Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21, NIV



Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 17:14-18, NIV[1] (The Protests of a Prophet in Pain)

Sermon Pattern: Expository (Foundational, Experiential, Informative, & Inductive)

Subject: When Preaching Fails/How should we pray when preaching fails?

Theme: How to Pray When Preaching Fails

Specific Purpose: To inform the members of my congregation how to pray when preaching fails, so they won’t give up the faith

Tone: Despair

HOW TO PRAY WHEN PREACHING FAILS

WHEN PREACHING FAILS

Intr.: (smile & pause) Haddon Robinson told this story, “In the American frontier days, there was a settlement in the West whose citizens were engaged in the lumber business. The town felt they wanted a church. They built a building and called a minister. The preacher moved into the settlement and initially was well received. Then one afternoon he happened to see some of his parishioners dragging some logs, which had been floated down the river from another village upstream, onto the bank. Each log was marked with the owner’s stamp on one end. To his great distress, the minister saw his members pulling in the logs and sawing off the end where the telltale stamp appeared.

“The following Sunday he preached a strong sermon on the commandment ‘Thou shall not steal.’ At the close of the service, his people lined up and offered enthusiastic congratulations: ‘Wonderful message, Pastor.’ ‘Mighty fine preaching.’ ‘Keep up the good work.’ [pat shoulder]

“It wasn’t the response he expected, so he went home to prepare his sermon for the following Sunday. He preached on the same text, the same commandment, but gave it a different ending. He said, ‘Yes, thou shall not steal, but thou shall also not cut off the end of thy neighbor’s logs.’ When he got through, the congregation ran him out of town.”[2]

The same thing basically happens to the prophet Jeremiah, which results in his writing another confession (i.e., his fourth) in a form of poetry called a lament. From its contents, it clearly dates prior to Judah’s Babylonian exile. (read the text)

Not everyone chooses to repent of his or her sins making judgment inevitable. Far too many prefer to attack the messenger. How much more pertinent this issue appears in our day “while evil men and impostors … go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13)!

Prop.: When preaching fails, believers pray.

T. S.: But how should they pray when preaching fails?

(pause)

Our first request should be …

I. Save me (17:14-16). Jeremiah starts this confession with the request: (praying hands) “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved (17:14-16). To ‘heal’ means to ‘save’ based on the poetic parallelism. The prophet is battered and bruised from the emotional and physical abuse he has received at the hands of the Judeans to whom he has been preaching. Jeremiah is distressed by his apprehension, discouraged by their aggression, and disillusioned by their aversion. Nevertheless, the prophet still believes God can heal and save amid his pain. Thus, he turns to the Great Physician in his hour of need. He requests healing for his emotions and saving from his enemies. Thereby, he expresses confidence that nothing and no one can hinder God’s work. What’s the Almighty sets out to do will be done.

Jesus reminded many people in His day of Jeremiah (Matt. 16:14). How so? (pause) Well, for one, because “during the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission” (Heb. 5:7-10; see also Matt. 27:46). These experiences made the Son of Man the perfect example for us to follow, the reliable Source of salvation to trust, and the sympathetic High Priest in Whom to confide.

Upon what basis can you best pray ‘save me’? …

1. Because you’ve praised the Creator. That’s the reason Jeremiah gives, “For you are the one I praise” (17:14). The prophet praises the Lord, that is, he approves, adores, admires, and applauds Him. (clap) Offering God praise is one of the main purposes for which we were placed on earth. Despite the dire circumstances the prophet faces, he still praises God. The one to whom you pray should be the one to whom you’ve have praised.

Why should we praise God? (pause) Because of Who He is and all He has done. He’s the Sovereign of the universe the Creator of our souls, the Redeemer from our sins. Moses reminded the Jews about to enter the Promised Land, “He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky” (Deut. 10:21-22). (look up with hands up) The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is completely righteous, just, and holy, yet He extents His mercy to sinful and fallible humans. For these reasons and many more, the Lord God Almighty truly deserves our praise.

(Ill.) Tony Evans tells this story that should inspire us to get started praising God now: “A man was trying to teach his horse to obey and to stop and start on command. The man was very … religious … , so he came up with a couple of religious [words] to use in training his horse. He trained the horse to go on the command … , ‘Praise the Lord!’ He trained the horse to stop on the command …, ‘Hallelujah!’

“One day he was riding the horse and it took off. He lost control of the horse and he forgot … the key words. Up ahead was a cliff, and the horse was headed there full speed. [hold reins & bounce] The man tried thinking of every religious word he’d ever heard … . ‘Amen! Jesus saves! Worthy! Holy!’ Nothing worked.

“Just as the horse approached the precipice, the man shouted out, ‘Hallelujah!’ The horse stopped right there on the edge. The man wiped his head [wipe brow] and said, ‘Whew, Praise the Lord!’ [smile]

“Praising the Lord is not some kind of casual meaningless activity. There is power in praise.”[3] (smile) But don’t wait until the end of the line to praise the Lord. Else it might not work like you’d want it to.

When preaching fails your prayer to be saved should be based upon your praise for the Creator and …

2. Because you’ve paid the cost. Jeremiah repeats to the Lord what “they keep saying to [him], ‘Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled’ ” (17:15)! As with the prophet Jeremiah, it’s incumbent upon us to keep preaching even when we don’t see any results (2 Pet. 3:4). How come? (pause) Because “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). The scoffers Jeremiah refers to in this verse as ‘they’ are the princes, politicians, priests, and people who’ve opposed his message of judgment.

For his faithfulness to God, Jeremiah paid a high price in terms of personal ridicule, mockery, and derision. He prophesied of their upcoming exile to Babylon, for so long the people began taunting him on an unrelenting basis. They demanded proof his prophecies were true before they’d be willing to change. After all, according to Moses, fulfillment was the acid test of any true prophet according to Moses (Deut. 18:21-22). The people don’t really desire judgment. They only ask for its fulfillment in order to get it over with if it’s coming at all. At the same time, in their minds they’re so confident Jeremiah is wrong, they really have no fear of God left in them, only doubt that judgment will ever come. What spiritual blindness among God’s chosen people who knew the Lord by His personal covenant-keeping name of ‘Yahweh’! It’s easy to defy God now ahead of Judgment Day, but difficult when the time comes.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time likewise demanded a sign, but He refused to give them one, except for the sign of the prophet Jonah. For in the same way Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale before his release, so Jesus would spend three days in the tomb before His resurrection (Matt. 12:39-40). Why no other sign? (pause) Because the Lord knew their hearts were so hardened like the brothers of Dives, the rich man who died and went to hell, that they’d refused to believe even if one rose from the dead (Luke 16:31). But still Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah, so they might have a chance to believe, if they wanted to truly desire to receive salvation.

(Ill.) The story goes, “Three friends decided to go deer hunting together: a lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher. As they were walking, along came a big buck. The three of them shot simultaneously. [aim] Immediately the buck dropped to the ground and all three rushed up to see how big it … was. Upon reaching it they couldn’t determine whose shot had … killed the deer.

“As a heated debated ensued, a few minutes later a game [warden] came by and asked what the problem was. The doctor told him that they were debating who shot the buck. The officer … [looked] at the buck and within a few seconds, he said with much confidence, ‘The preacher shot the buck!’ They all wondered how he knew that so quickly. The officer said, ‘Easy. The bullet went in one ear and out the other.’ ”[4] (fingers in & out of ears) It’s equally fatal spiritually speaking for you to let the words of the preacher go in one ear and out the other like the Judeans did, as well.

If you’ve praised the Creator and paid the cost, then you can plead your case to the Lord…

3. Because you’ve stayed the course. The prophet testifies to the Lord, “I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you” (17:16). Jeremiah hasn’t shied away from his duty to shepherd God’s people. A shepherd leads, feeds, and heeds the flock. A spiritual shepherd like a prophet, pastor, or preacher leads people in the ways of the Lord, feeds them with the Words of the Lord, and heeds them according to the will of the Lord.

Now some sheep are easier to care for than others. In Jeremiah’s day, many citizens had become disruptive, disorderly, and disobedient. This scenario, unfortunately, hasn’t completely changed under the New Covenant, which is why the author of Hebrews admonishes God’s people, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17). Beware! God will see to it if you make your preacher’s life miserable that someday your life will be miserable in return. You should respect pastors who preach to you what you don’t want to hear, and you should suspect pastors who only preach what you do want to hear.

Despite the inherent challenges, the admonition to remain faithful in the service of others remains in effect for all believers today, especially pastors. Therefore, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).

(Ill.) I understand, “A prophet once came to a city to convert its inhabitants. At first the people listened to his sermons, but they gradually drifted away until there was not a single soul to hear the prophet when he spoke. One day a traveler said to him, ‘Why do you go on preaching?’ Said the prophet, ‘In the beginning I hoped to change these people. If I still [preach], it is only to prevent them from changing me.’ ”[5] (point to self)

How can we keep from growing weary in the Lord’s work? (pause) By regularly heeding Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

Jeremiah serves as a classic example of a pastor who loves his people no matter how they behave. He doesn’t condone their wayward behavior nor does he console them in it, but he does feel compassion towards them. Jeremiah wouldn’t have preached such a hard message if he hadn’t loved the people. It was too difficult. It would’ve been much easier to tell them what they wanted to hear. That’s what false prophets do, because they don’t care what happens to their followers. Consequently since Jeremiah hasn’t run away from his duty, He’s comfortable asking God not to turn away from him.

This man of God wasn’t eager to see judgment fall on his fellow countrymen. He didn’t pressed God to send destruction upon them because they didn’t listen to him. How did the Lord know? (pause) By “search[ing] the heart and examin[ing] the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” (Jer. 17:10). The psalmist concurs withthis observation when he writes, “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord” (Psa. 139:4).

The prophet from A/na/thoth only preached what God told him was about to happen because of the people’s indulgences, iniquities, and immoralities—nothing more and nothing less. The prophet is no sa/dist. He hasn’t enjoyed being a prophet of gloom and doom to family, friends, and foes. He’d often prayed for their forgiveness, (praying hands) despite God’s telling him not to because He’d given up on them (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). Thus, Jeremiah reinforces the sage advice given long ago to beginning preachers, “Never preach on hell without tears in your eyes.”

Jeremiah emphasizes the fact that the Lord knows exactly word-for-word what he has spoken. This way he defends himself against any possible accusation that he might’ve misinterpreted the messages he’d been inspired to deliver. In much the same manner as the psalmist who reported, “I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O Lord. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart [hand over heart]; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly” (Psa. 40:9-10). The prophet can’t control the fulfillment of his prophesies, only their content. In the modern vernacular, Jeremiah’s rejoinder to his detractors could’ve been “I’m only in sales, not management.” (smile)

Jeremiah’s experiences illustrate the importance of our Lord’s teaching, who taught, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:34-37).

(When you’ve praised, paid, and stayed, you’ve a good case upon which to base your prayer to be saved.)

(pause)

Our first request should be ‘save’ me. Our second request should be …

II. Don’t scare me (17:17). This request consists of two parts beginning with …

1. An entreaty. “Do not be a terror to me” (17:17). The Lord may be a ‘terror’ to people, because He’s the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25). The Lord may become a terror to Jeremiah in one or more ways. 1) He may become a terror in the form of the Babylonian army on its way to Judah, 2) a terror in the form of persecution from his countrymen in the present, or 3) a terror in the form of punishment directly from the Lord, if he fails to continue doing His bidding. Matters of life and death are at stake for Judah and Jeremiah. The prophet knows what God can and will do if people won’t repent.

The Savior warned His disciples, “I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him” (Luke 12:5). Whatever you fear the most, you should fear God more. The prophet, therefore, prays for deliverance from the terror of judgment. The Lord God can be your terror or your joy, the Lord God can make your worst nightmare or your best dream ever come true, and the Lord God can serve as your Judge or your Savior.

(Ill.) “If you have ever been served a warrant,” someone writes, “you know how intimidating it is to read these words: ‘The People of the State of [your state] versus [your name].’ That doesn’t seem like very fair odds. The whole population of the state against one person—you!

“But that is what the prophet Jeremiah had to face. All the people of the land and its kings and priests would be against him. But God said ‘Don’t worry; you shall stand. I will make you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall against them. Nothing will shake you, for I’ll be with you’ (see Jer. 1:18-19).”[6] Apparently, Jeremiah had temporarily forgotten God’s promises to him, as we all tend to do. God’s promises don’t indicate there won’t be any problems; but they do insure there will be provisions.

Following the entreaty of Jeremiah’s prayer, there’s …

2. An explanation. “You are my refuge in the day of disaster” (17:17). The Almighty God is the prophet’s only hope of refuge, that is, for shelter, security, and sanctuary in the Day of Judgment, when everything else will be destroyed. The Lord of hosts can always defend you, protect you, and preserve you. How can that be? (pause) Because He’s all-powerful. Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Jer. 32:17). He has everything under control (Phil. 3:21). No one can thwart His plans (Job 42:2). For with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). The word ‘disaster’ is raah meaning evil in the original language, the e reminds us its evil will be egregious, the v that it will be vile, the i that it will be irresistible, and the l that is will be lasting.

Not money, might, nor morality will serve as a refuge in the day of disaster. Neither the rich, the powerful, or the so-called ‘good’ people of the land will escape. Only the grace of God can protect people from its harm provided they become repentant and the prophet provided he remains constant. Babylon will destroy the country, demolish the temple, and deport the people. But the Lord our Protector does spare the prophet when that day comes as we shall later see (40:4). The Lord will likewise protect us from the Great Tribulation that’ll come upon the world in the last days provided we’ve been made worthy by faith (Luke 21:36; 1 Thess. 5:9; Rev. 3:10).

(Ill.) History records that “during the 16th century, the Dutch people rose in revolt against the cruel King Philip [the] II of Spain. Philip sent a great army under the Duke of Al/va to suppress the rebellion. Rot/ter/dam held out for a time but finally capitulated.

“From house to house the victors went, searching out citizens and then killing them in their houses. A group of men, women, and children were hiding in a corner house when they heard soldiers approaching. [hand behind ear] A thousand terrors griped their hearts. Then a young man had an idea. He took a goat in the house, killed it, and with a broom swept the blood [sweep] under the doorway out to the street.

“The solders reached the house and began to batter down the door. [batter with both hands] Noticing the blood coming out from under the door, one soldier said: ‘Come away, the work is already done here. Look at the blood beneath the door.’ And the people inside the house escaped.”[7] In the same way, the blood of Christ provides us with a refuge from the judgment to come.

(Prayers not to be scared are more likely to prevail when they begin with an entreaty and end with an explanation.)

(pause)

When preaching fails our first request should be ‘save me.’ Our second request don’t ‘scare me,’ and our final request should be …

III. Spare me (17:18). You can pray this prayer because the Judge of all the earth will always do right (Gen. 18:25). What’s more, the His Son Lord Jesus, who has been appointed Judge for the final Day of Judgment, will see that that each one receives his or her just due whether good or bad (John 5:30; Acts 10:42). Now when preaching fails, from what should you pray to be spared? First, pray to be delivered …

1. From dishonor. “Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame” (17:18). Why do persecutors shame prophets? (pause) Because familiarity breeds contempt. As Jesus Himself observed, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor” (Mark 6:4).

How do persecutors shame prophets? (cause) By continually nagging them, threatening them, setting them up to fail, starving them financially, and slandering them. But in return, persecutors of God’s prophets will themselves eventually be shamed; while prophets will ultimately be honored. Shame consists of disgrace, dishonor, and discredit. Persecutors will be proven wrong; prophets proven right. The people who’ve persecuted the prophet will have no excuse for their behavior or reason to blame the prophet for their fate because he warned them well ahead of time of what was to come, if they continued down the broad road to destruction.

(Ill.) For example, “David Hume, the historian, philosopher, and skeptic, spent his life … [disparaging] the Word of God. In his last moments he joked with those around him, but the intervals were filled with sadness. He wrote, ‘I am affrighted and confounded with the forlorn solitude in which I am placed by my philosophy. When I turn my eye inward, I find nothing but doubt and ignorance. Where am I and what? I begin to fancy myself in the most deplorable condition imaginable, environed in the deepest darkness.’ ”[8] What you dish out is what you’ll eventually be served up.

What about you? (pause) Will you be dishonored or honored on Judgment Day? (pause) It depends upon your faithfulness to God and obedience to His Word. As Jesus taught, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12). James wrote, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10). Not to mention Peter warning, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:5-6).

When preaching fails, you should pray to be spared from dishonor and …

2. From terror. The prophet goes on to pray, “Let them be terrified, but keep me from terror” (17:18). The psalmists often prayed in this fashion (Psa. 35:4; 40:14; 70:2). In answer to such prayers, it’s persecutors who’ll sooner or later be terrified and prophets who’ll be verified. Those who laughed and mocked the preacher before will then lament and mutter. Multitudes are in hell today who suffer as much as anything else for their knowledge that the preacher warned them repeatedly. And they now have no one else to blame for their eternal plight but themselves.

How might God terrify persecutors before eternity sets in? (pause) The same way He did the Egyptians when “He turned their rivers to blood; … sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. … gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. … destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. … gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. … struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, … [and] the sea engulfed [them]” (Psa. 78:44-53).

Persecutors are the ones who should be frightened, not the prophets, the preachers, or the people of God. Because the former have been sinful, and the latter have been faithful. And God always proves Himself faithful to them who’re faithful to Him

(Ill.) I’ve read that “Turks, having tortured and slain the parent of a little Armenian girl before her eyes, turned to the child and said, ‘Will you renounce your faith in Jesus and live?’ [look stern] She replied, ‘I will not.’ ‘Then to the dogs!’ She was thrown into a kennel of savage and famished dogs and left there. The next morning they came and looked in and saw the little girl on her knees praying [folded hands] and beside her the largest and most savage of all the dogs, snapping at every dog that ventured near, [snarl] thus protecting the child. The men ran away terrified, crying out, ‘There is a God here; there is a God here.’ ”[9]

This verse doesn’t contradict Jeremiah’s earlier claim of not wanting judgment to come. In verse sixteen, he refers to the people; in verse eighteen, he refers to his persecutors. He doesn’t want his people condemned, but he does want his persecutors censured. Nor does the prophet take matters into his own hands. He doesn’t seek revenge, but justice, not vengeance, but vindication. He simply wants them to reap what they’ve sown (Gal. 6:7). In the end, he’s praying for God’s words and ways to be justified.

It’s okay for you to pray and work for justice provided you don’t take the law into your own hands. It’s okay for you to pray and work for justice provided you stand prepared to forgive if your persecutors repent.

When you’re persecuted, you should pray to be spared from dishonor, from terror, and …

3. From disaster. “Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction” (17:18; see also 16:18). Persecutors will be destroyed; prophets will be defended. The day of disaster will come upon them, a day of tragedy, adversity and calamity from which there’s no escape. The word ‘disaster’ connotes a sense of the incurable, that is the terminal, fatal, deadly. Before long, their house of cards will soon fall flat.

Why does the prophet pray for a ‘double destruction’? (pause) Because they’ve committed double the sins of most. Or, what maybe he refers to a full and ample punishment. Or, perhaps because some sins earn interest. If you lead someone else astray, you never know how much damage they may do for which you’re at least partially responsible. That’s why the apostle Paul writes, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them” (1 Tim. 5:24). Which is also why in part James concludes his letter with this reminder, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). The wild oats you sow may bear a much larger crop than you ever anticipated and with many more thorns and thistles than you ever imagined.

Don’t worry. God wouldn’t punish someone ‘double’ just because a believer prayed for such a judgment. God only answers prayers that are in accordance with His will and that are just and righteously motivated (James 4:3).

(Ill.) “If the request is wrong, God says, ‘No.’

If the timing is wrong, God says, ‘Slow.’

If you are wrong, God says, ‘Grow.’

But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, ‘Go!’ ”[10]

So, “May their wild oats bear an abundant harvest,” prays the prophet! He feels they deserve double destruction, not only because of their many sins, but also for the many warnings they’ve ignored. And not only have they ignored God’s messages, they’ve tried to silence His messenger.

How grateful you should be that the Lord Jesus prayed differently from upon the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)! How about us? (pause) Should we pray for judgment or forgiveness for our enemies? (pause) It depends on whether their opposition is personal or theological. If it’s personal, yes, we should pray for their forgiveness. If it’s theological, they’re opposing our God, we should pray for their judgment, if they won’t seek forgiveness. That’s what the Judge of all the earth will do anyway. He’ll judge them if they don’t change their minds. If you pray along these lines, you’ll be praying according to the Father of mercies’ will.

The fact that Jeremiah’s words are incorporated into Scripture shows that the people of Judah eventually recognized Jeremiah was prophesied the truth. Howbeit, it didn’t dawn on them until it was too late for them to avert judgment.

(Ill.) As it has been often noted, “Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God’s Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded by seeing his first converts.”[11]

It’s not always, maybe even seldom, the pastors of large churches or preachers on TV with large followings that are preaching the truth in love. They may preach love, but not necessarily the truth or the whole truth. The pressures in such settings to tell everyone what they want to hear or to stay on the air is too much for most otherwise good ministers to resist.

(This final prayer brings up outcomes all believers should want to be spared from such as: dishonor, terror, and disaster.)

(pause)

Conc.: Well, there you have it. When preaching fails, pray. Pray for God to save you, not to scare you, but to spare you.

Ask Him to save you because you’ve praised Him, have paid the price, and have stayed the course. Ask Him not to scare you by means of entreaty and explanation. And ask Him to spare you from dishonor, terror, and disaster.

(Ill.) May we affirm with Jeremiah and countless others this declaration of commitment: “I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.”[12] And I’d add, “I’m going to keep on preaching and praying as long as I can.”

(pause)

Invitation: So what?

• Keep on preaching and praying and God will protect you.

• Feel free to complain to God. He can handle it.

• Feel free to complain to God. He’s a good listener.

Hymns: ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ SHP #579; ‘Marching On,’ SHP #274; ‘Onward Christian Soldiers,’ SHP #560; ‘Stand Up for Jesus,’ SHP #273; ‘Standing on the Promises,’ SHP #553; ‘Victory Ahead,’ SHP #354; ‘Victory in Jesus,’ SHP #355

--The Rev. Dr. Steve D. Eutsler (06/30/19)

Goal Length=40 pp. DS

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[1]Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

[2]Haddon Robinson, ‘Grace and Truth in Application,’ ; available from , s.v. ‘Applying God’s Word Gets Preacher Run Out of Town’; Internet; accessed 15 February 2019.

[3]Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago: Moody, 2009), 229-30.

[4]As retold by P. J. Alindogan, The Potter’s Jar blog, ‘Hearing’ (March 4, 2012); available from , s.v. ‘Preacher’s Rifle Shot Goes in One Ear and Out the Other’; Internet; accessed 15 February 2019.

[5]Anthony De Mello, Leadership, vol. 8, no. 4.; available from , s.v. ‘Another Purpose of Preaching’; Internet; accessed 16 January 2014.

[6]Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989), 415.

[7]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations: Sings of the Times (Rockville, Md.: Assurance, 1979), 204.

[8]David F. Burgess, compiler, Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations (St. Louis: Concordia, 1988), 179.

[9]Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker’s Quote Book: Over 4,500 Illustrations and Quotations for All Occasions (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1997), 285-6.

[10]Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not to Pray (InterVarsity Press), 74; available from , s.v. ‘Prayer’; Internet; accessed 15 February 2019.

[11]Available from , s.v. ‘Wait for Fruit’; Internet; accessed 15 February 2019.

[12]Ibid., s.v. ‘No Turning Back’; Internet; accessed 15 February 2019.

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