God's Playbook for Missions

At 4:30 pm today, an event will occur called the Super Bowl. Over 100 Million people will tune in to watched 22 men fight for, run, throw, and kick a piece of leather. Two teams consisting of no more than 53 players on each team, along with some coaches working… striving… giving their all, while 100 million sit by, entertained, relaxing, maybe cheering, critiquing, as they sit in their comfortable easy chair eating chips,wings, and drinking soda!

We are beginning to look at in the book of acts sections commonly referred to as “the missionary journeys of Paul”.

It can be tempting to allow ourselves as we go through these sections to fall into spectator positions in our understanding and application of these passages if we are not careful.

There is a place for spectators in the church however…

John 17:15–21 NASB95

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The church, never was intended to be a spectator lifestyle, rather one of engagement and movement forward. Building up the body, building up the church… all through the power of the Holy Spirit.

John 17:15–21 NASB95

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Paul explains this well in

Ephesians 4:11–12 NASB95

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

The work God has in store for His church is far too great for a handful of those He has gifted and called in certain areas to do. He expects them to EQUIP!

Equip for what??? “Works of service… building up the body of Christ!”

This is important for us to understand as we look at the Biblical mindset of Missions

We get our English word for “mission” from the Latin… it carries the concept of

A Task Assigned or Act of Sending

Webster defines it as: 1) the act or an instance of sending 2) a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith

I believe it is important for us to understand how our culture approaches missions before we look at how God defines missions in His scriptures.

2 a: a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work

Many define missions as anything that requires raising support for (non-profit)

Travel, building things, feeding, helping… etc.

These are good, they can even be a mission for sure… BUT it is not ALL necessarily the Biblical mandate of missions.

In order to better understand the Biblical mindset of missions let’s turn to & 14

As we begin here we will ask and consider:

Who?

How?

Where?

The “who” will probably be a smaller number. In Ephesians remember Paul state “He gave some” or appointed some to be “pastors, teachers, evangelist etc”

Some of you this morning may be pray that you are not the some…

Please Don't Send Me to Africa Song by Scott Wesley Brown

Oh Lord I am your willing servant You know that I have been for years I'm here in this pew every Sunday and Wednesday I've stained it with many a tear I've given You years of my service I've always given my best And I've never asked you for anything much So, Lord I deserve this request

Lyrics Oh Lord I am your willing servant You know that I have been for years I'm here in this pew every Sunday and Wednesday I've stained it with many a tear I've given You years of my service I've always given my best And I've never asked you for anything much So, Lord I deserve this request

Please don't send me to Africa I don't think I've got what it takes I'm just a man, I'm not a Tarzan Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes I'll serve you here in suburbia In my comfortable middle class life But please don't send me out into the bush Where the natives are restless at night

I'll see that the money is gathered I'll see that the money is sent I'll wash and stack the communion cups I'll tithe eleven percent I'll volunteer for the nursery I'll go on the youth group retreat I'll usher, I'll deacon, I'll go door to door Just let me keep warming this seat

Please don't send me to Africa I don't think I've got what it takes I'm just a man I'm not a Tarzan Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes I'll serve you here in suburbia In my comfortable middle class life But please don't send me to the ends of the earth Where the natives are restless at night

Please don't send me to Africa I don't think I've got what it takes I'm just a man I'm not a Tarzan Don't like lions, gorillas or snakes I'll serve you here in suburbia In my comfortable middle class life But please don't send me to the ends of the earth Where the natives are restless at nightSource: Musixmatch Songwriters: Scott-wesley Brown

For the SOME of you that are wanting to sing harmony with this song we will come back to you later, in the meanwhile we are going to look at the other some… let’s look together at

Acts 13:1–3 NASB95

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to 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, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Notice who and how God chose:

“While they were ministering”… they were already serving God, He was just going to change how it looked!

They were not sitting waiting for God to call

They were faithful in what God was having them do

They had just returned in fact from ministering to the church in Jerusalem with the famine!

Set apart… for a special work.

Fasting and Prayer… Biblical disciplines in the Christian life

Focus on God, not for God to focus on us!

Barnabas… (an encouraging man)

Acts 4:36 NASB95

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),

He encouraged Paul stood up for him...

Acts 9:27 NASB95

But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

Every team needs a Barnabas… Every team needs a Paul too… Look how God Prepared this man:

Born a Roman Citezen

A rabbi, that is, a minister, a teacher, and a lawyer all in one

Acts 9:29 NASB95

And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary Paul

a rabbi, that is, a minister, a teacher, and a lawyer all in one

A pupil under the well known and celebrated rabbi Gamaliel

He was comfortable traveling, we even see him going beyond the norm on the road to Damascus when the Lord calls him

He was naturally passionate about serving God

We celebrate and revere the Apostle Paul… but notice he never does things alone

This time Barnabas is with him, as well as John Mark (Verse 5)

Partners in ministry, training the next ones to serve…

Beware in ministry those who seek to be “Lone Wolves” they just may be wolves in sheep clothing.

The church in Antioch is there “sending” agency!

Prayer

Support

Encouragement

This is the church in action… maybe not in Africa but in action

The song jokes at the tithing, sending, prayin

SHOW MAP

Next week we will look more into the strategy, but I want you to see the WHERE and the HOW

This is the smallest area Paul will cover on his missions

Predominately the region of Galatia and the Island of Cyprus

IMAGES of Cyprus

Most likely lasted a year to two years

gives an example of the pattern we see:

Acts 13:4–12 NASB95

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

Pattern of Ministry/Missions

Proclaim the Word of God

In Synagogues First

Jews and Gentiles alike

Face Opposition

Remain Faithful

Move On

Next week we will Look at this in closer detail as we consider the strategy more. Do you know what Paul and Barnabas would leave behind as they moved on…

Believers in Christ (AKA The Church)!!!

They equipped them to share

They equipped them to grow

They equipped them for service!

The church today has grown enamored with the spectator position of things… we have stepped off the field (a field ripe for harvest) and put ourselves in the seats of the world watching, begging to be entertained rather than on the field working at being trained and doing the work of proclaiming the Word of God!

We treat Sunday mornings like it is the game, and we come only to watch and be entertained, when in reality it is only a huddle… when we leave here we should be saying BREAK or AMEN and go and do the work… to put into action what God has instructed us to do!

As we leave today I want to pray for two groups:

the group God may be calling to be set apart

the group that God will use this week for works of service

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ… then you fall into one of these groups.

God's Playbook for Missions

MISSIONS...

WHO?

A Team Set Apart & Sent