4 Vital Principles for Missions and Evangelism

[0:00] If you would take your Bibles and turn to the book of Acts, chapter 13.

[0:17] If you're visiting with us, you can pull out that black Bible in the chair in front of you. And then go towards the back of that Bible and find page 102.

[0:31] At the very bottom of page 102, you'll find Acts, chapter 13. We're only going to do the first 12 verses of this chapter.

[0:43] It was hard to split up this chapter. It was difficult how to do that. But we'll do the first 12 verses today and then 13 through 41 next week and then finish it off. Two weeks from today.

[0:57] Again, Acts 13, 1 through 12. I'll read the passage then we'll begin our study.

[1:14] Now there were at Antioch, the church that was there, prophets and teachers. Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger. And Lucius of Cyrene.

[1:25] And Manan, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

[1:37] And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

[1:51] And when they reached Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they all said, John is their helper. And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician.

[2:05] A Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus. It was with the procouncil, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

[2:17] But Elimus, the magician for thus his name is translated, was opposing them. Seeking to turn the procouncil away from the faith. But Saul, who was also Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze upon him and said, You, who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

[2:43] And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you. You will be blind and not see the sun for a time. And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him and went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

[2:57] Then the procouncil believed, when he saw what had happened, being amazed, at the teaching of the Lord. The article in Christianity Today began like this.

[3:17] Southern Baptists will cut 600 to 800 missionaries and staff. Subtitle. International Mission Board overspent $210 million over the last six years.

[3:34] Reason for the cuts? To make up for a $21 million deficit for 2015. Today, Southern Baptists, who we partner with joyfully, Today, there's 4,700 missionaries on the field overseas for Southern Baptists.

[3:58] They're shooting for 4,200. About a 25% decline. I think it was probably only two, three years ago, it was at, I think, 5,500.

[4:08] Now it's at 4,700. And they're trying, by the end of this year, to get down to 4,200. This is horrendous.

[4:25] And it's just not with Southern Baptists. There's churches closing their doors at a rapid rate, even here in North America. A crazy rate. What do we do?

[4:41] How do we address this? How do we address the fact that there's a cut in missionaries, in outreach, in missions, in evangelism?

[4:55] What can be done? Friends, I believe our text speaks to this terrible situation.

[5:07] For us as Southern Baptists, but also for churches in general, for the followers of Jesus at other churches as well. This text speaks to it.

[5:19] This text speaks to this very problem. As we look at the book of Acts, which is just do it, let's be who we are.

[5:30] Let God use us to fulfill His mission. Today, in these first 12 verses of chapter 13, we will see four vital principles for missions and evangelism.

[5:43] Four vital principles for missions and evangelism. Actually, I could even say one. And the one, from the one principle flows the other three.

[5:58] Four vital principles. How do we deal with the problem of missions? How do we deal with the problem of evangelism? How do you deal with problems in your life?

[6:09] How do you deal with problems in your relationships with others? How do you deal with problems in your marriage and at work? How do you deal with these problems? I actually believe these four vital principles will help.

[6:19] Actually, the first one. Which is key to the other three. Let me put it in a statement for you. A couple of statements.

[6:30] Four vital principles for missions and evangelism. When truth-led, Jesus-worshiping, prayer-devoted, missions-thinking churches, faithfully and boldly proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ, this good news will advance in the world.

[6:43] And it has to be truth-led. It has to be Jesus-worshiping, prayer-devoted, missions-thinking churches. It has to be like this.

[6:58] Now, I'll give you kind of the flow of the principles. They all go together. The first one being primary. Worship, which will lead to missions, which will lead to the church, which will lead to gospel proclaimers.

[7:12] But the key one is worship. How do you deal with the problem of missions?

[7:22] Worship. How do you deal with the problem of evangelism? Worship. How do you deal with problems in your marriage? Worship. How do you deal with problems with your neighbor? Worship. How do you deal with problems you have at work with a co-worker?

[7:33] Worship. Worship. Worship. Who do you worship? It starts there. It starts there. worship, to missions, to church, to gospel proclaimers.

[7:49] Let me put another statement up here for you. If there's a problem with missions in this church, then there's a worship problem. If there's a problem with missions, then there's a problem with worship.

[8:05] If you have a problem in your relationship, you have a problem with worship. If you have a problem with your neighbor, there's a problem with worship. If you have a problem at work, it's a worship problem. It is.

[8:19] It starts there. Trevin Wax says this, quote, fix the worship problem, and evangelism starts coming naturally. The focus here on Acts, it's beginning to change.

[8:38] Before, we're looking at a Jewish Christianity, but now it's changing to a Gentile Christianity. Acts 1-7 was looking at Jerusalem.

[8:50] Acts 8-12 was Judea and Samaria. And now here in chapter 13, through the end of the book of Acts, it's the Greco-woman world. Gentiles.

[9:00] And you have here in chapter 13 and 14, the first, what's called, known as, the first missionary journey.

[9:12] They visited Cyprus, Pisidian, Antioch, Iconium, Maestra, and then they returned to Syria. They journeyed almost 900 miles, averaging about 15 miles a day by foot.

[9:26] So here you have, in Antioch, a solid, well-taught, gifted, missions-minded church.

[9:39] It was told by the Holy Spirit to send out the first missionaries who had proclaimed the gospel and plant new churches in the Greco-Roman world. And for the first time, for the first time, a church other than Jerusalem, led the way for a major missions endeavor.

[10:00] And it was a church, as a group, that affirmed the work that the Holy Spirit was calling Barnabas and Saul, or Paul, to. They verified it by laying their hands on them and sending them out.

[10:14] But this calling of Barnabas and Saul, Paul, took place during a time of worship.

[10:26] Prayer. Fasting with the prophets and the teachers. We'll look at that in a second. God, by the Holy Spirit, commanded the mission. The church responded obediently as they were devoting themselves in worship.

[10:40] The Spirit commanded the church. Send them out. The church obeyed His command. And we're all commanded to go and proclaim the gospel.

[10:53] All of us. Look, if you are a Christian, a professing Christian today, it behooves you to be a Jesus proclaimer. Remember, it is only fitting for you to proclaim Christ.

[11:12] But it goes deeper than just the command, friend. It goes back first to who, what, maybe, who do you worship?

[11:23] Look, God is the one who plans. God's the one who directs specific missions, outreach for the gospel, gospel to be proclaimed, and for new churches to be planted.

[11:36] And this missions, outreach, it begs the commission of the local church. And it needs God's direction so that gospel proclaimers have God's power to battle the enemy so they have the power of the gospel at the forefront of their minds.

[11:55] And it needs the church's confirmation as a way to confirm that God is behind the whole endeavor. So, when it comes to actual missions work, the church is called to send people at the leading of the Holy Spirit to different ethnic people groups where the Lord Jesus Christ is not known or worshipped.

[12:19] This is the only way missions can be successful. It begins with the aspect of worship and we understand and we say, wait, wait.

[12:31] Wait, there's people in Uzbekistan who are not worshipping Jesus Christ. We've got to do something about that, man, right? We're thinking that way because we love Christ and we worship Christ and He's been so gracious to us and it motivates and moves us to missions.

[12:49] evangelism too because same thing, we as a church are called to go among people in our own community, down the street, workplace, to those who do not know or worship Jesus Christ.

[13:07] My neighbor is not worshipping Jesus Christ. I am worshipping and enamored with the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to speak to my neighbor. I'm going to speak to my co-worker.

[13:19] I'm going to speak to my relative. Worship starts there. Excuse me, evangelism starts there with worship. which also the thing that compels you in your relationship with your spouse, which also compels you in your relationship with your sibling when there's rivalry, when there's conflict.

[13:40] All different aspects of our life, if you can even think of it as a wheel and the center of it is worship. Who or what you worship that will show itself in how you live your life.

[13:50] We're just looking at a particular aspect here, missions. But I'm branching it out for you in application that affects every other area of our lives, friend.

[14:03] Your life and mine. These three verses, the first three verses of our chapter are probably one of the most significant few verses in Acts.

[14:18] It's actually a blueprint on how missions should happen. Okay, so now I'll give you the principles. I'm actually going to give you the first three, which you see the first three in these first three verses.

[14:30] Get three, three. You see them and then from verses four through twelve you see the last point. Okay, the last principle. So I'm going to give them to you. The first three verses from the first three verses the first three vital principles for missions and evangelism.

[14:46] Number one, worship drives missions. Number two, missions is driven by local churches. Number three, local churches drive gospel proclaimers.

[15:03] So worship, that's the core, that's the center, that's the starting point. Worship, that drives missions. missions. And when you get to missions, missions is driven by local churches.

[15:15] Local churches, they're the entities that are being driven to missions. And then what local churches do, they're the ones that are driving, they're the ones that are sending out gospel proclaimers.

[15:29] Worship drives mission. Mission is driven by local churches. Local churches drives gospel proclaimers. They send them out. As you Canadians say, out.

[15:45] So, this is the first three principles and we see that in the first three verses. And I'm going to slowly unpack these three verses for you. We're back in Antioch.

[15:58] A few miles north of Jerusalem, at Antioch, the church in that place or that local church was there.

[16:12] This church, it was engaged in worship and fasting. And we're going to look at that in a second. But first, I want to talk about the prophets and the teachers. You can kind of see these as church leaders.

[16:23] You got those principles? I'll have them up there on the screen later on too. Just in case you miss it.

[16:36] Let's talk about prophets. That's important given our day. Prophets foretell God's word and foretell the future. Both.

[16:49] Foretellers then provided edification, exhortation, correction, consolation. That's why when you read the prophet Isaiah who was foretelling the future and also foretelling God's word, you get exhortation, you get consolation and you get things that are going to happen in the future which are now done because that was in the past, blah, blah, blah.

[17:11] You get that. So it makes sense if prophets are edifying and consoling and correcting, it makes sense why these would be with the teachers in the church.

[17:26] By the way, since you asked, each local church needed prophets and teachers as a way to teach doctrine in the church at this time because there was no New Testament.

[17:39] there was no New Testament where there was let's go to Romans. What are you talking about? There is no Romans. It wasn't written yet. And the Old Testament didn't say anything about how specifically how does this thing church work?

[17:56] So prophets were needed and teachers as they were trying to figure out how things work in this New Testament times, which is why I believe the gift of prophecy has ceased today.

[18:07] But there is still the need for the church to be taught the truth of God's word. We have God's truth the completed canon it's closed with the New Testament written that's why I don't believe you need prophets today.

[18:25] But here they are they're being exhorted and consoled and edified and taught prophets and teachers and notice something the names. Barnabas notice Barnabas and Saul are the beginning and the end so they're the most important.

[18:40] Simeon called Niger Lucius Manan Herod brought up with Herod the Tetrarch. Interesting interesting how giftedness crossed ethnic boundary lines.

[18:56] You see North Africans possibly Niger he might have been a black skin man from Ethiopia. He had Jews Hellenists Greeks one guy grew up with Herod the Tetrarch.

[19:12] So in other words gifts of the spirit are not relegated only to certain ethnicities. The spirit wills his gifts to whomever. So you have the church different ethnicities in the church mainly Gentile church there's prophets and teachers there now notice it says verse 2 while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting ministering this word is used of a public service to benefit others that's what it means.

[19:52] So if you put this together with fasting it was a service where they were together with much prayer involved. I'm going to speak about fasting in just a second.

[20:08] But this is what's happening they're meeting together worshiping the Lord together serving and lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ together praying and fasting what's fasting?

[20:27] fasting is a hunger of a homesickness for Jesus. We want him we long we yearn for him desiring Jesus becomes first and foremost as basic as food notice this is why it's connected to worship because it's more than just the sustenance of life it's the deepest of our longings it's great devotion it's worship the issue is not food per se it's anything and everything that can be a substitute for the savior so fasting is not forfeiting evil but what is good to get hearts upon what truly matters that's why you fast that's why it's connected to praying which is why it's connecting to the worship so they're worshiping they're fasting they're trying to focus upon who the lord jesus christ see for this is where it begins things begin here so this calling of barnabas and saul it took place during a serious time of worship and focus upon the lord maybe they were seeking the lord's will for the progress of the gospel i don't know they were definitely seeking the lord they were alert they were praying they were devoting themselves they were empowered by the spirit it seems that some type of congregational worship during this time the spirit called barnabas and saul notice while they were ministering to the lord and fasting the holy spirit said set apart for me barnabas and saul for the work to which i've called them separate out for or appointing to his work and notice how god called the most gifted ones out of the larger community for his special work of missions usually well seems like it usually who can we get rid of let's get rid of that guy i think the lord is sending you to africa brother we're going to free you up and send you to africa praise the lord that's not happening here what's happening is the most gifted are sent out well that's awkward usually the best most gifted stay here and the not so gifted you boot them out not so according to the holy spirit it doesn't mean the most gifted cannot stay here but it means that you have most gifted here but send also the most gifted there the spirit directed the mission outreach but the spirit said this how exactly did he speak we don't know luke doesn't tell us maybe it was through the prophets maybe could be through the impressions made upon all of them at the same time it's hard to say it was something clear though it was something plain and precise look what is clear is that the leaders of the church were needed to confirm what god had already decided and revealed so the congregation notice it

[24:27] says in verse 3 then when they fasted and prayed and laid their hands on him they sent them away they prayed and fasted some more and after laying their hands on them they sent them out releasing them for the task so in other words they're worshipping the spirit somehow directed them to send out barnabas and saul and they said we gotta worship some more that was their automatic obedient response we gotta worship some more and then they laid their hands on him not in the sense of ordaining them that's not what's happening here but as a way to commission them releasing them from their responsibilities at Antioch as a way to show their prayerful support for them now did the church give to them financially it doesn't say

[25:28] I would probably bend more on the side that they didn't rather than they did but we don't know this is what we do know Antioch was a church that had a heart to reach the world as they drew near to God because worship drives missions the first planned overseas missions trip carried out by representatives of the Antioch and church not just anybody the best in the group of leaders and notice it was a deliberate church decision the church collectively decided to do this this was not someone doing something solo within the church I'm just going to go do that the church decided this together as a deliberate decision we're going to send him out send them out as one writer puts it effective

[26:35] Christian leaders will see the need to discern God's gifting for ministry and others to support and where necessary train those whom God is leading to local ministry or mission elsewhere and to affirm them by acts of commissioning so the church is supposed to do in other words it behooves us as a church that we understand we are the ones who send out missionaries not some mission agency not frontiers not the international mission board or anyone else for that matter yes I get mission agencies that come alongside of us I get that I understand that what's happened is we get this mentality that oh they're the ones that send them out churches plant churches duh but it starts not at a mission agency it doesn't start with just

[27:41] Christians let's just go plant the church it starts with us worshiping that's where it begins we must understand missions comes within the context of worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ if there's a problem with missions in this church then there's a problem with worship and let's extend it out if you struggle with evangelism it's a worship problem if there's conflicts within a relationship it's a worship problem that's what it starts there friends we have to understand it starts what we see as most important because as God has been so gracious to us and we're worshiping him for his grace and his compassion I'm going to talk about the thing that I love most right I'm going to focus on the thing and the person

[28:42] I love most right and if I love Christ I'm just going to speak about him to others if I love Christ I'm going to show that same grace and that relationship that I'm struggling with you see what I mean so is the problem with the international mission board a problem with missions absolutely not the problem is a worship problem you solve the worship problem among southern baptist churches and the missions problem will be solved worship drives missions because remember missions is not the ultimate goal of the church worship is that's John Piper and I agree with him missions exist because worship among the unsaved does not exist so worship is a thing that fuels missions worship is the goal for missions because there's people in

[29:47] Uzbekistan who are not worshiping Christ and we're here worshiping Christ his gracious kindness to us in Jesus where we should be condemned we should be burning in hell right now and yet he's gracious to us we're actually sitting in a building that has air conditioning although I'm really hot right now I'm sweating but you hopefully are comfortable because I'm moving around stop moving around clown so you're sitting there we're in a comfortable area that's God's grace to you just his grace because of Jesus Christ who lived and died for sinners praise his name and we worship him and that's the thing that's going to drive me I'm going to be gracious in my relationships with others because he's been so gracious to me I'm going to speak about him to others because he's been so gracious to me it's a worship deal friends Trevin

[30:47] Wax one more time lack of mission is rarely a knowledge problem it's a worship problem we don't have any trouble talking about the things we love most hey how about those Arizona Cardinals yeah whenever we find something worthy of attention he says we talk about it the same is true of our relationship with Christ the more we are in awe of his worthiness the more likely we are to speak of him to others and serve others in his name end quote prayer devotion that is worship to the Lord plays the vital role in missions outreach and everything else too this church

[31:53] Nantuck it devoted it was devoted to outreach it was huge huge one writer says this quote God loves churches that look beyond their own needs and it happens because they're worshiping the gracious merciful God we glory in our redeemer we glory in the cross we glory in our redemption and we just want to speak about it and we want to serve others in his name so let's review class worship drives missions mission is driven by local churches so they're worshiping there's a heart for missions missions they want to send someone out so it's the local church that's doing it and local churches they're the ones that are driving gospel proclaimers and now fourth principle gospel proclaimers are driven by the gospel hmm take this all the way back to worship circular type thing gospel proclaimers they're so driven by the gospel of grace and they understand its power and they proclaim the gospel because it is the power of God because that way you see here from verses 4 through 12 a conflict between the gospel or excuse me the power of the evil one and the gospel of grace gospel proclaimers are driven by the gospel verse 4 notice

[33:43] Luke makes it clear again so being sent out by the holy spirit went to Seleucia Antioch is about 60 miles from Seleucia dropped down to Seleucia then they drove from Seleucia to Cyprus which is 60 miles they sailed there this is Barnabas' crib this is his hometown buddy what's up Cyprus and many groups of people we spoke about that a few weeks ago a couple weeks ago Egyptians Phoenicians Greeks Assyrians Persians even people from India were there in Cyprus and it wasn't the first evangelistic effort what they were doing here there was some activity from Jerusalem maybe Antioch in chapter 11 but it was only to Jews they winded out to Gentiles notice it says verse 5 reach Salamis that's on the east side of the island they began or they're proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the

[34:49] Jews this became this was Saul's custom starting the Jewish synagogues in the synagogues there were places of teaching prayer worshiping reading of the Old Testament notice as John Mark as their helper he was their assistant maybe he was preaching too he was there for support so they went from if you're looking on a map Salamis they went all the way down to Paphos there in Cyprus on the island it says there in verse 6 they found a certain magician a Jewish false prophet his name was Bar-Jesus who was with the pro-council Sergius Paulus a man of intelligence this man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God this Jewish false prophet they found magician his name was Bar-Jesus which means son of Jesus or son of Joshua that's ironic his other name Alimus it means wisdom even more ironic you're going to see a face off between this magician and the one who knew the true power and wisdom of

[35:58] God and Acts is the only place where you see a false prophet and the fact that he practiced magic it showed that he was an apostate Jew because magic was forbidden violated and violating the Old Testament law maybe he was a court astrologer definitely used certain incantations formulas amulets for healing to look for signs he was with Sergius Paulus the pro-council because he was probably his advisor one of his advisors notice that Sergius Paulus he was an intelligent man educated pro-council pro-councils were Roman magistrates who headed the government in a senatorial province no troops were needed there because it was a senatorial province notice it says he was curious about Barnabas and Saul so curious he sought to hear the word of God from them look at verse 8 but

[37:06] Melimus the magician for thus his name was taken to mean he was opposing them seeking to turn the pro-council away from the faith he would not have it he opposed possibly because his own position was at stake well if he becomes a Christian he's not going to be asking me for any advice then well I don't want that to happen I'll be out of a job I don't know I'm going to find out more about this guy in a moment interesting it says wanting to turn the pro-council away from the faith the faith meaning the body of beliefs the collection of beliefs spoken by Barnabas and Saul so Elimus tried to prevent Sergius from embracing the truth friends listen there will be people who will be antagonistic to the truth who will try to turn others away from the truth from the gospel they oppose

[38:07] God's good news and they oppose his messengers they will oppose you they don't like gospel proclaimers they don't like you and they don't like me this is why worship must be the principle that drives missions that drives local churches towards mission that has local churches send out gospel proclaimers that has gospel proclaimers who are driven by God's great grace it's the love of God that compels me because if you're not compelled by God's grace worship then you will come face to face with this opposition and you will crumble worship has to be the focus let's go even farther if you think you're going to have just things go hunky dory and peachy keen in your relationship that you have in a conflict with but you don't see it as an issue of worship friend it's not going to happen only the gospel of grace can bring peace it's the only thing notice

[39:32] Saul picks up on this verse 9 Saul also known as Paul who I will now call Paul from now on his Roman name versus his Jewish name in a Gentile context so the name shift is noteworthy notice it says Paul he was filled with the Holy Spirit in other words he was dominated by the Spirit controlled by the Spirit this the spirits he received the spirits in special enabling to confront a satanically inspired deceiver and opponent of the gospel notice the names that he gives delineates Elimus' hatred for the truth of the gospel fixing his gaze he said you who are full of deceit deception because he wanted to get a little bit more money possibly full of deceit and fraud villainy unscrupulousness in other words he was a con man you son of the devil versus his name meaning son of

[40:47] Jesus son of Joshua enemy of all righteousness will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord you you make crooked God straight God's upright ways alimus he was a perverter of truth he had to stop resisting the truth and the straight path and submit himself to the Lord Jesus Christ Paul picked up on that big time notice what he says verse 11 behold the hand of the Lord is upon you you'll be blind and not see the sun for a time he would experience blindness temporary blindness as a way to show God's true power and true truth his dark mind led to his dark sight which was exactly what happened and immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand as he was blind to truth blinding others he would truly be blind now and friends this is not just a judgment miracle it's a miracle that shows the great ultimate power of

[42:18] God over the evil one and how the powerful word of the gospel will always amaze people and will always overcome falsity that's what the gospel does so gospel proclaimer you never underestimate the power of the goodness of Jesus Christ never underestimate the power of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation 1 1 6 Romans 1 1 6 the power of God in your life in your lives with others in your relationship with each other in relation within a church outside the church all different venues it is the power of God do not let us not underestimate the power of the gospel which is what I do every day don't you praise

[43:23] God judgment came with mercy it was only temporary blindness the thought being he would see his evil ways and repent and embrace the truth notice how his helplessness such a major contrast to his arrogance just a few moments before friends listen if if we are not sent out with gospel drive or you could even put worship drive then we will not be able to stand up against the seats of the evil one you won't be able to do it you won't be able to have peace in that relationship you won't be able to have that reconciliation with that neighbor or that co-worker you won't be able to have that reconciliation with that sibling or with that relative you won't have that that conflict resolved in marriage you won't have it because the evil one will dominate you you must be driven by the gospel you must be driven by worship because the evil one does not want us to speak truth the good news of

[44:41] Jesus he will stop at nothing to make sure the truth is resisted and opposed in your life he hates us you cannot mix truth with error you can't bring single truth you can't embrace the truth and reject it you can't do both that doesn't make sense are are you here today and not a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ I'm speaking to you you cannot just add the Lord Jesus to your life you must turn away you must repent of your sin and put your trust in Jesus understand that you deserve his judgment his wrath you should be condemned right now but God is gracious and compassionate slow to anger he shows his grace to you and the Lord Jesus Christ who came he was perfect he died as a substitute for sinners he was resurrected physically from the dead repent put your trust in Jesus he will save you he will have compassion on your soul that's the gospel by the way as a side note some

[45:56] Christians think they need some demonstration of God's power in order to remove obstacles to faith or enable conversions like Paul does here these instances and acts are very rare though they're not a necessary part for the gospel to make progress because the gospel is the power of God friends it's the gospel that's the power of God and notice how powerful it is look at verse 12 the pro council believed when he saw what happened he was amazed at the judgment miracle that Paul did no no what was he amazed at the teaching of the Lord when he saw what happened amazement not at the judgment miracle not at the fact that this man was blinded for a time he was amazed at God's teaching it's not about us doing some kind of miraculous sign the gospel stands on its own it's ironic how this

[47:07] Roman Gentile responds but this Jew rejects the message interesting and you see at least interesting as well we see at least two different kinds of people we're going to deal with those who are antagonistic to the gospel and those who are more open to the gospel and it was the Lord himself who enabled Sergius to respond to the gospel and as you're dealing with other people as a gospel proclaimer you're going to find people antagonistic to the gospel some will be more open to the gospel but what is the thing that's going to advance the gospel in this world it's when truth led Jesus worshiping prayer devoted mission stinking churches faithfully and boldly proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ and as they have worship worship is the thing that's going to drive missions evangelism missions driven by local churches they're driven by the gospel that's the that's the process if we have a missions problem if you have a relationship problem the problem is worship that's where it begins

[48:25] I'll let you take a few moments to think and ponder we'll have a few moments of silence for you to think and ponder what we've seen in God's word here in Acts 13 take some moments of prayer devoting yourself to prayer maybe praying for that relative friend neighbor maybe praying that conflict that you have with spouse or friend praying that God will help you to focus to worship him and to praise him for his glorious grace to you so take a few moments of silence and then we'll do our time of giving with our last two songs and our closing prayer��� phonics the everlasting Thank you.