Send Out

One of the interesting natural features of the area around Columbus, GA, where I grew up are the existence of natural cold-water springs. The company my father worked for owned property north of Columbus that had one of these springs. A very large pool had been beautifully constructed and lined with large river rocks just beside the spring. The construction of the pool included a large gazebo style roof over the spring, large rock wall encircling it, and a rock lined creek that connected the spring to the pool. As a child the two things that most impressed me about the pool was that it was massive and that it was very cold.

As an adult, remembering my enjoyment of the pool I have come to appreciate some other things. The pool was so large because the water source was plentiful and free. The cost of filling the pool with water was never a factor in the construction of the pool. But the greater thing about the pool is that it never needed any chemicals to stay pristine and clear. The pool water was analyzing clear and always a breathtaking cold temperature because there was a constant inflow of fresh water and there was a constant outflow of waters.

You see the construction of the pool by the spring, directing the spring’s water into the pool, was not the final destination of the water. At the deep end of the pool (it was a real deep end – 15 ft at least with a true dive) there was a break in the back wall that allowed water to flow out. The spring water had only been temporary collected in the pool but would eventually flow out in to eth creek that had directed its path since its creation.

The pool did not need to artificially keep the water clean and fresh with chemicals it was actually clean and fresh because there was a constant in flow and out flow of water.

This principle of in flow and out flow keeping things healthy and fresh is true in many areas of life and certainly true for the church.

We are not called to Go out, gather in, and build up only. We must be about the equally important task of sending out.

1. Do not be distracted

2. Be witnesses

3. Get to it

I. Do not be distracted

A. Recognize we do not know everything[1]

1. The question the disciples ask is one that we would all ask

a) Is now the time

b) How will this affect me

2. Jesus rejects the question and gives instructs for what they needed to know

3. Jesus also declares a restriction on our knowledge

a) “It is not for you to know”

4. There is a limitation to our ability

a) We cannot know the fullness of God’s plans

b) Even in what we do know we know it in the restriction of the present

c) God is not restricted by the present and thus sees how His will be accomplished from an eternal perspective

d) Man is unable to know

5. Man is also a limited in the ability to focus on the important

a) Man is easily distracted by the futile pursuit of “knowing” the times and plans of God

b) There is a temptation to be so focused on when a future event will happen that you neglect to obey what God has already commanded

6. It was impossible for these early Christians to know and understand all that God was going to accomplish after the resurrection and assentation and before Jesus’ second coming

7. It is impossible for us presently to understand all that God is doing and still will accomplish

8. Our attention must not be distracted by attempting to determine when God will complete His will but living in confident faith that He will

B. Trust God to know all things

1. The fulfillment of the will of God is by the authority of God

2. There is a desire in man to control things

a) Part of the desire to control is also a desire to know and understand things

b) This desire is not bad and in fact is part of how God created us

3. Likewise, since the very first days of the church followers of Christ have wanted to know the details of how and when God was going to fulfill His promise and will

4. In verse 6 Luke reports that even as the followers of Jesus were celebrating His resurrection and listening to His instructions they were desiring to know all the details of how and when God was going to fulfill His will

5. There is a profound lesson in Jesus’ response to the questions of when

a) He says is verse 7 “by His own authority”

6. God will fulfill His will

a) In His time

b) In His way

c) According to His perfect will

7. “By His authority” means

a) He is able

b) He will not be stopped

c) He cannot be denied

8. We are not to know the when and how

9. We ARE to know the God who is able

a) His will will come to fruition

C. Rest in God’s authority

1. Distractions often come in the forms of

a) Worry

b) Anxiety

c) Fear

d) Unsureness

e) Timidity

2. The reasons why many today are not being obedient to God’s call on their lives is often because of these types of distractions

3. Jesus does not answer the question they ask but he does give them the answer they need

a) The complete of God’s purpose and plans is fixed by His authority

b) We are empowered to do what God has called us to by the power of the holy Spirit

4. What gives you confidence in obedience is not

a) Knowing the answers

b) Being in control of all things

5. What gives you confidence in obedience is resting in God’s authority

a) He will accomplish His will according to His authority

b) He has provided what you need to accomplish what H has called you too

6. Obey God’s command as you rest in God’s authority

II. Be witnesses

A. In the power of God

1. Being sent out to do the work of God is not about the individual’s ability

2. Notice the order

a) First – you will receive power

b) Second – you shall be witnesses

3. You cannot be a witness until you have received the power of the Holy Spirit

4. The word used in verse 8 that is translated as power is dynamin

a) Power – dynamin 76.1 δύναμιςb, εως f: the potentiality to exert force in performing some function—‘power.[2]

b) From this Greek root word, we get our English word dynamite

5. The use of the word here means the power to accomplish a task

6. The power is given for the purpose of and accomplishment of being witnesses

7. The church is not empowered to exist

8. The church is empowered to be a witness to the gospel

9. You are not empowered just to enjoy the benefits of salvation

10. You are empowered to be witnesses to Jesus and His salvation

11. Do not marvel at the testimony of the early church as something that is out of reach for modern believers

12. Do not marvel at the testimony of the great missionaries as something that is unattainable by regular folks

13. Marvel at the power of God – that can use the weakest among us – to accomplish His perfect will

B. Be a witness for God

1. Jesus makes clear what His followers are to do – be witnesses

2. The word that is translated witness is maryers from where were get our English word martyr

a) 33.270 μάρτυςa, ρος, dat. pl. σιν m: (derivative of μαρτυρέωa ‘to witness,’ 33.262) a person who witnesses—‘witness, one who testifies.[3]

3. This is one who testifies to what is true

4. The calling of God on every believer’s life is to make known what is true about Jesus

a) He is the son of God

b) He lived without sin

c) He died as a sacrifice for our sin

d) He rose again from the dead and lives today

e) All those who believe on Him in faith will be saved and have eternal life

5. This calling is on the newest believer and the oldest believer

6. The mark of every true believer is that they have come to know the truth of the gospel

a) To be a witness for God is simply to make known what God has made known to you

7. Being witnesses for God is not optional

a) The Greek words behind the phrase “and you shall be” in verse 8 is only two worlds “kai (and) esesthe (eimi) (be)”

(1) 13.1 εἰμίa: to possess certain characteristics, whether inherent or transitory—‘to be[4]

b) The NASB adds the words “you shall” between the Greek words for “and be” to communicate the meaning of certainty the words hold

c) Being witnesses for Jesus is not a

(1) Might be

(2) Should be

(3) Could be

(4) Will someday be

(5) Ought to be

(6) Used to be

d) Being witnesses for Jesus is always a “shall be”

C. Be a witness to the world[5]

1. Jerusalem

a) Home

b) You own people

c) Familiar

d) Your own culture

2. Samaria

a) Known – but not home

b) People you know about

c) Different but not strange

3. To the remotes part of the earth

a) Unknown

b) Not your people

c) Different and strange

4. The command is to go until all the world has heard the gospel

a) The word translated remote is eschatos

(1) 61.13 ἔσχατοςa, η, ον: pertaining to being the last in a series of objects or events—‘last, final, finally.’[6]

(2) From where we get our word eschatology – the study of the last things (end times)

b) The idea is to go to the last people

5. The command to be the witnesses of Jesus is specific

a) Be witnesses to Jesus

b) To every people

c) Until the last parts of the earth have heard

6. The numbers[7]

a) Over 4000 unreached people groups

b) Over 3 billion people who have never encountered a witness for Jesus

c) They have never heard that

(1) He lived without sin

(2) They are condemned in their sin

(3) Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sin

(4) Jesus rose from the dead

(5) All those who believe on Jesus in faith will be saved

7. The task is clear – until all have heard

8. The resource is clear – by the power of God

9. We must go

III. Get to it

Here I want us to consider this passage in connection to a later passage in the testimony of Acts.

In verses 10-11 the disciples are dumbfounded and frozen as they star into the shy where Jesus has just ascended. Their stunned inactivity is interrupted by two angels who ask and confronting question and give a defining truth.

Confronting question: Why are you staring at the sky?

Defining truth: Jesus is coming again

Now skip ahead with me in the testimony of the early church to chapter 13. In verse 1 we are are told that in the church art Antioch there were some of the greatest men of faith ministering among the church. Among these men were Saul (who would later be named Paul) that God used to write the majority of the New Testament, and Barnabas who was a major leader in the early church and had great influence over Saul (Paul).

I cannot make too much of this. Imagine the most gifted teacher, preacher, theologian, church planter, pastor, evangelist was your pastor whom you heard preach and teach every Sunday. Imagine that along with this pastor there was another pastor on staff that God had greatly blessed with wisdom, generosity, encouragement, and pastoral ministry skills that God had used to found the church and grow the church. Now imagine at the very moment the leadership of the church was gaining the moment of growth and ministry the Holy Spirit moves among the church to send them to another place of ministry.

(NASB95)

First Missionary Journey

1 Now there were at aAntioch, in the bchurch that was there, cprophets and dteachers: eBarnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of fCyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with gHerod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, athe Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me bBarnabas and Saul for cthe work to which I have called them.”

3 Then, when they had fasted and aprayed and blaid their hands on them, cthey sent them away.

4 So, being asent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to bCyprus.[8]

A. Set loose

1. The word used in verse 3 is lyō

a) The root word simply means to untie or release

b) The word used in verse 3 means. To set loose for a purpose

c) 15.66 πέμπωa; ἀποστέλλωa; ἀπολύωb: to cause someone to depart for a particular purpose—‘to send.’[9]

2. There is a tendency to want to hold on to things

3. Some of you have storage rooms (even buildings) full of things that you will never use (or don’t even remember that you have) but you cannot let loose of these things for fear that you might needs something you have stored in the future

4. In the church there is the since of self-preservation and economy that often causes us to not let loose

a) For the sake of self-preservation

(1) We desire to hold onto people that are gifted and whom God is using

(2) We desire to have our attendance number stay high

b) For the sake of economy, we struggle

(1) With letting someone go in whom when have poured so much into

(2) Often in the life of a church – one church does the work or growing a disciplining a brother or sister while another church enjoys the fruit

5. I do not know for sure, but I think it is a safe assumption that the church at Antioch recognized the lose they were to endure when Paul and Barnabas were called away

6. If they felt the lose they did not allow it to cause them to be disobedient

7. Verse 3 simply says they fasted, prayed, laid their hands on them as an act of blessing and commissioning then set them loose

8. The tie back to chapter one is the defining truth that the angels declare that Jesus is coming back

9. The church labors not in a self-preservation mode but in an anticipatory mode

10. Jesus is coming again

11. Because Jesus is returning our purpose is not to preserve what we have but to be about what He has called us to and advance the kingdom

12. The church must go out, gather in, build up AND send out so that in everything we would be faithful witnesses

B. Be obedient while we wait

1. The word that is translated “sent” in verse 4 is a different word that in verse 3

2. In verse 4 the word is pempō

a) 15.66 πέμπωa; ἀποστέλλωa; ἀπολύωb: to cause someone to depart for a particular purpose—‘to send.’[10]

3. Here the meaning has the idea or purposefully sending away

4. Paul and Barnabas were set free by the church to obey the leadership of the Holy Spirit

5. Paul and Barnabas were also sent with purpose on their first missionary journey

6. The point is this – until the Lord returns let us as a church and as individuals be obedient to where and to what God has called us

7. For some that will be here in Waycross

a) Participating in Operation meet the neighbors

b) Going across the street to talk with a neighbor about Jesus

c) Talking with a coworker about Jesus

d) Witnessing to your team

e) Witnessing to your class

f) Witnessing to your family

8. For some that will be going away in purpose

a) Short-term mission trips

b) Lifelong mission trips

c) Career changes

d) Career choices

9. Writing to the Thessalonians Paul pick up on both the urgency and the intensity of which we are to live

a) (NASB95) — 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

b) (NASB95) — 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

10. Where ever you may be – be obedient to God’s purpose and call

11. Whatever you may be doing – be obedient to God’s purpose and call

12. Every one of us has been sent out with a purpose to make Jesus known

One of the most unique sporting events in the world did not begin as a sporting event. Each year riders and their dogs race more than 1,000 miles for several days through the Alaskan snow from Anchorage to Nome for Iditarod, the famous dogsled race. But the genesis of Iditarod was something very serious. In 1925, hundreds of children in Nome had been exposed to diphtheria. At this point in history, children around the world died from the highly contagious disease because widespread vaccinations had not yet been introduced. The only serum to combat the disease was far away in Anchorage. To get the serum to Nome quickly, it was first carried by train to Nenana. Then teams of riders (known as mushers) and their dogs, strategically placed along the path, carried the serum to Nome via a relay. More than 150 dogs and 20 mushers were involved in the heroic efforts, which became called "The Great Race of Mercy." With passion and intensity, the mushers hurtled the 300,000 units of life-saving serum across the Alaskan countryside, arriving in Nome in only 127 hours— a record that has yet to be broken. By combining the right medicine with radical effort, hundreds of lives were saved.

While the Iditarod had an amazing origin, it is now just another sporting event. The teams race a similar path, but the motivation is different. They still tie sleds behind dogs, but they are not racing to save lives anymore. The same is often true of our churches. If we are not intentional, what was once a life-saving mission can become much less. As a church we can gather people and go through the motions of Christian discipleship without a sense of the life-giving message and mission we have been given. The race is on, and the stakes are high.[11]

[1] This point comes from a sermon I first preached on 4/3/2016 at Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA titled To the Ends of the The Earth from Acts 1_1-11 To the Ends of earth.docx

f feminine

[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 679.

dat. dative

pl. plural

m masculine

[3] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 417.

[4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 148.

[5] See footnote 3

[6] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 610.

[7] https://joshuaproject.net/global_statistics

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[8] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

[9] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 190.

[10] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 190.

[11] Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, Eric Geiger, Creature of the Word (B&H Publishing, 2012), pp. 137-156