Whether You Listen Or Not

Whether You Listen Or Not

I was a sneaky child when I was little. Yes, I was a rebellious child. My parents and teachers would tell me what to do, but many times I wouldn’t listen. So I received many spankings. I guess you could say that I wasn’t very smart because most times I still wouldn’t listen. I had a rebellious spirit. But the adults in my life still spoke truth to me, they told me what I needed to hear, whether I listened or not. Well, my friend and I are out here tonight sharing truth, God’s truth with you and we are doing so whether you listen or not. 

Ezekiel 2:1-8 says: And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak unto you. And the spirit entered into me when he spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spoke unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

For they are impudent children and stiff hearted. I do send you unto them; and you shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Do Not Be Afraid Of Them

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with you, and you dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

And you shall speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say unto you; Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat what I give you.

God sent Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious Israelites, whether they would listen or not. Pastor Joshua and I are compelled by God to come out here and share the Gospel with you, whether you listen or not. The results are not up to us. We are merely being obedient to God by proclaiming the Gospel out in the open. So we are here tonight to preach the Good News to you, but we cannot control whether you will listen or not.

Lift Up Your Voice Like A Trumpet

We are compelled to lift up our voices like a trumpet in the street. God told Isaiah to do this. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins (Isaiah 58:1).

Jesus also told His disciples to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem and spreading out from there. Acts 1:8 states: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The Lord also said: And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

This Isn’t How You Reach People

Frequently we hear this isn’t how you reach people. We’ll, street evangelism looks strange to our post-Christian society. But open-air preaching is biblical and men have been open-air preaching since the time Jesus walked this earth. We are commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

God doesn’t give us “quotas” and we don’t keep track of those who profess to repent and trust Jesus. Again, the results are up to God, not us. We plant and/or water, but God gives the increase. God is the one who draws lost souls to Himself. Salvation is of the Lord, so God gets all the glory for those who repent and surrender their lives to Jesus. God saves and God receives all the glory. We merely share the Gospel; whether you listen or not.

If I miss a week witnessing I feel like Jeremiah or the apostle Paul. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay (Jeremiah 20:9). For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

God Compels Us To Share The Glorious Gospel

God really does compel us to share the glorious Gospel with this lost and dying world, whether you listen or not. We love God because He first loved us. We love others because God loves us. It is out of love that we come out here and warn you about the wrath of God and also tell you about the love of God.

God is angry over sin. Adam and Even sinned and we have all sinned since then. My friend and I are no better than you, but we have repented from our sins and put our trust in Jesus. But if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, we are here to tell you tonight that God is angry with you over your sins.

For you are not a God that has pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with you. The foolish shall not stand in your sight: you hate all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:4-5). God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). This couldn’t be any clearer: God is angry with the wicked every day and God hates all workers of iniquity.

Workers Of Iniquity

Not only that, but listen to what Jesus said about workers of iniquity: Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

Folks if you have never repented and surrendered your life to Jesus, then you are still a worker of iniquity. God is angry with you over your sins. He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

You Cannot Save Yourself

We have all sinned against God, we’ve all rebelled against Him. There is nothing that you can do on your own to get in a right relationship with God. Your sin separates you from God. The soul that sins, it shall die. The wages of sin is death. None of us are righteous and you cannot save yourself.

God’s standard is absolute perfection and we all fail that miserably. We all miss that mark. We really do deserve to die in our sins and split Hell wide open after we die. But God in His great grace and mercy, sent His only Son to be the perfect sacrifice, to be the only acceptable and pleasing sacrifice for guilty sinners like us. Only Jesus perfectly obeyed the will of God the Father. Jesus is the only sinless One.

Jesus Took The Punishment That We Deserve

Yet He took the punishment that we deserve. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6).

Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. He drank the cup of the wrath of God. The Father God, poured His anger over sin out upon His only begotten Son. Jesus suffered, bled and died on that cruel cross; was buried and rose victoriously three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan. God offers eternal life to each and every person that repents from their sins and surrenders their life to Jesus.

He That Has Ears To Hear

Our Lord told many parables when He walked this earth and He would say, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Oh, friend, do you have ears to hear? Is God showing you your wickedness and is He revealing His Holiness to you? If so, don’t reject such a great of salvation. Yes, salvation is of the Lord. It is the free gift from the Lord, but you must receive it through repentance and faith in Jesus.

Come to Jesus tonight. Recognize that you are a sinner. Cry out for God to have mercy on your soul. Beg God to save you, to cleanse you from your unrighteousness. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Lord. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

Be saved today. Repent and believe the Gospel. We have done our job tonight. We have shared the glorious Gospel with you; whether you listen or not. But we hope and pray that you have ears to hear. I’m pleading with you, repent from your sins and trust Jesus tonight. Trust in His finished work on the cross and be saved.

(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on August 24, 2018)