Now, I was given this subject. I'm supposed to be preaching on giving or going. Either you're going to give or you're going to go. And I've changed it up to giving and going. We should both give and we should both go. We're responsible for both of those things. So that's kind of my emphasis. And because of that, I have actually two passages. The one that's listed, first of all, is from Matthew chapter 9, verse 35. Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease in every affliction When he saw the crowds he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd Then he said to his disciples a harvest is plentiful, but the labors are few therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest send out labors into the harvest and then over in Luke chapter 15, and you should know this chapter because the greatest story ever told is in this chapter. That's a prodigal son. But I'll be reading about the first parable, the lost sheep. So Luke 15, verse 1, now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable. What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I found my sheep that was lost. Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. This is the word of God, let us respond to it together. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever, amen. Well, all of us know the hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal master, leads against his foe. Forward into battle, see his banner go. I read that because it's familiar to you, but also I like that phrase, Christ the Royal Master leads against the foe. I want us to really think about just mainly one thing, and that is, what is the heart of God when it comes to missions? What is the heart of Christ when it comes to missions? And I think we see it in both of these texts that I have just read to you. First, in the Matthew passage, it says, when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them. compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Now that word compassion is, in my mind at least, a lot stronger than the way we use compassion in the English language today. It means that you're kind of kind, you're kind of gentle, you kind of feel sorry for people. But in the Greek, while it does mean that, it means a lot more than that. It means that you're really troubled, that down deep inside of you, you're moved by the trouble and the difficulty that somebody finds himself in. Maybe we should really say you're brokenhearted. When you think about that, what's it saying? When Jesus saw the crowds, and they were like sheep without a shepherd. Now, who's the shepherd? You know that. He's the shepherds, so they're without him, right? And how does he respond? He's brokenhearted. He's brokenhearted. And then in Luke chapter 15, we see the shepherd again. Who is that? That's Jesus. And he gets back to the fold, and he counts the sheep, and there are not a hundred, there are only ninety-nine. And what's it say? He leaves them. He actually says he leaves them in the open country, and goes out to find that one. And the text would say that he keeps it up until he can find that one. And then he says what? There is more joy in heaven over one person who was lost and is found than all those who are righteous. I don't really know exactly what that means because I believe Jesus loves all of you and you're found. But think about it for a minute. When you came to faith, did you realize there was a lot of cheering and clapping and singing in heaven? Great joy in heaven because you came to faith? You see, is that the way you think about lostness and foundness? I've got to confess, I don't think that way a lot. It just kind of passes over me. Yesterday, we went to the mall. My wife told me, you're not going to like it. I hadn't been to the mall on a Saturday, but it was my idea. I just thought we needed to get out of the house. I did not realize everybody goes to the mall on Saturdays. From now on, I'm going on Monday. That's when I will go to the mall. But I began to think seriously about this sermon that I was going to preach to you this morning, and I see all these people going by. And I'm thinking, how many of them know Jesus? And how many of them are lost? And does it bother me like it bothers Jesus that I see lost people? Am I moved like him? Am I like the shepherd that counts 99, but there's one missing? He goes out and he works and works until he finds that one. You see, what I think both of these texts tell us is that when it comes to missions, And this is our mission season, but when it comes to missions, God is really committed. Committed to the church, mobilizing itself to get out there and to preach and find others that need to hear the gospel like we have heard and found Christ ourselves. The text in Matthew says that Jesus went through all the villages and all the cities preaching and teaching and healing. And you'll notice that there's a lot of effort in that, not just preaching, although that's important, and teaching, and that's important, but healing anything. It seems to me to somehow reach the people, that they might come to faith in Him. And as I've already said, in the 99 and the 1, he is out there and the text really does tell us that he goes and he works until he finds that one. And then he can rejoice, but not until that time. I want to encourage you, because I've already said, to me, the title of this sermon, or at least the idea behind this sermon, should be going and giving. And every one of us is responsible for going and giving. I don't know how many parents of covenant children I have told through the years, don't give up on your kids. Often this is what they say to me, will you please pray for my daughter, my son, they're not believers. I'll say to them, have you talked to them lately? Well, you know, I tried that a long time ago and boy, the curtain came down and I don't want to lose touch with my children. I don't want to lose contact. And so I backed off. I just, you know, really am friendly and I'm just praying, but I'm not going to pressure them anymore because they might reject us as parents. Well, I can't say that there's a right way to do everything, but I will tell you that there was a time in my life when one of my children was in the wilderness. Sandy can say the same, and we did not quit talking to our kids. It did make him a little mad once in a while, but I'd always tell him, look, I've got to tell you this because I love you. Because I love you, I can't stay silent. And I think that gets through. I think that gets through. They know they've got parents, and they know their parents love them. But the most important thing to their parents is their relationship to Jesus Christ, and they want their children to know Christ. Don't give up on your unbelieving children if you have them. Sandy and I support a missionary couple And they work with homeless people, with people on the street, alcoholics, drug addicts, things like that. And I just loved to get there. We get a weekly update from them. And they tell us who they're praying for and who we need to be praying for, too. And I love that message that we get from them. And I like the fact that they're out there every day giving out socks, vouchers to go and get a meal at McDonald's, all kinds of stuff, but just not giving up on these people. And those are some hard people to reach. You know, William Carey was the father of modern missions. I suppose you know that. He went to India. He was really kind of the first Protestant. There were some others with Zinzendorf and so on, but he's considered the father of modern missions. Now listen, this is what he did, and I'm only going to give you a short sample because the list would go on and I have to get done in a hurry because it's Communion Sunday. But he established modern agriculture in India. He established the first banking system in India. He pioneered humane care for leprosies, for leopards. He published the first Asian newspaper. He translated the Bible into 40 languages. He wrote gospel music. He started schools for outcasts. He fought against window burning, euthanasia, killing babies. Now, that's just the beginning of the list. I want you to see that because I'm emphasizing right here, we ought to put every effort we can into reaching others for the Lord Jesus Christ. I know this is the mission season, but this is also what we're about. That's what The Church of Jesus Christ is about. That's what these two texts are telling us that we're looking at. Christ hates lostness. Both stories emphasize that. And the reason that he does is because he knows how terrible the condition is. He knows what human beings were created for, and he knows what a terrible, terrible condition it is when a human being is separated from God now, and even worse, in eternity. You know, when the Bible talks about eternity, and for those who are lost, it pictures what? A fire, a lake of fire, right? Now, there's hardly anything worse to think about, but I'm going to tell you that hell is going to be worse than that. I don't know how, but it will be. And we ought to think about lostness like that. C.S. Lewis said that lostness is really going to be a condition in which all you have is yourself. And you get more and more and more of guess what? Self. Now that may seem good to you, but it doesn't seem good to me. In fact, that's what hell is going to be like. Cut off from everything except just deeper, deeper into yourself. What is it really like to be like a sheep without a shepherd? Now, I think I have an example of that. I don't know whether I'll give it in the second service. I probably will, but these three kids are going to be there in the second service. They'll know whether I'm lying or not. But I'm not. When my children were growing up, one of them, the youngest, thought that she'd been put on this earth to save all stray animals, especially dogs. And there was a period in her life where she got a driver's license and then brought home in a very short period of time seven dogs that she found on the road. And these were not nice dogs. These were bad dogs. these dogs chewed things and messed up things that they shouldn't chew and shouldn't mess up. So, because I'm the father, I made a new rule in the house, and it was this. Thou shall not bring home any more dogs. I called it the 11th Commandment. Thou shall not bring home any more dogs. Well, my wife and I, we went off to preach somewhere. These were all adult teenagers now, so they could stay home. You know, you don't want to go with your parents. And so we were on our way home on a Sunday afternoon before cell phones, and we stopped in a rest area and we called the kids. We said, we'll be home in one hour. Now you know why you do that. So, One hour later, we come down the driveway, and these three adult teenagers, they come out of the house, and they begin to hug on us, and they begin to kiss on us, and they begin to tell us that we're the most wonderful parents that have ever lived. So I looked around, the house was still standing, everything looked all right. I was trying to figure out what it was, and then I said, it better not be a dog. to which the oldest daughter went to crying, and Paul Junior goes to the basement and says, hey Murphy, come on up and meet dad. They'd already named this beast. What a pitiful dog, a red golden retriever, ticks all over it, big fat ones, hair all matted down, stomach all shriveled up. We took that dog to the vet. You know what she said? If we had not gotten that dog there quickly as we did, she would have perished. She was almost gone. She was lost. Do you see? She was lost. And when you think about people, even people you know, and they look okay, and their lives are all put together, and they've got big SUVs, and they've got Rolex, well, I don't know what. You know, they look really good. You know what you ought to see if you know that they don't know Jesus? You ought not to see them like that. You ought to see people that got tics all over them, and hair all matted down, and stomachs all shriveled up. They're lost. Right? They're lost. That's what it means when it says Jesus had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. They needed a shepherd. Think about that. By the way, I want to say quickly that don't worry about Murphy. She passed away and Sandy thinks she's in heaven. Sandy thinks all dogs are in heaven. I will say. All right. I do have to tell you this. Murphy figured out who kind of the lead of the pack was right away. And I mean, she attached herself to me. She became my dog wherever I was, Murphy was. And what a wonderful dog she was. But she was lost. Like the people who don't know Jesus. and she was perishing, like the people who don't know Jesus. That's really what both of our texts say. Now, the text in Matthew tells us that the harvest is plentiful. I think John helps us in John chapter 4. There it says the harvest is white. And a white harvest means it's ripe. It doesn't mean there's so much out there that you wouldn't have enough silos and barns and dens and bends and all of that to put it all in. No, it means that if you don't pick it now, it's going to spoil, it's going to rot. What that says to all of us is that there's an urgency to the business of missions. I know that God calls who He wills. I understand that. I also realize that God says there is a urgency to the business of missions and the responsibility that we have. I don't put those two together. That's God's business, but we ought to see that in this text. The harvest is ripe. We can't hold back. There are people that you know And you may be the only Christian that's ever going to have an opportunity to witness to them, and you need to go to them and talk to them. And maybe it's someone in your family, maybe it's somebody in your neighborhood. But now is the time. Now is the urgency of the work of missions. And then it says, but the labors are few. And there it is. There's the invitation to us, right? That's who this text is talking to, you and me. We are the ones that need to give and go. And I want you to hear this. If you're giving, you're going. You know, we support a missionary that works in Cuba. As far as I'm concerned, we're in Cuba. Sandy and I work in Cuba. Why? Well, because missions is like a three-legged stool. You've got to have somebody that needs to hear the gospel. You need to have somebody who'll go and present the gospel, but you need to have somebody that supports the people that go. And if any one of those legs drops off the stool, the stool falls over. So there are places where you need to actually go, but if you give, you're also going. And I want you to see that. And I would encourage you to at least find one missionary that your church is supporting and say, I'm going to pray for that missionary every day, because that's another way in which you go. You can go by praying, as well as giving money. In fact, I've known a lot of missionaries. I worked in a mission organization for 20 years. And if you were to ask a missionary, look, I can only pray or I can only give, probably that's not true, but just for illustration, I can only give or I can only pray, you think the missionary would say, well, then give, because if you don't give, I can't go. But every missionary I've ever met would say, pray, then. If you can only do one, pray, because it's the prayers that make the difference. So we give, and we go, and the two go together. Finally, the text tells us then you should pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labors into the harvest. I want to suggest ways in which you can pray. First, I think you ought to pray, and I need to pray, Lord, you change me. Change me that I would have a heart like Jesus. That when I think about lostness, I am brokenhearted like He is brokenhearted. That when I count 99 and there's one missing, I can't stand it. I go out there and I find the one. I need a heart like that. And the Holy Spirit has to give us that heart. I don't think that comes automatically. Secondly, I think we ought to pray that we as a people and as a church would experience the joy of seeing people come to faith. Notice what the 99 and the one, that particular parable said, that when one is found, heaven rejoices. Maybe there's not more joy in the church because we don't see more people coming to faith. Have you thought about that? We know there'd be more joy in heaven because we're told that. I think there'd be more joy in the church as well because of that. And then I think we ought to pray, God, use me. Use me all the ways we've talked about, giving and going, sharing the gospel, praying for missions, and giving as I can. I want to tell you about a missionary, John Christian Frederick Heyer. I probably don't need to tell you the name. Well, maybe many of you have not lived in Minnesota like I did. You hear a name like that, you know that's going to be a Lutheran missionary. He was the first American Lutheran missionary. He began his ministry in 1820, and he worked for 20 years as a pastor in the U.S., planting churches and also starting a Christian college. But then he decided God was calling him to be a missionary to India, so he went to a place in India called Guntur. He went there in 1841 to 1845, but then he came back to the United States, not to quit his missionary work, but to get a medical degree as well. He already had a theology degree. You know, kind of like that text, Jesus went preaching, teaching, and healing, and he was gonna do everything he could to reach people, and he decided that a medical degree would help him as well, so he came back. In those days, evidently, you could get a medical degree a lot quicker than you can now, because he got it in four years, excuse me, three years, but then he went back for 10 years to Gunter again, 1847 to 1857. But then his health broke and he had to come back to the States and he came back to the States and he started working planting churches again and planted about 20 churches in 10 years from 1857 to 1867. But he heard that there were no missionaries left back in the area he'd worked, of Guntur, India. So as he would go around preaching and planting churches, he would point his finger at people and say, you know, God may be calling you to India. Have you thought about that? There's nobody there to give the gospel to those people. Would you go? Kept that up for 20 years. But Excuse me, 10 years, but nobody went. You guess what he did? Yeah, he went instead. He went back at the age of 77. And in those days, 77 was really old. Doesn't seem so old now, but it was really old then. He was of poor health, but he went back. in 1867. Now, why do I tell you that story? Doesn't that just sound like a man who, like Jesus, can't stand lostness, and he's going to do whatever it takes to get the gospel out there? And shouldn't we be praying that God would give us hearts like that as well, to give and to go? Let's pray. Father, our prayer is that your kingdom would prevail wherever Satan now reigns. In our country, in our government, in our schools, in our universities, we thank you for our salvation, but we long to see others know Christ, to feel the grace of the gospel in their life, and to rejoice in being one with Him. Father, we're reminded of the words of Thomas Boston, who said, God keeps open house for sinners. May many enter in, and may you use us, use our church, use our mission program, that many, many would come in great numbers to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.