CHURCH PLANTING III

Well this morning we have the last sermon in our three-part series talking about church planting reminding ourselves what corporate faithfulness looks like. This morning. I want to talk about church planting and sacrifice church planting and sacrifice one of the ways that we talked about being part of Westland Alliance Church pertains to the discipleship path for those who make this their home church. We have three words that describe that path connect grow and go for interested in more about that come tonight at 7 for WLA 101 will be talkin about that. But the gold part of the pathway pertains to Mission. We want to be a church on Mission and we want our people to be people on Mission. God has done an interesting thing at Westland Alliance in regards to our congregational pursuit of missions before I arrived here the church began to be more focused on missions and the momentum of that has steadily been building over the years. And in fact the last few years that momentum has increased significantly their number things that we could point in regards to that one. That sticks out in my mind most recently is when 7-year for young adults went to the Cross conference a conference that is dedicated to raising up many missionaries or one might point to the recent mission trip of the young adults to Angola, but there has been a another significant momentum influencer in regards to the pursuit of mission at our church and that has been God's providential work of really dropping missionaries into our lap. Am I saying that I'm thinking of the Frankish has and the owls who ended up at Westland Alliance Church largely due to the pursuit and education of the couples had and God drop these ready-made missionaries into our laps by ready meat made. I don't mean that they were all the way there or that we played no part of preparing them. I mean that they came with this pursuit in this commitment already in mind and on their hearts and we were able to come alongside them and participate in that Journey. Well, it seems that God is doing something similar at our church in regards to church planting this week. I was able to spend a day I going to Toronto for a meeting with Reese plant Reese his wife Natalie and their kids have recently just started attending Westland Alliance Church, and they're pursuing a church planting mission in which next year they intend to go to Scotland with the goal of planting churches with 20schemes 20schemes as a church planting Ministry who are bringing the light of the Gospel to Scotland schemes a scheme is a low income housing in Scotland and they're doing that through church planting and revitalization and it's interesting that God has has dropped them into our lap ready-made Church Planters who we can come alongside. And later on in the sermon. I'll give you more news about church planting in and got dropping surprises in her laps in regards to that. I'm excited about these signs and I'm excited about the growing momentum that God is working in regards to our pursuit of church plants in in this morning. I'd like to speak and drawer attention to the fact that this pursuit of faithfulness in the planting of churches will require sacrifice. I want to consider two passages both Epistles of the Apostle Paul. One from the book of Romans chapter 15 verses 22 through 33 and the other 2nd Timothy chapter 4 6 through 12. I urge you to read along your Bible. Or you can also read along on the back of the insert that's in your bulletin. I start with Romans chapter 15 verse 22 through 33. This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from Coming To You Paul writes but now since I no longer have any room for work in these regions and since I've longed for many years to come to you. I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you once I've enjoyed your company for a while at present. However, I'm going to Jerusalem bringing a to the Saints for Macedonia Nike. I have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints a Jerusalem, but they were pleased to do in a deed. They owe it to them for the Gentiles have come to share their spiritual blessings. They ought also to be of service to them and material blessings when therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected. I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. I appeal to you Brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf that I may be delivered from the unbelievers and Judy in at my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the Saints. So it by God's will I'm a come to you Joy and be refreshed in your company May the god of peace be with you all amen. And from 2nd Timothy Chapter 4 verses 6 through 12.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith henceforth. There is laid up for me to Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing do your best to come to me soon for Demas in love with this present world has deserted me and gone to thessalonica Crescent has gone to galatia Titus to Dalmatian Blue cologne is with me Mark and bring them with you for his very useful to me for Ministry. Tychicus. I have sent to Ephesus. Let's pray father God. We thank you for your word this morning. We ask for your help. We ask that you by your spirit would apply the words. From these Epistles to our lives. That is we consider what corporate faithful looks like in regards to planting churches. I pray father God that you would help us to see and understand the decibel require sacrifice. And father God you will help us to in our minds and our hearts. Connect that sacrifice to all that you called us to do. And if our God you would give us the courage in the face to do it willingly. I pray you would help me to communicate in a way that's faithful when it's accurate and helpful. I pray this in Christ's name we man. Here's my promise this morning for the sermon. The pursuit of corporate faithfulness that results in church planting both locally and globally will require sacrifice. And we should prepare ourselves for the sacrifices that are required. Let me say that again the pursuit of corporate faithfulness the results in church planting both locally and globally will require sacrifice. We should prepare ourselves for the sacrifices that are required the last three part topical sermon series topical series are not our normal or not. Our staple here at Westland Alliance Church are normal preached expositionally and we will return to Luke next week. And I do not preach these passage expositionally, but rather use them to highlight some sacrifices that church planting will require to look at the life of Paul a church planter himself and to get some of the sacrifices that were acquired from him and to see that the same is true for us. And in fact, I want to look at for specific types of sacrifices Financial ministerial existential and relational. Let's begin with financial. I read this passage from The Book of Romans The Book of Romans is actually a letter that Paul wrote to the Romans and it's considered to be Paul's greatest epistle. Some theologians even go farther than that Martin Luther the great reformer hundreds of years ago said this about the book of Romans. He said this epistle isn't truth the most important document in the New Testament the gospel and its purest expression. Not only is it well worth of Christians while to know it word for word by heart but also to meditate on it day by day. It is the Soul's daily bread and can never be read too often or study too much the more you probe into it the more precious it becomes and the better its flavor.

Let me read you what John Piper said at Cross con 19 which was the conference. I mentioned that the young adults went to the beginning of this year. He also was speaking about the book of Romans. He said Paul's epistle to the Romans is the greatest letter that has ever been written in the history of the world. Greatest because it's the greatest unfolding of the condition of the world and what God has done to save it and the way his people are to live in it. It's the greatest because it is a very word of God inspired by the spirit of God and more comprehensive than all the other inspired letters and scripture. It is the greatest because it Bears the marks and carries the fullest message of the greatest Theologian and the greatest missionary who has ever live Ozark wonderful words about the book of Romans paper then went on from that point to convey to his listeners the fact that Paul's letter to the Roman but we call the book of Romans is in fact a missionary support letter. Paul is a church planter and the letter to the Romans was among other things written in order to raise support for his missionary Endeavors. Now, I'm sure most of you have received one of these unit from an individual or a pair of Church Ministry. They write a letter they give it to you either through mail or maybe handing it over to church where it request support for the mission work that they're doing. That's what the letter to the Romans was. It was certainly more than that. But it wasn't less than that. We read in verse 23 of the passage from Romans 15, but now Paul says Since I no longer have any room for work in these regions. And since I have longed for many years to come to you. I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you once I have enjoyed your company for a while Nepal's interesting as he request funds request Financial Sacrifice from the Romans in doing so he says I'm going to come to you but only in passing I really want to go to Spain and you're going to help me get there. At least. I hope you will interesting way to raise support. But that's part of the reason for this letter so that he can encourage the Romans to financially support the work. He is doing a work of planting churches and this brings to our attention that the Endeavour to plant churches will require a financial sacrifice. In our planning sessions, we as the elders have agreed to aim to plant a church locally by 2022. And the owners of also determined to pursue the sending of a church planting team globally somewhere not local somewhere where the gospel doesn't have representation by 20 26 or 27 Lord willing. And these Endeavors will require Financial Resources. It will require Financial sacrifice. I want you to consider a few things about this and I will say visitors. I'm not speaking to you. I would not even say this, but you can stop listening to me for a few minutes. I am speaking to our church body. For those of you who call Western Alliance your home church. I want you to consider a few things. You need to understand something. You need to understand that I do not know who gives what? it is within the purview constitutionally for me to know that I have a right by the Constitution of our church to look and see what each one of you give I have never entertain that and I will entertain that and I think it's important that you know, I don't know who gives what not something that I think is wise for me to see and not something I can't foresee a situation in which I would look into that. So I don't know who gives watch so I'm speaking to you with no more information than anyone has that being said though. I don't know those kind of details are Treasurer does give me reports about some generalities about giving and I wanted to bring one of them to your attention.

I treasure informs me that approximately 30% of individuals and families contribute approximately 70% of our general offerings admissions givings. I think about that for a minute 30% of individuals our families contribute 70% of our general offerings in missions giving

now what has been interesting to me is I'm two occasions. I have come to the church to make an appeal to the church in regards to us falling short or falling behind our budget. And because you guys are a generous group almost immediately after that appeal people stepped up and fix that problem. But one of the things the elders or the treasurer told me is that the people who fix the problem on that special appeal for finances were part of the 30% They were part of the people who are already giving generously to the work.

So I understand without knowing details without knowing what category people fall into there are people in this congregation who are giving faithfully and others who may not be What is faithful giving? If you're looking for a number or percentage from me, you're not going to get it. I don't believe that's a new testament teaching that we apply to ourselves. Here's what faithful giving is every believer every disciple. Every follower of Christ should give worshipfully cheerfully regularly and sacrificially they should give the amount that God puts on their conscience to give That's what we're all called to do. Reese plant the church planter that I mentioned to use plan to go to Scotland next year. He shared with me on our drive to Toronto that he was just blessed by the fact that he's got someone contributing to his missionary Endeavors by giving $4 a week. Praise God, it's what they can give and they're giving it in worship and they're giving a cheerfully and they're giving regularly and it's a sacrifice. I don't have a number for you. All I know is that planting churches locally and globally require Financial sacrifice and a call to our congregation is to give Faithfully. That falls upon each one of us and so by way of application. Let me say two things about this ask yourself this morning. Are you giving worshipfully cheerfully regular and sacrificially because that's what Believers are called to do. Encourage you to do that whatever that looks like for you than your situation second several of you have approached me about the desire to designate funds to church planting of talk torched Treasurer and we will soon have a church planting Fund in which you can give directly to those efforts for our church. And so I encourage you to prayerfully consider doing that. Visitors you can listen again now.

Not only will church planting require Financial sacrifice. It will require ministerial sacrifice. Now normally that word ministerial refers to a ordained ministers, but by definition it simply means referring to one who is a minister and I remind each and every one of you to call this your home Church. You are all ministers. That's how the New Testament talks about you Believers are ministers who do the work of ministry Ephesians 4 11 12. Paul Wright said he gave the apostles the prophets the Evangelist the shepherds in the teacher to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry for building up the body of Christ each. One of you here who's a Believer is a minister? Can you do the work of ministry in our body? We need to understand that in the pursuit of planting churches the Saints at Westland Alliance Church will be called upon to make sacrifices in regards to the work of ministry in our ministry to God and our ministry to Believers in our ministry to the world. We see this in verse 33 of the passage from Romans chapter 15 where Paul says I appeal to you Brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf. Paul calls upon the Roman Believers to strive with him in prayer for his work of planting churches. Paul's work of planting churches was putting a demand on the Believers in Rome to strive and prayer with him. They were too in their Ministry to God work with Paul. That word strive comes from a verb meaning to contend as in an athletic event, like a wrestling event or to struggle against an adversary and points to the hard work of ministry that is ahead for those churches who wish to plant churches. It was someone the time of Paul it is so now Planting of churches both local and Global will require sacrifice in prayer sacrifice and service sacrifice and study sacrifice and loving one another through service about it for a minute as we send out people to serve in church planting context others will need to step up and replace them as we take some of the leaders of this church and move them to plant a church somewhere else people will need to fill in those spaces in Step Up answer.

This is the ministerial sacrifice that will be needed.

By way of application. Let me encourage you in regards to Ministry to Believers here Westland Alliance Church find a place to serve. Find a place to sacrifice now if you're not willing to sacrifice now, what is it that you think is going to change that will make you willing to sacrifice later when we plant churches. No, let's let's sacrifice. Now. Let's be men are willing to minister. Now. You know what I dream of as a lead Pastor one of the things I dream of I Dream of the day that you did God the director of Sunday morning children's ministry comes to me and says Pastor Jude. Can you please tell the people to stop volunteering for children's ministry? I am sick and tired of dealing with these people who want to help out here. Please ask them to stop. That would be a wonderful thing. Whatever the area is find a place to serve you are a minister. You're supposed to be ministering to the body. We can help you do that. Let us know in regards to Ministry to God. Will you strive with us in prayer in regards to church planting? Will you make this a priority in your prayer life to pray about our faithfulness and pursuing this and that would be a wonderful way in which you could begin to sacrifice ministerially. And finally, I remind you of our first term in this series in regards to Ministry to unbelievers ask God for opportunities to share the gospel. Ask God to give you the courage and the wisdom to share your faith with people in your life.

So there's a financial sacrifice. There's a ministerial sacrifice. There's also an existential sacrifice as I say that some of you thinking is O what foods the preacher will jump through in order to get alliteration into his main points. I told my wife that it requires existential sacrifice and she says, what does that mean? existentialism adjectives that simply means something related to existence existential existential sacrifice may be required in church fighting it taking the gospel to unbelievers in evangelizing the lost and planting Facebook churches all over the world. The sacrifice of our very lives may be required. Paul understood this weary in 2nd Timothy verse 6 for I am already being poured out as a drink offering and a time of my departure has come I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith and swore there is light up for me the crown of righteousness with the lore. The righteous judge will award me on that day and not only to me but also to all with love his appearing Paul poured out his life in his ministry of Evangelistic Church planting and his Evangelistic missions resulted in churches being planted and that road that Paul went on took him to his eventual martyrdom. He sacrificed all. That he might be found faithful. I understand in our context this seems completely foreign to us. The idea of sacrificing our lives for our faith in our time and our place right now seems A Million Miles Away.

And I wrestle with that too. But as I Was preparing a sermon I realized that a week from today. I will be with brothers and sisters for whom that is a reality. For whom believing in Christ? And being a faithful witness and participating in a faithful Church puts their very life at risk or has put it at risk. And so we need to take this seriously.

The elders and I had to wrestle with that this week at our meeting. We had a couple of people from the congregation come to us and share with us. What they believe God was calling them to in regards to missions and invite us into that Journey with them. One of them was young adult name Jacob Nielsen. I know some of you know him Jakob Nielsen came and met with us and he shared with us his plans and what he believed God was calling him to do. He's he's planning next year to go down to radius International which is a school where he will be training for cross-cultural church planting.

And what he said after that I just brought joy and excitement to my heart. He said Elders he says I'm a Young Man. I'm unattached. I've got nothing holding me back. He said I want to go somewhere hard.

You know what most of the easy places are gone. The reason there's some places left in this world where the gospel hasn't been preached is because it's difficult and Jacob asked for a prayer. You said I want to go somewhere hard part of realizing that was that the hard places are places where that ultimate sacrifice may be required. These are places where they're not welcoming to Christians or Christianity where there's not going to be a whole lot of reception. to the gospel anime that truth a little bit more real this past week. It may come to making ultimate sacrifices.

How do we apply that today church family? How do we wrestle with that? Here's what I would like you to walk away with I would like you to walk away, even though you don't fully maybe understand that existential sacrifice that may be required even though a Narcotics that's hard to Fathom and we have to wrestle with it leave this morning understanding that should god require that of any of us Jesus's worth it. Jesus is worth that sacrifice getting the good news of the Gospel to people who haven't heard. It is worth it. God's people have always understood that.

You may be here this morning and perhaps you're not a Believer. You're not a follower of Christ. And this may sound absolutely bizarre to you. What is this guy talking about? This guy is talking about church planting and he's already at the point of sacrificing our lives. That sounds crazy. Well, I confess we are a little bit crazy about Jesus here. A little bit crazy, but what he has done to save sinners. This may sound paradoxical the word irrational crazy. Logically crazy. We're reasonably crazy. We're rationally crazy about Jesus cuz we understand who he is and what he's done. He's a very Son of God who came to Earth to reconcile sinful Humanity to God.

He lived a perfect life and then died a death on the cross that we deserve to die. He took upon himself.

the punishment that our sins deserve P propitiate at the wrath of God which was directed toward us that we might have our sins forgiven that we might be adopted by the father and reconciled to our creator and live with him eternally. That's something worth dying for. And we hope that you would understand that.

So let's understand that. We maybe call individuals in our church may be called to give that existential sacrifice. I finish this morning with relational sacrifice relational sacrifices will be required as we pursue church planting. We consider it already in this series the church at Antioch. Sunnyway, Paul and Barnabas. Are you kidding me? If I was an elder in Antioch, I would say Barnabas you can go but we're keeping Paul. We can't let him leave. He's too good of a theologian. He's too good of a Preacher. He's too good of a evangelist. No, but they made that relational sacrifice to send him out.

You know, I haven't done this. I really haven't done this but I thought about doing this I thought about making a list. a list of about 20 families and I would make this list that I would say God as we plant churches you can take anyone but these 20

In fact, I've got a list of people I'd be happy for you to take. No, I'm kidding. I haven't done this. I told you I haven't done this.

But I thought about doing it and it's interesting as we've been talking about church planting is Darrell. Came and Zane Pratt came and we heard about this and this momentum is gaining. I have had numerous people come to me and say Hey Jude when the time comes I'm willing to go. Every one of them would have been on the list of 20 that I picked people that in the back of my mind. I was thinking. They can go we need them to stay. There's going to be sacrifices.

I have three daughters who are seriously contemplating God's calling her life and whether or not they should be gores.

We have people to post must separated from Josie for a year. She pursues Mission Liz Russell her grandkids. Seldom gets to see them cuz they're pursuing God's cough. There are relational sacrifices that we will be call to make we see this in Paul's letter to Timothy even a first-line verse 9 there do your best to come to me soon. He says the Timothy it conveys the loneliness. He felt the separation that to go do your best to come to me soon. He says for Demas in love with this present world has deserted me and gone on the thessalonica. So there could be some separation that happens in a negative negative way, but not all of it. He says crescents is going to galatia Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me take a kiss I've sent to apis as I've been separated from the people I care about so that we can pursue this mission of sharing the gospel and seeing church has planted.

Just get Mark and bring them with you. Is relational sacrifices to me. We see them Paul's church planting mission. As we consider planting churches locally and sending leadership and sending people there we will be separated from people. We love dearly as we consider sending Church Planters to other nations will be separated in more drastic way. There are relational sacrifices to be made. At this point I want to return to my introduction. Remind you that in our pursuit of missions faithfulness. God has dropped missionaries in her midst for which really, honestly we can take little credit.

And the fact that I pointed that God seems to be doing the same thing with church Planters unbeknown unbeknownst to us and apart from the plans. We have made God has been working out his purpose in regards to church planting in our midst.