2023 MVBC Conference (11/12/2023) #5
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Missions and the Local Church
Missions and the Local Church
(lego’s...it’s easier to comprehend the vision… when we can see a picture of what the end goal of that vision could look like) (similar building project)
Global missions is a huge task in which we are all to engage. Often when we are trying to wrap our minds around something like missions, it is helpful to start out by seeing the end goal… and then working through the process of figuring out how to accomplish the goal. Seeing the end goal gives us a better understanding of the vision being cast. (Vision: God given picture of desired future outcomes)
I’m sure that what I’m going to share with you is not going to be anything new.... What I do hope to do is to help you to continue to cultivate a passion for the vision God has provided for how He wants us to be engaged in His mission to reach the nations!
So, just like a set of legos… we see the vision for the end result on the box before we try to assemble all 7541 pieces!!! Before we dig into our text for today, I’d like you to take a moment to catch a glimpse of the vision (picture of the end goal) that God has given us for missions.
Read: (Rev. 7:9-10)
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
I hope that each of us can agree that God’s vision for missions is totally worth engaging!
We are called to engage in missions to see the mission of God accomplished… and the vision realized… for the sake of His name among the nations! (Rom. 1:5)
With that vision in mind, what I would like to do is build a framework through which we can better understand the local church’s role in missions. To do that we are going to start where global missions began in the NT .... those events are recorded for us in the book of Acts.
Would you open your Bibles to Acts 11?
While you are finding your place, let me give you a bit of background about the book of Acts.
Act is an interesting book. It tells the account of a transitional time where we read about how and when the church is born and tells us of how it develops.
A lot was changing in the world. People where going from being followers of the Law of Moses to being followers of Christ. While the book of Acts tells of the transition into what is often called the “Church age”, Luke records another major transition within the church when you reach about half way through the book.
In Chapters 1-7 the foundations were laid for the church in Jerusalem. Next, the ministry spreads to Judea, and Samaria (the area just beyond Jerusalem) in chapters 8-12. Then, beginning in chapter 13, the gospel is expanded (launch of the missionary era) to the entire Roman world.
From Acts 1-12, the central hub of ministry is Jerusalem. Everyone goes out of and comes back to Jerusalem. Once we get to Chapter 13, there is a shift …
Instead of ministry being centered around Jerusalem, the main characters involved in ministry will be sent out by and return to a church in a city named Antioch.
Antioch was a major pagan metropolis, the third largest city in the Roman world. (Behind Rome & Alexandria). Antioch was also the first beachhead for the Church in the pagan world.
God was going to use this local church in Antioch to impact the whole world!
I trust everyone has found their place in Acts 11, now let’s start by joining into the narrative already in progress… starting in verse 19.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch for a whole year… they are actively serving there… they are teaching… disciples are being made… they are part of the community… they are part of the church.
The church realizes the need to send relief… so Paul and Barnabas are sent by the church...
— we can already begin to see the role of the local church developing.....
Barnabas sent out by the church in Jerusalem… (Acts 11:22)
Barnabas/ Saul (Paul) sent out by the church in Antioch… (Acts 11:30)
We’ll come back to this thought in just a little bit…
The majority of Acts 12 is about Peter when he was in prisoned by Herod… and rescued by an angel.... Herod searches for Peter but can’t find him.
It’s a really interesting series of events… you should definitely take time to read it… the end result of the events (persecution) in chapter 12 are told to us in verse 24...
But the word of God increased and multiplied.
Don’t miss that… several times in the NT (and throughout church history) the church explodes in growth during and/or after times of harsh persecution… Be careful what you ask for when you’re asking God to grow your faith… or your church...
And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
Once the work is done… those that have been sent by the church (Paul & Barnabas) return to Antioch.... where they continue serving and ministering...
When we come to chapter 13, Luke starts verse 1 with the word “now”… Not a super special word, but one that is used to get our attention. It’s a textual clue telling us that something (different or special) is getting ready to happen.
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 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.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
God would use this event described in Acts 13 to change the world as God’s mission grows from local to global. This is the moment when we global missions being born.
Now that the stage is set for global missions to begin.... I’d like to draw some conclusions based on what happened in Acts 11, 12 and 13.... and then illustrate those conclusions with Jesus’ instructions in the different givings of His Great Commission. (briefly show and explain the Great Commission chart) — There are 5 passages where the Great commission is given on 4 different occasions and all of them happened within the 40-day period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven.
Conclusion#1. The Church is to be involved in Identifying those in the membership that God may equipping for ministry.
(often this is done through giving people a chance to serve… and then watching how they do… so when the elders ask you to serve in a specific way (examples)… they are in the process of identifying your areas of giftedness to see if God may have gifted you in a way that could develop into some kind of service for ministry )
It is not a coincidence that Acts 13:1 points out that these men were “in the church”…
They were in the church (identified members… actively serving... active part of the local church)
They were actively worshipping the Lord… (indication of their physical actions?)
They were fasting… (indication of their spiritual service and perspective?)
Often in Scripture we see that the people God uses to accomplish great things for Him were already active in pursuing and serving Him.... (David, Barnabas, Paul, Phillip… )
Do you want to be used by God to see His kingdom built?
Application Point#1: Be active in serving in and through your local church! (Live it out!)
(Personalized illustration)
— Transition Statement
Conclusion #2. The Church is to be involved in Equipping & Empowering its members for ministry...
As Paul & Barnabas ministered to the church in Antioch, there must have been a mutual edifying and equipping that took place.
Remember that when the church in Jerusalem first sent Barnabas to Antioch, the church in Antioch was a pretty new body of believers…
After spending a year with the believers in Antioch they grew in maturity to the point where they were called “Christians” (of the party of Christ).. which was meant to be a negative title… but the believers wore it as a badge of honor… identifying with Christ.
How did they grow in boldness and maturity? They were equipped by the leadership. Paul would later share this principle with the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:11-12… that the gifted leaders were to equip the saints… for the work of the ministry…
Paul and Barnabas had equipped the saints in Antioch for the work of the ministry
How? They equipped them with an accurate understanding of the message of Missions…
What is it? The Gospel… how do we know? Because Jesus told us…
Here is where I think will see some clear overlap with Jesus’ giving of the Great Commission…
(chart )
In Luke 24:44-49, Jesus clearly tells us “The Message of Missions”
This passage takes place right after the Road to Emmaus event...
In verses 36-43, Jesus appears before the disciples and speaks with them and then eats with them.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
The message of the mission comes straight from Scripture. (vs. 46)
-Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations...
Gospel: Christ died, was buried, raised from the dead… and all those (every nation… to the ends of the earth) who repent from their sins… will receive forgiveness of their sins.... through faith in Christ.
That is the message of missions. The gospel.
It is not social reform… it is not critical race theory.... it is not feelings driven agendas… or name it claim it empty promises....
The message that must be proclaimed is all about Jesus and how He came to rescue mankind from our sin… and reconcile us with our Holy God and Creator!
?If the church (leadership) is to equip and empower its members for gospel focused ministry … then what should you do?
Application Point# 2 — Be Equipped & Empowered… Grow in your clarity and understanding of the Gospel… (Life Groups, Preaching, Disciple-making, etc…)
— Transition statement
Conclusion# 3. The Church is to be involved in Affirming ...
When the Holy Spirit said to set aside Paul and Barnabas … what was the response of the leaders?
In verse 3, they prayed and fasted… and then laid their hands on them.... endowing them with supernatural powers to raise the dead.... heal the lame.... and convert the pagan! Right!
No! They were affirming their agreement with what the Holy Spirit had already done in all of their hearts. (Have you ever seen the church lay hands on a deacon/ elder?)
They were affirming them as being gifted… and well equipped to engage with the mission that God was giving them. …
What is that mission? This seems like a simple answer… but it is one that is often confused when stepping into the world of (cross-cultural) missions.
Let’s look at how Jesus described the mission of missions:
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
What is the mission we have been given? Preach the gospel (mark) to the whole creation! (Chart)
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
What aspect of the mission is highlighted here? Make ( Multiply) Disciples
(as we are going… baptizing.. and teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded).
The primary task of the mission is to proclaim/ teach the gospel… all Christ has commanded.. which will then results in the multiplying of Disciples
There is a discussion about primary and secondary roles in missions that we could have, but really needs more time than we have to give to it today....
Introduce Primary and Secondary roles in missions.... (use the Biblical Theology “road map” to help describe this) —
Make sure that what ever missions activities you are involved in.... are enabling the teaching of the gospel so that disciples are being multiplied.
Application Point #3: Be active in the mission where you are... Engage Others!
Who is your one?
Transition to last conclusion
Conclusion# 4. The Church is to be involved in Releasing (sending)
This is not a new concept initiated here in Acts 13.
Remember:
In Acts 11:22 the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch.
In Acts 11:30 the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to give relief to those living in Judea.
In Acts 13 the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas ...
Where did the church get this idea of sending?
Again, let’s look at a model for missions that Jesus initiated.
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
The Father sent the Son into the world.... so that through Him the world might be saved.
We are to do the same thing.
In the Gospels we see that Jesus was the sending authority and accountability… He sent out his disciples… and they came back and reported to Him about what they had done… and to receive further equipping…
As the Church is born.... While Jesus remains our ultimate authority.... He delegates certain responsibilities to the church. Sending.... accountability… equipping…
A. Send: The Local Church is the primary sending authority and primary level of accountability
Just as Christ was sent into the world to fulfill a mission. We… born again believers in Christ are to be sent into the world to fulfill a mission locally (where you live) and globally (to the ends of the earth).
When discussing the church sending… there is a nuance lost in our English translations… the word translated as sent in our English translations… come from a few different Greek words used in the text.
Acts 11:22: Barnabas was Sent (Verb meaning… to send on a mission… )
Acts 11:30: Paul & Barnabas were Sent (Participle meaning… to dispatch someone for the purpose of achieving a directive)
2 similar but different words… based on the same root … idea of fulfilling a mission in a different place
Acts 13:3: Sent (to grant freedom, release or permit to leave…) Root word = to loose or release
When the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13, after affirming their gifts and ability to engage in the mission.... they were not directing what they were to do and how they were to do it.... no, they were releasing them to do what theHoly Spirit was calling them to...
That releasing.... came with a level of (accountability): We see in
Acts 14:24-28 Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch and give a report…
Acts 18:22-23 Paul (Silas) returned to Antioch to give a report…
Acts 28, Paul is eventually in Rome, where he writes to the churches…
The local church is to be the sending authority (affirming what God has already done) and primary relationship for accountability...
What about the missionary?
B. Be Sent: Missionaries are sent out by the local church (John 20:21; Luke 24:48-49 )
A missionary is a “sent one”. (I want to build a bit on what Brett already taught)
Our concept of a missionary is built upon a word used (we get our word Apostle)… and an action performed by Jesus in the New Testament.
Look at John 20:21 again. What does Jesus say? —> “…I am sending you.”
Let’s look at Luke 24:48-49 as well.
You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
To whom was Jesus speaking? (look at our chart… remember? — to the 10 or 11 disciples).
What were the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples called? Apostles.
The word “apostle” means, “sent one”. “To dispatch someone for the purpose of achieving a goal or objective”.
In Jesus’ Great Commission, He “sent” the Apostles out into the world to continue His mission of reconciliation. That responsibility and ministry has now been passed onto us.... His Church.
“A missionary is someone sent by the church as an ambassador of Christ’s kingdom to nurture new believers into gospel centered reproductive churches.” (Phil Hunt)
When we talk about “missionaries”… we are essentially describing the function of the post resurrection apostles.... sent on mission for Christ in the authority of Christ.
There is a song that many of us sang when we were little. “Be a missionary every day....”
While very catchy… that song paints an inaccurate picture in our minds .... we are not all missionaries.... because we are not all sent out under the authority… and accountability of the local church.
(We are all to do the work of.... )
What if I am not a sent missionary?
That just means that you are not “sent” by a local church to minister the gospel… (cross-culturally?)
But, you are still personally obligated to be obedient to Christ … be actively engaged in the mission of God where you are.
Every believer has been commanded to be part of the Great Commission.... Christ’s mission on earth.
You may not be a sent Missionary… but you are still an ambassador.... representing Jesus everywhere you go! — “… doing the work of an evangelist… doing the work of a missionary “
The question you need to be asking yourselves is not if you’ll be part of God’s mission… but how will you be part of God’s mission?
Application Point #4 - Send and Be Sent…
Transition to Conclusion/ Application
If you are a Christian… then you have been called individually… and well as a church corporately to engage in the mission of God!
How?
Let’s look at Acts 1:8. If you’ll remember from the chart I showed you, chronologically, this is the last utterance of the Great Commission before Christ ascended to heaven.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Earth is a big place… how are we to accomplish that?
Christ gives us some guidance....
As you are going.... you are to complete the mission..... be my witnesses.... where?
Jerusalem: (home town/ where you are)
Judea: The places around you where the people look like you…
Samaria: The places where the people live aren’t like you…
Ends of the Earth: All places where people live that are like you and aren’t like you.... all over the world..
There is a cultural and geographical spiral that grows outward in this Command to be Christ’s witnesses!
Just like the Apostles, who waited for the Holy Spirit to come upon them....
Just like Paul and Barnabas who were set apart by the Holy Spirit...
As we seek to be obedient to the Lord.... engage in His mission around the world…
We are to be:
… dependent on the Holy Spirit
… in a right relationship with Him
Remember, we engage in missions to see the mission of God accomplished… and the vision realized.... for the sake of His name among the nations!!!
Application chart:
Church involved in: Identifying, Equipping/ Empowering, Affirming, Sending
You involved in: Being Active, Being equipped/ Empowered, Engaging others, Sending… and Being sent
God has called every believer to be completely engaged in His Mission! What is your Response?
We are to be obedient. (even if we don’t feel like it)
Obedience to God and His Word… must come before feelings!
(This statement is not to make you feel guilty.... but to help you see that each one of us needs a perception change.... )
We are to be obedient to Christ not because we want to… or because we are comfortable doing it… not because you feel like it… but because He is worthy of our obedience!!!!
Our Response:
Christ has commanded. What will your obedience look like? —
Live it out! Live out the gospel with your mouth and your movements!
Engage others! Engage those around you with the gospel (word, actions, life, not simply inviting them to church (just coming to church won’t save anyone)… but inviting them to Christ! …)
Who is your one? (challenge everyone to identify their one…. )
Send & Go (Be Sent)! those who will engage others around the world…