The Holy Spirit: The Strategist of Missions

This past month the sermons have been about missions. There was a time when missions would be considered one of many committees in the church. There are those that teach, lead worship, manage the finances, make meals, maintain the facilities of the church, and then there are those that do missions - usually when we say that we mean preparing meals to take to Project Echo, filling backpacks to be taken to area schools for children to take home to their parents, going to Shirley’s Place (a drop in center in Washington DC) and sharing a meal with people who walk in. Sending a team to Nicaragua. You heard from Farming 4 Hungry last week. Missions.

But what if we put the label “missions” on everything we do? Worship, learning, fellowshipping is not the goal, but a means to a greater goal: missions. Finances are not just to keep the lights on and the pastor paid, but they are resources to help us fulfill our mission. A building is not just a place to host activities, but a facility that helps us prepare ourselves for missions. Even when a program or ministry team doesn’t use the word “missions,” that should be the ultimate goal. The sign on the door as we leave: “You are now entering your mission field.”

Without the Holy Spirit there are no missions. The book of Acts begins with a group of people waiting in a room, and ends with a missionary expansion that no one could have predicted - except for Jesus. The book of Acts, tells us this story, but makes sure we realize that the Holy Spirit made all of this possible - including the strategy.

Sermon Introduction

Have you ever watched football with someone who said, “I have no idea what is going on?” To the uninitiated, football looks ridiculous. A few minutes or even seconds of play, then the game is paused for 40 seconds, then resumed. What fans are watching is a repeated combination of rapid strategy formation and execution. During this 40 seconds teams can assess the situation and formulate a strategy for the next play. During the Rock Retreat, my all-male team was killed in laser tag, party because we were outmatched by the other team, but also because we had no coherent strategy. Next year if we do laser tag, I want the teams to be co-ed, to make things fair.

We need strategy in almost every aspect of life: organized competition, finances, the military, business and yes, churches. What’s our plan? What’s our strategy? What are we doing? Aim for nothing and you’re bound to hit it.

Today’s message is about is about church strategy. Churches make long term strategies - where we want to be this year, where we see ourselves in the next 5, 10 years. We do demographic research, evaluate our strengths, assess the needs of the community; Strategy.

is about

The book of Acts tells us something about church strategies: churches can come up with whatever strategies they want, but the Holy Spirit is the strategist of missions. In Acts we see the church developing strategies - to go there, take this person with you, organize this effort. But there are times when the Holy Spirit takes over and rewrites the church’s strategic plan. There are 2 categories of strategies: Those that make sense and those that don’t.

Rock, laser tag, need for strategy

Strategies that Make Sense

Acts 8:26–29 NIV

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

This is unexpected. Philip has just planted a church and it is growing. I have a colleague who planted a church in the middle of a growing suburban area Frederick County. For 2 years he knocked on doors in a growing suburban neighborhood - they held the first worship service in unused office space. For 3 years they grew when unexpectedly the bishop reappointed him to a church where he didn’t think he was needed. He was angry - He was a part of a church where there was excitement, God was doing something, and with one phone call he’s out of there.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit sends Philip away from his growing church and sends him to the desert. Maybe Philip was baffled, but as soon as he met the Ethiopian eunuch he realized that the Holy Spirit knows what He’s doing. Taking Philip away from a growing church to the Ethiopian is a strategy that makes sense. This Ethiopian is a person in a position of power, contacts in high places. Someone like this could influence a lot of people. Rather than pastoring a growing congregation, Philip is planted a seed that would transform an entire region.

Taking Philip away from a growing church to the Ethiopian is a good strategy, even from our finite point of view. This Ethiopian is an educated man. He is an intellectual. He is a person in a position of power, contacts in high places. Someone like this could influence a lot of people.

Here’s another good missional strategy that makes sense.

Acts 10:3–5 NIV

One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.

Just like the Ethiopian, Cornelius is a person of great influence. He’s a military leader, he’s well loved and respected for his generosity. He is strategically located. Caesarea was the home to influential leaders and businessmen. If a well respected man like Cornelius converts to Christianity, a lot of people will hear about it.

Acts 10:1–7 NIV

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.

Acts 10:3–5 NIV

The Holy Spirit sending Philip to the Ethiopian and Peter to Cornelius is a stroke of strategic genius. These are only 2 people, but they are 2 important people who could influence a lot of people.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit’s strategies make so much sense - they are obvious. Dublin United Methodist Church, a church that averaged just over 100 on a Sunday morning, is a good example of an obvious mission field - if you’ve ever been to Dublin, either you have a relative there, or you got lost and your car broke down there. The most “happening” is the Dublin snow cone shack. Dublin Elementary School became their mission field.

Acts 10:3–6 NIV

The needs were obvious. Teachers were exhausted. They needed assistance and encouragement. The church served as tutors, teacher assistants, held 2 banquets per year just for the school faculty and staff. The doors were wide open for them. There was no divine dream or supernatural experience compelling them to serve: the missional strategy was still from the Holy Spirit, but it just made sense.

Acts 109:3-6

We might have a similar opportunity at HES - the doors are wide open to us (we have knitters on the mission field right now). There are needs and opportunities for us. This requires a missional strategy, a strategy that makes sense, but it is still the Holy Spirit’s strategy. Let me give you a few examples from Acts of...

Strategies that Make No Sense

Acts 16:6–10 NIV

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts

If Paul had followed a reasonable strategy, he would not have listened to this. Asia was a heavily populated, rapidly growing province. When I think of how appealing this area must have seen to Paul, I think of modern day church planting.

Acts 16:23–26 NIV

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

Bad church planting: 1) Nashville, TN. Heavily populated, so many churches. 2) Rural, outskirts of town, sparsely populated.

Good church planting: new suburban neighborhoods popping up everywhere; population shift; base realignment in Aberdeen (3 churches planted); Modern day church planters look for places like this when planting churches.

The Holy Spirit has other ideas and sends Paul south to Macedonia.

You might think a reassuring sermon illustration is coming. God’s ways are higher than our ways (this is true). God’s call doesn’t make sense (this is also true), but if we have faith and are obedient, God will prosper our ministry. Everything turned out great for Paul, right?

Acts 17:5–13 NIV

5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

Acts 17:5 NIV

Acts 16:23 NIV

23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

Acts 16:31

Take that leap of faith and engage in risk taking mission! What a night mare this is!

It would be nice if the Holy Spirit would just send us to people who are eager to hear the good news of Jesus. Welcome us with open arms. Offer no resistance. It’s nice preaching to the choir. It’s nice going to places where we are wanted. Needed.

A good politician is someone who looks for a parade, and gets in front of that parade and starts leading it. The church needs prophets, not politicians.

The Holy Spirit sends us places where we will not be heard. Where we are not wanted.

Acts 17:5 NIV

He gets to Philippi, and the first thing he does is to liberate a female slave. She was possessed by a Spirit that made her a money-making fortune teller. Paul runs her slaveowner out of business, is beaten and goes to prison. The story has a good ending: God literally breaks the chains and opens the prison doors - the jailor and his household accept Christ, but from a church planting perspective, there is no success. They move on to Thessalonica, and things get worse.

Acts 17:5 NIV

Paul gets to the next town, Thessalonica and there is a riot. And they are run out of town. They get to the next town, Berea and people begin to believe. But then the angry mob from Thessalonica follows them there and runs them out of town. So far this mission trip has been a complete disaster.

I try to imagine how frustrating that must be, and I came up with an imaginary scenario: in the UMC pastors are a part of the itineracy, the appointment system. When the need arises, pastors are moved to other churches. It’s also true that in pastoral ministry conflicts arise - some can be resolved, but sometimes they aren’t. I’m imagining my most painful conflicts that weren’t resolved. Moving on might seem to be a relief, but what if that group packed their bags and followed me to my next church? That’s what happens to Paul and once again he has to move on. Not a very fruitful visit, and they move on to Athens - Greece. Another missional strategy that makes no sense.

When you implement a strategy and it only leads to frustration and failure. you want to step back and rethink this strategy.

Acts 17:32–33 NIV

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council.

They get laughed off of the stage. “We want to hear you again.” You might think, “Well, at least I’ve planted a seed.” Given what we know about the climate in Greece, this was a group of intellectuals who loved to hear new philosophies; no church planted here.

They basically get laughed off of the stage. We want to hear you again - not spiritually thinking, but a group of intellectuals who loved to hear new philosophies. , nothing that requires a commitment or change; no church planted here.

I attended a seminar led by a church planter in Seattle. She felt God’s calling to work with “nones.” N-O-N-E-S. According to a census, that was the largest religious group. This is a very difficult mission field. Her first thought was to start a coffee shot, but there’s a coffee shop on every corner. She decided to sell tea- she called it a tea lounge, but soon learned that in certain cultures that has a very different meaning - something incompatible with a church. Her story was interesting, but I remember her closing words: “If you’re looking for a model of how to plant a church in a difficult place, I’m not it. We’re there, we have a store that sells tea, have live music, display local art, and we have created space for community and spiritual conversations, but nothing to show from a church planting perspective.: The missional strategy (which she still believed was from the Holy Spirit) was not making sense.

She openly questioned whether or not she was “successful.” Nothing to show from a church planting perspective. Her missional strategy was not making any sense.

In seminary a professor once asked, “How do you know when your evangelistic efforts are successful.” His definition had nothing to do with the outcome. “You can share the Gospel, try a new missional strategy, and see no measurable results. A successful missional strategy has nothing to do with that: A successful missional strategy means obedience to the Holy Spirit, even when His missional strategy makes no sense.

What’s our hope as a missional church? Spirit led strategies are necessary, whether they make sense or not. But they must also be...

Sustainable Strategies

Acts 20:27–28 NIV

For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

I like Paul’s spirit led strategy. He establishes a church, disciples his members, develops spiritual leaders and makes himself unnecessary. He leaves and moves on to the next mission field. Becoming a mega church is not my dream. I want a church to grow, but when a church continues to grow, at some point you identify leaders, pastors among you, develop them and start a new ministries or new congregations. Otherwise you have a church that is dependent on a few personalities.

Spirit led missional strategies are necessary - why are we here? What is our vision? How do we get there? All important stuff, but we always have to ask, whose agenda are we following? A successful, sustainable missional strategy - whether it makes sense or not - only comes from the Holy Spirit.

What’s our goal? (explain Paul’s church planting strategy)

satellite church - never met him

youth ministry - personality driven

Related Media

Related Sermons