Acts 13:1-3 Church Planting Vision

It’s amazing that the Church made it to Antioch

Acts 2

The Church Planted at Pentecost

Holy Spirit of God comes like a mighty rushing wind

Peter preaches the first Christian sermon

3,000 people saves 

First Baptist Church of Jerusalem is born

This was the place to be

All of the apostles and the disciples of Jesus were there

Worship was off the charts

The children’s ministry was popping!

But this is not where God intended it to stay, only to start.

But why would you want to leave?

“Who’s preaching this weekend?” Yes, Peter!

Stephen, lay-leader gives a clinic on biblical theology

Acts 7:54–8:3 ESV

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

You don’t have to have a Ph.D. to know the deep things of the Lord

Saul approves of the stoning of Stephen

This feels like a step back in the church

Wow, they’re seriously against us.

Acts 8:1-3

The church flourishes amidst persecution

Satan incited wicked men to kill a faithful servant of Christ

“And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” (v. 1)

Take that, devil.

God turns the evil works of the devil, and uses them as songs of grace

Story of Saul’s conversion

Acts 11:19-21

This is how we get to the church of Antioch

The Unstoppable Kingdom

The Kingdom of God is built by unlikely companions

Natural enemies are united in Jesus Christ

Think quickly through the apostles

Luke 6:12–16 ESV

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Matthew

Tax Collector/Publican

Political office created by the Romans to help collect taxes in the provinces.

More than just pocketing extra cash

Considered to be Roman sympathizers

Simon the Zealot

Anti-roman political group

Refused to pay tribute to the Romans, on account that this was a violation of the principle that God was the only king of Israel.

Dedicated to fighting the oppression of Rome

Including killing tax collectors if necessary

Peter

Fisherman who became an apostle

Rough and tumble character

Often thinks with his muscles instead of his head

I love Peter because he’s so back and forth, just like many of us

Get’s a gold sticker for acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah

Immediately gets called Satan on the same page in my Bible.

Cut off a dude’s ear while arresting Jesus/ “I’ll die with you, Lord!”

Denies him an hour later after being pressed by a middle school girl

John, son of Zebedee

Has beef with Peter seemingly continuously

Judas

Need I say more?

Acts 13:1 ESV

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.

These guys would not make a good small group

That these men are together is absolutely a community of grace

Manean

Lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch

Guilty by association

What was Herod’s gift to the world on the first Christmas?

Killing dozens of little boys in Bethlehem in hopes to kill the Messiah

He beheaded John the Baptist!

How can you be friends with Herod?!

Saul

Already covered what kind of gem he is

He and Manean are joining at the same time

Suspicious

Barnabas

Real name Joseph

Likely converted at Pentecost

Renamed “Barnabas” by the apostles in Acts 4:36-37 because he sold his field and gave it to the disciples

“Son of Encouragement”

Human golden retriever

God’s kingdom is made up of broken people

This means that we’re all banged up and goofy

The number one thing all of these people have in common is that they have been saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe

The gospel is God’s plan A to restore all of creation back to Himself

There is no plan B

The only thing that makes the church is broken people redeemed by the gospel of Jesus Christ

The Unstoppable Mission

The mission of God will not be stopped where the church leads with the gospel

This was their evangelism plan

Every single person in this room is doing something that you can invite someone else into

Working on cars

Playing music

Eating

We eat enough, we just don’t eat enough together

The Bible uses meals for times of discipleship

Is your house open to biblical hospitality?

Is your home open to inviting in sinners with the hopes of sharing the gospel?

Our lives ought to thrive around the gospel and bringing people to Jesus

How do we make disciples?

Acts 13:2–3 ESV

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.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Saul and Barnabas Evangelism Team

The Church is God’s plan A to deliver redemption to a broken, dying world

This includes every Christian

Not merely pastors

Ephesians 4:11-13

The Church is not an inheritance to be passed down; it’s a Commission to fulfill

Bring in someone who knows nothing about Jesus

Be slopily obedient to what you know

You don’t save

Jesus saves

This gives us freedom to enjoy Jesus and play!

This gives us freedom to see strangers as neighbors, and neighbors as family of God

Paul and Barnabas’s mission was to lead with the gospel, plant churches, and enjoy Jesus.

CONCL

We’ve been invited into the unstoppable mission of an unstoppable Kingdom

We get to build relationships

Invest in people’s lives

Love them in Jesus’ name

What does the Great Commission look like in your life?

Who are you praying for?

What lost person do you want to see come to faith in Jesus Christ?

How can you get in on Church planting with Graceland Madison?

Prayer

Payment

People