Gracious Father, we thank you for your word.
Thank you for your church.
I pray that as we look into your word this morning
that we might see something of our heritage
and that as we look to the future
that we might be committed to the name Christ
and seeing that name declared and glorified
throughout this area of Chatswood.
We pray for your sake. Amen.
St. Paul's first ministry in the Chatswood area
began almost or just over 112 years ago
with a Sunday school on the 1st of September 1901.
It wasn't a great start because no one turned up.
The weather wasn't so great.
Three children turned up the next week
and the first official church service
was a couple of months later
on the 8th of December 1901.
The official opening of St. Paul's
was conducted on the 15th of December 1901
by the Archdeacon of Cumberland,
the Venerable John Langley,
to whom my wife Natalie is a direct descendant.
So I am married into St. Paul's history
more than most.
A new church doesn't just pop up.
It doesn't just arrive one Sunday.
Many things happen over a period of time
before any church,
and a church like St. Paul's comes to be.
And as always, with anything,
there are different motives and agendas at play
in order to see something like a church pop up.
And some of those agendas and motives
lack any sort of vision.
There are those who are dissatisfied
with the ministry of another church
and figure it's much better to start our own thing.
There are those who felt that the church
was a good place for social activities.
For others, it was a place for mutual support
and friendships and family interactions
and cultural pursuits.
For others, the church is a healthy place
for young people of marriageable age.
That is St. Paul's the dating service
before RSVP and all those other things
came into being.
On the other hand,
there are those with a real gospel vision.
There are those who are doing evangelism
on steam trains.
A boy riding the district on horseback
to break the news of a Sunday school
and a church coming into being.
There were the four young men
who in the summer of 1901-02
met weekly for prayer before dawn
out in the bush
and spent time walking around
looking for potential church sites
to plant a church.
And so here we are,
112 years later,
on the site that was chosen.
It's Commitment Sunday.
We're thinking about commitment
to the mission and vision of St. Paul's
here in Chatswood
as we look ahead to 2014 and beyond.
And my question for us today
is what is it about our beginning
that will most define our present
and our future as a church?
Is it St. Paul's the dating service?
Or is it a gospel-driven vision?
And so in thinking about that question,
what is it about our beginnings
that will so define our present,
our future,
I want us to take us back to the beginning?
Back past 112 years
on the lower north shore of Sydney,
back past the Anglican Church
starting with chaplain arriving
with the first fleet,
back past the act of supremacy
in November 1534,
that brought the Church of England
into existence,
back to the first century
and the church in Antioch.
The church in Antioch
is our mother church.
It is our ancestry.
It is our bloodline.
In the first half of chapter 11,
Peter is up in front of the leaders
in Jerusalem explaining
why he, as a Jew,
had gone to the house of a Gentile
and eaten with them.
He went to explain
how Cornelius
and his family
had received the Holy Spirit
and came
to put their trust
in the Lord Jesus.
It's the first instance
of Christian faith
breaching Jewish circles.
And so,
in chapter 11,
verse 18,
we have the response
of the leaders
of the church in Jerusalem.
When they heard this,
they had no further objections
and praised God,
saying,
so then,
God has granted
even the Gentiles
repentance unto life.
And so,
this means that
unless you are a Jew,
Antioch,
in the very next verse,
is your mother church.
As the first Gentile church,
my hope is that
something of its heartbeat
might define
something of our heartbeat.
And there are a number of things
you could pull out of here
in this,
but I just want to pick on a few.
A number of the characteristics
of our mother church
that we must commit to
emulating
as we look to the future
at St. Paul's.
Notice,
first of all,
our mother church's commitment
to representing Jesus
where God had placed them.
Verse 19,
Acts 11.
If you haven't got your Bibles,
you need to have your Bibles open.
Or your iPads
or whatever it is you've got.
Acts 11.
Verse 19.
Now,
those who had been scattered
by the persecution
in connection with Stephen
traveled as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus and Antioch,
telling the message
only to Jews.
Some of them,
however,
men from Cyprus and Cyrene
went to Antioch
and began to speak
to Greeks also,
telling them the good news
about the Lord Jesus.
The Lord's hand was with them
and a great number of people
believed and turned to the Lord.
So chapter 11,
verse 19,
takes us back
to chapter 8,
verse 1,
and the scattering
of the believers
as a result
of the persecution
relating to the martyrdom
of Stephen.
And some of these
persecuted believers
went as far
as Antioch,
the capital
of the Roman province
of Syria
and the third largest city
in the empire.
And as they went,
as they were scattered,
they simply
talked about Jesus.
What was in their hearts
came out of their mouth.
These unnamed Jews
from the island of Cyprus
and Cyrene
with no official direction,
no human instruction,
no precedent to follow,
nothing but a burning
love for Christ
took the good news
of the Lord Jesus
to Antioch.
They were probably
not even aware
that they were doing
something radical,
no clue about their,
the revolutionary
greatness of their act.
They were the first believers
to bring the explosive
light of the gospel
into the pitch black
darkness
of paganism
in Antioch.
Antioch was evangelized
not by apostles,
but by average
members
of the body
of Christ
who just simply
represent Jesus
because Jesus
had pushed them there.
Wherever
these refugees
landed,
Jesus was on display.
Sharing Christ
to them
appears to be
as natural
as tears
to sorrow
and as smiles
to happiness.
Everyday believers
empowered
by the Holy Spirit
blew away
the hold of paganism
on needy souls
and the result
was a great harvest
in Antioch.
Verse 21,
the Lord's hand
was with them
and a great number
of people believed
and turned to the Lord.
We see it again
in verse 24,
a great number
of people
were brought
to the Lord.
Luke is very
careful here
to stress
the sovereign
providence of God
behind the growth
of this church.
It was the Lord's hand,
did you see that?
It was the Lord's hand
that was responsible
for the success.
No apostles,
no parish council,
no ecclesiastical structure,
just the Lord's hand
and a tremendous
number of new believers.
But it doesn't negate
the personal witness
of the disciples
who chose
to accomplish
his sovereign purpose.
This is his appointed means.
Christians
representing Jesus
where he has put them,
wherever that might be.
Now let me say,
there would be
few churches
that would confess
that they have
no interest
in mission.
Many operate
like they have
no interest
in mission,
but there'd be
few who would
confess they have
no interest
in mission.
Most want to be
a light
in a dark place.
Too many,
however,
I fear
operate
like a lighthouse
in a dark place.
Our focus
is illuminating
the far off distances,
but leaving
the area
around our base
plunged in darkness.
no church
will ever
become a missionary
church
unless it
possesses
a vigorous
grassroots
concern
for mission
to the non-Christian
world
where they
are.
This is
our mission
field
right here.
if we are
not concerned
for the good
news of the
Lord Jesus
increasing
and spreading
where God
has put us,
there is no
genuine concern
for gospel
impact
thousands of
kilometers away.
the commitment
to local
mission
for this
church
at Antioch
did in fact
flow over
to the rest
of the world.
Acts
chapter 13
we see
Barnabas
and Paul
are sent
from Antioch
to the rest
of the world.
Antioch
became the
launching pad
for global
mission.
it was the
base for
Paul's
missionary
journeys
and it
started with
disciples
representing
Jesus
right there
in Antioch.
To represent
Jesus
where he's
put us
in Chatswood
is to keep
in step
with our
mother church.
It is our
heritage,
our bloodline.
Representing
Jesus
as written
into our
mission statement
is one of
the reasons
that we exist
local and
global impact
is one of
our core
values and
mobilizing
members for
local mission
is one of
the five
strategies
that we
are working
on in order
to accomplish
vision 2020.
Our stated
ministry
objective
out there
on the
door
on the
way out
is that
by the
end of
next year
is to
see 500
people
attending
church
each week
here at
St. Paul's.
That's our
mission,
that's our
focus,
that's our
objective.
we are
praying and
laboring to
see people
come to
a saving
faith in
the Lord
Jesus,
not transferring
from another
church,
not interested
in that.
That doesn't
mean I'm not
interested in
you,
if that's
what you've
done,
I'm just
saying our
focus is
to see people
come to
know Christ.
Christ.
praise God
for the
person in
five o'clock
congregation
who responded
to back to
church Sunday
invitation,
went immediately
into Christianity,
explored and gave
their life to
Christ two
Sundays ago,
I think it
was.
Make a
commitment to
pursue this
goal in
2014,
here today on
Commitment
Sunday.
Notice also
our mother
church's
commitment to
establishing
believers in
the faith.
Again,
this is
something of
our heritage
and our
bloodline that
we want to
emulate today.
In verse
22 we see
the church in
Jerusalem gets
a wind of
all that's
happening in
Antioch and
so they send
one of its
main men to
check it out.
And Barnabas
likes what he
sees,
verse 23,
when he
arrived and
saw the
evidence of
the grace
of God,
he was glad
and encouraged
them all to
remain true to
the Lord with
all of
their hearts.
You see,
he liked what
he saw,
but his
concern was
to nurture
this young
multicultural
church in
Antioch.
And in
verse 25 we
see he brings
in extra help
to make sure
it happens
effectively.
It says,
then Barnabas
went to
Tarsus to
look for
Saul.
That's about
a 160
kilometer
journey.
And when
he found
him, he
brought him
to Antioch.
And so for
the whole
year, Barnabas
and Saul
met with
the church
and taught
great numbers
of people.
Great numbers
of people were
taught.
And what were
they taught?
Acts 20
verse 27
leads me to
believe that
they were
taught the
whole will
of God.
The emphasis
on establishment
is again seen
in chapter 14
verses 21 to
23 where the
missionaries are
returning from
the first
missionary journey
and it says
they were
strengthening the
disciples and
encouraging them
and appointing
elders.
I want to
suggest to you
that everything
that this church
is and does
here at
Antioch comes
back to God's
grace and the
fact that they
were well
established in
the truth and
they were
growing in
maturity in
Christ.
People coming
to know
Jesus is not
the only reason
we exist.
We want to
see people grow
into maturity
in Christ and
becoming more
like him.
We want to
see people
standing firm
and secure
in Christ.
Barnabas'
desire for the
church at
Antioch is
for them to
remain true to
the Lord with
all of their
hearts and that
ought to be our
desire as well.
And that's why
our missionary
objective is not
just to have
500 people
sitting in
church but to
see growth in
core membership
to 150.
As I've said
a number of
times,
core membership
is really
simple and
practical.
It's just a
visible expression
that I as an
individual are
living out what
we value here as
a church.
That's all it
is.
Devotion to
prayer,
Christ-centered
Bible saturation,
humble authenticity,
treasuring Jesus
together,
servant leadership,
radical generosity,
local and global
impact.
commitment.
And so here on
Commitment Sunday
2013, make a
commitment to
grow in those
core values next
year.
And especially to
grow deeper in
knowing and
treasuring Jesus by
saturating yourself
in the scriptures.
notice too that
there is an
attitude expressed
here in the
Barnabas-Saw
relationship at our
mother church that
would have impacted
the way that this
whole church served
and I believe we
need to follow in
their footsteps here
something of our
bloodline that we
need to emulate.
Barnabas is not an
apostle but he is
one of the main men
in the Jerusalem
church.
Barnabas' goodness
was expressed in
his generosity of
the church in
chapter 4 and
also in him
sticking out his
neck to commend
Paul to the
apostles in
chapter 9.
But here we find
something I think
even more beautiful
than chapter 4 and
chapter 9 because
Barnabas would soon
yield his
preeminence to
Paul.
Barnabas was
older.
Barnabas was
more respected,
more widely known
and in many ways
he was way more
experienced than
Paul.
But when he
asked Paul to
come and help
him in Antioch
in verse 25
and when they
later commenced
their missionary
journey together in
chapter 13,
Paul began to
play a greater
role than
Barnabas.
It begins with
Barnabas and
Saul and
soon it
becomes Paul
and Barnabas
and it
stayed that way
to the end.
Barnabas to
Paul was like
John the
Baptist to
Christ.
He must
become greater,
I must become
less.
And it
wasn't because
Barnabas is like
I'm a little
old now,
it's retirement
time,
need someone to
come and fill the
shoes that I've
been running,
ministries I've
been doing.
What I see
here is an
attitude of
humility and
an attitude of
strategy.
In Acts
chapter 9 we
read of the
miraculous conversion
of Saul.
God then says
this about
Saul in
verse 15 of
Acts 9,
this man is
my chosen
instrument to
carry my name
before the
Gentiles and
their kings.
And at the
end of
chapter 9,
Barnabas is
the one who
takes Saul to
the apostles and
commends him
for all that
he's been
doing.
And so
Barnabas must
have known that
it was Paul's
calling to be
apostle to the
Gentiles.
And here is
Barnabas now in
Antioch seven,
eight years
later with all
these Gentile
conversions
surrounding him
and he must
have thought
Paul's the
man.
This is
Paul's domain.
This is what
Paul has been
set apart to
do.
And so
Barnabas
puts his
ego to one
side and
allows Paul
to rise up
over him.
all for the
sake of the
word of God
increasing and
spreading.
It is a
glimpse of
genuine
humility and
it's a glimpse
of gospel
strategy and
it's a glimpse
of sacrificial
leadership.
You see
when Paul
and
traveled with
Barnabas to
heathen Antioch
they were the
original dynamic
duo before
Batman and
Robin came into
being.
They
complemented one
another beautifully.
Barnabas
soft,
gentle,
pastoral,
heart,
son of
encouragement,
known for
that.
Paul,
sharp,
legal mind,
argue with
anyone.
They
complemented
one another
beautifully
thanks to
the expert
orchestration
of the
Spirit of
God.
Barnabas
sensitive,
empathetic,
gracious,
Paul had a
brilliant hone,
razor sharp,
lawyer's
intellect and
together the
Spirit of
God worked
together
powerfully
and together
humbly
appreciating one
another,
they were
almost
inconquerable.
And so I
want to
encourage you
as
Commitment
Sunday
2013,
make a
commitment
to use
your gifts
to serve
the body
of Christ
and to
serve with
this kind
of heart
and this
kind of
strategic
thinking,
a heart
that says
whatever
serves the
advancement of
the gospel
through this
place,
I will do
it even if
it means I
step down.
Notice also
our mother
church's
commitment to
generosity,
again this
is something
of our
heritage and
our bloodline
that we
must emulate
today.
Verse 27,
during this
time some
prophets came
down from
Jerusalem to
Antioch,
one of them
named Agabus
stood up and
through the
Spirit predicted
that a severe
famine would
spread over the
entire Roman
world.
this happened
during the
reign of
Claudius,
the disciples
each according
to his
ability decided
to provide
help for the
brothers living
in Judea and
this they did
sending their
gifts to the
elders by
Barnabas and
Saul.
Luke's main
concern here in
letting us know
this is not so
much the
fulfillment of
Agabus'
prophecy as
with the
generous response
of the church
in Antioch.
There was a
need and they
responded.
They gave to
the need each
according to
his ability is
what it says
there.
I want to
suggest to
you that
generosity is
a plain
biblical principle
and generosity
should characterize
the family of
God as it did
right in our
very beginning
as a church in
Acts 2 in the
way they shared
with one
another.
I was really
encouraged and
significantly
challenged by a
pastor who
said recently
that he and
his wife made
a commitment to
grow in
generosity every
year of their
marriage.
Every year of
their marriage.
And under God
they made a plan
to increase the
percentage of
what God gave,
what they gave
away year by
year to
ministry, to
all sorts of
other needs.
And after many,
many years of
marriage, they
are now giving
away 94% of
all income that
comes in.
Friends, we
need to see the
opportunity that God
has given us in the
wealthy West to
meet needs and
demonstrate the
character of our
generous God.
And what we
are doing here
today in
pledging off a
tree and making
gifts to see the
word of God
increase and
spread is in
our heritage.
Way back,
way back to our
origin in Antioch
in first century.
Also happens to be
in our heritage.
It supports
Chatswood.
It says here
that voluntary
subscriptions,
payable any
time during the
year to the
stipend and
building funds,
are earnestly
solicited from
all those
desirous of
assisting in
the movement.
That is, the
movement of
seeing the
gospel go to
Chatswood.
It is
decided on
here that no
bazaars, sales
of works or
morning teas
be resorted
to obtain
funds.
It is
hoped that
every member
of the
congregation
will at
once notify
their promise
of subscriptions.
Generosity
is in our
heritage.
And so make
a commitment
to see the
word of God
increase and
spread and be
generous in
2014.
Let me just
take you to
I think one of
the most
wonderful and
heartwarming and
almost throwaway
statements in
this passage and
I think it
serves as an
overarching statement
to describe our
mother church.
It's found, it's
almost, it is a
throwaway line
almost but
nothing's ever
really thrown
away in the
word of God.
It is found at
the end of
verse 26.
The disciples
were called
Christians first
at Antioch.
In the first
century Antioch,
back first
century, Antioch
was a melting
pot of at
least five
different cultures.
People came
far, to live in
Antioch, people
came as far away
as China to
live in the
Las Vegas of
the Roman Empire.
It was known
for two things,
its chariot
races and its
deliberate pursuit
of pleasure.
Antioch was
most famous
in terms of its
pursuit of
pleasure for
its worship
of the
goddess Daphne.
Apollo's
famous pursuit
of Daphne
was reenacted
each night
by the men
of Antioch
pursuing
the Daphne
temple
prostitutes.
Every night.
And throughout
the world,
the morals
of Daphne
was a
euphemism
for depravity.
A depravity
that has its
centre at
Antioch, a
city of
sensuality and
depravity.
And if you've
been reading the
local papers
recently, you'll
notice that we've
got a whole lot
of brothels
in Chatswood
and Crowsnest
and it is
becoming the
red light
district of
Sydney.
It's astounding.
And the
church at
Antioch
was like a
flower growing
in a putrid
bog, a
patch of
lush grass
in a desert,
a gospel
vitality now
burned in
the sensual,
depraved,
materialistic,
spiritual darkness
of Antioch.
Antioch.
And this
new church
which had
formed in
Antioch,
this flower
in the bog
was so
completely
foreign to
the bleak
environment
that it
altered the
vocabulary of
the city
and from
there the
world.
When God's
people live
for Christ
in such
depth and
power that
those who
round them
have to
strive for
a new
term to
describe what
they see,
that's
astounding.
Now perhaps
there's a
jesting and a
mocking edge
to the
nickname,
perhaps there's
even a little
bit of rage
because these
people were
such a
contradiction to
the ethos of
Antioch.
The new
term which is
part Greek
and part
Latin was a
mongrel name
but it
said it
all,
Christian,
followers
of Christ.
Christ was
so much on
these believers
lips,
they lived
so like
Christ that
no other
name would
do.
Followers
of Christ.
Alexander
the Great
once learned
that in
his army
was another
Alexander
who was a
notorious
coward and
Alexander the
Great,
as you would
hopefully know,
conquered the
then known
world at the
age of 23.
He called
this young
coward before
him and he
said,
is your name
Alexander and
are you named
after me?
And the
trembling coward
said,
yes sir,
my name is
Alexander and
yes I was
named after
you.
And the
Great
General looked
at him and
said,
then either
be brave or
change your
name.
Fortunately
Christ
doesn't say
that to us
but he does
call us to
be who we
are.
In two
Sundays,
it will be
112 years
since our
first services
here in
the mission
field of
Chatswood.
St. Paul's
was once upon
a time a
young,
newly founded
North Shore
Antioch.
And praise
God that in
its 112 years
there has
been generosity
and mission
orientation and
servant
hardness and
it's been
disciple making
church.
But we
also know
something of
those things
have been
lost or
not as
sharply
focused as
it could
have been.
There were
more people
in church
112 years
ago than
what there
are here
today.
And as
we launch
into the
future,
my deep
commitment
is for us
to emulate
our mother
church's
vision and
passion and
commitment to
display Christ
where he has
placed us.
Imagine if
there was
such a
Christ-centered
spiritual dynamic
operating amongst
us that it
caused for
people to
reach for
a new
name.
And that
is what we
are committing
to today.
We are
simply committing
to live out
who we say
we are.
We are
committing to
be worthy of
the name
Christian in
2014.
So let's
commit together
to know
Jesus and
treasure Jesus
and represent
Jesus for
God's glory
and the
joy of
all people.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Our
gracious
Father,
help us
to be
loyal,
brave,
committed
followers of
Christ who
refuse to
turn back,
who dare to
stand firm
and to
make Christ's
name known
to all
around us,
who desire
to shine
the light of
the glory
of Christ
in the
dark world
of Chatswood.
Enable us
with your
spirit,
by your
spirit that
we might
have such
confidence and
joy in
Christ that
it might
overflow into
a growing
commitment to
live out our
purpose as
your children.
and we
ask that you
would open
us to new
horizons of
your expansive
purposes in
this world.
Save people
and build your
church for
your glory.
Amen.