Embracing Our Mission: Faith, Hope, and Evangelism

Summary

In reflecting on the journey of our mission in the Philippines, I am reminded of the profound ways God has worked through us and the local church community. For 27 years, we have been on the island of Leyte, where we have witnessed the transformation of a community that once knew only religion and good works into one that understands and lives by the gospel of Christ. Our mission has been to establish an indigenous church that is self-sustaining and self-supporting, and through God's grace, the local believers have embraced this vision. They have learned to trust God for their needs, contributing significantly to the purchase of property and the construction of a church building without relying on external aid. This journey has been a testament to the power of faith and the importance of teaching believers to rely on God.

As we delve into Philippians 2, we are reminded that Christ is the heart of the Bible and the head of the church. He is the hope of the world, and it is our privilege to share this hope with others. The command to evangelize is not just a call to support missions financially but to actively engage with those around us, including our neighbors and even our enemies. Evangelism is a privilege, not a burden, and it requires our most valuable resource: time. We are called to sow the seed of the gospel and to water it through discipleship, trusting God to give the increase.

Christ is our security, and in Him, we find assurance of salvation. This is the message we are to carry both locally and globally. The need for the gospel is immense, and every believer is equipped to serve God in this mission. Whether it is through going to the mission field or supporting the work from home, we are all called to be part of God's plan to reach every creature with the good news. The question remains: are we willing to be part of this mission, to trust God fully, and to be sold out for His purpose?

Key Takeaways:

1. Faith in Action: The journey of establishing a self-sustaining church in Leyte highlights the importance of teaching believers to trust God for their needs. This faith in action is a powerful testimony of God's provision and a reminder that He can work through us when we rely on Him. [23:29]

2. Christ as the Heart and Hope: Christ is central to the Bible and the church, and He is the hope of the world. Our mission is to share this hope with others, recognizing that without Him, we can do nothing. This calls for a focus on Christ in every area of service and evangelism. [37:35]

3. Evangelism as a Privilege: Sharing the gospel is a privilege, not a burden. It requires our time and effort, but it is a calling that brings eternal rewards. We are to sow the seed and water it, trusting God to bring the increase. [42:39]

4. Security in Christ: Our salvation is secure in Christ, and this assurance is a message we must share with the world. Many live in fear without this security, and it is our responsibility to bring them the hope of the gospel. [58:33]

5. Willingness to Serve: The call to missions is not limited by age or ability. It is about availability and willingness to serve where God leads, whether locally or globally. We must be open to God's call and trust Him to provide for our needs. [01:03:15]

Youtube Chapters:

- [0:00] - Welcome
- [17:59] - Introduction to the Mission in Leyte
- [20:54] - Appreciation for Support
- [23:29] - Trusting God for Provision
- [35:55] - Christ as the Heart of the Bible
- [37:35] - The Command to Evangelize
- [39:20] - The Privilege of Sharing the Gospel
- [40:44] - The Cost of Serving the Lord
- [42:39] - Sowing and Watering the Seed
- [45:17] - Christ in the Old Testament
- [48:07] - Christ as the Head of the Church
- [50:04] - The One and Only Savior
- [51:12] - The Importance of the Church
- [52:54] - The Gospel Message
- [54:45] - The Hope of Salvation
- [56:57] - Christ in Our Lives
- [58:33] - Security in Christ
- [01:03:15] - Availability for Missions
- [01:05:20] - The Need for Evangelism
- [01:09:03] - Willingness to Follow God's Call

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Philippians 2:9-11
2. Acts 4:12
3. John 10:27-28

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Observation Questions:

1. What was the primary goal of the mission in Leyte, and how did the local believers contribute to achieving it? [23:29]

2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Christ being the "heart of the Bible" and the "head of the church"? [37:35]

3. How does the pastor describe the privilege and responsibility of evangelism? [39:20]

4. What assurance does John 10:27-28 provide to believers, and how is this related to the sermon’s message on security in Christ? [58:33]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the transformation of the community in Leyte illustrate the concept of "faith in action"? What does this suggest about the role of faith in community development? [23:29]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that evangelism is both a privilege and a responsibility? How might this perspective change one's approach to sharing the gospel? [39:20]

3. How does the pastor's emphasis on Christ as the hope of the world challenge or affirm your understanding of the gospel's role in missions? [37:35]

4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between personal security in Christ and the motivation to share the gospel with others? [58:33]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you had to trust God for a significant need. How did that experience shape your faith, and how can it inspire others in your community? [23:29]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of evangelism as a privilege. How can you prioritize sharing the gospel in your daily life, even with those who might be difficult to approach? [39:20]

3. Consider the idea that Christ is the heart of the Bible and the head of the church. How can this understanding influence your involvement in church activities and personal Bible study? [37:35]

4. The pastor mentioned the need to sow and water the seed of the gospel. Identify one person in your life who you can intentionally disciple or share the gospel with this week. [42:39]

5. How does the assurance of salvation in John 10:27-28 impact your confidence in sharing your faith with others? What steps can you take to communicate this assurance to someone who is uncertain about their faith? [58:33]

6. The sermon challenges believers to be available for God's mission. What barriers might be preventing you from fully committing to this call, and how can you overcome them? [01:03:15]

7. Reflect on the pastor's question about being "100% sold out to God." What specific area of your life might need more surrender to align with God's purpose? [01:09:03]

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God for Provision
Faith in action is demonstrated when believers learn to trust God for their needs, as seen in the journey of establishing a self-sustaining church in Leyte. This transformation from reliance on external aid to a deep trust in God's provision is a powerful testimony of His faithfulness. The local believers have embraced the vision of a self-supporting church, contributing significantly to the purchase of property and the construction of a church building. This journey underscores the importance of teaching believers to rely on God, showing that He can work through us when we place our trust in Him. [23:29]

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God more for provision, and how can you take a step of faith today to rely on Him?

Day 2: Christ as the Heart and Hope
Christ is central to the Bible and the church, and He is the hope of the world. Without Him, we can do nothing, and our mission is to share this hope with others. This calls for a focus on Christ in every area of service and evangelism, recognizing that He is the heart of the Bible and the head of the church. As believers, we are privileged to share the hope of Christ with those around us, knowing that He is the one who brings true transformation and salvation. [37:35]

"For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." (Colossians 1:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: How can you make Christ the central focus of your daily interactions and conversations this week?

Day 3: Evangelism as a Privilege
Sharing the gospel is a privilege, not a burden. It requires our time and effort, but it is a calling that brings eternal rewards. We are called to sow the seed of the gospel and to water it through discipleship, trusting God to bring the increase. Evangelism is not just about financial support for missions but actively engaging with those around us, including our neighbors and even our enemies. This privilege calls us to invest our most valuable resource—time—in sharing the good news of Christ. [42:39]

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" (Isaiah 52:7, ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person in your life that you can intentionally share the gospel with this week, and what steps will you take to do so?

Day 4: Security in Christ
Our salvation is secure in Christ, and this assurance is a message we must share with the world. Many live in fear without this security, and it is our responsibility to bring them the hope of the gospel. In Christ, we find assurance of salvation, and this security is a foundation for our faith and witness. As believers, we are called to carry this message both locally and globally, trusting that God will use us to reach others with the good news of salvation. [58:33]

"And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28, ESV)

Reflection: How does the assurance of your salvation in Christ impact the way you live and share your faith with others?

Day 5: Willingness to Serve
The call to missions is not limited by age or ability. It is about availability and willingness to serve where God leads, whether locally or globally. We must be open to God's call and trust Him to provide for our needs as we step out in faith. Every believer is equipped to serve God in His mission, and the question remains: are we willing to be part of this mission, to trust God fully, and to be sold out for His purpose? [01:03:15]

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" (Isaiah 6:8, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can make yourself more available to serve God in your community or beyond, and what steps will you take to respond to His call?

Quotes

1) "Everything centers in the Lord's work around Christ. As we look through the Word of God, we can find Him from beginning to end. We can find in the Word of God that He is the heartbeat or the heart of God's Word. Very important that our heart works. Now, I have a backup with mine, with a pacemaker, but, you know, it's important that my heart work if I'm going to continue to function here on this earth. And it's important that we see Christ in every area of service, including God's command to His church to evangelize the world, to take the gospel to every creature, we talked about that with the young people some this morning. And without him, we can do nothing." [37:35] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "He's given us the Holy Spirit at the time we're saved, and he empowers us to do the work God calls us to do. So we want to look at Christ and focus on him, not only as the heart of the Bible, but as the head of the church. But the main area I want to get to is he's the hope of the world. He's our only hope. And for you and I that know him as our personal Savior, we have the privilege of sharing the hope of Christ with everyone that we can talk to about it. Now, Christ gave the command to the church to take the gospel to every creature. I said that earlier." [39:20] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "Because quite frankly, I think God could use the rocks to witness for him if he wanted to. But he's given us that privilege. Now, I've told folks for years, our salvation did not cost us anything. God took care of all of that. But to serve the Lord is going to cost you the most valuable thing you have. And what do you think? What do you think that is? Time. Time. At my age, I don't have as much left as I have had. So my time is getting more valuable every minute I live. And your time is very valuable. And we all have things we have to do. We have to work. We have to go to school. We have to do this. We have to do the other. And all of these things. But as a child of God, our number one priority, I believe, according to the word of God, is this thing of evangelism." [40:44] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "We have two things we really need to be concerned with with missions, both local and foreign. And that is that we sow the seed and we water it. And the sowing the seed is easier most of the time than the watering, to keep their, to stay with them. An old missionary I heard one time years ago said this. He said, fellas, this is in a preacher's meeting. He said, fellas, we have to earn the right to witness to people. And I fully believe that. The older I've gotten, the more I really believe that. So how much time do we do that?" [42:39] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "We find Christ and what he did on Calvary's cross talked about all through the word of God. He is the one and only Savior. He is the one and only sacrifice. He is the one and only substitute for you and me. He is our mediator. He is not the mediatrix. All through the word of God. Is he all through our life? Is Christ in control for us that are believers in everything we do in our life? Is he number one and are we following him as number one? Is he our Lord? Our Lord. Find him all through the word of God. He's the heart of the Bible. He's in the New Testament talking about the life, death, and burial and resurrection. We find him in Revelation, Alpha and Omega and many other places. We also see him as the head of the church." [51:12] (78 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "Christ is the hope of the world. He is the hope of the world. Turn to Acts chapter four and verse twelve, please. Acts chapter four and verse twelve. , Acts chapter four and verse twelve, neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Buddha can't do it. Hindu religion can't do it. Uh, religion in general cannot do it. Uh, our country is predominantly Roman Catholic. I love Catholic. people, but their religion can't help them. I've witnessed to, I don't know how many different people over the years over there. And of course, when they see me come up, they said, well, pastor, I have my religion. I said, great. I'm glad you have your religion. I said, can I ask you a few questions about your religion?" [54:45] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "We want to be a missions church, and I think this one is. Don't get me wrong. A lot of people say it starts in the church at home. It does, but do not forget, you don't build your Jerusalem before you start going out. This church was built properly. Brother, brother, Alstock was going in his Jerusalem, but he also was going out through the missions program with his church at the same time. But we have that hope, and as a missions church, a missions that's in church of action for missions, we have to go out with the good news, with the hope. Nobody else has the hope that we need. No one. So, Pastor, you just don't understand. No, but I tell you who does. His name is Jesus. He understands because he knows our thoughts. He knows everything about us. And he does understand. He knows you're busy." [56:57] (68 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8) "It's hard for me to take what's in my heart right now and get you to see what I see when I leave this country. I see enough of it in this country, but when I leave this country, there's such a need there's such a need and every child of God has everything they need to serve God. Every one of you. It's like faith promise and what we're teaching our people overseas. Look, you make you pray, then immediately you begin to give because God's already given you enough to get started. So, well, Pastor, if I do that, I won't have money for food. I said, that's where the faith comes in. Now, you think I'm joking, but I'm not. I'm serious. Some of them, when they started giving faith promise, they went by, you know, lucky to have one meal a day. Now, they're eating three meals a day. They're getting some of this on them. God's provided for them. God's taking care of them." [01:07:30] (76 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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