Move out or get moved
Move Out or Get Moved
Acts 8:1-4; 11:19; 20; 25-26; 13:1-3
1. INTRO: Heart of Worship (more than a song? What then? All I have is yours, every breath)
Ø Worshipping is not just praising His worth in song; it’s bowing our wills in sacrifice. Romans 12:1
Ø That’s the reason we’re here, to have our wills bowed to Jesus. You may feel some other motive more urgently today, but… remember the “main thing.”
2. Real Followers Will Reach Out in Love
Ø Today we’re talking about moving out or getting moved. It is evangelism, but it is more about following Jesus.
Ø Are you a follower of Christ? Are you aware that the one you follow is seeking the lost? Keep it real. One cannot follow him without walking in those paths.
Ø Henry Martyn said, “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we must become.”
Ø Speaking of his attempts to persuade people to bow to Jesus, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 that “Christ’s love compels us…” and “that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
Ø Evangelism starts in the heart. Do I really love Christ and so want to please him? Does that cause me to love the people he loves?
Ø If it does we will move out. If not, he will move us.
3. Scripture, Acts 8:1-4; 11:19-20, 25-26; 13:1-3
4. If We Don’t Move, He’ll Move Us.
Ø Look at the time chart, and see how long it took them to move out.
Ø It’s hard to be sure, but I think this scattering persecution was necessary to move them. God will do what he has to do to get us to do what we should do with the Good News of Life in Jesus.
Ø If we don’t move out, God will scatter us.
Ø Wiersbe said “Persecution does to the church what wind does to seed: it scatters it…” which only increases the harvest.
Ø “and yet” is how verse 4 shows that God caused even this to “work together for good,” but I would rather follow by choice rather than through discipline (personally and as a church).
Ø In general the scattered still only reached out to Jews, but some reached out to Gentiles also.
Ø It is natural to spend time with those like ourselves. It is far more comfortable.
Ø It was probably hard to imagine doing anything else. How many of you would find it hard to believe that you should go away to be a missionary someplace? If that’s not hard to imagine, when are you going? It is hard to get started, isn’t it?
Ø In high school I was instrumental in leading Dan and Tom to faith, but it was like going to the Jews. At the end of high school I went to the ends of the earth, but I was only effective through prayer and letters in Samaria with Doris. After college I made it to the ends of the earth and won souls in Mexico.
Ø The scattering in today’s passage was a strategic, but it still needed to go to the ends of the earth, all nations. That group got it, and they moved out again by choice.
5. What Will It Look Like If We Do This?
A. Leadership development
Ø This church had gathered or developed multiple leaders. They were also pursuing intimacy with God.
Ø The Antioch leaders were faithful and set apart for God. Are we? Do we keep at it, day-in day-out, year-in year-out? Are we training like an athlete who puts training before pleasure?
Ø Contagious Christian tonight. (God coordinated this)
B. Prayer
Ø God-directed movement requires prayer. How is our prayer time? Alone? In cell? In our prayer room back there?
Ø We need God-directed movement, not just some herky-jerky back-damaging, ridicule-inspiring movement.
Ø Haystack prayer meeting.
C. Going, Caring & Sharing, Not Just Inviting
Ø There were no heralds sent out inviting all to come to First Baptist of Antioch’s blah-dy blah event. Where was their building? They met in homes into which outsiders would have a hard time coming without a prior invitation.
Ø People reached were they lived, in neighborhoods and in markets, and wherever people went.
Ø We want to be a movement church that let’s go of old paradigms of choosing between doing nothing, and doing only verbal-confrontational outreach and onsite service, to a new paradigm of reaching out in love using word & service, out of the building, out of the box, and into the midst world.
Ø Where will we go so as not to be scattered? What are our local, national and international fields? (Campus, Tate, Elm, Amsterdam, Peru, China)
Ø Blog from Cristina
Ø Where are you going? How intentional are you? How do you become more intentional?
Ø I am not asking you to make a conscious decision to detach from reality, go out and annoy as many people as much as possible.
Ø I am asking you to make a conscious decision to trust Jesus who said that He was the way, truth and life, and that no one can come to the Father except through Him; and to love your friends, family and community enough to commit to find a way to share God’s love with them.
Ø What about a floor party for every on campus student or a cookout for those around you in your apartments? What about offering to help people move in or get adjusted? What about having your friends over mixing church and other friends?
Ø What about supporting Cristina if she needs it?
Ø It’s ok if we are a little overwhelmed. Join a team and just do what you can for now and keep training.
