Come and Die
Transcript
I went to Sheely's with my wife, my father-in-law, and I sat down and he goes, you don't like green beans? And it's like, well, it's not that I don't like green beans, but I know how to do buffets. And I'm at Sheely's. Green beans have no place on my plate at Sheely's like rice. Hash, baked beans, barbecue with a little bit of collards and some macaroni and cheese. I know what I'm doing.
I've been to these before. And so I'm not getting green beans. But what I like about it is that you have to choose. You have to pick. You have to decide what matters, what's important. And the truth is in life, we're doing this all the time.
We're deciding what matters most. We only have so much room on our plate. We only have so much time. We only have so many resources. We're deciding all the time what's going to fit, what doesn't. We do this on autopilot a lot.
We end up putting things on our plate that if we really had thought about it, if we really had seen what we were giving up. See, that's what I like about a buffet. You can see what you're giving up if you put this on your plate. Jim Gaffigan, one of the great thinkers of our time. He's a comedian, for those of you who don't know who he is. You're like, oh, look him up.
No, don't. He's not like reading any books or anything, but he talks about getting to the end of a breakfast buffet, and that's where they kept all the bacon. And you're immediately like, bacon. If I had known you were here, I would have only gotten you. He's like, you're looking at your plate going, why do I have fruit here? And that's what we're doing in life, though.
We're always filling our plate with something. We're always putting something on here. We're choosing. You have a limited amount of time. You have a limited amount of energy. You have a limited amount of dollars.
And you are choosing what's the good stuff. What do I want to put on my plate? What do I want to have here? And the problem is that so often we do this on autopilot. We just kind of do whatever's there, and we just go forward. And sometimes we make conscious decisions, and sometimes we don't.
What we're looking at today is where Jesus is going to press on to decide to hear. He's going to talk about his mission as he sends them out. He's going to talk to them about making those decisions, about deciding what has value, and what doesn't, deciding what is ultimately worth and what isn't. So right now, we're in the third week of our gift series. What we are trying to do is raise money, partner with 1040 Hope. 1040 Hope is an organization.
I thought about Ben Johnson and his wife. He's here. I thought of our church family. I just recently submitted the membership. But what they do is they're trying to plant churches and launch people in the 1040 window.
It's one of the most unreached places. We talked about this last week. And so what we're trying to do is partner with them specifically in Egypt. So in our gift series, around this time of year, we always call ourselves to generosity. We always call ourselves to do things that are eternal with our money, to do things that ultimately, infinitely matter. And so we're partnering in Egypt to try to see people meet Jesus there.
There's a place in Minya, Egypt, where they are already seeing some growth. They're already seeing some things happen. We're trying to partner with them to fund them for a year. Here's our goal, which is a big goal for our church. We believe that the Lord would have to move, that he'd have to work in us for that to happen. We don't. $15,000 isn't.
Y'all know us, right? You know you. You know your budget. That's big for us. We're trying to buy them a tuk-tuk. It's the first thing we want to do.
My wife was asking for clarification after our first week. She said our gift project is to buy a motorcycle for a guy in Egypt. I was like, we didn't explain that well. We're trying to. It is a tricycle kind of motorcycle thing. And it's for them to be able to travel, for them to be able to get their leaders to travel around, for them to be able to do some sidewalk Sunday school stuff.
There's a lot of opportunities for them if they're able to move throughout this area. I know some of us are like, well, all I'm ever really able to do is $20, $30, $40. The truth is if that's for your budget, that's beautiful. The one lady that's highlighted for giving in the New Testament, she gave a mite, which is like nothing. It's like a shaving of a – it's like you took a penny and like scraped some of it off and put it in there. But that's all she had, and Jesus said she gave the most because she actually gave what was her first, what was her best.
And so for some of you like that, best I can do is $20. But the truth is we're trying to buy phone cards. A phone card is $20. That would allow one of the leaders to be able to use a phone for a month. That's a really cool thing if you're able to do $10, $15, $20. But we're trying to ultimately raise $15,000 so they can do this for a whole year in an area where people, the whole area in general, does not want the gospel.
They're hostile to it. So what we're doing in our Give Project is saying we want you right now while everything's – you feel spread thin and your budget is tight, we want you to pull money out of that and give it to a place where they are receptive to the gospel and hostile to the gospel. There are people who are fighting against the gospel spreading here where it is dangerous and where there's a lot of people who when they hear this good news receive it joyously. We want a partner there. You see, ultimately, at this time of year, we've been celebrating that Jesus is the ultimate missionary, that he was born, he came out of heaven, was born on earth, lived a normal life to pursue us and to ultimately to suffer and to die, that we might have the gospel, that he's a light that shines in the darkness.
And last week, Spencer was talking about that his plan from the beginning of forever was to have the nations be glad, to sing his praises. And what I love about that is that it is not a begrudging submission, but that he wants to steal our hearts. That he wants the hearts of the globe so captivated with him, so overwhelmed by him, so joyous that they can't help but be glad, they can't help but sing songs of praise. That he, through the gospel and through his work on the cross, is going to redeem people for himself, that we have actual beautiful good news to share. That Jesus Christ, through his blood, saves sinners.
Now, I'm going to do something that's a little bit different for us, but I want this to be clear as we move into this text this morning, what we're going to try to see. I'm going to read a few statements to try to help us see clearly what it is that we're trying to look at today, what it is we're trying to cement in our minds, have become real in our hearts. As we study, and if you'll grab your Bibles and go to Matthew 9, that's where we'll be this morning. Matthew 9, we'll start in verse 35. Jesus is sending his disciples out, and then, like I said, there's a scarcity of resources. You only have so much time, so much energy.
Ultimately, you will die, and you will have spent the time, the energy, the money you had, the abilities you had on something. You'll have lived for something. You'll have died for something. And so Jesus is calling us to make wise choices with what we put on our plate. So Jesus, I want to read a few of these statements to try to help us see what we're trying to see today as we go through this text.
Jesus is of such supreme value that there is nothing in existence that can be sacrificed for him that will outweigh what is to be gained in him. He is of supreme, infinite, unmatched worth. Jesus is to be loved and treasured above all else. See, this is what he's showing them as he walks through this, as he sends them out. He's trying to help them understand his supreme value, his worth, the joy in knowing him in the gospel. There's nothing on earth of comparable value to Jesus.
And he eternally rewards those who follow him. This makes all human sacrifice for the cause of Christ wise investment rather than foolish risk. Not one thing laid down in devotion to Jesus or his mission to reach the globe with the good news of his suffering and salvation on their behalf is wasted or forgotten. If we love our earthly treasures more than Jesus, if we value them higher than him, we will not get Jesus. We will not deserve Jesus. We will be unworthy of him.
And we will gain something that proves worthless, losing what is eternally priceless. Because the one who loses everything to gain Jesus ultimately loses nothing and gains everything. To put it simply, Jesus is better than everything else and is therefore worth giving up everything for. So our goal today as we study this passage is to cement this truth in our hearts so that the eternal unmatched worth of Jesus might propel us to invest all that we have. To see those who don't know him receive him. And we might see his value and know the wisdom in the seemingly reckless way we're called to lay down everything in response to his call on our lives.
There was a very good professional cricketer. And I know that that means so much to the people in this room. In the late 1800s in England, cricket is like baseball but weirder because they flatten the bat out and they bounce the balls and they run back and forth. So just pretend that he's English baseball and then it makes more sense. But he was very good at it.
He was a professional. His name was C.T. Studd. He became a Christian, continued playing cricket and over time started realizing that what he was spending his time doing, what he was spending his life for, what he was spending his energy for, he decided it wasn't worth it. So he stepped away from it and ended up being a missionary in Africa, China and India.
He wrote a poem at one point and the refrain that he keeps coming back to in his poem is, Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. So as we walk through this passage in Matthew, as Jesus looks at his disciples and sends them out and he's going to give them specific coaching as to what that's going to look like.
And as we're thinking right now about what's on our plate and what matters most and what we're going to do with our money and what we're going to do with our time. And as we're thinking about joining with these people in Egypt who are giving up everything for the sake of the gospel and everything for the sake of the king. We're going to look at this and hopefully have the Lord stir in us his supreme value, his supreme worth, so that it only makes sense for us to have the appropriate response. That everything's on the table. So I would ask you.
All the Christians in the room. To pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help us see where we've made poor valuations. As we study this together this morning, so let's pray. God, we believe your word. We believe in eternity. So often we get focused on what we can see and feel.
So we ask that you'd help us to clearly see what we've put on our plates and what we've given up. The trades we've made. The value you have. So that we might live. As your people. In Jesus name.
Amen. So Matthew 9 verse 35. Says and Jesus went out, went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. So Jesus is going around. He's proclaiming the gospel of the gospel of the kingdom, which is that the kingdom is coming among you. And then he's displaying as he proclaims.
He's displaying the gospel because he's healing afflictions and diseases. And he's ultimately showing practically on earth what the gospel is going to do eternally, spiritually, that eventually there will be a place where Jesus reigns, where it is the fulfilled kingdom. And there won't be sickness and there won't be crying and there won't be death and there won't be pain. And so he goes through healing afflictions and sicknesses and disease to display. This is the kingdom. This is what it's going to look like as he proclaims the good news of the gospel.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. My grandparents were missionaries in Nigeria. Most of us don't know much about sheep or goats or anything. I mean, unless you grew up on a goat farm. So most of us don't know much about sheep or goats.
It's not really an American thing. But in Nigeria, they had sheep and goats. And they said that when the tail is up, the brain is on. And when the tail is down, the brain is off because a lot of goats have their tail point up and they are intelligent. And sheep have their tails point down and they are stupid. So if you know sheep and Jesus says they're like sheep without a shepherd, what he's saying is they're in trouble without him.
That he ultimately sees these crowds and he sees how they're living their lives, that they're harassed, that they're helpless, that they are in the darkness and they need the light to shine in the darkness so that the darkness cannot overcome it. They need to be rescued. They need to be saved. They need to be cared for. And so he says he cares for them. He has compassion for them.
Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful. So he's looking at these harassed sheep. And now he changes and he says his harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. So what he says is there's plenty of people who need me.
But there aren't plenty of people who are going to go and tell them this amazing news. So I want us to take a second. And as earnestly as we can pray in about 20 seconds, I want us to ask, join Jesus in accomplishing what he's asking here. And let's pray to the Lord of the harvest that he'd send more people into his harvest. Let's pray for many.
Let's pray for the 1040 window. Let's pray for right here where the majority of the people in our area don't know Jesus. Heard of him. They don't know him. Let's pray that he would change hearts, that he would send more laborers.
Can we do that for 20 seconds? Amen. So he tells him to pray that he'd send more laborers into his harvest. And then it says this. And he called. This is chapter 10, verse 1.
He called to himself his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the 12 apostles are these. And then it lists them off specifically. And so what this is saying is that Jesus calls specific people to himself. He calls them specifically individuals with names and stories and backgrounds. He calls them specifically.
And then it says this. Verse 5. These 12 Jesus sent out. So they went from being learners, disciples, to being apostles, which means sent. He sent them out instructing them. And then we're going to get to see what the instructions were in a second.
But Jesus says pray that the Lord would send out laborers. And then he picks people and says prayer answered. Go. I hope that he does that with us. That he burdens us to begin praying. And then while you're praying, he taps you on the shoulder and says, pray your answer.
Bosnia. I just hope he does that. I hope he begins to work in our hearts that we would go, that he would say, you know that place you work? You know that giant mass of cubicles? You're an apostle now. You're sent.
That's what he does. And he calls people to himself that he might send them out. This is what he did with Ben Johnson. He shared this with us a week ago. That he was in school studying Bible. It was Bible school.
And this guy gets up and starts talking about the children of Ishmael. And Ben said, I started to weep. And then I left class. And I went home. And I continued to weep. And he's like, I didn't care anything about Muslims until that day.
But it was like a lightning bolt struck him. And Jesus said, go. So what he does. Calls specific people and sends them out. And so here's what we're going to do. We're going to read his specific instructions to them.
We can learn helpful things as we go through this. But they are specific instructions. So sometimes he tells you, go here, do this. This is where Christians sometimes get confused. Somebody will start arguing with you. Well, we're supposed to do this.
And it's like, maybe you're supposed to do that. We're supposed to proclaim the gospel. He told you to go there. He told me to go here. As long as we're going, as long as we're proclaiming. All right.
Verse five. These 12 Jesus sent out instructing them. Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And he says, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.
So he's telling them, you get to spread the gospel the way I have spread it. You get to push back on darkness. You received without paying, give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey or two tunics or sandals or a staff for the laborer deserves his food. So he says, go.
People will take care of you, but don't get rich off of this. Your goal is to not make money. To be provided for is fine. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it.
But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave the house or town. Truly, I say to you, it would be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. One of the things that's helpful to understand from this is he says, go. And go to the people who receive you. And the people who don't want to hear it and fight with you.
Go to the next house. Eventually, if a whole town tries to run you off, go to the next town. He's preparing people to receive this. One of the things our group prays for on a semi-regular basis is that he would send us to the people he's preparing. That he would send us to welcoming, open people. Verse 16.
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. That's not very encouraging. He's saying this will be dangerous. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues. And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say. For what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death and father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. This is happening right now in the area we're trying to partner with.
One of the pastors in Lebanon, his wife divorced him after he became a Christian. The majority of the pushback that comes in some of those areas is from the families that are responding very negatively and poorly. It's people in their family becoming Christians. That's what Jesus is talking about. That brother will turn brother over. That father will turn son in.
That this will go poorly. For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the son of man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. It is not enough for the disciple to be. Is it not enough? It is enough.
Sorry. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, which Satan. How much more will they malign those of his household? John Child, this has been in the news the past couple of weeks. He's prepared to go as a missionary to a small island off of India where it is a group of people that have largely been untouched by everything.
It's a tribe there that they're not supposed to send missionaries to. He went. He had been before. Told them that he loved them and Jesus loved them. They shot an arrow at him. It stuck in his Bible.
He got back in his boat. Decided to go back. All we basically know is that he landed at night and they were dragging his body back out and laying it on the shore in the morning. There's been a general reaction in our culture that this is ridiculous. First of all, he's a fool. Secondly, Christians are imperialists trying to force their ideas on other people and just leave them alone.
And I say if our ideas are that there's an eternal hell and a saving king who died to redeem us from our sins, imperialize away. We don't have to outsource capitalism. We don't have to outsource westernism. We don't have to convince them of anything other than what's here. But what's here is such good news.
But he was hated. So is his savior. He was killed. So is his master. We shouldn't be surprised. We should keep going.
So he says. He told them to beware. Be aware. Be aware they're not going to like you. Be aware they're going to hate you. And then he says this.
So have no fear of them. So be aware of them. Be wise as a serpent. But have no fear. For nothing is covered that will not be revealed. Or hidden.
That will not be known. What I tell you in the dark say in the light. And what you hear whispered. Proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear. Those who kill the body.
But cannot kill the soul. Okay. I think that's one of those sayings that we hear Jesus say. And we're like hmm. Because Jesus gets away with saying things. And I think we've gotten used to hearing him say things.
But did you hear what he just said? Killing the body is one of the things that we're in general kind of afraid of you guys. Like that's kind of a big deal. Is that your body would be killed. Like if you were looking for homes. And you were with a real estate agent.
And they took you to this area. And you said. Now isn't this kind of a rough area? Is this like a house? This neighborhood? Is it kind of dangerous?
And they said. Don't worry about this neighborhood. Don't be afraid to live here. All they do in this neighborhood is kill the body. Excuse me. What?
They'll just kill your body. They can't touch your soul. Also we do need you to sign some paperwork that says once they kill your body. We can immediately put this back on the market. Because that's actually how this just came open. But have you seen the countertops?
Like you would be like. Okay. I'm going to need a new real estate agent. Because this one is crazy. Also probably don't want to live in this neighborhood. But when Jesus says this to his disciples.
He says don't fear them. All they can do is kill the body. He's speaking as if he has seen and known eternity. It's as if he knows the limited amount of time that we are here. And the infinite mass of eternity. And the infinite worth of his glory and his name.
It's as if his perspective is so different from ours. And then he continues and helps clarify this for us. And it is different from ours. Do not fear those who kill the body. But cannot kill the soul.
Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. He says no, no, no, no. The worst thing that tribe can do. The worst thing they can do. Is get your heart to stop pumping. And drag a limp carcass back out onto the beach.
Let me tell you who to fear. There's a king of the universe. Who ought to be so supreme. Because you understand. That he doesn't just hold bodies and breath. But he holds souls and eternity.
And he says he'll destroy souls in hell. And one of the things that we've done in the American church. Is we've kind of responded with like. Well we don't want to talk about hell. Because we don't want to be offensive. And we just want to talk about God's love.
And let me explain something to you. If you're a Christian and you believe in hell. Do you know how absolutely unloving it is to not talk about that? To not share that with people. To not explain to them the reality of an eternity without God. He says I'll tell you what to be afraid of.
There's an eternity coming that could come at any moment. It's wet outside. It could come today. You could turn onto a road. Someone could slide through. And you could be entering into eternity.
And let me explain something to you. An SUV can kill your body. But there is a king who rules your soul. That's what Jesus says. He says let me tell you what to be afraid of. You can get a house in any neighborhood you want.
The worst thing they can do is kill your body. But there's a gospel to be proclaimed. That has to do with souls. And there is a hell that is a reality. Where the flame does not die. The worm does not die.
And it is not quenched forever. And I have come to redeem you from that. I've come to die. To take that onto my own back. And all we're supposed to do is go proclaim this reality. So he says I'll tell you what to fear.
But then listen to what he says. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Now that doesn't translate well into English. Can't you get a rotisserie chicken from Costco for five dollars? Isn't there a chicken plant in West Columbia? Next to some really nice apartments that's stinking the place up.
Chickens are rolling through. You see those big trucks? I see them in West Columbia and I say sorry buddy I know where you're headed. And later I'll see you at Egg Roll Station. What he's saying is. That's what it translates to.
Don't chickens die all the time? And then listen to what he says. Not one of them will fall to the ground. A cart from your father. There's not a chicken that's died at that plant that didn't die at the will of the father. That's why I don't mind eating meat.
Because God was in control of that. He oversees all this. And so what Jesus is saying is there's a king who rules eternity. And let me explain something to you. You when you follow after him will die at the exact moment that his will allows it. And not a moment before and not a moment after.
That you can say I'm going to this people group. I'm going to this people. That John Chow died the exact moment that the Lord was ready for him to die. That his blood was spilled to the exact ounce that it was supposed to be spilled to. And that we can send another missionary. And we can send another person.
And they will last as long as the Lord wants them to last. But he has a kingdom that will reign forever. And he will claim those whom he's going to claim. That we're told in Revelation chapter 5 and 7 that there will be people from all nations around that throne. Not all the people. But there will be people from all nations.
And if that is a distinct people group on that island I can tell you one thing. Somebody from that island will be proclaiming that Jesus is king around the throne. Because I've seen it in Revelation 5 and Revelation 7. You see. There is a reality to a heaven and a hell and an eternity. But there is a God who rules over it.
Verse 30. Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Not counted. Numbers. Fear not. Therefore.
You are of more value than many sparrows. So. Everyone who acknowledges me before men. I will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men.
I will also deny before my father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. That's a downer at Christmas time. Peace on earth and mercy my Lord. But he says.
I have not come to bring peace to the earth. I have come to bring not peace but a sword. That would be a different song. Swords on earth. It just doesn't have the same. Net King Kull can't make it work.
I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father. And a daughter against her mother. And a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A person's enemies will be those of his own household. Jesus demands singular allegiance.
So that when he enters into a household. And you place your faith in Jesus. And your parents say we're going to need you to stop. When Muslims are coming to Christ. And their parents say you don't belong to us anymore. The son or daughter who's placed their faith in Jesus.
Is supposed to say you're right. I have a new father. I've been purchased by a different brother. Now I want you to know him. But I want him more than I want you.
What's happening in our culture. As we shift away from Christianity. Is it happening in reverse. That there are a lot of parents who love Jesus. Whose children are saying I don't want this. I don't want you to try to push it on me.
I don't want you to try to tell me about this. I don't care. Where we decide. What are we holding with a closed hand. And what are we holding with an open hand. What are we going to try to cling to.
A person's enemy will be those of his own household. 37. Whoever loves father or mother more than me. Is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me. Is not worthy of me.
And whoever does not take his own cross. And follow me. Is not worthy of me. Jesus says I am of such supreme. And matchless value. That if you think you can put anything else on the scale.
And it's going to even out. You are wrong. You have done the equation incorrectly. You have not seen me. Fully. You are not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. You got a plate. And so many of us are running around trying to find life. Trying to find something that's enough. We're trying to find something that will fill us up.
We're trying to find something that at the end of the day. We can hang our hat on. That we can say this is enough. This makes me good. We're trying to find our life. And what he says is.
If you run around doing that ultimately. You will get to the end of the days. You will enter into eternity. And if you have piled your plate with anything other than Jesus. You've lost it. But whoever will take their plate.
Turn it sideways. Hand it to Jesus. And say whatever you want. You'll get more life than you ever understand. During World War II there was a poem that was written in it. And it says this.
It says some men die by shrapnel. Some men die by flames. Most men die inch by inch. Playing silly little games. See the truth is. You are going to live your life for something.
And you are declaring with every moment. That that something is also worth dying for. You are living your life for something. Your heartbeats are going to something. Your energy is going to something. Your talent is going to something.
Your treasure is going to something. And Jesus is ultimately. He's the only thing worth laying everything on the altar for. This is why in the American church. Where we've begun to teach our children. That security and safety is primary.
I want us to know. That as we do that. As we proclaim that with our lives. And our decisions to our children. We are lying about the gospel. Because Jesus says there are some things worth dying for.
And I'm not saying. You need to just put your children in undue risk. But I am saying. That there are some things worth risking for. The idea that you can't be a missionary. Because you have children.
Is false. Is false. 40. Whoever receives you. Receives me. And whoever receives me.
Receives him who sent me. That's why we go. Because if they'll receive you. And the proclamation of the gospel. They get Jesus. And if they get Jesus.
They get the father. And they get everything. That's why we send a John Chow. That's why C.T. Studd was right. To put down that crooked flat baseball bat.
And go do something else. Because if they'll receive him. They'll get Jesus. He's of infinite worth. The one who receives a prophet. Because he is a prophet.
Will receive a prophet's reward. The one who receives a righteous person. Because he is a righteous person. Will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones. Even a cup of cold water.
A phone card. A tuk-tuk. Because he is a disciple. Truly I say to you. He will by no means lose his reward. Jesus says there's not a thing that's wasted or forgotten.
That will extend into eternity. Won't be forgotten. See Jesus doesn't ever look at us and say. Don't want reward. He says fools. There's an eternity of reward.
Why are you spending it all here? If you went to stay four nights in a holiday inn. After your first night you thought. You know these sheets are scratchy. These countertops are lame. And that wall art is terrible.
Putting in new countertops. I'm buying new sheets. I'm going to get a better bed in here. Eventually even the people that own the hotel will be like. Thanks but are you a moron? You're only here for four days.
Why are you tricking out this hotel room? And that's what Jesus is looking at them and saying. Go for the real reward. Make an investment. That continues to turn over. Make something that doesn't waste.
And doesn't go away. I'm telling you even a cup of cold water in for God. Go somewhere where the reward is matchless. Jim Elliott. Was a missionary. Got a lot of things that rhyme today.
Because they help stick in my brain. These are things that have stuck with me for a while. But Jim Elliott. I'm sorry. I introed it that way. This doesn't rhyme.
Jim Elliott was a missionary. He showed up to a place. They got off on the land. And were immediately met by the people there. And killed. It found written in his journal prior to this.
It said he is no fool. Will give up. That which he cannot keep. To gain. That which he cannot lose. I want to tell you all a story.
About some Swedish missionaries. To the Congo. They went to the Congo. This was in 1921. There were two couples. Joel and Bertha Erickson.
And David and Savia Flood. David and Savia had a son. It was a two year old named David. They had been there for a couple years. And Joel and Bertha came to David and Savia. And said hey.
We're leaving. This is a waste of time. God has abandoned this. I don't know. He's not in it. And David looked at Joel and said.
There's that one boy. That we've led to the Lord. And Joel said. Yeah one boy. We're going to die of malnutrition. Or malaria.
And we don't even really know. If he understands what we're talking about. So Joel looked at David and said. Bertha and I are leaving. We want y'all to leave too. And David and Savia said.
We're not leaving. Joel and Bertha left. They didn't go all the way back to. They were from Sweden. They didn't go. Switzerland.
Sweden. Sorry. They didn't go all the way back. They went to. A kind of a mission outpost. Still in the Congo.
But not in the area they were in. It was more dangerous. So David and Savia continue to work. Savia gets pregnant. Has a daughter. Named Ana.
And when she's 17 days old. Savia dies. Of malaria. And complications from birth. David digs her grave. Standing over her grave.
Decides. God has forsaken this. This was a waste. And I'm done. Going back home. Starting my life over.
He goes back to the mission outpost. Joel and Bertha. Beg him. To not take. His newborn baby girl. With him.
Says she won't make the journey. It's 1921. It was a very difficult journey. From there. Back to Europe. So begrudgingly.
Takes his son David. And he leaves. Then about eight months. Joel and Bertha die. David's little girl. Is adopted by some American missionaries.
Who name her Agnes. Eventually. She grows up in this home. Eventually they leave. They go back to America. She gets married.
On her 25th wedding anniversary. She raises up enough money. To go. Visit her dad. Her birth dad. For the first time ever.
He's 73 years old. He's. Consigned to a chair. Because he's had. Some strokes. She goes in to see him.
He hugs her. He says. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to have to. She says. It's fine.
God took care of me. This he tensed up. And said. No. God abandoned us. She said.
No. There are right now. About 600 Africans. That we know about. In the Congo. Who know Jesus.
That little boy. Grew up. And he led. His entire village. To the Lord. And we know.
About 600. It wasn't a waste. And God didn't abandon. A couple years later. She gets to go to an evangel. An evangelism conference.
In England. There's somebody there. From the Congo. Who is standing up. And declaring. That there are.
10,000 Believers. In the Republic of Congo. Who now follow Jesus. He talks about the work. Being done there. The church is being planted.
When he gets down. She goes over to him. And she says. Sir. Have you ever heard. Of David.
And Sibia Flood. He says. Ma'am. Sibia Flood. Led me to the Lord. She said.
Sibia Flood. My mom. And immediately. He started crying. And said. Thank you so much.
For letting your mom die. So that we can live. They later. Went back. With him. To that spot.
He knew where the grave was. So he showed her the grave. They gathered a church there. To proclaim. The goodness of Jesus. And the pastor taught.
From John 12. 24. And I'm going to read it to you. Truly. Truly. I say to you.
Unless a grain of wheat. Falls into the earth. And dies. It remains alone. But if it dies.
It bears much fruit. Jesus looks at his disciples. And he says. If you won't pick up your cross. And follow me. You're not worthy of me.
And we have. To die. To our schedules. And our agendas. And our wallets. And our plans for our life.
And hold out our plate to the Lord. And say. What do you want? Because it's worth it. He's worth it. And one day.
There might be. Two people. That are in eternity. Because we poured out everything we had. There might be. One person.
That's in eternity. That's before the king. That is not spending. An eternity in hell. That is in. Gathered around the throne.
There might be two. There might be ten. There might be ten. Thousand. That are proclaiming. The name of our king.
That are joyously singing. With the rest of the nations. Glad songs of praise. Because God has so captivated. Their souls. And captured their hearts.
And we. Get to be a part of that. When God invites us. Into mission. Into service. Into sacrifice.
It is an invitation. Into so much more. It's not even a cold cup of waters. For God. As we finish up today. I just want us to take a minute.
A minute to listen. To the Holy Spirit. That if you. As we've been here this morning. If the Holy Spirit's been working on you. Maybe he's been working on you for months.
Maybe he's been talking to you for months. Maybe he's been nagging. And working in your soul for years. We know that we're sent. That's true for the church. But there are times.
When he calls out names. Specific. Men and women. And says I want you to go. I want you to go here. For this purpose.
For my purpose. And if he's doing that. I want you to listen. Because it's an invitation. Into living a life. For his matchless worth.
Some of us. He's pressing on us. Just because we're not even willing. To go across the street. Or go at work. And I want you to listen.
Listen. I want us to think. For just a second. If you can. If you can close your eyes. And picture your life.
And if you can picture. What you've put on your schedule. What you spend your money for. Where all of your energy. And ability. And intelligence goes.
And want us to ask. Have I filled my plate. With the right stuff. Do I live. As if I understand. The weight.
And the reality. Of eternity. I don't always. Fully believe this. In my soul. I don't always have it.
I wrestle. And I struggle. Because I'm weak. But I can definitively. Tell you that it's worth it. Whatever the Lord's.
Pressing on you. Whatever he's asking you. That feels like a sacrifice. At this moment. It's worth it. That feels like a loss.
At this moment. It's worth it. He tells his disciples. There's not a single thing. That's given up. That isn't given.
A hundred fold. In eternity. And a hundred fold. Here with suffering. That we. Enter into joy.
And gladness. Here with suffering. And eternity. There's no pain. There's no crying. There's no.
None of that anymore. There's no. There's no. There's no. There's no. I don't know.
What the Lord may be saying. Right now to you. I just know you ought to listen. I know if he's leading you to repent. If he's leading you to confess. If there's somebody you need to talk to.
I know you need to do that. If he's leading you to. Open your wallet. Or open your schedule. If he's telling you right now. Somebody you're supposed to go share the gospel with.
I don't know. But we're going to take a minute to just try to listen. Some of you right now. Need to realize the weight of eternity. And for the first time ever. Turn your life over to Jesus.
And just say I'm yours. I trust that you died for me. I need you to pay for my sin. Because I don't want to stand before you. And have to pay for it on my own. And I need you to change me.
I need you to rescue me. But I know as a church. That we ought to give. And we ought to go. And that none of it's wasted. Not a minute.
Not a dime. Not an entire life. That if you live to be 85. And spend your whole time pursuing Jesus. It wasn't wasted. And if you are killed at the hands of people.
Who hate Jesus. And hate the gospel. In the next year. It was not wasted. God we ask right now. That we would listen.
That we would yield. That some of us right now. Would begin to clean off. All the stuff we've piled on our plate. And we would just hold it out to you. And say.
What do you want? What do you want here? Jesus we trust you. You died to save sinners. We can do nothing to make ourselves. Redeemed.
Or fixed. Or saved. You've done all of that. And we ask that in a correct. And appropriate response to that. That we would live our lives.
As if eternity was real. Working us in this next moment. We're going to sit. For just a minute listening. And then. We'll stand and sing together.
For just a minute. And I'll see you here. Thank you. Thank you.
