Title: Can I Persuade You Of Anything
Text: Romans 4:21
Intro: This week Pastor Quintin and I were making some hospital visits. We were on the elevator when it stopped on the second floor, and a pharmaceutical salesman stepped on. The man hearing my sniffles because of my allergies turned and looked at me and asked me a question I had never been asked, “Can I persuade you of anything?” All of a sudden I felt the Holy Spirit rush through me as I began to tell the man that, “Yes you can, you can persuade me that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is the one and only risen Savior.” As we left the hospital I felt the Spirit of God all over me again as I began to think all week long about the question this unsuspecting salesman posed. Can I persuade you of anything today?
I. Jesus Is Lord
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1. This world needs to be persuaded that Jesus is the son of God, that he came to Earth to set men free from their debt of sin
2. Jesus is the son of God, and it is through His shed blood that we receive atonement for our sins
- His deity his shown by:
· His virgin birth
· His sinless life
· His miracles
· His death on the cross
· His resurrection from the dead
· His exaltation to the right hand of God
3. God Himself told the world that Jesus was his Son
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
4. There are those that would reject the idea of Jesus being Lord;
- They have heard but refused Him
· The Rich young ruler ask “what must I do to have eternal life?”
· King Agripa said of Paul, “Almost you have persuaded me to be a Christian
II. Jesus Cares For You
1. Many times this is the hardest idea for us to accept
2. We can see nothing but a God of impending judgment
- We understand salvation
- But we fell that to have a God that we can go to would be an imposition upon Him, after all he is so busy.
- We must realize that He is a God of Love that desires to be a part of our life
- He enjoys it when we call upon on Him
3. We must learn to trust in His power to meet our needs.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ILL. Is Anyone Up There?
A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn’t hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. “HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP!
He yelled for hours, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.
“Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?”
“Yes, yes! I can hear you. I’m down here!”
“I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?”
“Yes, but . . . Who are you, and where are you?”
“I am the Lord, Jack. I’m everywhere.”
“The Lord? You mean, GOD?”
“That’s Me.”
“God, please help me! I promise if You’ll get me down from here, I’ll stop sinning. I’ll be a really good person. I’ll serve You for the rest of my life.”
“Easy on the promises, Jack. Let’s just get you down from there; then we can talk. Now, here’s what I want you to do. Listen carefully.”
“I’ll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do.”
“Okay. Let go of the branch.”
“What?”
“I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go.”
There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, “HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?”
4. Jesus has revealed Himself as God that is concerned about each of us
- Through the Grace He has shown us
- Through the Anointing He has shared with us
- Through the Protection He has showered upon us
III. Jesus Will Baptize You
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
1. It is God’s desire that each of us be baptized in the Holy Ghost and Fire.
- His promise was for Children and those afar off.
· Shame many Pentecostal churches have lost that fire and cannot pass it to their children
· More wrapped up in programs than power of prayer
· More interested in games than the flames of the spirit
ILL. Of church that caught of fire
Bucket brigade was started old man that had never been to church showed up to pass buckets. The pastor looked at the man and said, “John this is the first time that I have ever seen you at church.” To which the man replied, “Preacher, this is the first time the church has ever been on fire.”
2. Paul tells us to be filled with the Holy Ghost
Ephesians 5:18 but be filled with the Spirit;
3. To many have lost desire for more of God
ILL. Of Lady that stood up in testimony service and said, “I am save, sanctified and satisfied.”
- What a sad condition to be satisfied when God says that He has so much more for us if we would but seek Him, He is the one that will Baptize with Fire.
ILL. In a desert area of west Texas there is a little town that is the largest oil fields in America, this land was originally owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates used the land as a sheep farm during the depression. He owned the land but didn’t use it to it’s fullest potential. All of the supernatural resources of God are available to us, but most Christians never make this discovery and never draw upon the mighty power of the Holy Ghost.
IV. The Time Is Near
1. The Time for Christ return is close at hand
2. The church needs to be persuaded that we must get to work
2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
1 Corinthians 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
3. You can work for the Lion’s club, be a part of 4-H, be a Booster if you desire; these are all good programs. But what you accomplish for these groups is going to be burned in fire. Only that which is accomplished for the Kingdom of God will last.
4. Many would say, “That is the preachers job.”
- NO, it is the Christians job:
· To persuade men
· To build the church
· To work while it is day
· To pray for Revival
· To intercede for souls
5. His return is close and it falls to each one of us to accept the call of Minister and reach out to a lost and dieing world and persuade them.
