1. “Sanctify the Lord God in your Heart…” A look at 1 Pet 3:15 and sharing the gospel

2. What does it mean? Dictionary – to make holy, set apart as sacred, consecrate Make Him Lord & Ruler of your life, ruling over your own desires, and His will taking precedent over your own and that of others OT verses to consider –Nu 20:12; Nu 27:14; Is 8:13 NT verses to consider –Mt 22:37-38; Mt 6:9-13

3. 3 Dimensions to Sanctifying the Lord 1)An undying & total commitment to the love of Jesus Christ –Deu 6:5; Deu 10:12; Mic 6:8; Mk 12:30-33; Mt 10:37; Jn 14:21  When we come to such love, we will find a way to talk about Him -Jer 20:9; Acts 4:18-20; 1 Cor 9:16-17 2)We must have a full belief in the power of the gospel to save souls –Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18; Heb 4:12  “Success” is the opportunity to share the gospel with the lost, but it is not necessarily converting or baptizing him –1 Cor 1:17; 1 Cor 3:5-8  Some reacted angrily when the gospel was preached to them –Acts 18:5-6; Acts 19:8-10; Acts 9:23

4. 3 Dimensions to Sanctifying the Lord  Sometimes listeners were interested but did not obey immediately or possibly ever – (Felix) Acts 24:25; (Agrippa) Acts 26:27-28  Ezekiel was sent to the lost sheep of Israel –Eze 3:4-7  Ezekiel is told if he fails to go to the lost he would be lost as well… –Eze 3:18-21  Consider even the response to Christ Himself –Jn 12:36-38 –Despite the fact that the majority of people failed to believe His teaching, Jesus was a complete success in all He did

5. 3 Dimensions to Sanctifying the Lord 3)We must have a deep concern for those that are lost  Jonah refused to go to Nineveh not because of fear of the people’s response toward him, but because the people may repent -Jon 4:10-11  Paul’s attitude is much different from that of Jonah -Phil 1:23-24  Our desire should be as Paul’s, seeking just one more day to save another lost person

6. Final story