WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.940 we are continuing to think about God's unstoppable mission. We find here our stopping points are 00:00:07.940 --> 00:00:16.339 Iconium and Lystra and Antioch. So last week we began in Syria. Paul then moved to Cyprus. 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:24.080 He finished his journey in chapter 13 in coastal Turkey. This time we'll see his movements hundreds 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:31.979 of miles around inland Turkey before returning to Antioch in Syria. As you read the chapter 00:00:31.979 --> 00:00:41.039 we heard opposition. We saw him being stoned. We saw him performing miracles. There was encounters 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:46.280 with people worshipping other gods. There was preaching. There was plots. There was church 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:53.000 planting. It's a reminder that Paul's was quite a life. Last week we said his was an adventure of 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:59.200 faith and and that's absolutely what we see and so sometimes his experience can seem so distant 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:06.159 to ours. It's like well what could we possibly learn from what's going on here? In our ordinary mission, 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:14.719 in our ordinary calling as the church of God, what can we learn from Paul, Barnabas and their 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:21.920 missionary journey? This week we're going to think about three C's. We're going to think about Paul 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:28.780 and Barnabas and the importance of courage in God's mission. We'll see that in Iconium. In Lystra 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:34.340 and Derbe we'll think about the importance of communicating the glory of God and the joy of God 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:40.500 to the people around us. And then in the return to Antioch we'll see the importance of the church 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:49.200 to the mission of God. So let's begin in Iconium. First seven verses where we discover that God's 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:56.480 mission requires gospel courage. In high school for at least a couple of years whenever it was time 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:02.359 in English to go to the library, I don't know why I love stories but as a really lazy reader in school 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:07.680 I would always go for the books the choose your own adventure stories. It's a really quick way to get 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:14.640 through a book but central to that idea is you come to a point of drama and you're invited to decide 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:20.479 what you would like to happen next. Do you want to go through the trap door? Do you want to go into 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:28.000 the dark forest? That kind of thing. Now keep that in mind as we read what's happening in Iconium. 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:34.699 First couple of verses we discover Paul and Barnabas and their typical missionary strategy. Where do they 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:41.699 go first? They go to the synagogue. They go where the Jews and the Gentiles who are following 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:51.879 Judaism. They go to speak the word of God to them there to announce Jesus is their promised Messiah. 00:02:52.599 --> 00:03:02.079 And as we see often in Paul's missionary journeys his preaching brings success from God. There are many 00:03:02.079 --> 00:03:10.259 people who believe but that brings to jealousy and opposition mainly on the part of other religious 00:03:10.259 --> 00:03:18.459 leaders. The Jewish majority are not happy that people are believing in Jesus as Lord. And so what 00:03:18.459 --> 00:03:27.819 we see in verse 2 is slander. We see the Jews poisoning the minds of the people against Paul and Barnabas. 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:34.979 Here's a smear campaign. Here's anti-Paul propaganda. And here's where our choose your own adventure 00:03:34.979 --> 00:03:40.679 thing comes in. So if we were reading this so we've got some Jews and they're refusing to believe and 00:03:40.679 --> 00:03:45.979 they're stirring up the Gentiles. The minds are being poisoned. What would we expect to happen next? 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:53.060 Perhaps they'll leave quietly. Perhaps. But what we see is that Paul and Barnabas, verse 3, spent considerable 00:03:53.060 --> 00:04:00.219 time there. Deliberate use of language. There was opposition. There was minds being poisoned. So they spent 00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:09.180 considerable time there. Because of the hostility they resolved to stay. Because there are false views 00:04:09.180 --> 00:04:17.379 of Christianity around and their message they resolved to stay in order to correct that false view in order 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:27.680 to continue preaching the message of God's grace. You see that in verse 3? The message is all about God's 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:39.560 grace. Reminds us of that conflict. The religious leaders that emphasized works that you earn your place in God's 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:47.280 family. And Paul and Barnabas say, no, we're saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone. It's not about what we do. 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:57.540 It's what Jesus has already done. And that creates hostility. So they stay. They spend time. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:07.560 Speaking boldly. And their message is confirmed by miracles. Which again is one of the themes that we see in 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:15.399 Jesus' life. And it's also a theme in the life of the apostles as they are on mission. That miracles serve 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:22.960 to back up the authority of their message. How do we know that these new men coming into our town are 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:27.799 speaking the word of God because they're doing miracles? John Calvin said, the true use of miracle 00:05:27.799 --> 00:05:32.839 is the establishing of the gospel in its full and genuine authority. 00:05:32.979 --> 00:05:39.240 So these new believers are continuing to listen to the message of Jesus because they're seeing 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:45.279 miracles. And what happens in Iconium verses 4 to 7? We sense there is a city divided. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:50.939 Some are in favor of this new message. Some are really not. And at the end, there's this plot 00:05:50.939 --> 00:06:00.199 to kill Paul. And now it's their time to run. It's time to leave. But in this short section, 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:04.959 we're reminded of one of the features of the book of Acts, one of the features of the apostles 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:12.179 in particular, but also of the church in general. It's the courage that we see among God's people. 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:19.340 The courage of Christians. Now it's important for us to recognize that this isn't a natural 00:06:19.340 --> 00:06:26.460 courage, that God doesn't just select for his kingdom those who are instinctively brave, 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:33.139 those who will instinctively face up to any fight or any challenge, that that's not the kind of people 00:06:33.139 --> 00:06:40.079 that God is calling. We only have to look at the disciples as an example of that. As you trace 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:48.180 their experience of living with Jesus, when times get tough, when Jesus is arrested, they run away 00:06:48.180 --> 00:06:58.099 and they're hiding. They are in fear until after Pentecost. I was reading this morning Acts chapter 4. 00:06:58.799 --> 00:07:05.860 Peter and John have been put in prison for preaching the good news of Jesus. And they're brought before 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:11.400 the religious leaders and it says the religious leaders are amazed by the courage of Peter and 00:07:11.400 --> 00:07:20.340 John. And they took note of the fact that these were men who had been with Jesus. This isn't just 00:07:20.340 --> 00:07:26.840 ordinary courage. This is gospel courage. This comes from an absolute conviction that Jesus is Lord and 00:07:26.840 --> 00:07:34.900 Savior, that he has given the Spirit to give them strength for mission. This is, in this case, 00:07:34.899 --> 00:07:40.500 men, but it's when men and women have the courage of gospel convictions. That's the kind of courage 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:48.319 that's required in Christian mission. Paul would speak about it in the letter to the Philippians when 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:59.099 he was a prisoner in Philippi. He could say, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. That's not 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:06.240 foolhardy. That's gospel courage that understands Christ is my highest treasure. So what can man 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:14.560 do to me? I read this week an article by an evangelist by the name of Randy Newman. And he was 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:20.660 asking the question, is evangelism harder than it used to be? You get a lot of debate and discussion 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:29.100 about that. And he argues in that article, no, it's not that while in our context that the temperature 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:36.500 may be getting hotter, we may meet with more apathy and we may well meet with more hostility. 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:44.920 But when we look at what's happening in Acts, we see that that's nothing new. And he was inviting us 00:08:44.919 --> 00:08:50.379 to remember that the situation, when we think about evangelism, the situation has always been serious. 00:08:51.579 --> 00:08:59.719 The Bible makes plain that without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, people are dead in their sins. 00:09:00.199 --> 00:09:05.479 And there is the devil who is blinding the minds of unbelievers so they can't see the glory of Jesus 00:09:05.479 --> 00:09:13.299 and turning people against the good news of Jesus. So that's always going to be a feature of 00:09:13.299 --> 00:09:23.859 our efforts to share the good news. But God's word remains powerful. This word that turned the city of 00:09:23.859 --> 00:09:32.059 Iconium upside down is still the powerful word of God. We still have a God who desires to build his 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:40.399 kingdom, who is still pursuing his own glory. And the reality of his saving grace, it remains. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:50.259 That remains our message. So it's difficult. In fact, without the Holy Spirit, without God's help, evangelism is impossible. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:10:00.220 But with word and spirit, there is still power. But we need this kind of courage as a church. We need it as individual Christians. 00:10:00.220 --> 00:10:12.019 Perhaps in Acts chapter 4, we discover how we get this courage. That just as Peter and John were those who had been with 00:10:12.019 --> 00:10:23.500 Jesus, that it's as we spend time with Jesus, as we come to treasure the gospel, to appreciate that he has taken us from 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:31.700 spiritual death and he's given us eternal life. When we consider that we were isolated and far from God and Jesus has brought us 00:10:31.700 --> 00:10:37.639 into God's family. When we understand that now there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:45.899 because we are in Christ Jesus. That's where courage comes from. So we need to be men and women who are in 00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:57.919 the word of God, treasuring that good news. We need to be those who value eternity more than life now as Paul and Barnabas did. 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:02.340 Because God's mission requires gospel courage. 00:11:03.459 --> 00:11:09.399 And then we move on to Lystra and Derby, but the focus is almost entirely on what happens in Lystra. 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:17.419 And there we see that God's mission requires us to communicate both God's glory and God's joy. 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:26.100 In verses 8 to 10, we discover a miracle very like a miracle that took place in Acts chapter 3. 00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:33.379 That time it was Peter who raised a crippled man to his feet. This time it's Paul. 00:11:33.379 --> 00:11:40.340 He recognizes, verse 9, that this man who's listening intently has faith to be healed. 00:11:40.820 --> 00:11:44.620 And so with the authority of Jesus, calls him to stand on his feet. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:53.960 But the reaction of the crowd to this miracle is entirely different to what we read in Acts chapter 3. 00:11:55.019 --> 00:11:59.879 I don't know who here has read a lot of Latin poetry. I certainly haven't. 00:11:59.879 --> 00:12:15.419 But I am told that some 50 years before this event happened, Ovid, a Latin poet, tells the story of Zeus and Hermes visiting a town in the sky. 00:12:15.820 --> 00:12:19.559 They visited a town called Phrygia, so the story goes. 00:12:19.899 --> 00:12:25.860 And when these gods arrived in Phrygia, as he tells the story, nobody welcomed them. 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:28.019 Everybody said, no, just leave. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:32.120 Apart from a poor elderly couple. 00:12:33.379 --> 00:12:40.820 So as Ovid tells the story, Zeus and Hermes are not very pleased with the city because of the lack of welcome. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:49.019 And so while this elderly couple are rewarded by these gods, the rest of the town was wiped out. 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:53.980 Now that was a popular story in Greco-Roman culture. 00:12:53.980 --> 00:13:03.139 So when you come to what happens here with Paul and Barnabas, you wonder whether that is in the back or even in the front of their minds. 00:13:04.340 --> 00:13:08.039 So when they see the miracle, what do they say in verse 11? 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:10.460 The gods have come down to us in human form. 00:13:11.060 --> 00:13:15.279 Barnabas is Zeus and Paul is Hermes, so they think. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.699 There is celebration. 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:21.600 The town is going crazy because of what's happened. 00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:25.480 And they're presuming that the gods have come to visit. 00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:30.100 Now, think about Paul and Barnabas' experience today. 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:37.699 They've moved around Cyprus and Greece and Syria and Turkey. 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:41.720 And at each point, they've met with opposition. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:45.720 They've met with people who would like to have them killed. 00:13:48.060 --> 00:13:50.460 Here is something very different. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.840 Here they are being welcomed as heroes. 00:13:55.820 --> 00:14:01.020 Here there is a temptation to receive some of this adulation for themselves. 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:10.399 After all the bad press they've just been getting to take some of the credit for what's going on for themselves. 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:12.340 But what do they do? 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:14.439 What do Paul and Barnabas do? 00:14:14.579 --> 00:14:15.460 Verse 14. 00:14:16.539 --> 00:14:21.399 When the apostles hear the crowd's reaction, they tore their clothes. 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.639 There's grief because of this significant misunderstanding. 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.019 And they look to correct it. 00:14:29.079 --> 00:14:30.480 Men, why are you doing this? 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.399 We too are only men. 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:40.720 And their focus is on the fact that this town is guilty of worshipping the wrong thing. 00:14:40.860 --> 00:14:43.639 Guilty of worshipping Paul and Barnabas. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:49.940 Guilty of worshipping Zeus and Hermes who are, verse 15, worthless. 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:54.680 Gods that cannot save because they are no gods at all. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:57.080 And we are bringing you good news. 00:14:57.180 --> 00:14:59.539 Telling you to turn from these worthless things. 00:14:59.539 --> 00:15:06.299 To the living God who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 00:15:06.419 --> 00:15:08.399 So he brings good news. 00:15:08.599 --> 00:15:11.839 Good news of the ultimate creator. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.099 The one who is greater than their false gods. 00:15:15.459 --> 00:15:21.459 The one who gives evidence of his glory in creation. 00:15:21.460 --> 00:15:26.379 And in providing for them and for their needs. 00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:28.360 And so they're communicating loud and clear. 00:15:28.860 --> 00:15:30.040 God is great. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:31.920 We are not. 00:15:32.620 --> 00:15:33.920 It's all about God. 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:34.920 It's all about Jesus. 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.280 It's not about me. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:41.360 And so we need to be wary. 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:50.299 Beware of any ministry that would look to elevate a preacher or a leader. 00:15:50.299 --> 00:16:00.779 We need to be wary of people who would say, I say to you, rather than those who say, thus says the Lord. 00:16:00.779 --> 00:16:06.360 And I think practically as well, when it comes to sharing our own faith. 00:16:06.459 --> 00:16:09.819 When it comes to telling our story of God's work in our lives. 00:16:09.820 --> 00:16:19.660 The goal is always to point to the glory and the kindness and the saving grace of God through Jesus. 00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:23.820 Not pointing ultimately to ourselves. 00:16:24.640 --> 00:16:29.460 And so Paul and Barnabas very careful to give God glory. 00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:41.460 And also in verse 17, they communicate to Lystra the joy of God. 00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:49.120 Again, in a separate article I was reading from Randy Newman, he talks about an apologetic of joy. 00:16:49.420 --> 00:16:53.519 And he actually used this verse to help make his point. 00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:56.840 So let's see what Paul does here in verse 17. 00:16:56.840 --> 00:17:04.039 How does he talk to these people who had never heard of the true God, but who were worshipping false gods? 00:17:04.120 --> 00:17:05.779 He says he's not left himself. 00:17:06.120 --> 00:17:08.779 The true God has not left himself without testimony. 00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:14.160 He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their season. 00:17:14.620 --> 00:17:18.759 He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. 00:17:19.360 --> 00:17:21.880 So he goes to the doctrine of common grace. 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:29.360 He points out the fact that God is a kind and a generous God who loves to give good gifts. 00:17:30.620 --> 00:17:36.000 And he's wanting, Paul is wanting the people to understand that it's God who gives every good gift. 00:17:36.120 --> 00:17:39.640 That God is ultimately the source of their joy. 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:43.380 That Paul is trying to encourage the people to think, 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:47.860 These good things that I have, where do they come from? 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:54.000 Who is behind all these good things that fill our lives with joy? 00:17:55.060 --> 00:18:03.460 So he's looking to help them reason from the gift that they have to think about the giver. 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:11.160 And it's a way, Randy Newman says, it's a way of building common ground with people. 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:17.440 And we're so used to recognising the fact that as Christians a lot of our values and beliefs are very different. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.140 But here is one way in which we can share common ground. 00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:29.060 Because whoever you are, we have certain things that we enjoy, whether that's sharing good food, good music, 00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:32.180 whether it's the enjoyment of stories or scenery. 00:18:32.820 --> 00:18:42.880 We can talk about how we appreciate God for giving us those everyday gifts that we have in our lives. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:52.040 That these common grace goodnesses of God provide a platform to then talk about, to think about, 00:18:52.720 --> 00:19:01.580 the God who gives joy, the God who is kind, and the God who, when we know him, allows us to have full joy. 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:06.980 That knowing the eternal God helps us to enjoy things now more. 00:19:06.980 --> 00:19:17.539 So Randy Newman suggests that this kind of verse and this kind of logic can be helpful for those who feel that they're happy without God. 00:19:18.099 --> 00:19:21.039 Because it takes us to where people are at. 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:21.860 I'm happy. 00:19:22.860 --> 00:19:24.299 Where does happiness come from? 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:31.680 Trying to help people to think about the happiness that comes from the God who is generous and joyful. 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:44.779 So in Lystra we see a reminder that our goal as Christians is to enjoy God and to give God glory in our lives and in our mission. 00:19:45.620 --> 00:19:50.240 And then as they return towards Antioch, verses 21 to the end of the chapter, 00:19:50.820 --> 00:19:56.759 we are reminded in a variety of ways that God's mission needs God's church. 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:05.500 There was an important missionary writer in the 19th century, I think, by the name of Roland Allen. 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:11.720 And he makes the point that in the book of Acts what we see is that Paul establishes churches, not missions. 00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:18.960 There's a strong emphasis in the book of Acts on church planting, church leadership, 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:24.359 and Paul and Barnabas looking to strengthen and establish churches. 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:27.619 So we see that God works by his spirit. 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:33.439 He calls and saves people to faith in the Lord Jesus by his spirit. 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:44.219 And then those people are organized into local churches so that they, in their locality, might continue the mission of God. 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.419 Because Paul and Barnabas, they knew that they were commissioned by the church in Antioch. 00:20:49.679 --> 00:20:53.299 They knew that God chose to work through the church. 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:56.539 So let's see the value that they place on the church. 00:20:56.639 --> 00:21:06.019 And first of all, in verses 21 and 22, we see them returning to various locations they've been to in order to strengthen believers. 00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:10.519 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. 00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:14.119 Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 00:21:14.639 --> 00:21:19.000 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:24.259 They said, we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said. 00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:27.259 And do you notice that they went back to the dangerous places? 00:21:28.039 --> 00:21:34.339 They went back to places where some of their opponents would wish them to be dead. 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:40.700 But they did that because they knew that the people of God there, these young Christians, needed to be taught. 00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:41.839 They needed to be trained. 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:45.500 They needed to be encouraged to persevere. 00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:56.900 And notice the way Paul spoke to them to show that wherever we are from, when our faith is in Christ, we are one. 00:21:57.140 --> 00:21:58.359 There is a unity there. 00:21:58.519 --> 00:22:00.460 We are on mission together. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:07.279 So he said to them, we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:13.200 This spiritual battle that I have lived through, that's also going to be your experience. 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:15.079 We're in this together. 00:22:15.399 --> 00:22:20.099 But he looks to strengthen believers in these young churches. 00:22:20.259 --> 00:22:28.220 He knows the importance of the truth and the gospel to them surviving as a church. 00:22:28.220 --> 00:22:37.519 And then we also see in verse 23 that they very quickly established elders in local churches. 00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:50.740 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust. 00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:56.880 So Paul understands these young Christians, they have a need for teaching. 00:22:57.620 --> 00:23:00.799 There will be a need for pastoral care. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:03.620 There will be a need for leadership. 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:12.440 So Paul established, he appoints these elders and he committed them to the Lord. 00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:15.980 He has confidence in God. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:19.900 As a church planter, he was always on the move. 00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:24.019 He would stay for a few months, sometimes very occasionally, stay for a number of years. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.600 But his only contact with them would be through letters. 00:23:29.340 --> 00:23:34.140 So he has to trust that what God starts, God will finish. 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:41.720 That as God has built the church, God will sustain the church and he will equip the church. 00:23:41.900 --> 00:23:46.720 And he will equip the elders for the task of ministry. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:56.579 So he committed them to the Lord, trusting that God would help these men to guide God's church in their particular mission field. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:11.079 And so the book of Acts reminds us that the local church and local church leadership in the form of elders and deacons is God's good plan for his church. 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:22.980 And so when we realize that, it's important then that together we are praying for our elders and for our deacons. 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:39.539 But we seek to encourage our church leaders by walking in the light that you'd be pleased to gladly submit to the leadership of this church as they seek to follow, 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:42.620 as we seek to follow the Lord Jesus. 00:24:42.619 --> 00:24:52.039 And the next thing that we see is that they, Paul and Barnabas, return back to their sending church. 00:24:52.139 --> 00:25:02.619 Verse 26, from Italia, they sailed back to Antioch where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:06.459 And so when they arrive, they gather the church. 00:25:06.659 --> 00:25:11.139 They report the work that God had been doing, all that God had done through them. 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:13.380 There they are again, not bringing glory to themselves. 00:25:13.800 --> 00:25:17.759 God has done this through us, to God be the glory. 00:25:18.180 --> 00:25:29.759 And they shared the joy with the church of what God is doing, especially as the church is expanding into the Gentile world, into the non-Jewish world. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:38.480 And what we see between Paul, Barnabas and Antioch is a partnership between the missionaries and the sending church. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:44.740 The people in Antioch, they were praying that they would be those who would send resources. 00:25:44.980 --> 00:25:49.140 And when Paul and Barnabas came back, they provided fellowship for them. 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:54.039 Verse 28, they stayed there a long time with the disciples. 00:25:54.039 --> 00:26:02.779 As we close, as we're in the book of Acts, we turn our eyes to next week. 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:05.039 Now we think about Mission Sunday. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:12.480 One important goal that we have for Mission Sunday is that as individuals and as a church, 00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:18.480 we would strengthen our connection with our overseas missionary partners. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:25.099 We have the privilege of welcoming lots of different people, some for a long time, some for a shorter time, 00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:31.220 to Edinburgh who get trained and then go back to various fields of mission and ministry, 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:37.420 as well as maybe we know people ourselves who are out on the mission field. 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:48.940 And one of the things practically that this story reminds us of is that we are to be actively involved in mission alongside our mission partner. 00:26:49.580 --> 00:26:52.960 So they send a prayer letter back to us. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:55.920 That's not to be a monologue. 00:26:56.140 --> 00:26:58.860 It's intended to be a part of a dialogue. 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:03.759 That those on the field love to hear from us at home. 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.139 To know how we are praying for them. 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:09.099 To know how they can pray for us. 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:15.899 To show that we have a genuine interest in what they are doing, how life is, how family life is. 00:27:19.459 --> 00:27:24.500 And so one of the things that we hope to do for Mission Sunday is to make it really easy for us then 00:27:24.500 --> 00:27:34.180 to find the avenues for gathering information that can lead us to pray, that can lead us to partner with those overseas. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:45.799 That we would have, like Antioch, this global perspective that we can share the joy of knowing what God is doing in Africa and Asia and South and Central America. 00:27:45.799 --> 00:28:00.099 But as we close, one last thing to say is that we see in the way that Luke writes this chapter that God's kingdom is growing and it's growing by the grace of God. 00:28:00.220 --> 00:28:09.980 So in verse 3, we're told that the message that Paul and Barnabas bring is the message of God's grace. 00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:21.920 And then in verse 26, we discover that the grace of God is also the power for Paul and Barnabas, the messenger. 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:29.839 So at every point in God's mission, grace is the foundation. 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:38.200 That we need to be receiving daily the good news of God's love towards us. 00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:44.500 In the sending of Jesus, to die on the cross, to take away our sins, to bring us back to God. 00:28:44.980 --> 00:28:52.840 And that's also then the message that we look to share with those around about. 00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:59.279 There is a Christian parenting book, which I've never read, but I love the title. 00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:02.740 Because the title is Dazzle Your Kids With Grave. 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:06.900 And I think that's what we are called to do on mission. 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:17.900 But in order to dazzle others with the grace of God in Jesus, we need first of all to delight in ourselves, to treasure it above all. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:21.519 God's mission needs gospel courage. 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:24.799 God's mission needs God's church. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:29.899 And God's mission needs for us to see and delight in the glory of God. 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:37.500 And to really experience for ourselves the joy of God that comes through knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior. 00:29:37.500 --> 00:29:37.899 Amen. 00:29:37.899 --> 00:29:38.500 Amen. 00:29:38.500 --> 00:29:38.559 Amen. 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:38.619 Amen. 00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:38.659 Amen. 00:29:38.659 --> 00:29:38.700 Amen. 00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:38.759 Amen. 00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:38.839 Amen. 00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:38.859 Amen. 00:29:38.859 --> 00:29:38.940 Amen.