Missions – Unity, Faithfulness, and Generosity
Subject – The Circle of Being Blessed in Missions
by Rick Welborne
Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.
Matthew 25:21 (NLT2)
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Isaiah 32:8 (NLT2)
8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
--Psalm 133, these verses refer to the time that Aaron was anointed high priest. It also speaks of the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
--Someone has said that in this verse you have the fragrance of a lovely rose. This precious ointment was put on the priest to indicate that he was a priest unto God. This was also a prophecy of future events.
--Ezekiel speaks of a future day, and like that ointment that ran down on Aaron, so will God pour out His Spirit.
--This is the meaning, of Joel's prophecy of the outpouring of Holy Spirit upon Israel which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:16-18 (NKJV)
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
1. Unity
--I see something here that is definitely relevant to Life Church, to our vision, our passion, and our mission. All of you hear me speak of Holy Spirit and missions all the time. Unity is magnifies this.
Acts 2:1 (NKJV)
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
--The 120 were with one accord (in unity) in one place (the upper room or church) waiting and worshiping for the Promise of the Father. They were not exactly sure what they were waiting on. Stay with me.
They were in unity in their obedience to God. Jesus had told them to go to Jerusalem and to wait there until they were endued with power from on high.
They were in unity with their gathering together where Jesus told them to go and wait. None of the 120 said we can pray just as well at home. Most people lose their focus at home…the Lord is not on their minds.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT2)
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
--They were in unity in their obedience, in their gathering where Jesus told them (church), and They were also in unity in what they were doing when they arrived at the upper room. Worship.
Luke 24:52-53 (NKJV)
52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
The 120 were in such beautiful unity with their expectation of what God was about to do that they were filled with joy as they worshiped and they were continually praising and blessing God at the temple (church).
Psalm 133:1 (NKJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
--The 120 were in such unity in the upper room being obedient, being where Jesus told them to be, and in their worship…the psalmist said what they were doing was good and pleasant. They were unified!
--So what was the result of this good and pleasant unity…the oil was poured out on the priest…not just a little. It was so much it was running down Aaron’s beard and onto his clothes. But he was the priest. Yes!
1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 (NKJV)
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Key - Because you are dwelling together in good and pleasant unity and because you are a royal priesthood, a special people, you become a candidate for the oil to be poured out upon you!
--On the Day of Pentecost we see the fulfillment of Psalms 133 and that of Joel 2 and it was all set up by the Word of the Lord and by the unity of the people.
Joel 2:15-16, 28-32 (NKJV)
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly;
16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room.
28 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.
29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? So glad you asked. I am saying that good and pleasant unity among the believers leads to the outpouring of Holy Spirit!
--Not only that, it leads to revival! And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance.
--We must contend for unity! We must seek after the outpouring of Holy Spirit because it leads to people being empowered and people calling on the Name of the Lord! But there is more in Psalms 133.
Psalm 133:3 (NKJV)
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.
--I hope you see it before I say it…where there is good and pleasant unity God pours out His Spirit in abundance. But there is more! Everyone say more! There the Lord commands blessings!
--How many of you want God to pour out His Spirit on you, on your sons and daughters, on your employees, and how many of you want Him to command blessings over you. Life evermore!
John 10:10 (NKJV)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
--About two months ago I told our pastoral staff to pray with me because I knew there was sin in the camp. A sin of disunity is what God began to reveal.
--Unity is so important to God that one person’s attitude or spirit of disunity can make it hard on everyone in the camp. Pastor, one person’s sin couldn’t or wouldn’t affect the whole church…would it? Remember Achan!
--Reader’s Digest version…Israel was to attack Jericho and they were given specific instructions not to take any of the spoil or they would be doomed to destruction. Achan took silver, a robe, and gold…buried it in his tent.
--When they were to go against Ai they were defeated and over 30 men died. The people were overwhelmed with fear because they had not been defeated before. God revealed it was one man’s sin…think about that.
--Achan lost his life and also his family’s lives. So sad that thirty families were in mourning, his own family suffered, and the whole camp was hurting. The same is true for us when there is disunity. One person did this!
--God has helped us and I believe we are in one accord and in one spirit (Holy Spirit), He is pouring out Holy Spirit, and He is getting ready to command His blessings on us…life evermore! On our missions and tithes!
--That being said…let 2020 be your year that you are in unity with Life Church by being faithful in your attendance, your tithing, and by doing a Faith Promise. I am still praying for 100% participation. Unity!
--What miracles could God do if we were all in one accord? Let’s find out! Let your 2020 vision be such that you trust God that He will do what He says. Get ready for Him to command blessings on you and your family!
2. Faithfulness
Faithfulness - the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It can also mean keeping one's promises no matter the prevailing circumstances, such as God's covenant to love his people. Literally, it is the state of being full of faith in the sense of steady devotion to a person, thing, or concept.
--To be faithful is to be reliable, steadfast and unwavering. Loyal consistent practice no matter what is going on in our lives. Easy to be faithful when everything is going well. Do it when times are tough.
--Just a warning from a pastor who loves you very much. If you give in to the temptation backing away with attendance, giving, or loyalty is a slippery slope leading always to the bottom…the pit.
Matthew 25:21 (NLT2)
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
--Listen to what Jesus says in this verse. We see celebration! How awesome it is when we are such good stewards of what God has blessed us with, the Master celebrates with us! What a blessing!
--We see commitment! Well done, my good and faithful servant! Faithfulness leads to praise from Jesus!
--Faithfulness leads to commendation by Jesus. Again, when we are faithful with our obedience, calling, tithe, and with our missions (FP) God is very pleased! Jesus says, I will give you many more responsibilities.
--The number one thing I believe God requires of His servants is faithfulness…well done, my good and faithful servant. Faithfulness is what gives us access to Him and His joy.
Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)
21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
--Your pastor is not so interested how talented you are or even all the experience you have in church life. If you cannot be faithful to God, to the church, to the pastor, you are disqualified.
--I can’t tell you how many times in the last 29 years as pastor that I have been asked to give someone a good recommendation for a church position somewhere else…if they were not faithful…nope!
--About faithfulness let me conclude with this…it is not just showing up, it is not just giving, it is much about loving people and treating them the way you want to be treated.
--Jesus talks in Mat. 24 about a wise and faithful servant taking care of those who worked for him. The servant says the Lord is delaying His coming and beats his servants…That person will be cut in two.
3. Generosity
--I had a pastor ask me…why do I believe Life Church is so blessed and so generous. Lots of wealthy people? Nope, just generous people. I asked him when was the last time his church had received a thank you card?
--What he said broke my heart. I can’t remember the last time. He asked what that had to do with anything? I said we receive thank you cards almost daily because we are always blessing missionaries or the poor.
--Number 4 in our Distinctives as a church is creating an atmosphere of generous giving. Why? We have learned God will bless us individually and corporately when we are generous. Here’s the best reason:
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NKJV)
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Isaiah 32:8 (NLT2)
8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
8 But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.
--So what are you saying, Pastor Rick? As we are a church in good and pleasant unity, as we are a church filled with faithful loving people, and we are generous…God will command His blessings over us! It works!
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