Greg Laurie: A New Beginning by Greg Laurie

July 06, 2025 The Reluctant Evangelist | Sunday Message

Discover how to overcome hesitation and share your faith boldly with Pastor Greg Laurie’s new series, "The Reluctant Evangelist," exploring the story of Jonah.

Notes:

Focus verse - Jonah 1

#1 CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN CALLED TO EVANGELIZE.

#2 WHY DON’T WE SHARE OUR FAITH MORE?

THE FEAR OF REJECTION OR OFFENDING SOMEONE.

WE DON’T SHARE THE GOSPEL DUE TO OUR LACK OF CONFIDENCE OR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES.

1 PETER 3:15

THE OBJECTIVE IN EVANGELISM IS NOT TO WIN THE ARGURMENT, BUT TO WIN THE SOUL.

ABOUT HALF OF ALL AMERICAN ADULTS SAY THEY’RE SOMEWHAT OPEN TO HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT FAITH OR THE GOSPEL WITH A STRANGER.

WE DON’T SHARE OUR FAITH BECAUSE WE DON’T REALLY CARE.

PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE.

2 TIMOTHY 2:26

EFFECTIVE SHARING OF ONE’S FAITH STARTS WITH A CONCERN AND A BURDEN.

JONAH ACTUALLY DID HATE THE PEOPLE GOD CALLED HIM TO PREACH TO.

#3 JONAH WAS THE RELUCTANT EVANGELIST.

JONAH WAS NOT JUST RELUCTANT, HE WAS RECALCITRANT.

READ JONAH 1:1–3

"…FOR THEIR WICKEDNESS HAS COME UP BEFORE ME."
JONAH 1:2

NINEVAH, A CITY OF THE ASSYRIANS, WAS LEGENDARY FOR ITS CRUELTY.

THE NINEVITES WERE THE AVOWED ENEMIES OF ISRAEL.

THIS WOULD BE LIKE GOD CALLING AN ISRAELI TO GO PREACH TO TEHRAN.

GOD LOVES THE PEOPLE OF IRAN.
THEY ARE SUFFERING UNDER A CRUEL AND AUTHORITARIAN ISLAMIC REGIME.

WE ARE HEARING STORIES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IRANIANS COMING TO CHRIST.

GOD TAKES NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED.
EZEKIEL 33:11

CHRISTIANS WANT TO SEE PEACE IN THE LAND.

#4 WE HAVE OUR MODERN NINEVAHS.

GOD HAS NOT GIVEN UP ON CALFORINA.

THE BOOK OF JONAH IS ALL ABOUT SALVATION-
THE SALVATION OF SOME PAGAN SAILORS FROM A STORM.
THE SALVATION OF A DISOBEDIENT PROPHET.
THE SALVATION OF ONE OF THE MOST WICKED CITIES ON EARTH.

GOD SEEMS TO GO OUT OF HIS WAY TO FIND THE MOST UNLIKELY PEOPLE TO USE.

LET’S CONSIDER MOSES’ RESPONSE WHEN CALLED BY GOD TO SPEAK FOR HIM.
EXODUS 4:10–13

JEREMIAH FELT HE WAS TOO YOUNG.

THERE IS NO GOOD REASON YOU CAN OFFER AS TO WHY GOD CANNOT AND WILL NOT USE YOU.

GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR ABILITY. HE IS LOOKING FOR AVAILABILITY.

JONAH REPENTED OF HIS SIN. HE CALLED ON THE LORD
AND GOD HAD MERCY ON HIM.
JONAH 2:10–3:2

GOD’S ORDERS ARE THE SAME FOR US AS THEY WERE FOR JONAH.
THE METHOD IS THE SAME TOO. THE GREAT COMMISSION IS, “GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL.”

GOD HAS CHOSEN VERBAL COMMUNICATION TO REACH PEOPLE.
ROMANS 10:14

THERE ARE ONLY TWO ROADS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
THE ROAD OF OBEDIENCE OR THE ROAD OF DISOBEDIENCE.

#5 THE REASON JONAH DID NOT GO WAS BECAUSE OF A FEAR OF SUCCESS.
JONAH 4:2

#6 WE NEED TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNLIKE US.

IF GOD BROUGHT REVIVAL TO NINEVAH, IMAGINE WHAT HE CAN DO TODAY.

START BY PRAYING FOR THEM AND NEVER STOP CARING FOR THEM.

GOD CAN SAVE ANYONE AND WANTS TO SAVE EVERYONE.
1 TIMOTHY 2

#7 SHARING OUR FAITH CAN BE EXCITING AND FUN!

JESUS TOLD US THERE IS JOY IN HEAVEN OVER EVERY SINNER WHO COMES TO REPENTANCE.
LUKE 15:7

THERE IS A HAPPINESS THAT WE ARE MISSING OUT ON IF WE ARE NOT SHARING OUR FAITH. ACTS 20:35

EVERY STEP AWAY FROM GOD IS ALWAYS A STEP DOWN.

WE FAIL TO REALIZE GOD’S PLAN FOR US IS BETTER THAN OUR PLAN FOR OURSELVES.