Opening a Door of Faith

Introduction

Over the next few months we will be proposing and accomplishing a number of projects that are intended to help our church become more welcoming to our guests and create an even better environment for people to learn and grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Why spend the time and money for these undertakings? Because it is vital that we do what we can to reach people with the greatest news in all of human history that we can be forgiven of our sins and enjoy the abundant life that God designed us for through the Savior, Jesus.

In Acts 14 the Apostle Paul calls it opening a door of faith.

Acts 14:27 “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.”

Just as Paul and Barnabas set about opening a door of faith to the Gentiles, so our church today must invest the time and energy necessary to open a door of faith to our neighbors.

This morning we will see the last part of the First Missionary Journey and see six things that will happen when the church focuses on opening a door of faith to our neighbors.

Body: Acts 14:19-28

Verses 19-20

Paul and Barnabas are in Lystra...trying to convince the people that they were not Zeus and Hermes...

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...

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...

Verses 21-26

When they preached the gospel to the people in Derbe they made many disciples...

...they returned to Lystra...Iconium...Antioch...why the risk?

...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...appointed elders...with pray and fasting they committed them to the Lord in who they had believed...

...They passed through Pisidia...Pamphylia...Perga...Attalia...

...sailed to Antioch...

Verses 27-28

...gathered the church together...declared all the God had done with them...

...how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles...

So What?

Six things that will happen when the church focuses on opening a door of faith to our neighbors

The church will meet resistance.

Resistance from outside the church and/or inside the church is inevitable when we set out to reach people with the Gospel...

Outside the church:

There are many people who have preconceived beliefs about the Christian church...

There are some who have had bad experiences...(mention compounding bad experiences)

Ultimately, Satan hates threats to his dominion...

Inside the church (the most painful):

People love the familiar more than seeing the lost come to faith...

Sin doesn’t cease just because you are a believer...

Leadership too often is weakened by people pleasing...

Resistance calls us to:

Boldly proclaim the Gospel...

Gather around one another for strength...

Don’t give up...

The church will strengthen people’s faith through biblical teaching.

Verse 22: “...strengthening the souls of the disciples...”

Paul taught God’s Word to the people wherever he went. We see this exemplified throughout Acts and Paul’s Epistles. But one of my favorite places is in his final letter...

Here’s Paul’s last words:

2 Timothy 3:16–4:2 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

Paul set the table for Timothy, but for all churches that would follow. The only way to strengthen people’s faith is a steady diet of the Word of God.

We will not open up a door of faith unless we take very seriously the teaching of God’s Word...

This means we listen, study, and apply...

This means we honor and respect those who teach...

This means we make ourselves available...

The church will encourage people.

Verse 22: “...encouraging them to continue in the faith...”

Within the context that Paul was teaching, he was encouraging people not to turn back to the religions they left when things get tough or when Paul was gone.

Today, many people turn away from the church because they are mad at the leaders, disappointed about something that didn’t go their way, or get their feelings hurt in some way. Some of those, unfortunately are inevitable. My encouragement to you if you experience that here (which many will), is to work in out biblically as laid out in Matthew 18...

But, one area we can always do better in is encouraging people. See, a number of those hurt people are people who felt unloved and/or uncared for by the church. That is a problem.

In a few weeks we will be presenting some men for your consideration as deacons...this will help...but it doesn’t solve the issue...

See, it takes each one of us doing our part...

Sometimes I drop the ball...

Sometimes I don’t know...

Sometimes I’m stretched too thin...

We all need to work together to encourage one another!

The church will develop leaders.

Verse 23: “...when they had appointed elders...”

Paul did not want to leave the church without leaders. Without godly leaders a church will fail.

This doesn’t mean without a pastor a church will fail (though a good pastor certain is helpful). But, a church needs godly leaders.

And for a church to have godly leaders, godly leaders need to train other believers.

Eldership is a special call of God, articulated best in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

In many ways, an elder is a pastor, or someone who can fulfill the pastoral duties when the pastor is unavailable.

There are high expectations, because it’s a high calling.

It’s also something that men are exclusively called to in the NT.

This isn’t to diminish the importance of women in the church...

It is clearly a male role in 1 Timothy...

Additionally, it addresses one of the greatest needs in the church: men to take leadership...

Women are vital in this church...(Margaret, Jamie, Diana/Yvonne...)

Other leaders that need to be developed:

Deacons...

Teachers...

Volunteers...

The church will pray consistently and persistently.

Verse 23: “...with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed...”

Before leaving each location, Paul and Barnabas committed the people to the Lord through prayer.

When we fail to pray, we are saying we don’t desperately need God to do what only He can do...

Some of these people, Paul and Barnabas would never see again, so they could only do so much to minister to them. But, they weren’t Paul and Barnabas’, so they committed them to the Lord.

What does it look like when we pray consistently and persistently for other believers? What kind of a massive impact could that have.

Church directories are coming soon...

The church will celebrate successes.

Verse 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.”

Make no mistake about, upon returning to Syrian Antioch, the church gathers together to celebrate!

Essentially, Paul is saying, “Look at all the God did!”

The church needs to be a place that celebrates what God is doing.

This is especially important during times of trials and tribulations...

Celebrations we should eagerly anticipate:

Easter...

Baptisms...

Graduations...

Special calls to ministry...

Missionaries returning from a trip...

Vacation Bible School...

Others...