INTRODUCTION: The Dead Sea is a famous and interesting body of water in the holy land. 49 miles long, 11 miles wide. 1309 feet deep. The surface of the sea is 1200 miles below sea level, the lowest surface area on the face of the earth. Water flows in from the Jordan river, and a few small streams, but no water ever flows out. The air temperature sometimes reaches the 120 degree range. The water has been evaporating for thousands of years, and getting constantly thicker, saltier, and deader. No fish or any other animal life survives. Even the land around the Dead Sea is dead. Often used by preachers as an illustration. The person, church that always takes in, and never gives out, becomes dead.

I. God wanted the nation of Israel to reach out!
A. Isaiah 54:2
B. Many other missionary verses for Israel in the Old Testament.
See: Is. 42:6; 49:6; Psalm 96:3-9; Ex. 19:5-6 a nation of missionaries!

II. Israel failed greatly in this OT Great Commission.
A. There was some little success under David, Solomon and Hezekiah, but
Israel degenerated into idolatry and disobedience.
B. Ezekiel describes Israel's failure (Ez. 5:5-8).
SHOULD HAVE BEEN: Micah 4:1-3 (and shall be in the future).

III. The New Testament Church has the same job, as the OT Church.
A. Our Great Commission is Matthew 28:18-20.
B. Our STRATEGY is Acts 1:7-8.
1. To Jerusalem -- Walden and Signal Mountain, TN
2. To Judea -- Chattanooga and Hamilton County
3. To Samaria -- Tennessee and the United States
4. To the ends of the earth
C. The order is important, and we must not do #4 to the exclusion of 1-3.
A few generations ago, we thought there was little need to evangelize
close to home. Now our own community and nation is a mission field again.

CONCLUSION: The Dead Sea is dead, because it has no outlet. Israel died because she lost her love of the Lord, and because she refused to evangelize the nations. We have reached a point now in America where we must realize that our own communities have again become mission fields. God has given us some really great opportunites at this time to reach out to Signal Mountain and Chattanooga. Let's continue to support world missions, but let's also begin to do more close to home.

Prayer
*Hymn # 4 "How Great Thou Art" (vss 1, 4)