Missions - My Responsibility?

Missions - My Responsiblility?

TITLE: “MISSIONS - My Responsibility?” Macomb Nov 5, 2017

TEXT : (NIV) “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.”

INTRO:

Paul the Apostle was expressing his feelings of “Responsibility” for spreading the Gospel

# Compelled = “To be driven forcefully”

II. Why was Paul “Compelled” to preach the Gospel?

# (NIV) “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent…?”

Paul was “Compelled” because: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Paul was “Compelled” because: “How can they call on one of whom they have not believed?”

Paul was “Compelled” because: “How can they believe unless they hear?”

Paul was “Compelled” because: “How can they hear unless someone preaches to them?”

Because Paul was “Compelled” – He “Went” – But to go – He had to be “Sent”.

# Paul was sent by the church at Philippi and he wrote to them and said: “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.” (NIV)

III. Not only should the church (You & I) feel compelled – We should feel “Responsible” What makes me responsible to missions??…

There are 3 things that make “YOU & I” responsible to “OUR” generation Worldwide: (Giving $ To Missions)

Our knowledge makes us responsible

Our blessings make us responsible

The Command of Jesus makes us responsible...

FIRST, OUR KNOWLEDGE MAKES US RESPONSIBLE

Our knowledge of eternal punishment

# Jesus told Nicodemus: “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” ( NIV)

Our knowledge of eternal life

# John 3:36 (NIV) “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Our knowledge of a forgiven (Blessed) life

# (NIV) “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

# Jonas Salk became responsible to share the vaccine for polio the moment he became knowledgeable of its ability to cure.

# If you were to discover “THE” Cure for cancer – You would have the responsibility to save the lives of many others

# Since you and I have discovered the “Blessed Life” of the Born Again experience – The we ARE responsible to share that knowledge

We Are Responsible: First, Our Knowledge Makes Us Responsible

SECOND, OUR BLESSINGS MAKE US RESPONSIBLE

Our material blessings

# We have the promise:  And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

# David said in “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”

Our physical blessings

# (NIV) “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water….”

Our spiritual blessings

# (NIV) “…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

# But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

# There are between 2 to 3 billion people who have never heard a clear explanation of the Gospel – We have missionaries who are ready to tell them, but it takes between 1 1/2 to 2 years to raise their support

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE: FIRST, OUR KNOWLEDGE SECOND, OUR BLESSINGS…

THIRD, THE COMMAND OF JESUS MAKES US RESPONSIBLE

THIRD, THE COMMAND OF JESUS MAKES US RESPONSIBLE

# If a parent tells his child: “Because I Said So!” – That parent does not expect disobedience or talking back – They expect their child to “Do What He/She is Told” – God said:

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” ( NIV)

A. Many are lost – Do not have forgiveness & peace & will not spend eternity with God

# In Jesus said: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

B. There are many who do not have peace

# But the wicked are like the tossing sea,

    which cannot rest,

    whose waves cast up mire and mud.

C. We can help them find “Eternal Life” & “Peace For This Present Life”

There are 3 things that make “YOU & I” responsible to “OUR” generation Worldwide: (Giving $ To Missions)

Our knowledge makes us responsible

Our blessings make us responsible

The Command of Jesus makes us responsible

CONCL:

There is only one way to Heaven

# (NIV) “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Since there is only one way -- And we know that way – We have a responsibility to make sure as many people “Know The Way” as possible

# Navy Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare (P.E. 2/5/06)

Edward “Butch” O’Hare is one of the most famous US fighter pilots in history, made so not just because of his skill and bravery but because of his own family life. Edward O’Hare was born in St Louis on 13th March 1914.  Edward had two sisters Marilyn and Patricia but was separated from his father when his parents Edward J and Selma divorced in 1927. Edwards’s father moved to Chicago where he famously ended up working for the gangster Al Capone.

Edward “Butch” O’Hare was destined for a military career. He was sent at the age of 13 to the Western Military Academy by his parents where he proved to be a fine marksman and president of the rifle club.  He graduated at 18 and the following year (1933) started at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Brewster F2A-1 'Buffalo'

of VF-3, 1940 ,

On 20th February O’Hare earned his reputation and his place in US Naval Aviation history. The USS Lexington was deep in enemy waters in preparation for an air strike against the Japanese ships in the harbour of Rabaul. The plan quickly started to go wrong when the Lexington was spotted by a Japanese plane. The enemy spotter plane was quickly shot down but it had already reported the sighting of the US carrier. The first enemy response was an attack by 9 Mitsubishi G4M ‘Betty’ bombers. Six Wildcat fighters attacked them destroying six with the ship's anti aircraft guns finishing off the survivors before any damage was done. A second wave of nine Japanese bombers was soon incoming, another six Wildcat fighters were dispatched to intercept them, including O’Hare. The intercept was far from perfect with four of the Wildcats too far from the bombers to reach them before they released their bombs, this left O’Hare and his wingman within intercept distance. The wingman’s guns jammed leaving only O’Hare between nine enemy bombers and the US Carrier. O’Hare attacked the V shaped bomber formation and quickly downed five with considerable skill and impressive speed with three bombers going down in flames at the same time. More US fighters now entered the fray just as O’Hare ran out of ammunition. By now the attack was ineffective and the Lexington escaped without damage. It was estimated that O’Hare used only 60 rounds per enemy bomber destroyed an impressive display of marksmanship, especially considering the Wildcat had ammunition only for 34 seconds of firing. His skill earned ‘Butch’ O’Hare a promotion to Lieutenant Commander making him the US Navy’s first fighter ace and first Congressional Medal of Honor winner in World War 2.

Award ceremonies and public relation duties kept O’Hare out of combat until late October 1943 where he flew in the attacks on Wake Island. By November 1943 O’Hare was leading fighters to counter Japanese attacks with torpedo armed Betty bombers which attacked at night at low level.

27th November 1943 saw ‘Butch’ O’Hare leading one of these teams of two Hellcat fighters and one Avenger. It is not clear what then went wrong but a confused dogfight in the darkness took place with the Avenger taking down two Japanese bombers. O’Hare was lost to radio contact and despite a search O’Hare’s fighter was never found, he was officially listed as dead one year later.

O’Hare has been honoured in many ways, in 1945 a US Navy Destroyer (D-889) was named after him and most famously on 19th September 1949 Chicago Airport was named O’Hare International. In March 1963 US President J F. Kennedy laid a wreath at O’Hare International Airport in his honour.

# It is wonderful that we are reaching souls through out the U.S. and around the World – But it would be sad if someone were present in this service and did not know the Lord and have the wonderful life that a Believer experiences here – and even worse spend eternity in hell.

But today could be your day. Today you can become born again and live the rest of your life as a child of God and spend eternity with Him.