Open the window…
It’s a very beautiful day today here in St. Catharines. The sun is shining and the temp is holding at 4C. We’ve got the window open and we’re making curry and doing a little springish cleaning. I think we’re also taking the curry out to the park to eat in the sun, woo ha! This has been a great day so far, and it seems to be getting better. We’re meeting good friend Susan in the Falls later on today too, haven’t seen her for too long!
I found an old sermon outline I preached a while ago and I want to post it here. It’s a missions sermon. I gave 12 (sorry Jim Mitchell) biblical reasons why everyone should be involved in missions. A little disclaimer though, when I say involved in missions, I don’t mean that everyone should actually get up and go to another country. I mean that every Christian should contribute their prayers / finances / actions to the cause of completing the great commission, savvy?
Twelve Biblical Reasons to be Involved in Missions
1) We are commanded to with ALL authority
- Matthew 28:18-20
- “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…”
2) The eternal is at stake
- Romans 10:13-14
- “For ‘whoever will call upon upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’…How shall they hear without a preacher?”
3) We cannot fail
- Isaiah 55:11
- “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the manner for which I sent it.”
4) Jesus is with us
- Matthew 28:20
- “…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
5) We are given the strength to do it
- Acts 1:8
- “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
6) God desires to display his glory
- Habakkuk 2:14
- “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
7) I’s worth it
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
- “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us and eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
8) Life is short
- Luke 12:19-20
- “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'”
9) It’s all about Christ
- Philippians 1:21
- “For to me, to live is Christ, and to gain is gain.”
10) Christ’s example
- 1 Peter 2:21
- “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you and for you to follow in his steps.
11) It is our purpose
- 1 Peter 2:9
- “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
12) That the Lamb may receive the reward of His sufferings
- Revelation 5:9
- “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people ad nation.”
Don’t worry, there was a handout when I did this, so they didn’t get lost. Remember, when I say ‘missions’ I don’t necessarily mean hopping on a plane. I mean praying for people on the foreign field, I mean telling neighbors and co-workers and strangers about Jesus, I mean all this stuff. It’s an encouragement for me to read this sort of thing again, especially when I wonder why it is I’m going…now I know.
Well, Ruth just finished making some strawberry kiwi milkshakes. I’m gonna drink one now!
Cook out.
PS – I could whip Andy Mack in a fight any day. I’ve even been asked to join a gang, because I’m pretty good with a bo staff.
Matt W Cook 