Missions Conference - Sunday, April 30 2023 - 11:00 AM

A great meal, Great Fellowship, just love being with God's people. Love being a God's house love seeing the work of these great missions around the world. How Christ is advancing his kingdom through the proclaim the gospel? Thank you. Lord, for these faithful missionaries. Thank Our God for them. They going to the ends of the Earth to make Christ Christ known through thick. And thin through I was talking marriage to death, do us part, right? Pastor. Thank you so much for having us and inviting us to come. It's a, it's a humbling and awesome experience to be able to be with God's people in to preach the word of God.

You got a family of faith in Pryor Oklahoma. If you're over that way, we're in northeast of Tulsa about 30 minutes and you have a standing invitation to come visit us. If you're on vacation and Lake Country and Northeast, Oklahoma is not as beautiful as here. But it is beautiful. And I, we are in the right in the heart of light country and Grace, live prior since right in the center of Pryor Creek Oklahoma, which is the county seat of Mesa County and we would love for you to come and visit us and we would be honored to take you to lunch afterward if you would permit us to. So, do take your Bible and turn with me as we're discussing missions this morning and go to the 2nd Corinthians chapter 8. The very familiar passes, to all of us that you had a very powerful passage. That should be very helpful going to talk about Grace, empowered missions. Grayson powered missions. I'll be watching our time or Baptist, right?

We'll just be looking at the first 5 versus, I mean, it's probably even skipped my introduction and just go straight into the text itself and just mine some of the riches that is there. So let's start in verse 103, verse 5. This is the inspired infallible, authoritative sufficient Word of Our God. Now brother and we wish to make known to you, the grace of God, which has been given to the churches of Macedonia that in a great ordeal of Affliction. Their Abundance of Joy, their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality fry testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability. They gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the Saints and this, not as we had expected. But they first gave themselves to the Lord, and To Us by the wheel. Of our God, pray with me. And for me, please.

Wailord, we're humbled to come before the word of the Lord. Lord of the prophets of old before us. Lord, may we tremble before your words. Ford you spoke the cosmos into existence by Your Word.

You uphold all things for the power of your word. Hello, we are changed in. Regenerated in made a new by the Holy Spirit through the power of your words. Lord as the Apostle Paul said that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, to those who believe, Lord May the word of God be powerful in our lives. And maybe today, Lord by your grace and For Your Glory save, someone bring them into this glorious Gospel Kingdom. Open their eyes to see their need of a savior, their sinfulness and show them Lord, the exceeding sinfulness of sin. And may, they say that Jesus Christ is our code word from the storm that he is our mediator between God and man, may we run by faith in him and be rescued from the wrath of his to come. We ask all this in Jesus name, amen. Quickly a short Introduction. That the churches of Macedonia were not well-to-do churches than they were not living their best life. Now, Facing hardship, facing Peril famine. They're not at a church. That was replete with riches or abounding and resources. But yet we see that there was a need a riot at a resident within the Church of Jerusalem, which was the mother church, the church that began. After the day of Pentecost, there was a famine that was there was also hostility. That was there against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The saints were in great pain, and Dyers needs. The Apostle Paul had such a love for the gospel to love for God's people alone for the Lourdes church that he beckons help from the church has to take of the increase. The Lord would bless them within to say that that whenever he came that he might take those funds and deliver them to the church in Jerusalem to alleviate, the needs of the church outside of this is a pattern. In a principle that we now here in, 2023 can follow for the support of our missionaries globally. These men of God, these great ambassadors of Christ to it, which we heard from the most this morning and last night to, to carry on the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the globe. The grace of God changes us.

This is not some philosophical idea that were adhering to. This is the power of God that sees his hearts and transforms lives and changes us from the inside out. We have desires that were never there before we begin to do things that we've never done before. We have burdens that were never there before and joy that we've never experienced before in the peace that passes all understanding that we have never tasted before. There are 7 features. I'm going to try to work through them in the next 25 minutes and get us out of here by noon. In the first, we see the grace and power Ministry. We find this and verses 12 and 4 is burdened. Burden for the Lost. They're all heart is smitten with the love of Christ and a great concern for the lost to get the gospel to the ends of the Earth. And because of its burden, we desire, our brothers and sisters. In the centers of Mongolia to repent and believe or our brothers and sisters in Mexico, or in South America, and Central America. My way of God's ministers and ambassadors that are there that we have a burden, heart to see the gospel, go to the ends of the Earth. Look at, it was me and versus 12 and 4. Now brother and we wish to make known to you, the grace of God, which has been given in the churches of Macedonia than in the great deal or deal of Affliction. Their Abundance of Joy, their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. Begging us with much urging verse for says For the favor of participation in the support of the Saints. This is a heartfelt cry. A burden to peel. That is right on the inside of a Believer, by the Divine workings of God, and his Sovereign Grace. The grace of God at work in our heart imparts, a share of the burden of the Lord for his people.

Delete 1941. We see our Lord weeping as he pondered the fate of Jerusalem weeping. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that our savior was a Man of Sorrows. We see the same burden for Souls characteristic in the Apostles of the Lord. Jesus Christ Paul says I'm constrained by the love of Christ in 2nd Corinthians 5:14 and that we know that at the moment of regeneration when the vinyl eye floods and overwhelms than conquerors are so that there is a seed of desire for God's kingdom and for God's people and for God's glory implanted into our soul. Here we find the churches of Macedonia in that region were burdened and that they were concerned for their brothers and sisters, listen beyond their Fellowship. Outside of their acknowledgement outside of the realm of friends, they were connected to them by way of the Gospel.

I see the video of these precious people in Mongolia these Saints, their singing Amazing Grace. They've been seized upon by the same Grace that I've been seized upon that you've been seized upon. They are my brothers and sisters, and they do not have the providential blessings there that we have here. But God has brought us up and burned up into the kingdom that we might have blind. Plenty that we might share with others.

The Apostle saw themselves as being united to the saints that were suffering by the unifying work of the Cross of calvary. They felt and they bore that need. They bore that burden. Where we find in our text this morning. That there was a generous gift that was sent by way of the Apostle to Jerusalem, because there were people there was that were driven by a burden heart. That there was a deep concern. Grace does that. Whenever Paul told the Believers in Corinth, that he was constrained or controlled by the love of Christ. That's exactly what he meant the idea. They're so, NECA mean in the Greek has the idea of being pressed hard from all sides It means to be inwardly distressed, it means to be gripped. A means to have an inward pressure, that moves us to act. That's what it means to be burdened. God's people are burdened for his cause, they are burdened for their brothers and sisters in Christ that we enter in vicariously, and identify with them.

That we share one of those burdens Galatians 6:2. Bear one another's burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. As Christians our hearts out to be tender and supple, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit has circumcised our hearts. That there is a tenderness there. Whereas, before we've been callous where I was before, we had no concern for anyone except herself, but the Lord has ran to Lansing to her heart that the Lord has done a mighty and powerful, and Sovereign work. And we begin now to feel the burdens that other people are bearing and sharing them entering and vicariously entering into their suffering and their lack with them. And it moves that we were moved upon by God to to step out in faith and be a blessing because we're burden to do so moved on by the holy spirit of God. It's unfathomable to me for a church. To be so cold and callous that we would not step up and commit to support missionaries and those that need hear the gospel around the globe. I think I'm saying listed of God's grace is seized our hearts. This burden will characterize us at some level, right? It will not any longer be able to stay the way that we've been. That will begin to enter into the concerns and share the burdens of others. And that we will be burden for the cause of Christ and for the good of our brothers and sisters. So the first characteristic of Grace and power admissions is, is that we will be a burden people, but secondly, will be a sacrificial people. We see the numbers to look at it with me with your copy of God's word there in your lap, or your smartphone. How were your have the Bible in front of you? Niverse to it says that in a great ordeal of underscore this Affliction, Affliction their Abundance of Joy and their deep poverty

Deep poverty. Charles Hodge Road on this. He said this is abject poverty. They overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. These were not willing to do it for the people. These macedonians, the rapport There are in much personal crisis themselves. Another generosity that we find him, a text was secured right in the midst of tremendous afflictions. They were facing hardships of their very own. They had their own problems. It wasn't easy for them to give it was costly for them to give because they had their own issues. They were dealing with Paul riding the best one I can. In chapter 12 1st, Thessalonians verses six and seven. He says you also became imitators of us and of the Lord having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the holy spirit so that you became an example to all of the Believers and Macedonia in a can You know, you can give generously without giving sacrificially.

Sacrificial. Giving is getting whatever is not easy to give. It's giving whenever it's costly and painful to give his giving whenever it's sacrificial and it cost you something and it's not as much. How how much you give the reality of the matter is, is it's how much you have left.

We think in terms of the old story in the gospels of the Widow who gave that mites, that was committed by the Lord Jesus for the sacrificial nature of her giving that she gave to the point. She had nothing left It was a very significant cost to her. In fact, Converse 44th Mark 12. Jesus says, she gave out of her poverty. She put all she owned and all that. She had to live on. She gave it away it cost. This is Grace at work and otherwise very selfish hearts. This is Christ alive within the churches of Macedonia. This is out Jesus live, isn't it? He gave his life up for us, he held back nothing, he laid it all down for our good, he loves his church sacrificially. He gave himself up by Charis Lee and says the 2nd Corinthians 8:9 for, you know, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's that word Grace, though. He was rich yet for your sake, he became poor that through his poverty, you might become rich. That's what sacrifice is about, isn't it? Jesus traded, his Rags were rich or riches, he traded his his crown for a cross and we inherit the spoils of his generosity. Is our example, by the way. The barrel Baptist Church have been divinely summons by God to be a sacrificial church. And that will demonstrate God's grace at work in your ministry and in your heart and in your lives that Barrel Baptist Church ought to be those generous Church in this whole County.

We can all do more Kent way. That's what Grace does, right? Grace does more? Grace does an abundance and dim sum. That's what Grace does. Jesus didn't spare his own life. He gave it up freely for us, abundance. And then some to go to the pool and then some that's how we have got. People should be giving sacrificially painfully. And third, we see joyfully and verse two, it doesn't a great deal over Affliction. The pastor wasn't cracking their arm up behind their ears. Holding them at hostage at bible point. But in their Abundance of Joy. And their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. Joy is not something that is circumstantially sensitive. Joy is the evidence of the holy spirit in our lives and the fruit of Salvation Galatians 5:22, you're very familiar, the fruit of the spirit is, what love, joy. Peace, right. But here we find these Macedonian Believers hard-pressed being up against the wall themselves. By way of circumstance, we get on the other hand, very joyful and the opportunity to the give generously to the saints of God that were indeed that were in Dyer's crises in Jerusalem. They were abundantly joyful and fight the term here. In the original language means excessively. So,

The Greek term, their piersia, had the idea of a surplus beyond what his regular beyond what is normal beyond the expected amount as the abundance is, the Overflow of joy that the generosity of the Saints. It was not an obligatory thing. It was not a burden. Something to then it was not, they're not giving out of a sense of dread, they were joyfully giving and they were exuberantly in and and generously giving

That's how God works, right? Do you remember how selfish you were before the cross? I do, I was terrible. What kinda know the Lord back in the day man. I'll wait for that tax income to come in so I can go buy me a new gun or go buy me a new set of golf clubs. Never once that I asked, honey, do you need some new dishes honey? Do you need some new clothes or just so self-absorbed with a cross? No Lie. Reverse is that we become now? Hyper generous we want. We prefer others to ourselves. That's what Grace does. Grace drives joy in the way that we give, we are joyful to give. And I would say that graceless, religion is what, gives drudging lior remorsefully, the grace of God drives giving that is an act of Joy or something that we Delight in infects. 2nd Corinthians 9 vs. 608. Just quickly on me, just give a synopsis of it. It says that we're not giving grudgingly or compulsively, but we're giving cheerfully because God loves a cheerful Giver. There were more blessed to give than to receive. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us and I can't, but help think of the context that these Macedonian Christians are under the gun that were Afflicted. They were impoverished. They had problems of their very own to deal with and it would have been very easy for them to say we have our own issues we can help you right now.

The God's grace was at work. And I gave generously and they did so joyously. Grayson Park missions. Gives joyfully, fourth generously. Look at Mars to be in three their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord that they overflowed in the wealth, their liberality, they'd be on their ability they gave We're liberality there. Half Latisse in the Greek means to be generous and means giving with Simplicity and singleness with Integrity. They gave more than they can afford. they gave generously and then some They took up the offering a church that man. I'm just going to do a little bit more than that my heart's bird and I love these brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. These, these are my Canon Christ. How can I not sacrifice for them? How could I not? How can I say that? I've been gripped by the love of Christ. How can I say that the love of God? Dwells on the inside of me and you and to not be generous in my getting to them. They gave what they couldn't afford. It's amazing how we do. And I know I'm as guilty as the rest, they would give safely. But here, they gave Dangerously. They gave out of generosity beyond what they could afford and we're very safe. And what we give this is that little Mike kind of giving digging into our resources to give in a dangerous way. I like how Jamie Phillips translated this text. He said somehow in the most difficult circumstances there joy and the fact of being down to the last penny themselves, they produced a magnificent concern for other people and I can guarantee. He said that they were willing to give to the limit of their means, yet be simpler means without the slightest urging from me or anybody else.

Several years ago, probably close to a decade ago when it first came out of red David Platt, book radical And in that book, the gist of it is that Christian people ought to be denouncing the American dream door. It's us four and no more.

And that we need to understand. God has propped by Providence, Place Us in America. The Land of Plenty is ample means so that we can live humbly and give generously flu spread the gospel.

I don't think any of us are in danger of taking that book way too seriously. But I do encourage us to read it until let that stimulate the way that you think about giving. And the way that you think about sacrificing for the kingdom of Christ, because generosity is the heart of God. He's so loved the world that he gave an angel

Really.

Is everybody awake? He didn't give an angel, he gave his only begotten, begotten, son. He gave the best. He gave Christ. It's so generosity. If we've been begotten of God, if we're end well by the spirit of God, I would be characteristic of all of us. We've all got to fight that stinginess that creeps up from time to time.

Sometime that shiny new pistol. That you're looking at down at the gun store, guys. Want you to get home and start thinking about it. Kind of loses its litter done it.

We're going to take the selfish desires to The Crossings a daily thing for your cross daily. And I know that around where I live. We kind of mock the wwjd campaign, but in this particular instance, wouldn't it be right to ask that question? What would Jesus do? And I think we should follow the example of what Jesus did and he gave up everything.

Generous. And then some Physics that Grace and power Ministry is willing. They gave of their own accord that Paul. Here is not pistol-whipping the macedonians to become generously simply presented. The need of that was a rising and the church. There in Jerusalem in that the Believers in Macedonia or responding and joy and willingness and generosity. There was not any coercion nor was there any manipulation? Listen burden hearts. Look for Avenues to be generous.

I'll call you back as soon as you can just lay out your item in. Generous hearts look for opportunities to be generous. Generous Hearts. Those other than mood, the fall of the grace of God had these inwardly pent-up passions that I spoke about in my first point to be burdened in that burden must be relieved and where you relieve, that burden by being obedient and being generous. I challenged our church with this texting that we can always do more.

I plead with them to go out to eat less in the save that money into use that for World missions, to use that, the support missions to get the gospel, to the end of the Earth. Doesn't the Bible say, when the gospel goes to the ends of the Earth, then the Lord comes back. Don't you want him to come back and in this wreck? I do even so come quickly. Lord Maranatha come Jesus.

The we give willingly you know brothers and sisters. If we saw a little child out playing in the streets and the traffic running way too fast as they normally do. Would you wait for somebody else to run out into Harm's Way and to alleviate that child from harm? Or would you just act impulsively and respond, kindly and put yourself In Harm's Way? Would you then run out and do endanger yourself to deliver them from harm? No one would have to coerce you to do that. No one would have to beg or manipulate you, you would act in the media way on the basis of the need that presented itself. At the time you would do that because you are a Christian

There's a great need for the gospel to Advanced. There's a great need for centers to hear the Glorious message of the cross. Where's my dear brother at from on the way there you are? Brother, is there centers in Mongolia that need this message? And it takes finances from the church in America to sustain and Propel the mission of Christ further and deeper into Mongolia that more and more people might hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And where's my brother from Mexico? That lives on the border, there you are. My dear friend, is there always that? Need an expanding need and more, and more need of the Gospel. Might go powerfully, and penetrate the hearts of others and places. The gospel is not gone before. There is a great need and listen to. God has placed us. In a nation with opportunity and access the funds to advance the cause of Christ Beyond Any Nation. In the known world that we are to be Driven willing. To take the gospel to the ends of the Earth. The next thing I want you to see, clearly isn't it's a six-point in that? Grayson tard? Missions is passionate verse for characterizes is the begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the Saints, begging us, Dale. My pleading with us pleadingly. This is a term that often used in scripture to note are our prayers to God in the fervency of our praying. If you ever played with a passion and a burden for your kids, and your grandkids are all this morning very early before the sun came up, I was pleading with God for my five grandkids, it was the same idea day on my pleading with God, for God to save them. And here, it says that we're begging with much urging for the favor of participating in the support of the Saints. The idea can literally mean to implore imploring us that we want to get in on this really. We want to get in on what God's doing in Jerusalem in the Church of Jerusalem that were willing to give them more than that. We're begging that we can get in on this Divine work of God beg. I'll just give us one shot at this. Give us give us opportunity to get involved.

You remember, these are people that had very Bleak budgets. Their Surplus was a lien Surplus but now we find them begging to be granted the opportunity to give to the point that it hurts.

God make me like this.

Give me, can we just asked God to do that? Unless God make me like this.

God will give until it hurts because that is what characterizes that's what proves that Grace is at work in your life that you care and you're more concerned about others than yourself.

Grace makes us willing to do with that so that others can have preferring other people before ourselves, and this was the attitude characteristic that Showcase the hearts of those Believers there in that church. The church is a mess of Donia. They were grace these people, by the way, Grace doesn't ask, who's going to go Grace? Ask who's going to stay back? Right. Great cousin. Ask how much should I give Grace Oz. How much should I keep? Grace makes us to be Desiring to be in on what God is doing at all cost. I just see these Macedonia Believers, all wide-eyed was Joy welling up in their hearts begging, Paul to have opportunity to get in on this offering Paul knowing that they were impoverished themselves as they love. We, we, we want to give with abundance, we please. Please, we want to help the science of Jerusalem. Yeah, I know. I've only got $20 to my name but they could use it better than I can, I'll be. Alright God will take care of me.

He was accosted by the saints that love Christ and their brothers and sisters cuz they were begging and pouring him get to get in on this.

Wanted to see the needs of those Saints, met more than their own memes joyfully. Serving. Lovingly yielding. The heart of Christ, who for the joy, set, before him, he endured the cross. I want that to be our heart, don't you? I want to see God's grace at work and so much that we are, joyfully anticipating the opportunity to give and to go

Not everybody will go not everybody's going to get on their plane and go to the uttermost parts of the Earth, but you can hold the Rope for those are going down into the. Well, you can make generous contribution to empower these God called men and God called women, that his Godly men have wives, and they sacrificed right along side of their husbands and their children. Hold the Rope while they go down in the well. it'll make their Ministries effectual by supporting them in generous giving and in continuous praying

Finally, why don't you see the grace and power Ministry is Godly. look at verse five in the deer, and there's not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and by the will of God, they first gave themselves The Lord Greek expert. 80 Robertson says that this is the X explanation of the generous giving This is the explanation that says so much about generosity. It's an act of godliness isn't it?

These are Macedonian Believers committed to the cause of Christ. In the first order of business, was yielding themselves to the Lord that he was in first place. That's the idea. Here are the Greek word protoss. First gave themselves Lords that it's a first in order Christ had preeminence and everything. Whenever Jesus is preeminent in your life, generosity is just common place.

Whatever. Jesus is first in your life giving is joyful. Whatever Jesus is first in your life.

Listen crazy. Generosity.

Is the norm. They gave themselves first to the Lord, he had first place, he had preeminence in all things. He was our foremost Passion by the will of God. We left the remodel, that's their epitaphs. Paul seems to be captured. Paul seems to be awed by this. It was beyond what Paul had expected that their commitment to Christ and their outflow of commitment, was beyond what the Apostle Paul had expected. The grace of power Ministry. Foremost is so committed to Christ, the crisis old, one, and captured, and throw their hearts that we removed that we're burdened, and that his Enterprises are shared with us and that we are all in with him. We're all in. We're not going to take it with us.

God has brought us into his kingdom that we might expand his kingdom. God has brought resources into our lives and into our bank account to expand his Enterprises to make Christ known to the end of the Earth. And listen, again, you may never go to Thailand, you made it never goes to to Mexico. You may never go to Mongolia, but you go with them as you give your holding the Rope as they go. They were sending were so moved upon by God's grace. We want in on that.

What we've been seeing? Lord your will be done, right? In a great ordeal of affliction. Their Abundance of Joy, their deep poverty overflowed and the wealth of the liberality that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord begging and urging for opportunity, to participate in the support of the same. As you may say, Pastor Derek, that's just right.

That's just normal Christianity. We are so acclimated to the inferior that the normal freaks us out. That's Christianity. That's what Grace does. May God work in Us in that way. Right by the gospel, get to the ends of the Earth. May these dear Godly Brothers. Never say, I don't know how we're going to pay for this.

but I testify that the Saints Barrel Baptist Church gave and then some they were faithful. and then some they were generous and they gave till it hurt and then and then some You made that characterize the grace Life Church saints in Pryor Oklahoma. Never church that strives to be Godly in Christ Jesus. The Lord. We're so thankful for this opportunity. Lord I'm so touched and blessed by these missionaries that are giving their all Stirred and empowered and sent by divine grace. And Lord made church is just like this one in, churches, like the ones that are meeting in Pryor. Oklahoma, may we become so Godly and so Christ. Centered in the Christ will have such rain in a rule in preeminence in first place in our lives that are burdened Hearts. Could not withhold that they will just generously. Give me Christ receive glory in his church both now and forevermore in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen, and amen.