Be Not Silent

Sing it out. Jesus loves you. Tell the news.

Spread the word. There are people all around you who have never, never heard that the Savior really cares for them and his great love is true. Sing it out.

Jesus loves me and you. All around us there's a sad world just waiting to be happy and you can share the message of good news. The message of good news.

Sing it out. Jesus loves you. And the song goes on and on.

I am Richard Yerbe, servant of the Most High God, called to be one of his foreign messengers in this Buddhist and Shintoist nation of Japan, which boasts of being the land of the rising sun. Right now, I am in the very center of Japan as I preach this to you. And I continue with my sermons taken from the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 3, verse 26, where perfect and upright Job proclaims, neither was I quiet.

My title for this sermon is Keep Not Silence. And as I continue preaching on not being quiet, I want to start with prayer and you should pray this with me too, please. Heavenly Father, please show me where and how to start in telling others about thee and about Jesus Christ.

Please teach me all the different ways that I can use in my present circumstances to let all the people around me know about salvation in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. I now open my heart to thee for thee to teach me how to be the most effective and efficient messenger of thine that it is possible to be. So please help me in this I only pray.

Amen. I was serving in the US military here in Japan when God clearly led me to get discharged from the military in Japan and stay here as a missionary. And that was in February 1975.

I had no Christian college education at that time, and I still do not. And about the only previous experience I had in Christian service was teaching Sunday school and going on church visitation. Therefore, I felt so helpless not knowing how to try to spread the gospel to a foreign people in their language.

I started my missionary journey studying the language full time in a missionary language school here in Japan. And during that time, I attended a Japanese church, sometimes joining with local Japanese Christians and passing out tracts and invitations to church and doing other such simple service. All the while, I spent much time in prayer and fasting, seeking God's wisdom, guidance and power as I was at such a loss to know how to win Japanese people to Christ.

Also, during that time of preparation, I keenly observed that almost no Japanese people were interested in hearing anything from the Bible. Many refused to take literature we offered to them in public, and of the few who did take it, most received it grudgingly and didn't read it. Many would throw it down in our site or as soon as they got out of our site on a public street.

I would watch Japanese Christians spending long hours in passing out invitations to church in hopes of getting lost people to come hear the gospel, but usually no one would respond to those invitations. I believe that passing out Christian literature and invitations to church is a wonderful thing to do, but I wisely observed how that the vast majority of the people targeted by that outreach successfully avoided hearing any gospel truth. So I became most desirous of a better method that would cause more Japanese people to hear about the Savior of the world.

And to make a long story short, in just a year or so, God crystallized in my mind that the very best way to get the Japanese people to hear about the one way to heaven and the one way to escape eternal hellfire would be for me to just stand out in public where many of them are and verbally proclaim with my voice, Thus saith the Lord God to them. So with God giving me the courage, I started preaching out in public. The more I do it, the more impressed I am with what a good method it is to convey the contents of the Bible to everyone.

And I become more convinced that God desires that we Christian men often lift Christ high out in public with our voices. That method naturally does away with many hindrances and with time consuming chores associated with most other methods of telling people, Thus saith the Lord God. When we call at a residence in the name of Christ, they can and they do refuse to let us come in.

When we call someone in public and ask to speak to him or her, often they brush us off, offer literature and they can refuse that. These methods involve a battle of the wills in which the targeted person is at an advantage in that he or she can easily refuse the message. So God has taught me the wisdom for going all that and just going out in public where those hardened, rebellious souls are passing their existence on their way to an eternal hell and just start speaking.

Thus said the Lord without having to get permission from them or anyone else. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Our God tells us that in Psalms 24 verse 1. Almighty God owns each and every square inch of this creation of his.

He is more pleased with us speaking up about him anywhere and everywhere in his creation than he is about us speaking up about anything else. So far, I have never used a megaphone or any such mechanical means of amplifying my voice when preaching out in public. Nor do I have any plans to do so in the future.

And I have two reasons for that. Speaking with my God given voice is a more natural and personal way to talk to people. And I do not have to get involved with man's laws and regulations regarding amplified speech out in public.

The Lord gave me a voice strong enough that it amplifies naturally enough. Knocking on resident doors in the name of Christ, if they do admit us into their abodes, we feel compelled to start with kind greetings and a certain amount of friendly, small talk to appear civilized. That also applies to lesser degree when we accost someone out in public desires to talk to them.

I only have a limited number of breaths to breathe during my short life here on the earth. Thus, I see the wisdom of dispensing with appearing civilized rather simply setting in preaching out in public, endeavoring to make each word as meaty and valuable as possible, trying to make each breath count for all eternity. Mark chapter one, verse four reads as this.

John did baptize in the wilderness and preach the baptism of repentance by the remission of sins. And going on in Mark chapter one, I'm going to now read verse 14 and 15. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent ye and believe the gospel. That's the end of that Bible reading. I believe these are direly important examples for us today.

No flowery introduction or kind, gentle closing words by John Baptist or by the man Jesus. Repenting to God is the one thing necessary to save a human soul from eternal hellfire torment. So both of these key speakers for all eternity got right to the point.

Repent. We should also follow that example as the Lord leads. The written word and the spoken word each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

When we distribute a Bible or written Bible teachings to anyone, that writing remains available to them indefinitely to read anytime and many times. That's a strong point, but they can easily choose to never once read it. That can be said to be a weak point.

When we speak thus saith the Lord God into people's ears, they only have that one chance at that time to receive it. Hear it. I can call that a weak point, but glory to God, they cannot help but hear it that one time.

And that's a strong point, folks. They cannot choose to totally keep that message from reaching their soul, no matter how much they hate for it to reach their mind. God has purposely created us so that it is not impossible for us to shut out the spoken word.

Amen. Amen. Once in the late 1970s, when I was preaching on local narrow white streets.

Here in my hometown in Japan, several Japanese children gathered around me. They were not much interested in what I was saying, but just wanted to gawk at the Caucasian foreigner, which is a rare sight in this town, especially back then. And one boy, about eight years old, remarked in disgust that I was noisy, I was loud.

And then he stopped up both ears with his hands. But he soon took his hands away from his ears, disappointedly saying that he could still hear me anyway. Glory to God, that's right, buddy boy.

Just couldn't shut it out, could you? God purposely created your ears like that, and it would behoove you to listen for all eternity. My friend, will you please intercede for the many Buddhist Japanese that my vocal preaching reaches, goes into their ears, into their heart and mind. Cry out to God with me for God to give them ears to hear, a mind to comprehend, and a heart to believe and receive the eternal truths that I preach.

And if you fellow Christian have a zeal to tell others about Christ, but are frustrated because you can't get people to stop and listen to you, then just cease your vain efforts of trying to get them to stop and listen. Just preach to them anyway as they flow by you. God, their creator, has already prepared their ears so that they can't help but hear it.

So just stand there and let her fly. Thus saith the Lord, let that fly into those ears. For that reason, I delight to preach out in public.

I invite children of the devil to come to church to hear about God, but they refuse. I give them Bible literature, but they throw it down without reading it. I knock on their doors, but they won't let me into their houses.

And in doing these things, they glory in having won the contest against me. But when I stand as close as two feet from them out in the crowded public places here in Japan and just haul off with old fashioned preaching, I fail to detect any victory looks on their faces. And if they walk away or even run away in defeat, still several sharp barbs of truth penetrate their being before they can get out of my hearing.

How God delights for us to be like Job, brothers and sisters. Neither was I quiet. When I come to the States from Japan for a short period of time, I like to rent a selling spot at flea markets.

Display much good Christian books and literature. Bible is free for the taking on my table there and stand behind my table singing old fashioned hymns into all the passing ears strolling by looking for a bargain. I got a bargain for you folks.

I feel like I am next to heaven as I do such. Down through the many years that I have been preaching out in public, I continue to pass out much Christian literature, invite people to attend church services and verbally witness to them person to person. But I put much emphasis on public preaching and I'm so richly blessed doing it.

So little preparation is needed. It is relatively free of hindrances. It can be done any time that I have a few spare minutes.

And I have come to believe that it is a main source of rich blessings the Lord pours out on all the many other methods I use to spread gospel preaching and teaching. It is most pleasing to God, brothers and sisters. Please believe me when I say that and you too.

Follow God's leading to get out and do it yourself. With much admiration for them, I watch diligent Japanese Christian seed sowers and sow winners here print up thousands, even tens of thousands of invitations to special evangelistic services, revival meeting that they have scheduled. And for up to a month or so before those services begin, these Christians diligently go out most every day, passing out those notices to a mass of people, spending much time and money in doing so.

But often no one responds to those many invitations by coming out to attend. Usually a short gospel message is printed on the invitation and likely some people read that. That is good.

Still, the Christian workers feel so disappointed, defeated and frustrated when no lost soul responds by coming and sitting on one of their pews to get preached to. As I diligently observed those Christians' efforts and the poor results of few or no people responding to those invitations, God quickly taught me a much more efficient way to preach to the masses of people running from God as hard and fast as they can. I just simply go out in public where their sinful, God-rejected carcasses are passing their daily resistance on their way to God's eternal hell.

And I just open my Bible in my mouth and let them hear from the judge of the universe. Neither was I quiet. God help us all, all of us Christians to be like Job.

Please listen keenly now as I read God's charge to Ezekiel in the book of Ezekiel chapter 2, verses 3 through 7. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee 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 day, for they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do not send thee unto them.

I do send thee unto them, and thou 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. And thou, Son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns be with thee.

And thou dost dwell among scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, for they are most rebellious.

That's the end of that, somewhat long, but folks, that is meaty. I want you to think on that. Be not dismayed at their looks, because you'll get some looks.

I firmly believe with all my heart that God wants all or most all of us present-day male Christian believers, us men, to do exactly what he commanded Ezekiel to do here. Go out and let all the imprudent, stiff-hearted, rebellious God-haters know that there has been a prophet among them. Let's pray this.

Heavenly Father, please confirm to me in my heart right now thy will and thy desire toward me personally regarding proclaiming thy word out in public. Dost thou desire that I go out like thou commanded Ezekiel to do, and let all the people around me know that there hath been a prophet among them? If so, please tell me that so plainly that I cannot possibly be mistaken about. Teach me, Lord, I pray.

Amen. It is the most wonderful and glorious thing when the lost souls who hear our preaching respond by repenting to God and receiving Christ as their Savior. But if we seldom or never see such results, God still wants us to go out and preach to God-rejecting people.

God glories in you preaching out in public, and no matter what kind of results you see or don't see, he will highly reward you for doing so, highly reward you now and also in eternity. Please believe that because it is most true. Let's pray again.

Heavenly Father, if this is true, what Brother Richard says here, please confirm that to me now and help me to fully believe it. If I can believe that, I will not become discouraged and quit proclaiming thus saith the Lord out in public when the hearers all rebel against thy word instead of embracing it. So please give me the fortitude to proclaim thy gospel to everyone out in public, regardless of how they respond to it.

Amen. Be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks. Verse six reads, If you will proclaim God's word out in public, you will soon learn why God warned Ezekiel about this.

You will see many faces terribly distorted with anger, scorn, disdain, rage, and wrath against God and against you. You will see faces laughing, sneering, snickering, and mocking you. And from the mouths of those wicked, sinful faces, you will hear all kinds of harsh words, including most vulgar words spoken in opposition to you.

So be sure to obey God here when he commands, be not afraid of them. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, please give me all the courage I need to obey this command of thine and to not be afraid of the evil looks and words of the rebellious God-haters to whom I preach out in public.

Please fortify me with thy divine courage so that I never flinch before their terrible onslaught of opposition to thy word. No matter what thine enemies do or say, help me to stand firm in front of all their wickedness and keep proclaiming to them, thus saith the Lord. In my own frail power, Lord God, I am most weak and fearful.

So please help me in this, Lord, I pray. Amen. Bear with me as I read again.

Listen. They are imprudent children and stiff-hearted. I do sin thee unto them, and thou 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. That's verses four and five of Ezekiel chapter two. When God commanded Ezekiel here to go street preaching, he didn't promise that prophet any converts, any fruit for his street preaching efforts.

So we can plainly see that winning souls is not the primary reason God commanded Ezekiel to get out there and preach to the public. But almighty God does clearly tell Ezekiel one thing he wants that street preacher to accomplish. He wants those God-hating, God-rejecting creatures whom he created to glorify him.

God wants them to know for sure that there hath been a prophet of God among them. I believe that God is presently commanding you Christian men listening to me, and he's commanding me at this date and time to do exactly what Ezekiel did. Go out in public, stand right in the faces of the many people who are in stiff-hearted rebellion against their creator, God, and let them know that there had been a prophet among them.

I like that scripture. Let's pray again. Lord God, please give me a zealous, burning desire to do just that, and then give me the courage and guts necessary to go out and do it.

Please give me the endurance to do it many long hours without rest and without fearing for my own personal safety. Amen. God-rejecters want their creator to leave them alone so they can rest easy as they habitually go about wallowing in sin and glorifying God's enemy, the devil.

God does not want those who live in rebellion against him to rest easy at all. He wants them to constantly hear, thus said the Lord God. Those sinners surely do not want to hear that, but God wants us believers to proclaim enough of his holy writ to them so they will know that there had been a prophet among them.

Even if you get no converts, you greatly glorify God, and therefore he will greatly reward you for broadcasting his word. He'll reward you in this life and in the life to come. So by all means, broadcast it to everyone.

Neither was I quiet. Amen, Job. Amen.

I admire you for that, Job, and I sure want to be like you. Lord, help me to be like Job. Help all my fellow believers, the ones listening to me now, to be like Job.

God bless you, dear friends, for listening. I appreciate you. May the Lord do you much good this day and every day.