PREACHED:OL,
“OUR
ATTITUDE TOWARD MISSIONS”
INTRODUCTION:
In
A. A pagan temple -
1. 1000
gods, each 5 feet tall arranged in tiers
a. And
on the heads, hands and feet of these 1000 gods are 32,333 smaller gods…
B. Hundreds
of years—object of worship and devotion although…
1. Eyes cannot see and ears cannot hear!
C.
Jer 10:3-5. “…the customs of the people are
vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands
of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with
hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a
cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot
walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them
to do good.” Vs 14,15. “Every man is stupid and without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to
shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them.
They are worthless, a work of delusion…” V 10. “…But the Lord is the
true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King…
‚ It is the task of the church, in
this generation and every generation, to tell a pagan world of the one true God
and His salvation found only in His one and only Son, Jesus, the Christ!
A.
John 14:6
Acts
Romans 8:1
ƒ Christianity is not an American
Product.
A. It
was not made in
B. It
was intentionally intended by God for the entire world!
1.
Mark
Matthew 28:18-20
Acts 1:8. “…you will be my
witnesses in
2. Acts
begins in
a.
Romans 1:16
C. When
Isaiah prophesied about the future
1. “…all nations shall flow to it, and many
peoples shall come and say, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the
house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us of His ways and that we may
walk in His paths…” (V 3)
„ An artist was commissioned to paint
a picture of a dying church…
A. It
was anticipated that he would picture a ram-shackled building, neglected
grounds—a facility generally abandoned…
B. But what he painted was quite different:
1. Stately
building! Elegant stained glass! Expensive, richly carved wood! A high,
unapproachable pulpit! Comfortable pews!
a. But
in an inconspicuous corner, a box was fitted to the wall. There was a slot in
the top covered by cobwebs, and a sign above it that
simple read…
1) “For
Missions”
C. It
has truthfully said, “The church that is
not mission-minded will soon be a mission.”
… In III John, the Holy Spirit
reveals five beautiful attitudes that will positively promote the proper
emphasis we should have on mission work.
A.
3
John 1-8.
B. What are these attitudes?
1. Mission-mindedness
begins with LOVE FOR THE TRUTH!
a. John makes repeated reference:
1) He
addresses his letter to “…the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth…”
2) He
told the church that he “…rejoiced
greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are
walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are
walking in the truth…”
3) Jesus
defined truth as God’s word and that we are set apart for his service by the
truth, John 17:17.
b. We
need to firmly believe that there is a standard of truth and that whatever does
not meet that standard is false!
1. I John 4:6. “Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not
listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
a. Acts
c. A
man was learning a new language and he was asked by a friend how he was doing,
and he said…
1) “I have no trouble with the nouns, but it is the verbs that bother me…”
a) “Truth”
is a noun! “Love” is a verb! We may know the truth intellectually, but only
love will make us do something about it!
2. Our
greatest longing should be SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY SOULS!
a. V 2. “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in
good health, as it goes well with your souls…”
b. The
social gospel ends with the first statement, “...that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health…”
1) When
one loses their love for eternal truth, there is a de-emphasizing of the soul
and a growing interest in this life and social causes!
2) Digging
wells in arid lands to quench the thirst is important for this life, but
helping them find the “well of water
springing up to eternal life” is the provision that ultimately matters!!
3. We
must view mission efforts AS A NECESSITY FOR FAITHFULNESS TO GOD.
a. V 5-7. “Beloved, it is a faithful thing that you do in all your efforts for
these brothers, strangers as they are, who testify to
your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in
a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name (Jesus
and the gospel), accepting nothing from the Gentiles…”
1) By
supporting missions we show our love for and faithfulness to the Lord, the
truth of the gospel and the lost souls of all nations!
2) Faithfulness
is also seen in John’s statement, “You
will do well to send them out in a manner worthy of God!”
a) Recognize
their worth! Treat them with dignity and honor! They are the Father’s
ambassadors!
b. Greek
expositors, ARDNT-GINGRICH says the terms “send
them on their way…” means “to help on one’s journey with money, food, by arranging for companions
and means of travel, etc.”
4. We
must support missions with the understanding that when we do, WE ARE DOING
a. V 8. “Therefore, we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow
workers for the truth.”
“The vision of a dying world,
Is vast before our eyes.
We feel the heart-beat of the need,
We hear its feeble cries:
Lord Jesus Christ, revive thy church.
In this her crucial hour!
Lord Jesus Christ, awake thy church,
With Spirit given power.
The savage hugs his god of stone
And fears descent of night;
The city dweller cringes lone—
Amid the garish light:
Lord Jesus Christ, arouse thy church,
To see their mute distress!
Lord Jesus Christ, equip thy church,
With love and tenderness.
Lord Jesus Christ, embolden us,
In near and distant scenes,
The warning bell of judgment tolls,
Above us looms the cross;
Around are ever-dying souls—
How great will be the loss!
O Lord, Constrain and move thy church,
The glad news to impart!
And, Lord, as Thou dost stir the church,
Begin within MY heart!!”