Acts 13 - The Picture of a Sending Church
Notes
Transcript
New Albany wanted to reach Southern Indiana with the gospel through Church planting.
How we got here.
Coffee with Larry Riley
We want to be a church planting church
We don’t want to be a culdesac—We want the gospel to keep going beyond us and plant more churches!
Big Idea: The Picture of a Sending Church
Big Idea: The Picture of a Sending Church
Stand to read
1 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. 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 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Leader: This is God’s Word.
Everyone: Thanks be to God.
Explanation
Acts 12 serves as a henge to the book.
We’re going to shift from the church in Jerusalem, to Paul and Barnabas as they take the gospel to Gentile lands throughout the Roman empire.
They leave Jerusalem and gather with the church at Antioch.
We are in the “to the rest of the world” in Acts 1:8.
The Church was gathered to pray and they were seeking the Lord.
This diverse group of leaders were gathered together, not planning and recruiting for the next mission trip—but seeking the Lord.
What this is going to show us,
We seek before we send.
We seek before we send.
Every mission effort we put forward must come from a worshipful heart.
They wanted to seek the face of God and obey the command of God.
Ministry comes from an overflow our of enjoyment of God.
None of us are called to do ministry without having a deep intimate relationship with God.
This is why the Sunday gathering is so important!
We gather together as believers to be encouraged, cared for, strengthened, and empowered with the gospel.
It’s not a check box to get Jesus points.
This is where we come together to be with God.
He has invited us into a family to delight and worship Him!
From this, we’re strengthened. He gives us His power, His boldness, His clarity.
Being with God together is what prepares us to go into the world to make disciples.
While they’re worshipping, the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul to go.
Neither Barnabas or Saul sought to be the first missionaries from the Church.
Saul never said, “You know, I’d love to get a book deal with the Bible.”
With the church, they were seeking the face of God when the Holy Spirit said, “I’ve got work for you boys.”
So being obedient, the church sent them on the first missionary journey.
First Stop: Cyprus
They went into the synagogue where they would leverage their religious commonality.
They were Jews, so they had some reputation among the Jews.
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
Explanation
The proconsul was a high ranking Roman official
Simon is trying to get fame/fortune by keeping the proconsul in his pocket.
Jewish magician is an oxymoron.
Jews who believed the Old Testament had nothing to do with sorcery.
This guy is a heretic and corrupt politician.
The Proconsul sent for Paul/Barnabas because he wanted to hear this word that was causing such a stir in the world.
8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
Luke interestingly makes the distinction between Saul/Paul.
Luke will refer to him as Paul the rest of the book showing that the mission is pivoting from Jews to Gentile.
Gentiles are his primary target, as directed by Jesus.
Paul looks intently and denounces Simon’s heresies
This dude has been trying to lead the Proconsul away from Jesus by his false religion for his own security.
False teaching is a serious offense.
Heresy opposes God’s word and God’s character.
Heresy is lying about who God is.
When we speak false notions against God, it reveals that we don’t know God.
Paul is adamant about heresy.
Church,
We must be confident in the truth.
We must be confident in the truth.
One of our values is that we Stand on the Word.
We’re Bible people.
We believe that God’s Word is divinely inspired and good for every aspect of our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16“16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”
Through the Word, God has revealed Himself to us and communicates to us His character and how the universe is governed!
We must believe and teach what is true!
What is the result when the Word of God is believed over false teachings?
12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
The proconsul’s conversations story should be an encouragement
We want to share the gospel with unbelievers.
Some will repent and turn to Christ when we make the good news clear to them!
We must be confident that God is at work in the world and is bringing all sorts of people to faith in Christ!
Our job is not to save people.
Our job is to proclaim the message of the gospel and love them patiently!
Second stop: Antioch in Pisidia
He goes into the synagogue where he is going to leverage his religious commonality with them to preach the gospel.
15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.
Explanation
The people are gathered, ready to hear the Word proclaimed
Paul is invited to preach/exhort the congregation at the Temple.
Paul leverages his religious commonality with them and begins his sermon by taking them through the book of Genesis
He takes them back to the very beginning because that is the foundation of the gospel!
Paul’s message resonates with his audience.
He’s established his message on the common ground he shares with the Jews.
My friend, Tristan, went to this barber shop one time.
By one time, I mean that he was going bald and decided to have the barber do it for him.
Tristan is able to have soul conversations (deep, dark secrets) with anyone, anywhere, at any time.
It’s remarkable.
He has this three hour conversations and then comes to tell me about it.
He tells me that I need to go to this barber, because he and his wife are looking for a church home.
He doesn’t have much use for a barber anymore—He’s bald.
So I go to get my haircut and strike up a conversation with Bradon
He and Kaylee came to our first start up party, I go regularly to his barbershop.
The Lord has used our relationship for Men’s Night—Bradon opened up to us.
All because my friend decided to go to a new barbershop and introduce me to his friend, in hopes that his friend could be closer with Jesus.
We can leverage our relationships to share the hope of Jesus!
We can leverage our relationships to share the hope of Jesus!
That’s what Paul is doing in this synagogue!
They are tracking well with him, they understand what’s being proclaimed.
He leads them through biblical history all the way to David
23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
He tells them that Jesus was proclaimed first by John the Baptist
He uses it as a launchpad to the gospel!
The gospel is simple.
Gospel presentation
Jesus came, the Messiah in a person, God in a body
and the people reject Him.
Despite everything the prophets wrote about Jesus, we rejected Him.
In our sin, we are rebellious and turn from God in every instance.
But God is merciful to us and He gave us the promise of a Savior.
Jesus lived perfectly according to the will of God.
Then Jesus took our sin onto Himself, although He’d never done anything deserving God’s wrath.
On the cross, Jesus took the full punishment for your sins and died alone.
God received the payment for your sins and raised Jesus from the grave (v. 30) showing that sin was defeated!
God has provided a way for us to be forgiven through faith in Jesus!
When we turn and believe, we are saved and brought into the family of God!
All because God is a sending God. He sent His Son.
This is the hope that Paul preaches to them.
God has fulfilled His promise in sending a Savior.
Now through Christ, we’re offered forgiveness of sins and adoption into God’s family!
38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
The one application for all this good news that Paul wants them to know is that they can be forgiven of their sins.
Just like you.
If you’ve never repented and given your life to Jesus, you bear the weight of your sins.
The patience of God will one day be removed.
Today, all of your sins can be forgiven if you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.
You can be changed today!
We’d love to talk with you about that.
Find someone with a lanyard.
The next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered together.
The Jews became jealous and indignant, per usual.
Luke shortens this event to it’s core, but they were calling Paul a blasphemer and refused to trust in Christ.
The Jews rejected the gospel that Paul proclaimed, so Paul responded with a bold proclamation.
46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
The tide of salvation history has shifted.
At one point, salvation was only for Jews.
Now, God is calling Gentiles into the faith.
Regardless of what accusations Jews brought to Paul/Barnabas, they stood firm in their calling.
“God has called us to go. Now we’ll go to the Gentiles.”
We live sent
We live sent
Graceland has international church planting partnerships.
Scotland, Honduras, Ukraine, Neufoundland
God has called you to live where you live, work where you work, and play where you play for the purpose of sharing the hope of Jesus with people.
You don’t have to go on a mission trip to live on mission.
However, are you ready to go when/where God calls?
Do you have a passport?
Cast vision: We want to be a church planting church.
Versailles, Madison, Scottsburg, Bright. Charlestown. Georgetown
What relationship are you going to begin leveraging in hopes to bring people to Jesus?
Who are you going to bring to church with you next week?
We’re going to seek the Lord together in the Lord’s Supper
