Building the Church (15)
Building the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Knowing Where to Start
Knowing Where to Start
Good morning. It is good to see everyone.
How did you see God move this week?
What is your earliest memory of church?
Do you remember the first Bible story your learned?
If you could guess, how many different stories do you know?
1950 - 1960 - 57% - 63% - in US joined a church and went weekly
Today - roughly 21% attend weekly, 40% go once a month.
The way we approach outreach and missions looks very
The message is the same.
"I am more than ever convinced that if we were to take the directions of our Master and the assurances He gave to His first disciples more fully as our guide, we should find them to be just as suited to our times as to those in which they were originally given." - Hudson Taylor
8 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 plan has not changed
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The message has not changed
Knowing Where to Start
Knowing Where to Start
The world and the culture has.
There was a time everyone knew a little about the Bible and God, even if they did not believe.
We live in a time with people who have never read or even seen a Bible and have no context or idea of God.
The good news, this is nothing new.
That’s what we are going to dive into today.
Let’s pray
Just to catch up:
Paul and Barnabas had been sent out by the church in Antioch.
They go to Cyprus and Antioch in Pisidia
When we ended last week.
49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
Knowing Where to Start
Knowing Where to Start
The Mission was continuing, but we are going to start seeing different audiences.
“Religious People”
1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
“Religious People”
Paul made it a practice to start at the local synagogue.
This way they found those that were open, but also those who oppose.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
“Religious People”
The truth will make you choose a side
4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.
“Religious People”
The church is called to be unified - the Gospel will cause division and a response.
5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
“Spiritual People”
We now find a culture with no foundation of God
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked.
“Spiritual People”
There was no Jewish community
Where God is not known He will make Himself known
9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
“Spiritual People”
The issue is that people with no foundation in faith do not understand the things we know of faith
Healings in all the other places had caused praise and worship
What we think of as common can cause confusion
11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.
“Spiritual People”
When confusion or misinterpretation we must correct quickly
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
“Spiritual People”
Ensure what we say and do points to God
We may need to start at the beginning and go from there.
16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
“Spiritual People”
We may need to stick it out
19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
We may need to set them up.
21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
“Church People”
Share the stories.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.
27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
Knowing Where to Start
Knowing Where to Start
“Somewhere along the way we have subtly and tragically taken the costly command of Christ to go, baptize, and teach all nations and mutated it into a comfortable call for Christians to come, be baptized, and listen in one location.” - David Platt
Knowing Where to Start
Knowing Where to Start
The mission and the message remains
Even if we don’t where to start, we must start somewhere.
Maybe that is prayer, maybe that is giving, and maybe it is going.
No matter we need to start.
Let’s pray
