F.B.C. SCRIPTURE READING' DELIVERIES: F.ii.C. TITL~E--'-'T_H_E_S_P_I_R_I_T_O_F_EX_T_E_N_D_I_N_G_G_O_D_'_S_L_O_V_E_" CLASSIFICATION:

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1 TITL~E--'-'T_H_E_S_P_I_R_I_T_O_F_EX_T_E_N_D_I_N_G_G_O_D_'_S_L_O_V_E_" SCRIPTURE READING' _ E.f CLASSIFICATION: --EXPOSITORY --BIOGRAPHICAL - - TEXTUAL --TOPICAL ---DEVOTIONAL _ DELIVERIES: F.ii.C. F.B.C. Date ;t Hour Place ANGELO, TX SAN ANGELO, TX,1- Results and Comments: (XXX-H+) 5 LETTERS; (XXX+++) 2B; BIBLIOGRAPHY

2 ),;..J I Scripture : Numbe s Intro: DR. PERRY WEBB TOLD THE STORY OF WHO WENT TO THE RAILROAD TO TAKE A TRAIN TO A DISTANT CITY. HE PURCHASED A TICKET, CHECKED HIS LUGGAGE, ENTERED A CAR, AND TOOK HIS SEAT. HE NOTICED HE WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT ON THE COACH AND THOUGHT IT RATHER STRANGE, BUT COMPOSED HIMSELF BEHIND A NEWSPAPER. PRESENTLY A GRIM-FACED CONDUCTOR WALKED IN AND SAID, SIR, YOU MUST MOVE TO THE NEXT CAR. THE PASSENGER ASKED, WRONG WITH THIS CAR? THE CONDUCTOR REPLIED, "THERE ISN ' T ANYTHING WRONG WI TH THIS CAR. IT JUST ISN'T HOOKED UP WITH ANYTHING THAT WILL TAKE YOU ANYWHERE! I AFRAID THAT STATEMENT rs ALL TOO FITTING FOR CHURCHES. "THEY ARE NOT HOOKED UP TO ANYTHING THAT WILL TAKE THEM ANYWHERE!" THEY GIVE LITTLE, IF ANYTHING TO MISSIONS. THEY LIMIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO THEIR OWN LOCALITY. THEY SPEND ALL THEIR TIME PROMOTING THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND DEBATING PETTY ISSUES. THEY CHOOSE TO IGNORE OUR LORD'S GREAT COMMISSION 1N SHORT, "THEY ARE NOT HOOKED TO ANYTHING THAT WILL TAKE THEM ANYWHERE. II _ OFFERING PROVID{ij US WITH A LOCOMOTIVE THAT WILL US TODAY WE JOIN MORE THAN OTHE R CHURCHES IN HOOKING UP WITH THE LOCOMOTIVE OF OUR HILL DAVIS MISS I ON- OFFERING S WE.MOVE AC.ROSS HES.TATE WITH THE There are no profession of faith. There are in Texas. There Texas. There are different language groups in Texas. MORE I MPORTANT THAN THE VEH ICLE THAT WILL US THAT IS REQUIRED. SEE THAT SPIRIT IN CALEB. IN NUMBERS 14:24 GOD SAID, "BECAUSE HE HAD ANOTHER SPIRIT WITH HIM... HIM WILL I BRING INTO THE LAND. WHAT WAS THIS OF CALEB? WHAT rs THE SPIRIT WE MUST HAVE IF ;f---5 I. MUST BE A SPIRIT OF ' --Num. 13:30.a Caleb said, "Let us... " Caleb realized that he could not do it alone. He realized that every tribe and every man and woman needed to be involved if the to be won. He realized that 'the activity of others is no excuse for our own indolence." No one member of this church, no one pastor, no one church, no one association of churches can ext end God' s love

3 the thousands of lost souls cooperatively we can do it together! assume the role of a give, and pray, and go. sf but Each one of us can the familv and Only the spirit of cooperation can enable us to reach our State Mission Offering goals. can we ever reach our state wide goal of Only by our church and other churches, smal and large, in giving prayerfully and generously. Can you this offering this year? Of course not! But your sacrificial giving and my sacrificial giving joined with the sacrificial giving of other members can reach this goal and more!, ff II. THERE MUST BE A SPIRIT OF --Num. 13:30b Caleb Said, "Let us... Caleb knew that God was calling him and his people to a c tion. They had prayed, they had planned, they had organized, and now it was time for action! There is a very important place for prayer in State Missions. This truth is attested by the fact that for years we have called this week Week of Prayer for State Missions." But all of our praying and planning is of little value unless we ACT! God has always called His people to GO. This was true of he His call to es, the rophets, the disciples, and the Apostle P ul. it is no less true of His call to you and to me "1- -1-k. &n,pth S: spirit of extending His love to the world the spirit of action. For God so loved the world His only begot ten Son ( 3: 16a). L James reminds us rather pointedly that the spirit is the spirit of 2: If brother sister nake and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them1 Depart in peace, ye warmed and filled; '' notwithstanding ye them not those things which are to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not (action), is dead, being alone." In no other place is the spirit of action seen more cl arly than in Texas Baptists Partner h_ip Missions. Partnership Missions offers church members the opportunity to respond to the volunteer r equests channelled through the This is one MISSION goal where..

4 J...J:, nc..., El(I'.. we are on target / Since 1983, more Texas Baptists have participated in The end result of this "mission action" is the recording of.., es s i ans of faith in Jesus Christ. _ /.J.,,,,lfS you cannot. go personally, you can,g?fl l"4! by your gifts through the State Missions this year since a signifi.cant part of it helps make Partnership Missions possible. III. MUST BE SPIRIT OF m. 3:30c Caleb said, "Let us go. There those contemporaries of Caleb who used the age old excuse, just not the time to move This is a plain and simple rationalization for "copping of one's responsibilities. "The greatest labor-saving device for today is tomorrow. The major in Caleb's dav. failed to see the urgency of the hour :J.:C1 A spirit of urgency compels us to reach residents of economically distressed areas through Urban means of extending God love is "Urban Allies. aula was a single parent struggling to surv helped her to find a good job and move out o pu 1 c ousing. She accepted Christ as Saviour and joined a neighborhood Baptist church which had an Allies" ministry. Now Paula is a part of the "Urban Allies II program. She is providing the same type of help that put her on feet again. From experience, Paula realizes the desperate need of others who are in the plight she once knew. A it urgency compels to lonii:f!> ~ " Christ put the church in the IV. MUST BE SPIRIT OF CONQUEST 13: 30d Caleb said, it... us go up at once, and

5 :r.:ur. t 1.TFAID-:tNG God did not intend for His people to die in the wilderness. He ntended for them \o en iov the and honey" of Canaan did not intend f ot.,_,..~_..,.to have a of defeat but rather a spirit of He did not intend them to in circles, wandering in the wilderness as they did later. He intended for them to march with a spirit of conquest and enter the Promised Land. 1k.wit~ We must not settle for a play-it-safe mentality. We must be filled with a spirit of conquest. Handel, the great musician, lost his health. His right side became paralyzed. His money was gone and his creditors seized and threatened to imprison him. Handel was so disheartened by his tragic experience that he almost despaired. But his faith prevailed, and he composed his greatest Hallelujah Chorus, which is of his great "Messiah." SP~IUT~FO!JN~T The Apostle John wrote, the vi:ctory overcometh the world, even our faith. Caleb said, us go up at once, and possess it! The multi-faceted ministries made possible by State Mission Offering can become a reality Jed across Texas when we driven to give by a spirit conquest. We must say of the $E";i:J< < 1 -t'c12> goal, us once ~it! V. THERE / um. 13:30e it; 41!1: BE SPIRIT OF Caleb said, at once, and possess Texas through this offering that God's Can church give yet an and above our regular gifts?, A of confidence l eads us to say with Caleb, we able to overcome t. This is not "self confidence. This is "Christ The Rina Paul had when he said: I can do all things through Christ who P7 Baptists give love might extended? co me. I challenge you to high, and choose a worthy giving goal. Adopt the! can do" attitude of Paul. Say with Caleb, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; we well able to overcome it. Allow God to say of you what he said of Caleb: Because he had another SPIRIT.. he shal 1 possess it. ti

6 First Baptist Church Sunday Morning Sermon Notes September 15, 2002 REACHING TEXAS FOR CHRIST Numbers 13:30 and 14:24 There are million people in Texas who have made no profession of faith. There are l;l, adults imprisoned in Texas. There are O youth who are incarcerated in Texas. There are 0 0 different language groups in Texas. I. THERE MUST BE A SPIRIT OF 13:30a Caleb said, "Let us..." The activity of others is no indolence. for our own II. THERE MUST BE A SPIRIT OF -Numbers 13:30b Caleb said, "Let us go... " has always called His people to 0 spirit of extending His love to the world was the spiritof. -James 2:15-17 no other place is the of action seen more clearly than in Texas Baptists' cs 1'p Missions. if you cannot go personally, you can extend God's love by your gifts though the State Missions Offering.

7 III. THERE MUST BE A OF u (\) CV -Numbers 13:30c Caleb said, "Let us go at once... " greatest labor-saving device for today is. A spirit of urgency compels us to reach residents of economically distressed areas through Missions. A means of extending God's love is "Urban /l s >Christ put the church in the I business. IV. THEREMUSTBEASPIRITOF -Numbers 13:30d Caleb said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it... did not intend for His people to have a spirit of defeat but rather a spirit of c! V. THEREMUSTBEASPIRITOF -Numbers 13:30e Caleb said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to a it." is not "self confidence." This is" hr, confidence." If you want to hook up to something that is going somewhere, you have come to the right place!