Spirit Lead Sending Churches

Introduction

Good afternoon! I am thankful that you are here at this men’s conference. Please open in your Bible’s to Acts 1 that is Acts 1. This afternoon I want us to do a brief survey of the first 13 chapters of the book of Acts. We will not read every passage, nor will we glean all there is to glean from the passages that we do read. Instead, we are going to take a big picture look at what it means to become Spirit Filled Sending Churches. Sending churches are vital for kingdom work. They are lead by pastors and served by deacons, but the members of the churches are her backbone. Ordinary men and women are used by God to accomplish His global mission.

I want to take a look at the lives of 3 men (one is a group of men) in the book of Acts as we investigate what is necessary to become or continue to be a Spirit Filled Sending Church. I want to argue that in order to be a Spirit Filled Sending Church our church must be made up of ordinary men of God who possess a Spirt Filled Boldness, who are focused on a Spirit Given Vision of God’s Glory, and are united by the Spirit of God. You notice all three requirements reference the Holy Spirit. We must be filled with God’s Spirit if we are to accomplish God’s work, but first what is this work? What is God’s purpose for our lives and for our churches?

The answer is found in the beginning of the book of Acts in Acts 1:8 The book of Acts opens after the resurrection of Jesus, and the disciples are told to wait for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. And as they are waiting they ask Jesus, if now he will restore the kingdom to Israel. This is a purpose question, Jesus are you now going to do the thing we want you to do and restore the kingdom of Israel. Theses men, like most men, are looking for something to fight for, that is something to live for and Jesus responds by giving them His purpose for the world, Acts 1:7–8 “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.”” This verse is the playbook for the rest of the book of Acts. We will see that when the Spirit comes he fills the followers of Jesus with power to be witnesses for Jesus to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. This is another way of saying, I want you to spread my name and preach my Gospel to all the earth. And what we see in the book of Acts is that God uses local churches to do this very thing. Churches, that I am calling Spirit Filled Sending Churches. They are gatherings of believers who are united around the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord and committed to the mission of bearing witness to that truth to all of the world. This comes to fruition in Acts 13, but before we get there I want us to see how God brings this about. How does God build His church into something that is able to reach all of the world?

T/S- First, He uses men who by His Spirit are supernaturally bold.

Spirit Filled Boldness - Peter

In Luke 22:54–62 we read of Peter’s denials. The text says, “Then they seized him [Jesus] and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” This is Peter in his natural state, Peter before he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In Luke’s Gospel, Peter follows Jesus at a distance as He is brought before the high priests and Peter is found to be a coward. He denies knowing Jesus three times, meets eyes with Jesus and in his shame weeps bitterly.

However, In Acts 2 Peter and the 120 Christians who are in the upper room are filled with Holy Spirit. And in response to this filling Peter boldly preaches to all who give him an ear. In Acts 2 and 3 Peter preaches in Jerusalem to thousands of people. He and John healed a man who is unable to walk. This draws a crowd and Peter preaches again, and he preaches boldly. So boldly, that he gets the attention of the religious leaders and they arrest him. In Acts 4:5–10 we read, “On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.(household of the high priest Jesus was taken into the house of the high priest) And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (three times in Luke he is asked if he is with Jesus, three times he denies, here he is asked once and he responds) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, (catch that difference from Luke to Acts) said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.” Peter is totally changed! He no longer denies Jesus, and the religious leaders are stunned. They don’t know what to do with Peter and John. The text tells us, Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” The religious leaders can’t have Peter and John continue in their preaching, so they warn them to no longer speak in the name of Jesus, they forbid them from speaking about Jesus. Listen to Peter’s response Acts 4:19–20 “But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.””

Brothers we cannot do what God has called us to do apart from the divine power of the Holy Spirit. Apart from the filling of the Spirit of God we are like Peter. We are weak and cowardly. However, filled with the Spirit we are empowered to proclaim the name of Jesus with boldness. We can’t plant more churches if our churches aren’t growing. We can’t see our churches grow if we are not proclaiming the saving power of Jesus who died for sin and rose from the grave. Sending churches need to be churches who are just sending others to fulfill the great commission, they must be made up of church members who are boldly proclaiming the gospel. You here in this room must boldly proclaim the name of Jesus.

T/S- And yet, we all know that this much easier said than done. Bold witness for Christ requires courage because it is intimidating and bearing witness at times brings negative consequences. If we become sending churches then men in our churches might lose their jobs, they might get passed over for promotions, they will be hated by their families, kicked out their homes, ostracized by their neighbors… Gentlemen you live in an ever increasing hostile world. But you live in a world that is in need of Jesus, and he has chosen to use you. So, what will keep you going? What will embolden us for service? We must be focused on Spirit Given Vision of God’s Glory.

Spirit Given Vision of God’s Glory - Stephen

Persecution continues to ravage the church in the opening chapters of Acts and yet God’s truth keeps marching on. Hostility to the Gospel does not stop the Gospel. In Acts 6:8-15 we meet a man named Stephen Acts 6:8–15 the text reads, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” Stephen is preaching the Gospel with grace and power and no one is able to withstand his wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. The truth is a significant advantage in an argument, and those who opposed Stephen become really angry with him. They cannot best his argument so they cheat. They bring in false witnesses that claim Stephen is blaspheming Moses and God. Stephen responds by giving the longest speech in the New Testament which we won’t read for the sake of time today. But he gives this very detailed argument in an attempt to exonerate himself. He does not want to die! He is not speaking against God or Moses, but rather he is speaking for God and explaining that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law of Moses. His argument is sound, he quotes original sources, his face looks like that of an angel and yet it is not enough.

Acts 7:54–60 we read, “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen dies because of His proclamation of the Gospel, but he dies saying the words that are so similar to Jesus’ dying words. This is how all of us should want to die, not by stoning. But saying the kinds of things that Jesus would say, listen to the similarities. Luke 23:34 “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…” Luke 23:46 “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.” Stephen says, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He trust in the Father like Jesus trusted the Father. Stephen says “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Radical forgivness just like Jesus. This is faithfulness in the midst of extreme adversity. What keeps him going? But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, He knew that this life was not the end, he wasn’t living for worldly gain. Rather he was living knowing that one day he would go to be with Jesus.

If we want to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives it will require sacrifice. We will face opposition of varying kinds. We can only hope to remain faithful to God’s purpose for us if we live knowing that this life is not the end. We need an eternal perspective if we are to live faithfully. What is a house compared to a mansion built by Christ, what is a fortune compared to the treasure of heaven, what is security and safety compared to a glorified body? We need a Spirit Given Vision of God’s Glory so that we can know that Romans 8:18 is true. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

You won’t give generously to your church, missionaries, or church planters if you are living for earthly wealth. It is not good earthly investment. But if you see that there is an eternal reward for those who love God and look forward to his appearing you will not regret a single cent spent on the expansion of the kingdom of God. You give us Saturdays for outreach efforts if just living for the weekend. But if you see the glory of eternity, you know that there is no such thing as time wasted on the good of God’s kingdom.

T/S- God will use our boldness and our sacrifice to fulfill his purpose. And brothers I want to call us today to be united in this vision. This summit is an invitation to come together and be united in the proclamation of the Gospel in central Ohio.

Spirit United Sending Churches - The men of Cyprus and Cyrene.

Acts 11:19–21“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia (fuh-nee-shuh) 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.

Stephen’s death led to the scattering of the Christians in Jerusalem. And as others scattered they were only preaching to the Jews until men of Cyprus and Cyrene started sharing the Gospel with Hellenists, that is greeks at Antioch. And God saved these gentiles. You see the purpose of God according to Acts 1:8 was for his followers to be His witnesses throughout the whole world. And who gets the process started in Antioch? No name men from Cyprus and Cyrene. Ordinary men, who are not even named are used to accomplish God’s extraordinary purpose of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. Now, in Acts 9 we see this starting to happen as God saves Paul and tells him that he will go to Gentiles, and Peter shares with gentiles in Acts 10 and they come to believe and receive the Holy Spirit. The events in Peter’s life pave the way for the church in Jerusalem to accept these new non-Jewish believers. But yet in Antioch, there were still Jewish Christians who were not preaching to the gentiles. That is until these guys from Cyprus and Cyrene start to do it. God is using threse ordinary men, cowards like Peter, servants like Stephen, and no namers from Cyprus and Cyrene to accomplish His plans. And listen to what God does with these Hellenists in Antioch.

Acts 11:22-26 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.”

These believers in Antioch are where we get our name Christian. Why? They couldn’t just be called a sect of the Jews anymore because they were no longer only Jewish. The Gospel was going to the ends of the earth and to all people! God’s wonderful good news was that all men could be saved through faith in Christ! And the was saving these diverse groups of people and uniting them. They were so united in their association that people needed to come up with a name for them. You don’t name groups of people who don’t associate with each other. We name groups of people because they are a group. And this group only has one thing in common.. Christ! And how did it happen? How did Jewish and Greeks become united? Normal men, faithfully preached the Gospel. Normal men decided to open the words of Jesus from Acts 1:8. But that is not the end of this story.

Acts 13:1–3 we read more of this church “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (Ma-nee-an) 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.” A group of diverse leaders, Jews like Barnabas and Saul/Paul, Simeon who was called Niger (Niger is Latin for black and refers to his skin tone. He was African), Lucius of Cyerene, and a Manaen, the friend of Herod a King… We might expect this to be the begining of crude joke… A Jew, an African, and the Duke of York walk into a bar… They guys don’t belong together. It doesn’t make earthly sense for these guys to be praying and fasting together. And yet, they sought the Spirit of God through fasting and prayer and God answered them and the Spirit gave them instruction to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work which God called them. The work of taking the Gospel to the gentiles. And the church unified by the spirit sent them off… The church in Antioch becomes a Spirit Filled Sending Church. When men are united together by the Spirit of God, God uses them to fulfill His purpose in all the world. That’s my hope for this gathering. Nothing big , just worldwide evangelism.

That might sound crazy, but here’s the deal… That is just the kind of thing God has been doing for 2,000 years. God takes a group of unimpressive men fills with His Spirit and they become bold in their proclamation, they perserve through persecution and trial because they have a Spirit Given Vision of God’s Glory, and though they might not have a lot in common in an earthly sense they unite together and plants churches all throughout the world.

Conclusion

Do you men want your church to be a biblically faithful church? Then you must be a sending church. It is the whole point of the book of Acts. God is committed to using ordinary men to accomplish his extraordinary purpose. Guess what? We have room a filled with ordinary men right here. Everyone here who is in Christ has the Spirit of God inside of them. So what happens when we finish lunch today? How do we take what we learned today and live it out?

Three steps I want you to take:

1) Pray. Make starting and strengthening churches a part of your normal prayer life. Get with your pastors and get a list of church plants and missionaries your church supports and pray for them. Teach your kids to pray for them. 2) Boldly Proclaim the Gospel. We can’t send if we aren’t backfilling the sent. God is mighty to save. Commit yourself to bold proclamation of the Gospel and see what God does with it. 3) Lead in the small things. I am praying God does something big with the churches and men in this room. I am praying the next church planter, missionary, and generation of pastors is here in this room, but these things always start small and take time. Faithfulness buys responsibility and he who is faithful with little will be entrusted with much. Start small and trust the Lord to develop your leadership skills. You’re not going to leave here today and go plant a church or be missionary tomorrow. So men, Run the greeting team, teach a kids Sunday school class, participate in the summer outreach plans of your church, lead set up and tear down, lead a mission trip, lead small team to my church and help distribute doorhangers, take part in your church’s established discipleship process. This is how missionaries, church planters, and pastors are made. We are best cooked low and slow in a healthy local church.