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Acts 14:19-28 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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All right, good morning, church.
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All right, we are super excited to get to worship with you guys one more time before we head back to our country in Southeast Asia.
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! The past couple months has been an extreme delight and joy for our family.
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We've gotten to have meals with many of you guys to talk.
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And sadly, there's been some that we haven't even had a chance.
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And we're like, oh, we wish we could sit down and talk with them.
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But in the Lord's due time, we would love to do that.
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I'm excited to get to bring the word to you all today from Acts chapter 14.
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So if you have your copy of God's word, please open to Acts chapter 14.
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And we'll begin today in verses 19 through 28.
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As you're turning there, I want you to know that my hope for today's sermon is that you will be reminded of the joyful privilege and blessing it is to have the local church.
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And I want to remind you that I know you guys already know it.
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But we, as Nathan has said over and over again, if you've spent any time around Providence Baptist Church, he will say,
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we are people slow to remember and quick to forget.
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And why does he say this a lot?
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Well, because we are people slow to remember and quick to forget.
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So we need a lot of reminders.
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And so my prayer for today is that you will clearly see in the scripture that our God is building his church through his church for his glory.
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I pray that you will not only see it, but you will be reminded of the joyful privilege and delight that it is that you have been given by God to be a part of a church.
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That if you're a member here, that you get to call Providence Baptist Church.
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And if you are not from here, I do hope that you have a church that you get to be a faithful member at and call your family.
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To be a part of a local church who knows the gospel, loves the gospel, loves one another, and desires to see his glory known in all the earth.
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So may we never forget the precious privilege that we have been given.
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But before we begin looking at today's passage, I want to lay a little bit of a foundation, a little bit of a context,
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since we're jumping into the middle of the book of Acts, into some events that have already been unfolding.
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And I don't have enough time to do a lot of detail, so I'm giving you a very big overview of what goes on here.
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Really, we're looking at Paul's first missionary journey, and this starts back in Acts 13.1,
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where Paul and Barnabas were worshiping the Lord and fasting with the church at Antioch in Syria.
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And the Holy Spirit said to the church,
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Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
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Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
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So here is the beginning of Paul's first missionary journey,
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and they are set apart and sent out through the local church.
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And from there, they set out on this U-shaped journey.
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They then go to Cyprus, and then to places in Lycia and Galatia.
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And what do they do each time they arrive to these new places?
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Well, they preach the gospel and make disciples.
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And why do they preach?
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Well, because they preach because the power to raise dead hearts to life
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is not in them, but is in the word, the gospel proclaimed.
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It wasn't in just doing acts of mercy or of kindness, which we should do,
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but it was through the preached word.
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Acts of mercy might be a vehicle to help carry the gospel to some of these regions,
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but without the gospel proclamation, there will be no life.
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There will be no true power.
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So what was Paul's missionary strategy that we see throughout Acts 13 and 14,
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and honestly, the whole book of Acts?
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Well, we see that he goes and he preaches the gospel.
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And he goes to the next place and he preaches the gospel.
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And I would like to say that this isn't just Paul's missionary strategy,
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but this should be ours.
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We know Mark chapter 16, verse 15 says,
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to go out into all the world and preach the good news.
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And what is the core of the gospel they were preaching?
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And before we get into our text, I want to make this clear, church.
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And I know you know this.
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You've heard the gospel proclaimed over and over again.
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But we are slow to remember and quick to forget.
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So I do want to remind you that the gospel is that you have sinned against a holy God
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and deserve to be cast into hell for all of eternity.
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That there is no amount of good works that you could do to save yourself from the wrath of God.
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However, God sent his perfect son, Jesus Christ,
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who came and lived a perfect life and died as a substitute on your behalf,
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taking your sin upon himself and giving you his righteousness.
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And then on the third day, he rises from the dead.
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And if you believe in him and repent of your sin, you can have eternal life.
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That is the core of the gospel message that we believe.
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And this is good news.
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But I'm afraid as a church who's very comfortable with this,
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that we can be in danger of adding to this gospel.
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Instead of it just being Jesus and the gospel plus nothing else,
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we're in danger of adding external actions to try and affirm our acceptance or our maturity in God.
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Maybe it's Jesus plus a quiet time every morning.
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Jesus plus a healthy lifestyle.
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Jesus plus dressing a certain way.
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Or Jesus plus homeschooling.
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Plus good parenting.
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Jesus plus a stable job.
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A big family.
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Jesus plus fostering.
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Jesus plus getting married.
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Jesus plus being a part of a healthy church.
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Jesus plus doing family worship.
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Now listen to me carefully.
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These are things that are good to do.
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But if you think that your maturity or acceptance by God is merely based on doing these things,
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then you are in danger of adding to the gospel.
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Which adding anything to the gospel actually takes away from the gospel.
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And then in your evangelism, as you're sharing with others,
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you are in danger of unintentionally saying through your actions,
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to be a Christian means believing in Jesus and homeschooling and eating this way and being reformed.
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We must be careful that we are clear on what the gospel is and that we aren't adding to it.
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So should you read your Bible every day?
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I think this is a good practice and a really good habit.
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But listen, if you walk through the rest of the entire day feeling guilty
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or feeling that you're not pleasing to the Lord
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because you didn't get up early and read your Bible
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because maybe you had sick kids all last night.
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And if you feel like you're not walking pleasing to the Lord because of that,
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you might be trying to earn some kind of merit through your quiet times.
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You're accepted by God in the gospel.
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And should you do these things?
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Yes, the gospel compels you to want to know the Lord more,
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to want to delight and spend time with him.
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But your righteousness, your merit before the Lord is not based on what you do.
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It's based on what he has done.
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And that is really good for us to keep reminding ourselves.
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I love the lyrics of the song that say,
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All sufficient merit, shining like the sun,
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A fortune I inherit, by no work I have done.
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My righteousness I forfeit at my Savior's cross,
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Where all sufficient merit did what I could not.
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And you know what?
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God doesn't just save us and leave us alone.
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But he cares for us so much that he places us in a family that we get to call the church.
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And it is through that church that he goes and he gathers more people to praise him for his goodness and grace.
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A family which will help us to remember the gospel.
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For how do we grow in our discipleship?
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Well, we preach the gospel to one another.
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We preach the gospel to our own hearts.
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We listen to good, faithful preaching while we gather with the church.
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And this is why I get so concerned when I hear people say,
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And I have heard this quite a few times.
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I don't go to that church because of the preaching.
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I go because of the community.
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The programs.
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And that leaves me going,
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What?
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Really?
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That's like saying I go to a hospital because I like hanging out with the nurses and doctors.
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They're very friendly.
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Though they might have a terrible reputation of not helping sick patients get better,
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They got really nice nurses.
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Now don't get me wrong.
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A good hospital will be hospitable.
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But I want to be in a place where I am going to hear of the balm for my soul.
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I want to be in the place where the word of God is going to be preached.
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And where I can grow.
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I want to be in a place where sick patients can get better.
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So brothers and sisters, we need to be in a community where we will hear the gospel preached regularly and faithfully.
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A place where we will find true help.
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So I'm laying a little bit of foundation because you see that Paul is going to place and he's preaching the gospel,
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Preaching the gospel.
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And he goes to the next place and he preaches, makes disciples.
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But I also want you to see that's not all he does on this journey.
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And this is what we'll get into in Acts chapter 14.
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He also plants churches, appoints elders, strengthen and teaches the believers.
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And this is what we will see throughout Acts 14, 19 through 28.
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So if you have your copy of God's Word, let's read it.
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Acts 14, starting in verse 19, says,
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But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium.
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And having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
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But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city.
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And on the next day, he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
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When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples,
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they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
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strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith
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and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
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And when they had appointed elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting,
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they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
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Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.
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And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Italia.
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And from there they sailed to Antioch,
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where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.
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And when they arrived and gathered the church together,
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they declared all that God had done with them
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and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
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And they remained no little time with the disciples.
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I've divided our passage today into two parts to make it easier to follow along.
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Part one is the suffering from verses 19 through 20.
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And part two is the mission, verses 21 through 28.
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And the main point of our text today will be that God is building his church through his church for his glory.
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So part one, the suffering.
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I'm going to reread verse 19, which says,
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But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium,
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and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
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supposing that he was dead.
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Paul and Barnabas had just come from preaching in Antioch and Iconium,
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and after many had heard the gospel and believed,
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much conflict began to stir.
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Well, actually, the conflict wasn't even just stirring.
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It was actually boiling over at this point.
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Antioch and Iconium were about 100 miles away from Lystra,
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where Paul and Barnabas were.
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However, this kind of journey could take a group of people,
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anywhere from like two to five full days of traveling,
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to get there.
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So in relative comparison,
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it would be like they jumped in a bus in Atlanta,
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and drove all the way to California to put an end to Paul, the preacher.
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I hope you see that they were pretty mad.
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There was a lot of conflict stirring there.
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So when they get there,
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they persuade the crowds to stone Paul and drag him out of the city.
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And mob stoning like this was brutal.
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Getting pounded by large, heavy stones,
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bones breaking, blood dripping, skull cracking.
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And after they are sure he is dead,
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they drag his limp body out of the city.
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And this was a deep pain and suffering,
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and I'm sure Paul looked as dead as dead could be.
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But what happens next?
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Verse 20 says,
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But when the disciples gathered about him,
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he rose up and into the city,
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and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
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The disciples had actually probably come to bury him,
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but in a miraculous way,
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Paul gets up and the next day heads on to Derbe.
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Paul's condition was probably worse than somebody,
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if somebody had driven their car off the side of a mountain and lived.
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His condition was probably worse,
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but in some miraculous way he gets up
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and he walks the distance of potentially 50 miles
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to go to the next city.
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And what does he do?
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Well, he continues to preach.
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God gives him the strength to go on,
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but his scars still remain.
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And what was Paul's perspective over Christian suffering?
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There actually are many places we could turn to,
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but I want to mention just one that is relevant for our passage for today.
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Listen as I read Colossians chapter 1,
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verses 24 through 26.
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It says,
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Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake,
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and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's affliction
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for the sake of his body that is the church,
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of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God
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that was given to me for you
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to make the word of God fully known,
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the mystery hidden for ages and generations,
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but now revealed to his saints.
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So Paul sees his sufferings as filling up
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what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
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And if you read that,
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I bet a lot of you guys are saying,
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what does Paul mean here?
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How can there be anything lacking in Christ's afflictions?
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Maybe you will think of Hebrews 10, 14,
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which says,
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For by a single offering he has perfected for all time
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those who are being sanctified.
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Christ's atonement was perfectly sufficient.
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So what is lacking?
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Well, nothing is lacking in merit,
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but it is lacking in extension.
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And I love how John Piper explains it.
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He says,
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Christ's suffering must be carried to the world.
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And God has ordained that this happens
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through the suffering of his servants.
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He also says,
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The sufferings of Christ are completed in redemption,
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but they are still being completed in mission.
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As his ambassadors go out and preach the good news,
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there will be suffering.
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And in that suffering and sacrifice,
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there will be a physical display of Christ's suffering
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that proclaims to a dying world,
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that proclaims to a church
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that is suffering,
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that the sufferings of this present time
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are not worth comparing to the glory
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that is to be revealed to us.
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And look at what Paul says in Acts chapter 14,
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verses 22 in our text today.
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It says,
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so we're going to skip down just a little bit,
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but it says,
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that he was strengthening the souls of the disciples,
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encouraging them to continue in the faith,
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and saying that through many tribulations,
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we must enter the kingdom of God.
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And remember,
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Paul is saying this to a church
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right after he was stoned.
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His body,
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broken and beaten,
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was physically displaying the suffering of Christ,
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strengthening the church,
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building up the church,
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filling up what was lacking in the affliction of Christ
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for the sake of the church.
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And now some of you may say,
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but Caleb,
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am I really suffering?
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My life is so easy
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compared to what we read in the Bible,
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what we read about what's happening overseas
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in different areas.
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And this may be true.
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However,
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I have to ask you,
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are you being faithful
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in these so-called smaller sacrifices
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and trials for your king?
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For if you are not faithful
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in these smaller trials and difficulties
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that you face in a time of relative ease,
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how will you expect to be faithful
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in the time of great trial?
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And I can't flesh this out for all of you
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in your specific context,
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but maybe it is
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refusing a high-paying job
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or promotion
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because it would require you to work
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when the people of God are gathering.
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Or maybe your job requires you
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to buffer some numbers,
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to be dishonest,
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but you remain true.
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Maybe it's the daily sacrifice
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of waking up
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every single Sunday,
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getting your kids ready,
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and going to church,
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training your kids,
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when you know,
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honestly,
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you're probably only going to hear
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a few words from the sermon,
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but you do it anyways
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every single week
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because you know
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it's good for your soul,
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it's good for your kids,
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it's good for the church.
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Maybe it's opening your mouth
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at work
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to share the gospel
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with a co-worker
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or in your neighborhood
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with a neighbor
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or some friends
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who you know
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as soon as you open your mouth
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to tell them the gospel,
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oh,
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they're going to label you
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as a religious bigot.
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But you want them,
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you want them to believe,
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so you do it anyways.
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Maybe it's saying no
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to wasting your time
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on social media
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or watching TV
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so that you can be
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a more faithful friend,
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mom,
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dad,
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brother,
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sister,
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neighbor,
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church member,
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and disciple
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to those
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who are around you.
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I don't know
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what your current situation
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is like
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and what that sacrifice
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might be,
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but may we all
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on these
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quote-unquote
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smaller trials
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be faithful
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to our king.
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These trials
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of various kind
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and may they produce
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in us
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a steadfastness
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and may they build up
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the church
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for his glory.
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And after being built up,
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we may stand firm
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in the days
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of great trial.
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Praise God
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that the suffering
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of this present time
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are truly not worth
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comparing to the glory
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that will be revealed to us.
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That is part one
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of our sermon today.
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Part two
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is the mission.
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And this will be
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verses 21 through 28
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and I'm going to break
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this up into four
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brief sub-points
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or aims
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in order to show
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what was
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the apostles'
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mission
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and what was
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their strategy
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to spread the gospel
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to all nations.
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And by implication,
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what should our strategy
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be?
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The four aims
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of the mission
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are reaching
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the lost,
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teaching the disciples,
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planting local churches,
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and then we see
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Paul returning
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to encourage.
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And in all of these,
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and if you didn't
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quite write those down
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quite yet,
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I will repeat them
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as I get there.
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But in all of these,
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there is an underlying
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assumption of preaching
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and proclaiming
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the word of God.
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For how do we reach
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the lost?
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Well, it's by preaching
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the gospel.
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How do we teach
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the disciples?
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Well, it's through
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preaching the word,
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encouraging each other
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in the word.
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We plant churches
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that stand upon
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the word of God
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and we return
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and encourage others
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by telling all
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that the gospel
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has done.
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So the foundation
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of those is a
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preaching and proclaiming
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of the word.
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So aim number one,
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reaching the lost.
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Let's read the first
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part of verse 21,
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which says,
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when they had preached
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the gospel to that city
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and had made
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many disciples.
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So what did they do?
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They first reached
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the lost in that city
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through preaching
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the gospel
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and then making
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many disciples,
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thus taking part,
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the first part
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of the Great Commission,
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which says,
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go therefore
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and make disciples
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of all nations.
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So what was Paul's aim?
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To go and preach
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and make disciples.
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So what should our aim be?
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To go and preach
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and make disciples.
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But Paul doesn't
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just end there.
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Paul's ambition
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was to preach Christ,
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not where he had been named,
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as he says in Romans 15, 20.
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So Paul wanted to go
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to the unreached
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to preach the gospel there.
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But he just,
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he doesn't just leave
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these disciples alone.
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He doesn't just reach them,
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but he goes back
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and teaches them
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as they gather together
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as the local church.
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And on this U-shaped journey,
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Paul was headed back
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to the church
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that had sent him out.
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And if you know a U,
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the quickest way back
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to the other point of view
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is straight across.
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And Paul could have
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very easily done that.
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But instead of doing that,
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what he does is
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he goes back the long way
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and goes back
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through the regions
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that he had already been.
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And why does he do that?
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To go back to the regions
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where people had just traveled
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to stone him.
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Why does he do that?
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What was for the sake
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of the churches there?
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For the sake of encouraging
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and strengthening the disciples
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who had believed.
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So aim number two,
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teaching the disciples.
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Let's read the last part
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of verse 21
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and then verse 22.
25:33
It says,
25:34
Then they returned
25:36
to Lystra
25:36
and to Iconium
25:37
and to Antioch,
25:39
strengthening the souls
25:39
of the disciples,
25:41
encouraging them
25:41
to continue in the faith,
25:43
saying that through
25:44
many tribulations
25:45
we must enter
25:46
the kingdom of God.
25:48
So after reaching them,
25:50
Paul then goes back
25:51
and teaches them.
25:53
He strengthens their souls
25:55
and encourages them
25:56
to continue in the faith,
25:58
telling them that
25:58
through many tribulations
26:00
we must enter
26:00
the kingdom of God.
26:02
And we don't actually
26:03
get a lot of detail
26:04
of exactly what Paul said here,
26:07
but I can imagine
26:08
that it sounded
26:09
just like what he told Timothy
26:11
in 2 Timothy 3, 10 through 17.
26:15
And you will see actually
26:16
a lot of overlap
26:17
in this passage.
26:19
So just listen as I read
26:20
2 Timothy 3, 10 through 17.
26:24
It says,
26:26
You, however,
26:27
have followed my teaching,
26:28
my conduct,
26:29
my aim in life,
26:30
my faith,
26:31
my patience,
26:32
my love,
26:32
my steadfastness,
26:34
my persecutions
26:35
and sufferings
26:35
that happened to me
26:36
at Antioch,
26:38
at Iconium,
26:39
and at Lystra,
26:40
which persecutions
26:42
I endured.
26:43
Yet from them all
26:44
the Lord rescued me.
26:46
Indeed,
26:47
all who desire
26:48
to live a godly life
26:49
in Christ Jesus
26:50
will be persecuted.
26:53
While evil people
26:54
and imposters
26:55
will go on
26:55
from bad to worse,
26:56
deceiving and being deceived,
26:58
but as for you,
27:00
continue in what you
27:01
have learned
27:02
and have firmly believed,
27:04
knowing from whom
27:06
you have learned it
27:07
and how from childhood
27:09
you have been acquainted
27:11
with the sacred writings
27:12
which are able
27:13
to make you wise
27:14
for salvation
27:15
through faith
27:16
in Christ Jesus.
27:18
All scripture
27:19
is breathed out
27:20
by God
27:20
and profitable
27:21
for teaching,
27:22
for reproof,
27:23
for correction,
27:24
for training in righteousness
27:25
that the man of God
27:26
may be complete,
27:28
equipped for every
27:29
good work.
27:30
So how does Paul
27:33
encourage Timothy
27:33
in this passage?
27:36
He teaches him
27:37
and reminds him
27:39
of the truth
27:40
and encourages him
27:41
to continue
27:42
in what he has learned
27:43
and believed.
27:45
He also reminds him
27:47
that all scripture
27:48
is inspired by God
27:50
and useful
27:50
for building up
27:52
the church,
27:53
for equipping
27:54
the saints.
27:56
Paul in Acts 14
27:57
encourages the churches
27:58
in a very similar way.
28:00
He encourages them
28:01
in the truth,
28:02
by the truth.
28:04
He preaches
28:04
and teaches them
28:05
so that they may
28:07
grow in the Lord.
28:09
So how are we saved?
28:11
Well, it's through
28:11
hearing and believing
28:12
the preached word of God.
28:14
How do we grow?
28:16
Well, we grow
28:17
by hearing
28:18
and believing
28:19
the word of God.
28:21
And this is the part
28:22
of the Great Commission
28:23
that says,
28:24
teaching them to obey
28:25
all that I have commanded you.
28:28
It's not just
28:29
go and make disciples,
28:30
but it's also
28:31
to teach them
28:33
all that he has commanded.
28:35
And this is not just
28:37
the job
28:37
of pastors,
28:39
of missionaries,
28:41
of evangelists.
28:43
This is the part,
28:46
this is also
28:47
your job
28:48
as a member
28:49
of the body of Christ.
28:52
To preach,
28:54
to reach the lost
28:55
around you,
28:56
proclaim the gospel
28:57
to them
28:57
and teach them
28:59
what the Lord
29:00
has said.
29:02
So may we all
29:03
be faithful
29:04
to open our mouths
29:05
to reach the lost
29:06
and teach
29:07
the disciples.
29:09
Aim number three
29:10
is planting
29:12
churches.
29:14
Verse 23 says,
29:15
and when they had
29:15
appointed elders
29:16
for them in every church
29:17
with prayer and fasting,
29:19
they committed them
29:20
to the Lord
29:21
in whom they had
29:22
believed.
29:22
So along with
29:24
going back
29:25
to teach
29:25
the many disciples,
29:28
Paul and Barnabas
29:29
returned to help
29:30
appoint elders
29:31
in every church.
29:34
Now it doesn't tell us
29:35
when these churches
29:37
were formed,
29:38
but somewhere
29:39
from reaching them
29:40
to teaching them,
29:41
local communities
29:42
of believers
29:43
were gathering
29:44
together regularly
29:45
and they are
29:47
referred to
29:47
as churches
29:49
here in our text.
29:51
Honestly,
29:52
I wouldn't be
29:52
surprised if these
29:54
disciples naturally
29:55
started gathering
29:56
together because
29:57
they knew that
29:58
they needed
29:58
one another.
30:00
They had been
30:01
called from the
30:02
community of darkness
30:03
into the community
30:04
of light,
30:05
so why would you
30:06
not gather
30:07
with the people
30:08
of God
30:08
to be encouraged
30:10
on your heavenly
30:11
journey?
30:12
It would seem
30:13
foolish not to,
30:15
but it's a point
30:16
that I have to
30:17
emphasize
30:17
because sadly,
30:20
even today,
30:22
one of the most
30:22
popular missions
30:23
methodologies out
30:24
there says
30:26
that the church
30:26
is a hindrance
30:27
to the Great
30:28
Commission.
30:30
That if we would
30:31
just skip over
30:32
planting churches,
30:34
we would be able
30:34
to reach the nations
30:35
with the gospels
30:36
like we would have
30:37
done it already.
30:40
Churches are messy.
30:41
Why would you
30:42
slow down
30:43
and plant a church
30:44
when you can just
30:44
focus on making
30:45
disciples?
30:48
I hope that you
30:49
see the folly
30:51
in this.
30:53
This is not how
30:54
the apostles
30:54
understood the
30:55
Great Commission.
30:58
This is not how
30:59
we should understand
31:00
the Great Commission.
31:02
I mean,
31:03
imagine if your
31:04
building contractor
31:05
for your home
31:06
had this methodology.
31:09
After spending
31:10
about $500,000
31:11
and giving the
31:12
contractor
31:13
the house plans,
31:14
you get a call
31:15
back after three
31:16
weeks and he
31:18
says,
31:18
we're done.
31:21
You go,
31:22
you're super
31:23
excited,
31:23
you can't wait to
31:24
see your new
31:25
home,
31:25
and then when you
31:26
get there,
31:27
you're just shocked.
31:29
Not because of how
31:30
good it is,
31:32
but because of how
31:32
bad it is.
31:34
You walk in,
31:35
the foundation is
31:36
poor,
31:38
uneven,
31:39
the walls are
31:41
caving in,
31:42
the roof is
31:43
incomplete,
31:45
the electricity
31:46
wasn't stalled
31:47
right,
31:47
and the plumbing
31:48
is a disaster.
31:50
You would be
31:52
disgusted.
31:54
And if we are not
31:55
careful,
31:55
we can do the same
31:56
thing with our
31:57
approach to missions.
31:58
God has given us
32:00
the plan,
32:01
and in the plan
32:02
we see that he
32:03
builds his church
32:04
through his church.
32:05
And if we skip
32:06
over that,
32:08
we will be
32:09
accountable to the
32:10
owner of the
32:10
building,
32:11
the owner of the
32:13
church who has
32:13
given us his
32:14
building plans in
32:15
his word.
32:18
So we have seen
32:19
that Paul himself
32:19
is sent out from
32:21
the church at
32:21
Antioch,
32:23
and then he
32:23
returns back to
32:24
report to the
32:26
church at
32:26
Antioch.
32:27
And honestly,
32:28
guys,
32:28
if anybody could
32:29
have sent
32:29
themselves without
32:30
being sent out
32:31
from a church,
32:32
it could have
32:33
been Paul.
32:34
But that's not
32:36
how God designed
32:36
it.
32:37
He designed
32:37
that he would
32:38
be sent out
32:38
through a
32:39
church.
32:41
And he
32:41
comes back
32:42
and he
32:42
reports to
32:44
that church.
32:45
So Paul also
32:46
returns and he
32:47
strengthens the
32:48
disciples in all
32:49
those churches
32:49
throughout the
32:50
regions where
32:51
they had preached
32:51
and made many
32:53
disciples.
32:57
But why does
32:57
he do this?
32:58
because Paul
33:01
knew that the
33:02
local church
33:03
is the
33:04
vehicle which
33:06
the gospel
33:07
would not
33:07
only reach
33:08
the nations,
33:09
but also
33:10
keep the
33:10
nations.
33:12
And what is
33:13
one of God's
33:14
appointed means
33:15
for growing and
33:16
keeping the
33:17
church?
33:18
You know
33:18
what it is?
33:20
It's elders.
33:21
pastors.
33:23
That is
33:24
pastors or
33:26
shepherds.
33:27
Look at verse
33:28
23 again.
33:29
It says,
33:30
And when they
33:31
had appointed
33:32
elders for
33:33
them in every
33:33
church with
33:34
prayer and
33:35
fasting, they
33:36
committed them
33:36
to the Lord
33:37
in whom they
33:38
had believed.
33:39
This verse
33:40
tells us that
33:41
they appointed
33:42
elders, but
33:43
why elders?
33:46
Listen as I
33:47
read Ephesians
33:48
4 verses
33:50
11 through
33:51
12.
33:52
It says,
33:53
And he gave
33:54
the apostles,
33:55
the prophets,
33:56
the evangelists,
33:57
the shepherds,
33:58
and teachers to
33:59
equip the
34:00
saints for
34:01
the work of
34:01
ministry, for
34:03
building up
34:04
the body of
34:05
Christ.
34:07
So why did
34:08
he give
34:09
elders?
34:10
Well, he
34:10
gave them to
34:11
make the
34:12
church strong,
34:13
to equip the
34:14
saints.
34:15
And notice
34:16
that it uses
34:17
the word he
34:17
gave.
34:20
Brothers, if
34:21
you are a
34:22
part of a
34:23
healthy church,
34:25
the Lord has
34:26
given you a
34:27
gift.
34:29
It says he
34:29
gave.
34:30
Elders are a
34:31
gift to the
34:33
church.
34:35
They are there
34:36
to help little
34:37
seeds, little
34:38
saplings grow
34:39
into oaks.
34:42
And how do
34:43
they do this?
34:45
We don't have
34:45
time to go to
34:46
all the places,
34:47
but God's word
34:48
tells us that
34:49
elders equip,
34:51
they shepherd,
34:52
they care,
34:53
they keep
34:53
watch, they
34:54
teach sound
34:55
doctrine, they
34:56
rebuke false
34:56
doctrine, they
34:58
pray for the
34:58
church, set an
34:59
example for
35:00
the church, and
35:01
more.
35:04
This is why
35:05
Paul tells
35:05
Titus in
35:06
Titus chapter
35:07
1 verse 5
35:08
that he left
35:09
them there in
35:09
Crete to put
35:10
what remained in
35:12
order and what
35:13
was not in
35:13
order.
35:14
What was lacking
35:15
in the planning of
35:16
those churches?
35:17
Well, they
35:17
didn't have
35:18
elders.
35:19
So he leaves
35:20
them there to
35:20
help appoint
35:21
elders.
35:23
Church, I hope
35:23
you realize the
35:24
blessing it is to
35:25
have elders who
35:26
stand upon the
35:27
word of God.
35:28
Elders who
35:29
love God's
35:30
word, preach
35:31
God's word,
35:32
shepherd with
35:32
God's word, and
35:34
elders who love
35:35
and care for
35:36
you.
35:37
You may not
35:38
agree with all
35:39
of their
35:40
decisions.
35:41
You may not
35:42
vibe with their
35:43
personality.
35:46
You may not
35:47
even get along
35:48
very well with
35:49
them.
35:50
However, God
35:51
gave them.
35:52
They are a
35:53
gift.
35:55
So may we
35:56
praise and
35:57
thank God for
35:58
the good
35:58
gifts that he
35:59
has given and
36:00
realize that
36:01
shepherds are
36:02
also sheep.
36:05
They also need
36:06
you members to
36:07
strengthen and
36:08
encourage them on
36:10
their journey to
36:11
the heavenly
36:12
kingdom.
36:13
May we reflect on
36:15
Hebrews 13,
36:16
verse 17,
36:17
which says,
36:18
Obey your
36:19
leaders and
36:20
submit to them,
36:21
for they are
36:23
keeping watch
36:23
over your
36:24
souls as
36:25
those who
36:26
will have to
36:27
give an
36:27
account.
36:29
Let them do
36:30
this with joy
36:31
and not with
36:33
groaning, for
36:34
that would be
36:35
of no advantage
36:36
to you.
36:39
God for that.
36:41
Please don't
36:42
talk and act
36:43
in such a way
36:44
that causes
36:45
them to groan.
36:46
Be a sheep
36:47
that is a joy
36:49
to shepherd.
36:49
And finally,
36:52
aim number
36:52
four, we
36:54
see they're
36:55
returning to
36:56
encourage.
36:58
And I'm
36:58
very briefly
37:00
going over this
37:00
section.
37:01
But verse 24
37:02
begins,
37:03
Then they
37:03
passed through
37:04
Pisidia and
37:05
came to
37:05
Pamphylia.
37:06
And when they
37:06
had spoken the
37:07
word in
37:08
Perga, they
37:08
went down to
37:09
Italia.
37:10
And from
37:10
there they
37:11
sailed to
37:11
Antioch, where
37:12
they had been
37:12
commended to
37:13
the grace of
37:13
God for the
37:14
work that they
37:15
had fulfilled.
37:16
And when they
37:17
arrived and
37:17
gathered the
37:18
church together,
37:19
they declared
37:19
all that God
37:20
had done with
37:21
them, and how
37:22
he had opened
37:23
a door of
37:24
faith to the
37:25
Gentiles.
37:25
And they
37:26
remained no
37:27
little time with
37:28
the disciples.
37:30
I think the
37:30
best way I can
37:31
summarize these
37:32
verses is to
37:32
say that Paul
37:33
and Barnabas
37:34
went back
37:35
through all the
37:36
places they
37:36
had been and
37:37
came to the
37:37
church in
37:38
Antioch to
37:39
report to that
37:39
church who
37:40
had sent
37:40
them out.
37:42
And why do
37:42
they report to
37:43
this church?
37:44
Because this
37:45
mission wasn't
37:47
just Paul's
37:48
mission.
37:49
This wasn't
37:49
his own
37:50
personal mission,
37:51
but this was
37:51
God's mission
37:52
through the
37:53
church.
37:55
The church
37:56
sent them out
37:57
to go and
37:57
preach the
37:58
good news to
37:58
these regions,
38:00
and they
38:01
come back and
38:03
report all that
38:04
the Lord had
38:04
done.
38:05
And in that,
38:06
the church
38:07
would be greatly
38:08
encouraged.
38:09
And then he
38:10
spends no
38:11
little time
38:11
with the
38:12
disciples.
38:12
disciples.
38:15
So we
38:16
have seen
38:16
in today's
38:17
text that
38:18
God will
38:19
build his
38:19
church through
38:21
his church for
38:21
his glory.
38:23
And now I
38:23
want to end
38:24
by answering
38:25
the question,
38:26
so what?
38:27
What does
38:28
this truth
38:29
mean for my
38:29
life?
38:31
Well, for
38:31
all believers,
38:33
it means what
38:34
Hebrews 10
38:34
verses 24
38:36
through 25
38:36
says.
38:37
It says,
38:38
and let us
38:39
consider how
38:40
to stir up
38:41
one another
38:41
to love
38:43
and good
38:43
works,
38:44
not neglecting
38:45
to meet
38:45
together as
38:46
is the habit
38:47
of some,
38:48
but encouraging
38:49
one another
38:49
and all the
38:50
more as you
38:52
see the day
38:52
drawing near.
38:54
Christians,
38:55
do you want
38:56
to live not
38:57
a perfect
38:58
life,
38:59
but a faithful
39:00
one unto
39:01
the Lord?
39:02
Don't neglect
39:03
to gather
39:03
with the saints.
39:06
Be a member
39:07
of a local
39:08
gospel preaching
39:10
church and
39:11
commit yourself
39:12
to that church
39:13
through thick
39:15
and thin.
39:17
And I've
39:17
seen the trend
39:18
too often.
39:20
People stop
39:21
spending time
39:21
in the word
39:22
of God.
39:24
Then they stop
39:24
spending time
39:25
with the people
39:26
of God.
39:28
And they stop
39:29
believing that
39:29
there is a God.
39:31
Don't
39:32
neglect
39:33
the word
39:35
of God
39:35
and to gather
39:36
with the
39:38
church.
39:39
For the
39:40
church is
39:40
God's
39:41
instrument
39:41
to make
39:42
his name
39:42
known
39:43
in all
39:43
the earth.
39:45
And if
39:45
you're a
39:46
teen,
39:46
a young
39:47
adult,
39:47
or a
39:47
kid here,
39:49
many of
39:50
you go to
39:50
church right
39:50
now because
39:52
your mommy
39:53
and daddy
39:53
make you.
39:55
And guess
39:56
what?
39:56
That's a good
39:57
thing.
39:58
However,
39:59
there will
39:59
come a day
40:00
where the
40:01
choice will
40:02
be yours.
40:02
And on
40:04
that day,
40:04
what will
40:05
you choose?
40:07
My prayer
40:08
is that you
40:08
will choose
40:08
to go to
40:09
a good,
40:11
healthy church
40:11
whenever you
40:13
can.
40:16
Yes,
40:17
this means
40:17
that as you
40:18
get older
40:18
and you're
40:19
in college,
40:20
maybe you
40:20
will miss
40:21
out on a
40:21
lot of
40:21
events or
40:22
games or
40:23
you'll have
40:23
less time
40:24
for your
40:24
exams,
40:25
you'll be
40:25
more tired.
40:26
But I
40:28
promise you
40:29
it is
40:30
worth it.
40:32
Becoming a
40:33
member of a
40:34
local church
40:34
was the
40:35
best thing
40:35
I ever
40:36
did in
40:36
college.
40:37
If I
40:37
could go
40:38
back,
40:38
I would
40:38
do it
40:39
again.
40:40
I would
40:40
just probably
40:41
care a
40:41
little less
40:41
about my
40:42
grades so
40:43
I could
40:44
have more
40:45
time with
40:45
the church.
40:47
Let being
40:48
a member
40:50
of a gospel
40:50
preaching
40:51
church drive
40:51
the future
40:52
decisions that
40:53
you make.
40:53
If you get
40:54
accepted to
40:55
an excellent
40:55
university,
40:56
but there are
40:56
no gospel
40:57
centered local
40:58
churches there,
40:59
I beg you
41:00
don't go.
41:02
Go to the
41:03
lesser known
41:03
university where
41:04
you know there
41:05
is a great
41:06
gospel preaching
41:06
church that
41:07
will care for
41:08
your soul.
41:10
Remember the
41:10
words of Mark
41:11
chapter 8
41:13
verses 36
41:13
which says,
41:15
for what does
41:15
it profit a
41:16
man to gain
41:16
the whole world
41:17
and forfeit
41:17
his soul?
41:19
And everyone,
41:21
I want you to
41:21
remember that
41:22
when a wolf
41:23
attacks a
41:24
sheep,
41:25
what does it
41:26
try to do?
41:26
Well, it
41:29
tries to
41:29
isolate the
41:30
sheep.
41:31
It tries to
41:32
get them
41:32
away from
41:33
the flock
41:34
for when the
41:35
sheep are
41:35
together by
41:36
the shepherd,
41:37
there is
41:38
much safety.
41:40
There's a
41:41
level of
41:41
protection in
41:42
their togetherness.
41:44
If you try
41:45
to walk
41:45
through life
41:46
without being
41:47
connected to
41:47
a local
41:48
church,
41:49
I want you
41:50
to know that
41:50
the wolves
41:51
are waiting.
41:52
They would
41:53
love nothing
41:53
more than to
41:54
see you
41:55
separated from
41:56
the flock.
41:58
And a
41:58
warning,
41:59
if you are
42:00
already a
42:00
part of
42:01
a local
42:02
church
42:02
or
42:04
considering
42:05
joining,
42:06
you know
42:07
what?
42:07
The wolves
42:07
would be
42:07
fine if
42:08
you join,
42:09
but never
42:10
truly open
42:11
yourself up
42:11
to that
42:12
church.
42:14
Never
42:14
truly let
42:16
anyone else
42:17
know your
42:17
sin, your
42:18
weaknesses,
42:19
your failings,
42:19
even your
42:20
strengths.
42:23
Then be
42:23
fine, just
42:24
don't open
42:24
up.
42:26
It's a
42:27
different form
42:27
of isolation.
42:29
If you do
42:29
that, you
42:30
are still in
42:30
danger.
42:32
Get to
42:32
know others
42:33
and be
42:34
known.
42:35
No one's
42:36
perfect, so
42:37
stop pretending.
42:40
So in
42:40
summary, as
42:41
we've seen
42:42
through the
42:43
text today,
42:44
God is
42:44
building his
42:45
church through
42:46
his church for
42:46
his glory.
42:47
And may we
42:48
all be used
42:49
by our
42:49
great God
42:50
to spread
42:51
his glory,
42:52
not only here
42:52
in this city,
42:53
not only in
42:54
our state,
42:55
not only in
42:55
this country,
42:56
but to the
42:56
ends of the
42:57
earth for
42:58
the sake of
42:59
his glory as
43:00
he redeems
43:01
and cherishes
43:02
his bride.
43:04
And may we
43:04
never forget
43:05
the privilege
43:06
and blessing
43:07
it is to
43:08
be a part
43:09
of his
43:10
church.
43:11
Let's pray.