Church Planting: To the ends of the earth to the end of the age . . .

Joe Swords

A Vision for Church Planting • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

0 ratings

· 2 views

Notes

Transcript

Series Big Idea: A Vision for Church Planting

Sermon Big Idea: Church Planting: To the ends of the earth to the end of the age . . .

I. We have been given a ministry in the meantime.

¶ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;

for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

¶ So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,

and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

¶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

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,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

II. Our ministry in the meantime is a ministry of gathering and scattering.

Gather

Going back to gather (See B1)

¶ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Gathering in the city (See B2)

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

¶ And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Gathering to pray (See B3)

¶ 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.

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.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

¶ 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.

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.”

Scatter

Scattering into the streets (Jerusalem)

¶ When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

¶ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

Scattering into the county (Judea and Samaria)

¶ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,

who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’—

¶ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

¶ 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.

Scattering into the empire

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

¶ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

See the three common themes of the church scattered

Scattered by the Holy Spirit — , ; and 8:1; 13:4

To proclaim the gospel word

In Jerusalem

¶ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

¶ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

Throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria

¶ Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

To the ends of the earth

When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

. . . [Jesus] whom God raised up did not see corruption.

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Transition: Churches Planted

III. We, then, constantly gather as churches and scatter to plant churches.

Paul’s mission was not merely to see people freed from sin and the law by the gospel of Jesus, but to plant churches in every place.

¶ And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

And as those churches were strengthened, they sent out more people to see more churches planted.

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece.

There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

A vision picked up by the church in Thessalonica, which you can't listen to . . .

In the spirit of the early church, as part of Acts 29, we continue to gather and scatter with the gospel word by the power of the Holy Spirit

Planting a church in Flint

Partnering with a church in Howell

Assessing church planters in the Midwest

Networked with church planters around the world

Japan Australia Brazil USKenya and Uganda, and other countries too dangerous for our planters for me to list.