Missions Is Giving

If you take your Bibles, if you wouldn't turn to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14 in your Bibles this morning. Luke chapter 14. The message this morning is entitled Missions Is Giving. Missions is giving.

Luke chapter 14. We will begin reading in just a moment in verse 25. Luke chapter 14 and we'll begin reading in verse 25. Once I hear most of the pages quit turning. So, hopefully that means you found it.

You didn't give up, okay? Luke 14 and we'll begin reading in verse 25. And there went great multitudes with him, that is Jesus and he turned and said unto them, if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost.

Whether he have sufficient to finish it. Lest happily after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him saying, this man began to build and was not able to finish or what king going to make war against another king sitteth not down first and consulted whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000 or else while the others yet a great way off, he send it an ambassador ambassador desireth conditions of peace. So, likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you.

For what you did for us on Calvary's Cross. We thank you Lord for the opportunity to praise you today. We pray that you would be exalted in our midst. We pray Lord there be one here this morning that's never trusted you as savior. We pray Lord that we would have the opportunity to share with them.

How much you love them? How desperately they need a savior? From their sin. Lord, we pray for our missionaries that you would encourage their hearts today. We pray Lord as they minister for you.

Souls would be saved and you would be glorified. Lord, we thank you for what you did for us. Lord, may we consider giving ourselves in your service today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.

Anything that is worthwhile has a cost. Anything that is worthwhile has a cost. Well, you say, pastor, wait a second. Salvation is worthwhile and it's a what? A free gift.

Therefore, it doesn't have a cost but that's not true. Yes, indeed. It is a free gift to us. By grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. You can't earn salvation.

You can't work for it. It is a gift which God offers to us. All we must do is believe and receive that gift of eternal life. Salvation. Through Christ our savior.

However, there was a cost. To that gift. That gift cost Jesus everything. That gift cost God his only begotten son. That gift cost Jesus great suffering on the cross of Calvary for us that we at least in this life will never be able to fully comprehend.

What he suffered there. Not only physically nailed to a cross and suffocating. Humiliated but also the suffering that he bore as punishment for your sins and mine on Calvary's Cross. Everything that is worthwhile does have a cost. Jesus is reminding those that are following him here in Luke chapter 14 that if they're going to follow him, if they're going to serve him, if they're going to follow in his steps, if they're going to fulfill God's will in their life, it's going to cost them as fulfilling the father's will in his life cost him.

There is a price to be paid. There is a cost in serving Jesus. A cost, a price that is more than worth it. But there is a cost. Jesus asked those that were following him here to consider the cost of serving the Lord.

He gives examples. He says, nobody it at least most people don't decide to build a beautiful, expensive structure and don't first account for what it's going to cost them before they start building or else in the middle, they they run out of funds and there it sits there half done and they become a laughing stock. When I moved as a youth pastor just outside of Macon, Georgia, many years ago, there was a field not far from where we ended up buying a house that had these metal girders that were stuck up in the field. It was overgrown, had been uncut, unkempt, left, and there were these big girders that you would see used as the superstructure for a building of some size and they were just sitting there rusting out in the field and and we ask people, what is the deal with that? Well, that was supposed to be a mall.

But whoever decided to build it, they ran out of money. They didn't count the cost or they didn't count. They didn't plan well and they ran out of money and there it sat. Sticking out like a sore thumb. Eventually, somebody bought it, somebody purchased the land, and somebody actually finished it.

Now, it's a it's a rather nice mall that is there today. Jesus gave another example. He said, nobody general going off to war doesn't consider ahead of time that if he has a thousand men, what his chances are against 2,000 or 10,000 against 20,000 or a 100,000 against two, whatever the case may be. No, he he sits down and he plans that. He considers that before he goes off to war.

There is a cost in serving Jesus. There is a price of of sacrifice that God has called us to. If we are to fulfill his mission for us, if we are to follow his will, if we're to follow in the steps of footsteps of Jesus, he says here, there is a cross to bear. God's will, the father's will for the son was that he come to Earth and die on a what? On a cross.

It isn't God's will that we die on a cross for the sins of the world because we can't do that because I'm a sinner. I can't pay for your sins but God does have a will and a purpose for my life particularly as a child of God. God has a mission for me. God has mission for you. God has a purpose for you.

He has a will for you. To fulfill. And if you are to fulfill that will as Jesus did, there will be a cost involved. There will be sacrifice involved. In serving and in glorifying our savior.

A cost and a price that doesn't begin in any way to compare with the glory and the reward that is ours in Jesus Christ because of what he suffered for us. It is our privilege to pay that price. It is our privilege to serve the Lord. Likewise, giving, likewise, missions. Missions is giving.

Worldwide missions does have a cost. There is a price and that begins not with giving money. But that begins with giving of ourselves. If you take your Bibles and turn now to second Corinthians chapter eight. Second Corinthians chapter eight.

Second Corinthians chapter eight. Let me fill in a little background here for you. The apostle Paul during his missionary journeys, planted some churches in Macedonia which is Greece. They were Philippi and Corinth and Thessalonica, cities that he visited where eventually churches were planted and they communicated with him considerable amount as he went on his missionary journeys. And they decided that they wanted to give an offering to be taken up by Paul to be taken back to believers in Jerusalem to assist them there in their ministry because Paul and other missionaries had been assisted by the church in Jerusalem and the church in Antioch in bringing the gospel to them and so a couple chapters here in second Corinthians are about this offering that they have purpose, they have told Paul ahead of time that they will give to him to take back to the believers in Jerusalem to assist them there.

If you would look in second Corinthians chapter eight verse one, moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. How that in great affliction, trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yay and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints and this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. Paul says to those in Corinth which is in Southern Greece that those in Macedonia had taken upon themselves to give this gift and not only did they give a monetary gift but he says this in verse five, he says, and this they did not as we hope but first, what?

Gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. These people weren't just about money. Now, money is important. Finances are important. We'll come back to that in a few minutes but God doesn't want so much your money.

God wants you. He wants you. He wants you if you're not saved, be saved. He died for you so that you could come to know salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone. But not only does he want you to be saved but he wants you as a child of God to yield yourself to him, to give your life a living sacrifice.

He desires, he wants you. To give of yourself. To him. To minister. As ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

To the world around you. For him. To glorify him. In your life. He deserves our sacrifice and our sacrifice is really so small I hesitate to use the word sacrifice as it does not compare to the sacrifice that has been made for us.

The Lord wants us, not just our money. He wants our time. He wants our time Time in prayer. Time in going to others to share with them Jesus. Time in preparation for the ministry that God has called us to.

He wants our energy. It takes energy. It takes a lot of it particularly in certain ministries. It takes patience. If you're ministering to people, some preacher once said, the ministry would be great if it weren't for people.

But people are the ministry. But people need patience just like I need patience It costs us to minister and to serve. It will cost you energy. It will cost you patience. God wants us to give of our talent, our talent, to be used and developed, not for things of temporal value that are here today and gone tomorrow.

But to use and develop our talent to be used in the service of the Lord, to lay up treasure in heaven, to point others to Jesus Christ. I enjoyed and was ministered to in the choir's music ministry this morning and in Amanda's song. That she gave. You have talents maybe in other areas Kasan who is not with us here this morning. He's in Thailand with his daughter.

He is talented in gardening as you may have noticed in the parking lot in the back. We thank the Lord for that. He feels it's important that when others see our church, they see a church that's cared for because the people that here are cared for by Jesus Christ and we want others to be part of the ministry to the Lord and honoring him. We have others that are talented in keeping up the grounds and the building and those things are important. Talented in teaching Sunday school classes.

We have deacons who are servants. There are many areas in which you can serve the Lord in a local church. There are many areas in which you can serve the Lord in evangelism. Rick right now and Becky are part of a evangelistic ministry called Grace Dental and Medical Missions. You heard about in Sunday school this morning.

However, they use dental and medical teams in order to get into the countries to open up people's hearts to the gospel and there are many that minister with them that are doctors and dentists and nurses and they use the talent God has given them for something that is of eternal value. There was a a lady of about a year or so ago. You may or may not have heard of her. She was very popular when I was a teenager in high school and listening to music that wasn't particularly edifying to me. Her name was Whitney Houston.

She overdosed couple years ago. And died. Whitney Houston got her start singing gospel songs in church. But she didn't develop and use that gift in that ministry. The remainder of her life, she used it in the pop world.

And sadly, as several and many of these pop musicians, took a toll on her. Sin takes a toll. With Jesus Christ in serving him. Though there is cost involved, there is great reward. Develop your talent that God has given you for eternal things.

There is a price to be paid in pride. If you're going to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you've got to be willing to swallow your pride. I have to do that every Sunday when I get up here because every Sunday, I get my tongue tied and I goof up something. But you've got to be willing to put the ministry of Jesus Christ before your own pride. You've got to be willing to knock on a door.

You've got to be willing to approach somebody with the gospel even if it's handing them a tract. Should they reject it? Should they give you a bad look? Should they actually call you a name? It's worth it.

You need to swallow your pride. The God of heaven left heaven for you. He was born as a baby and grew up like a child for you. He ministered for three years practically with no home. For you.

And he died on a cross. For you. He humbled himself. We can humble ourselves and then also there's the matter of resources. Missions means giving.

Service means giving. It means not only giving of our time and energy and talent and our pride but also giving of our resources. As these people did here, as they gave an offering to Paul to be taken to minister to other Christians and to help the ministry to reach others for Jesus Christ in another part of the world. Resources are important. Resources are necessary.

God has not given us resources and finances simply to be used to buy the newest gadgets and have the nicest things and live in the most luxury. God has given us as Christians resources to be used as tools for Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to take those resources. Just some of those resources And help missionaries get on the field to tell others about Jesus. What a privilege.

Why should we give to missions? Well, we should give to missions because it honors the Lord. We should give to missions. We should give to the ministry. We should give of ourselves.

We should give. First of all, because it honors God. Hold your place where you are. We'll come back to second Corinthians but look if you would in Leviticus chapter 27. Leviticus chapter 27.

This morning. Leviticus 27, look if you would in verse 30. Leviticus 27 verse 30. God says to Israel and all the tithe that is a tenth of the land, of the of the produce of the land. Whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the Lord's.

It is holy. That is the words holy means it is set apart unto God. A tenth of whatever is produced is set apart to the Lord. Verse 31, and if a man will at at all redeem on of his tithe, he shall add there to the fifth part thereof and concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. Not only the produce of the land but the reproduction of the the animals.

Those also, those a tenth of those belongs to the Lord, he said. Verse 33, he shall not search whether it be good or bad. Neither shall he change it and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed. These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel at Mount Sinai.

God told Israel a tenth part of whatever you have been prospered in in this coming year, that tenth of that belongs to Lord. A tenth of your harvest, a tenth of your animals, whatever in which way you have profited a tenth of that belongs to the Lord. It belongs to him. Not the the leftover. Not not this, not the part you don't want but a tenth of the first part, that belongs to the Lord.

When Israel went into the land of Canaan to conquer it, they came to the first city Jericho. They walked around the walls 13 times. They sang praises to God with a great shout. The walls came down and they rushed in and they took all kinds of spoil. Yes or no?

No. They were told not to because the first city belonged to who? The first city belonged to God. The first one was his and they were not to take of the spoil of the city of Jericho. When you buy a house, when you go to buy that house, you're first asked to pay a what?

A down payment. You don't pay the down payment at the end. You pay the down payment at the beginning and that is to assure the people you're buying it from that you have a stake in this and so you give a down payment first. God deserves for us to give to him first and not last, of our time, energy, and of our resources. You say, well, that's Old Testament, pastor.

God doesn't say anything about giving in the New Testament. Well, that's not the case, is it? Luke chapter six and verse 38 says, give. And it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give unto your bosom.

For with the measure, for with the measure that you meet with all, it shall be measured to you again. God says to the people there, Jesus speaking, says, give, give, give what? We'll give to the Lord, to his ministry. Give to others that are in need. Give.

Secondly, not only does God tell us to give but it shows our gratitude towards the Lord. In Hebrews chapter seven, it reminds us of something that happened in Genesis After a great battle, Abraham came to a fellow. His name was Melchizedek. He was called the king and priest of Salem and Abraham, though it wasn't law, though it wasn't required, he automatically gave a tenth of what he had been profited, prospered in the spoil of the battle back to Melchizedek. To honor him, who is a type of Jesus Christ.

In giving, we acknowledge his supremacy. For God is supreme and everything we have comes from him. In giving, we acknowledge his right and ownership. One of the, I think it was sadducees came to Pharisees or sadducees came to Jesus and they said, they brought a coin and they said to him, him, should we give taxes on the Caesar? And Jesus said, here, give me the coin and he held it up and he said, whose pictures on that coin?

And they said, Caesar. He said, okay, give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. Who owned that coin on Earth? Caesar did. He minted it.

He produced it. So, Jesus said, he has a right to ask for it. Given to Caesar the things that are Caesar's but also give unto God what? The things that are God's. The things that are the Lord's.

You know, Caesar owned coins. God owns me. God owns you. And everything that we have. We are bought with a price.

We are bought with a price. It is only fitting that we should give to the Lord and to his ministry and to the ministry of missions by going, by praying, and by giving of our resources. It also shows our love and appreciation for the one who gave so much for us. In second Corinthians eight five, it says, in this they did not as we hope but gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God and it says over in verse eight and nine of the same chapter, it says, I speak not by commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others of their giving and to prove the sincerity of your love For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor, yet you through his poverty might be rich. Jesus Christ was God of heaven.

He humbled himself and became a servant, a human, and became obedient to death even the death of the cross. He gave of himself. He who was rich and had all of heaven's glory became poor for us. That we might be rich the righteousness of Jesus Christ should we not love him? We love him what?

Because he first loved us. At Christmas time, what do you usually do? At birthdays, what do you usually do? Maybe if you're married on Valentine's, what do you do? You give gifts.

Why do you do that? Why do you give gifts? Well, it's what you do. I hope not. I hope you give to people because you love them.

God gave of his son because he loves us. I hope you love people in Chile. I hope you love people in China. They need the gospel of Jesus Christ and I hope you love the people that have given of their life to take the gospel to we have a privilege to show that love not only for them but more importantly for our savior. By giving of ourselves and of our resources.

That others might hear the gospel. Jim Elliot, a very well known missionary, who gave his life for the Lord, said, he is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose. You cannot lose the rewards in heaven. You are no fool to give up the things of earth for the things of heaven. Why should we give?

It honors the Lord. Why should we give? It meets a need. It meets a need and there the need is great. Jesus said in his day, look out in the fields.

They're white already to harvest. Pray you that the Lord will send forth laborers into his harvest but those laborers need prayers and those laborers need assistance and those laborers need finances and resources in order to minister in the gospel. In the Old Testament, the tithe was to go to the Levites and the priest that ministered for the people in behalf of the Lord in the temple and in other areas. They dependent upon the giving of the people in response to the commandment of the Lord to provide for their daily needs so they could focus on the ministry that God had called them to. There was a need not only to give to the Lord which is our first responsibility but also to give to meet the needs of those who are ministering.

In first Corinthians nine, Paul said, they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel. What does that mean? It means this, they shouldn't have to work eighty hours a week in order to provide for themselves so they can turn around and spend the remainder of the hours in their week. Ministry. Those that God has called to work in the labor force, have an opportunity to help those who God has called in the full time ministry to be able to focus on that ministry.

Missionaries going to the foreign field, most cases cannot take up jobs in those countries. They need us to help assist them so that they can go And so that they can focus their energy and their time. The ministry that God has called them to in starting churches and assisting others in starting local churches around the world and in training others to go out from those places to tell others about Jesus Christ. The need is still great and there are many that God has called to ministries where they also need. Us to give of ourselves in prayer and in resources to meet those needs.

Paul thanked the Philippians for assisting him. He said in Philippians four that it wasn't required. He didn't ask for it. But boy, was it helpful? And he greatly appreciated it.

Those in the ministry have personal needs just like each and everyone of us do. They also have ministry needs as they are ministering and building churches and and starting programs and and need resources and materials and all of those things. They cost money. There is a great need Why give? It honors the Lord.

Why give? Because there is a great need and finally, this morning, why give? Why give to the church? Why give to missions? Specifically.

Because it brings a blessing to the giver. Not only does it bring a blessing to the one who is, it is given to. Not only does it bring honor to the Lord, but it brings a blessing to those that give. Look if you would in Malachi chapter three. Malachi chapter three.

Last book of the Old Testament. Malachi three. Verses eight, nine, and 10. Eight, nine, and 10 of Malachi three. Malachi writes to the Israelites, he says, will a man rob God?

Well, that would be foolish, wouldn't it? First of all, you can you rob God and get away with it? Answer is no. Can a man actually rob God? Well, we would automatically say, no, you can't rob God.

But Malachi continues on. He says, will a man rob God? Yet, you have robbed me. Now, he's speaking in God's behalf. So, I guess you can rob God but you say, wherein have we robbed thee?

How have we robbed thee? And God says, in tithes and offerings. You haven't given me my part. You haven't given me my share. You haven't honored me.

You haven't shown your love and appreciation for for what I have provided you. You haven't shown me your love for what I did for others. You've robbed me. He says to Israel He goes on. He said, you are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me even this whole nation.

Verse 10, bring you all the tithes in the storehouse. That there be me meat in mine house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts. If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing. There shall not be room enough to receive it. The Lord says, prove me.

Give. Trust me. Trust me. Do as I have asked you to do. Do it willingly from the heart.

Give honor, love, share, and see that you cannot outgive God. You cannot outgive God. God always takes care of his own. But seek you first the kingdom of God as his righteousness and what? All these things that you need shall be added.

Unto you. Read the verse earlier. Give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that you meet with all it shall be measured to you again.

Well, you say but pastor, that's talking about giving to others, not giving to God. You know, if you give to other people, they're going to appreciate it. So, when you're in need, they're going to give back to you. Now, that's a good proverb and that's a good principle and life does tend to work that way but this verse isn't just about our giving to other people. But it's about giving to God and if you think other appreciate when you give, do you not think God appreciates?

Do you want you think God take notice, takes notice? Do you not think that God has the resources to supply you with everything? Not just physical, not just financial, but spiritual and emotional need you have. Paul says to the Philippians that gave him that gift, he says, but my God shall supply all your needs through his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Paul says, thank you for the gift that God put on your heart to give to me.

Know this, God will take care of you. What is it that God would have you to give to missions through Missouri Avenue Baptist Church this year? I'd like to close in first Corinthians nine verses six and seven. First Corinthians nine, six, and seven. But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Now, that's again a proverb. If you plant little, you're going to receive little. You're not going have a very big crop crop if you don't plant much. The same thing goes for giving in general. When we give of ourselves, when we give of our resources, we give of our time to others, when we sow, we also will receive and you usually receive more than you want, than you sow.

But even more so in our relationship with the Lord. He was sow a sparingly shall reap also sparingly. He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man, listen to this, every man according as he purposeth in his heart. So Paul says, every person as you purpose in your heart, this isn't something that you just do by rote.

Okay, 10%. Well, that's let's see, that's $523, so 10% is $52.30. So, that's that's what I get. So, wrote. No, that's not what God wants us to do.

God wants us to consider his will. God wants us to consider not just with our tithes and offerings but with our life. Purpose in your heart. Ask the Lord to show you what he wants you to give. What you can give.

Not just giving the missions but in your time this week, in your prayer time, in your devotional time, in time telling others about Jesus because their mission field may be all over the world that God has called them to. Your mission field begins here in Clearwater in Largo, Florida. Purpose in your heart. As every man purposeth in his heart is led by God, so let him give. Not grudgingly or of necessity.

For God loveth the cheerful giver. Not because you have to. We're not under the law. We're under grace. Some people say, well, we're under grace.

We're not under the law then the tithe doesn't count anymore. I think God expects more of us. And as we have given time we've been married, my wife and I more than good bit more than 10% every year to the Lord. The Lord has always taken care. And he has blessed us in ways that money could never bless us.

So, we give cheerfully as the Lord is good and it is a joy to give. Not not grudgingly but cheerfully as God has prospered you. God's given to you. What would he have you give? Of yourself, your time, your resources back to him this year.

Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord. For Jesus Christ and what you gave for us. Thank you Lord for the opportunity you've given to support these that you have called. To go throughout the world, to minister in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lord, I pray that we would consider. There is a cost, Lord, not to, not to, to abandon that, but to embrace it, Lord. And serving our savior and bring glories to his name and fulfilling our mission and your will for us and in helping to fulfill the mission and your will for others that you've called to minister all over the world for Jesus Christ. I I pray Lord that you would grow our ministry here. I pray Lord that you would burden us Lord to reach the lost in our community for Jesus and we would see more souls saved and I pray Lord that you would give us opportunity to partner with more missionaries and to help them in more ways to reach others.

In the places you have called them to minister this year. Lord, Thank you for this opportunity. We pray Lord as we give this hymn of invitation. Lord, that you would even start now to lay on our heart what you would have us to give but we pray also today most importantly that if there's one here that's never received your gift of salvation, they would come this morning as we give this invitation. We might show them how they can be saved and receive your gift of eternal life.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.