Reach out and He will Reach in

Power to Witness

Acts 1:8 MEV

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What are you doing to witness to others?

What are you doing to tell people about Jesus?

These are questions we must ask ourselves, are we helping to spread the Gospel of Christ?

I want to start off this morning with this thought, you are not insignificant. You have a purpose. You may not feel like it at times, but you are important!

If God knew you before you were created, you have a significance, and part of that significance is telling people about the Savior that you have encountered. That He has changed you and made you new, that He has made you alive and different than what you were at one point.

We are baptizing people today and they are making that public admission that they are changed and new, they are no longer like they were!

They now have a duty, We have a duty and that is to tell everyone we can about Jesus.

We just read in Acts that the power of the Holy Ghost comes on us to be witnesses, witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

This that we are talking about is Missions work. Listen to these quotes from Prominent Christian theologians about Missions.

840If there be any one point in which the Christian church ought to keep its fervor at a white heat, it is concerning missions. If there be anything about which we cannot tolerate luke warmness, it is in the matter of sending the gospel to a dying world.—14.220

Charles Spurgeon

The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him the more intensely missionary we must become.

Henry Martyn (Anglican Missionary)

But when I speak of missions, I am thinking of the multitude of activities that God’s people can engage in, by means of which they participate in God’s mission.

Christopher J. H. Wright

It is evident that Missions is the heartbeat of the church, It’s what the church is and was built on.

Missions is the heartbeat of Christ, if we are the Bride of Christ then we ought to have His same heartbeat.

Missions are a must, not a maybe.

Anonymous

Who are we to be missionaries to?

In Acts we are given 4 places we are to be a missionary to, or be a part of missions to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the utter most parts of the earth. It’s important before you go sending money or booking a flight to Jerusalem we understand what Jesus is saying here. He’s talking to His disciples as He is ascending directly, this is why He uses these terms, terms that were familiar to them at the time.

Like when Jesus said Jerusalem, he’s talking about the family, Jews would have understood this to mean those who you keep in contact with, whom you love, your bloodline if you will.

The very first people group that we are supposed to be missionaries to are our families. Our immediate family is our first missions field. If we win the whole world, but lose our family I dare say we have gained nothing. Our families are important, our children, and spouses, and grandchildren are important. Steer clear from being so involved in witnessing to everyone around we forget our children.

Matthew 19:14 MEV

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

You have the most influence over your children, are you impacting their lives by living, and teaching them about Christ Jesus?

Are you living for Christ, or just worshipping Him on Sunday and living any type of way in your home. Heed my warning for just a minute, the children that you have in your home are watching you every second of every day and they are needing to be lead to the Lord in all things.

Your first Missions field is your home.

It is your wife.

It is your huband.

It is your children

It is your grandchildren

It is the children who call you second mom or second dad.

This is your first missions field, are you being good missionaries, or poor ones? Does your life represent Christ well?

The second call to missions that are to be at is our Judea.

Who is your Judea? It’s your neighbor, your HOA including the president. It is your county counilmen and women, It is your waitress at the Denny’s

Your Judea are the ones who live in your proximity, but aren’t your Jerusalem. Sometimes it is hard to be a missionary to our neighbor. That neighbor that always borrows something but never returns it.

That neighbor that parks equipment or boats on your side of the property line.

That neighbor whose yard doesn’t look as good as yours. Or who complains about how yours look. Your Judea is your second Missions field. If you treat people badly, are you being a good Missionary?

I am afraid that some of us here today never think twice about what we have done, or how w have said things to those around. If they know you’re a Christian but you have deterred them from the faith because of your actions, you have not taken Jesus’ command to go and preach to all the world serious enough.

Missions is exciting because we get to witness about the Saving power of Christ. How is your life living that out? Is it living that out?

Many Christians say they are committed, but they are not involved. They’re like the kamikazi who went on thirty suicide missions. He was committed, but not involved.

Anonymous

We need to look for those needs to serve and within every capability that we have and fiber of our being that we have serve. We are going to talk about what that looks like on a broader scale more in the coming weeks, but what’s that look like in the short term? Some simple things to be a missionary to your Judea?

Smile- Shake hands with them.

Go out of your way to greet them.

Shine the light of Christ to them regardless of how they have acted to you.

Your third missions field that you impact is your Samaria,

This one is a challenge for each and every one of us, but it was more a challenge for the Jews that Jesus was speaking to at the time.

The Jews and the Samaritans hated each other. This hatred started all the way back in Genesis 37 when we read about joseph being favored over the older brothers of Israel, the twelve tribes of Israel. The other brothers sought to destroy Joseph, but God intervened nd not only preserved Joseph’s life, but used him to preserve the lives of the entire clan. Before his death, Jacob gave Joseph a blessing in which he called him a “fruitful bough by a well” (Gen. 49:22). The blessing was fulfilled, as the territory allotted to the tribes of Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim (“doubly fruitful”) and Manasseh, was the fertile land that eventually became Samaria.

Later, Israel divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom, called Israel, established its capital first at Shechem, a revered site in Jewish history, and later at the hilltop city of Samaria.

In 722 B.C. Assyria conquered Israel and took most of its people into captivity. The invaders then brought in Gentile colonists “from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim” (2 Kin. 17:24) to resettle the land. The foreigners brought with them their pagan idols, which the remaining Jews began to worship alongside the God of Israel (2 Kin. 17:29-41). Intermarriages also took place (Ezra 9:1-10:44;Neh. 13:23-28 ).

Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah fell to Babylon in 600 B.C. Its people, too, were carried off into captivity. But 70 years later, a remnant of 43,000 was permitted to return and rebuild Jerusalem. The people who now inhabited the former northern kingdom—the Samaritans—vigorously opposed the repatriation and tried to undermine the attempt to reestablish the nation. For their part, the full-blooded, monotheistic Jews detested the mixed marriages and worship of their northern cousins. So walls of bitterness were erected on both sides and did nothing but harden for the next 550 years.

This hatred was long standing and deep-rooted.

Racism

Financial status

Political divides

All of these things cause hate, and there may even be hate even today. I have seen some of this same hate come from pulpits as well. We stand against that and vehemently tear down any of those things that would rise up in us and try to take that throne in our hearts.

The greatest way to stand against those things is witnessing to them.

Jesus tells them to be witnesses to the people that they hate. It’s just like Jesus to flip everything around on its head and challenge us to do something that would go against everything we are.

Tell the person you hate, about Jesus. Be a Missionary to them regardless of what they have done to you.

Regardless of how they treated you.

What they said about you.

What they did to bring you to this place that you are in of disgust or hatred.

All of it is arbitrary.

Jesus did not say decide whether it makes sense to forgive and witness, He did not say only witness to them if they are worthy of it.

He said be my witness to the people you hate. He said, by my missionary to the people who have brought you pain and anguish and destruction. Missions is about telling people about Jesus and seeing them saved, what better way to stand against the gates of hell than to witness to someone who the devil has control of and live out the love of Christ to them. We’ve quickly talked about it, but Missions work is more than just saying Jesus loves you, it’s living life with that person, Do life with the person you hate, and let God change your feelings about them.

Our fourth Missions field is the ends of the earth.

WE are called and commanded to be involved in bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth!

Matthew 24:14 MEV

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Gospel is to be preached throughout the World. Then the end will come. This last one, if there be any reason to witness to the world it would be to hurry up the coming of the King. However, we want to get as many people to heaven with us this should not just include the people in our country, and community, this should not include just the people in our family, a part of this commission a part of this command is to bring the Gospel to every part of the world.

I was told in a church I pastored by a person that World Missions is less important than Home Missions, this is a misvalued opinioin on Missions, Missions isn’t what you do and how much you give, Missions is telling people about Jesus, those two things previous are how you accomplish the Missions sure, but at Home more people hear the Gospel than overseas, Let’s get the Gospel in the hands, in the ears of those who have never heard about Jesus.

We are commanded to take the Gospel to all the world, what are we doing to do that?

How do we do that?

There aren’t a whole lot of us today that can afford a plane ticket to go overseas and preach the Gospel, even further many of us are not called to be Missionaries, but we can support those who can we can support those who are called. Everytime you support someone financially and prayerfully you are furthering the Gospel. Jesus when he was ascending and declaring these to be missions, commanding and commencing when He said this He was well aware that these 12 disciples were not the ones who were going to do it alone.

He was aware that it would take contributions, it would take others who are raised up along side them, that’s why Paul had Barnabus and Silas He was training and teaching and going.

You may not be able to go, but you can give.

You may not be able to give, but you can pray.

Missions are important.

Over the next several weeks of this month we are going to be talking about Missions. Every Sunday we are going to take up another special offering for Missions work. Every Sunday this specific Missions offering is going to go to the following Project. Except for the 3rd Sunday of this Month the 21st that Sunday is going to be dedicated to our Judeas our outreach Missions we can’t do our missions here at home without financial help as well.

I love this quote:

If one first gives Himself to the Lord, all other giving is easy. -Dr John Bonne

Conclusion:

I want to close with these as reminders today.

God has all Authority

Matthew 28:18 MEV

Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Not some, But all.

Not a little but every bit of it.

What does that mean and have to do with Missions? It has to do everything, if you love the Lord and He is Lord of your life, then giving to His heart will be easy. Missions is what Christ is about, and He has the authority in all things.

If He is your Lord, He has authority over your time.

He has Authority over your heart.

He has Authority over your finances.

He has authority over your family.

IT’s not my life It’s His life on Loan from Him.

It’s not my time It’s His time on Loan.

It’s not my finances It’s His on loan.

When it comes to Missions your perspective has to be right.

Matthew 6:33 MEV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.

His Kingdom is of the utmost importance and His Kingdom needs to be sought where the Kingdom is the darkest! This is the importance of Missions His Kingdom being sought!

2. Jesus’ heart is for ALL people

Matthew 28:19 MEV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

All nations, Jesus’ heart isn’t just for the person down the street, it isn’t just for the family that is rich. It isn’t just for the people who have it all together. This is literally our vision here at Lighthouse, Jesus’ heart is for “The Rest of Us.” It’s for ALL people.

Those who have it all together and those who don’t

Those who have money and those who don’t.

Those who have a roof over their heads and those who don’t

Those who live in a country full of freedom and those who don’t.

Those who can worship freely and thosee who are not able to.

Those who have running water and those who do not.

Jesus is for all people, we need to be for all people.

3. Jesus Power will always go with you.

Matthew 28:20 MEV

... And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

When it comes to Missions you are not alone, you’re not alone when you are witnessing to those around you, and you are not alone when you financially give to a Missions overseas. You are not alone, If you are giving and you feel like you aren’t making any headway understand this today, you’re not alone God has you He has not forgotten you!

We call Missions giving as Faith Promises for a reason, it’s putting your faith in the hands of a God who will always be with you!

Christian mission is the only reason for our being on earth.

Andrew Murray

I want us to take a minute and watch this video this is going to be our Missions giving for this month.

We are going to take up an offering for this every week This Sunday like I said except for the 21st. I want us to dig deep and pray about the heart of God.

I also want us to be willing some of us can do this today make a faith promise.

A faith promise is saying I am going to give this amount of money regardless, I am doing it in faith. So It can be one lump sum, or it can be a monthly gift, but make a faith promise.