Are You Engaged in Missions? Part Three: Give!

Matthew chapter 28 verses 18 through 20. We read this in Sunday school as well this morning. Matthew chapter 28 beginning in verse 18, Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, and low, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord for Jesus Christ, our savior, and what you did on Calvary's Cross for us. We thank you Lord that you're a risen savior. Lord, that you're seated at the right hand of the father.

Heaven where you intercede in behalf of all those who come to you by faith. Lord, we thank you. We thank you today for the opportunity and privilege that you have given us to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ, that you've given all of us to be missionaries and witnesses. What you have done in our life. Lord, to proclaim the gospel message by which we were saved.

To tell others, Lord, of what you did for them. Lord, I pray that you would burden us, Lord, that you would burden us to get more involved in reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Evangelizing our neighbors who live across the street and those on the other side of the world whom you love also. We thank you. Lord, for the privilege of gathering here today to proclaim your word and to praise your name and we pray in all things that Jesus Christ would be exalted today.

For it's in Jesus name we do pray. Amen. What is biblical missions? Is it church missions program? Is it a certain mission board?

Is it a certain formula or type of ministry? The Bible tells us right here in his word what biblical missions is when he commanded that his church represented here by his disciples at that time. Go and teach all nations. That word teach means to make disciples. Christ commanded his church to go and make disciples of all nations.

That's what biblical missions is. It's making disciples of all nations. By by the way, that includes a clear water in Largo, Florida as much as it does Kenya and Brazil and The Philippines. God has commanded his people, his church, his church is made up of his people to be missionaries, to take the word of God, to proclaim it in the ears of others that they might too come to know the Lord and savior Jesus Christ as their savior and Lord. To baptize them in the name of the father and son of the holy ghost, testifying of their salvation in Jesus Christ and teaching them, discipling them in all things whatsoever Christ commanded his disciples and has recorded and preserved for us here right here in his word today.

Biblical missions that we are to be engaged in is making disciples of all nations. God has commanded that his church reproduce itself through missions and reproduce itself it has. This church, this first fledgling church here that Jesus was speaking to in Matthew 28 was two thousand nearly two thousand years ago and here you are sitting in a a Bible preaching church Most of you know the Lord, savior Jesus Christ as your savior today. How did that happen? How did you get to know him?

How is it that Missouri Avenue Baptist Church exist? It's because those before us obeyed the command that God gave here in the scriptures and the church reproduced itself all over the world and so we're here today praising our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We're here preaching his word. We're out and about hopefully every day being a witness. So that our church might reproduce itself.

That others might come to know Christ as savior. There are three elements of missions that I wanted to focus on in our missions conference. I began this last Sunday morning and the first one was on prayer, on prayer. Dare to care. Dare to care.

Missions is not about the program. Missions is about obedience to the Lord. In caring for the souls of people. You see, missions is about people. People for whom we must care.

Souls that we pass every day that are on their way either to heaven or hell and every last soul we pass is going to one place or the other. Mark chapter, I mean, John chapter four and verse 35, we read together a few minutes ago, Jesus said to his disciples, say not you, there are yet four months and then cometh harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest. What do we say? Here's what we say.

I'll do it what? I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll start praying tomorrow. I'll start going tomorrow.

I'll start giving tomorrow. It's always about tomorrow. Why not start serving the Lord? Why not start caring today? Because tomorrow often never comes.

We just put it off till the next tomorrow. Let's begin today. Let's begin this missions conference if you haven't. Begin caring about others around you. If you know the Lord savior as your savior, you do care.

However, we allow other distractions. To take away and rob us of the burden. That God has placed in our hearts by his holy spirit. Maybe there's something today you need to take care of with the Lord. And renew the zeal for the souls of others.

The fields are wide already to harvest. They're all around us. In in the in the millions. In Pinellas County, in Hillsboro, and nonetheless, in Kenya and in Brazil. Mark six thirty four, Jesus said, when he came out, he saw much people and was moved with compassion toward him because they were a sheep not having a shepherd and began to teach them many things.

When Jesus saw this crowd of people and by the way, when he was up in Galilee, every day, there was a what? As he be got into his ministry, well, there was a crowd. Sometimes, he tried to get away out of the city so he he could rest and have a moment's peace and guess what the crowds did? They followed him and as he looked out on those crowds that had followed him, as he, as he needed rest, as he needed peace, he didn't think, oh no, here they are again. Can I just get a moment's peace?

No, when Jesus looked on the crowd, he saw them as sheep without a shepherd. He had what? Compassion. What does that mean? Means he loved them.

It means he cared about them. Jesus didn't see them. As we often see. He didn't just step over them. He didn't just walk by them or go around them like the priest and the Levite, good Samaritan.

They weren't obstacles in his path or or cars slowing down his progress. He saw them as souls, lost, helpless, needing a guy, needing a shepherd, needing a savior, souls for whom he came to die. They are still that today but how do you see them? How do we think of them when we see them in our workplace, in the restaurant where we eat. Across the street How do we see them?

Do we see them as souls who need a savior? If we don't, there is a problem. With us because that's who they are. Souls for whom Jesus died. I've asked this before.

The only reason Jesus died was to take you to heaven. Where would you be? You would be in heaven but you're not. He's left you here. To be witnesses.

For him. Do you care enough? First of all, to pray Matthew nine thirty seven and thirty eight, then saith he done his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous but the labors are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labors into his harvest. Do you care enough to pray that God will send labors into the harvest?

More people like the Spites and the Halsteads and the inner lines. More people like you and me to our neighbor across the street You see, God has called us all to be witnesses Our callings maybe a little different but in reality, they're all the same He has called us to be laborers in his field Would you pray that God will send more You pray that God will send you. Will you pray for those whom God has sent? Ephesians six nineteen and for me, Paul says that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. It's not just about giving.

Yes, we're talking about giving. Missionaries do need financial support but every mission will tell, every missionary will tell you, either good missionary will tell you that what they need most of all are the prayers of God's people because souls don't get saved by their power. They get saved by whose power? God's power. And they need our prayers.

They need our prayers for strength and and wisdom and guidance and for the souls to whom they preach and teach. Would you dare to care enough to pray for those whom God has sent? To pray for God's power as the gospel goes out. Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you. Paul said, would you pray that as the gospel goes forth, it will change people's lives just like it changed yours.

That the Holy Spirit will take it and reach people's hearts as he did yours and that others will come to know the Lord and savior Jesus Christ as they save their savior too. Would you care enough to spend this year sometime every day in prayer For a missionary. To spend some time every day in prayer for a neighbor. When you think about it, God hasn't asked much of us. Jesus did the hard part.

The least we can do is take a few minutes out of each day to pray. For those who need Jesus. Do you care enough to pray? Number two, dare to obey. What is commanded?

What is God commanded us to do? Well, God has commanded us to go. Then said, Jesus here in John 20, to them again, peace be unto you as my father has sent me, so what? Send I you. Christ obeyed.

The command of his father and he came and he came to die on the cross for our sins. He came to open the door to heaven for all who come to him by faith. Now, Jesus says to his disciples as the father sent me and I obeyed. Now, so send I, you. And you is not just them.

You is also who? It was us. God has sent you to your neighbor. God has sent you to your coworker. God has sent you to the waiter, waitress that brings your food at the restaurant.

God has sent you. Will you go? It's a matter of obedience. Mark sixteen fifteen and he said unto them, go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. That go is imperative.

It's a what? It's a command. Jesus said, go you into all the world and preach the gospel. What is biblical missions? What's daring enough to care and to pray?

It's also obedience to go. Not just to send the Halsteads and the Spites and the inner lines. The other missionaries that we support but to go yourself to the person that God wants you to go to. Who is that person? Who are those people?

Maybe God has placed somebody on your heart. This missions conference. Will you obey and go? He has called you to. Everyone of us.

When I was in college over the summers, I worked in a tire factory. I hated it the first summer. I despise it. I worked night shift. It was terrible.

I don't remember that summer. I I it was just all a big blur. The second summer I was determined I wasn't going back to the tire factory. I was gonna get a different job. Didn't work out.

I ended up back at the tire factory again. You know what I decided that summer? Lord laid it on my heart to consider the tire factory not a job but a what? Mission field. You know something?

It changed that summer and the next two summers of my life. I didn't see a bunch of my coworkers get saved but what I did have was the opportunity to share Christ with them. What I did have was the opportunity to show them what a Christian was like. When you think of your job, when you think of your neighbors, when you think of your past times as a mission field, it'll change your outlook on life. God has called you to that field.

God called me the tire factory and called me to a nursing home ministry in college where I played my guitar and went around from room to room and sang hymns and told people about Jesus and got to preach some. He called me to pass out tracks on Main Street in Greenville, South Carolina. Called me to be a youth pastor for twelve years in Byron, Georgia and I've been here for over twelve years now in Clearwater, Florida and I've never one day regretted. Obeying the Lord. What I do regret is few opportunities several opportunities I've missed along the way.

When I wasn't walking in the spirit like I should've been. But I don't regret one day of service and ministry for my Lord. Maybe the Lord hasn't called you to be a missionary around the world or a pastor or even a Sunday school teacher but you see, you can be a mission field in a tire factory or or in a nursing home or you can pass out tracks wherever you are. God has called you to go. He has called us to go with the testimony as witnesses.

Acts one eight, but you shall receive power after that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. When we talk about missions program and faith promise missions, we think about the uttermost part of the earth and it's about that but part of the uttermost part begins where? Here. Here. In our Jerusalem.

Begins with going wherever God has called us to go and to whom God has called us to go. With the testimony of what God has done. You say, pastor, I I haven't studied yet and I I don't know everything. Guess what? I still don't know everything.

There are people that are much better evangelism maybe even. I know than I am. But you know, I have something I can share. I have the word of God and I have what Jesus done in my life and you can share what Jesus did in your life. You know how you got saved?

Just tell somebody else. And then take time to study. Get to know God's word better so that you can be a better witness and testimony. Testimony is not also not only in word but the testimony is also in deed but let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. You see, the Halsteads and the Spites, they're like, they're not just missionaries when they're standing in a pulpit.

They're missionaries when they're talking with their neighbor. They're missionaries wherein they're at the grocery store getting food. They're missionaries wherever they are. They represent Jesus Christ. So do you.

What kind of testimony do we have? Maybe there's something that needs to change there. And then of course, the message and the message is the gospel. If nothing else, you can take tracks off the back table back there and you can give em to somebody week. You can proclaim the gospel hardly without opening your mouth at all.

There was a church that my parents belong to in Virginia. They had a soul winning ministry. Not all that many people came out which is sadly often the case. But one man was faithful every week. Out of that church, more than any pastor, he witnessed to more people than anyone else.

His name was Junior Poe. His son spoke in our conference last year, John Poe. He is a missionary with Baptist Midmissions. Junior Poe couldn't read. But he memorized soul winning verses and he underlined them in his Bible and he would take his New Testament and he would point to him and he would quote it.

The people he was talking to never knew he didn't know how to read. That he led more people to the Lord and witnessed to more people for Jesus Christ than anybody else in that church and by the way, it rubbed off on his son, didn't it? You know, the Lord is good and you say, pastor, I can't do it. Well, if Junior Poe can, you can. You can hand him a track.

You can invite him to church. Luke fourteen twenty three and the Lord said unto the servant, go out in the highways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be full. Invite them. I'll I'll present the gospel to him. Invite them to come.

But if you don't invite them, chances are they're not going to come. If you haven't noticed, they're not beating down the doors to get in here. You say, but pastor, I invite them and they don't come. Well, invite them again. Invite somebody else.

Keep inviting them. Guess what? They will come. They will come. Terry and Benjamin were here for the International Supper last evening.

They brought a couple that were staying at the motel where they work at and they brought the motel owner's son, Patrick, with them yesterday evening. I know Patrick for sure probably does not know Christ as his savior. They just simply invited them and guess what? Somebody came. Invite them to become in.

You can witness in tracks. You can invite them to church. You can witness in a Sunday school lesson over a meal as a testimony in a sermon. But go with the message of the gospel. Dare to obey.

And then, dare to trust. Dare to trust, dare to give, to give. Now, we think of giving, you think, okay, pastor, here we go. We're on money. Yes, we are.

Money is important but not just money but also in this verse, Galatians six nine, it says, and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. Dare to give of your energy. Reaching others for Jesus Christ takes what? Effort. Anything worthwhile is going to take effort.

But let me ask you, is it worth your effort? Thank you brother Steve. Thank you. Yes. I hope the answer is yes.

Souls, men and women, boys and girls on their way to hell, are they not worth our effort? Worth our effort to to learn how to play a certain game or to get good at a certain sport or learn a certain skill? Things that are often just passing away. Souls are passing away but they don't just vanish. They'll spend eternity somewhere.

Are they not worth our effort? Let us not be weary in dwell doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Give of your effort, your energy, give of your time. Ephesians five sixteen, redeeming the time because the days are evil. The days are short.

The world is evil. People need Jesus. It's going to take time. Can you set aside some time? Mackenzie, she couldn't be here today.

She was working but some of you know the young lady that got saved during our revival meetings and she needs to be discipled and we've been trying to get her discipled and this past week, she came to us and she said she wants to start that and praise the Lord. You know something? That was an easy decision for my wife and I to find some time to spend with McKenzie. It's worth every minute of it. You know something?

We could use a little bit of help. Can you find some time? When the good Samaritan stopped to help the man alongside the road, you know what? You know what that cost him? It cost him some energy and it cost him some what?

Time. Cost him some time. Was it worth it? Yeah, people are always worth it. Souls are worth it.

They are. You'd be willing to give of your time. Then, would you be willing to give of your finances, of your provision for the Lord. It does take money to run church ministries, to buy gas, to pick up people, to pay the staff, to buy tracks, to to pay the light bill, to support missionaries. It does take money and guess what God among other things has given us.

He's given us money. He's given us finances. What's the purpose in those finances? Why has God given you money? Why has God given you the opportunity to earn money?

What's it for? Is it for us to amass in the bank and feel secure in our money? Is it in order to fulfill our our fleshly desires and is it so we can get more and impress our neighbors and so we can have great luxury? Is that the purpose for which God has given us money or is he given us money as a tool to be used in his service? Now, part of that is putting a roof over our head, providing food and clothing for our family.

It's a tool to be used for that but it's also a tool to be used to reach others for Christ. To buy the tracks that are back there on the table put gas in our car to go out and tell somebody about Christ or pick em up and bring em to church To give to missions for these missionaries so they can go because they can't work jobs in many of the countries in which they go. Frees them up to spend their time knocking on doors and preaching the word and praying and teaching. What a privilege we have to be part of of the ministry of of of these that are represented by the flags on the side of our podium. When soul come to Christ in these countries we're part of that.

You can be part of that. But you would you give a little of what God has given you to help them as a tool? Second Corinthians nine, six, and seven, yes, this is the last passage we're reading. I know we're past time. It says, But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

That's just the the rule of reap sowing and reaping. If you sow just one row of corn you're not gonna get nearly as much if you sow 10 rows of corn are you? The more you sow the more you'll what? Reap. And if we sow little in telling others the gospel, we sow little of our time and energy, if we sow little of the finances that God is has given us to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then, few souls are going to be saved but if we're willing to put more time and more energy and more finances that God has given us, reaching others for Jesus, more souls are going to be saved.

Isn't that right? God's not talking about if you give me $100 I'll give you a thousand. It's not about money. It's about souls. And if you give bountifully, we will reap bountifully.

Souls God says, seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. What is God asking? He's saying, will you trust me? Will you trust me with your energy? Will you trust me with your time?

Will you trust me with your finances? I will take care of you and I will take what you give and I will multiply it in the souls of men and women, boys and girls. He that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as a purpose in his heart so let him give. Not grudgingly nor of necessity for God loveth the cheerful giver and this is kind of the verse that's the centerpiece of the giving part of Faith Promise Missions.

Paul was taking up a special offering to take back to the saints, the churches in Jerusalem that had been praying for him to be of help to them. We take up a special offering so to speak every Sunday for missions to reach people on the other side of the world through these missionaries that God has called. For they need Jesus Christ. And God hasn't said, I want you to give five or 10 or 20%. God hasn't told us.

What God has asked us to do is to ask Him, Lord, what would you have me to give? That's what that card is about, to ask God what you would have Him to give, to write something down this month. Say, Lord, this is what I want to give every month. You can always give more by the way. But just as a minimum, God, this is what I feel you've called me to give and I trust you with it.

I trust you to reach souls for Jesus Christ. Says my faith promise and dependence upon God, I will pray for and give the world evangelism through Missouri Avenue Baptist Church so much each month or each week. I understand that I will not be billed for this. It is a faith commitment between me and God. A matter of fact, we used to take these up.

We don't even do that anymore. All we ask is that you consider and pray and ask God what he would have you to give. We've been the people here are very giving. We've been able to support these 10 missionaries but you know something, we can do more. Maybe the Lord wants you to give more.

Maybe the Lord wants you to start giving. Maybe you're new to the church. Maybe you've been here a while and you just haven't felt the need. Maybe maybe God is impressed on your heart the need today. For people need the Lord and God wants you to fulfill the great commission.

God wants you to do your part. Would you care enough to pray? Would you care enough and be obedient to go? And would you trust him enough to give? He'll bring the increase.

Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord. For this opportunity, thank you for the missionaries we've heard from from those we hear from tonight. Pray Lord that you would impress upon our hearts what you've impressed upon their heart. A zeal for souls who need the savior. Lord, we've been a little lax.

I am afraid in that area here in our own community. I pray Lord that you would change our heart. I pray Lord that we would be caring, that we would pray. Lord, that we would go. We would not be ashamed of the gospel.

Lord, we would be bold in sharing it. That we would be see people as you do, souls who need a savior. And Lord, that we would be willing to give more of ourselves and of our finances to reach others. For Jesus Christ. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

Thank you for the souls that have been saved. Thank you Lord for the souls that will be. The opportunity, Lord. To be part of the fulfillment that which you called your disciples and your church to two thousand years ago. Thank you Lord for those that have been faithful that we might sit here tonight knowing you as savior.

Pray Lord that we would be faithful to carry that on. Independence upon you and the power of the holy spirit caring about souls for whom you died.