Class Lesson November 18, 2012

Hey Gang,

We continue this week in our series of lessons on how the church can transform a changing culture. The early church provides us with some foundational understanding to how the church even today can indeed make this happen. We've talked about what happens when a church prays with dependency. We discussed last week what it really means for a church to "love thy neighbor." This week we look at the foundational mission of the church - to make disciples.

The church that runs a nursery for “Tribbles” will miss out on its most important mission - building the kingdom of God through building disciples.

What is a Tribble?

Star Trek - The Trouble with Tribbles
Click Here to Watch


What was the mission of the Star Ship Enterprise?

To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

What is the mission of the church?

The great commission: the mission of Jesus Christ to His disciples was to boldly go and teach making disciples of all nations.

Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The church that runs a nursery for “Tribbles” will miss out on its most important mission - building the kingdom of God through building disciples.

• What is a Tribble? It’s a creature that entertains you, makes you feel good but serves no real purpose – the trouble with Tribbles are that they multiply themselves rapidly to a point that they consume time and energy that should be devoted to something of purpose.

Our lesson this morning says that our churches provide many good things into which we can pour time and resources. But how can the good become an enemy of the best? What ought to be the primary activities of churches looking to build the kingdom of God?

• Churches can spin their wheels on unimportant activities. Too often we allow the good to become the enemy of the best.
• The youth generation - We fail to realize that what we win them with we win them to. If we win them with entertainment and low commitment, we win them to entertainment and low commitment. Charles Spurgeon was way ahead of his time when he implored the church to start “feeding the sheep rather than amusing the goats.”

Bible Context: Following the appointment of the seven widow-helping servants in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7), persecution began to increase for the early believers. Stephen, one of those seven servants, was stoned to death for supposed blasphemy (Acts 6-7). James became the first apostle to be executed (12:1-2). Peter was imprisoned, but he was miraculously rescued before he could be executed (12:3-19).

While the persecution left the believers in danger, it also helped spark a movement outside Jerusalem and into the Samaritan and Gentile world. Philip, another of the original servants from Acts 6, experienced effective ministry on both fronts, evangelizing people in cities in Samaria (8:4-8) and helping the gospel spread into Africa by witnessing to an Ethiopian official (8:26-40). Peter shared the gospel with a Roman centurion named Cornelius (Acts 10).

In the midst of the movement, God confronted a young Jewish leader named Saul. He was a witness to Stephen’s execution. Saul set off to persecute Christians wherever he could find them. But he met Christ on the way to Damascus (Acts 9), transforming the path of his life – and many Gentiles – forever.

Following this conversion, Saul was recruited by Barnabas to help lead the church in Antioch, which had become a focal point of gospel ministry. In Antioch, Saul and Barnabas became effective leaders and were led by the Spirit to initiate a foreign missionary campaign – which is the focus of today’s passages.

1. Go where no man has gone before.

2. Teach the message God has given you.

3. Connect to the mission of the church. 

I. GO WHERE GOD SENDS – ACTS 13:1-4

Preparing for the Mission Field

13 In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
The Mission to Cyprus

4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 



Ministry and worship are more than just dropping off a meal or sitting in a service. Ministry and worship include listening to God for how He wants you to build His kingdom.

• For Barnabas and Saul this was a mission trip.
• For you it might be tending to the nursery so young parents can connect in the church.
• Or maybe it’s coaching a church ball team that teaches to play for a higher purpose.
• Some mission calls will be short term like the trip Barnabas and Saul took.
• Other mission calls will be long term like teaching a second grade Sunday school class for 40 years.
• The key is to listen to God and to check what you hear with the larger church body. Something truly from God will be apparent to more than just you.

Notice the way the church at Antioch did this.

1. The church was a true melting pot of racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity – see the names and cultures of the leaders in verse 1. This can offer a springboard for developing a global mindset for reaching the lost.

2. They chose to be united in commitment to God and to one another. They ministered and fasted, seeking God’s will as one. This is when God called some to use their gifts outside of the church. Sincere worship involves listening for God’s direction.



Have we become gospel hoarders? In what ways might we hoard spiritual gifts in our church?

What wrong with this?


The truth is, there are many places around the world where Jesus Christ is God’s “forgotten” Son.

• He is forgotten in some places because of hostile governments and religious persecution. He is forgotten in other areas because of materialism and indifference. There are still countless villages and communities scattered across the globe that have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ. There will never be enough full-time vocational missionaries and Christian workers to reach those areas, communities, and villages.
• That is where the church (and our church) comes into play. Our churches are filled with people who could participate in a short-term mission project to a needy part of the world. God has given gifts, abilities, and resources to those in our churches that could be used in advancing the gospel all over the globe. It may be that your church or ministry could work beside an established mission or missionary and begin to invest in that mission or missionary’s area long-term. It could also be that our Lord will enable you to start a new work in an area where there is no church, pastor, missionary, or Christian witness….
• Scripture teaches that to whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Americans have more resources, more churches, more Bibles, more Christian training, and more access to the gospel than any other place in the world. Have we become gospel hoarders? Hoarding is defined as the act of accumulating possessions and carefully guarding them or hiding them. Is that what we have done with the gospel? How often do we share the gospel with someone? How many Bibles do we own that just sit around the house? Are our churches focused on reaching the lost, or do we hide inside our houses of worship with doors closed to the world? We are surrounded with Christian radio and TV stations, movies, bookstores, Bible studies, conferences, and so much more. These things can be great tools used by God. But in a world where social media is a part of our daily lives and there is a church on every street corner, how easy it is to take for granted the abundant access we have to the gospel? God has greatly blessed our nation and our churches. Therefore, we have a huge responsibility to share what God has given us with the rest of the world.

Why do you think so many believers are content to just sit on the stands in church instead of seeking God’s direction in how they can participate in building the kingdom?

• There is a time to sit and grow and learn. There is also a time to get up, go, and give.
• Listen to God’s mission call and make yourself available for whatever He needs you to do.

What does the word church mean in the Book of Acts? What was distinctive about the Antioch church? What were the roles of the prophets and teachers? What do we know about the five leaders in Antioch? How did the Holy Spirit speak to them? Why were they fasting? Who laid their hands on the two? Why send missionaries when there are so many lost nearby? What was the role of the Holy Spirit? Where did they go first?

• Local churches are to evangelize the lost in their own areas and to send missionaries to other areas.
• Church leaders play a key role but the entire congregation needs to be involved.
• Since the church belongs to the Lord, the church should seek and follow the direction of His Spirit.
• God calls some people to special missionary work.

Summary:

1. The Christian church today needs to reflect diversity of cultures within.

2. God’s call has always been missional – off one’s seat and into the street.

II. GROW PEOPLE THROUGH TEACHING – ACTS 14:21-22

Church Planting

21 After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.” 


Is a better measure of kingdom-building the number of those who profess faith in Christ or the continued growth and faith of new converts?

• If all we’re after is number of baptisms, we’ll spin our wheels.
• If the mission trip or church outreach event, in and of itself, is the end goal, we’ll miss the point.

What is the relationship between evangelism and discipleship? Why is each essential to the other?

• A disciple is one who learns from and lives for Jesus, each and every day. The follow-up of new converts was so important that Paul and Barnabas risked their lives to make sure that it happened. After being sent by God’s Spirit and affirmed by their church (13:3-4), they left Antioch to evangelize those who had not accepted Jesus. Since they were building the kingdom of God that meant building disciples. The first missionary journey was not complete until they had made return trips to each of the towns they had evangelized. Once people decide to follow Jesus, they needed to be strengthened and taught how to do so.
• Who are the people who have disciple you? How did they do it? What people do you disciple?

To All The New Christians, I’d Just Like To Say _____________________ 

Imagine you’re a part of a great evangelistic crusade, where hundreds of people come to faith in Jesus. You are a counselor there to pray with those who have made decisions. At the end of the event, the group of new converts is gathered together in one room. You are handed the microphone to give them some closing thoughts before they head back home.


What would you say? What do you wish you’d known? What are you glad you didn’t know? What do you better understand now?





3-Fold Process in Disciplemaking:

1. Believers must be strengthened and instructed. Teaching God’s Word builds up believers.
2. Believers must be encouraged to remain true to the faith. The faith is the core collection of doctrine or beliefs central to following Jesus. Believers not yet established in the faith could fall away.
3. Believers must be warned of persecution. They must pass through many troubles. Opposition is a normal part of the Christian walk and witness.

How do you continue to grow and give as a disciple of Christ?

• Read your Bible each day – find a way to live the passage you read each day.
• Participate in a Bible study class and regularly attend worship services where the Bible is preached.
• Talk about God in daily conversations.
• Help other believers when they are facing difficulties.
• Be open about the struggles that you have faced, so that your kids and grandkids will know that trials in life are an expected part of life.

Summary:

1. A well-equipped disciple is a well-taught disciple, focused on the fundamentals of the faith.

2. Effective churches focus on building the kingdom of God and wish to be used in that process.


III. CONNECT TO THE KINGDOM – ACTS 14:23-28

23 When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples. 


Have you ever felt disconnected from your church? What did you do? Did anyone help you during this time?

• The new churches that were established in this first missionary journey were dependent on Paul, Barnabas, and the sending church for guidance, encouragement, and continued support. So before Paul and Barnabas left these new churches, they put a leadership structure in place. Those leaders likely enlisted others in the church to serve and to minister both inside and outside the church. Significance – that’s where the belonging comes in. we each have significance in God’s grand plan to reach the world.

Where’s The Passion? 

Many students who go on short-term mission trips come back from these experiences and find themselves feeling detached and dissatisfied with church completely. Why?

• Because they long for the passion, purpose, and community among believers they experienced overseas.

What can we do about this?

• One reason we aren’t better connected with one another in kingdom-building is because we are largely unaware of the mission work that goes on or we never participate in mission work ourselves.
• Get informed about the work God is doing around the world – namb.net, imb.org
• Adopt a people group from one of these web sites listed – learn about them, pray for them.
• Go on a mission trip with the church – give to missions.
• Make a point to listen to testimonies of those who return from mission trips and encourage them as they reconnect with their home church.

Why do new churches need leaders? Who chooses leaders? What was the significance of this missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas?

• Securing good leaders is crucial for new churches.
• The gospel is for all people.
• Views of church leaders differ from one group to another but the common task holds.

Summary:

1. Believers who obey the Great Commission have stories to tell of God’s activity.




Closing: Two questions to ponder:


1. How can you be more of a disciple than you are?

2. What kind of church would our church be if every church member were just like me?

• Kingdom citizens live for God wherever they are: at work, running errands, at home, in the car, at church, even while relaxing. Everywhere we go and everything we do is an opportunity for honoring God and showing others how.
• The churches main calling involves making disciples and expanding the kingdom by leading them toward maturity.
• As individual believers focus on making disciples, the church in general won’t lose its focus.

 
 

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me, and help my church to build the kingdom of God through making disciples. Amen.

Be in prayer this week as to how you can be more of a disciple than you are and think about what kind of church our church would be if every member were just like you. This week's lesson has gotten my attention - hope you are thinking about it too.

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

For those of you that saw Richard's homecoming yesterday - here are a couple of pictures: