Put Some Respect on His Name

Me

I never thought I would be standing before you behind this pulpit ever. I never dreamed that I would be a public speaker in any capacity. When I first heard God calling my name to speak for him, the only word that popped up in my mind was: impossible.

It’s not gonna happen. No way, Josue. But here I am. Here you are. Because the more we experience of Jesus, the more we realize that He is in the business of doing the impossible.

Jesus has been doing impossible things my entire life.

I can remember when I was seven and after a accident involving a swing set, the doctors told me I would never grow any taller. Yet you can see clearly I’m much taller than your average 1st grader.

I remember when I was involved in another accident with a much faster vehicle and the doctors once again told me and my parents that I shouldn’t had survived. Yet here I am.

Jesus loves doing impossible things we often call these wondrous acts, miracles.

We

I know I am not the only one in this room that has experienced a miracle. An act of impossibility. Many of us have and we can recall the exact date when it happened.

God performs miracles not for His mere enjoyment, but to show us proof.

Proof that He is exactly who He says He is. Proof that when He says something, its going to happen, because there is nothing too hard or too difficult for God to do.

What is something in your life that is impossible? Unfathomable? What is something that you know will never happen, but you desire it with all of your being?

Do you believe God can make it happen?

It might seem impossible for you to accomplish but that is what makes our journey with God so exciting. God loves accomplishing the impossible. He has done it all throughout history and He wants to do it in your life.

The problem is our faith, our trust in God.

When we have a lack of faith, we are not doubting our own ability but God’s.

It sounds way too simple and too easy to understand, but that simple sentence is often misunderstood.

When God asked anyone ever to do something for Him, God wasn’t asking for their talents and abilities, he was asking for their faith.

God

Noah had never seen a boat before, and God asked him to build the biggest one around. Noah had no idea how to even get started, instead of saying good luck, God gave Noah a step by step manual to build the Ark.

When God told Abraham to leave Ur, the only place he had ever known. God told Abraham exactly where to go.

Moses was terrified of returning back to Egypt to free the Israelites. God didn’t say do it or else, God told him, don’t worry I will be with you.

David defeated Goliath not because of his great skill with a slingshot, but because he trusted that God could defeat this fearsome giant. God had provided and protected David in the past, so now David knew God would do the same in the present.

Jeremiah didn’t come and bring degrading message after degrading message to the King of Jerusalem because he enjoyed it and enjoyed torture. He did because of his great love for the people and for his God.

The outcast disciples knew they were not talented enough. They didn’t have an acute knowledge of the scriptures. If they were in a debate with the teachers and leaders of the church they would fail miserably. That’s why they didn’t lean upon their knowledge of scripture. They didn’t lean upon their ability and talent. They leaned up Jesus.

What would have happened if Noah said, God I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing and didn’t trust in God’s plan to build the ark?

What if Abraham didn’t have enough faith to follow a God he couldn’t see?

What would be the biblical narrative if Moses decided he preferred living as a shepherd with his loving family to the stresses of liberating a nation of slaves?

What if David didn’t believe God would help him defeat Goliath?

Where would the church be if the disciples believed their task at hand was too difficult and lacked the faith to do the impossible?

All of those stories would be a lot different.

Each one of those individuals and many more in scripture had faith or trust in simply in themselves but in God and what God was able to do.

Faith is not believing that we can do it, but that God can do it.

When we say something that God has asked us to do is impossible or will never happen. We are not simply doubting our ability to accomplish the task, we are doing something worse, we are doubting God’s ability and doubting who God is.

When God says, I need you to reach the people of Ellis county for Me. I want you to tell them about Me.

And we respond with:

“Its too difficult”

“No one is interested in you”

“Evangelism doesn’t work”

“Everyone already goes to church”

What God hears is very different.

My people don’t believe in Me.

Can you imagine what Paul’s response would be if we told him these things?

Its time to put some Respect on the name of Jesus.

Do we honestly believe evangelism is too difficult for Jesus?

Is no one in our town and county not interested in Jesus?

Do we believe Jesus is weak? Or is he strong?

Philippians 4:13 ESV

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Soul winning, bible studies, sharing your faith. Whatever you want to call it. Sharing others about Jesus is how you grow your faith. Your faith doesn’t grow by listening to wonderful speakers. Nor by coming to church. Your faith grows by being involved in mission. By sharing with others about who Jesus is.

If your spiritual walk is empty, dry, and depressing, the best way to revitalize it is two steps, ask for the Holy Spirit to flow through your life. And share your faith, study the bible with someone and your relationship with Jesus will skyrocket.

You

I know this has been a huge benefit to my life and it will be a blessing to yours.

We

Which is why as a church, we want to equip everyone to share their testimony and to share in the beauty of scripture. I know studying the bible and sharing what God has done for you can be absolutely terrifying.

I and the leaders of this church believe that we are not called to simply sit on pews and meet once a week. But we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Sharing the gospel can be easy and fun, its just that sometimes we don’t know what or how to do it. This afternoon after potluck we are going to have some training that will help all of us no matter the age. To share the gospel. We will also be meeting on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the fellowship hall.

You don’t need anything, but a willing heart and faith that God can do the impossible.

We are not doing this to simply grow our church. We are doing this to grow our hearts. To deepen our relationship with Jesus, and to get on board with God’s calling for each and everyone of us.

I want to see Jesus come again to take us all home. I want to see each and everyone I meet to join me in the clouds. God puts people in our lives for a reason. Because we can tell God’s story better than the angels. Our church wants to tell His story, a story that changes lives each and every day. We want to tell His story because we know that God is active and live. We know that He lives.