"A Biblical Viewpoint of Missions" Romans 15:15-21

[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the preaching ministry of the Agapic Baptist Church in George South Africa.

[SPEAKER_01]: But we are we will be getting there.

[SPEAKER_01]: So let me read from Romans and chapter 15 and reading verses 15 to 21 and then we'll have our sermon this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: Romans chapter 15,

Romans 15 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_01]: Rather than I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the grace that has given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering to the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

[SPEAKER_01]: I have therefore, where of I am a glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God,

[SPEAKER_01]: any of those things which Christ had not wrote by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and roundabout unto a litacum I fully preached the gospel of Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, so I strive to preach the gospel

[SPEAKER_01]: Not big Christ was named, Lest I should build upon another man's foundation.

[SPEAKER_01]: But as it is written, Jimmy was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's a spray.

[SPEAKER_01]: Father, we do, thank you.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then we can open our Bibles this morning, and hear from you, and we do pray that you speak our hearts and encourage us concerning missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: We pray it helps us all Lord to have a biblical understanding and a biblical view.

[SPEAKER_01]: As we look at Paul's life, my Paul's life, a Lord, give testimony of what how we should view missions as a people, as your people.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so speak to our hearts from your word, the time-praying Jesus name, amen.

[SPEAKER_01]: So many people have a view of missions for many missions is a program that it's less onto the Christian life.

[SPEAKER_01]: In fact, missions is part of our sanctification.

[SPEAKER_01]: We need to understand that like that, and it will help us in our growth in our work as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: missions is not a program.

[SPEAKER_01]: missions really is a person, a person in the Lord Jesus Christ ultimately, he lived heaven.

[SPEAKER_01]: And he lived heaven's best.

[SPEAKER_01]: And all the resources of heaven was given to him to come to a world that was incriminated darkness and to die for us.

[SPEAKER_01]: And set this example for us.

[SPEAKER_01]: I hope as we work through some of these points this morning that God will give you a biblical understanding of some sort at least from these verses, we won't be able to cover everything concerning emissions philosophy, of course, but that is up to your passers passers down as the homework to do that.

[SPEAKER_01]: So we're teaching our homework this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: But ultimately, hopefully, just have a glimpse here in Paul's testimony as he closes the book of Romans.

[SPEAKER_01]: as to be concerning the theme of it, it is the righteousness of God through the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have to tie it to the gospel because without the gospel there is no righteousness for us.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have been declared righteous because of what God has done for us.

[SPEAKER_01]: And he has done that through the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: So the book of Romans before us to be able to understand it as this overarching theme.

[SPEAKER_01]: the righteousness of God through the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if you break the book up, really Paul is dealing in chapters one to 11 with what we call the principles of the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: So they lay down those doctrines which we love to study and we love to sing about, you know, complete indeed, we sang about it this morning a little bit.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then from chapter 12 to 16, Paul deals with what we call the practice of the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul always lays down the doctrine,

[SPEAKER_01]: without the practice of it, the doctor's really doesn't mean anything for much for us.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Paul, yeah, encourages people in the closing part of chapter 12 to 16 to live out the gospel, to practice the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: And that is the effect of change.

[SPEAKER_01]: As we year God's truth, as we think about it, as we retain it, the Holy Spirit works in our lives so that we can bear the fruit of what those new thoughts and new truths that He has given through the Holy Spirit to us as a people.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so Paul, here in closing, then gives a word and an explanation as to what guided Him at what deterministic behavior when it came to missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we'll see that Paul didn't view missions as a little problem on the side like a youth program or a one-up program.

[SPEAKER_01]: We'll see that Paul really understood what missions was all about when it came to missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: When we speak about missions, of course, we speak about world evangelism.

[SPEAKER_01]: We speak about just planting, we speak about evangelizing the lost Paul's viewpoint folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: was not driven by statistics.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul doesn't mention that here about, you know, 60,000 or 60,000 souls that live in Nomsama, I used that this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: No, the Saudi state of the last, and the state East Saudi, and there are lost, or the fughness of the laborers, and we can always do with more laborers.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, Christ said that the laborers of few, and it hasn't changed.

[SPEAKER_01]: Things haven't changed as far as that is concerned.

[SPEAKER_01]: These things should not serve as our main motivation for missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Someone has said that what you see determines what you do, and if you see nothing, we will do nothing.

[SPEAKER_01]: And hopefully this morning as we look at our poll viewed missions, my hope is that we will see missions in the way the apostle saw missions and that it will motivate us to do something and not nothing.

[SPEAKER_01]: depall view missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: First of all, notice in verse 15 to 16, Paul viewed missions as a personal responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul says, nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me Paul says.

[SPEAKER_01]: Notice verse 15 then.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then he says in verse 16, that I should be the minister

[SPEAKER_01]: And so we see, first of all, in the verse 16, when I call the grace for this responsibility because of the grace that is given, Paul says to me.

[SPEAKER_01]: And grace here is desire.

[SPEAKER_01]: Grace is an abelman.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul is not speaking about saving grace here.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul was already saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: We'll save them, wrote to the masquist as you all know.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Paul is not speaking and mentioning saving grace here.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul is speaking about grace.

[SPEAKER_01]: in the sense of enablement.

[SPEAKER_01]: God gives us instructions, but He also gives us the grace or the help or the power to be able to perform that which He gives us.

[SPEAKER_01]: And this is what Paul is saying because of the grace that is given me.

[SPEAKER_01]: This grace is available to everyone.

[SPEAKER_01]: In Romans chapter 12, verse 6 to 8, Paul is having then gifts different differing according to the grace that is given to us.

Romans 12:6–8

[SPEAKER_01]: When we come to Christ, when we get saved, we are born again.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Holy Spirit gifs us with certain gifts, and each of us at least have one gift.

[SPEAKER_01]: Some of us have multiple gifts, and Paul mentions the fact here, in Romans 12, and he gives the list of all these gifts, and once again, I will not go through all of that whole list.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's a little Bible study on its own.

[SPEAKER_01]: But folks, Paul, so God's grace, all of these gifts that the Lord gave him, he saw the grace of God in his life as an opportunity to employ his spiritual gifts for the glory of God and to take the gospel to a lost world.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's our poor viewed missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's what he's understanding personally.

[SPEAKER_01]: God has grace each and every one of us was spiritual gifts, folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: as I mentioned earlier.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have time, we have talent, we have opportunities, and so the encouragement here is to employ it for the sake of the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is not only our responsibility, this is our reasonable service as Paul mentions in chapter 12, but this also our privilege.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is a privilege to serve the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: An ultimate privilege to know him and to serve him.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so the question,

[SPEAKER_01]: that we should ask ourselves as a people of God is what are we doing with the grace of God in our lives?

[SPEAKER_01]: We are thankful for it, isn't it?

[SPEAKER_01]: We thank God, daily for His grace.

[SPEAKER_01]: But what are we doing with the grace of God?

[SPEAKER_01]: How are we employing it in our lives as a people?

[SPEAKER_01]: And here in the context of missions, we can employ divine writing a neighbor.

[SPEAKER_01]: Inviting a friend, praying for a loved one, visiting someone who's in hospital, has got cancer and

[SPEAKER_01]: God will give you the grace to be able to do that.

[SPEAKER_01]: Grace to live a lifestyle that is worthy of the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that others can year and can seek Christ in our lives.

[SPEAKER_01]: They is grace available for that.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so we see first of all the grace for the responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: Notice the picture poll uses obvious responsibility in verse 16.

[SPEAKER_01]: Notice how Paul pictures his responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: The words there, notice the words minister and ministering in verse 16 and offering, let me read verse 16, that I should be the minister, Paul says, of Jesus Christ, ministering the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: That word ministering there is the word priest.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Paul here is using priestly language, Paul is drawing from the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus.

[SPEAKER_01]: And this is our Paul viewed himself, and this is our Paul so himself as a priest ministering before the Older.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is our Paul viewed missions then, and he's the responsibility that of a sacred obligation.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul so himself and view himself as a spiritual priest to the Gentiles.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you can get that picture in your mind and this is our, obviously, I'm drawing the speecher.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is not to say that Paul had that speecher, but this is the idea.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul, every Gentile saved was to be a presentation and offering to God, a fulfillment of our priestly duty and an obligation.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is what I believe Paul understood when it came to missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul's desire was to please the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I do believe that is your desire.

[SPEAKER_01]: And winning others to Christ, please is the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: It pleases Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Missiones, please is the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: Evangelism, please is the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: Church planting, please is the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the picture as a spiritual priest that a minded Paul of his responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: For Paul, then missions, the winning of the last

[SPEAKER_01]: will be unto me, Paul says, if I do not preach the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: So then we have our first point in Paul's submission as a personal responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if we don't see it like that, we probably won't be doing anything about missions ourselves.

[SPEAKER_01]: So,

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul viewed Mrs. N as a personal responsibility.

[SPEAKER_01]: Notice Paul viewed Mrs. N second day as to the glory of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Notice verse 17, Paul's is, I have thereof, way of I make glory through Jesus Christ, in those things which pertain to God.

[SPEAKER_01]: I will not dare speak of any of those things, Paul's is in verse 18, which Christ had wrote by me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and the Paul's picture as a spiritual priest and the mind of him, but the glory of Christ motivated him.

[SPEAKER_01]: The whole desire was to bring glory to Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: And evangelism presents for us the opportunity to boast the word, glory there, speaks about boasting, boasting.

[SPEAKER_01]: Now, if you're a grandfather, you know what boasting is all about, guys.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Daniel Brutany, when you guys show up at Mom and Dad's house, they don't see you down before.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think they don't even want you there, I mean, they just drop the kids, right?

[SPEAKER_01]: And you're just so glad to do that anyway.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's all about the grandchildren, right?

[SPEAKER_01]: It's on the phone, it's all over.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so, we boast in these naughty little breads, but anyway, we boast in it.

[SPEAKER_01]: For about 10 minutes, Pastor Brian, then we can call Mom and Dad to convince them.

[SPEAKER_01]: gives us that opportunity to boast about the Lord Jesus Christ, the one that we love.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, in my days, when I grew up in the 80s, when you visited Grandmother's Grandmother's place, she had a display cabinet.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if you, you guys, remember that all the greatest trick they had to do young people like they had to go this way.

[SPEAKER_01]: But display cabinet was also a cabinet thing and I had a murder at the back

[SPEAKER_01]: that reflected, and each of those display cameras were unique, right?

[SPEAKER_01]: They were unique.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, your grandmother's display cabinet didn't look like mine.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like mine, got it?

[SPEAKER_01]: See, at all those places, little things in there, and they had pictures of all the grandchildren, of course, in there.

[SPEAKER_01]: But, and that might have helped with the reflection of all of that.

[SPEAKER_01]: Folks, when it comes to preaching the gospel,

[SPEAKER_01]: is that display cabinet for us, which reflects all of the glory of who God is.

[SPEAKER_01]: Think about it, the love of God, the holiness of God is reflected to us on the cross.

[SPEAKER_01]: The goodness of God, His faithfulness, His kindness, all of those attributes are reflected on the, and when we, when we share the gospel, when we open the Bible, when we share with someone the gospel, we are boasting in who Jesus Christ is, we are blifting him and making him known and proclaiming him.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are glorying in Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are boasting in Him.

[SPEAKER_01]: So in the beginning, it is difficult, getting to that part, where we are anxious, brother Dan, we are opening up the Bible, eventually we can get to the Bible and we are opening up a couple of verses and then we get to the cross.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then we spend time in their why.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because we are boasting in all this, what is that saved us?

[SPEAKER_01]: The one who loves us,

[SPEAKER_01]: And so we make him know he proclaiming we glory in him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That is what this is what drove Paul and motivated him.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's why he could have waited to get from the one town to the next town so we can glory about who this person was, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: But notice Paul was not boasting in himself.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul would never boast in himself or in anything that he achieved.

[SPEAKER_01]: He did not seek to make a name for himself.

[SPEAKER_01]: We know the apostle Paul.

[SPEAKER_01]: We know his testimony in Galacians after four forces, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: By whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so we give testimony in our witness, when we be sharing the gospel, we give testimony of what God is doing as Daniel our lives.

[SPEAKER_01]: and first Corinthians chapter one, Paul says, but God had chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God had chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know about you, but this is, this is me, weak.

[SPEAKER_01]: Not deserving any of his kindness, any of his goodness.

[SPEAKER_01]: No merit within myself.

[SPEAKER_01]: Then Paul says, yeah, and things which are not to bring to note things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul did not seek adulation of folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, there is a story to tell, but it is a story of what Christ has accomplished through his footed in the life of Paul.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, Pastor Bride, maybe Paul had some wonderful equipment that he could show of people as to all of the churches he has planted.

[SPEAKER_01]: I never get, I don't see that in the New Testament where Paul boasts that in of those things, and I don't see Christ boasting either.

[SPEAKER_01]: We don't save people.

[SPEAKER_01]: We are grateful for those men that have left their shores and have come to our shores to preach to our people.

[SPEAKER_01]: But salvation is of the Lord, the Holy Spirit is not limited to a particular people, the Holy Spirit is available for every one of us, that same Spirit that looked in the apostle Paul, that same Spirit that lived, that lives in the mission that has worked here along the

[SPEAKER_01]: Our efforts, folks, is mere obedience to the great commission.

[SPEAKER_01]: And our efforts is the reflection of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: And yes, we can do much better on that.

[SPEAKER_01]: All of us can do better on that.

[SPEAKER_01]: But this is what...

[SPEAKER_01]: This is what...

[SPEAKER_01]: This is as far as our boasting is concerned.

[SPEAKER_01]: The more and more and closer we draw to the Lord, the more and more we become aware of our violence and the fact that we don't deserve any of His goodness and kindness in our lives.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Paul did not glory in himself, but Paul clearly glory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: The cross of Christ demonstrates His excellent natures, His excellent qualities.

[SPEAKER_01]: evangelism then gives us that opportunity to glory in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: Every time we preach folks, every time we explain, every time we share the gospel, it presents opportunity.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we are thankful for churches like a copy that allows us to do that.

[SPEAKER_01]: And when we do, when we do that, you have a partnership in that, and Paul knew,

[SPEAKER_01]: This of course, nothing pleased him more than to bring glory to Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: I do believe that's your desire to hear this morning you are saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: Your desire to bring glory to Christ, to boast about him.

[SPEAKER_01]: In this poor labor, he endeavoured with it to royalty as a king, as to King Agrippa, or to a runaway slave.

[SPEAKER_01]: They didn't matter to poor folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: Missions is our opportunity to boast of who our God is and what he has accomplished for us as sinners and it is our opportunity to bring glory to him, Paul for your missions then as to the glory of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: In this text that we read, Paul mentions the Holy Spirit twice here.

[SPEAKER_01]: He says in verse 19, though through mighty signs and wonders, Paul says by the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem around about a lyricum, I fully preached the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, I strive to preach the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul also mentions the word gospel, I think three times in these five verses.

[SPEAKER_01]: So while Paul's picture has a spiritual priest that reminded him, folks, and the glory of Christ's motivated him, faith in God's sustained him, he relied on the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

[SPEAKER_01]: The first part of his 19, once again through mighty signs and wonders, that is also, once again, oh, look for Pastor Dan, he can explain, that he's got lots of work to do this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's when you take over to his pastor.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the invites preachers that are lazy, they we just pass the home of one for you guys.

[SPEAKER_01]: Advanced pools, faith was simply total dependence, total dependence.

[SPEAKER_01]: Next time we drive around and fill up a total think about that total dependence, total.

[SPEAKER_01]: not on methods, not on programs, not on people, not on the resources, not on gifts and education or finances, these have their place, not discarding those things, they have their place, but we do not place our faith in them, in our abilities, in our resources, in our education.

[SPEAKER_01]: Why?

[SPEAKER_01]: Because the flesh can make us overconfident.

[SPEAKER_01]: the danger of the flesh, the flesh, this is all my flesh reasons.

[SPEAKER_01]: We don't have enough money to be able to do what I need to do for the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't have enough resources.

[SPEAKER_01]: We don't have enough talent that people and I don't have a fantastic plan.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't have a building or new ideas.

[SPEAKER_01]: Therefore, I cannot go.

[SPEAKER_01]: Therefore, we cannot evangelize.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm handicapped in particular areas.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul, you demonstrated the pendants upon the power of the Spirit of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit say it's the Lord.

[SPEAKER_01]: He shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, Paul says, Luke says in Acts chapter 1 of verse 8.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

[SPEAKER_01]: So, folks, faith looks to the power of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: I cannot bull churches, those speeches that you saw there, this, I can only take, I can only take credit for the mistakes, and there's been many, and there probably will be paying forward, faith looks at the power of God, faith

[SPEAKER_01]: stands upon the promise of God.

[SPEAKER_01]: His promises of God gives in His word when it comes to just planting.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can lay hold of those promises.

[SPEAKER_01]: And faith understands that at the end of those promises, they say, person, it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: He has personally promised those things.

[SPEAKER_01]: To work His plan and understand that missions can only be done this way in total dependence.

[SPEAKER_01]: This was Paul's mentality.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is how Paul viewed missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Think about how intimidating the city of Rome has been walking down the dusty path and seeing this massive city, the New York of its day, how intimidating that must have been to a Jew who was dominated and insubjection to the Roman Empire

[SPEAKER_01]: here he is going to preach the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: Think about that folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was no different for him.

[SPEAKER_01]: Poor was a man just like you and I.

[SPEAKER_01]: But here is the key, the power of the Holy Spirit, total dependence, total dependence.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then notice in closing,

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul viewed missions as to having a clear objective, a clear objective in the verses 20 to 21.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul says, yes, so if I strive to preach the gospel, not be Christ was named.

[SPEAKER_01]: Last, I should build upon another man's foundation, but as it is written, to whom he was spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand.

[SPEAKER_01]: So clear objective, folks, leads to specific plans.

[SPEAKER_01]: The gospel, of course, reveals God's clear objectives.

[SPEAKER_01]: And in Christ, we see those coming, those specifics, objectives becoming clear.

[SPEAKER_01]: But not as first of all, in the verse 20, we see the objective is frontier.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul's is so, have I strived, Paul says, to preach the gospel, not be Christ's name.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul's objective is clear.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was the unreached.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul was not interested in poaching.

[SPEAKER_01]: in scratching in another man's backyard.

[SPEAKER_01]: Paul's idea where it came to missions was what we call an outward look.

[SPEAKER_01]: And many churches have an inward look.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, they tend to want to build up their own ministry and build a strong ministry.

[SPEAKER_01]: And there's nothing wrong with it.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so as long as we have the balance as it should, that we have an outward look as a people.

[SPEAKER_01]: Churches that have outward look and outward look are growing churches, and so many, many church leaders fear that if we are training men for ministry and sending them out on the field, we'll be losing all of those talents and gifts and whatever you know, when you look at the Book of Acts Acts chapter 30, the church at Antioch, and they must be committed for this folks, they send their best people onto the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: Think about that, think about

[SPEAKER_01]: That's the kind of man that we would want to hold on to, isn't it?

[SPEAKER_01]: But they lost the Apostle Paul onto the mission field.

[SPEAKER_01]: And today we have the Book of Romans, praise the Lord for that.

[SPEAKER_01]: You have Galatians, you have so much that Paul could do through missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, maybe you could have done a lot more as a Apostle of the Local Church.

[SPEAKER_01]: But the Church of Antioch, they went south as they just released him with the Holy Spirit spoke, him and Barnabas, going onto the mission field.

[SPEAKER_01]: and all of those men who join Paul.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so there's a lesson for us in that.

[SPEAKER_01]: We all to give our best for missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: We all to send the best men onto the mission field.

[SPEAKER_01]: These men that have come onto our field, we trust that they are the best, that they local church to send.

[SPEAKER_01]: They are serving here along the garden route.

[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what we aim at in our church is down in the Cape Two.

[SPEAKER_01]: We try to send the best men onto the field, onto the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we try to train them as best as we can to get them ready to go on to the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: So next week when you come to church, brother, there won't be a year you'll be on the field.

[SPEAKER_01]: One of the other ladies posted brother Dustin's church, I've been dubbing, I don't know if you know Dustin Elliot.

[SPEAKER_01]: If he had posted please don't please like that, we don't want to lose our posting.

[SPEAKER_01]: or bless his art, Dustin is still there, he's still doing a fantastic job and the work is growing up in New Yorkers.

[SPEAKER_01]: But Paul's objective folks was frontier.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was to boldly preach when no man has preached before.

[SPEAKER_01]: You guys haven't watched Star Trek or one of those movies, okay?

[SPEAKER_01]: But notice the subjective is driven by Scripture.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, we must make plans and each local just ought to have an objective as to what they want to do for missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: They ought to have a plan, they ought to have a mission's idea for lots of people, whatever you want to call it.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, local churches need to do that and should have that.

[SPEAKER_01]: And that is up to, that's where we have freedom in Christ, and East locals should decide how they want to do missions and what their goals should be.

[SPEAKER_01]: But notice those goals are to be driven by scripture.

[SPEAKER_01]: They have to be driven by scripture.

[SPEAKER_01]: not by the dynamics of business.

[SPEAKER_01]: When those forces, as it is written, Paul used according from the Old Testament from the Book of Isaiah to whom he was now spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand.

[SPEAKER_01]: Folks, missions is a fulfillment of that which was prophesied in the Old Testament.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's not a new idea.

[SPEAKER_01]: This idea of missions was the very idea that came from God himself.

[SPEAKER_01]: God's plan and purpose was always to win the world for Jesus Christ, the world for himself from Jesus Christ, that the Gentile nations would be evangelized here, where he quotes from Isaiah.

[SPEAKER_01]: And that is you and I, folks, we have

[SPEAKER_01]: We have been spoken to through the Holy Spirit.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have seen and we have heard and we understood and we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: Romans chapter 10, verses 14 down to 17.

Romans 10:14

[SPEAKER_01]: And we could hear the good news of Jesus Christ, praise the Lord for that, we could understand and we could respond in true faith and so become true worshipers of the God of heaven.

[SPEAKER_01]: John's have to fall, that's the purpose of missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's why Jesus came.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's amazing that Christ came and the first people that first major town that Christ influenced was not a Jewish nation, not a Jewish people.

[SPEAKER_01]: It was a despised people.

[SPEAKER_01]: And they neglected people, it was his inheritance

[SPEAKER_01]: One of the first evangelists that Christ's years was a woman, a despised woman, a vile sinner, like me, to go to her people, and in 12 Jewish disciples was just messed up completely.

[SPEAKER_01]: He messed up everything.

[SPEAKER_01]: So folks, we literally fulfill Scripture every time we preach the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: When we support missions, when we obey missions, it is a fulfillment.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is partaking in God's objective.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's clear objective for us as a people.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so, I did say closing already, so not in closing.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let me give you some.

[SPEAKER_01]: practical applications here.

[SPEAKER_01]: We need to see the gospel as our person responsibility folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you're sharing the gospel as a personal calling not only the work of the pastors here, all of their job, you know, they get paid for it, so they ought to be doing it.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then secondly, we need to use our gifts and opportunities as God has given to us.

[SPEAKER_01]: We each and every one of us has gifts, God has blessed us with.

[SPEAKER_01]: at least once, but let's give first Peter four of us ten.

[SPEAKER_01]: Of course Paul had plenty of gifts in his toolbox.

[SPEAKER_01]: But we are responsible for at least the gifts that he has given us.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can employ that when it comes to missions as well.

[SPEAKER_01]: And let's live a life that reflects the gospel.

[SPEAKER_01]: But then, I hope I'm going to get everything in here.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think it's jumping spaces here, but anyway, we'll see it out goes.

[SPEAKER_01]: We need to God our testimony, you know, if we're going to speak to people about Christ, we ought to make sure that we have a good testimony because, you know, the world, they are watching us and our testimony is important that we have a Godly testimony, one that is faithful.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I cannot invite a person to church.

[SPEAKER_01]: Sunday morning, if I'm not in church myself, I'm going to invite someone to why I was that if I don't turn up myself, so we need to be careful when they're dead.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then depend upon the power of God, don't be discouraged when people don't get saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, most people probably, you know, this seven billion people, I don't know how many people, how many of those people are not saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: But let's not get this carried folks.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Apostle Paul wasn't, he says the God, the example for us Christ really wasn't.

[SPEAKER_01]: And God can use one person, God can use one man.

[SPEAKER_01]: So don't be this carried when they don't get saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: This rely on the pen upon the Holy Spirit to give you the opportunities and to share Christ.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then participate in global missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Make it part of your purpose in life.

[SPEAKER_01]: Everybody can be part of the great commission.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can pray for mysteries.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can't all go.

[SPEAKER_01]: but we can all pray.

[SPEAKER_01]: We can't all go, but we can give.

[SPEAKER_01]: And we can teach our children about missions too.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so, Teeze from an early age to pray for the missionaries.

[SPEAKER_01]: Get a list, or get some pictures up for them to pray for the missionaries and teach them about missions.

[SPEAKER_01]: Teeze in your Sunday school.

[SPEAKER_01]: Make a part of your sanctification, as I mentioned earlier on.

[SPEAKER_01]: Because you knew that the gospel is the only message that can save sinners.

[SPEAKER_01]: Our hope is not in an election that is coming.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have had many elections in this country.

[SPEAKER_01]: Right?

[SPEAKER_01]: Where?

[SPEAKER_01]: It hasn't changed people's hearts.

[SPEAKER_01]: People are just as corrupt as they were yesterday.

[SPEAKER_01]: The only hope is the gospel for South Africa.

[SPEAKER_01]: And the same gospel that transformed Paul's life is the gospel that still, that God still uses today to change people's lives.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and as your Savior, no amount of religion, no good works or church attendance can make you right with God.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jesus died on the cross for your sins and for my sins.

[SPEAKER_01]: And he rose again on the third day, and he alone can forgive your sins and give you eternal life.

[SPEAKER_01]: Today, if you repent of your sin and place your faith in Christ alone, he will save you if you are not saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: The Bible says in Romans 10 verse 13, for us so ever, doesn't matter who you are, for us so ever, calls upon the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:13

[SPEAKER_01]: So I'll be saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: and be saved.

[SPEAKER_01]: Approach your pastor this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: Say, pastor, I'm not sure about my salvation.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so, will you trust him today as your Lord and as your Savior?

[SPEAKER_01]: And if he is Lord and Savior of your life today, will he trust him to commit something of your life to missions, to pray, to give, or even to go to the mission

[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Pastor, for the privilege this morning.

[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for your praise and your support.