Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world.
so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church. Located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Mark chapter 16, and Brother Frank read a passage that we're going to cover here in just a little bit. But today, we're going to continue our subject and our series on promises.
Not what the promise God gave to us, but the promise we need to give to Him. Faith, promise. Grace, missions giving. And I want to look at Mark chapter 16, verse 15, because I want to just walk you quickly this morning. Logically, and try to win you over.
If you're not necessarily involved in this yet, As a pastor, you need to remember. Um Number one, I get criticized. This is odd, but I get criticized. Because of how little I've ever preached on giving. Many of you that have been here a long time, if you really stopped and really thought about it, and stewardship is a very biblical principle.
Now, I cover a lot that we're stewards, he's the owner. But as far as you don't find me asking for money, begging for money, and guilting for money, that's just not who we are. But I will tell you this, that what we're talking about is faith-promised missions-giving, grace-centered missions-giving. This does nothing for me. It doesn't put any money in any of our pockets.
It's not going to build us more modern anything. This is for missions. What I'm asking you to do, for you to participate, won't go really to us, it goes through us. And you know what? That's really the way life is supposed to be, us as Christians.
God doesn't necessarily just give to us, He wants to give through us. And this is the only way, really, for you to be a channel. We're gonna explain this. And we kind of scratched the surface last week a little bit. But I wanna just ask you kind of three quick questions this morning.
The first, we're just gonna walk through this biblically. Number one is this, why missions? Why missions at all?
Now I know that seems like an obvious one.
Well, because you have missionaries, but why missions? What is our scriptural mandate?
Now, there's other passages I could read, especially the one about Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria. And we'll cover that in the months ahead, I mean the months, the weeks ahead. But Mark chapter 16, verse 15, let me just pick this one, okay? And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world. and preach the gospel.
to every creature.
Now is that plain enough? We have a mandate from God. that we are to go and we're to preach the gospel. to all nations.
Now this is not a suggestion. It's a mandate.
Okay, now I think we agree with that. One of our jobs as a church is to allow you To give you an opportunity to fulfill the great commission. through this local body of believers. Are you with me so far?
So God's given you a mandate, and I believe that you ought to be able to fulfill that mandate through your local church.
So God's going to allow the gospel to get to the world, but I believe He does that. through the ministry of the local church. Let me illustrate why. How can you go into all the world? You say, Preacher, and I would ask, did God say for us to go into all the world and preach the gospel?
You would have to answer, if you were answering truthfully, you would have to say yes. But many of you would sit here and say, God's called me to here. God's called me to this. God's called me to Kerwin Baptist Church.
Now, how can I go into all the world when God's called me here? I can only be where I'm at, I can't be where I'm not. That's deep, okay? You can't be where you're not unless you're Okay, but you are where you are, but God's asked you to go to all the world. You can't be everywhere at one time.
Now, God can, but you can't be everywhere at one time.
So you say, Preacher, how do I fulfill a great commission and yet fulfill God's call, specific call in my life and different things?
Well, there's just only one way for that to be done. And that's through missions, and specifically through supporting missions in your local church. Let me explain.
So, second is: first, why missions? Because God's told us. Number two, why missions giving? Why are you suggesting, preacher, that I go above my tithe? And commit a certain amount, pray about it, and what God lays on my heart, commit a certain amount to give domitions.
throughout the year. Why do I need to do that?
Well, let me explain a couple things, and maybe this will help you understand the whole process. The only way for you to be, let me ask you this: how many of you believe God has made it clear that we are to be involved in missions? Go ye into all the world.
Okay, I just read it.
Okay, so God's made it clear that we're to be involved in missions.
Now, The only way for you to be involved in missions is either to go. To give or to pray. That's the only way you can be involved. Either you go be a missionary. Or you give to help send a missionary.
And you pray for those that are all over the world being missionaries.
So, the only way that you, and God said you have to be involved in missions, it's not a suggestion. God said, listen, you go and preach the gospel to the world.
Now, the only way for you to be involved in that is either for you to go. or for you to give And for you to pray.
Now. If you go to missions, That means if you are called to be a missionary, like Brother Kent up here today, he's called to do this. Brother Kent has a unique ministry. Brother Kent will tell you, he says, I don't feel called to pastor. I don't feel called to preach, but I feel called to evangelize the world.
And God has led him to the Philippines. Listen to me. Please get this. If you go to the mission field as a missionary, raise support, whatever, pick the Weimers. If you go to the mission field, you are going to need faith.
Do you agree with that?
So, if you go, remember, the only way you can be involved is if you go, if you give, and if you pray.
Now, if you go to missions, if you are a missionary, it's going to take faith for you to do that. But what many people don't realize if you're going to give to missions That's going to take faith too. It takes just as much faith for me to give to missions as it does for me to surrender to go. Yes, sir. Everybody needs to understand that.
Now. If I just Pay missions. Out of our Church budget. We don't necessarily do faith promise or anything of that nature, and some people are used to that. But if I just give to missions, if I just run our missions program out of our general budget, you don't necessarily have a personal part.
In those missions, unless you either go or you pray. But by doing faith promise missions giving, you have the opportunity to be personally involved in the great commission. Not just here. but around the world. Everybody got that?
Because here's why. You say, well, I just tithe to my church.
Well, the tithe doesn't belong to you, the Bible says. The Bible says that already belongs to God.
So if you keep the tithe, then you're robbing God.
Now, here's what's interesting. Everybody wants to argue about, well, the tithe is an Old Testament principle, New Testament. Listen to me, giving to God out of the first fruits is a Bible principle, not just an Old Testament or a New Testament, okay? The only thing people want to argue about is not tithing, it's the percentage of the tithe. And if you want to argue with that, let's sit down because I have a pretty good argument.
The Bible says under the law, you're supposed to give 10%, and we're under grace now.
So if we were only going to give 10% out of obligation, God's given us grace. Imagine how much the percentage should be.
So now we're going to quit arguing about that, right?
Okay. But the tithe belongs to God, but you're above the tithe faith promise missions giving. Is you not just giving back to God what's already his. It's you now. giving what God has given to you and allowing God to now give through you.
You see, the tithe already belongs to God, but we're asking you to commit to give domissions above that so that you can have personal investment in the great commission around the world.
Now it it doesn't matter if you agree with it if you understand that say amen 'Kay.
Now So what does this faith promise mean? missions. What are we talking about?
Well, notice, number one, it involves faith. Faith Promise giving. Let me explain it. Again, you say, well, preach your last night. Hold on.
It requires faith. Let me show you some verses. Hebrews 11:6. But without faith, it's impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Look at me. It doesn't really, now you think it does, it doesn't really require much faith to give tithe. Let me tell you why, because God already told you to do it, and it's not your money anyway. Yeah. Listen, I shouldn't need a truckload of faith to do what God's already told me to do.
It belongs to God already. But let me tell you where faith is involved when you are committing above that. To give to faith prompt. God says if it doesn't take faith, then it's not of God. Notice Romans 14, 23.
What look at this? What was that? Are we going out? We're going out slowly.
Something's happening. See if you would give more. Our lights could stay on. Unless you start giving more air conditionings going off next. The heats going off after that.
Okay, I just want to. Verse 23, whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
So, if you're operating, look at me, if you're operating your Christian walk with God without faith, something's missing. And that's why Faith Promise Missions Giving allows you the chance to exercise your faith.
Okay?
Now. Second, it doesn't just involve faith. It involves promise. Faith that God's word. Is true.
Faith enables us that God's going to keep His promises. Faith is demonstrated by giving even in hard times, giving consistently through difficult times. That's the faith. But it also involves promise. What does it mean?
It means I'm making a commitment. Remember what faith, promise, missions giving is: it's God giving something through you that He might not have given to you. but he will give it through you if he knows you'll give it to where he wants it.
So it literally means I'm making a commitment to God. By faith, I'm making a commitment based on his word that God has laid on my heart to give and that he is gonna provide that. By faith, God's gonna provide it, and I, by promise, am gonna give it. See, faith means God's going to give it through me. Promise means that I'm going to keep my end of the bargain and I'm going to give it when God gives it.
Okay, number three. It means it involves giving. Faith. Promise. Giving.
Can I read you this, 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9? For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, Yet for your sakes he became poor. That ye through his poverty might be rich. He gave us. Everything.
Let me give you another verse. Luke 6:38. Give. and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye meet with all, it shall be measured to you again.
So here's faith promise giving. It means give and it shall be given. We're giving you an opportunity through the local church to exercise your faith in a promise that God has given. Romans 12, 13, what does the Bible say? Distributing.
Giving, distributing to the necessity of saints. You know what missions giving is? It's distributing to the necessity of missionaries. That's what it is. All right.
So why missions? Hope I answered that. Why missions giving? Because you can exercise your faith, you can keep your promise, and you can give as God has told you to do.
So preacher, why me? Why me?
Well, I want to give you some principles from God's Word. Remember, I know our Sunday morning is a little bit different. This is Missions Emphasis Month. But as I told you last week, If you get a hold of this. and you decide to do it biblically, it'll change your life.
It'll change. your life. I can't tell you how many times that the years I was in full-time evangelism. We were for almost 10 years. And my wife and I would run into situations where we had bills due, we had no love offerings.
We had nothing. And numerous times, my wife will bear witness to this fact when we had nothing. That's when I would tell her. I would babe. Let's look, let's find somebody to give to.
And on purpose. We would give sacrificially when we had nothing because I believe God's promises. Why me, preacher? Let me give you these principles and we'll let you go this morning, okay? Number one, you need to understand this.
Why me?
Why is this important? for me to do. Number one. Because God is the owner. and we are the stewards.
You agree with that? God is the owner. We are his stewards.
Now, I'm going to let the Bible speak for itself. the rest of this way. Notice Psalm 24.1. the earth is the Lord's. And the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.
Now everything was covered. The earth belongs to the Lord. Everything that's on the earth belongs to the Lord. Everybody that lives on the earth belongs to the Lord, and everything that the earth produces belongs to the Lord. He's the owner.
We're just the steward, okay? Look at this verse: Haggai 2:8. What does God say here? Listen to this: the silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. Why is the silver and gold God's?
Because it came from the earth. And he owns the earth. He's the owner. So listen to me. I don't believe that there's anything I have that I really own.
God has given me everything. And out of everything that God has given me, God has asked for me to honor Him first from the first fruits. What we would call a tithe, what we would call being faithful and giving. It's what supports your local church, it's what pays the bills for that. I just believe that.
But I believe also that God wants me to fulfill the great commission. And the only way for me to fulfill the great commission. is to be involved in missions giving. I don't know how else that I can make it plainer. You are not really involved in the great commission if you're not giving to send someone or if you're not going yourself.
You say, preacher, I pray. That's wonderful. You should pray for missions. And we have a whole Sunday we're going to dedicate to praying for missions. But look at me, dear friend, just because you're praying doesn't mean you're fulfilling.
It means you either have to go or you have to give.
Okay. Look at this verse, Deuteronomy 8:18. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is He. that giveth thee power to get wealth. That he may establish his covenant, which he swear unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Here's an Old Testament context, and it teaches us a New Testament principle: everything you have that you think you've earned, God's the one that gave you the ability to earn it.
So it belongs to him. 1 Corinthians 4.2. Moreover, It is required in stewards. that a man Be found faithful. That doesn't just mean stick by the stuff, it means full of faith.
Face.
So God requires His stewards. to have faith in their life. and committing to something by faith. exercises your faith. Why me?
Because God is the owner. and we are the stewards. Number two. Because my heart always goes where I put God's money. Notice I said God's money.
My heart, your heart always goes where you put your money. I don't agree with that.
Okay. Matthew chapter 6. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. Where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
Oh, yeah, there's one more verse: for where your treasure is. There will your heart Be also. Let me put it this way. If you're not interested in missions, it's because you're not giving to missions. Do you see by you committing to faith promise giving, it's automatically going to give you a heart for missions.
because your heart always follows your money. Listen, you don't have to hang around somebody very long to know where their heart is. It's what they've spent their money on. Hey, every time I go home, I pass a guy in Colfax. I've never met him.
But he's got six big, huge garages, plus the garage attached to his. And I know about them. He has A collection of classic cars. He has so many cars he's had to continue to build buildings to house these cars. And I've heard that he has quite a collection, some very unique things in there, and he doesn't necessarily show it around because he doesn't want people to know what he has in those garages.
So I'm telling all of you now. Look look at me, please, get this. All I got to do is drive by that guy's house and let me tell you where his heart is. It's in collecting classic cars. Because that's where he's put all his money.
Where's your heart? God says where you put your treasure. It's where you're going to put your heart. Listen to me, why I want to encourage you to get involved in faith, promise, missions, giving. Here's the deal.
Even if your heart isn't necessarily in missions like it should, if you by faith, Put your money there. Your heart will be there. And when your heart begins to go there, Guess what's going to keep going? then your money will go there. See the money, then comes the heart, then when you have the heart, then you give the money.
And now we have an eternal investment.
Now we're laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, not just. cars. in a garage. Number three. Why me, preacher?
Because heaven is my home, not the earth. Heaven is your home if you're saved. Heaven is your home. This is not your home. Look at Philippians 3.20.
Look at this. For our conversation, that word literally means our life. For our conversation is in heaven. Our life is in heaven. From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look at Psalm 90, verse 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten. And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow. Notice this, for it is soon cut off, and we what? We fly away.
Member Dr. Tim Lee, what he always said. Listen, to an individual, they have a choice. You don't have to go to heaven. and you don't have to go to hell.
Do you know that's true? You sitting right, you don't have to go to heaven. If you choose not to be saved, you don't have to go to heaven. Can I tell you something? If you choose to be saved, you don't have to go to hell.
You don't have to go to heaven, you don't have to go to hell, but you can't stay here. Why? What does this verse say? We Fly away. Your home is not here.
If your home was here, you would stay here. But all of us will live for an eternity, either in heaven or hell. Your home is not here. And why should I be so involved in missions giving? Why me, preacher?
Because this isn't your home. Heaven's your home.
So if heaven's your home, why would I not want to support the gospel going to the world so that people can be in my home? Notice Psalm 39, verse 5: Behold, thou hast made my days as in hand-breadth. It's fast, it's short. And mine age is nothing before thee, verily, every man at his best state. The best state is altogether vanity.
This isn't your home. Number four. Why me?
Because we should not live just for the moment. but for eternity. Why should I be involved in this preacher? And by the way, I'm preaching to you assuming. that you're already giving your tithe to the Lord through the local church.
But when preachers start preaching about that, everybody thinks, oh, they're just getting greedy. They're just asking for me, you know, blah, blah, blah. Can I tell you something? Ain't nobody getting rich around here. But I will tell you this, what I'm talking about is faith promise missions giving.
This is above that.
Now notice. We should not live just for the moment. but we are to live for eternity. Look at Hebrews 11 verse 25. Choosing rather, this is talking about Joseph, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Joseph esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. In other words, he could have lived a wonderful Cush life now, but he was thinking of eternity, he was thinking of the consequences. Notice this. For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. What is heaven?
Heaven's our reward. Notice Matthew 25, 21. His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things.
You've been faithful on earth. I'm going to make you ruler in heaven. Notice this: enter thou. into the joy of the Lord. We're not in the joy of the Lord yet.
This is temporary. That's eternity.
Okay. Number five. Say, well, this is going pretty quick. There's only two more.
Now there's 12 sub points under each of them, but there's only two more. This is interesting, but I want you to hear me out. Why me, preacher? Now listen. Because giving is the only antidote to materialism.
That's good. Yeah. That's good. Giving. is the only antidote.
It's the only thing you have. to fight being materialistic. That's good, yeah. That's good. The only way you can fight that is to learn to give.
I don't know how that sounds to me, preacher.
Okay. I've got a slew of verses here. Ecclesiastes 5, look at verse 10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver. What a statement.
If that's where you're going to put your priorities, it'll never satisfy you. Look at this. Please get this. Nor he that loveth abundance. with increase.
If your whole life is to get more, notice it says, you're not going to be satisfied with the increase. You want more, you're going to get more, and it's not going to be enough. Notice this. This is also vanity. When goods increase, They are increased that eat them.
Do you hear that? It means literally the more I get, the more I'm going to want. Why? Because the more I get, I increase. It's not like I just get increase.
When I get more, I absorb more, and now I need more. Do you understand what the Bible's teaching here? It's just like this. I used to, for years, I lived over here in this corner house. If it didn't fit in that corner house, I didn't have it.
And I went to evangelism. I bought a little house up on Rickard Road. going towards Winston. And my wife and I, when we got married, moved into that little house in Rickard Road. And if it didn't fit in that little house on Rickard Road, we didn't have it.
And then when she got pregnant, I was in evangelism with Daniel. She moved over into a house that her mom and dad owned right by her mom and dad. And if it didn't fit in that house or in that outdoor building, guess what? We didn't have it. Yeah.
We have more storage. And more space. and where we live, guess what happens? It gets filled up. The more I get, the more I absorb, and the more I absorb now, the more I need.
Come on, yep. It's an endless cycle.
Now notice what he says here. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them. And what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with your eyes? He says, You work your whole life to get things, and the only thing they're useful for is for you to look at them. Yeah, all we have to do is.
He says in verse 13, There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, Riches, Yeah. for the owners thereof. God's given you riches and what have you used them for, for you. Notice what it says to their hurt. But those riches perish.
by evil travail. Giving Is the only antidote to materialism. Look at me. You can't keep absorbing with your life, never giving. and say you're not materialistic.
The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this today? Every man is born with the sin nature. Romans 3.23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory. or to get to heaven. Because of that, sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God. But it's only through God's Gift. salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept him as our Saviour. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour. Romans ten nine says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way.
and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever, that's any one. can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this.
Would you accept Christ as your Savior? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Curlin Baptist Church. Dot com. or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day.
God bless you. Mm-hmm.
