The Missional Pattern

Introduction: The Phrase, the Church is not the model for the Church, Jesus is the Model of the Church. - What does this mean?

2There are Many Models to Church.

The Question - What is this church doing it, how does this church grow there church? etc...

Seeker-Sensitive Model

Mega-Church Model

Multi-Site Models

The Cell Model

All of these models we can actually learn from, but we are missing the boat if we don’t glean from them what Jesus’ model is for the Church.

In Seminary learning about Prescriptive vs. Descriptive Theology in the book of ACTS.

I wondered, is that just a kop out. - in the passage today, some pretty crazy things happen, we should not “Expect” that because it is just descriptive

I want to alert you to some patterns that show us...

3 - Jesus is our Model for Mission.

4 - Prayer leading to mission.

“Vs. 2 - 3”

“Luke 6:12-16”

“Acts 1:4, 24, 2:1”

Harvest Network - Prayer meetings, Kingdom Ambassador meetings at Gun Lake - Holy Spirit

5 - Holy Spirit Empowered

“13:vs 13, 4, 8, 52”

“Luke 9:1, 10:19”

“Acts 1:5, 8”

The Acts of the Apostles? The Acts of Jesus? The Acts of the Holy Spirit?

Claire Gwilt - Listening to the Holy

Spirit and praying - God Stories

6 - Multiplication/Church Planting

The Purpose is to Plant Churches

Acts 9:15 LEB

But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.

Barnabas and Paul are set apart for “13:2” - They become church planters.

7 - Show Map of the Mission and the Churches they planted

8 - Not a big church - max 75 people, 40% of the leaders mentioned are sent and one apprentice leader - It was worth the cost - and they did it out of obedience to the Holy Spirit.

American church, people leave churches to suite them, Antioch Church, they send out their “best” to reach others.

Multiply Disciples (Great Commission) - Multiplying Churches. (Book of Acts)

9 - Finding People of Peace

- Also connecting with the Finding of the People of Peace. - Jews first then to the Gentiles.

13:4, 14, 14:1, - Synagogue first. They went to places where they had common ground, where they might be received with Peace first.

“Luke 9:4-5,” “Luke 6:5-11”

10 - Proclaiming, Healing, Delivering - Gospel Declarion and Demonstration.

- Scripture Texts - Jesus' ministry described, Proclaim, Heal, Cast Out Demons. Jesus sending out the 12, same thing, Jesus sending out the 72, same thing.

Matthew 4:23–24 NIV

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.

“Luke 9:1-2,” “Luke 10:9, 17-19”

So Jesus taught them to Preach the Good News, Heal the Sick, and Cast out Demons - exactly Jesus’ pattern of ministry, HMMM!

There are three major stories in this passage

13:4-11 - A Demonic Battle.

13:13- A Proclamation of the Gospel - Jesus is the Messiah who fulfilled the promises of the Old Testament.

14:8-18 - Healing of a Lame man.

Some will say, well this is descriptive theology. Well, yes, none of these things will happen the exact same way every time, but if the pattern is in Jesus, and the Pattern is in the 12, and the pattern is in the 72, and the pattern is in Paul and Barnabas, then doesn’t the pattern become a little more perscriptive for us?

11 - Disciple First, Church Second

3DM - If you make disciples, you will always get the church, but if you build the church, you rarely get disciples.

In fact this is what we see Paul and Barnabas doing.

13:43 - Some Discipleship between Gospel presentations.

14:21-23 - They did some more discipling, and then the last thing the did was Pray and Fast to appoint church leaders. - Disciple first, Church Second.

Keep in mind the estimates are they spent 4 - 10 months on this trip. They made disciples in 8 towns, and so on average considering travel time, they spent 15 days - 1 month total in each town. - This will be one thing that changes for Paul going forward.

12 - Team Ministry

Who are involved, Just Paul and Barnabas. They are the Church Planters on Mission.

The pattern of Jesus and the disciples that went before them

13 - Prophets and Teachers in Antioch - They are there because of Pentecost and Persecution that scattered them there after Stephen’s Stoning.

14 - APEST from Ephesians 4:11

The Holy Spirit

Elders that are Appointed.

Then we see Paul and Barnabas Go Back to Antioch....

15 - Sabbath Rhythms

Begins with Prayer - Ends with Celebrations

“Luke 9:10”

“Luke 10:17-20

During their first journey, Paul and Barnabas found success in an unlikely place: among the gentiles. During the time of Jesus, Jews and gentiles had a strong cultural separation. Jews felt that gentiles were “unclean”; if associating with them, they couldn’t worship God without some rite of purification. Even after Jesus, this was a serious problem for the church: what to do with gentiles (Galatians 2:11–14; Acts 15:1–41). Yet this was the place Paul and Barnabas found the most receptive group for the message about Jesus (13:46–48). When they returned home from their first journey, the conclusion they had reached was that God “had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (14:27).