See That They Lack Nothing

See That They Lack Nothing Titus 3:12-15

In five days I leave with Stan and Jerry for Ethiopia. We will meet dozens of Christian leaders. We will fellowship with missionaries in training. We will learn of God’s blessing to the Kale Heywot (Word of Life) Church. We will visit with the widow of Yacob, a persecuted missionary who recently died on the field in Sudan. We will seek to understand how our church might partner with the Kale Heywot Church to advance the gospel.

You are sending us. We go at the direction of the elders and missions committee. We go with your support. We go with your prayers. This practice of sending and sharing church leaders is not a development stemming from modern transportation convenience. It is an ancient tradition in the church. But it is more than a tradition. Trips like this reflect God’s global heart for the success of the gospel and the solidarity of his people across cultures and other barriers.

You sense both these pulses of God’s heart in the words of Jesus, God Incarnate, as He prays to the Father, John 17:20-21 “I do not ask for these [current disciples] only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word [success of the gospel], that they may all be one [solidarity of his people], just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me [success of the gospel].

This morning I expose you to a personal and practical example in the Bible of a sending church. My purpose is not only to lay a biblical foundation for our trip, but I further intend to introduce missions month, which begins next week in February. I also intend to introduce many who are new among us to our missions outreach here at Grace.

I invite you to turn to the final words of a personal letter written by the pre-eminent Christian missionary, the Apostle Paul. It is a letter to his friend and co-worker in the gospel. This friend comforted Paul when he was downcast (2 Cor 7:6). Paul brags about this friend to churches (2 Cor 7:14). He describes him as someone whom God had given a heart for pastoral care, just like his own (2 Cor 8:16).

In the letter we will look at in a moment the apostle calls this friend, “my true child in a common faith” (Titus 1:4). The bond between Paul and his friend transcends ethnic boundaries. Paul is a Jew; his friend is a Greek (Gal 2:3). Though he loves his company, Paul sends this friend to many places in Mediterranean world for the success of the gospel. He sends him to Corinth to settle a dispute in the church there.

As Paul prepares to die in prison he acknowledges this friend’s service in what is today Croatia, Bosnia, & Herzegovina (2 Tim 4:10). Paul and his friend travel together to the island of Crete. Paul leaves his friend to stabilize the infant church there. It is during this season of ministry that Paul writes the personal letter, which we have in our Bibles. We call this letter by the name of this friend. It is the book of Titus. I invite you to examine the final paragraph of the letter. As usual, Paul concludes this letter with greetings and final instructions. The Holy Spirit has preserved this letter in Scripture so that we might peer over the shoulder of a missionary and learn how to send missionaries. I’m reading Titus 3:12-15. Titus 3:12-15 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

Before I draw application from these verses for our situation here at Grace, note some observations.

First, churches shared leaders to encourage the leaders and, in turn, find blessing from God. Paul called for Titus to come to him from Crete to Nicopolis in Greece. Titus had proven to be a deep encouragement in the past. 2 Corinthians 7:6-7 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

Second, when it comes to supporting missionaries, God calls his people to “do your best” (13) and “see that they lack nothing” (13). Paul writes to an individual, Titus. But Titus is a church leader not an independently wealthy benefactor. For Titus to do his best for these missionaries meant not only personal giving, but leading the church in giving. In Corinthians 8:6 Paul describes Titus’ work in gathering funds for missions as a “work of grace.”

Third, mission teams bring together a variety of gifts for the common purpose of advancing the gospel. Verse 13 identifies Zenas as a lawyer. Apollos we know from elsewhere as a teacher, apologist, and evangelist (Acts 18:24-25; 27-28; 1 Cor 3:4-6). Their mission effort required different areas of expertise and experience.

Fourth, support for missionaries results from “good works” to which God’s people are to devote themselves. Verse 14 appears in the context of sending missionaries. It calls for devotion to good works. The goal of working well is to have the capacity to give to urgent needs including the needs of missionaries. There are many reasons why Christians should work hard. One of them is so that we will be able to send missionaries.

Fifth, those who give, share in the fruitfulness of the mission. Verse 14 indicates that those who give to urgent needs are not unfruitful. The New Testament speaks of the success of the gospel around the world as bearing fruit. The Cretans will be bearing fruit in part by sharing in the fruit produced through those they send.

Finally, sending missionaries strengthens love among God’s people across great distances. Titus 3:15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. The affectionate greetings of verse 15 testify to the way missions supports the solidarity of Christ’s people around the world. These observations are objectively true from the text. I seek now to give counsel as to how we can live out God’s truth in our situation in this church today. I phrase this counsel in the form of three commitments. Over our sixty-three year history this church has made commitments to missionaries. We continue to make these commitments.

The only way we can sustain and fulfill these commitments is if each individual makes these three personal commitments.

1. Commit to Provide God calls us to see that our missionaries lack nothing. This is a tall order. We may never fully reach the goal. But we can strive for it. The process we use to provide support to our missionaries is called Faith Promise. Each year in February we ask each individual in this fellowship to make a faith promise pledge for missions on a card that will be available in the coming weeks. It is a FAITH promise in that it requires trust that God will supply what is not yet ours. It is a PROMISE to ensure that we take it seriously and pledge what is reasonable and not foolish.

The amount of your pledge rests between you and the Lord. Only one person in the church, the financial secretary, sees the cards in order to total the pledges. That total becomes the missions budget for next fiscal year which begins May 1. The missions committee budgets that money to provide for those missionaries to whom we have committed long term support. It is used for shorter-term projects and trips. It also funds missions education in the church, things like missions month activities. The congregation approves that budget in April. Individually and corporately we trust God to supply the money for our pledges. We pray and work to keep our promise.

Each year the missions committee sets a goal for our total Faith Promise. This year that goal is $180,000. This stretches us to grow some over last year. But let’s stretch ourselves even further. Our mission policy sets goals to give a certain percentage of each missionary total support. To meet these levels, we would have to raise our faith promise by another $100,000. Let’s pray to seek God’s guidance as we press on toward the goal, “see that they lack nothing.”

Participation is more important than pledge amounts. We normally receive just over 100 cards for faith promise. Thank God. But last week there were 750 people worshiping here. Even figuring for guests we still are receiving cards from only 20% of the church. Families, encourage each member to make a personal pledge. The amount is not significant. The spirit of sending together is a greater blessing. Students, I appeal to you to pledge something. Participate with us while you are among us.

We will collect cards throughout February. But we will make a final collection at the mission banquet on February 27. This year we are praying for an overwhelming turnout for the banquet. We are not selling tickets. We are asking you to sign up and then come prepared to give an offering toward the expenses of the meal. Any money over and above the cost of the meal goes to the Ethiopian team. One of the purposes of the banquet is to bring the entire church together to celebrate God’s love and power as He uses us to send missionaries into the world. I pray we have 500 attend. Before the close of the evening we will announce the total pledge for faith promise. Set aside the evening of February 27 to devote yourself to the good work of world missions. Begin now to consider your personal commitment to provide for those whom we send. 2. Commit to Partner Paul as a missionary directed Titus to greet those in the church at Crete who love him and his missionary team in the faith (15). Clearly the relationship between missionary and church was more than simply giving and receiving money. There was genuine love. The church was ready to sacrifice for the sake of God’s best for these missionaries. Such love required more than a superficial relationship. For example, verse 12 indicates that the church was sending Titus to Nicopolis in order to provide personal care to Paul as a missionary. This love thrived in the faith they shared. The gospel of Jesus Christ united them in affection and purpose. The church cared that her missionary remained faithful to the gospel and faithfully proclaimed it.

God holds up this example for us today. We can be a SUPPORTING church that just gives money or we can be a SENDING church that partners with missionaries. We can learn how to love our missionaries, know who they are, understand what they do and the challenges they face. We can love them in the faith. We can encourage them to remain true to the gospel.

The gospel rings true in every corner of the world. Everywhere, men and women are alienated from God and angry with Him. He is angry with us over our rebellion. Yet His love sends Jesus into the world to live a perfect life of love. Jesus dies to demonstrate that love and make the way of forgiveness into that love.

Wherever the human heart humbles itself, turns away from sin and turns to follow Christ, God’s love is experienced in a personal and profound new way. It is this faith, this truth about Jesus that is the only hope for the world. It is the only hope for you this morning. It forms the bonds of partnership with our missionaries. We join them in taking Christ to the nations.

One purpose for the Ethiopia trip is to learn how we can love our sister churches in the faith. We go with a desire to truly partner not patronize. At the bottom of the sermon note column this morning is a challenge to families, care groups, and other groups in our church. I urge you to get creative about partnering with one of the missionaries in our fellowship.

Two resources you’ll receive in the coming weeks are a newly designed prayer guide and a brand new missionary directory. The prayer guide has ideas about how to develop a closer relationship with a missionary. The directory has pictures and information to guide you toward the missionary with whom you might choose to partner.

Missionary care is not the responsibility of the missions committee or the church staff. We all share the responsibility. One of the highlights of this year’s conference will be Rachel Buffington’s commissioning to Thailand on February 13. The director of her mission, Dr. Kit Flowers, will preach that morning. The leader of the care group that has taken a special interest in Rachel’s ministry will be leading the time of commissioning prayer. Here’s a great example of missions partnership.

Many of our missionaries will visit during the month. If nothing else, use the month of February to get to know the missionaries we send better. Partnership begins with relationship. Invite one over to your home. Arrange to have one join your care group meeting. Make a personal commitment within your family or group to partner with a missionary. 3. Commit to Pray The last phrase of the letter is a prayer. “Grace be with you all.” In other words, “May God give grace to each one of you.” Paul prays for the church. And he has just reminded Titus that the people of his church should learn to devote themselves to good works (14). In other contexts, one of the good works to which God’s people are to devote themselves is prayer.

Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

We will be asking you to complete and tear off a section of the prayer guide and commit to pray for a particular missionary. You can sign up as an individual, family, or care group. You can sign up for multiple missionaries.

Let’s make sure our missionaries “lack nothing.” One thing a missionary certainly cannot do without is prayer. If we are going to do our best to send them on their way, we will send them with prayer. We will not only send them with prayer, we will sustain them with prayer.

Our theme for Missions Month is Partnership: God’s People Uniting to Further His Kingdom. Reaching that lofty objective begins with personal commitment. We must do our best to provide for, to partner with, and to pray for our missionaries.

A. T. Pierson, whom God used to fan the flame of world evangelization said,

“If missions languish it is because the whole life of godliness is feeble. The command to go everywhere and preach to everybody is not obeyed until the will is lost by self-surrender in the will of God. Living, praying, giving and going will always be found together.”

May God be pleased to find them here among us.