In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a vision and purpose in our lives as believers. He encourages the audience to see themselves as missionaries in a foreign field, constantly seeking to share the gospel and live for God's kingdom. The speaker highlights the significance of both our actions and our words in preaching the message of Christ to others. He also challenges the listeners not to neglect their mission field, which includes their workplace and even funerals, where opportunities to share the gospel may arise. Overall, the sermon emphasizes the need to live out our faith and be intentional in sharing the love of Christ with those around us.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, EFRA PA 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. I bring you greetings this morning in Jesus' name. What a joy to be redeemed by the blood of the crucified one. Hallelujah. So blessed this morning as God has led in the service already. Just was thanking God this morning that you do have the opportunity and the privilege to come to the house of the Lord this morning. To gather with believers, share together, grow together in the grace of our Lord. What a privilege is ours. This morning I would desire to share a message concerning the other mission fields. And I'd like to just preface what I'm going to share on this morning. I do believe in foreign missions. I believe that we have a call and a divine mandate to take the gospel to all nations. I believe that with all of my heart. I also believe that it's necessary for us to take a look at the mission field and where that is. It has been said we're either a missionary or a mission field. Have you heard that before? That brings the mission field pretty close to home, doesn't it? For an opening scripture I'd like for you to turn to Matthew 28. Very familiar verses. Matthew 28, beginning in verse 16. We have our commission from our King, the Lord Jesus. Matthew 28, verse 16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him. But some doubted. And as Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Let's just bow our heads in prayer. Father, we come in Jesus' name, Lord. Father, we thank you for the word of God and for the grace of God that teaches us. Father, we pray this morning that you would continue to bless this service, this congregation, Lord. Teaching us, God. Showing us, Lord, your will for us, for our lives, individually and as a congregation, Lord. Father, I pray, God, just come and illumine thy word unto our hearts by your spirit. Lord, we confess our need of you, God. Father, we pray that you would come and anoint your word. We pray that you would have mercy upon us today and teach us and lead us and guide us by your spirit. Father, we pray that your will, your purpose, can be stamped upon our hearts in yet another greater way today. Take us on, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen. Jesus said, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore, the Lord of harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. As Jesus commissioned his twelve disciples, he said unto them, As ye go, preach, saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely ye have received, freely give. You know, we could ask the question this morning, where is the Lord's harvest? Where is his harvest field? You know, I think sometimes, it's sort of a word picture I could give this morning. It's sort of like a man standing in the midst of a forest. And you're looking around and saying, where is the harvest? And it's like we can't see the trees for the forest. We're surrounded, we're standing in the midst of the harvest field. You know, as Jesus commissioned his twelve apostles, he said to them, As ye go, preach. You know, I like that. As ye go, preach. Preach the kingdom of heaven. Preach the kingdom of God. You know, it's so easy for us to look over there and say, Oh, there's the harvest field. And it's true, there is the harvest field. There in India, there in Africa, there in Iraq, there where the people have not heard the name of Jesus, there is the harvest field. How many of us will go to Iraq? How many of us will go to Africa? Praise God that we have foreign missions as a burden upon our heart as a church. And we believe in it and we support it. And we've sent families. How many of us will go? Do we look over there and say, Oh, they are called to be missionaries. I'll just stay home and live a mundane life of getting up and going to work and raising a family and, you know, my life isn't very exciting. It doesn't have a whole lot of purpose. I wish I could be one of them. Well, I'd like to, by the grace of God, change our view this morning. That we are sitting right in a great harvest field and mission field right here in Lancaster County. You know, there's other Christians sending missionaries to United States. Did you ever know that? Because our nation in which we live is so departing from God and from the true grace of God, Brother Malin, that there are those who are looking on and saying, we need to send missionaries to America. And we live here. As ye go, preach. This was addressed a couple of weeks ago in a message, I'm not sure who said it, about making a division between the spiritual and the physical or natural work, labor of life and dividing our life into, okay, this is now Sunday, church day. Now it's Monday, work day, so now I put on my work mentality and I leave God outside of that work mentality. That is not right. That's not right thinking, that's wrong. God wants to be in your life on Sunday, but he wants to be in your life on Monday and on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday. Every day, every moment, all of our lives. As ye go, preach. You know, that brings it down to where each one of our lives can be actively engaged in the mission and in the great commission of preaching the gospel. Right here where we live. Some of us will go to foreign fields. Some of us will stay here, in this foreign field. Did you know this is a foreign field? We are strangers and pilgrims. We're not at home in this world. This is a foreign field. And it's a mission field. And we're either a missionary or we're part of that mission field. As you go, preach. God in Deuteronomy said, when you rise up, talk to your son about God. As you walk by the way, expound the things of God. Tell the great things that God has done. As you lay down at night, let your whole life be consumed with the passion and purpose that God has for you. As you go, preach. How do we do this? We preach by our life and we preach by our words. It's not enough to just say, well, they can see by my life that I'm not like the world. They can see that the true grace of God is reflecting in my life. And that needs to be. But it's also by our words. It's also by what we say and what we do. I'd like to look at this this morning, breaking it down a little bit here. You know, we want to look more closely at that question about where is the mission field a little bit later. But as we look here about how do we preach? The number one message that you and I are preaching is by our life. Did you know that? Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men. It says in 2 Corinthians 3, 2. Did you know that your life is an epistle? It's a living epistle and it is being read by all men. So we preach by our life as we go. And I'd like for you to turn with me to some of these scriptures. Let's turn to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. And we'll begin in verse 11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves unto every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be unto the king as supreme or unto governors or unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. We'll stop reading there. Your life preaches. And your life, if your conversation of life is honest among the Gentiles, among those that do not believe, it speaks volumes. It ministers. It shows them by that reflection of that grace that is coming to your heart, that there is a true Christian. And your life speaks. It speaks of honesty. It speaks of godliness. And so as they look at you and they try to find fault with you, if your conversation, and that means your manner of life, that's not just saying words that you say, but your conversation is your manner of life, if your manner of life is such that it is blameless before them, it says that as they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God. And so your life brings glory to God in that way. And so as your life is an honest life before the world, and as your life is a yielded, submitted life to God, He says, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be unto the king or unto governors, because so is the will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Over in Philippians, and we won't ask you to turn there, but in Philippians 1.27, he shares again on this matter, he says, only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. That whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. And then in 1 Peter he says, As he which is called you holy is holy, so be ye also holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. As Brother Malin shared this morning, I was so blessed as I was knowing what I'm going to share, and so I won't take a lot of time on this, but I do want to lift this up. A lot of times, people cannot hear the message we speak, because the conversation of our life testifies otherwise. And so they cannot hear. So this morning, I want to lift this up before us, that the most powerful message that you and I are preaching is a holy life. It's an honest life. It's a life that is a righteous life. You know, in our day, there are so many, as our Brother Malin has shared already, that the life and the testimony are not consistent. And so, I want to encourage us this morning, let us walk in the Spirit and in the holy life, and in a real Christian life that shows to the world by our conversation that our home is in heaven, and that our sins are forgiven, and our name is written in the book of life, and that we're living in a whole different purpose and manner and reason of life. I just need to expand a little bit on this. You know, there are many who are watching on, who, when a person testifies that they got saved, they got born again, they say, well, let's watch his life. Now, I want to ask you a question. Is that right? Do they have a right to say, let's watch his life? Do they? Is that a right question? Yes, they do. They have a right to say, well, even if, even if they're on the other side of trying to make the reflection look right, without understanding the true grace in its full sense, even if they're off on that other foundation, they're not right on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and they're off in their understanding there, yet they're watching the matter of life to see whether the true grace of God is superior to that life, is a right, it's a right thing for them to do. And so today, what really, really is a confusion in the world which we live is, when someone gets saved, and then they move over into a place, and I believe they truly did get saved, according to the scriptures and according to what you see in their lives, but if after a period of time they are led away into the error of this false grace, and they use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh, and then they look on, and those from our conservative plain backgrounds are looking on and saying, well, we'll see, and we'll examine the life. And they have that right. Everyone has that right. We all have that right. God said, we are to inspect the tree, and we're to see what fruit it's bringing forth. So, that's right. Now, they may not understand all those things and what true grace does in a person's heart, and allows him to do if they're looking at it in a man's perspective, or some man's law of what true grace will do, it will cause you to, well, I don't want to mention things, but you know what they do in their religious settings. And they may think, well, you're just wanting to be worldly, and you want to be more like the world, but as they examine your life, and as they watch the life, do they see the true grace of God, and the effects of it in your life, and in my life. So, I have a real burden for that this morning. How are we going to preach with our lips, if our life's conversation is contrary? You know, they're not going to hear. The message that speaks the foremost and loudest is your conversation, and my conversation in life, in our walk of life. And so, the gospel has been much hindered, and much damage has been done to the name of Jesus Christ, and the gospel through those who take it, and use it as an occasion to serve the flesh. Your conversation, it speaks louder than my words. Let your conversation as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles. Be ye holy in all manner of conversation. What do we preach? We just look at a few different scriptures this morning. What do we preach? Turn with me to Mark, chapter 1. Mark, chapter 1. Let's look at verse 14. Now, after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. And saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. You know, that is our message. The same message that Jesus preached. Repent ye and believe the gospel. The kingdom of God is at hand. In Acts it tells us that they went everywhere preaching the word. Paul told Timothy, preach the word of God. In Acts 11.20 it says, and they preached Jesus the Lord. In Acts 11.20. They were preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. We preach not ourselves. We preach not a creed or a doctrine of men. But we preach Jesus Christ. The preaching of the Lord Jesus. God has chosen through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. So our gospel is not a lifestyle. Do you hear me? It's not a lifestyle. It's the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now it changes our life. But if we come about it from the wrong direction and the wrong angle and we preach a lifestyle, you know, many people are enamored by that and they're taken up with it and there's people that leave their jobs and their homes and moving to some community somewhere and because they want to adhere to that lifestyle. And they want that. But what about the inward true grace of God? You know, they're adopting a lifestyle and you know, we can stand in danger of that here also. People love homeschooling and they see it at a curriculum fair and they say, oh, I think that's what we ought to be doing and here's some people that believe in homeschooling and so maybe they come here and want to join us in that and adopt to that and fit in with that and the lifestyle changes and you know, all these different things. But do they have the true grace of God in their hearts? Have their sins been washed in the blood of Jesus? You know? And it's the grace of God appeared unto them and now it's working from the inside out. Yes, it'll change our lives. It'll change our lifestyles. It'll change the way we live. But you know, there's a danger that people want to embrace a lifestyle but they have not Jesus Christ as the center and working and flowing from within and changing the outward. That outward reflection by the grace of God that has appeared unto us and unto them. I'd like us to get now more down to the burden of my message in the practical areas. Where do we preach this gospel? Where do we preach it? And I want to encourage you this morning as you are listening and as you are thinking that we could have some open sharing time after we close this message that we can grow and gain and learn one of another. Because surely I won't hit all of them this morning but where do we preach? Turn with me to Acts chapter 1. Let's look at Acts chapter 1. Very familiar verses. In Acts chapter 1 we'll start in verse 4. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying, Lord will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel. And he said unto them it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. I'd like to look there in verse 8 in the answer to this question where shall this gospel be preached? Well it's very clear that he says you shall be witnesses unto me your whole conversation of life and manner of life is going to be a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the gospel and its effect that it has had in you and this reflection, this witness this testimony is going to be seen in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. I like that it covers every aspect it covers every part but I'd like to focus this morning on Jerusalem and Samaria and Judea and looking at Jerusalem as was right where they lived. It was right where they were planted it was right where they were dwelling in Jerusalem. Where shall this gospel be preached? How shall it be done? You know if we think that if we get on a plane and we fly to some unreached peoples and then we can preach the gospel but we're not preaching it here we are mistaken. We must first have the burden of missions upon our hearts right here we must first have the burden of God upon our hearts that this gospel must be preached unto the Gentiles unto the heathen unto those that are lost and there's lost people right here where shall this gospel be preached? I'd like to say this gospel must first be preached at home. It must be preached right where we live. Where is that? Well I'd like to begin this morning that for myself as a husband this witness this conversation and matter of life this gospel must have an effect in my own heart in such a way that the gospel is preached to my wife I don't see my wife right now I know she's in here somewhere but you know can my wife say that I see in your conversation Christ I see Jesus in you Jesus said not the words of Jesus but Paul said the words that I write unto you they are the words of Christ they are as equal the holy scriptures tell us husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church so this gospel must first be preached in my own life and that reflection of that gospel and that power and effect of that gospel must be preached to my wife now I want to hastily say when I say preached I'm not meaning get up and preach at your wife with a lot of words now there's times that there may some words be needed but isn't it true with your wife like it is with the other people they'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day they'd rather see and experience the effects of that gospel in your own life and that preaches that preaches to your wife husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church at home I mean really at home at home when there's no one else there and it's just you and your wife it's just me and my wife am I loving Christ am I loving my wife as Christ loved the church by my conversation of life is that gospel being preached to my wife wives that gospel must be preached at home wives to love their husbands to love their children is that gospel being preached in your home this gospel has a powerful effect when that grace is flowing from husband to wife from the wife to the husband and that gospel is preached with the conversation of life clearly it's not muddled up with selfishness stubbornness unforgiveness unkindness disrespect resistance lack of submission one to another one to God when that gospel is preached in it's conversation in it's daily interaction in it's daily life together and that gospel is having it's effect to bring a oneness and a unity which God designed in marriage oh that gospel is going to have an effect guess who else will take notice the world around us see how they love one another see how they dwell together in unity see how he loves his wife see how he cherishes her how he cares for her how he serves her how he lays down his life for her see how she reverences her husband see how she submits to him and cheerfully obeys him did you see that there's still marriage just like that today and it preaches the conversation of your life preaches oh do we ever live in a day when that message needs to be heard and seen I mean we can say it again we've said it before the divorce rate is only slightly different amongst professed Christians than the world what does the world think of that what grace is that this gospel must be preached and as ye go preach yes there's times for words there's times to say things but in the intimacy of your home and of your marriage isn't it true our actions preach a lot louder than our words what does the world think of that gospel must be preached and as ye go preach where not only in your marriage but in your home with your children with our families with our sons and our daughters with our little ones and with our older ones with our youth you know I pray this morning that as brother Malin shared if you're trying to put it on you're trying to make the outward reflect something that is not really reality in the inward oh that we would humble ourselves God give us grace of the humble when we admit where we're at you know that little serpent the devil he's out to kill and to destroy when he can destroy the oneness between a husband and wife in their marriage and even if they say well for the sake of the testimony of those around us and my own pride I'd never get a divorce or let this thing be seen so we keep on a good front but you know that there has a very damaging effect upon the home and upon the children and upon the youth that grow up in a home like that I just want to encourage us this morning let us do what brother Malin said let's open up our bag and let him examine is this real gold or is it fool's gold are we willing to open up our bag husbands do our wives she knows me better than anybody else my wife knows me better than you do you know and wives are you willing to open up your bag to your husband he knows you better are we as parents willing to open up our bag with our children with our youth youth are you willing to open up your bag with your parents as you go preach and I want this to be an encouraging message this morning but also probing to our hearts but you know as you go preach by the conversation of your life and by your words you know when we can see the purpose of God and for what God has us here for it changes everything you are a testimony you are an epistle written known and read of all men and of course those who know us best are the closest at home with us where is this gospel preached well at home which is what we have been focusing on where else at work where you work it can change your whole mentality about your work instead of thinking well I got to go to work Lord I want to shine for you today I want to reflect that true grace to those I meet at work today when everyone else is complaining oh no do we have to go out in the cold it's too hot to work on that south side of the roof you know how it is people complain and they grumble you can let the beauty of Jesus be seen in your life by having a whole different outlook on your work and just your quiet cheerfulness and gentleness and obedience when they are criticizing the boss you are not helping you know there are souls watching our lives there are many hurting people in our world and seeking for answers we need them at work on the job site you know I just want you to take a moment and just stop and think say ok Lord what opportunities are right before me at work just stop and think now of the place where you work what opportunities of missions are right in front of my face I'm standing in the forest the trees are all around me see I think so often is it nearsighted or farsightedness I'm not sure I have glasses I should know by now but you know we think over there somewhere or we think out there and there are needs right in front of us and so I just want to encourage us this morning let your light shine don't put it under a bushel, don't run away from those opportunities where? real practical now how about the family gathering how about when it's reunion time the family reunion preach the gospel but I want to warn you this morning if you come into that family reunion looking like the world and having your conversation like the world your family if they are religious group they may just shut you off and just tune you out and say well your conversation speaks louder than your words but all that our conversation is such as become godliness and they who would have something to say evil against us they cannot rightly do it sure they said evil things of Jesus they can say evil things but can they rightly do it or is your conversation such that they have to give glory to God in the day of visitation when he comes you know weddings you get to go back to that wedding you're invited they haven't invited you for a long time but it's wedding time and you get an invitation what are you going to do and they're going to be watching and maybe a little too critically I agree but they are going to examine your life they're going to examine the life of our families they're going to see they're going to try to discern is it real true godliness or did they really leave our conservative church because they wanted worldliness when you go to that wedding your life will speak the loudest and if your life's conversation is in such a way that your lips can also be open and you can say let me tell you what Jesus has done for me and you can share your personal testimony you know there's something about a personal testimony and a changed life to back it up that's powerful and they can't what can we do with it we know what this person used to be like he's changed something is different though they may deny it in reality you know they have to deep down inside admit I want to encourage you this morning don't run away from your mission field it's all around you a funeral there's going to be all of your old church friends gathered together someone has died their hearts may be a bit soft and tender don't stay away from the funeral don't say well I got a higher calling a higher purpose let the dead bury their dead wait a minute not so fast here maybe God wants you back there well they all wrote me off they think I'm gone off the deep end well let him see the conversation of your life don't be ashamed don't be afraid how about public auctions the sales stables how about there some of you farmers know what I'm talking about fire company sales yard sales I was blessed the other day somebody was saying how they were at a fire company sale they were preaching the gospel well amen you know opportunities the community is gathered together the grocery store you know the hardware store you know all of these places are places of missions right at our doorstep I want to ask you a challenging question how many extra dollars do you have to spend to go to your mission field just stop and think about it we're not afraid to spend money to send the gospel to the lost how many extra dollars do I and you have to spend to reach the lost have you met any lost people in the last week have you met anybody who has not yet been saved well I want to leave opportunity for you all to share and to respond to challenge us as a congregation where is our mission field what effect could this church have on Lancaster County if we would see the mission field right here at our doorstep how about our neighbors challenge to my own heart I'm not preaching this this morning because I have arrived at all of these things but it challenges my own heart how about our neighbors Lord of harvest send forth laborers into your harvest beginning at Jerusalem and Samaria the outlying surrounding communities and Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the world I just don't want us to miss the greatest mission field for the greatest percentage of us here because the greater percentage of us are not going to go to Africa probably the greater percentage will be into the United States yes some of us are going to go some of us want to go some of us are preparing to go and amen we're behind you we bless God for that but what about that hurting soul right next door and what about the missions in our own congregation is there any unsaved people with charity Christian fellowship this morning is there any hurting people at charity Christian fellowship this morning is there any people that really care and reach out you know there's a mission field right here there's a mission field right in our home there's a mission field right in our church there's a mission field right in our community. May the conversation of our lives be such that when we open up our mouth to preach and say, repent ye and believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, that they cannot rightly say, your life doesn't measure up to what you're preaching. They may say it, they may accuse us, but may our lives be such that it reflects that beauty of the grace of God in true reflection in our hearts. Let's kneel together for prayer. Father in heaven, we just do acknowledge, Lord, our need, my need to have our hearts and our visions renewed, strengthened. Father, that we can see from heaven's perspective, Lord, God, that we can look in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our communities, Father, at our workplace, Lord, and we can see beyond that roof that needs to be put on, that lawn furniture that needs to be delivered, that board that needs to be sanded and put together with other boards to make a cabinet or whatever it is, Lord. Father, that we can see the souls of men and the mission that is right at our door. Oh Lord, I pray, Father, give us a vision, for without a vision we perish. If all we're doing is just making another dollar, putting in another day, oh Lord, we've missed it. But God, if we can seek first the kingdom and be about your business, Lord, and live for the purpose for which you've saved us, God, letting our light shine, that those around us may see, behold our good works, and glorify the Father which is in heaven. Oh Lord, may that be so. Father, in my life, the life of my family, the life of our church family, Father, that they can see the reality of the grace of God at Charity Christian Fellowship. Lord, I pray, bless the Father's service and bless this congregation. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you Aaron for preaching the word, challenging us in our everyday life just to be a Christian. What is a Christian? That is a Christian. So if I'm not doing that, does that mean I'm not a Christian? Well, it certainly means I'm not living to the fullness of the Christian life that I ought to be, that I have the privilege to be. All right, we're going to open up and encourage you to share this morning. God is speaking to your heart about your mission field, where the Lord would have you to do. Any thoughts this morning? A couple up front here. Others, get your hands up if you want to share something this morning. Amen. I praise God for that message. I was excited a week ago or so when I heard Brother Aaron say he was going to share that. I was thinking, well, I just can't wait to hear that message and I wasn't disappointed. It was a blessing. It was a challenge. You know, when my family and I first started coming to this church, one of the things that was a tremendous blessing to us, the very first Sunday when we were seeking our way and when we made our mind to come here, Brother Denny preached a message on dreams and visions for the new church. And then after that, and it was a beautiful message, but the most or as beautiful part of anything was hearing the brothers share. And I remember saying to my wife, I don't know where they're all at, but if that's where they're going, that's where I want to be. And last Sunday, we had some open sharing and again, and it's a blessing. Last, on Friday evening, I went to my brother's baptism, the setting I was raised in, and beautiful message on the place of the blood and out of revelation, just a beautiful message. And, but there was no open sharing. I just would have, I thought it'd been so beautiful just to, you know, have, hear that, hear people share testimonies about the power of the blood. And that's a blessing. And also, I just want to share a personal testimony about the, what was preached this morning. And God says that we do things in secret, he rewards openly. And I believe this is a good example, a person who's effective in the daily ebb and flow of life, there will be an open reward many times you see, you see the result of that. And I want to honor one of my brothers, or maybe a couple of them, but last half year, a babe in Christ has challenged me very deeply. And that's brother Robert, as I sat next to him in an office, listening to him on the phone, just telling people about what Jesus means to him. And I remember the day I thought, sure, he lost a customer, he told him about what he what the Bible says about adultery. And this person was in a seemed to be a wrong relationship. They were dating, and he just asked him, you know, but you know, it wasn't a couple weeks later, a month or two, he got an order back from that person, they came back, he didn't lose them, but he just spoke the truth. I've been challenged to see that. And another brother that has really blessed me, I don't believe he's here this morning, his brother, Sam, you know, some of us that know him might say he doesn't have the best tact. But you know, he's a challenge to all of us, because he's not here very long, he had to already bring along a brother to church that he led to the Lord or that he witnessed to and came to the Lord. And there may be times he doesn't say it right, or we don't say it right. But are we talking? Are we speaking and doing the best we can. And I'm glad that he at least preaches the truth. And that's a challenge to me. And the other brother that I'd like to honor here this morning is Brother Stanley Schrock. I know he feels maybe he hasn't done things perfectly. I've seen people come to the Lord through his ministry. And also through even sometimes young men that were in our home, giving them something to do and giving them a place to pray and working with them. And I just want to bless those brothers this morning, because they've been examples to me of what it means to reach out to Jerusalem right around you. Certainly want to thank the Lord for the message this morning. I think that's the heart of God. It starts at home. And I'm just there's a lot that I could say, I'm not sure what I should say what I shouldn't say. But our home is our training ground for whatever mission God has called us to. And that's, that's our opportunity. And you know, what benefit is it going to be if we try to reach out and touch a lot of people wherever it is, if we lose our own family, our own, the opportunities that we have right there. And I think that's such a real opportunity that we have just to let Christ show in those relationships in our family. As Brother Aaron mentioned, by this shall all men know that you're my disciples, if you have love one for another. And scripture also tells us to do good to every man, especially those of the household of faith. And you know, if our families and if our church is what God wants us to be, then we're not going to be able to keep people away because everybody in the world is looking for that kind of homes, those kinds of families, that kind of church, a place where people really care. And I think that's one of the things that's brought people here is that people have seen that there are orderly families, there's godly families, people that really love the Lord. And they've seen a church where people care about one another. They spend time together, and they're there to help whenever there's a need or the concern. And that's a real blessing. And that's one of the most outstanding witnesses that we can have anywhere. And just want to praise the Lord for what he's doing and encourage us all to be faithful right there in the little things. And one of the things that the Lord reminded me about is, you know, what is my focus? Somebody stops by, I want to get some hay, is my focus to see how quickly I can get them moved on so that I can get on with something else that I want to do? Or am I willing just to take that little bit of time and be available to listen? Not every time is an opportunity to share in the same way, but am I available if God wants to open that door? And that's a challenge that the Lord's reminded me of this morning. It's good. Take that time to talk to people. Let's just get our work done. So hand up front. Something I've been seeking God about lately for my own life, a need in my life is that I need a burden for souls. And this is no great testimony. It's just one of the cries of my heart a bit as Brother Aaron was sharing that I need that grace of God flowing into my heart, that it will reflect in my life and in my words. Not that I just discipline myself to speak or discipline myself to share here, but that a true grace of a burden would be flowing into my life and then it would flow out to others and I can speak. I need a burden for souls. That's my cry. I just appreciate that what was lifted up this morning was that we can have a life message of repent and believe the gospel that the kingdom of God is at hand. And I think that in Lancaster County here is a unique Lancaster, Lebanon County, we have a unique situation where there's a large population of people that they don't have television, they don't have radio, they don't have the internet. And just to be practical, and I think, you know, what do they do with their extra time evenings and weekends? Well, one of the things they do is they read and, and I guess that that's one of the things that, when I first came under conviction of sin back when I was 14, it was actually, you know, through reading. I just happened to be reading Vera Überholt's scrapbook that was laid open on the table at eight o'clock on Wednesday night. And I just that second when I finished that line of that paragraph, the conviction of sin came upon me that second so powerful that I, I wasn't going to be able to sleep till two or three o'clock in the morning. And as well, I think we have a unique opportunity in Lancaster County to, to share literature that lifts up the fact that the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel that it's, it's so near to you, you just have to believe and respond. And, and, and that this can be a life message for us. And, and the Lord has just opened some doors for me in that area. And I also appreciate what was said about being careful and, you know, when we're with, you know, conservative people, how we dress and so forth, you know, like one of my cousins was concerned. I stopped at his place Wednesday night and I had my leather jacket on and, and he thought I should have a suit coat on, you know, and, and I, I couldn't, I couldn't fault him for that. You know, I, you know, I, I could see that he has a concern, you know, why am I wearing a leather jacket, you know, and so I just to be careful about, you know, what we wear and, and the witness that it leaves and. Okay, up here we have a. Yes, I thank you brother Aaron for the beautiful message, for stirring up my heart in that way. Cause I can remember about a year ago, like you were sharing about going to Africa and you think that's really the missionary life, really the life that you're really involved in something and you're really accomplishing something. But I remember about a year ago I had that mindset, but God, I can say, I can rejoice in that, that God opened my eyes to, to something else. I mean, I remember going to work since I've left the con, I've had the blessing of, of having a job that I get out a lot. I drive all over the county here and even in Lancaster, drive all over the place and meet a lot of people. And I've just made a point of, of praying to God whenever I go there, sometimes I definitely forget. Sometimes I'm caught up with my work. I'm busy, but I've made a point of praying to God that you would just give me an opportunity to share my heart in whichever way. Sometimes it's definitely different than some other times. You just can't bring it out so clearly. It depends, but I can say every time, almost every time God has given me opportunity that I'm willing, if I'm willing to take it and to step out in faith and just share, I mean, to the smallest things like, where's that accent from? Where are you from? And it's a beautiful opportunity for me to share my testimony, where I'm from, what I'm here for. And I'd say I've been very blessed till a lot of times to ask what church I'm from. I mean, that's kind of been a challenge for me, you know, while I go to charity. A lot of times people I've seen just disappear, and I don't see them until I'm done with the job and then when I get time to leave. But for me, it's a blessing to be able to stand up for that. And I've seen people, they've just, they've heard about tapes, many people that I never thought would have it. And they just said, so they see, I guess, in the young men, the young men that are there on the job, and they just see things in our lives. I know they do. And they definitely, they look on. And sometimes they even call back, and they bless us in that way. Just what they saw, and the blessing of the politeness. But I can say, it's been challenges in some ways. When I lived out in Wisconsin, there was once that we shared with a lady. I mean, it was a real challenge to me. We just basically shared a born-again salvation message, whatever, what it takes, and what we believe with living a holy life. And she called our boss the next day, and told him how, I mean, how terribly uncomfortable we had, and what position she was in. I know it was bad for him. He would have never said that we shouldn't. But I know he was put into a bad position, and even challenged us because it's our work. So, I mean, we depend on those people for work, but God just rose me up. Just do whatever I lay in your heart. And I just tried to live that and walked it out in a simple trust in Him and those things. And I can say it's brought reality to my life, to my heart, to my Christian walk. I can say I love going to work. It's a true blessing for me. So, God bless you. Thank you. I certainly can say amen to the message and say that it's something we all needed. I wonder if you ever wondered why Jesus picked out Samaria and Judea. We know why he picked Jerusalem, that's where they were, and we know why he chose the outermost parts, that it's all included. Did Samaria just happen to be a village near there, or a town or area near there that he chose, or was there some significance to it? The Samaritans were despised by the Jews before, and now I believe he wanted to make a point to them that the gospel now reaches past those barriers, those walls that people put up. And certainly here in Lancaster County there are many walls put up between the different religious groups, and I think we have a unique opportunity to show that the gospel reaches past those barriers. Daniel? Yes, I was too blessed with the message. I can say amen to many things we've heard. Another area that I thought about, came to my mind, I think it might have been touched on a little bit already, was we see in Acts chapter 16, verse 17, the Apostle Paul, there he would spend time in the synagogues with the devout persons, and then it also says, in the market, daily, he met with them. And so, as was touched on already about our work, I believe that the marketplace can also be a very powerful place to preach the gospel. And I have had a burden, I'll just share it, I hope there's not, I can just share it this way as a challenge to my heart and to all of us. Will they hear the gospel that we have to preach if they sense that we are always trying to drive a hard bargain? You know, where, maybe we're always trying to get something for free, or something just as cheap as we can get it. You know, what does that do in their hearts as we're trying to preach the gospel to them? Or maybe, you know, if we were the only customers that they would have, you could hardly stay in business. I believe that it's okay to do a fair trade with our community, to be honest in our dealings, to work hard and pay our bills. You know, on the other hand, will they hear our gospel if we default on our bills, and we're late in paying them, and some of those kind of things. The other area I thought about, you know, was the grocery store. We go there many times. I don't know if you've ever watched when you go to a grocery store, if you've watched the children, you know, whining for things and putting up a fit when they can't have it and things like that. What about our children? What kind of a gospel are we preaching in the marketplace? These are just some thoughts that I've had, and pray that we could receive them. I just thought I would share this morning that I was really blessed by the message, brother, both messages especially, and was challenged that just in letting the testimony in my life shine rather than in words. And I think so many times I've tried to witness to one of the men at work, and I've tried hard to preach Jesus to him. And the words I heard coming out of my boss's mouth and back were that I should let my testimony shine more than speaking, more than saying a lot of things about it, that I should just walk it out. And I guess I really struggled because I thought maybe that he was saying that I shouldn't witness at all. But I've been blessed by the direction that I felt like John gave me many times was to simply make sure that the things I'd done were done in sincerity. And that the things that I did bore witness with the words that come out of my mouth, that there wasn't a double standard. And many times I felt like it was a growing process in that, and it still is. And as I heard what John said, and as I heard the brother speak this morning, I feel like God has shown me clearly in my heart where it needs to go. And I'm willing by His grace this morning to walk in that area more clearly and to be a better witness just by my life's actions, that I'm faithful in the small things. So I thank you, brother, for sharing God's heart, and I just ask for your prayers in that. Thank you. Any of the sisters that would like to be sharing? Yes, I just want to thank the Lord that He's alive in my heart because I'm not nervous to stand up here, but my heart just is so alive with Jesus because I know that He's so real to me. I mean, He shows me every day how much He loves me, how much that I should have faith in Him and trust in Him, and how He gives me His wisdom and His knowledge. And, you know, if you're here for the first time, if you're here for the 50th time, are you really alive with Jesus? I can't answer that question, but I know He's alive in me. And I can't make the mistake and just blow what God's given me. I can't afford to fall in the ditch. I can't afford to jump out of the boat. And I don't know, can you? I'm just telling you what Jesus is giving us we can't buy, that there's people out there trying to buy it. We can't get it through climbing the corporate ladder because I've tried to do that. We can't get it through wealth, but I think we can get it through being sincere and being honest with our Lord. And going out anywhere we go and telling Him what's real, what this cornerstone's all about, what the foundation of Jesus is all about, what the Bible's about. And we can wake up each morning, go to bed each night and pray to the Lord that, Lord, just take me closer to You, Jesus. Let me be the person You want me to be, Lord. Keep me out of my flesh. Keep me out of my lust. Keep me out of my ego. But, Lord, let me serve You to the fullest. Because, you know, some people are going to see Him in heaven. Some people aren't. Some people think they're going to. But, you know, we have the chance, the only chance in this world to know we're going to see our Creator forever and ever, eternity. And there's others who are into religion. And there's others into whatever they're into. Don't mess up what we have. Don't go backwards. Just keep on going toward Jesus. You know, I've listened to a couple tapes of what it takes to be a born-again Christian. And I'm learning because I'm listening to them three and four times. Just like I'm reading the Bible over and over, and I can get something new out of the Bible every time I read it. But, you know, we've got to realize we're sinners. And I'm not ashamed, but I'm not proud. But God can save me from sin. No religion can save me from sin. No wealth can save me from sin. And you can't save me from sin. Only my Creator. Only my Jesus. And that's the one I'm going to live for and die for. Thank you. Amen. One of the challenges that we have is how to take what we hear on a Sunday morning and make it practical. Amen? Let's make it practical. Okay? I'm going to do something here, and I just want to see what God would do. I'd like to have John and Steve, you take that table there, set it back there by the door, this side of the door. And I'd like to have Brother Luke Zerman choose some of the best tracts that he has back there and put them on that table. And every one of you that is a Christian, especially, everyone here should be doing it, but everyone who has been born again, before you go out that door, pick up seven tracts. Okay? At least seven tracts. And make sure you give someone those tracts before you come back next Sunday. Okay? Let's just become practical. You know, we need encouragement in this area. I need encouragement in this area. So I would like if we could do that. You could take that table back there, boys, and Luke's going to put some tracts out for us. And everyone who goes out the doors today, take with you at least seven tracts. And then go, even if you don't say it alright or do it alright, get those tracts given to someone by next Sunday. Someone that you believe needs the gospel. Someone that you believe needs help. Someone that is needed. Just be sincere. Just look at their face. And give them a tract and say, God bless you. Or something. And let them know you care. You might not get the chance to preach to them. You might not get the chance to share the gospel with them. But let them know you care. We have approximately, what, 350 or 400 people here today who are Christians. That would cover at least 2,000 people. Until next Sunday. Amen? Let's just be practical. Can we do that? I had a hand down here. Okay. Put it right in front of the door, right in the middle of this. Right in the middle here. So people can't get by without taking some tracts. Okay, go ahead. Yep, that's right. I appreciate it. Both messages also. And one thing I've noticed about fool's gold and real gold, one process you can tell them apart, is you put some fire to both of them. The fool's gold will burn, and when it burns, it stinks. It smells like sulfur. You put real gold to fire, and it melts and becomes more pure. The impurities may burn out, but it gets more pure. And what about us? When heat comes on in our life, what comes out? Do we stink? Does it smell like sulfur? Does it just make us more pure? And God lets some flame, some fire come into our life. So I just appreciated that, and may God give us the true grace that only becomes more pure with the heat and the fire of daily life. I have one more here. I want to bless my daughters this morning for the true grace of God that I see on their lives. My children are not yet saved. However, coming from our evangelical background, in our zeal and our, perhaps, naivety of Scripture, that all of them in the sinner's prayer, probably around age 4 or 5, we realize now that they weren't born again. Jesus was not yet knocking on their hearts to save them. But one thing they did understand and continue to understand is that long before Jesus comes into a child's heart, He is with a child, giving grace to that child, and teaching and preparing and plowing the field of that child's soul for the day that they will be saved. I want to bless my girls because, though they're not yet born again, I believe they sense the presence of God in their lives, and they sense when things are right and when things are wrong. What I'm leading up to is, for the last few weeks, there's been an Amish family that the children go to school, and right around 3 o'clock they're coming home, and they go right past our home riding their scooters. And I don't know if things are tough at home, or maybe it's just that things are tough being cooped up in school, but they're pretty ornery when they come by our home. And the conversation isn't always edifying. But I've watched my children, I've heard the stories, and the other day they got the idea, let's crochet something for them, and let's put a note with it. And sure enough, they're going by on their scooters, and started the discouraging words. My little girls walked right up to them and said, here's a gift. And they just felt so good about it, but that wasn't where the blessing stopped. A couple days later, those same Amish girls gave my daughters thank you notes, and we've had the privilege of reading those notes around the dinner table and talking about burning coals. You know, God desires to use our children long before they're even saved. He delights in that. Grace is grace, whether it's saving grace or preparing grace for salvation. It's powerful, and we can give God the glory for it. Amen. Yes, indeed. Every one of you children can take tracts along, too. And I encourage you, don't just put them on the shelf when you get home. Put them in your Bible. Every morning when you read in your devotions, you see those tracts, you make sure there's one left there each day, or they're all gone by next Sunday.