Loving the Lost
Faith Expressed through Love • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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In: 1. This is one of our most important Sundays of the year
a. The church is here for God’s purposes, not our preferences
1) Three purposes of this gathering
· Exalting God- worship
· Edifying each other- fellowship
· Evangelizing the lost- missions (only one with a deadline)
b. God’s heartbeat is missions
2. Theme for 2024- Faith Expressed through Love
a. Galatians 5:6 The only thing that matters is faith expressed through love
b. Loving God and Loving People are tied together
c. How will our faith express our love for God?
1) A growing relationship with Him
d. How will our faith express our love for Others?
1) Discipleship is knowing others and being known by others
e. How will our faith express our love the Lost?
1) Fulfilling God’s purpose on this earth
I. WHY is Missions so important to us?
A. Our history at the Bridge
1. First service November 20, 1966 with 17 people (Methodist)
a. JR French 66-69, WT Cohn 69-73, Robert Stuart 74-79
b. Moved to our current location in September 1975 (old sanctuary 1 & 2)
c. Jim & Linda McNabb 79-2021 2ndsanctuary (McNabb)
2. 1979- $498.66, last year went over 24.5 million
a. Bro. McNabb- Give God a reason to bless us
b. We always did a missions project before a building project
c. We are blessed to be a blessing
B. We believe missions makes a difference
1. General Mao's wife, Jiang Qing, told foreign visitors, "Christianity in China has been confined to the history section of the museum. It is dead and buried." In 1970s a visiting Christian delegation from the United States reported, "There is not a single Christian left in China." The truth is today Mao is dead and the A/G sent 4.5 million Fire Bibles in China. Estimate 40,000 saved a day in China. We gave $150,000 to print Fire Bibles. I believe in the Bible and Bible training.
2. The Chin Fire Bible had to be smuggled into China. They carried it on Horseback across river so deep they had to take it off the horses and carry them across case by case. The cost for each Bible was 6 weeks of their salary (most of them make just over $1 a week). Fire Bible wasn’t going to charge them, but they insisted on buying them so there was money for them to make more. No one thought they would get very many orders, but they had 7,000 pre-orders fully paid.
3. (Georgia 1 & 2) You helped finish this building in Zestapomi, Georgia for Bishop Roman. It’s a training center for the entire region
4. (Truck 1 & 2) Puebla, Mexico- Bought a second truck for outreaches into the mountains where people have never heard the gospel- Rebecca & Denzl Hood
5. (Kisemei) Pastor Emmunuel became a Christian in 2014 and as working at a wildlife camp as a night watchman. He felt called to be a pastor and plant a church is Kisemei, Kenya and he did in 2022. Today they have more than 60 people attending in an area where there were no believers previously. This church plant was funded by The Bridge through Stephen & Bailey Kuert with Involved International
6. (India 1 & 2) Kerry & Melanie Mauldin- last year in India they drilled 303 wells and built 196 churches. Bridge- 4 wells 3 churches
7. (Mumbai 1 & 2) Mumbai, India Teen Challenge Center. Serves Southern Asia. 25% of worlds population, 40% of the world’s drug addicts and 50% of the world’s unreached people groups. Building a new dorm and kitchen and we helped $10,000 for all the beds
8. (Brazil 1 & 2) Josh & Lisa Sears, Brazil. Working with the Satere Mawe tribe. They were passing out water filters to help them from getting sick. He uses it as an illustration about God purifying our lives. One young girls was crying. Are you sad, No I’m happy because now I have Jesus in my life
9. (Kenya) The Center for Leadership Studies in Kenya had a fire. We were able to send $10,000 to help rebuild the area that was damaged by the fire
10. (Rwanda 1 & 2) We paid for 10 pastors to receive 1 year of Bible training
11. (Zoe 1 & 2) Blake & Katy Edgmon lead a ministry called Zoe Community that helps women in crisis pregnancy. They had a lady come to their locations (Bridge provides) and after meeting with their volunteer she decided to keep her baby. Later she said "I am so happy that Zoe Community helped me, I can't believe how much love I feel for this baby already. I am glad I made the decision to stay pregnant". That baby was born this past October and is named David. Our giving saved David’s life
12. We’re not done- we spent it all
a. Estimate that of the 3.5 billion lost there are 2.8 billion people who do not know a Christian
* We are making a difference through our missions giving
II. HOW do we do Missions at The Bridge?
A. Bridge Builders is our overall Missions Program
1. Simplify- instead of new projects & offerings all the time
2. Buckets
a. Tithe
1) We return the tithe, it’s not ours, firstfruits
2) Operations (heat, air, parking, transportation, cleaning), group resources, group events, buildings, staff
b. Bridge Builders (above the tithe)
1) All missions and outreach
2) Bibles, STL, BGMC, Community outreach (L&F, Homeless), monthly support (missionaries, teen challenge), projects (LFTL)
c. Gratitude/Grace- Blessings to you, Blessings through you
3. BB Book- If it comes in, this is what we will do, Trust us, Good stewards
a. Special offerings- check memo, offering envelope (online)
b. 70% Global, 20% Local, 10% Future (not buildings)
B. Faith promise? As God enables me this is what I feel like I should give
1. Helps us to set a budget, take on new projects, missionaries. I get requests every day
2. Set a goal
a. Plan- this is what I can do (what can you do that is in your hands right now) start there
b. Vision- this is what I would like to do (trusting God to do something beyond what I can do)
c. Dream- this is what I hope to do someday (
d. Example- Clive & Mary Beckingham- Orphanage in Kenya. One building. During adoption ceremony a man thanked them for the baby that his best friend was adopting. Clive do you have a vision for this orphanage. Clive runs and gets some blueprints and said I’d like to put a building over there and one here. The man said, “You’re not going to believe this but I have one of the largest building companies in Kenya and I’m going to build those buildings for you for free because to say thank you for what you have done for my friend.” Years later he came back and said, “Clive do you have a dream for your orphanage.” Clive said, “I do, I want to go multi-site all over Kenya”. The man said, “I have empty buildings all over this country and I’m going to give you a bunch of them for your dream” By the way, the man is a Buddhist. (Plan, Vision, Dream)
3. Debt Collectors- what can you do? Can you do $20, $10
a. The first gift changes their direction- running from debt, toward it
b. Where your treasure is, there your heart is
c. When you give, your heart follows your giving
d. Just start
e. I want you to experience the joy of giving
f. Malachi 3:8-10 tithe & offering
1) Test me – Double dog dare you
Cn: 1. Faith expressed through loving the lost
2. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 We pray for you, that our God will give you His power to fulfil every act prompted by your faith
3. Plan- what can I do
4. Vision- what would I like to do
5. Dream- some day
6. QR Code, offering envelopes- by the end of the month
7. Pray Matt leads worship