Amen. So it's good to be here again up here with Sure Foundation Baptist Church
and it's especially good to be here again in Union Gap, Yakima, Washington
with you guys. It's starting to feel like a second home. It's feeling like a second
church to me so it's good to see a lot of the same faces and you know I just
want to thank Pastor Thompson for you know letting me give me the opportunity to
preach to you again tonight and I want to thank all of you to have come out you
know you know taking time off your busy schedule. Moms you know bringing the kids
along and all the work that comes along with that and coming up here to do the
soul winning you know people have been coming up to me saying hey thanks for
paying for this thanks for paying that but you know there's really it's really
not that hard to just swipe somebody else's card you know and I mean all the
ladies are like hmm but you guys are the ones that are really doing all the work
so thank you for doing that I mean to I thought maybe we would get these all
these doors knocked and there's a real good chance that we did have any time to
look at them but you know if we haven't knocked all the doors in these two
towns we're like right there so that's that's a huge accomplishment and that's
a lot of soul saved and I do want to preach to you tonight a topic of soul
winning you know Pastor Thompson mentioned that you know this was a kind
of a shot in the arm to you guys right this is kind of a revival to you guys
and but the sermon I want to kind of make this like an immunization all
right because as I know you're gonna go back to Vancouver and it's not gonna be
like it is here it's a lot less receptive so I wanted to preach
something along those lines tonight the title of sermon is work of faith labor
of love work of faith labor of love and I just want to preach and help encourage
you to have a good attitude about soul winning you know it's real easy right
now to have a good attitude about soul winning because it's going so great I
mean we're getting soul saved you know we were praying all these numbers we're
gonna go eat over at this great restaurant right all these great things
are going on but when we get back into the the doldrums we're gonna have to you
know endure maybe a little bit less receptive area you know we want to make
sure we still have a good attitude about it so I want to encourage you to you
know have a good attitude when you go back to these unreceptive areas and and
and remember that what we're doing is a work of faith and a labor of love okay
and you know if we believe the gospel has power and we do right we believe
the gospel is the power of God it really shouldn't matter where we go it
really shouldn't matter what what neighborhood we're in what country we're
in if it's receptive or unreceptive you know and I understand we prefer to go to
places where lots of people are gonna get saved we're gonna get to report big
numbers that's great but you know that's not always the case you know we're gonna
have to go to these other places because that's the Great Commission is to go into
all the world and you know soul winning is an important work it's something we
have to take seriously because we're the ones that are called to do it you know
nobody else is gonna go do this work for us the world's not gonna do it they're
gonna they're gonna look at they they would look at what we're doing up here
you know spending this money taking time off work coming up here you know they
would scratch our heads and say what do you mean you're going soul-winning that
sounds like a waste of time right nobody else is gonna do it so we're the ones
that have to do it we're the believers because you know the reason why we're
the ones that have to do is because we're the only ones that can do it you
know we can't just send you know somebody else to go do it for us we're
the ones that have to go and do it because we have the Holy Spirit we have
the Word of God so we need to understand about this calling that you know we
always want to have a good attitude about it we've been called to be
ambassadors for Christ right so it's more than just this call to action that
says there in first Thessalonians where you are in your Bible if you want to
bookmark it we'll come back towards the end but it says in chapter 1 verse 2 we
give thanks to God always for you all making mention you mention you in our
prayers remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and
patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ you see this isn't just a calling
that we've been given it's not just you know some duty we have to do what they've
been called to do what we've been given to do is actually a work of faith it's a
labor of love the Bible says there so I want to look at these two terms just
preach about that real quick tonight but it says there that the soul winning is
what a work of faith it's something that we do by faith you know we go out
to preach the gospel believing that people are going to get saved and you
know the the temptation sometimes when we get in these unreceptive areas is we
go in these areas say well no one's gonna get saved here you know in an
attitude like that there's a good chance no one is gonna get saved there because
the person at the door who might get saved it's gonna if you you know there's
some guy at the door who might get saved you walk up they go no one's gonna get
saved here they're gonna pick up on that and then they're gonna say well this guy
really doesn't care but if we understand that soul winning is a work
of faith and we go out with that attitude you know people will pick up
on at the door now it might not be we get eight people twelve people whatever
saved we might get one saved so we have to understand first of all that soul
winning is a work of faith and it requires faith on not only us but that
are going but it also requires faith on the part of the people that are sending
us you know pastor Anderson didn't say yeah go up there and do that maybe this
will work you know he said yeah go up to Yakima and get with Pastor Thompson and
Sure Foundation Baptist Church and preach the gospel because he knows it's
gonna work he knows yeah go rent all those rooms go buy all those meals go
swipe that card do that go up there and pay for it the labor is worthy of his
higher because he knows that if we go out and preach the gospel it has power
it's going to work you know and I'm kind of preaching to the choir right now you
understand that already don't you you know that the gospel works that it has
power but it requires faith and part of those on the part of those that send us
and it also requires faith on the part of those that are being sent so we
should go so winning expecting people to get saved in any area that we go so
winning any area that we find ourselves evangelizing we should save ourselves
there's somebody here that's going to get saved now if you would go over to
second Timothy chapter 2 second Timothy chapter number 2 Paul said Romans for I
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth you know that's a good verse to remind us
to that as those of us that are being sent to go preach the gospel you know we
also have to remember that it's not of us the power is not of us and that
should be encouragement to people who maybe are a little bit hesitant to go
soul winning or maybe they don't feel there is a good of a soul winner
somebody else maybe they're not as a smooth of a talker maybe they're not as
much of a people person maybe they're a little bit more of an introvert you know
maybe they're not as charming at the door whatever but you know none of that
really matters because at the end of the day the gospel of Christ is the power of
God unto salvation that's what I love about soul winning is the Bible just
does all the heavy lifting for us all we got to do is just take it to the door
open it up get them to listen and then just start to explain what it says and
then the Holy Spirit shows up work on their heart and they either accept or
they reject it and it's not about salesmanship or having a good line or
anything like that now obviously want to work on our best to be people person to
be friendly and kind and all that but you know we don't have to be this
charismatic individual for the for the Word of God to work we need to have
faith it requires faith it's a work of faith on the part of those that are sent
you got to go out believing it's not about me it's not about my personality
it's about the Word of God working okay so it's a work of faith on the part of
those that are sent you know Paul is a great example of somebody who preached
the gospel by faith and that's why he was willing to suffer for the gospel
like he did I mean think of all the things Paul went through you think he
would gone through it for all that if he didn't believe it I think he would have
suffered all those things if he didn't think that the gospel had power he'd say
well you know I should just throw up my hands and quit I keep getting stoned I
keep getting shipwrecked I keep getting you know false brethren robbers perils
of this perils of that you know no he endured all those things because he had
faith on the part of the one who was sent Paul was sent and he had that faith
that the the gospel has part are you there in second Timothy chapter 2 look
at verse 8 it says remember that Jesus Christ to the seed of David was raised
from the dead according to my gospel wherein I suffer trouble he's I'm
suffering trouble for the gospel even as an evil doer even under bonds but the
Word of God is not bound therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake
that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory you know Paul was able to endure a lot of things because he had faith he
understood that what he was doing was a work of faith going out and preaching
the gospel he endured a lot of things you know and sometimes we as soul owners
we can get kind of a bad attitude when we have to endure some kind of a
tribulation you know and I don't think anyone here has been stoned you know not
well I know this is Washington I didn't mean it like that right but no one here
has probably been shipwrecked well then again it is Washington but we've never
been gone through anything like what Paul's gone through you know and Paul
endured all things so why was he willing to do that what says there I endured all
things for who for the elect's sake you know there are people out there that
will get saved even in the most unreceptive areas and the most
unreceptive neighborhoods there's somebody out there that it's willing to
hear the gospel and if we're just willing to endure that and go out there
and have people slam the door in our face or say they're not interested or
just politely tell us to go away if we would just endure that week in week out
month in mouth out you know we would get people saved you know we have a weekly
soul winning time in Tempe right now and now you know from what I've heard we're
kind of the same boat that you guys are in you know we've preached all the
receptive areas like several times over and all that's left are the you know the
areas that are like should be gated but aren't you know all the real nice
luxury apartment complexes all the real you know I don't want to say they're
rich you know people have this idea that you know every every neighborhood that's
nicer than theirs is you know full of extremely wealthy people but it's people
that are you know upper middle class more well-off and just generally
non-receptive you know but we go out every week with about you know a dozen
people for about an hour right before church and you know about every week one
person gets saved and we you know we've been doing it for I've been doing that
for like two years since I came on as deacon there and every week it seems
like you know we get our weekly salvation going out into the harder
parts less receptive areas of Chandler you know we endured that going out there
and having you know there are more receptive areas we could go to but we
endure that less receptive area why for the elect's sake because there's what
at least one soul there that will get saved you know in Paul he's seen it why
was Paul willing to endure all these things because he has seen the power of
the gospel at work you know and that's what we've seen here on these last few
days we're gonna continue to see over the next two days is the power of the
gospel at work and we should go back to wherever from and if it's receptive or
not you know we should always remember what we've seen here and remember that
gospel has power and we shouldn't doubt it working anywhere else if it works
here why should why would it work why wouldn't work anywhere else it can work
anywhere it's preached and yet today many Baptists aren't doing the work are
they you know this is really why it's important to encourage ourselves in
doing this work because it's falling off because less and less Baptists are doing
it they're just letting it go why is that why are these Baptists just
quitting on soul winning why are they scaling back to soul winning doing it
away replacing it with some cheap substitute oh you know if we believe
it's a work of faith I would I would argue they're they're not doing it
because they lack faith because they think oh it doesn't work you can't just
go around door-to-door day and preach that work back then when our country was
more religious but today just it doesn't work how could it not work you know if
the gospel has power you know if it's the power of God and salvation how could
it not work how could there be a better way than walking up to somebody and
asking them if they know for sure they're going to heaven and offering to
show them how could there be a more effective way of doing that there isn't
one and it's the biblical model that's why a lot of Baptists today have let it
go because they lack the faith they think there's a better way to
accomplish the Great Commission right go over to Luke chapter 10 Luke chapter 10
and say oh you know that's not how you do it there's better way to do it that's
that what we do is the biblical model and people you know there's we were
reporting his number what was 125 or something like that 124 I like 125
better but we'll go to 24 right there's gonna be people say oh you didn't do
that how could how could you get such a high number it's such a short time but
what they don't understand is the amount just do the math how many dozens of
teams were out over these last year how many hours do they go out for especially
when you get an area that's receptive it has power it's going to work how could
there be a better way of doing it and not only that you know it is the
biblical model that we see the Bible says in Acts 5 and Dalian temple in
every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ they did that in the
temple and in every house right 2020 and how I kept back nothing that was
profitable unto you but I've showed you and taught you publicly and from house
to house I mean that's the way possible did it but some for some reason Baptist
today they think they have a better idea of how they're gonna do it you know I
was talking to somebody recently in Tucson and the church down there and
they were telling me I just found out there's a King James Baptist Church
right behind my house they came to my door and they just left the flyer he
was upset he said they didn't even knock my door and then he found out that they
had a lady preacher anyway too so anyway that's but you know what that
that's that's the way Baptists are going they're just well we're gonna we're not
gonna go actually ask people if they know they're gonna we're not gonna
actually offer to preach them the gospel you know we're just gonna take a bus
around and just pick up all their kids you know and offer free babysitting and
maybe one day if the parents ever darken the door of their church we'll try to
preach them down an aisle you know that and it look and this is somebody who's
was in you know junior church bus ministries for seven years there's a lot
you know a lot of good things can come out of them but they're not they're not
a substitute for soul winning you know they're that's supplemental you know
this is the biblical model house to house house to house house to house I
mean look at Luke 10 verse 1 it's the example of Jesus not just Paul he said
after these things the Lord appoint its other 70 also and sent them to and to
before his face into every city and place it's kind of going back to my
point earlier it's every city and place that's the goal right every city and
place not just the places we like to go not just the receptive areas every city
and place is the goal and he says there every city in place whether he himself
would come so Jesus is another one example who of somebody who went what
house to house who went to every city to every place and preach the gospel to
people doing good in Baptist today they doubt the work of faith they doubt the
work because they don't faith rather I should say they doubt the power of the
gospel go over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 the
Bible says in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 wherefore also we pray always for you
that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good
pleasure of his goodness and work of faith with power and that was Paul's
prayer for them that they would they would fulfill all good pleasure of his
goodness with what and the work of faith with power the work of faith has power
they doubt the power of the gospel today you know in a lot of a lot of these
Baptists they would never come out and say it maybe they don't even realize it
but they're closet Calvinists they're closet Calvinists you know I I remember
when I first got saved I got in a Baptist Church man I want to light the
world on fire I wanted to tell I'm they're just sitting at stoplights and
watching cars go by at red lights and just just thinking who's gonna tell all
these people who's gonna spread this gospel I found a Baptist Church that was
you know they went out and did visitation and things that here we go
we're this is it and and and then I remember just not shortly after that
being told that well you know if people want to get saved they will if people
want to get saved they will it'll happen God will make sure they get saved you
know what that did to me as a young Christian that's all I guess well he's
the pastor here he knows better than I knew he's been doing it longer I guess
I guess they'll just get saved but that's not the truth you know we we are
the ones that have to bring the gospel I mean look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 4
verse 1 therefore seeing we have this ministry it's our ministry it's ours
what's the ministry you know it's not just getting together and singing and
preaching it's going out and doing the work of preaching the gospel we have as
we have received this ministry we faint not but ever announced the hitting
things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God
deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God but if our gospel be hit whose gospel is it
it's our gospel I mean this is God's Word he's saying look it's your gospel
to go preach Jesus did all work you know he's the one that did everything for us
to be saved now he's just saying now it's your gospel to go preach it this is
our ministry this is our gospel and if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that
are lost meaning this that they're not just going to get saved that if we put
our light under a bushel they're not going to get saved that they are going
to go to hell in whom the God of this world that blind the minds of them which
believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should who is
the image of God should shine under them for we preached on ourselves but Christ
Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake for got now
catch verse 6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath
shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ so does God want to shine the light of the gospel to
the world today does he want people to see the light of the gospel and get
saved he does but where does he shine that light in our hearts through our
gospel through our ministry God uses the local church to preach the gospel and
Baptist today you know they might as well just they might as well just call
themselves Calvinists the way a lot of them behave independent fundamental
Baptist they just seem to think that the gospel has lost its power they have
no faith in the work that's to be that we are to do now whether an area is
receptive or un receptive you know we have to obey the Commission we have to
obey the Commission right to go out and here's the thing I know what it's like
to go in these unreceptive areas and kind of get down to the doldrums and
just think oh man this isn't this isn't you know what can we go back to that
real receptive area we've knocked over and over again right but here's the
thing Jesus told us he said go into all the world and preach a gospel to every
creature that is the Great Commission to preach it to every creature in all the
world so if we do not go to the receptive play unreceptive places have
we fulfilled the Great Commission we have not if we only come up here to
Yakima and we only if we only preach down here in the reservation but we just
say well you know Yakima we're not gonna preach them if we're not gonna go
up to these other small cities around here to say well we're not gonna preach
them we're only gonna preach here because this is where it's receptive
well you know what that's great and I'm all for preaching the gospel to the
poor that's where Jesus went first but the Commission is to go to every city
and every place to preach a gospel to the whole world everybody and it's you
know it's a big undertaking and we got to do it this includes the unreceptive
places and you know I want to just take a minute and define a truly unreceptive
place because I think sometimes we call things unreceptive and I hear people say
things like it's just not that receptive there I'm thinking what are you talking
about well we went out for two hours and only one person got saved that's
receptive it's when you go out all day at day after day when you go I'm like go
talk to the people over they'll show you unreceptive they'll take you over to
Portland or whatever they'll take you to Seattle you know what I mean we know
there's people getting saved there too there's areas there right and I could
take them up to Phoenix and we can go to areas where just no one's getting we
could just you know a couple teams could go out knock day in and day out for
hours at a time and no one gets saved that's unreceptive and yet we get a
little spoiled sometimes don't we sometimes they're like well you know I
was at that Yakima trip a lot of people got saved so now I'm down here or I'm
wherever and and not as many people can say so this isn't receptive you know
this is this is a this is an exception you know this is what we're doing here
that a truly unreceptive place is where it just no one's ever getting saved but
we get a little spoiled and here's the thing here's what I've learned to do
going into an unreceptive place is this is I always try to focus on my
surroundings or you know that my soul winning partner try to have a
conversation you get to know people you know you don't just focus on the fact
that it's not going well you know it's a of course you're gonna get depressed
of course you're gonna get frustrated if all you're thinking about is how
unreceptive this is how no one's gets yeah you're gonna have a miserable time
you know one of the great things about soul winning is that you get to know
people you get to meet people you get to talk to them you get develop
relationships and the other thing I like to do is just take in my surroundings
nobody go into these these beautiful neighborhoods where they have all this
you know especially around here you know they have all these roses everyone
notice that it's beautiful here and we go down to like Chandler and areas like
that near Phoenix beautiful yards all kinds of you know what I do is I take
out my phone and I get a Google lens right and I start identifying plants you
know you can do that with Google lens like if you point it out there Google
ends and hit it it'll bring up it'll tell you like the the scientific name
and everything like that I've discovered some I get like a botany lesson out
there you know it's cool so you got to kind of focus on other things that's
just kind of a tip you know when you're going in there but here's the thing if
we preach the gospel in faith we can do the work of faith as Paul called it
believing it will work soul winning in any area will will work to some degree
but here's the thing if we understand that that should affect our spirit that
it should affect our attitude we say hey I know it's a work of faith I believe
it's got power I'm gonna go out I don't care what area it is that should affect
your attitude that's how it's gonna manifest that's how it's gonna show if
you really believe that and then that work of faith becomes what a labor of
love right now it's like wherever I am I'm just loving these people however
they treat me at the door I still love them and this is a really important
point because some sometimes you know when we go in these route and receptive
areas that we have to go into you know we let those people affect us too much
we take things personally right so winning is not only a work of faith it
is a labor of love I mean think about this it was the love that compelled the
Lord Jesus it was love that compelled him to come down here and die for all of
us you know and sometimes I just think about it more and more I you ever been
in those really rough areas you know you see people living and squalor and things
like that or you just see the sin that people get into or how wicked the world
is today and sometimes I just shake my head and say why does God even look at
us a second time how does he even give any of us a second look and yet he does
why because he loves us it was love that motivate and we know the verses you know
for God so loved the world we like to talk about how he gave his only begotten
son that's whoever still believe it but we also sometimes forget it's God so
loved the world you know so winning is of course a work of faith but it's also
a labor of love go over to Colossians chapter 4 we'll get there
when his love it didn't wane when things get difficult did it you know and Jesus
you know suffered more than any other man but did his love for us Wayne when
they were crucifying him he drove those nails through his hands when they put
that crown of thorns on him when they are scoffing him and mocking him when
he's up there suffering on the cross did he did he say maybe I don't love these
people as much no he says in Luke 23 I'll read to you and when they were come
to the place which is called Calvary and there they crucified him you know we
just read over that that's heavy that's serious they crucified him and it's then
said Jesus father forgive them for they know not what they do you know he loved
us even when when mankind was doing just horrible things to him and I just want
I'm using it as an example so the next time you go to some door and someone
just kind of says I'm not interested and starts to close the door you don't walk
away just like oh well there must be a reprobate you're gonna burn in hell I
mean people get these attitudes out there though I mean I'm kind of making
fun of it but it's true I've seen some things with people doing like where's
the love what do you don't you love this person and then you come to their door
because you love them so what does it matter how they treat you if you love
somebody that you know it shouldn't matter how they're gonna treat you he
didn't love he didn't love us less when things got difficult for him his love
didn't wane for us you know we the thing we labor we do a we do a labor of
love to win people that Christ loved you say well I don't like people you know
I'm an introvert that's fine you know but here's the thing Christ loved them
you know Jesus loved them if you can't all them can you at least treat them
well because of the fact that Jesus loved them the Bible says in Ephesians 4
that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with
every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness where by
they lie in wait to deceive but speaking the truth and love you know we're to
speak the truth in love we like to speak the truth in this crowd don't we and we
should I mean we need sometimes we need to say the hard thing look I know there's
a time you know to to admonish the heretic and then reject him and I know
there's a time to you know rebuke certain people sharply but you know the
vast majority of the time we should be speaking the truth in love the Bible
says in Titus 1 9 holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught
that he may be able by sound doctrine to rip the face off of you know and put the
heretic in his place right show moves boss right no he says to
exhort and to convince you know we're gonna use the sound doctrine that we
know to what exhort them and then convince them not just be like right
you're wrong I win you lose ha ha ha now what are you gonna do heretic no it's to
you know you got to exhort them convince them that's the point of holding fast
the faithful word you're there in Colossians 4 this is a really commonly
quoted verse says in verse 5 walk in wisdom toward them that are without
redeeming the time let your speech be always short and curt no it says
seasoned with grace or excuse me with great always grace seasoned with salt
that you may know and I want to pay attention to this word how how you ought
to answer every man see a lot of times we read that word how we think oh that's
what to answer every man that means I need to know how to rebuke every false
doctrine and just I know what to answer no it's how to answer every man now look
I understand we need to be able to answer every man and and and contend
for the faith you know which was once delivered in the Saints and so on and so
forth but in the context here he's talking about letting your speech be
with grace and he's saying and be careful how you answer every man you
know we could we can rebuke people nicely you know one of the one of the
things that I was told recently was that hey you know you could tell people no in
a nice way I was always like well I don't want to deal with that because you
know tell this person something negative or tell them no or and I was just told
well you could tell people no in a nice way I was like oh yeah you know and it
works sometimes you can take someone aside just gently meekly and treat them
and tell them why they're wrong and you can do it with grace it doesn't have to
just be this face ripping you know we should go out we should do the work in
faith believing that the gospel is gonna work but we should also do it in love
you know if we believe it's gonna work then that should compel us to go out and
do it in love no matter what area we're in no matter how we're treated if we
work by faith and labor and love it won't matter how we're treated it won't
matter what people do and people take it personally don't they people get
rejected at the door and they think it's like in a personal front on them and a
lot of times it's like they haven't even said anything they just say hi I'm from
a Baptist Church this person knows nothing about you you know maybe if they
did you know maybe there would be a bit more reason maybe be justified to feel
that way you know I'm just kidding right but we they say now I'm not interested
oh I can't believe it and we take it personally but what did the Lord tell
Samuel they have not rejected you but they've rejected me right but don't take
it you know don't take it personally and I want to get I want to do give some
practical points here I don't want to turn this on a how-to soul winning
sermon or anything like that but you know just just some things I've noticed
is that when a lot of times when people knock on someone's door one thing I
noticed is that they when that person's uninterested they just immediately get
very short with that person I'll knock and just be like hey I'm not interested
bye I'm always like have a good night okay thanks I mean I'm glad that they
told me they're not interested but I want to leave you know even if they're
you know rude in a very nice way you ever been in that neighborhood where the
people are just like I'm not interested thanks for coming by just this real
insincere just like just rude in a very nice way right I just give right back to
them oh have a good night come by and see us we'd love to see you but you know
some people they knock on that door I mean I've seen people knock on doors and
and just stonewall people I'm not even exaggerating right now you know because
the dogs working hi hi can I help you
they're thinking they're gonna shut that dog up I'll talk when you get your dogs
quiet I mean what do you expect to happen the person behind the door to
just be like oh it must be the dogs you know sometimes people let the dogs bark
so you'll go away and that's kind of like there's so that's their passive
aggressive subtle hint like I'm not gonna let my dog I'm not gonna get that
dog quiet you think that they just let that dog bark all the time they're
letting it bark because you're there so just get the conversation you know do
what you got to do and get out of there but do it nicely don't take it personally
I mean think about we should think about if if they treated us the way we treat
them in any other sitting what will we think about them you know if somebody
came to my door and was rude to me in some way or it was short and curt with
me at the door I would think they're a jerk and I would be right so they would
think the same thing about us if we did that to them and they would be right so
don't take it personally go out with love and you know what there's no reason
to not do labor and love if you understand your if you're working in
faith believing it's gonna happen if we work by faith and we labor by love you
know it's only a matter of time until you do find someone who will listen and
get saved it will happen and that should cause you to what be
patient be patient when you're out in that difficult neighborhood that
unreceptive neighborhood where people aren't injured aren't interested you
know and you just keep plugging along and plugging along you should be patient
why because you're working in faith because you're laboring in love that
should give you patience can I have you go to Luke 15 if you haven't gone there
go to Luke 15 it reminds me that story in in acts where the it says that the
Lord spake to Paul in the night by a vision be not afraid but speak and hold
not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set to hurt thee for I have
much people in this city remember he had just gone in the synagogue and they
didn't want to hear what he had to say so he you know he shook his raiment at
him and he said I go to the Gentiles and and and you know he's probably ready to
just get out of town and the Lord says whoa Paul hang out I have much people in
the city don't just run off right and he continued there a year and six months
teaching the Word of God among them you know and he had you know a chief member
of the synagogue got saved right then and you know what just shows us is that
some places are going to be more receptive than others as you know as
this is a an example of that here you know this place is really receptive it's
more receptive than other places isn't it some places are just that's just the
way the world works they can't all be Wapato they can't you know they can't
all be the White Mountain Apache the best soul winning I've ever done is down
on the Indian Reservation called White Mountain Apache in Arizona I knocked
like four doors and like took me two or three hours because I got six people
saved got a whole family saved that was like an amazing day I got more saved
people saved in that day than I have all year so far but I'm not walking around
you know tripping on my lower lip pouting about it who can I go to the
White Mountain because we got to go knock all these other doors because
there's two million people in Tucson that need to hear the gospel they can't
all be the Philippines right Philippines are great they can't all be Hawaii right
but someone's got to go there too you know what someone needs to go here
someone needs to go to Vancouver someone needs to go to Portland somebody need to
go to Seattle someone needs to go to every city and every place regardless of
how receptive it is or isn't someone has to reach the few you have to reach the
few Paul has much he said I have much people in the city but they can't all be
Corinth there's some places he's gonna say I have a few people here who's gonna
be willing to go reach them why is that because they all have sinners you know
people say well what's this neighborhood gonna be like you think people get saved
there well there's sinners there there's people who need to get saved
gospel is the power of God you know I think we got a love connection right
maybe make something happen here yeah it's unsaved people we got the power of
God I think people are gonna get saved you know someone has to reach the few I
mean that's one of the parables that Jesus used about going after the one
sheep right he said how think ye if a man having hundred sheep and one of them
be gone astray doth he not leave the ninety nine and go into the mountains
and seek that which has gone astray and if so be that he find it verily I say
unto he rejoiceth more of that sheep then of the ninety nine which went not
astray you've only got one person saved amen amen you know I that we had 124
people saved on this trip so far you know any people I got saved the trips
before one you think I feel bad about that one person that got saved no way
it's great I'm just glad other people are out getting people so you know it's
it's it's it's about the team I understand but let's not just get this
attitude well I only got one saves you know there was a time when I would have
loved to have gotten one person saved there's been neighborhoods that I would
have gone and knocked and say if just one person would get saved here but then
we get in these great areas and then maybe it's not our day you know we were
we're the one we're the sponge that day just soaking up all the bad doors you
know so all the people who have been enduring the less receptive areas can
you know get get that spiritual encouragement that they need don't turn
into some spoiled soul winner don't let this spoil you don't go back to
Vancouver low wish it was Wapato cuz it's not it's not gonna be Wapato not
every place is gonna be Wapato Bible says you Luke 15 verse 7 verse 7 I say
unto you that likewise there shall be joy in heaven over ten sinners that
repent it does God have a minimum on sinners that need to get saved before
that heaven rejoices you know he says one sinner just one you know he says
there that there's joy in heaven over one but if we only get one it's there's
like no joy what's up with that heavens rejoicing but we're down here oh no one
so all all of heavens rejoicing the angels are singing someone got saved
from hell and you're down in the mouth about it it's not right and we're called
to go into all the world that is the call the receptive the unreceptive and
everything in between so let me just conclude by saying this is you know we
noticed there in 1st Thessalonians that Paul says there in verse 2 he said we
give thanks to God for you all right and when did he do that when he remembered
the Thessalonians and what did he remember about them he remembered their
work of faith he remembered their labor of love their patience of hope that was
something that Paul when he saw that he noticed that about the Thessalonians he
said man when I saw your work of faith when I saw your labor of love when I
saw your patience of hope he said I gave thanks God to you or gave thanks to God
for you he said I give thanks to God for you always and pawn every remembered so
when I think about the Thessalonians and how they just went out there in faith
and then and love and just worked and did that and and and had patience I
thank God right you know and to be honest I'm not trying to you know be
melodramatic here but I do the same first for sure Foundation Baptist Church
you know I thank God for sure Foundation Baptist Church I'm glad that there's a
light up here in the Pacific Northwest that you know a group of people that are
going out and preaching the gospel I don't go well I wish they were in a more
receptive area I mean good night couldn't they have started that church
somewhere you know better no I'm glad it's here I'm glad it's in Washington
I'm glad it's in an area that it and look I know there's receptive areas
there I'm sure there are you know but is it the most receptive area in the planet
no but neither is Tucson you know why there's a lot of places but I'm glad
everywhere there's a church that's preaching the gospel I'm glad that's
where they are and I thank God for them when I remember their work of faith when
I remember their labor of love when I remember their patience you know and
and Pastor Thompson I know he does the same for you guys when he sees you you
know you know toughen it out there in Vancouver Portland wherever you go these
are under receptive areas I know he's encouraged that he has a church that's
going out and doing the work by faith laboring in love I should have had you
go to Hebrews chapter 6 oh we'll just close go to first Thessalonians go back
there I'll just read you from Hebrews chapter 6 if you want to listen you know
we I think about it you know Paul thought about Thessalonians and he
thanked God I think about sure foundation other churches like it I
thank God you know Pastor Thompson thinks about you folks here and he
thanks God for you but you know who else notices is God God notices Bible says in
Hebrews 6 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which
you have showed toward his name he doesn't say God is you know God is not
unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love if you get a lot of people
saved you know as long as you're receptive area you know then God's
pleased with that then he'll remember that no it says he he's not just to
forget work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name if you're
out preaching the name of Jesus Christ God sees that God remembers that God is
pleased by that regardless of the fact whether or not a bunch of people get
saved or not because you're accomplishing the goal that he's given
us to do and obviously you know the Thessalonians they were able to do this
because Paul's recognition was not their motivation that's not what motivated
them they did it because they knew that God was recognizing them they did all
these things in the sight of God if you're there in first Thessalonians
where we started chapter 1 verse 2 we give thanks to God for you all making
mention of you our prayers remembering without ceasing your work of faith and
labor of love and patience of hope and our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of
God and our Father you know so the next time you're out there and you're feeling
you know down about the how unreceptive some places or something just remember
God sees that and God is pleased that you're even out there at all you know
what's your motivation just just you know and we're not against numbers
obviously is it just to get a bunch of numbers or is it to go out and just
preach the gospel that God told you because as soon as you've done that
you've been in success you know God sees the work that your foundation is doing
no matter where they labor whether you're here in Wapato whether you're
back in Vancouver wherever you know this church is it's an international church
right and wherever this church is reaching God's pleased by that so don't
let this gospel light in the Pacific Northwest die out don't let that happen
and here's how it happens when your heart starts to get cold when you start
to get a bad attitude when your heart starts to grow cold towards the lost
when you start going those doors like well let's go get rejected again that's
when the gospel lights gonna go out that's when things are gonna get even
less receptive that's what you're just gonna say what's the point and throw in
the towel and quit don't let that happen work in faith labor and love be patient
hope and do all of that in the sight of God let's go ahead and pray the Lord
again thank you for this church thank you for this group of people Lord who
love you and and want to please you and Lord thank you for this great week that
you've given us here and all the souls that have been saved and Lord I pray
continue to bless this work and I pray continue to bless the work of this
church after they leave this place after they go back and go back to their lives
Lord that they would be yes refreshed Lord by what's taking place here but
they would be reminded that everything we do we do in the sight of God Lord and
for your glory and Lord we pray that you would just use them mightily in in in
Washington and wherever else the gospel is being preached we ask in Christ's
name amen