Missional Multiplication (Acts 14)

TBD

From Acts 14: 21-23

Let me take a brief poll:

Let’s think about the Great Commission: Go therefore and… do what? Make Disciples… teaching them to observe…

Ok, what two words can we boil the great commission down to? Evangelism and Teaching - making disciples

How many of us believe that evangelism is important… even essential to make disciples?

What about intentional teaching - essential to make disciples?

I want to challenge you for a moment and ask you to think about what environment do those essential functions of a church most naturally happen? (chart - not original to me)

Established church: Evangelism (not always) —> teaching (yes) —> Disciples made? (Maybe)

Parachurch outreach: Evangelism (yes) —> Teaching (not always) —> Disciples made? (Maybe)

Church Plant: Evangelism (Yes) —> Teaching (Yes) —> Disciples made? Yes

I would like to suggest that Church planting embodies both the principles and the spirit of the Great commission. I would also suggest that Church planting needs to be given much more of a priority among churches seeking to be obedient to Christ’s command. (Many forms: sending, going, giving, helping, planting, revitalizing— but all need to be done with an intentional focus)

God has left us with a foundational church planting… ministry strategy to build upon throughout the book of Acts. 1. Reach the lost. 2. Teach the saved. 3. Plant new churches.

I would like to point to you Acts 14 tonight where I believe that all three steps are listed together in one passage.

Chapter 2 (Peter preaching at Pentecost), 14 (Paul and Barnabas in Lystra), and 17 (Paul in Athens) of Acts contain some of my favorite part of the New Testament. They are places where you see how the gospel interacts with people of various different worldviews.

Picture the situation. Chapter 14, verses 8-18 tell of the event when Paul and Barnabas went to Lystra. They had effectively been run out of Iconium and had fled to Lystra preaching the gospel. The text tells us that as soon as they come into town, they meet a man crippled from brith. He had never walked. This man listened to Paul speak. Paul sees that this man has faith… he believes what Paul has been saying, and says “Stand up!”. What happens? The man stands up. When the people saw this they shouted… “The gods have come down among us… Zeus and Hermes are here!” They threw a holy hoedown right then and brought out the best decorations and livestock. Of course, Paul tries to stop them and tells them that he is not a god, but he serves the true and living God who created everything. Paul tries to help them understand, but the people are too focused on offering sacrifices to whom they think are Zeus and Hermes. (There is a historical legend that gives us some explanation for this response…).

While all this was happening Jews came from Antioch and Iconium. Remember, Antioch (in Pisidia) was the place where Paul and Barnabas had been in chapter 13, where a group of jealous Jews had begun to contradict Paul and speak against him. Then in the beginning of chapter 14 Paul and Barnabas travel to Iconium, where they fled the city under the threat of stoning. Now, in Lystra, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium have convinced the Lystran crowds to stone Paul. They stone him and drag him out of the city, leaving him for dead. What does Paul do? Once the other disciples gather around him, he gets up, goes back into town for the night, and then moves onto the next city (Derbe) with Barnabas in the morning.

It's amazing to see God working in the lives of those who are faithful to Him. Take Paul’s example here in Acts 14. No matter the response, his obligation was to remain faithful to the Great Commission ministry that he had been been given.

(That brings us to verses 21.) Acts 14: 21-23

“21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, (Derbe) and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch (Pisidia), 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."

After this we are told that Paul and Barnabas returned back to Antioch in Syria, back to their sending church, to give a report of all that God had done. Kind of like we are doing tonight.

These three verses give us a summary of the ministry model that was used in the early church multiplication process. I have been more and more convinced over the past few years that in order to truly reach our Jerusalems, Judea’s and, Samaria’s we need to be actively engaged in planting new churches. Not just new churches but planting churches that plant other churches… church planting churches.

Look very briefly with me at verses 21-23 and look at the model fo ministry that is laid out for us in the text.

1. Verse 21 shows us the “Proclaiming” aspect of ministry:

“21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

What is the action in this verse: Evangelizing the unsaved, preaching the gospel, making disciples

2. Verse 22 shows us the “Perfecting” aspect of ministry:

22 Confirming (strengthening) the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

What is the action in this verse? Edifying the believers, encouraging, strengthening…

3. Verse 23 shows us the “Planting” aspect of ministry:

23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended (committed) them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”

What is the action in this verse? Establishing local churches, appointing, committing local church leadership to continue the ministry pattern…

—

Friends if we are going to be effective in reaching the lost for Christ, we must be intentionally active in all three aspects of ministry. Proclaiming the gospel, Perfecting the Saints, and Planting new churches. (can take different forms, but needs intentionality)

A friend and mentor of mine with 50 years of North American church planting experience said this: “God’s great desire is that His church and churches be publicly on display to everyone. But for this to happen, the church has to be everywhere. Thus where Christ’s church is not yet on display, local churches must be multiplied. Because the local church is God’s plan to reach the world today, to publicly manifest His wisdom, power, love and salvation to all, it is imperative that God’s people give priority to establishing new churches worldwide!… God wants the truth about His story and His character made known amidst every people.”

How do we do that? Through church planting. Proclaiming the gospel… perfecting the saints… planting new churches.

I applaud the steps our church has made to cultivate a culture of both evangelism and discipleship. While we have been gone, this church has grown… not just in number but in depth… this church has changed. And praise God for it! People are active in witnessing. People are active in discipling one another. Praise the Lord! I challenge you tonight. Don’t stop there. There is still a vital aspect to the ministry model laid out in the Bible that is still left to do… that is still left to be actively and intentionally involved in. Planting new churches.

Remember that no matter what situation we see the early church and the early church planters in throughout the book of Acts, they continued on. A main idea to take away from this text is that no matter the response, our obligation is to remain faithful to the Great Commission ministry that we have been given. Sharing the gospel, Strengthening the believers, and Starting new churches… for God’s praise and for His glory.