Sunday Worship - April 3, 2022 - 11:00am

Matthew chapter number 22. as we begin our Mission infant, infant sets month, like it's hard for me to say. The month of April, as we really focus on missions and I want us to look at a passage of scripture that we may not think about. As we think about the subject of missions, not believe the Lord would have us to look at This passage this morning. Matthew chapter 22 verse 34. Says, but when the Pharisees heard that he had, silenced the Sadducees, the gather together. Then one of them, a lawyer ask him a question, testing him and saying teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord. Your God with all your heart, with all your soul. And with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself on these two Commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. I want to speak to you this morning, on this, thought the two-fold motive for Missions. Let's pray. Once again our father. We thank you so much father for this day that you giving us this Lord's day, that we can come and I together, In your presence and sing praises to you were able to. I pray to the God of this universe and able to read the word of God and were able to hear it. And father. I do pray as we look at this passage of scripture that Lord, that we would have ears to have a ears of understanding of what you are saying through your word. I pray the Lord that this message this morning would be a catalyst that would drive us to be more Mission minded. And to have the correct motives as to why we should be a mission minded Church. Thought I pray that you grow us in your grace and love grows Lord as we serve you. And these days that we have, we had all these things in Christ name and all God's people said. Amen. As we look at this passage of scripture. We have here. A lawyer who is trying to do, what good lawyers. Do they try to? Cause you to trip up, they try to test you. And that's exactly what we have here. Matthew chapter 22, and really a lawyer in Jesus day was actually quite similar to a lawyer in our day. The difference is that today? Our lawyers are experts in the laws of the government. They are experts and knowing the Civil laws were, as the Jewish lawyers in Jesus day were Experts of the old Jewish law. They were experts in the Old Testament, and in the traditions of the oral law.

The Bible tells us here that the lawyer asked Jesus and tested him is what it says. The lawyer asked him, a question. Testing him are tempting him until he was trying to trip up Jesus here. But we noticed, he asked a question teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the law. Well, to answer this lawyer, the Lord took him back to the scriptures. He took him back to the Old Testament to a passage. That was the most quoted of all scripture by faithful Jews. It was a part of what was called, as the Shema that comes from a Hebrew word. That means the here. Miss your mama started with the words. Found in Deuteronomy. Chapter 6, Verses 4 through 9 where it says here. Oh, Israel. You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind and a Jew would have had this memorize and they were quote this every day, especially a scribe, or a Pharisee. And so Jesus, here quotes him, the Old Testament. And so Jesus is saying to this lawyer in essence, the answer to your question is very easy. You quote, it everyday, in the Shamar Willis. And I believe that in this passage of scripture where Jesus shares the two great Commandments. We find also to Great motives, but I'll try to motivate us as we think about missions, and it should motivate us to even go beyond missions, but as we think about Making disciples for Jesus Christ. With a bat is in our neighborhood at our work place, in our own family, or even in another continent. I believe that these two commands give us a measuring stick. If you will to determine if our motives are correct and obeying, the Great Commission that Jesus gave to the church. I don't know about you. But I struggle to keep these two motives in place in my life. Alyssa and it's worth the struggle to ensure that your motives are pleasing to God. The first motor that I want us to notice, as we think about missions this morning. The primary motive. Is our love for God. And His glory. Jesus said You shall love the Lord. Your God with all your heart with all your soul. And with all your mind. It's a brother way. That's very basic. Yeah, absolutely. It is but so many never really see it. So many people never really grasp the meaning of those words. It's our love for God and our and our desire for his glory is not the primary reason. For what we do. Our efforts are all burned up like Haywood and stubble on the day of the judgement seat of Christ. Listen, our motives count. On that judgement day, when we as Believers give an account of what we have done for Jesus Christ. The what we have done is not the only thing that's going to be a judge but the Y is also going to be judge the motives behind what we did for the Lord. And what do we mean when we speak about the speak about us, loving God? What does it mean to love God? We'll notice this that loving God. It's something that we do not do naturally.

It is something that we do because something supernatural has first happen to us. In our sinful flesh. Before we were converted before we were born again. We did not love God. Romans chapter 8 and verse 7 houses that are sinful, nature is hostile to God. Our sinful flesh is hostile to God. And so, loving God is, when something changes inside a person and they treasure the Lord above all things, and that again does not happen naturally for us to love God, something had to happen. Super naturally.

This is a supernatural work because as Romans 5:10 tells us we were enemies of God. We did not want to follow God's word. We did not want to follow God's law. We fought against it. But when God saved us, when God, rescued us, when he born us again, when we are born again. He rescued us from ourselves. And now we have a love of God that we never had before. Peter describes loving God this way, therefore to you, who believe he is precious. To you, who believe. He is precious. In other words, God is Not precious to everyone. God is Not precious to those who are lost is not precious to those who do not believe in him. It's a loving. God. Listen is not obedience to his commands. Loving God is Holy Spirit enabled, affection. As John says, we love God because he first loved us. And so we love him, not because we are obedient to his command, but because something has happened to change us on the inside. That affection that love is always evident by our obedience. But obedience isn't loving God. Our obedience is the evidence that we love God. It is possible to obey in actions and not love. God. Absolutely. People do that everyday. In a legalistic manner, they may do some traditional ritual. They may go through the motions, but but have really no love for God. The loving God is not our Deeds, but our Delight in who he is. Loving God is when his glory, his Beauty, his majesty captures us, and the lights up. So, the primary motive for Missions is loving. The corresponding motive. Is to glorify God. Know, what does it mean to glorify God? If you've been in church and meant for many years, you've heard that phrase, many times. You need to give God glory. What does it mean? Psalm 96 in verse 7. Pelvis.

Give to the Lord old families of the people's give to the Lord, glory and strength. Give to the Lord, the glory, to his name, bring an offering and come into His courts. So God's glory very simply, very simply put is the summation of his Beauty and Perfection. That's what the glory of God is. It is a summation of his Beauty and his Perfection. His love is a part of his glory. His omnipotence is a part of his glory. His Mercy is a part of his glory and so forth with all the Perfections of God. And so, does glorify God does not mean that we can add to God's glory. No. He already has all the glory and His glory is perfect. A man. Listen to glorify God or give God. The glory means that we put his glory on display in our lives and in worship. That's what it means to glorify. God. We are putting his glory all of his Perfection. All of his beautiful attributes on display for people to see A synonymous term for the word. Glorify is the New Testament word magnify.

And Paul uses this word when he speaks in Philippians chapter 1, he says so. Now, also Christ will be magnified in my body. Whether it be in my life or death. Paula say that my desire. My longing is to put God's glory, all of his Beauty. All of his perfectionist on public display for all to see that I live my wife for God, or I depart in this life. I want to give God the glory.

If you know me, you know, that I am a huge Charles Spurgeon fan. And I love to quote, Charles Spurgeon and really many preachers love to quote, Charles Spurgeon because he I cannot. Listen to what? He says. Concerning 2nd Timothy chapter 4 recessed to him be glory forever. And ever. Amen, Spurgeon said this about God's glory. This should be the single desire of the Christian. I take it that he should not have 20 wishes. But only one. He may desire to see his family brought up. Well, but only that to God may be glory forever. He may wish for prosperity in business. But only so far as it may help him promote this big law reform or ever. This one thing. I know Christian. You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than the one motive of your Lord's glory. Amen. Now, let's apply this to missions. Let's apply this to missions are primary motive for Missions is not Duty. Okay, our primary motive for Missions is not just for us to obey the command and we have got to do what God says. No, it goes much further to that our primary motive for Missions is that the god that we love with all of our heart with all of her soul. And with all of our mind would be glorified. That is the primary motive for Missions, that he would be put on display, but other people being able to see his Beauty and his perfection. So, any other motive? That's the plants this motive is doing missions with the wrong motive. Missions is not just mere obedience. I know it's much more than that. It is all about his glory. that is and should be the primary reason why we give and why we should go. We saw the video just a moment ago, of Nathaniel and gin Jolly who are missionaries to Alaska. Their desire is to see God glorified in a very spiritual dark place. There's not a whole lot of missionaries. On a waiting list, waiting to go to Alaska.

But I'm thankful that Nathaniel and his wife are. And they are heartbroken to see how spiritually dark Alaska is. And we must pray that God would super naturally, do a work in those people to whom a minister. We think about the coal assume we have supported for many years brother. Bill just recently passed away, but we think about his strong desire and Jane strong desire to glorify God in Kenya, even though he was really a had all rights to stay here and receive cancer treatment here in America. His desire was to go to Kenya and spend his last moments with the people that he loved in order that God's glory will be manifested for all to see, And that's the real that goes for all the missionaries that we support. But I challenge you, this this month to really read the psalm, Psalm 96. Sweet thing about missions. Psalm 96 really is a call. To tell all the nations about the glory of God.

We think about Acts chapter 17 where Paul, he overlooks, the city of Athens. He comes to the city of Athens, in the Bible tells us he's he's grieve with in his heart. Because he sees the city that is filled with false gods and he's grieved that God is not the one being glorified. He Grieves, that God is not the one who is on display. And how we off to grieve as well. Today, as we see our nation drifting, farther and farther from God. And we see our nation as we are really depraved. And in our desire ought to be just as Paul was listen, our desire ought to be that our nation. Once again, display the glory of God. That's it. Our desire to see America. Sierra Bible is not for Ari's. It is not for our comfort that that's up. Whatever that may be our primary motive for our nation to see a revocable is that America would give God the glory once again?

So that's our primary motive for Missions. A secondary motive for Missions is. Is a love for the Lost? In light of their future.

Remember that the great commandment is God centered. To love him with all of our heart and soul. In mind, the corresponding highest motive in all that we do is to the glory of God. But the second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. And we know from the parable of the Good Samaritan that God use our neighbor to be anyone in our proximity. With whom we can share God's love. Jesus adds the second commandment because it always flows from the first. If you are going to love the Lord, your God with all your heart soul and mind, you are naturally. Going to love your neighbor as yourself. That's what the that's what God is. Jesus is saying here, loving God becomes visible and how, and how we love others. So these two are a package deal. You cannot love your neighbor as yourself. If you don't first. Love God, with all your heart, soul in mind. If you love the Lord, your God with all your heart. Soul and mind, you cannot help. It love your neighbor as yourself.

It's all the same work of God in us. That enables us to love. God, always results in loving others. And really, that's where the Bible teaches. In Romans 5:5, when God's love is shed abroad Upon Our Hearts by the Holy Spirit. It makes no difference. If our neighbor, if it's our neighbor or our friend, or family member, we love them because of who we are in Christ, not because of what they do. Notice what this love looks like. It is loving them as we love ourselves. Now, listen to me. Contrary to the modern interpretation. This love is not driven by human psychology. This second greatest commandment is not telling us that we must learn to love ourselves first. And have great self-esteem in order to love others. Jesus, here, mentions only two great Commandments. He does not mention three Commandments. We want to add to that. We don't say. Well, the great commandment is to love God and to love our neighbors, but also to love ourselves. No, Jesus, did not say that. As a matter of fact, this loving of ourselves. This is kind of self-esteem, MC. That is we don't have to work at loving ourselves. Do we know Paul mentions this after 5. He said for no one ever hated his own flesh. But nourishes it and cherishes, yet another words when we get hungry or we get thirsty. We are dead. Sad to find something to eat or something to drink. When we are cold. We set out to find covering for our warrants. So loving our neighbor as ourselves has nothing to do with self-esteem.

Listen to me, this this morning man's problem is not that we don't love ourself. Our problem is that we love ourselves too much. That's our problem. But when the Holy Spirit comes and does a regenerating work in our life, he gives us a love for God and that love manifests itself in loving others, even those who are not very lovable. Allison. What is the greatest need in our neighbor? What is our neighbors greatest need? Well, what was your greatest need?

Your greatest need to be reconciled to God. Romans 5:10. We were enemies of God, but we were reconciled. It says I'll listen. Your greatest need was to be reconciled to God and if you love your neighbor as yourself. Then you're going to see their greatest need is also to be reconciled to God. Because if they are not, they will spend eternity separated from God and a literal place called hell. And so our second greatest motive in missions. Is that others be reconciled to God? And as a result of that escape and Eternity separated from God? Again, the highest motive is that their lives, bring God glory by no longer being a revel but being a worshipper. But we must never neglect, the secondary mode of of seeing them. Sing the there shirts here Joy of knowing god and worshipping him for eternity in heaven. And that's never experience in hell. Listen, those who have been born, again. Those who have been saved, do not want people to go to hell?

Why? Because we love God.

And we love our neighbor. And when they didn't know our neighbors, greatest needs to be reconciled. It's so disturbing up the secondary mode of within as I wanted to spend a few, just a few moments talkin about this awful place called hell. Listen, it is good and profitable for us to talk about heaven, those where the redeemed shall go. But it is all so needful to meditate on Hal to be thankful for what we have been saved from Android to start us to love our neighbors who are lost by sharing them, the gospel. I'm Jesus Christ. Notice. First of all, hell is a real place. Hell is a real place to believe that hell is a literal place. Today is very, very unpopular.

Many, if not, most professional Christian Christians have moved Beyond believing in a literal hell. As a matter of fact, some surveys show that 50% of theology staff members do not believe that a literal hell exists.

And it certainly has not always been the case here in our country. In the early days of our country, especially during the colonial colonial days, most everyone, even those who were lost believed that there was a literal place called hell. If you have ever, most of you probably have heard of the great preacher of the first Great Awakening here in our country during the colonial days. Jonathan Edwards, great preacher. Very highly intelligent. Man of God. He preached a famous sermon called, sinners in the hands of an Angry God and this is what he said. The pit. Is prepared. The fire is made ready? The furnace is now hot ready to receive them. The Flames. Do now, rage and glow. The glittering sword is wet and held over them and the pit has opened its mouth under them. Oh sinner. Consider the fearful danger. You are in. And before he even finished the sermon. People were crying out to God to save them.

Charles Spurgeon said this about the impact, the doctrine of hell should have on Believers. He said some say I could not rest comfortably. If I believe the doctrine about the ruin of man. He said most true, but what right have we to rest comfortably? He's right. Listen to how can we rest comfortably knowing that our loved ones knowing that our friend. Our co-workers are headed to a literal real place. Cold. Hell.

Hell is a real place but notice also hell is a real place of Eternal conscious punishment. Many, if not, most of those who say they believe in Hell, have turned it into something that Harley resembles, what the Bible calls hell.

Jeffrey scheller, riding in the US News and World War World Report summarizes. The result of this revision of hell. He says Jonathan Edwards would scarcely recognize the hell up today. After Decades of near obscurity. The Netherworld has taken a new image more of a deep Funk than a pit of fire. Suggesting that pale may not be so hot after all. That, that's the mindset of hell today.

Notice Matthew 25 verse 41.

Matthew 25 41 houses, then he will say to those. Depart from me you cursed into the Everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Listen, without hell. God would not be a just God. Without hell, God would not be a just God without hell. Where would just as be for Judas who betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ. Without hell. Where will Justice be served for a man like Hitler? Or a man like Osama bin Laden. Yet, when we see sin as gone season. All Season, that is not a tone for must be punished if God is just I'll see and compare to be absolute Holiness of God is what RC Sproul called a cosmic treason against God. Seeing is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the God. We owe everything. He has created, as he has given us life. And so when we see in and we disobey God, even, the seemingly small things, we are in essence saying that we are above your jurisdiction. We have the right to do what we want to do. A listen, since God is truly, just an All-Seeing is either forgiven in Christ. Because he made Tolman or it must be punished in hell. According to the scripture. The Sinner. Is conscience, conscious in hell and Luke chapter 16, Jesus pull back the curtains and gives us a little glimpse of hell. We say your name was rich man, who was in hell, and he is very conscious. Luke 16 22 towels and so it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried, and being informed and Haiti. He looked up his eyes and saw Abraham, a far-off and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father, Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he made dip, the tip of his finger and water and cool. My tongue for I am tormented in this Flame. Here is a man who's rejected the Lord God, but yet he has consciousness. He knows what he has done.

And guess what? We don't see any definition whatsoever of annihilation here. There are those who believe that there is safe in this Annihilation theory, that there would be a certain time of judgment and then after a while they're just they were just cease to exist. Now listen all attempts to try to show the annihilation of the Lost end up by letting the clear teachings of scripture. Jesus, absolutely drew a link not only between the reality of heaven and hell, but he also linked the duration of Heaven and Hell. A Matthew 25 verse 46, says Indies will go away into Eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. There's no relationship there, s testimony, and 1:7 says the Lord. Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming, fire inflicting Vengeance on those who do not know God. And those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of Eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord. And from the glory of his might. I notice also hell is a real place of Eternal conscious punishment for the wicked for the wicked. The question is, who is the wicked? Well, most will not have a problem with us saying, we'll Hitler is wicked or some of Bin Laden is wicked or some serial killer about a moral person. And what we think about being a moral individual, who never repented other sin and trusted completely in Christ. Well, is it in those things? We must let Define who the wicked are and he does this revelation 21:8. Revelation 21 verse 8. God defines the wicked. I need to scribe. Those inhale as but the cowardly and unbelieving. The Abominable murderer sexual and moral Sorcerers idolatrous, and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire with burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And so, the wicked include who from Fear refused to confess Christ, all those who refuse to Believe In Christ, all who hated others. Because remember Jesus said, if you hate your brother, your guilty of murder. All who experienced sex outside of a covenant marriage as well. As those we tend to think of as wicked. It's a listen, if this is your lifestyle. If you live a life of sin, listen, you need to repent and believe the gospel of Christ. And so the wicked includes all whose sin has not been claimed by the atoning blood of Christ. So this is a message that we must share with our neighbors. This is the message that we must share with our family and co-workers. We have a message of the Gospel that God's Grace has made a ways to satisfy his Justice. And all Sinners, all the wicked, including Me, and You Who Come to Christ and repentance looking looking to him to save them will be washed clean.

I love 1st Corinthians 6:9.

Rick says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators nor adulterers North adulterers nor homosexuals North sodomites Northeast North Covetous nor drunkard North Norwich stores nurse will inherit the kingdom of God. And here's what I love about, this text verse 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed. You were Sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our God. That's the message that we Proclaim. That's the message. We Proclaim to our neighbors that they can be reconciled to God. There is forgiveness of sin in Christ Jesus. So, how can we say? We love God with all of our beings when we are not doing all that we can do and going and giving and praying. Law. Center's would come to know Christ. How can we say? We love our neighbor when we are not sacrificially, giving and praying, and going to those hard places. You know, the hardest place that you'll have and witnessing is your own family.

Your own family.

How can we say that we truly love our neighbor? If you're not interested. And them reconciling with God. Oh, that we would love God as he deserves to be loved. Oh, that we would share the Glorious gospel of Christ in order that he might be glorified. I know that we would love our neighbors at, they may be reconciled in God, who created them. And if they not that, that they should escape the fires of hell. Let's pray to God, our Father. We thank the Lord for your love. And father, I pray that we think about this month being. Special emphasis on missions. Father, I pray that you would help us that you would increase our burden for the Lost. I pray Lord that you would increase our love for you. Or help us to love you as you deserve to be loved. With all of our being. And Lord help us to glorify you help us to put you on display for all to see. Lord help us to.

Pray. To give.

And to share with our neighbor, the greatest message known to man. The gospel.

Thought I pray for the ones here today, who have never trusted or Jesus. I've never trusted your son gone. I prayed that today would be the day of salvation for them. Lord, I pray that you would draw them to your son Jesus.

And gloriously save them today.

Father, I pray that you take this message and use it for your glory and honor. And all that is said and done with all these things in Christ, name. Amen. It's all staying. We're going to sing.

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