Acts 13: 1-6 (TPC) Missions Sermon
Notes
Transcript
Greeting
Greeting
Thank you Pastor Tate and the Deacons/Deaconess for allowing me the opportunity to teach this morning
The Ministers for their and service to our Church
To my best friend and beautiful wife Genesis
To the congregation gathered this morning for your fellowship and faithfulness to Turning Point Church
Last but certainly not least thank you to our Ushers for their service, please feel free to take a seat
Please bow your heads and pray with me.
Introduction/Background:
Introduction/Background:
You may remember a few weeks ago when Pastor Tate announced that I would be leading our Missions efforts, I hope to use this sermon as a launching pad for that effort. To lay before you a theology of missions that will serve as our foundation as we move forward. Our text this morning will be
English Standard Version Chapter 13
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
English Standard Version Chapter 13
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
Antioch was to become the greatest missionary church of the 1st century, a small group of faithful Christians who empowered by the Holy Spirit and willing to sacrifice for the good of others literally changed the world.
Small number of verses. Read the chapter.
Antioch was to become the greatest missionary church of the 1st century, a small group of faithful Christians who empowered by the Holy Spirit and willing to sacrifice for the good of others literally changed the world.
So this morning I want to walk us line by line through the text to see what we can learn from the church in Antioch, and see how we can live out their example 2,000 years later. When there is as great a need as ever for the Gospel to be carried forth by faithful Christians. Don’t get me wrong we have made progress...
At the time of this passage about 46 A.D. scholars believe the population of the world was ~300,000,000 million people. We don’t know the size of the church at this time exactly we can infer from the texts that maybe 1/10 of 1 percent of the world had been reached with the Gospel. Leaving 99.9 percent of the world un-reached.
2,000 years later The Joshua Project estimates that today 42% of the world’s population remains unreached (16% in th US), 3.19 billion people unreached with the Gospel. An un-reached people group is defined as “An unreached or least-reached people is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance.” Two of the 7,300 unreached people groups that make up that number are in Ethiopia a place near and dear to my families heart.
All know those in our community without the Gospel. So there is much work to be done, people across the street, people across the world.
So let’s walk through the text and see what we can learn from these passages about the church in Antioch, and what we can do moving forward to address this need.
1st Observation This Church Was Uniquely Equipped to Loved and Serve Their Community:
1st Observation This Church Was Uniquely Equipped to Loved and Serve Their Community:
The first thing the text lays out is the leadership team of this church. “13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Why is this relevant (every line of scripture has something for us) and what can it teach us about the church?
13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
43 .
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
As the commentators point out “The church at Antioch was not left without signs of Christ’s grace and presence. It had its band of ‘prophets and teachers.’ ...four of the five named are Hellenists,-that is, Jews born in Gentile lands, and speaking Gentile languages.”
In other words the Lord had prepared them for His mission in Antioch...
If you want to leave your finger in and turn back a page or two with me to you will see what this mission was:
English Standard Version Chapter 11
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord
44 Prill, T. (2009). Migration, Mission and the Multi-ethnic Church. Evangelical Review Of Theology, 33(4), 337.
After Stephen the first Decon was martyred the church was scattered due to persecution. The spread out throughout the area some making their way 300 miles north (a months journey to Antioch)
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.English Standard Version Chapter 13
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
So while the practice had been to that point to proclaim this word to the Jews only, these followers of Jesus looked around this city of half a million people, huge for that time, and felt compassion for them. They determined to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the community to their neighbors, friends, co-workers. And what does it say “the hand of the Lord was with them”.
45 Prill, T. (2009). Migration, Mission and the Multi-ethnic Church. Evangelical Review Of Theology, 33(4), 337.
So while the practice had been to that point had been to proclaim the word to the Jews only, these followers of Jesus looked around this city of half a million people, huge for that time, and felt compassion for them. They determined to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the community to their neighbors, friends, co-workers. And what does it say “the hand of the Lord was with them” (scandalous to the 1st century reader).
English Standard Version Chapter 11
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
team was not an exception to the rule, it would become the norm.
They were uniquely gifted to minister to the city which God had sent them into, yes they were refugees but they had the very words of life an the ability to share them. In other words they didn’t close the church door behind them. They had the Gospel, how easy it would have been, in fact as the text tells us it was the norm to form a Holy Huddle and meet together without engaging the wider community. But that’s not what Jesus told us to do:
English Standard Version Chapter 28
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So as a church we will seek to integrate ourselves into the community and bring you opportunities to serve our local schools, our local foster care community. Reverend Franklin offered us an opportunity just two weeks ago to come and serve in reaching out to our community. And I hope that as a church family we would take advantage of those opportunities to serve, and in that service to tell those we serve about Jesus.
Just like the church at Antioch we are equipped to reach our community with the Gospel. We have a duty to share the good news that has changed our lives. The Lord has brought here the exact group of His children, with the contacts, experiences, talents, and passion for His name to be glorified that we need to do His work. And I believe as with Antioch “the hand of the Lord” will be with us.
So as a church we will seek to integrate ourselves into the community and bring you opportunities to serve our local schools, our local foster care community. Reverend Franklin offered us an opportunity just two weeks ago to come and serve in reaching out to our community. And I hope that as a church family we would take advantage of those opportunities to serve, and in that service to tell those we encounter about Jesus. We must seek to form relationships that allow us to speak into people’s lives.
But, there’s always a but right? It’s not only the job of the church leadership to serve up opportunities. Each one of us has a sphere of influence, no matter how small, that we can use to advance the gospel. It maybe as simple as inviting a friend to church, it maybe sharing the Gospel with a co-worker. You might have an opportunity to invite friends and neighbors into your home to read the word of God. Each of us has opportunities, and we can follow Antioch’s example in seeking those opportunities out...
One quick aside. We often here objections to personal evangelism “I don’t know enough”, “what if I can’t answer their questions”, “I need more time to get ready”. Let’s think for a second about the thief on the cross. He was saved in the final hours of his life by believing Jesus was the son of God and trusting in Him for his salvation.
Imagine, if we had been able to walk up to that thief on the cross and ask him about Jesus, he had most likely never heard Jesus teach, might not have been able to quote on word of scripture, knew nothing but that Jesus was God and his life had been changed. That’s all that he could have told us, but when we saw the peace in his eyes, a dying man full of joy we would have been amazed and wanted to know more. If he had figured out by who was weeping at Jesus’ cross who his followers were he might have told us to go to them, to sit at their feet and learn. Without a bit of theology, or a passage of scripture what a powerful witness that would have been, we are all experts on our story, and the difference that Jesus has made it our lives, share that. And then invite them here, or to a friend who is a more seasoned Saint to ask their questions.
2nd Observation We must Seek His Guidance:
2nd Observation We must Seek His Guidance:
The text tells us “2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
The Holy Spirit spoke to them during a time of worshiping and fasting. No doubt in this time of worshipping and fasting they were seeking God’s will for their church, and for them personally. God responds to that kind of a heart.
Quick story, before Genesis and I joined TPC we invited Pastor Tate and First Lady Ashanti to our home to ask some questions and to get to know the church better, and so they could get to know us. I had not given any thought to how I would serve here until Ashanti asked me “what do you want to do here at TPC”. I said something like, “I will do anything, change trash cans whatever”. What a terrible non-answer, I think I thought it sounded humble but it showed a lack of serious thought about how I could serve the church. Anyone of us is willing to change the trash bags, it was a cop-out. In the coming weeks the Holy Spirit kept bringing that question “what do you want to do here” back up again, and again.
Eventually through prayer, the Lord lead me to ask Pastor Tate if I could serve in a role promoting and equipping missions.
So just like in Antioch, and in my little story we can all go before the Lord and ask for opportunities, direction, clarity. But none of us should question whether or not there is a call to missions on our lives. The text we just read in Matthew was clear, it didn’t say...”some of you go and make disciples” it said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. and we are to Go therefore and make disciples.
The New American Commentary: . Paul and Barnabas Commissioned (13:1–3)13:1 The Antioch church was the first Christian congregation to witness to the Gentiles in its own city (11:19f.). It then became the first to send missionaries forth into the larger world. Judging from Acts, Antioch was the first church to catch the vision of “foreign missions.”Let me tell you a few things we know about the church in AntiochThese brothers and sisters cared deeply for their community. If you want to keep your finger in and flip back with me a couple of pages to we can see this.
3rd Observation We Must Give our Best:
3rd Observation We Must Give our Best:
The text tells us in verse 3 “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
This church was obedient to the call to equip and send international missionaries into the field. But it is more than that when the Holy Sprirt spoke to them, He not only called them to a radical mission to leave Antioch and go into a hostile world to proclaim Jesus, He demanded their best. Paul and Barnabas were the most prominent leaders of the church, but this is a central mission of the church one worthy of our best. The best of our talent, the best of our time, and the best of our treasure.
If you have kids that are old enough to stay at home alone (Genesis and I are looking forward to that day) when you give them instructions what is the last thing you say on the way out of the door…? It is the most important thing right, “don’t burn down the house” or something like that. It is the thing you most want your children to remember. This charge to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” was the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before His accession.
Now don’t here me saying other scripture is less important tells us “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ” But it would be silly for us to believe that Jesus’ last words to His disciples don’t apply to you and me.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.The whole council of scripture T3:16 but silly to believe
John Piper a Pastor a favorite author of mine wrote “If you are not going and if you are not sending, then you are disobeying.” 9
So what does Pastor Piper mean. We are disobeying God's command if we fail to play our part. God will call some to go into the missions field long term (blank check/venmo), He will call others to short term work, and He will call still others to sacrifice financially to support those who are in the field. And it is hard right we have so many demands on our time and resources. But again this is not an optional calling.
Lest we forget what month it is let me share an example from history with you, an examples of the priority this work should take in our lives. Foreign Missions work will take sacrifice on our part , but those pioneers who have gone before us have born a greater burden and set an example for us all...
If you were to Google as I did yesterday morning “Who was the First Missionary sent from North America” the top result in Google is Adoniram Judson a white Baptist Minister from Massachusetts, who sailed to Burma in 1812 and served there faithfully for 37 years. And while we honor that amazing service to the Lord it should be noted that we was not the first missionary sent from these shores.
George Liele
George Liele a freed slave, the first African American ordained Baptist Pastor in the US and the founder of the First African Baptist Church, located in Savannah, Georgia, which still exists today left these shores for Jamaica in 1783 some 29 years before Pastor Judson.
Pastor Liele began the work of proclaiming Jesus Christ to the enslaved population of the island, who the Church of England was not ministering to.
Pastor Liele would baptise 500 people in the early years of his ministry, by 1832 as a direct result of Pastor Liele’s work there were 20,000 baptists on the island, and he is credited with playing a large role in the abolition of slavery on the island in 1838.
Pastor Liele and his Ethiopian Baptist Movement would in turn send from Jamaica's shores church pastors who planted churches in Georgia, South Carolina, Nova Scotia, and Sierra Leone.
Pastor Liele’s commitment to missions should inspire all of us, he face innumerable challenges including being imprisoned twice for his work in Jamaica and persevered until his death in 1828. Today the Joshua Project there are over 2MM Christians on the island of Jamacia a testament to Pastor Liele’s work.
He did all this while facing opposition, he was imprisoned twice
So as a church we will seek out international evangelism efforts to support, and as we build these partnerships we hope to send out short term mission teams to support their efforts. It is our hope that later this year the Director of the Child Evangelism Fellowship’s program in Ethiopia Zerihun Furgassa will present their mission to us as a congregation and we can begin supporting their work bringing the gospel to the children of Ethiopia.
Conclusion: One Last Thing
Conclusion: One Last Thing
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The vision of Revelations
Revelations 7:9-10 gives us a vision of the fruits of this labor “9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Can you imagine that day, can you imagine the joy we will feel knowing we were obedient to the Lord’s call on our lives. What a gift that the Lord allowed us to play some small role in those gathered on that day. It might be a neighbor, or a co-worker, or a child that you loved enough to support 8,000 miles away in East Africa. Whatever time, treasure, and talents we give to his mission I promise on that day we will know it was worth every sacrifice.
Let’s pray.
Thief on the Cross