Mission Control, We Have Lift Off

Acts 13

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

On Cyprus

4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

Key Point: The Church is a tool that God uses to conduct missionary work.

The word missionary has to do with sending. The Latin word Mitto, mittere, means “to send”; “mission” and “missionary” comes from the forms missi and missum. Thus the mission of the Church is the sending of people by the church at the leading of the Holy Spirit into areas of the world where the name of Christ is not known and God is not worshipped.

This is where the Church’s mission meets with the Church’s Great Commission.

The Church’s Mission is to be a witness...

Acts 1:8 “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 Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

And the Church’s Commission is to make disciples...

Matthew 28:18-20 “And 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Let’s examine the church based at Antioch from which the missionary outreach was conducted.

Also let’s think of the work of the holy spirit in calling, equiping sending and blessing missionaries.

Finally, let’s look at the nature of the task as it is illustrated in the work that took place on Cyprus, the first missionary target of the church in the Roman Empire.

God does what he does through tools and for missionary work the tool that God uses is his church. In today’s text we see that the church at Antioch is a mighty missionary tool. But when we look closer we see some of the characteristics of this church that makes it an exceptional missionary tool.

It is an established church

It is a well taught church

It is an integrated church and

It is a seeking church.

First the church at Antioch was an established church

Acts 11:19-26

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

They Prioritized

they Studied the Word of God

Fellowshiping

Worshiping

Witnessing, and were alert to the needs of others...

Acts 11

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

In a very short time the church at Antioch had become a very sound church and a good tool for missions.

The Church at Antioch was an Integrated church

The church had in it all the various groupings of people that were in the Roman empire.

And these groups usually had little to do with one another.

Greeks, Romans, Jews, Rich, Poor, various levels of formal education, etc…

But in the church there was unity and cooperations.

The five named teachers at the Church at Antioch tells us much about the diversity that was in the church at Antioch.

Barnabas, was a Levite, a Jewish Priest, from Cypress. A Jew that was born amongst the Gentiles. This means that he likely understood Greek culture.

Simeon that was called Niger, he was a Roman Citizen and perhaps “Niger” suggest his complextion was black

Lucius of Cyrene, was likely one of the original missionaries that came to Antioch.

Acts 11:20 (KJV 1900)

And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch (this is Herod Antipas who was responsible for the killing of John the Baptist). He was likely a person of privilege and status in the society. And he was counted amongst the teachers at Antioch.

And Saul, a former pharasee who had sought to destroy the Church and is now part of building it.

The Antioch church’s integration, as seen in the diversity of its leadership, demonstrated the full unity of all people in the body of Christ.

Because the church at Antioch was Establish, well taught and integrated it was well equipped to go into the pagan world with Christ’s Gospel. Representatives of the church went to the Greeks, Romans, Barbarians, Slaves, and free persons of the Roman world and said “the gospel is for you” and then pointed to the way that the church functioned in Antioch.

This made the church at Antioch a powerful force in God’s missionary enterprise.

It is also important to note here that…

the Church needs to use the gifts of all church members when missionary work is being done. We all have spiritual gifts and talents to use.

The Church at Antioch was a seeking church

Acts 13:2–3 (KJV 1900)

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

The church was seeking… God’s leading on this missionary function.

Remember that power in ministry comes from God. We must not lose site of this point. Antioch new that their light came from God.

The Holy Spirit is Mission Control

Missionary work is the Lord’s work. We need to notice the work of the Holy Spirit. The holy spirit is not a power for us to seize and use He is a person (the 3rd person of the Holy Trinity) whose job it is to use us.

Acts 8:18–19 (KJV 1900)

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Acts 13:2-3 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

On the Mission there will be Opportunities (to Witness to Christ)

Acts 13:6-8

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

On the Mission there may be opposition (to our witnessing to Christ)

Acts 13:6-8

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

On the Mission we will also be Empowered to witness

The Holy Spirit didn’t just send Barnabas and Saul… He also went with them...

Acts 13:9-10

9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?

We will accomplish the mission because it is ultimately God’s Mission

Acts 13:11–12

11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

While on his 1st missionary Journey Saul becomes Paul - fullfilling what Christ’s had foretold would be his destiny...

Acts 13:9 (KJV 1900)

9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,

Each person in the Church is on his or her own missionary assignment. Just as Paul grew into a tool that God could use, so do we grow into tools that God can use.

Paul was in Arabia 3 years, Tarsus 7 years and finally in Antioch 2 years before he was commission by the Holy Spirit to go on his 1st missionary journey. He and Barnabas were commissioned by the Holy Spirit to go.

This is where God’s mission defines our individual commissions, we are all members of the church and the Holy Spirit is our supervisor and he uses us to accomplish our assignments in his timing.

Acts 9:15–16 (KJV 1900)

But the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

Acts 13:2 (KJV 1900)

2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:7 (KJV 1900)

7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

Conclusion…

The Church at Antioch was ready for the mission… (It was an effective tool for missionary work...)

It is an established church

It is an integrated church and

It is a seeking church.

It is ready and engaged in the mission...

On the Mission there will be Opportunities (to Witness to Christ)

On the Mission there may be opposition (to our witnessing to Christ)

On the Mission we will be Empowered to witness

Indeed, we will accomplish the mission because it is ultimately God’s Mission

Our mission, the Church’s Mission was and will forever be found in the Great Comission.

Acts 1:8 (KJV 1900)

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 Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

and

Matthew 28:18–20 (KJV 1900)

And 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mission Control, We have Lift Off...

In Jesus’ Name… Amen