, go to Damascus
and I'm gonna send a soul winner to get you saved.
Goes to a soul winner named Ananias and says,
go preach the gospel to Saul.
And you ask yourself, Jesus, why didn't you,
you had his attention.
Why didn't you just preach the gospel to him?
Have you ever thought about that?
You ever thought about Cornelius,
the Italian soldier, praying and seeking the face of God.
God sends an angel down, God sends an angel down
to Cornelius and the angel appears before him
and he says, go find Peter
and he'll tell you how to get saved.
And I think it was of man, you know, angel?
Did you have like a lunch break coming up?
Why didn't you just preach the gospel?
You know why?
Because God has chosen to do his work in this world
through the local New Testament church.
God could send a thousand angels to preach the gospel.
God has chosen not to, God has chosen you.
And the requirement for a soul-winning revival
is a soul winner.
And here's all I'm telling you, here's all I'm saying.
We need you.
We need your help.
You say, well, you had 70 soul winners yesterday.
It sounds like you're doing all right.
No, that's not enough.
You know, when we started Verity Baptist Church
for years and years,
we had a small amount of soul winners and I pray.
I would pray and here's what I would pray.
I'd pray, Lord, would you give us 12 soul winners?
I thought, well, Jesus had 12.
He had 12 disciples.
So, you know, maybe the Lord will give us 12 soul winners
to go out.
You know, eventually God gave us 12.
So what'd you do after you had 12?
Then I realized that then after Jesus had 12,
Jesus had 70.
Jesus had 70 that he sent out two by two.
So I started praying for 70.
Hey, we're there, we had 70 yesterday.
You say, okay, so are we done?
No, because in Acts three,
he had 120 in the upper room
that went out and preached the gospel.
So guess what we're praying for now?
120, we need you.
We need your help.
We need you to get involved.
God requires soul winners for a soul winning revival.
Let me give you a third reason.
We'll finish up, go to Jonah chapter four.
We talked about the result of a soul winning revival.
What is it?
It's an entire geographical area saturated with the gospel.
It is many people getting saved and discipled
as a result of the work of the soul winner.
Then there is a requirement for soul winning.
What is it?
It is that God needs a soul winner.
When it comes to soul winning,
God will use just about anyone who'll even use Jonah.
Number three, I'd like to give you the reason
for a soul winning revival.
Say why?
Why should I give up my Saturday?
Why should I give up my Thursday afternoon?
Why should I give up my Sunday afternoon?
Why should I go and preach the gospel to anyone?
Well, there's a reason.
Remember our hero Jonah?
Take, oh Lord, take I beseech thee my life from me
for it is better for me to die than to live.
Remember that guy?
Look at verse 11, Jonah chapter four, verse 11.
Notice what God responds to Jonah.
He says, and should not I, don't miss this,
and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city,
wherein are more than six score thousand persons.
He says, you know that a score is 20?
He says, you know that there are six score thousand persons?
God says to Jonah, you know that there's 120,000 people,
not just that you said there's 120,000 people
in the city, no, no, no.
It's a great city, a huge city.
He says, should not I spare Nineveh, that great city,
where are more than six thousand persons
that cannot discern between their right hand
and their left hand?
God says to Jonah, you know that there's 120,000 people
in that city that don't know the difference
between their right hand and their left hand?
What is he referring to?
I think he's referring to children.
You know that there's little kids out there?
I think he might be referring to slaves.
You know that there's some slaves in that city, Nineveh?
They didn't ask to be in that city.
They didn't ask to be in that wicked environment.
They were brought there, and they've not been educated,
and then, here's what he's saying.
He's saying, they are innocent people.
He says, there are people in that city
who are going to die and suffer the judgment of God
if you don't go, Jonah.
So that's why I sent you.
That's why I'm putting up with you,
God would say to Jonah.
That's why I'm using you, not working with you,
but working in spite of you.
Because there are many innocent people
who would face judgment in that city
if someone didn't go.
Go to 2 Corinthians chapter four,
if you would, in the New Testament.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans,
1st, 2nd Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians chapter four.
And let me just say this.
If you don't go, and if I don't go,
there are many ignorant people.
And I'm not saying that in a rude way.
I'm talking about, you realize that there are people
all over the city who, spiritually speaking,
could not discern between their right hand
and their left hand?
They don't know.
They're innocent, they're ignorant,
we're all sinners, and we understand that,
and we've all broken the laws of God
and deserve the judgment of God.
But do you know that there are people all over,
sometimes we focus on the bad,
and we focus on the no's,
and we focus on people who reject us,
and the reprobates, and we understand that.
But do you know that there are people out there
who would get saved
if someone preached the gospel to them?
2 Corinthians chapter four and verse three,
the Bible says this,
but if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost.
You know, here's the thing about soul winning,
is that when we decide,
when we decide to not preach the gospel,
you know that we are actually hurting
the people who need it the most?
I mean, there's so much talk
about this coronavirus and whatever.
It'd be like if there was a disease out there
that was killing thousands of people,
you know, a real one, people actually dying,
and you had the anecdote for it,
and you're just like, ah, I'm just gonna hide it.
Look, whatever you think about corona and all that,
there is a disease out there called sin,
and it is sending people to hell.
And if you're saved, you have the anecdote.
You have the solution.
Look, if you're saved, someone took the time,
someone cared enough,
someone took the time to bring the gospel to you.
And then the Bible says if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them, it is hid to them that are lost.
It is hid to them who need it the most.
If you would go to the book of Jude,
just right before the book of Revelation,
last, second to last book in the New Testament,
look at verse 22.
The Bible says, and if some have compassion,
and if some have compassion making a difference,
and others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire,
hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Say, Pastor, it seems like this whole soul-willing
revival thing, it's gonna require a lot of work,
a lot of organization, maps need to be printed,
and things need to be organized.
We need soul-willing captains, and we need this,
and we need resources and materials to go out,
to publish, and all.
It seems like a lot of work is going into this.
Why would we do that?
Here's why.
Because if we do not go, many innocent and ignorant people
will face the judgment of God, who would have got saved,
who would have got saved if somebody
would have cared enough to go,
and if some have compassion making a difference.
So here's the question for you.
Real basic, will you go?
Will you go?
Will you help us?
Because the harvest truly is plenteous,
but the labors are few.
I'm not speaking generically like,
as a church, will we go?
I'm saying you, will you go
and help us reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Because God left us on this earth to know God
and to make God known.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, I pray that you would stir
in my heart and the hearts of our entire church family.
Lord, I pray that you would stir in our hearts
a flame of revival.
Lord, I know we're soul winning,
and I'm thankful for that.
I'm thankful for soul winning.
I'm thankful for anybody who takes the time
to go out and preach the gospel to anybody.
But Lord, we don't just want soul winning,
we want a soul winning revival.
We want to saturate this entire region
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We want to know God and we want to make God known.
We want to see people saved and baptized
and growing in the Lord.
But like Jesus said, we need laborers,
we need workers, we need helpers.
And no one is disqualified from helping
because you'll use anyone.
If you'd use Jonah, you'd use anyone.
Father, I pray you'd help us.
I pray that you would help this church
to begin a soul winning revival
that would reach people all over this community
with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray, amen.
We're gonna have Brother Matt come up
and lead us in a final song as we prepare.