If you'll take your Bibles then and turn to Matthew chapter 28, we'll continue with part two of the sermon from last week, biblical missions, biblical missions. What is it? What is purpose? Who are its instruments and today, what are its tools? To a tools of missions.

That's our part two. Missions is all about the mission which we have been commissioned. That means commanded as the church to undertake and we find that great commission we call it here in Matthew 28 and we'll begin again reading in verse 18 and read down through verse 20, the end of the chapter. And 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 way even unto the end of the world. Amen. In John twenty twenty one, it says this, then Jesus said to them again, peace be unto you. As my father has sent me, even so, send I you. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day. Thank you Lord for this opportunity to praise your name in song, to come before you in prayer as you have invited us to do, to preach your word, to absorb it, Lord, that it might by the power of your spirit, change us into the image of your son. Lord, empower us, Lord, in your service. Burden us, Lord. Give us a passion for souls.

Give us a passion for serving our Lord. A love for you. That results in service. Lord, I pray that Jesus Christ would be magnified in this sermon today. I pray Lord that you would do a mighty work in hearts.

Lord, convict us, challenge us, comfort us, we pray. In Jesus precious name, amen. So, biblical missions. Question number one, what is that mission? What is that mission?

Well, that mission, we looked at last week is to testify to what we have witnessed concerning the resurrection of Christ, his word, and our personal relationship with him. To testify as witnesses, be you what? Witnesses. You shall be my witnesses, Christ said. Number two, to proclaim the good news of the gospel to every creature.

Matthew, I mean, Mark chapter 16. Go preach the gospel to every creature. The word preach means to proclaim. You don't have to be a pastor or a missionary to do that. It is God's command to the church which is all of us.

We know Jesus. Number three, to make disciples of what? Or from what? All all nations. By testifying the grace of God and the resurrected savior.

What is our mission to testify of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who proclaim the gospel, the way of salvation through faith in him alone, and to make disciples of all nations. And then see them baptized and grow in the faith and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. That is the mission. Number two, why must we do it? Why must we partake of this mission?

Why must we do it? Four things. Number one, because it has been commanded. That's what we see here in verse 18. Jesus said, came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth.

Go you therefore. The word power is exousia in Greek. It is not dunamis. It is not enablement. It is authority.

Jesus saying, all authority is mine. Now, you what? You go because I've commanded you to. Why must we because it has been commanded and going, obeying, demonstrates love, and trust. In our God.

Why did Jesus say, if you love me, keep my what? My commandments. If you love me, keep my commandments and this is one of them. Number two, why we must go because the name of God must be glorified. The name of God must be glorified.

He deserves to receive the glory and the honor and the credit he is due. As creator, as Lord, and as savior. Malachi one eleven says, for from the rising of the sun, even to the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles. Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Why must we do this?

So, God will be glorified so that his name will be known. His character, his person, whether people receive him as savior or not. He deserves to be glorified. Number three, because it is vital to building his kingdom. It is vital to building his kingdom.

Jesus said unto Nicodemus, except the man be born again, he shall not, cannot see the what? The kingdom of God. Unless you're born again, you will never see the kingdom of God and how are we born again? Well, verse 16 in the same chapter says that, whosoever believeth in him, that's Jesus, hath what? Everlasting life.

What does that mean? That means we become part of his what? His eternal kingdom. And God has given us a vital part. In taking the message and sharing it with others so that they too can become part of his kingdom and number four, because the lost need to be saved.

He that believeth in him is not condemned but he that believeth not is what? Condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. It says in Romans 10, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not hurt? So, why must we do it? Because it's been commanded and it demonstrates our love for God because he deserves to be glorified because it is vital to building his kingdom and because the lost will be eternally lost.

If we do not do what we have been commissioned to do as the church to reach the lost with the message of the gospel. So what is the mission? Why must we do it? And then today, primarily, we're looking at this. What tools has he given us to perform this task?

What tools has he given us? With any mission, task, or undertaking, tools are usually required. I have a sermon outline up here. I used the tool to do that. It's called a computer and a printer.

I wrote notes on my notes and I used a pen. What is it? It is a tool. We sang hymns out of the hymn book. What is the hymn book?

It is a tool. I have a phone right here. It is a tool. If I'm going to call you or text you, I need to have one of these. This right here is the word of God.

Among other things, we'll get to in a second. It is also a tool. You want to see in the dark, you need one of these. It's called a flashlight and and the batteries are not completely dead. And it is a tool.

Tools are very important to performing tasks. Without tools, there are many things we could not do. If your mission is to plant fruit trees, you are gonna need something called a shovel. If your goal is to build a house, you're gonna need a hammer and nails and a saw and many other things. If your goal is to sail around the world, you're gonna need a ship and sails and a means of navigation.

If your goal is to win a war, you're gonna need weapons. If your goal is to win a Pulitzer Prize, you're going to need this here pen and paper and a camera or maybe today you'll just need this because you can do everything on your iPhone or your iPad. If your mission is to send someone to the moon, you're going to need a rocket. What is a rocket? It's a tool to get somebody from here to there.

And a computer and fuel and engineers and astronauts. Otherwise, you will never ever get there. So, does the mission we have as children of God require tools? Yes, it does. If so, what tools has God supplied us with and we're going to spend the rest of our time today looking at five tools that God has given us to use in fulfilling the mission that God has given to his children, to his church.

Tool number one, the holy spirit. The Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit to change us into his image, to direct us where we should go, and to empower us in fulfilling the mission he has given us. Acts chapter one, but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and then you shall be witnesses unto me. Jesus before he ascended up to heaven, he told his disciples, he said, don't leave Jerusalem yet.

You need to go back and wait for the coming of the promise of the father, the Holy Spirit. And he will enable you to do the job that I have called you to do. But you need him. You cannot do this without him. So, you need to go back and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

We do not have the ability to succeed in this mission without God's help. Jesus said to his disciples, without me, you can do nothing. But Philippians four thirteen, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and how does God do that? Through the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. In Acts chapter four and verse 31, it says, and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the holy ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness.

What gave them the enabling power to go out and speak the word of God with boldness? It was the filling, the leading, the controlling, the enabling of the Holy Spirit. They needed, we need the help of the Holy Spirit. He is a person. He is also a tool.

Bestowed upon us to help us. John fourteen sixteen and seventeen, Jesus said, I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. What did Jesus mean by another comforter? Well, while Jesus was with them, he was a comforter to them but he was going to leave and he said, he, God, when I leave, the father is going to send you another comforter that he may abide with you how long? Forever.

Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. The promise of Jesus Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit Our necessary helper in the task that is before us. You are not alone in this endeavor. Low, I am with you always even until the end of the world.

I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. How does Christ keep these promises? He keeps them through the Holy Spirit who lives within our hearts. We could camp out here the rest of the service talking about the enablement, the fruits, the gifts of the spirit, but we'll leave those for another time. Just do not neglect to listen, to yield to the spirit who dwells within you as you seek to perform the will of God.

The flesh is weak. It will not avail you. You cannot do it without the help of the spirit. Second tool that God has given us in service in fulfilling the mission that he has given us is right here. It is the what?

It is the word of God. John seventeen fourteen, Jesus said, I have given them thy word. Turn if you would to Romans chapter 10. Romans 10 and we're going to look at verses 13 through 17. Romans 10 through 17.

Verse 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? How thou shall they hear without a preacher or a proclaimer?

How shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Look in verse 17. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. How are we to deliver this message?

We are to deliver the message of the gospel by proclaiming the word of God because it is the word of God that brings faith into the hearts of men and women, boys, and girls. It is a necessary tool. Not only does it tell us of what Jesus did on the cross when he died for our sins and he rose again from the grave. Not only does it tell us that if we come to him, he will not cast us out. That we will be saved receive eternal life if we will receive the Lord Jesus as savior but it is powerful.

It is also powerful because it's not just words on a page, it's the words of who? God. God. And in Hebrews fourteen twelve, we read this, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joints and marrow is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is the sword of the spirit.

It is quick. That means it is living and it is powerful. And we must use it. We must use it. If we are to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But in order to for it to be beneficial for us as a tool, we must also study it. We must meditate upon it. We must learn to obey it. And then share it. With others.

It is a wonderful tool. It is a powerful tool. But it's a tool that must be learned. It must be applied. It must be obeyed and it must be shared.

God said to Joshua, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth. That means you shall, you don't let it go. Don't let it dissipate or you need to dwell on it. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success. How are we going to have good success in the mission God has given to us?

The same way Joshua was going to have success in the mission that God gave to him. What was his mission? To go into the promised land and to take it by God's grace and strength and power. What is our mission? Our mission is to take the the gospel.

And share it. And God's will help us succeed just as he did Joshua if we will meditate upon his word, if we will apply it to our lives, and then of course, we must share it with others. That is tool number two. Tool number three is something called prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool to use in this battle and indeed it is a battle and we need whose help?

We need God's help. How do we get God's help? How do we request God's help? We request it in prayer. Prayer is a fabulous, wonderful, and vital tool in serving the king of kings.

Mark eleven twenty four, therefore, I say unto you, what things so ever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. Now, what kind of things do you think Christ was talking about? So, if if I want to 1965 red Corvette, hard top, convertible, that if I believe it, I'm going to receive it. No. That's not what Christ was talking about.

He's talking about the things we need to be used, the tools we need, to use in his what? In his service. And whatever we need, he says, if you'll ask, I'll do what? I will provide it to you. So, you can fulfill the commission I've given you.

How about these verses? Matthew seven seven, ask and it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open to you. For he that asketh for he that ask it receiveth, he that seeketh find it into him that knocketh the door shall be what?

Opened. You want to get the door opened to that relative that needs the gospel? You want to get the door open to your neighbor? Were opened a nation to missionaries First, you need to what? You need to ask.

You need to ask and God says, if you ask and you seek and you keep knocking, God says, I will open that door. But we need to pray and we need to keep praying. Acts four thirty one again, I I read this a few minutes ago. It says, and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the holy ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness. How does the verse start?

And when they had prayed. How did it begin? It begins with prayer. How should our our mission, our our focus, our preparation for reaching others for Jesus Christ, for being a witness, for being a testimony. Each day, how should that begin?

It should begin with prayer. And if it does begin with prayer, then we'll see results. The results may not be hundreds or thousands or millions of coming to Christ but the result will be that God will empower us to be the witness that we ought to be. And he'll open doors and he'll work in hearts if we pray. Luke ten two, therefore, said he unto them, the harvest truly is great but the laborers are few.

Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. The world is ripe. On the harvest. Billions of people need Jesus. What is God ask us to do first of all to pray?

To pray that God will send laborers into the harvest. To reach people with the gospel. You know, and he might just send Prayer is a powerful tool. Pray in your closet. Pray together as a family.

Pray together as a church. But don't forget to pray. So, we've looked at three tools so far, the Holy Spirit, the word of God, prayer, and tool number four, personal traits and experiences. Who created you? Who made you?

Who watches over you and directs you as your shepherd? God does. And he made you the way you are for a purpose. The apostle Paul for instance was a prepared vessel to be missionary to the Gentile world. How?

Well, several things came to mind. I'll just go through them quickly. How was Paul prepared to be the missionary to the Gentiles? Well, he grew up a Jew likely with the superiority complex but he lived and moved among Gentiles in a as a child in the city of Tarsus. This is a Roman colony in Cilicia that today would be Eastern Turkey.

That's where Paul grew up as Saul. He was well learned in languages and cultures that made him adaptable to different cultures than most. He was a man of logic with the Gentile world appreciated while he was educated in the word of God. He was also fairly well versed in Greek philosophy and literature which we read about in Acts on a couple occasions. Being a Roman citizen, open doors to him That to others would have been closed.

Being trained as a rabbi, open the doors of the synagogue to him in every city he went to that had one. It gave him a starting point in most cases. He was a passionate, zealous man by nature who poured himself into his task. Whether that task was arresting Christians or planting churches and serving Christ. Listen to Acts twenty twenty four.

But none of these things move me. Neither count I, my life, dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Paul said, none of these warnings, none of these hurdles, none of these obstacles, none of these dangers that await me are going to keep me from fulfilling the mission. That the Lord Jesus has given me to testify of the grace of my God and my Lord. That is the passion of Paul.

A passion enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul, God used Paul's upbringing. He used his training. He used his personality and his experiences to make him into the missionary that God needed him to be. God does the same thing in our lives.

What personal traits and experiences do you have that God has given you? Intellect, and training upbringing, talents, gifts of the spirit, burdens, and passions. These are all things that God can use God can use his tools in your life to help you to reach others that someone else might not reach. There are people that Steve can reach and Ian can reach and Kosean can reach. That I'll never reach.

Because of the people that they're around. Because of the experiences that they've had. Because of their education or upbringing. Those are all tools that can be used in service of the Lord. Life experiences in particular are often difficult at the time but they yield good fruit in our lives.

James one verse two and count it all joy. When you fall into diverse temptations knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience but let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect or complete and entire lacking nothing. Lacking nothing. In the last few years, I've had a bad elbow that required surgery. I had a knee that required surgery.

I had a herniated disc in my back. I've had vertigo. I've got high blood pressure. And that is minute compared to what some of you are facing. I dealt with other issues unrelated to health.

It is certain that I will deal with greater hurdles in the future. But those are not just hurdles. Those are not just problems. Those can be tools that God can use to mold us into the person that God wants us to be, to reach more people for Jesus. Brother Steve has been through a lot of.

Brother Steve Morris, is got an illness way back that affected his heart and affected his life and then you had the stroke and but you know something? The only Steve I've ever known is is the the Steve I know today. And you reach people that I'll never reach. Because of the things that you've that you've been through and they are, it is a great blessing to us to see your faithfulness and I know we'll God will use it. To open up the hearts of others.

I think of Steve Oltman. Steve Oltman's not with us today. He's he's locked down at home because he has had a kidney transplant and his immune system is suppressed and he really doesn't need to be out. Brother Steve's Altman's been through a lot. He lost a kidney.

He's on dialysis for eight years but you know something? He's been able to witness to a lot of nurses and doctors over the past several years and God has used those things to mold him into a servant of Jesus Christ. God means it when he says, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations or trials because they will help you to grow. And then number five, the fifth tool, material blessings, material blessings which we can use as tools in service of the Lord. First Corinthians sixteen two, upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come.

Paul was collecting funds to minister to needy Christians, to minister to the church in Jerusalem. And churches in Macedonia and churches in Asia Minor were collecting funds ahead of time so that he could collect them when he came and that he could take them to help the churches in Jerusalem that had helped him. God gives us material blessings to be used as tools. This is a material blessing but this is a tool. My car outside is a material possession but it is a blessing and it is a tool.

It is a tool that can be used in helping to reach others for Jesus. God has blessed us with blessed material possessions and finances to provide for first of all our necessities, yes. Matthew six thirty three, but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and what? All these things shall be added, shall be provided you. So, God says, I will provide for you if you will put me and my kingdom first.

So, if we will put Jesus first, if we will take upon ourselves the mission of the kingdom and reaching others for Christ and being holy, God says, I will take care of the other things. You don't have to to worry. I will provide you with a way. Number two, he provides us with material blessings to help supply the needs of others. Acts two forty four and forty five, all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need.

This is the first church in Jerusalem. It was a persecuted church. It was an impoverished church. And the members of the church pitched in together to help to provide for one another. God provided them the means.

So, not only they could help themselves but so they could help someone else. Ephesians four twenty eight says, let him that steals, stole no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that need it. God says, why have I provided you a job so that not only you can provide for your own house but so also you can have some to provide for another who is in dire need. And then number three, God has given us material blessings to provide us those things which we need to glorify him. Tools which we can use in service to him and to others.

Just a few months ago, we bought a church van. It's sitting out there in the parking lot. Haven't been able to use it a whole lot the past couple of months due to the pandemic but before that, we were using it every week to go and to pick up kids and to bring them to church to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. That van is a tool. It is a provision of the Lord to be used to fulfill the great what?

The great commission. The internet. Preaching this message today on Saturday so that we might upload it to the website so others might watch it on Sunday or Monday or Tuesday or whenever they want and you know something? As much as this has been a learning experience and a bit of a trial, I have found out that over the past few weeks, more people have watched the sermons online than would have been here to hear the sermons in person. The internet has a bad side.

But it is a tool that also can be used for what? For God's glory. Our homes, our homes are not just a place to provide us a place to sleep and to dwell. But our homes are places where we can invite people, where we can host people, where we can show people the love of God. Homes can be tools also.

And then the money that is or may not be in our wallet. To provide for church ministry, to purchase literature including Bibles. I I don't know where I said it but I I had a New Testament up here. We we are asking for people in our church to provide a little extra donation if they want to buy New Testament so that we can pass them out door to door and give people the word of God. Money can be used to train people in God's service and to send missionaries.

We don't have them up right now. Normally, we would because we should have had missions conference last weekend but we have all these flags that represent the different countries that we have missionaries in. And there's about 10 of them. Praise the Lord for God's people that are willing to use the money that God provides as a tool to reach people in those countries. For Jesus Christ.

What a privilege that is. In second Corinthians nine, six, and seven, it says, but this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give. Not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.

God says, I'm not telling you what to give. But if we'll ask him, I'm sure he will lay an amount on our heart that we can give cheerfully. Are you using the material possessions he has given as tools in reaching others for the kingdom? Or are we using them just for selfish desires? Because it's something how we can take something that is temporal and is here today and gone tomorrow to reach somebody for Jesus Christ who will spend eternity in heaven.

They are wonderful tools. It says in first Corinthians four twelve, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. What is a steward? A steward is someone who has been entrusted with something by the master to take care of. And what is God entrusted to us?

He's entrusted to us the gospel. The word of God that we might take it and reach others for Jesus Christ. He's entrusted these tools. He's entrusted us this time. What does he require?

One thing, faithfulness. He doesn't require us to be the most eloquent. He doesn't require us to be the strongest. He doesn't require us to lead the most to the Lord. He just requires us to be faithful.

Some of the prophets in scripture preach the word of God and thousands were saved and thousands and thousands, 3,000 were saved on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached. Some of them, Jeremiah and his in Isaiah preached the word of God for decades. And nobody listened. Were they still successful? Oh yes, they were.

Because they were faithful and that is all God requires. The question is, are we being faithful? Is God being glorified in our life both in our words and deeds? When you stand before him someday, will you hear? Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Or will you have nothing to lay at his feet? Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord today for your word. Thank you for your spirit. Thank you for the privilege of prayer.

For the life experiences that you brought into our life to make us better people and more useful and for the material blessings that you bestowed upon us to be used as tools, to bless others, and to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that we will take these tools and we'll see them as the wonderful gifts they are. To you used in service to our king. And Lord that we would demonstrate our love and trust in you and using them for that purpose. And going out into the world and telling others about Jesus, showing them the love of Christ, sharing with them the word of God, praying for them each day.

And looking to you for the harvest In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. I'd like to sing from your hymn books 393 as an invitation hymn this morning. 393, the Lord has spoke