Keeps Moving

Acts 13–15: Keeps Moving

Main Theme:

The mission of God keeps moving.

Main Points:

1. God Sends People Who Are Surrendered 2. The Mission Keeps Moving Through Opposition 3. The Church Is Called to Make Disciples, Not Just Decisions 4. Disagreement Does Not Have to Destroy the Mission

Acts 13:1-3 says:

“Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called ‘the black man’), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.’ So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.”

We see five men listed at the very beginning of Acts 13: Barnabas, Simeon (Si-mee-uhn), Lucius (Loo-shush), Manaen (Ma-knee-an), and Saul.

These men were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, but I love what Luke shows us right from the beginning.

The church at Antioch was a diverse church led by a diverse group of people.

They came from different places. They had different backgrounds. They had different experiences. They had different stories.

But here is what is important: their differences were not what divided them. Their differences were part of what God used to accomplish His mission.

This is not about focusing on what separates people. It is actually the opposite.

It is about recognizing that God can bring people from completely different backgrounds into the same room, put the same Spirit inside of them, give them the same mission, and use all of them to build His Kingdom.

Think about the men Luke names here.

Barnabas came from Cyprus. Simeon is identified by Luke as a Black man. Lucius was from Cyrene. Manaen had a connection to Herod Antipas. And then you have Saul, who would become Paul.

These men did not all look the same. They did not all come from the same place. They did not all have the same story.

But they were all in the same church, serving the same God, filled with the same Spirit, and committed to the same mission.

And I believe that is something we should pray for in our church.

When I look around Springfield and the communities around us, I recognize that we live in a community where the majority of people are White. But my prayer is not simply that our church would look like the community we currently live in.

My prayer is that our church would be equipped to reach everybody God has called us to reach.

God, I pray that people from every race, culture, generation, and social background would have a place of influence in Your Church and in CCAG.

Because here is the reality: I do not know every culture. I do not understand every tradition. I do not know what it is like to walk into every family’s home and understand their customs, their experiences, or their worldview.

But there are people God has called to reach those people.

And sometimes God will use someone who understands a culture that I do not understand to reach someone I could never reach on my own.

That is the beauty of the Body of Christ.

God does not need us all to be the same. He needs us to be surrendered.

God uses different people, with different backgrounds, different experiences, different gifts, and different stories to reach different people.

So when we look at Antioch, we do not just see diversity.

See a church where God brought different people together and then used those differences for His mission.

And then verse 2 says:

“One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting…”

I love that word “as.”

It does not say, “One day they decided to worship and fast because they needed God to do something.”

It says “as.”

As they were worshiping.

As they were fasting.

As they were seeking God.

This was already part of their rhythm.

They were not trying to manufacture a move of God. They were already pursuing God.

And while they were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke.

The Holy Spirit said:

“Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”

Notice something here.

The church did not create the calling.

God did.

The church did not decide what Barnabas and Saul were supposed to do.

The Holy Spirit did.

And the church’s responsibility was simply to recognize what God was doing and respond in obedience.

That brings us to our first main point: God sends people who are surrendered.

Barnabas and Saul were not out looking for a title.

They were not trying to build a platform.

They were worshiping.

They were fasting.

They were seeking God.

And while they were seeking God, God gave them an assignment.

Then verse 3 says:

“So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.”

I can imagine this was not necessarily easy.

Barnabas and Saul were valuable to this church. They were leaders. They were teachers. They were people the church could have easily said, “We need them here.”

But sometimes the people God has placed in our church are not only there for our church.

Sometimes God sends people through our church so they can take what God has done here somewhere else.

And the Antioch church had to be willing to release them.

They did not hold onto them.

They did not say, “You belong to us.”

They laid their hands on them and sent them.

Because when God calls someone, our job is not to hold them back. Our job is to help send them forward.

And I think that is a powerful picture of the church.

We worship together.

We pray together.

We fast together.

We serve together.

We come from different backgrounds.

We have different stories.

We have different gifts.

But we are led by the same Holy Spirit, and we are moving toward the same mission.

And when the Holy Spirit says, “Go,” the church says, “Yes.”

That is the church of Antioch.

A diverse church.

A Spirit-filled church.

A praying church.

A sending church.

And ultimately, a church that was willing to let God use whoever He wanted, however He wanted, to take the Gospel wherever He wanted it to go.

Acts 13:4-5 says:

“So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.”

So they leave Antioch of Syria and travel down to Seleucia (Seh-LOO-see-uh)

From Seleucia (Seh-LOO-see-uh) they sail to the island of Cyprus (SIGH-prus)

Cyprus was important because it was Barnabas’s homeland, but it was also a major trading hub.

And something we will notice throughout this journey is that Paul and Barnabas often travel through major population centers and important Roman routes.

They are not just wandering around randomly.

They are taking the Gospel into places where people are moving, trading, traveling, and communicating.

Because if the Gospel gets into a major city, it can travel beyond that city.

Once they arrive in Cyprus, their first recorded stop is Salamis, (SAL-uh-miss)

And what do they do?

They preach the Word of God.

That is going to become the pattern.

New city.

Same mission.

New people.

Same Gospel.

New opposition.

Same Jesus.

And we also see that John Mark travels with them as their assistant.

John Mark was Barnabas’s cousin. We see that later in Colossians 4:10.

So now this is becoming a family affair.

Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark are traveling together.

Maybe Barnabas thought, “Let’s bring the young guy along. Let’s train him. Let’s let him see the ministry up close.”

But something is going to happen with John Mark later.

So put a tab on that for now, because we are coming back to him.

They continue across the island of Cyprus until they reach Paphos, (PAY-foss).

Acts 13:6-12 tells us that in Paphos they meet a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

This man had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, and apparently had some influence with him.

The governor invites Paul and Barnabas to come talk because he wants to hear the Word of God.

But Bar-Jesus does not like that.

We see here Luke begins referring to him by his Greek name, Elymas, and Elymas begins trying to talk the governor out of believing what Paul and Barnabas are preaching.

He is interfering.

He is trying to keep somebody from hearing the truth.

And Paul has had enough.

Verse 9 says:

“Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye.”

I love that Luke makes that clear.

Paul did not stand up in his own strength.

He was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And Paul looks at this man and says:

“You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?”

Paul is not playing around.

This false prophet knew that if the governor believed in Jesus, his influence was probably over.

So he was doing everything in his power to keep his position and keep his control.

But Paul does not get up in the power of Paul.

Paul gets up in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And I think there is something important for us there.

We want power without preparation.

We want authority without intimacy.

We want spiritual gifts without developing a spiritual life.

But Paul had spent years walking with Jesus at this point.

He knew God.

He had prayed.

He had served.

He had suffered.

He had been discipled.

And now when the moment came, the Holy Spirit worked through him.

We want the gifts now, and sometimes God is saying, “Know Me first.”

Paul tells Elymas that he is going to be struck blind.

And immediately darkness comes over his eyes.

Now the man who had been trying to give direction to everybody else is asking for somebody to take his hand and lead him.

And side note, is it not funny how God can bring your story back around?

Paul knows something about blindness.

Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus.

Paul knows what it is like to need somebody to take him by the hand and lead him.

And now years later, Paul is standing on the other side of a similar moment.

God has a way of using the places we have been to prepare us for where we are going.

And then the governor sees what happens.

I can imagine Sergius Paulus looking at Elymas, then looking back at Paul and Barnabas, thinking, “What in the world just happened?”

And Scripture says he became a believer.

Now from Paphos, they continue their journey.

Acts 13:13 tells us that Paul and his companions leave Paphos and sail to Perga, (PUR-guh) which was in Pamphylia,(pam-FILL-ee-uh)

And this is where something happens that almost feels like a small detail when we first read it, but it becomes extremely important later.

John Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem.

That is all Luke gives us.

There is not a long explanation.

We are not told exactly why he left.

He just left.

And remember, John Mark was traveling with them as their assistant.

Barnabas had brought him along.

He was part of the team.

And now somewhere along the journey, John Mark decides he is done.

And I want us to put another tab on this because we are definitely coming back to John Mark in Acts 15.

But I think there is already something we can learn here.

Sometimes when God sends you somewhere, not everybody who starts the journey with you will finish the journey with you.

And that can hurt.

There can be people who started with you.

People who prayed with you.

People who worshiped with you.

People who believed in the mission with you.

And somewhere along the way, they turn around.

But here is what I want you to notice.

John Mark leaving did not mean God was done.

The mission continued.

Paul and Barnabas kept going.

Sometimes we can get so focused on who left that we forget there is still a mission in front of us.

Do not let somebody else’s decision to stop become the reason you stop.

There are still people who need Jesus.

There are still churches that need strengthening.

There are still communities that need the Gospel.

There is still a mission in front of you.

And this brings us into our second point: The mission keeps moving through opposition.

Paul and Barnabas continue north toward Pisidian Antioch, (puh-SID-ee-un)

When they arrive in Pisidian Antioch, they go into the synagogue on the Sabbath.

The leaders basically say, “If you have something to encourage the people with, go ahead.”

And Paul gets up.

Paul begins preaching.

And what I love about Paul’s sermon is that Paul does not start with Paul.

He starts with God.

He walks them through the story of Israel.

He talks about Egypt.

He talks about the wilderness.

He talks about the judges.

He talks about King David.

And then he brings the whole story to Jesus.

Paul basically says, “Everything you have been waiting for has been fulfilled in Jesus.”

Acts 13:38 says:

“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.”

That is the Gospel.

That is the message.

Jesus died.

Jesus rose again.

And through Jesus there is forgiveness.

And then we start seeing a pattern that will continue throughout the journey.

Some people believe.

Some people reject him.

Some people celebrate.

Some people get angry.

Some people want to hear more.

Some people want Paul and Barnabas gone.

But Paul and Barnabas do not change the message based on the response.

They keep preaching Jesus.

And I think we need to remember that.

Our responsibility is not to make everybody respond positively.

Our responsibility is to faithfully carry the Gospel.

You do not have to win every argument, convince every person or make everybody like you.

You just have to be faithful with what God has put in your hands.

Verse 49 says:

“So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.”

That is the goal.

Paul is not spreading.

Barnabas is not spreading.

Their brand is not spreading.

The Word of the Lord is spreading.

And eventually opposition becomes so strong that Paul and Barnabas are driven out of the region.

So what do they do?

They move on. Shake the dust off their feet

They travel to Iconium, (eye-KOH-nee-um).

And when they arrive in Iconium, they do the same thing.

They go into the synagogue.

They preach.

And many Jews and Gentiles believe.

But opposition rises again.

Some people believe.

Some people do not.

Eventually a group of people begin planning to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.

And this is where I think we have to change the way we think about opposition.

Because sometimes we believe:

“If God is in this, everything should be easy.”

But that is not the book of Acts.

These men were sent by the Holy Spirit.

They were obeying God.

They were preaching Jesus.

And they were still opposed.

Being in the will of God does not mean you will never experience resistance.

Sometimes you are doing exactly what God told you to do, and things still get hard.

Sometimes you are obeying God, and somebody still does not like you.

Sometimes you are doing the right thing, and somebody still misunderstands you.

Opposition does not automatically mean you missed God.

Sometimes you are facing opposition while standing right in the center of God’s will.

When Paul and Barnabas find out about the plot to attack them, they leave Iconium and go to Lystra, (LISS-truh) and the surrounding area.

And Lystra is one of the wildest parts of this entire journey.

In Lystra, Paul sees a man who had never been able to walk.

Paul looks at him and says, “Stand up!”

And the man jumps up and begins walking.

The crowd loses their minds.

They start shouting that the gods have come down in human form.

They called Barnabas “Zeus”

They call Paul “Hermes” because Paul was the main speaker.

They literally start preparing sacrifices to worship them.

And Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and run into the crowd saying:

“No! Stop! We are only human beings just like you!”

I love that.

Because Paul and Barnabas understood something that every leader has to understand.

The miracle was never supposed to make them the center, The miracle was supposed to point people toward God.

If God uses you, it still is not about you.

If God gives you a gift, it still is not about you.

If God gives you influence, it still is not about you.

If God gives you a platform, it still is not about you.

It all belongs to Him.

But then look at how quickly things change.

Some Jewish leaders arrived from Pisidian (puh-SID-ee-un) Antioch and Iconium.

They persuade the crowd against Paul.

And the same people who were just trying to worship Paul are now throwing stones at Paul.

Think about that.

One moment they are calling him a god.

The next moment they are trying to kill him.

That is why you cannot build your identity around people’s applause.

Because the same crowd that celebrates you today can criticize you tomorrow.

If your identity rises and falls based on what people think about you, you are going to live exhausted.

Paul’s identity was not built on applause.

So when the applause stopped, the mission did not stop.

They stone Paul.

They drag him outside of the city.

They think he is dead.

And then Acts 14:20 says the believers gathered around him, and Paul got up.

I do not know exactly what that looked like.

I do not know how injured he was.

I do not know how long he was laying there.

But Paul got back up.

And somebody may need to hear that today.

You can get knocked down without being knocked out.

You can have a hard season without having a bad calling.

You can experience rejection without losing your purpose.

You can get hurt and still keep moving.

Paul gets up.

And the next day, he and Barnabas leave for Derbe, (DUR-bee).

They arrive in Derbe, they preach the Gospel, and they make many disciples.

And that brings us to our third point: The church is called to make disciples, not just decisions.

Because after they have preached in Derbe, Paul and Barnabas do something interesting.

They do not just say, “Well, mission accomplished. Let’s go home.”

They go back.

They go back through Lystra.

They go back through Iconium.

They go back through Pisidian (puh-SID-ee-un) Antioch.

Think about that.

Paul is going back toward the place where he was just stoned.

He is going back toward the cities where people wanted him dead.

Why?

Acts 14:22 says they were “strengthening the believers.”

This is important.

Because ministry is not just about getting people to say yes to Jesus.

The ministry is about helping people keep following Jesus.

It is one thing to preach a sermon that gets somebody excited.

It is another thing to walk with somebody when life gets hard.

It is one thing to see someone raise a hand.

It is another thing to discipline them, It is one thing to plant a church, It is another thing to strengthen the church.

Paul and Barnabas were not only interested in decisions.

They were interested in disciples.

And I think that is something the Church has to remember.

We do not just need bigger crowds.

We need stronger disciples.

We do not just need people to come to church, We need people to become the Church.

We do not just want people to have a moment with God, We want people to build a life with God.

So Paul and Barnabas go back and strengthen the believers.

They appoint elders.

They pray.

They fast.

They establish leadership.

They help these churches become healthy enough to continue without Paul and Barnabas being physically present.

Then they continue back toward Perga.

From Perga they travel down to Attalia, (at-uh-LIE-uh)

From Attalia, they sail back to Antioch in Syria.

And when they arrive back in Antioch, they gather the church together and tell everybody what God had done.

Think about that moment.

They had left this church after people laid hands on them and prayed over them.

Now they are coming home with stories.

People got saved.

Churches were planted.

Miracles happened.

Opposition came.

Paul got stoned.

John Mark left.

Gentiles believed.

And through all of it, God was faithful.

Acts 14 says they reported everything God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

But Acts 15 introduces another challenge.

And this time, the challenge is not coming from people outside the church.

It is coming from people inside the church.

Some believers from Judea (Ju-de-ah) begin teaching that Gentiles cannot really be saved unless they are circumcised according to the law of Moses.

And now we have a theological problem.

Paul and Barnabas had just traveled through city after city watching Gentiles believe in Jesus.

They had seen the Holy Spirit work.

They had seen churches established.

And now somebody is saying, “That is great, but they need Jesus plus this.”

Paul and Barnabas strongly disagree.

And eventually they are sent to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders.

This gathering becomes what we now call the Jerusalem Council.

And the question they are trying to answer is incredibly important.

Do Gentiles have to become Jewish before they can truly become followers of Jesus?

Or is salvation through Jesus enough?

Peter stands up and reminds everybody of what God has already done among the Gentiles.

Then Peter says:

“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

That is the Gospel.

We are not saved because we got everything right.

We are not saved because we followed the right traditions.

We are not saved because we grew up in church.

We are not saved because we checked every box.

We are saved by the grace of Jesus.

Then James speaks.

And the leaders eventually agree that they should not make it unnecessarily difficult for Gentiles who are turning toward God.

A letter is written.

Representatives are sent with Paul and Barnabas.

And the clarification is delivered back to Antioch.

And I think there is something important here.

The early church had disagreements, difficult conversations and theological questions.

But they did not avoid them.

They got in the same room.

They listened.

They talked.

They prayed.

They looked at what God was doing.

They looked at Scripture.

And they found clarity.

Sometimes unity does not mean nobody disagrees.

Sometimes unity means we care enough about the mission to work through the disagreement.

And that brings us to our fourth and final point: Disagreement does not have to destroy the mission.

Acts 15:36-41 says:

“After some time Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.’ Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.”

Now we come back to John Mark.

Paul says:

“Let’s go back.”

I love that.

Paul cared about these churches.

He did not want to just plant them and forget about them.

He wanted to know how the believers were doing.

Barnabas agrees.

But Barnabas wants to bring John Mark.

Paul says no.

Remember, John Mark left them back in Pamphylia (pam-FILL-ee-uh).

Paul has not forgotten.

Paul is thinking, “We already tried this once. He quit. We are not doing that again.”

Barnabas sees it differently.

And I can understand both sides.

Paul is thinking about the mission.

Barnabas is thinking about the person.

Paul is thinking, “Can I trust him?”

Barnabas is thinking, “Can we give him another chance?”

Paul saw failure.

Barnabas saw potential.

And Scripture says their disagreement was so sharp that they separated.

Even the great grandfathers of the modern church had disagreements.

But what I love about this moment is that God’s mission was not hindered by it.

It was actually multiplied.

Look at the Scripture.

Verse 39:

“Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.”

Verse 40:

“Paul chose Silas…”

Verse 41:

“Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.”

Leaders do not always agree or always see eye to eye.

Leaders do not always want to bring the same person or always have the same strategy.

But what separates leaders from great leaders is understanding the mission.

If we disagree about the main mission, then we have a serious problem.

But when disagreements come over second-tier and third-tier things, we have to remember what we agree about most.

Paul and Barnabas were in a heated disagreement.

But both men still believed the Gospel needed to be preached.

Both men still believed churches needed to be strengthened.

Both men still believed people needed Jesus.

Both men still believed in the mission.

And then we see God do the only math God can do.

We have seen this kind of math already in Acts.

Stephen is killed.

The believers scatter.

And what looks like defeat actually causes the Gospel to spread throughout Judea and Samaria.

Now Paul and Barnabas have traveled through all the different areas we talked about tonight and then they went to them again.

They have strengthened churches, made disciples, spread the Gospel.

And now it looks like the team is falling apart.

I saw this quote the other day while I was studying in a coffee shop:

“I like escalators, because an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs.”

And I love that.

Because Paul and Barnabas looked like they were on an escalator.

Everything was moving.

Churches were being planted.

People were getting saved.

The Gospel was spreading.

They were on a roll.

And now Acts 15 happens.

The escalator breaks.

At least that is what it looks like.

The boy band broke up.

Paul goes one way.

Barnabas goes another.

And we look at that and think:

“What happened?”

But maybe the escalator did not break.

Maybe it just became stairs.

See, when you are on stairs, you have to keep taking the next step.

One step.

Then another step.

Then another step.

And sometimes God does not carry us the way we expected.

Sometimes He just says:

“Take the next step.”

Paul and Barnabas seemed like they were on an escalator, but God was still moving them forward.

And then we see the Father’s Math.

Because Paul and Barnabas were two men.

But after this disagreement, Barnabas takes John Mark.

Paul takes Silas.

Now two became four.

Four is better than two.

The mission did not shrink.

It expanded.

That does not mean the disagreement was good.

That does not mean every church split is God.

That does not mean every argument is spiritual.

Closing: But it does mean that God is powerful enough to keep His mission moving even through imperfect people.

Sometimes we get all in the dumps because somebody disagreed with us.

A leader or the church does something differently than we think they should do it.

And instead of communicating, we go home angry.

We talk negatively.

We assume motives.

We shut down.

But communication can provide clarity.

Clarity does not always mean we leave the conversation agreeing on everything.

Sometimes clarity simply means:

“I understand where you are coming from.”

“You understand where I am coming from.”

“We may not agree on this part.”

“But we still agree that Jesus is Lord.”

“We still agree that people need Jesus.”

“We still agree that the Gospel needs to go forward.”

Disagreement does not automatically mean division.

I believe disagreement can actually strengthen people when they handle it correctly.

And this is what I want us to see.

Paul and Barnabas did not stop serving God.

Paul did not go home.

Barnabas did not go home.

John Mark did not disappear forever.

Silas stepped into the mission.

And the Gospel kept moving.

So when we look at Acts 13 through 15, I want you to see the entire journey.

Antioch.Seleucia.Salamis.Paphos.Perga.Pisidian Antioch.Iconium.Lystra.Derbe.Attalia.

Back to Antioch.

Then Jerusalem.

Then back out again.

Different cities.

Different people.

Different cultures.

Different opposition.

Different challenges.

But the same mission.

Take the Gospel to the nations.

And maybe the biggest thing we need to remember today is this:

The mission is bigger than the moment.

The mission is bigger than the person who left, bigger than the opposition, bigger than the rejection, bigger than the disagreement, bigger than the setback.

Because the mission belongs to God.

John Mark left.

The mission kept moving.

Paul was opposed.

The mission kept moving.

Paul was stoned.

The mission kept moving.

Churches faced difficulties.

The mission kept moving.

The Jerusalem Council had a major disagreement.

The mission kept moving.

Paul and Barnabas separated.

The mission kept moving.

Because God was never depending on everything going perfectly (Through our eyes)

He was working through surrendered people.

And maybe you are in a season right now where it feels like the escalator stopped.

Things were moving.

You had momentum.

You felt like God was doing something.

And suddenly something changed.

Someone left.

Something failed.

Somebody disagreed with you.

A door closed.

The plan changed.

And now you feel like you are on the stairs.

Take the next step.

You may not know what the next ten steps look like.

Take the next one.

Pray again.

Serve again.

Forgive again.

Have the conversation.

Show up again.

Obey again.

Take the next step.

Because you never know what God is doing with the stairs.

The Father Math does not always make sense to us.

We see two people separating, God sees four people being sent.

We see a setback, God sees another opportunity.

We see the team breaking apart, God sees the mission multiplying.

Paul and Barnabas did not divide.

They multiplied.

And I believe God is still doing that today.

God, use our church.

Use our differences.Use our stories.Use our gifts.Use our strengths.Use our weaknesses.Use our disagreements.Use our setbacks.

Use whatever You want to use.

But whatever You do, do not let us lose the mission.

Let us be a praying church.

Let us be a Spirit-filled church.

Let us be a sending church.

Let us be a church that does not just celebrate what You have done, but is willing to go wherever You tell us to go.

Because the Gospel is still moving.

And we are not done yet.

(Pray out)