Baptist Couriers For Christ - Missionary Presentation

Tonight we have a guest speaker that is with us. Brother Josh Dirks and his wife Kelly are here and were so glad to have them and I want to tell too much about what they have is an exciting ministry. They are with Baptist couriers for Christ.

So make Brother Joshua Waukomis.

He comes this evening back in January, 20, 21 and got to meet Pastor Bev and at the same time and shared with them a little bit about the ministry baptistery for Christ and I'm excited to share with you several folks asked me in the way and so where exactly are you a missionary to an ice that I think would be better explained in the presentation and I but first I want to thank you for the tremendous, accommodations at the hotel we got settled then and I was great and then had a privilege to go out with supper with brother Ty Kochman and I had the privilege a year ago to go with him and Carter his brother to some meetings down in Texas and so it was great to reconnect with him and see all the Lord's been working in his life, but without any of further new let's get into the presentation this evening will fire up the PowerPoint and will talk a little bit about Baptist couriers for Christ. Now baptistery for Christ is a ministry that my dad started back in 1979 and at that time. Of course, Eastern Europe was held under the iron fist of communism and its it made it such that getting Scriptures into that region was not simple like it is today. Right now we have the privilege gets along with my my guys are right this second.

We have the privilege of doing a Scripture distribution.

We have a team of 16 Americans right now that are in Berlin, Germany passing out.

John enrollments just like you see on the table was back when this ministry started.

That was not an option. It was a.

Of communism and the there was a literal wall that divided Eastern Europe from Western Europe.

There were bar.

It was Barb wire. It was concrete it was iron and on the western side of that wall Western Europe advanced much like we were advancing through the 1960s and 1970s, 1980s here in America but on the eastern side of that wall. Not only was there society not advancing, but because of communism.

It was going back into a state of disrepair, financially, morally, and certainly spiritually there were armed border crossings like this one here, but understand the iron curtain was not put up to keep people out. It was put up to keep people in.

In fact, making those Eastern European countries one giant prison, but there was one group of people behind the Iron Curtain that the atheistic Communists hated more than anybody else and that was the true born-again Christian. Because no matter how they tried to squelch their their message. No matter what means they took try to keep them from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They didn't succeed they failed to understand something very clear from the Scriptures that whom the son has made free. He is what free indeed. And so you have men like this is my father here with his arm around the man on the bed. The man on the bed was a pastor who was repeatedly tortured and his only crime was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The last time that they took him in. They hung him by his legs for hours at a time, beating his legs with rods until they permanently crippled him, they sent him back to his family with one directive never speak that name again. The very next Sunday. He had his family carried him in to his little underground church set him in a chair. They handed him his Bible. He opened it and preached the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I meant this slide here was smuggled out to us in 19 the late 1970s, and these are hand written portions of the word of God.

My dad took his first survey trip with a man whom he is in Berlin Germany with right now. He took his first survey trip in 1978 and he was in a underground unregistered church about 100 people to people had Bibles.

How many Bibles do we have at our disposal.

We got I got a big Bible. I got little Bibles I got so letters Bibles I got study Bibles, chronological Bibles got Bibles on my tablet Bibles on my phone. We take them for granted. But in that congregation to people had Bibles and as the pastor was preaching one woman that woman who had had a Bible set in the middle and she would find the.

The passage, and as he would read that passage, she would hold her Bible above her head and all the people in that center section of that congregation would stare longingly at the Bible that was in her hands. Some of them had tears running down their face, hoping and praying that day to someday could have their own copy of the word of God. It was in that moment that the Holy Spirit touched my dad's heart and said I want you to spend the rest of your natural life getting the word of God into the hands of people that don't have it and so how do you go about that. Well, we ended up with a Bible smuggling team. The Lord worked it out. These two pictures here you would've never seen back in the 1980 its wiki so we will do a tactical change out all my goodness there. We are Not loud enough voice or you can usually hear is not that good though. By God's grace we have shipped over 108 containers of Scripture since 1990 container number 109 and 110 are leaving at the end of August and the beginning of September, 109 is going to Croatia. It's got 24,000 whole Bibles on it. 110 has 96,000 new Testaments headed into the war-torn country of Ukraine. We have shipped three containers to Ukraine in the last two months is our earnest desire to ship one container per month through the second half of this year, provided that the finances come in so these gentlemen in the middle are unloading the new Testaments in the pictures that you see around the edge are Ukrainian refugees. These pictures were just sent to us a few weeks ago. Then we open up to the third period of our ministry. The Scripture distribution campaign. After we had missionaries that were in Europe for the Lord raised up missionaries all through the early 1990s to go to these different countries and as dad would talk to them and get Scriptures to them yet Bible tracts get different things that they needed. He would ask them what else can we get for you and many of them would just say we need help. Many of the people of Eastern Europe are stoic, they've got a background with years of atheistic communism and it's hard hard ground and so this picture here was just taken in May and this was a team that we had in the country of Poland. So what is the courier's campaign goals will number one it's a mass distribution of God's word.

It's a seed sowing campaign you'll see examples of it on the table.

We try to get out as many copies of John Romans is what the people of that city will receive when we were there in May.

We were in a dual city outreach in the city of good nights and taught in Poland, the Lord allowed our team to get out one hundred and 4000 John Romans during that period of time that we were there and along with those John Romans were handing out invitations inviting people lost souls gathered to hear a clear presentation of the gospel we have that team in Berlin Germany tomorrow night is there evangelistic service so please be in prayer with us. They been passing out John aromas and invitations for the last 10 days over there in Berlin, Germany we desire connectivity with the believers from across United States with their foreign field missionaries brother teach was telling me beforehand about the impact that getting onto the physical missions field had in brother Woodworth and it's just so exciting and we've seen the same thing last on our list, but first and foremost souls saved Bible study started churches started and strengthen and believers discipled to continue the work of Christ. So what it takes for me to be able to give these two ladies in Kiev, Ukraine. This was back in 2019.

Before the war.

A copy of John, Romans, in their native language.

First of all, it chokes it takes production. It takes the assembly of the actual Scriptures. This this picture here in the bottom was taken. These two pictures rather were taken. Add to pastor Tim Carter's in West Union last October and we had a group of the folks there came out and worked faithfully conceived pastor Carter there in his parents but they weren't faithfully assembling copies for our campaign to the contrary of Poland Scripture assembly were your fingerprints will travel to the other side of the world. Sometimes you aren't able to physically go, but by putting your hands on those John, Romans, helping to assemble those you're sending those you're sending the word of God on your behalf. What an opportunity it is to be able to work on Scripture production, but we've already talked about shipping.

That's a big part of our ministry getting the word of God.

There the Scriptures that we assembled down in West Union as well as several other churches made it to Poland safely next to takes availability. It takes people willing to go. We invite folks of like faith and practice from churches all across the United States to go with us and be a short-term missionary for two weeks and extend the same offer to you guys this evening. At the end of this presentation, but this was our Polish campaign team that assembled back in May to go and reach out there. It takes coordination. Purchaser Christ excels in this area. The campaign that they are on right now is campaign number 26 and we like to have a battle plan a game plan. Here I am talking with two pastors, one of them from Ohio and one from Alaska and I'm giving them coordinates of where they need to station, and I had him overbuy up a bus station in the tram stop and I'm holding in my hands. A map of the city of Kyiv. I would've never guessed in 2019 that a few short years later that city would be ravaged by the Russian army.

It takes physical work, on average, our team members put on anywhere from 10 to 15,000 steps a day with their backpacks loaded with John Romans feels great to hand out the John Romans, but the backpacks getting lighter, you're excited, knowing that the word of God is going out with and you gotta refill it again and might miss my daughter Claudia up in the corner of the picture I would love my kids to be here, but their first day of school was yesterday and so they travel they miss a lot of things and so they begged us to stay home for their first week of school and so but Claudia got the corner first missions trip to Poland was such a blessing to her that she said dad I want to and want to try to save the money.

I want to go with you guys to Italy over and overseas. It's not illegal to stuff mailboxes you know a brother teach one of things all about mailboxes. I've never had one reject me yet and and so often. I've wondered if we had a team member who is out try to offer somebody a John, Romans, and they didn't want to take it in as they walked away.

And as they were headed to their apartment the Holy Spirit to started tapping on their shoulder saying you should've taken that you should taken that by the time to get back to their their apartment to the mailbox there just wishing that they had taken it. They put their key in the lock open it and one falls right in their hands. I love this picture on the top left is precious to me. That is my daughter and her grandfather. My dad working and serving the Lord together there in Poland so from Ohio to Wisconsin, where we did the assembly to Kiev, Ukraine and ultimately into the hands of the people I remember in 2019.

I was in this park and I offered these ladies were selling their homemade wares and I offered each one of them a John Romans, a couple took it the other ones didn't.

I kept on down the concrete path or the walkway and I was offering John Romans. I made a big loop around the park when I came back about 45 minutes later to the area right started those two ladies you can see in the picture were intently reading those John, Romans, and I began to pray and I said Lord I can't speak hardly any Russian they don't speak very much English but God do your perfect work in their heart through your word in their native tongue, Scripture, distribution sacrificial giving from churches like yours, made it possible for us to give John and Romans to these Ukrainian people when it wasn't a war zone, young and old alike, giving them an opportunity to receive the message of the greatest gift known to mankind by God's grace. Another box has been emptied and his word given out so you can see what I've got there. This is gonna be on the table, but that was one of the boxes from West Union and I told pastor Carter will be there.

I said your fingerprints are traveling around the world you're going to work on your behalf to be your arms and legs by some to bring a couple these back and so always there. I cut a few of them out and I gave one to him on this last Wednesday night.

That was really awesome. So what a blessing to be able to give out the word of God. Satan would like us to believe there's no such thing as good ground. There's no good ground in your neighbor is no good ground in your coworker.

There's no good ground in your lost relative. There's no good ground in the bank teller. The cashier therefore because there's no good ground we shouldn't share the gospel.

We should invite them to church. We should give a gospel tract.

That's what Satan wants us to believe but you know what were not in charge of the ground were in charge of sowing the seed were in charge of sharing the gospel and letting the Lord do his work on the ground. This lady on the top left this picture was taken on a trip in May. This lady had begun searching.

She knew something in her life was missing and she had these questions that were just flagging her and she wanted the answer and one day as she was walking to the market. One of our team members handed her a John Romans, just like the one that you see on the table. Perhaps one of the ones that was put together a West Union. She open the cover and inside the cover was a series of questions and as she's walking she's reading the questions.

Realizing these are the questions she's been asking she stopped and sat down on that park bench read that entire John Romans front to back. She came to the meeting.

She went to the church. Got a free Bible went to the church and the follow-up services and receive Christ as her Savior just a few weeks ago.

What a tremendous blessing, Satan would have us believe. There's no good ground but that's not true to street two weeks of Scripture distribution and invitations has led to the evangelistic service held at a neutral location where the gospel is preached and an invitation to receive Christ as Savior is extended.

This is what's going to take place by God's grace and about 20 hours over in Berlin, Germany. Visitors cards just like was offered tonight. Visitors cards are given at the entrance and we give that each person who comes we asked them to put their name and their contact information after they hear the gospel preaching at the end of the service we asked them to come out they can turn those cards into our team members and they are given their own free copy of the word of God. What a privilege to give someone their first copy of the word of God. This is my son Caleb in the blue shirt and my daughter Claudia in the brown jacket and they were both gladly handing people their own free Bible supplied by our ministry. I saw my dad standing in the corner with a tear running down his eye and out his cheek, and I thought, I'm sure, was running through his brain was 43 years ago God impressed upon my heart to spend the rest of my life giving the word of God to people that don't have it and now have the privilege of watching my grandchildren continuing this great work is a God great and so young and old alike. It's such a blessing to be able to hand them their own copy of the word of God. Now this picture here of course I'm on the one side here be on the left and the mystery that we are working with brother Josh.

He was on the right in the middle was the national pastor, Pastor Michael, who they had just turned the work in charter and over so that church plant is done. It is now an autonomous local church in the city of Parton. It runs about 40 to 45 people on Sunday morning and he was ecstatic to have those follow-up cards since that night. There have been over 10 people that have received Christ as their Savior would come to the meeting and he is having follow-up him in several of the men of the church and ladies in the church are doing discipleship and he has two Bible studies going right now with loss. People who are he believes are getting closer to that point of realizing that they need to be saved, saw beneficial is a couriers campaign fruit that remains.

This is Nadia.

This was from our campaign to Kiev in 2019. There's only about 25 people that came to that meeting.

It was a smaller attended meeting but to keep two people came forward after the preaching the gospel and Nadia was one of them and she said I need to be saved.

I want the Lord Jesus Christ in my life. And so we led her to Mrs. Thermopolis the missionaries wife and here Nadia trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior afterwards with a big smile on her face. She was speaking to our whole group of Americans. She said you don't know this but I am a schoolteacher. This was Friday evening. She said I can't wait for Monday morning so I can go in to my classroom in front of all my students and tell them what Jesus did for me. There is good fruit.

Then, something that we always have going is Bible projects. When Ty was with me a year ago in July we were down at Rogers Baptist, and this was we were just beginning to promote this project.

The Polish protectors project the Lord open the opportunity for our ministry to get Scriptures funneled to the Polish military and law enforcement. There was a high-ranking official within the Polish government who told our missionary friend.

He said our country needs God and he said, and I know that God is found in his word. If I could issue a Bible to every hole in this country. I would, but I don't have that kind of authority, he said, but you know what I do have the authority to. I have the authority to issue them to all of our law enforcement in all of our military. If someone could supply me supply us with a pocket-sized whole Bible. He said with a durable cover. I want a pocket-sized so these men can carry with them. Gideons have given us some new Testaments. And that's good reason. I want the whole Bible.

And he said if somebody would supply us with that he said I would make sure that our soldiers and our policeman get it to this missionary immediately thought a couriers in our many many years of Scripture production and shipping, and he reached out to us and he explained this to us and he said would you guys be interested in getting involved with that project and we said no work. Of course not, and I was like up. I was like was little but Gabby dogs on a leash. Man I can't wait to get after it.

We committed a 25,000. Initially there's about 150,000 soldiers and law enforcement personnel in that country by God's grace 25,000 have been produced and distributed 25,000 more have been produced and are in the country starting the distribution and were raising funds for the next 25,000 in one year more than 25,000 Polish military and Polish law enforcement have received Bibles just like this one and please look at them I will have them on the table back there and what an opportunity. I spent 25 almost 25 years in the building trades. I got up every morning early, but my nail bags and went to work and build houses I surrendered to ministry when I was 15, said Lord all go anywhere or do anything if you want me to be a preacher. What everyone did whatever he wanted to do just use me I had no clue that God could use me. My dad was a dairy farmer and a service technician for a farm implement dealer and that God could use us to supply Scriptures, the Polish policeman. What an opportunity.

So what can you do you guys or omissions church meant I want to I want to give you guys a huge fan and just say thank you for all that you do for missions. Brother Braden said 53 missions projects. What an unbelievable thing. Keep doing that keeps staying faithful to your missions giving your missions, prayer and news your your your interconnection through emails or maybe your writing snail mail but stay faithfully after that. That means so much to those of us that are out there on the front lines and without you. Without thriving churches like years.

We cannot do what we do so we absolutely desire your faithful prayer support we need safety as we travel these many miles Kelly and I today got up at 245 and left. We wanted to get through Chinatown before got nasty and I've been through that city.

So much already.

That's all say but but we saw multiple accidents today. Some really bad ones. Just a month ago month and half ago we saw a car that have been hit an SUV was flipped on its side was on fire.

It can happen so fast we earnestly desire your prayer support.

We got those prayer cards in the back please grab it on the way out if they're gone let me know will get some more weed wisdom on how to proceed. Travel restrictions, the desire to reach a new countries and cities that we have administered and yet we need God to guide and direct them to open those doors. What else well obviously prayer I disregard for these pictures in your these brand-new ones. This is our Bibles for Berlin campaign.

This is the team that's there right now handing out the word of God and this is a cool picture.

So far left is Dick Ives, Dick Ives was one of my Sunday school teachers. He taught all three of my kids.

Three.

My kids in the fourth one I think is he's currently a Sunday school teacher. He is worked and served faithfully in our church, Wildwood Baptist Church, Oshkosh, Wisconsin for literally almost 5 decades, but my dad got saved in 1972 Dick speaks and reads and writes German fluently and his first survey trip. My dad's first survey trip Dick Ives went with them. He went on the next survey trip or the next trip with my dad and my mom.

He was their mouthpiece great friend ended up getting married. His wife didn't care to do as much traveling and so, although he has had opportunities.

He's not going to missions trip overseas. Since in this year when he found out they were going to Berlin. He talked over with his wife. The Holy Spirit impressed upon her chart and right now my dad gets to minister on the field for decades later with the man that was there at the very beginning. I cannot imagine how awesome that is for them to have that privilege. God is so good, so what can you do you can give obviously are our family were seeking our personal monthly financial support, which you can also get actively involved in worldwide distribution of Scripture by giving to any of our projects we got projects going on all the time. Scripture production projects which you can also help us you could join us on the ground in a foreign country for a couple weeks pass out Scriptures encourage the missionary and meet other like-minded Christians take a physical part in worldwide missions, you could come and join us were calling this campaign the end sign on the mountains campaign. It's in northern Italy. June 2023. Northern Italy is a ruggedly beautiful country. You can see self payroll down there in that picture Bolzano. That's the area that were going to be, but it's almost completely Catholic. 97% Catholic.

That's about 1/2 a million souls who need a life-giving message of the gospel will be working with Joel Hauser and his family to reach multiple cities.

Most of the cities are smaller. Bolzano is the largest one. Some of these are only a few thousand people to hit multiple cities. While were in that region gets his desire over the course of the next 20 to 25 years or until the Lord takes him home to plant his many churches in those cities is what the Lord will allow.

This is his current church plant and just in the month of April.

They saw two men come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior Andrew and Maurizio and he is now discipling both of those men and what a tremendous blessing. I'm looking forward to that. So will you partner with us to reach the unreached. If you have if you're interested in the campaign come and talk to me afterwards I'll talk you about some of the details and general cross and all that kind of thing but does anybody have any questions before we get into the message. I know I talk funny. I'm from north of the cheddar curtain up north in Wisconsin like the bag your groceries root for the Packers. I'm sorry don't hold it against me. It was my wife says it's a birth defect but if you have any questions. Grab me afterwards and I would be happy to have my wife answer them for you. So tonight let's take a look briefly at a passage of Scripture your mature very familiar with Luke chapter 10 Luke chapter 10. I've entitled this message. The difference makers.

The difference makers to find a story there. Starting in verse number 30. That's we call the good Samaritan, but Jude verse 22 says, and of some have compassion, making a difference making a difference. That hotel that I showed you the picture of where we were out in the front of it.

The so the one that said campaigns and that was hotel copper Nick was a five-story hotel.

They had the third floor while we were there in the month of May. The third floor was allocated to Ukrainian refugees. It was not a permanent residence for them. It was literally a processing station so every single day anywhere from 50 to 200 refugees coming into that hotel every day, fresh out of Ukraine and they would have them stay there overnight. They would feed them food and then in the morning the Polish border patrol would be there and they were trying to find are these people staying in the country of Poland are they going somewhere else in Western Europe are they trying to get back to you not go to the United States of America and they were recording all their information as you can imagine. These families are split up.

I it's hard to fathom the reality of what is taking place every day right now in Ukraine but we were talking with the hotel manager and she was a very sharp dressed lady, probably in her mid to late 30s very well spoken and she was talking to us about the situation we are asking her about Ukrainian refugees and all of a sudden her pen began to shake. Tears begin to run out of the corner of Rye and she said I don't know how much more this I can take.

She said the stories are heartbreaking from these children from these wives. These mothers and it's every day, every day, every day.

Our text is about somebody who made a difference in individuals life and I want to ask you tonight.

Can you not just collectively as a church as we know that's the case, what can you as an individual make a difference.

So let's read this passage here Luke chapter 10 in verse 30 and Jesus answering said, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead, and by chance there came down a certain priest that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side and likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side but a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him and on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and set on him take care of him and whatsoever thou spend us more when I come again, I will repay the let's pray dearly. Father God, I just thank you and praise you Lord for the blessing it is to freely meet together in your house tonight. I just pray Lord God, that in this time that we have Lord, that your name would be glorified, that each one of us would set aside any competing thoughts in our hearts and minds would be open. Lord, to your word and that you would speak to us through this tremendous example in God that you play somebody upon our heart upon our mind that Lord we can make a difference. You can use us to make a difference in their life either for eternity or in this present life and will be sure to give you the praise and glory and we love you Lord and Jesus precious and holy name. Amen. You may be seated. The Samaritan was motivated to action by what seeing the need investigating the need and helping fulfill the need, that this Jewish man had by doing so he made a difference in someone's life. You know it said more than 10 times in the Gospels that Jesus had compassion on those around him and you know what's interesting with I believe every one of those references, it moved him to action. He did something he made a difference and you know he commands us to do the same thing through his word. Galatians 62 says bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Romans 15 one says when when we, then, that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the week and not to please ourselves.

First Thessalonians 514 says now we exhort you, brethren warned them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded support the week and be patient towards all men. Each one of these things requires us to have compassion in Jude verse 22 that I referenced before it says and of some have compassion, making a difference in that verse. The prerequisite to making a difference, was having compassion. So in order to have four quick points. Tonight we started verse 33 Luke chapter 10 in order to have compassion. First, you need to see you need to see that there is a real need you to see that the person can't help themselves. Need to see the struggle that they find themselves in.

Notice that this Samaritan saw the need of this man.

If we look at verse 33 but a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was and when he saw him when he saw him, you know what God wants us to have our eyes open to see the need around us. There is a need overseas. What can I say there is a need in United States of America. I am so thankful for lighthouse Baptist Church. I'm so thankful for your desire not just to reach to the uttermost what your earnest desire to reach your community here and that takes each and every one of you seeing the need seeing the need. What did Jesus say to his disciples in John four in verse 35 scene i.e. there yet four months and then, the harvest, behold I say unto you, what lift up your eyes and look lift up your eyes and look on the field for they are white already to harvest what was Jesus saying he was saying to us that the harvest is prepared every day for us every day. There is a harvest prepared for us.

The question is are we prepared for the harvest or is our heads looking down and focusing on our own things look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. We need to see we need to see the world is dying.

It's going to hell and it desperately needs born-again Christians see the need and reach out with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You really see that your neighbor needs the Lord. It can be easy for us to talk about everything with them. We can argue about property lines we can talk about the weather. We can talk about the election we can talk about all kinds of things but you see the need. They really have and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Some day that window of opportunity to share the gospel with them will shut one way or another and you won't have that opportunity anymore. You see the need.

You see needs here in the church were not just talking about lost folks, you know there's there is emotional needs, their spiritual needs within the body of believers, and I believe that there are certain ones that the Lord has prepared for you to minister to your talking with them and all the sudden they open their heart to you and they're sharing in earnest need God's prepared you help them which you need to see you need to see it says in first John 317 but whoso hath this world's good, and see if his brother have need, and shut up up his bowels of compassion from him, how do all of the love of God in him. You know it's sad because if you look at our text, you'll see that there were two other characters in verse number 31, there came down a certain priest in verse 32. There came likewise a Levite you want both of them did. They both saw so seeing is part in order to have compassion. You do need to see. But that's not where it ends.

Let's go to verse 30 for our second point, verse 30 in order to have compassion.

You must realize the gravity of the situation. What are the last four words of verse 30 leaving him half dead. This man, this Samaritan was half dead. He was beaten he was pulverized he was stripped clean. He was robbed and he was left half dead. That is a grave situation without somebody else helping him the chances of him being able to succeed or get out of it on his own slim to none. He was a dead man walking. Then I say that as we look at the masses around us. They look like they are alive. They look like they're doing well.

They look like some of them live got drive nice cars.

Some will live in beautiful homes. Some of them have good families. They look alive, we would say other persons alive, but you know how God sees them he sees them as half dead there left half dead. Why, if we were to jump back and take time going back to Genesis chapter 2 and verse 16 it says there in the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou meas freely eat what of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eat us thereof thou shalt surely die. So God gave man a choice. He said you man was sinless man was perfect man was created in God's image and God placed him in the garden. He was in perfect fellowship with God and God said this whole garden is yours to enjoy except that one tree.

He gave man a choice. Then I tell you that communism does not give man a choice without choice there is no freedom but God gave man a choice and we know what happened. The serpent was was wise and he beguiled the woman she saw that the fruit was good. It was desired to make one wise, and she ate of it. She gave to her husband. He ate of it.

They both drop dead and that's the end of the story will wait a minute. The guideline he said in the day that thou eat us thereof thou shalt surely die. That moment Adam and Eve became half dead. They needed a Savior. Their physical bodies began to die. Suddenly they could not have the perfect fellowship that they once had with God.

If you're here tonight and you don't know of a time where you realized you were a sinner on your way to help much like the man in this story on able to help your self. If you've never come to that place. I beg of you tonight. Look to the Savior look to the Lord Jesus Christ and live ask him to be your Lord and Savior, repent of your sins.

I'm telling you this is the opportunity of a lifetime when you think about all of the great success.

All of the great fame and everything that you could ever desire. On the face of this earth pales in comparison because the Bible says what would a man give in exchange for his soul. You know what happens to every famous person every rich person, every person that has all kinds of stuff. Someday they die, it's a statistical guarantee that 10 out of 10 people die and I know you guys have heard the old story. When was the last time you saw her's with you all behind it. You can't take it with you. The Bible says, then whose shall those things be that thou hast and if you're here tonight and you've never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior. I beg of you, don't wait. You're playing Russian roulette with your soul every day that you wait to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior every day that you that you wait to put your face solely and incompletely in him every day that you say, I'll wait a little longer or I got a figure this out or I can do it on my own.

It's like you're spinning the cylinder cocking the hammer and putting it your head waiting to see is the gun to go off this time because none of us is guaranteed tomorrow. I self tomorrow for the know it's not what a day may bring forth. You have to understand the gravity of the situation. What about foreign field missions.

You understand that every dollar you give to missions goes to the greatest force multiplier in existence. God is able to take our seemingly little and do miraculous things with it cost to produce one John Romans like we have on the table about $0.25 yet that woman. I showed you on that slide presentation with the circle around her. That lady will be in heaven.

As a result of somebody's quarter.

Somebody's prayer somebody's investments that puts a whole new perspective on the Lord being able to take our little and make it much but you know something I believe the priest and the Levite understood it was a grave situation but they still into anything. Here's where the difference is made. Verse 34 in order to have compassion. You need to be in the place where the need is what you say in verse number 34, the first four words and went to him and went to him those critical words make the entire difference between the priest, the Levite in the good Samaritan the good Samaritan went to him. He put feet to it.

He went to where the need was if we had take took the time to turn to acts chapter 16, you would find there. The story of the Macedonian call, but the call was come over to Macedonia and help us and the phrase that just stands out to me every time, and we even immediately. All roles and went immediately. What happened if we went back to John chapter 4 and we talked about the woman at the well. After she met Christ and after her life was changed.

What is it say she did. She left her water pot and went immediately and told the people of the city, see a man immediately.

She went to where the need was this man understood the Samaritan understood that in order to make a difference. You need to be in the place where the need was that I say complacency is killing this country.

Complacency. If it doesn't directly affect me that it's not a big deal. It's been said complacency is a blight that saps energy dulls attitudes and causes a drain on the brain.

The first symptom is satisfaction with things as they are.

The second is rejection of thing things as they might be good enough becomes today's watchword in tomorrow's standard like water complacent people follow the easiest course downhill they draw false strength from looking away from things that don't directly involve them. It's not the complacent people we don't have time. The Bible says it's high time boy we are living in exciting times if I sat and watched the news all the time. I would be depressed to the news takes the life right out of you what I am telling you, people are getting saved.

I hate what's happening in Ukraine as far as from a physical standpoint what people are getting saved by the hundreds in Ukraine every single day when we were there in those pictures were taken in 2019, we were getting more than a 50% rejection ratio. As we were trying to hand them gospel Gospels of John, Romans, you know what the acceptance ratio is right now, almost 100% and these people don't have anything to do but sit and read their whole life is been turned upside down. There are opportunities where we go to see them. Are we gonna go to them and lastly will be done. Verse 35 in order to have compassion. You must this is a hard one. You must be willing to sacrifice what is it say in verse number 35 and on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and set on the him take care of him and whatsoever thou spend is more when I come again, I will repay the wait a minute he was taking money out of his own pocket to pay to take care of this stranger.

We had never met. If you go back to 34 he went to eat bound up his wounds boring and whose oil is whose wine is setting him on whose beast his and brought them to and in and took care of him. If we are going to make a difference in other people's lives. If were to make a difference if you're to make a difference here in Xenia before to make a difference in the state of Ohio in United States of America before you make a difference in the uttermost. It will cost us something. I'm not saying it may, it will ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.

What did Jesus say to us in Romans chapter 12 in verse one, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living. It's a tough word.

We don't like that word human beings Josh Dirks likes to be concerned about Josh Dirks and taking care of Josh Dirks. That is, I'm sorry to break it you but that's the natural man this man needs to die daily.

He needs to present his body a living sacrifice. What is that body and compass encompasses my physical strength that encompasses my time. It encompasses my finances. It encompasses my home my family. It encompasses everything that my life touches is to be a sacrifice to him to God. It's all yours because the Bible says what we have that we did not receive the obvious quote the ops answer is nothing, even that breath the ability for lungs to continue to go to function that comes from him so compassion answers. These four questions asked tonight with a resounding yes. You see the need.

Yes, you understand the gravity of the situation. Yes. Are you willing to get close to the need that's a question you have to ask yourself.

I hope the answer is yes and are you prepared for it to cost you something. Time, energy, resources, finances, hopefully prayerfully, that answer is yes, because to make a difference. You must you must brother Chris off was in the ninth Poland and brother Christoph was had a testimony that was unbelievable. He was involved in drugs. He was involved in all kinds of illegal and immoral activities for much of his life.

He was most guys, you did not want to meet in a dark alley but in his 50s, he began to realize everything he tried on the face of the earth left him empty and he began searching.

He said there's got to be an answer here somewhere. One day he bumped into somebody who handed him a gospel tract. Those gospel tracts really work. Satan would say no, just young piece of paper, not from way he took that thing with a cigarette in one hand and that gospel tract, and he began to read it, and he began to see the answers to some of the questions we still didn't fully understand, and so he said God given this to me. Show me somebody please show me somebody that can teach me what this means. Sounds kinda like the Ethiopian eunuch, doesn't it, and God's just gonna leave that man out there on his own floundering right.

That's the God we serve.

Absolutely not.

The Bible says God is not willing that any should perish.

Couple weeks later Christoph is out walking his dog when he hears somebody yelling yelling about. He went to see the source of the noise and it was a street preacher. It was the missionary that we worked with. He was street preaching Christoph listen and he heard what he was looking for the answer to his questions. Christoph received Christ as his Savior. He is now been discipled in the church. He's active is one of their elders. One of their deacons in the church any work side-by-side with us every day on the campaign in Poland. He took off the second week of work so he could go and work in the city that wasn't even his own city he could speak hardly any English. By the time it was done he told me through an interpreter. He said brother Josh. He said I am going to dedicate myself to learning English in the next two years, and he said it is my desire to years from now brother I want to join you on a couriers campaign to minister to other people across Europe, there is a man who's willing to sacrifice so that he can make a difference in somebody sacrificed to make a difference in his life. Every head bowed every eye closed will have the Insta minister the answer the musicians come up where you tonight Christian is God place something on your heart he wants you to do is there something in the ministry this church that God wants you to get actively involved in.

Is there an individual that you need to reach out to a brother or sister in Christ. Is there a is there a lost soul.

My neighbor, a family member or coworker then you know needs the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit's been pricking your heart you just been too afraid to talk to the you would say brother starts this message challenge my heart. Nobody look around every head bowed every eye closed and use of this this message challenge my heart I need to do some business with God and I were just above your hand on the rail bravery on this prayer and sees a man's going up thing thing and that if there's anyone here tonight where you can be honest with me and say brother starts you were talking about being half dead and you were talking about needing to be saved, needing to trust Christ being lost in my sins. The Bible says that if we die without receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will die and go to hell place of eternal torment you say brother starts that's me. I promise you I want to perish in the world when you slip on your hand. I will pray for you in this closing prayer alright, let's pray and then you come forward as you feel you need a new business. Dear heavenly father God, I thank you Lord for this wonderful group of people.

I thank you for this church. I think this outreach but I pray now, Lord charge cards denying God that we would do business with you.

And Lord, that we would just be a hearer of the word that we view toward and that Lord in the next days and weeks we would invite church would share the gospel message we get involved more actively here in the church and would also be involved with foreign missions give you the praise and glory for this on his name