Global Evangelism

Introduction

Good morning. It’s good to see you this morning. I want to invite you to please go ahead and get out your Bible this morning. Get your Bible out, please. And make your way over to the book of First Timothy. Will you please get out a Bible? You make your way over to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy 2. It is so good to see all of you here this morning. It is indeed a blessing to be together so we can worship God in spirit and in truth. I want to read some verses from 1 Timothy 2 to kind of just set up everything we want to talk about in our study from God’s Word. In 1 Timothy 2, after encouraging us as Christians to pray for all people, especially for those in positions of authority and government, so they need a tranquil and quiet life and all godliness and dignity.

Well, according to these verses we just read, the answer to that question is everyone.

God wants everyone to be saved. He wants everyone to be in heaven with him forever. We know this not only because of verse number four in this text, but also because of Jesus. Also because Jesus loves everyone. And because Jesus died for everyone, and because Jesus desires to draw all people unto himself through the gospel. In fact, in his great wisdom, he actually chose to use us to make that possible. He actually chose to use us, forgiven sinners to be his vessels to take the gospel into all the world. The question is, are we seeking to do that? Are we engaged in that? Are we currently instruments that he’s using to spread the gospel throughout all the world? Someone says, or Brother Sean, how can I do that?

How can I help with that? How can I help spread the gospel throughout a world that is made up of over 8 billion people? Well, my dear friend, one way in which you can do that, and in which you are doing that if you’re a member of this church, is through your giving. Through your giving on the first day of the week, you see, through the giving you.

Do you know their names? Do you know where they’re located? Do you know about their works? When is the last time you prayed for them and prayed for their families? I ask you that question because as a congregation here at South Bumby, we support a lot of preachers. We support a lot of preachers as a local church. We actually support 27 preachers in nine different countries throughout the world. And this morning, the elders or the shepherds of this church have asked me to talk with you about them. They’ve asked me to review with you their names and their locations and tell you exactly how their works connect to us and what practical things we can be doing to support them beyond even the money we’re sending them.

And so let’s begin by first reviewing who they are. Who are these men? Who are these brothers in Christ? Who are these 27 preachers that we are supporting as a congregation? Well, let’s start with those we support in the states and Canada. You see, here in the United States, in addition to this church supporting me, my family, and Brother J.R. and his family, this church also supports six preachers throughout the states. We support Brother Tim Bunting in New York. Brother Cameron Piner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brother Thomas Rainwater to Philadelphia, New York. Brother Derrick Chambers and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brother Gabe Chavez, who did our teen weekend a few weeks ago. We support him in Lutes, Florida, and Brother Ken Chapman, that many of us are very familiar with.

He did good work here for eight years as a preacher in this of this church. We support him and his family in Joplin, Missouri. We support six preachers throughout the states, and then we also support a dear friend of mine, Brother William Stewart in Kingston, Ontario. He’s in Canada. That’s a total of seven preachers we support throughout the United States and Canada. And we also support preachers in South America. We support Brother Louis Sisko in Colombia, the Jorge Gaten, Camillo Gaten, Carlos, Korea. These preachers are in Colombia. And then we also support Brother Carlos Bello in Chile. That’s five preachers we support in South America. And then we also support preachers in Africa. And I many years ago was blessed to actually preach the gospel in these particular countries in Africa.

And I can tell you, and I believe it’s still the case today that there are a lot of people in Africa who are receptive to the gospel. Even though many people in this continent and in these countries are very poor. They don’t have very much. They want to hear about Jesus. They want to serve Jesus. They want to experience the spiritual treasures of heaven. The gospel is very fruitful in these countries.

These men are in Zimbabwe, three preachers in the southern part of Africa. And then also in Sri Lanka, we support preachers. Brother Walk Pine and Sister Bonnie made a trip to Sri Lanka a couple of months ago. And so we support Brother Sareth, Brother Eric, Brother Negund, Brother Urovari, Brother Kundra, and Brother Joseph. Now, if you want to know how to pronounce their last names, you talk to Brother Walcott about that when he gets back. Because he’ll do it perfectly. I’m from East Texas, and I will slaughter, okay, I will slaughter these last names. So I’m doing my best just to say the first or the middle name. But you get the point. We support six preachers in the island country of Sri Lanka. And then we also support preachers in Australia and the Philippines.

In Tasmania, Australia, we support Brother Barry Hume. And then in the Philippines, we support five preachers. Brother June, Jason, Brother Jimmy, Brother Jim, and Brother Rogilio. Now, when you add all those names up, you get 27. 27. 27 men we send support to as a congregation here at South Bumby. And I really want to emphasize that word we, I just said. Brothers and sisters, this is a we work. This is a work that we are doing together. This is not just the work of the elders or the deacons or just a few members of this church. No, the money these men receive and the preaching of the gospel comes from us. It comes from us as a local congregation of God’s people. Through the giving we do here as a local church, we help these men support themselves and support their families while they preach the gospel.

We provide them a gift. We provide them the gift of time. Time to study, time to pray, time to read, time to travel and teach the lost and teach other Christians. We involve ourselves in global evangelism. In fact, what I want to do for the next few minutes is I want to share with you four things that happen as a result of that. I want to quickly share with you four things that happen when a church like South Bumbi, a church that is blessed with so many resources, I want to share with you four things that happen when we support preachers and other places in the work of the gospel. What happens as the result of a church like South Bumbi being involved in global evangelism?

1. We Involve Ourselves in an Authorized Work

Well, the first thing that happens is we involve ourselves in an authorized work. We involve ourselves in an authorized work for a local church, and I think that is something that we really need to think about and talk about for a couple of minutes because I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but for a lot of churches, even for a lot of churches of Christ, they’re not involved in authorized works. Instead, they’re involved in unauthorized works. Many are involved in works that can’t be backed up by scriptures. They can’t be backed up by a book and a chapter and a verse. Their works may make a lot of people happy, and they may get people through the front doors and into the pews, but they don’t follow the pattern given to us by the apostles.

They don’t follow the pattern given to us in the New Testament scriptures. You see, in the pattern given to us in the New Testament scriptures, written down by inspired apostles, we don’t find churches, local churches, using their money, using their funds to build big play centers for people in their community and society. We don’t find them using their funds to provide donuts and coffee and pizza to their membership. We don’t find them using their funds to provide fitness classes and karate classes and gaming days and holiday pageants and youth counts, youth camps, and concerts. In the Bible, we don’t find local churches involved in those kinds of works, but we do find our local churches involved in the work of evangelism. What we do find are local churches being zealous and very aggressive in the work of spreading the gospel throughout the world.

Go on your Bible, please to Acts chapter 13. Look in your Bible, please at Acts the 13th chapter. Here we learn, we learn some things about the church in Antioch, this church that was comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. It’s Antioch of Syria. And the Bible says in Acts chapter 13 and in verse number one, in Acts 13 and verse 1, now there were at Antioch in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, the son of encouragement. We’re familiar with Barnabas, a good man, and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Mananean, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul, that’s Saul of Tarsus, who would go on to be the great apostle Paul. These people, these teachers were in the church at Antioch.

Verse number two says, Well, they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart from me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. Then, when they had prayed and fasted and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. I want to highlight the end of verse number three. They sent them away. Who’s the they there? Well, the they there is talking about the church. It’s talking about this church. The church and Antioch. The church and Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel. They supported them in their work. They took part in their work of preaching the gospel in places where it had never been preached. They took part in helping Paul plant those Galatian churches that we’ve been studying about for the last few weeks.

They took part in helping Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel throughout the island of Cyprus. They played a heavy role in helping the apostle Paul be able later to travel to places like Corinth and Thessalonica and Athens and Ephesus and Berea and Philippi. The church in Antioch was heavily involved in supporting the apostle Paul in the work of the gospel. They sent him out. They supported him even financially and the work of the gospel. In fact, this is not the only church that supported Paul and his ministry. But the church in Philippi did as well. Go in your Bible, please to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. Because in Philippians chapter 4, Paul says this to this church that had a very special place in his heart.

In Philippians chapter 4 and verse number 14, Paul says to these brethren, verse 14, nevertheless, you’ve done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but you alone. For even in Thessalonica, you send a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the prophet which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance. I am amply supplied, having received from apaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God, and my God will supply all your needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

You see what Paul is telling us there? Do you see it? What is Paul talking about there in those verses? Well, in those verses, the apostle Paul is talking about support. He’s talking about money, he’s talking about funds that he received from the church in Philippi. The church in Philippi for a time was helping support Paul financially and the work of the gospel, and by us supporting preachers throughout this country and in places like Sri Lanka and Canada and Australia and Africa and the Philippines, that’s also exactly what we’re doing for those preachers. We’re doing for those preachers the same thing that the church of the Philippi did for Paul, and the same thing the church in Antioch did for Paul. We’re also involving ourselves in global evangelism.

We’re also helping spread the gospel.

2. Global Evangelism Helps Fulfill the Great Commission

We’re also doing exactly the kind of work that God wants a church to do. When we involve ourselves in global evangelism like we currently are, that means that we are involving ourselves in an authorized work, a work that God wants a church to do. In fact, we can add to our list by saying that global evangelism helps fulfill the Great Commission. The Great Commission. We’re familiar with the Great Commission. You’re familiar with it, right? Brother Chris read it in our scripture reading. Going back to Matthew 28 and verse 19. Before Jesus ascended to heaven to be with his Father. Jesus told his people this. He said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This is echoed in Mark chapter 16 and verse 15, right? Where Mark in his parallel account records Jesus saying to his people, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. Both of those passages are talking about evangelism. They’re talking about global evangelism, taking God’s word to all people throughout the world. That’s important for us to think about for a couple of minutes. We need to think about that, brothers and sisters, because I fear that so often, whenever we think about evangelism, we tend to only think of it in a local kind of way. In other words, we tend to only think of it in terms of our community, our city, our culture, our society, the people we know and are personally connected to, our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends, our classmates, our family members who are not Christians.

You see, if we’re not careful, we can limit our thinking when it comes to evangelism to only the people we know, and the people who are in our personal circle of influence, and while we certainly need to be trying to reach those people and teach those people and help those people and influence those people to serve Jesus, I want you to notice how in the marching orders of the Great Commission, Jesus clearly says that he wants the gospel to go beyond those people. He wants the gospel to go beyond the person, the people that we personally know and go into all the world. Not just to our family members and our coworkers and our friends. No, literally go into all the world. The question is, is how can we help accomplish that?

I mean, how can we do that living here in Orlando, Florida? How can we here in Central Florida help fulfill the marching orders of the Great Commission? Well, one of the big ways we can help fulfill these marching orders is by supporting preachers in other places.

3. We Share in the Work of the Gospel

You see, while most of us will never be able to get onto an airplane and fly to a whole bunch of different countries and preach the gospel to those people face to face through the giving we do to support preachers, we actually help fulfill and accomplish the great commission. We actually help men in places far away from us that we will never be able to go to, probably, proclaim the word of God to people who have yet to hear the gospel. We help ensure that the marching orders of Jesus come to pass. We do that through our giving. We help the gospel go out into the world. We help fulfill the Great Commission, and we share in the work. We share in the work of the gospel with faithful preachers.

We partner in their work. We’re in fellowship with them in their work. You ever thought about that before? It’s in the Bible. Go back to Philippians again, please. Philippians chapter 4. In Philippians chapter 4, look at verse 14 again, please. As Paul speaks to the church in Philippi, he says in Philippians 4 and verse 14, nevertheless, you’ve done well to share with me in my affliction. Verse 15. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church, here’s this word here, shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving. But you alone. Do you see that word shared that Paul used in verse 15? You see that word. That word that is translated shared in the New American Standard Bible is the word partnership in the English Standard Bible.

It is actually the same Greek word. For the word fellowship, the word fellowship in the Bible means to share. It means to be in communion. It means to have partnership and joint participation with others when it comes to spiritual matters. In this context, Paul’s using the word to talk about how through their financial support of his work and the gospel, the Philippians were partners with him. They were in fellowship with him. They shared with him spiritually in kingdom work. In fact, this is not the only time that Paul’s going to tell us they were doing this for him in this letter. Look at Philippians chapter 1, please. Philippians chapter 1. This idea that we’re talking about is something that bookends this letter. Paul talks about it at the beginning of the letter.

He talks about at the end of the letter. And in Philippians chapter 1 and verse 3, verse number 3, the Apostle Paul says, Philippians 1 to verse 3, I thank my God, and all my remembrance of you always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. Verse 5, in view of your participation, and the gospel from the first day until now. Notice that word participation that Paul uses in verse 5. You see that word participation? That word participation that Paul uses there comes from the same Greek word that is translated fellowship. It comes from the same Greek word that in some translations is rendered partnership, sharing, communion, joy, participation. It is a word that Paul is using to talk about what was happening as a result of this church supporting him financially in the cause of the gospel.

You see, by supporting Paul in the gospel, this church in Philippi was partnering with him. They were in fellowship with him, they were sharing with him and the benefits of his work, and we understand this in a secular sense, right? If you’re a sports fan like I am, we understand this when it comes to sports. We understand that when a group of wealthy people, when a group of billionaires come together to buy a sports team, if that team is successful, all of the partners share in that work. All of the partners share in the good results of that work. We understand this when it comes to sports, and we also understand this when it comes to investing in a company. We understand this when it comes to investing in a business.

While many investors of a company may never be able to personally build a company’s product and be part of the day-to-day operations, if that company is successful, the investors who have partnered together all reap the benefits.

All of the partners get to share in the results of the prosperity. We understand this concept in a secular sense. And in the same way, this same principle also applies spiritually when we support preachers and the work of the gospel. You see, when it comes to the 27 men that we as a church support in the preaching of the gospel, we need to understand that according to the Bible, we are partnering with them. We are in fellowship with them. Even though they’re located in different places in the world, and in many cases preaching to people from different cultures and who speak in different languages, we are sharing with them in kingdom work and in the benefits of their work. We’re partners. We’re in fellowship, we’re sharing with these preachers and the work of sharing the gospel, and we’re doing that because ultimately we want the same thing that God wants.

4. We Want the Same Thing That God Wants

We want what Paul says in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 4. That verse I read at the beginning of the lesson. Like God wants all people to be saved, we also here at South Bumbi, we want all people to be saved. We want people to repent and to come to a knowledge of the truth. We want all people to go to heaven and to have a relationship with God and be part of God’s universal family of believers. We want that.

What does it say? For God so loved the world. That’s everybody. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus makes it very clear in that verse what he wants. He tells us very clearly who the love of God is for. Jesus says that when it comes to the love of God, God loves everyone. God loves every man and every woman and every child. God loves the world, people from all nations, and that is exactly why he sent his son to die for the world, and that’s why he wants the gospel preached in all the world. God wants the entire world to hear the gospel and be saved through his son, and by supporting preachers financially as a church, we demonstrate with our actions and with our funds that we believe the same thing God wants.

We demonstrate that we really also want all people to be saved. Like God wants all people to be saved. We demonstrate that we really love all people. We demonstrate that we really believe Romans 1 and verse 16, where the Bible says the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes it. By being involved in global evangelism. We demonstrate that we love the lost, all the lost, like God does. When we involve ourselves in global evangelism like we are currently involved in right now. But the next question, very quickly, that we need to answer is this, and that is what else can we do? What else can we do? Beyond sending these preachers money to help support them and support their families, what else can we be doing right now to support these men in their works?

Well, the first thing we can be doing as members of this church is we can be learning about these men. We can read and learn more about these men. I have rehearsed with you their names and locations, but I’m going to tell y’all something. There’s only so much I can say about these guys in a 35-minute sermon. There’s so much more you need to know about these men that frankly we don’t have enough time to mention in a 35-minute sermon. And so what I want to encourage you to do is I want to encourage you to on your own read and learn about these men. I want to encourage you to read their reports. I want to encourage you to read the information that is posted about them on the bulletin board wall.

I want to encourage you to go to one of our shepherds, go to our deacons, go to Brother Andrew Fix and ask them questions that you may have about these men. There is nothing wrong with doing that. There’s nothing wrong with seeking to be educated and informed about the faithful men that we partner with in the preaching of the gospel. Read and learn more about these men. We have the information. But don’t just read and learn more about these men. Secondly, also reach out to them. Occasionally contact them. Get their email addresses and send them an email of encouragement at least once a month. Find them on Facebook if they have a Facebook page and send them a Facebook message. Write them a letter. Let them know that you appreciate them and you are aware of their work and the gospel and that you are praying for them.

Understand that some of these men have some very tough works. Very tough works. Some of these men are preaching in multiple churches every Lord’s day. And some of them have to travel long distances on foot or on a bicycle to get to these churches. And some of them are preaching in places where the government is oppressive of the citizens and the people are very poor. Some of these men preach the gospel every Sunday under some very tough conditions and occasionally hearing from members of this church, members who are partnering with them in the cause of the gospel, that would encourage them. That would lift their spirits. And so contact and encourage them. And then finally pray for them. Pray for them every day. Pray that God will bless their works.

Pray that God will help them be effective. Pray that God will providentially put them in contact with people who have honest hearts to the truth. Pray for their families, pray for their wives, pray for their children, pray for their good health. Pray that God will continue to give them strength and help them persevere as they preach his word. Pray for these men and pray for their families. In fact, let’s bow our heads right now and say a prayer for these preachers. Will you pray with me, please? Almighty God, we bow our heads at this time, thanking you for another Lord’s Day. Thank you for the opportunity to come together as your people to worship and praise your name. Father, at this time, we offer a very specific prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking you for the men that we support in various places around this country and around the world preaching the gospel.

We’re so thankful that you’ve blessed us with funds and resources to be able to support so many preachers. And we pray that much good can come from this. We pray for these men, we pray for their wives, for the children. We pray for the churches that they the churches that they work with. We pray that you’ll give them courage, that you’ll help them always be true to the gospel, that you’ll help them, Father, be put into contact with honest hearts, people looking for the truth, people who want to be New Testament Christians. Thank you, Father, for all of these men. And we pray, Father, that you will encourage them and be with them and hold their hands as they do your work in some cases under very difficult conditions.

Conclusion

Thank you, Father, for allowing us to partner with them. And we pray that you will bless their efforts. In Jesus’ name, amen. Well, at this time, we’re going to get ready to sing a song of invitation. And as we get ready to sing that song, I want to end where I began. Remember, I began the lesson by emphasizing to you that God wants every person to be saved. God wants every person to hear the gospel and obey the gospel. And if you’re not a Christian, that would even include you. God wants you to be saved. He wants you to obey the gospel even on this day. And if we can help you with that, we will love to do so. If you want to come forward and confess your faith in Jesus, that you believe in Jesus, and you’re ready to repent of your sins and be baptized.

We will baptize you today and you can leave here right with God. If there’s someone here this morning who needs to answer the call of the gospel, come to the front right now. Let’s stand, let’s sing together.