Sermon: Advancing the Mission of Christ

He will take a copy of God's word this morning. And turn open to acts 14 if you're using a Pew Bible. Scrub a Bible right in front of you. You can turn open to page 923 Take you right to acts 14. This morning. We're looking at Acts chapter 14 and verses 19 through 23.

hacks 14 versus 19 through

and let's pray before we open up God's word together this morning.

Father we do come before you this morning. Need of hearing your voice. and all the cacophony of noises and voices and

surround us in this world. We need your clear. strong authoritative call to us today. We pray amidst all the distractions in our minds and our hearts and our Spirits in this room.

You would turn them all off. That you would guard our minds and our hearts and our ears this morning that we might hear your voice.

I want to leave. Same we have encountered you the Living God Of Heaven and Earth.

That to be the case your spirit must move in this room. So we call and ask and beg. Your spirit would attend to your word. You pray all this in the strong name of Christ, Jesus our lord and savior. amen Acts chapter 14 verses 19 through 23. This is the holy inerrant sufficient word of God. But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and having persuaded the crowds. They stoned pole and dragged him out of the city supposing

that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him he rose up. and entered the city and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derby. When they had preached the gospel. to that City and had made many disciples The Returned lystra and Iconium and Antioch strengthening The Souls of the disciples encouraging them to continue in the faith. And saying that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God.

and when they had appointed elders for them and every Church prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord and whom they had believed. The grass withers and the flower Fades the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

Well, this is your quiz time as your final week to be able to do this. As we've done the past three weeks and we're doing again this morning remind you that this is the final week of our faith Focus. We as a church take a break from what we normally have as a steady diet of working our way expositionally through books of the Bible and in January, we take a break and we do what we call our faith focus our elders get together and

decide something that we feel like needs to be more in the DNA of our church. And so what we do is we preach through that in the month of January and the morning Services more practically and the Sunday evening services and just seeking to get that more in the DNA of our church and this year's a little different. Because our elders went through a visioning process at the end of last year praying and thinking through how to

go forward together as a church and what it should look like and so decided that our faith Focus this year should be that Vision to remember three weeks ago. We looked at the mission of RC. Why does you are see exist? And we said you are see exists. The glorify and enjoy Christ. That's why we're here. We say that there are three pillars that we have in our church that have always been true of you are see and by God's grace. We want to see being

true of you are see as we go forward as we seek the glorify and enjoy Christ. We're seeking to Proclaim Christ. grow in the grace of Christ and Advance the mission of Christ So we looked at proclaiming Christ a few weeks ago. Then we looked at growing in Christ and this morning we look at advancing the mission of Christ. In our text we see the church laboring to advance the mission of Christ. Paul and Barnabas have arrived at Lyra and

we're told that when they got the leister that they began preaching and there was a man there in lystra. That was also lame he was lame from birth. He could not walk and Paul and Barnabas will heal this lame man, and the people of life sure are so amazed by this healing that they will assume and attribute to Paul and Barnabas that they are gods. And so they will begin. To bring forward offerings to sacrifice in front of Paul and Barnabas.

Paul will stop them telling them that they are Mere Men just like them and that if they are going to worship they need to worship the true God of heaven and of Earth. And not too long after that these very same this very same city. The people in the city will now approach Paul and Barnabas having been stirred up by the Jews that came to that City and they will take Paul they will drag him outside the city and they will Stone him.

People are fickle. They leave him. Thinking they've killed him. In Luke tells us quote, but when the disciples gathered about him he rose up. He was taken outside of the city just like his savior. He suffered outside of the city just like his Savior and just like his savior he rose up and when he rises up, he goes back into the city. And then he and Barnabas decide to move on and go to Derby and there when they go to Derby they

do the exact same thing. They preach the gospel. And the Lord blessed their preaching verse 21 many disciples were quote made. We're told they then returned back to lystra and they will go to Iconium and Antioch. It wasn't enough. That they had seen converts in those places. They continued as we're told in verse 22 quote encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying that through many tribulations. We must enter the kingdom

of God.

Paul In Barnabas and the rest of the early church. They were not content just having believed themselves. They also were not content with. Those and their backyard believing their family members and their friends and their neighbors and the city that they were in they desired that this beautiful truth be embraced to the ends of the Earth. So they were on Mission.

Paul was on Mission. What mission?

to know Christ and to make Christ know

wanted to make Christ known.

He was willing to die to make Christ known. And there's great implication here for us. If advancing the mission of Christ is worth dying for it's worth living.

Our first point this morning. Advancing the mission of Christ is worth living for. Some will boast inwardly. I've also heard people boast this outwardly as I've been in their presence where they will say that they are willing to die for Christ as much like that boast of Peters where he boasts more than what he knows, but if we aren't living for Christ, What makes us think that we would die for Christ? The early church is living on Mission.

They wanted to see it's a back of two says to see the Earth filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea they were they were willing to die for it. And they were living for it.

If you are here. If you are in Christ. You have a purpose.

You very much have a purpose in this life. Your sea believes that I believe that as your pastor. your elders believe that

you may feel washed up. But you're still here with the purpose. You may feel useless. You're still here with the purpose. You may feel inadequate ignorant sinful stupid small weary worthless. But as long as you have breath. You're here for a purpose.

to know Christ to make him know

advancing the mission of Christ is worth living for. Second advancing the mission of Christ requires sharing the gospel. Requires sharing the gospel notice that Paul is preaching everywhere. He goes he is preaching when the church goes out. It is sharing the word. You've heard that phrase preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words. It's often attributed to Francis of Assisi though. There's nowhere that he said that that we

see. Look any thinking Christian? Would never say that. Because it's untrue. It's absolutely untrue. Now what is true is that yours and my lives they are to reflect the fact that Christ is our Lord there to reflect the fact that Christ bought us. The very blood of God as Peter will say bought us. He is our savior and they are to reflect that people are to be able to see the effects of the fact that you and I know Christ as Lord and

Savior as Paul will say whether we eat or drink or whatever we do. We're to do all to the glory of God everything to him all to him.

Let's be absolutely clear. The gospel is not something that we can live. It's not something we can do. The gospel is not something you can be. It's none of those things.

notice in our passage verse 21 They preached the gospel. Notice in verse 23 the content of the Gospel they committed them to the Lord. In whom they have believed it's not a thing. It's not a set of rules. It's not something you can be. It's not something you grow into. It's a person. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul makes his abundantly clear and First Corinthians 15 where he will say we preach the gospel to you and then he walks through the life and

he walks through the suffering and he walks through the death and he walks through the burial and he walks through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the good news. It's Christ. Christ is the good news.

No, one can Embrace Christ unless they hear. this truth as Paul will say in Romans 10 as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news the gospel and then he will go on to say so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. We use words because words are necessary. essential

Three quick applicants right in the middle of the sermon. first don't leave the word of Christ at the door of your conversations with people. Leave the word. of Christ that the door of your conversations with people

so often we walk away having been nice to someone and we think well. I showed them Christ. No, you didn't. You didn't show them Christ. They can't see Christ. Unless they hear of Christ.

we often think well, I told them I would pray for them. Good. It's not great. We didn't share the one thing that provides life Christ.

We're on Mission. Were on mission to make Christ known. And that requires speaking of him so that others can love him and treasure him. It's the greatest love that you and I can show our neighbors look we care about all suffering as Christians, but we care especially about eternal suffering and he works by his word. And so you so little truths of his word in your conversations with people don't leave it at the door. Which requires that you and I have some of the word memorized.

so that when we are in whatever particular situation that we can just we can populate it with a little bit of the word of Christ. Maybe it's John 14:6 where you can just say Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me. For every one of us should have John 3:16 memorized. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Whosoever believes in him shall not perish but

have everlasting life. Or maybe that you're ready for that person that is suffering and they just feel like all the way to the world is upon them and they are weary and tired and exhausted and you can say to them in the midst of conversation. You know when I feel like that I find great comfort. What Christ said? I rely upon it. He said come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Leave the word of Christ that the door of your conversation. Second speak the word like you want to be spoken to? Speak the word like you want to be spoken. None of us likes when someone talks forever. or in circles or talks at a level that we can't understand you don't like that person. So don't be that person.

When you are sharing the word of Christ when you are speaking to people the truth of Christ be concise. Be clear be concrete be a kind of person you like. So often we talk in grandiose and Grand ways and we all use all of that theological. Jargon. We don't want them impressed with us. We want them impressed with Christ.

Speak like you want to be spoken to?

our final mid sermon application before the next sermon point speak the word to others like their life depends upon it. Because it does.

Have some excitement. about the gospel when people hear you talk Do they hear excitement in you about the gospel? when people walk away from you do they think ah He sure is excited about the gospel. It sure is excited about Christ. She sure. Seems to really have a lot of love for Christ. I don't like this Christ, but boy they do.

They walk away feeling like that.

Quoted this at our magnify conference just a month ago, but it's worth quoting again. Just taking part of it from Dr. Da Carson where he said this If I've learned anything in 35 or 40 Years of teaching it is that students don't learn everything. I teach them. what they learn is what I am excited about the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again that had better be the gospel And then he says this make sure that in your

own practice and excitement what you talk about what you think about what you pray over what you exude confidence over Joy over what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus the gospel the cruels.

Are you excited? about Jesus

and people should know that.

Advancing the mission of Christ is worth living for. Second requires sharing the gospel now third. Advancing the mission of Christ is tied to the institutional Church. Look at verse 23 again. And when they had appointed Elders for them in every church with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed the mission of the church normatively. It goes forward in and through the church. That's the word here Church.

Church as Thomas Withrow an old Theologian pointed out the word Church in the Bible always means the same thing no matter where it is used. It means one simple thing. It just means an assembly. of the people of God an assembly of the people of God now it has different applications in Scripture. And so he can speak about in the scriptures. The scriptures can speak about the church as a very small group. A small group that meets within a

home the church Colossians 4:15, but it can also be used to speak of a very great group thousands of people like the church in Jerusalem in Acts 11 it speaks of the Church of Jerusalem. It can speak very broadly of the church. You can speak when it we use the term church and the Scriptures it can mean every single person that is part of the Covenant Community. It can also. very narrowly speak of only those that Jesus died for

It has different applications and scripture but it always means the exact same thing. It is just the Assembly of the people of God. And what I want you to notice here in this text about that is that that assembly is ordered. And it's governed. Luke tells us Elders were appointed. Goodness, thanks. Paul is willing to go back to where he was stoned. to appoint elders why?

Because it is so necessary. the mission of the church ordinarily is worked out in and through the institutional Church.

his ordered and governed

say all this because there's been a lot of discussion over recent years. We call the deconstructing of the church.

There are people that are arguing.

A Christ is Enough. You don't need the church.

Well, yes. And no.

Christ is Enough. But Christ is tied his person and his work to the church. He is her head. We are his body he died for her. She is his bride and he unites those he saves to her.

The institutional Church filled with problems. Yes it is it imperfect. Yes. Does it cause pain sometimes? Oh, yes.

Is still a Christ has chosen to work in this world. Yes. Must you commit yourself to her. and labor for her and serve her Oh, you better believe it. Yes.

You cannot love Christ and not love his church. There's no category in the New Testament. for an unchurched Christian

a local church with order and governance is the way that is Kingdom normatively goes forward in this world in and through the institutional Church. You need to be part of it. If your live streaming you need to get here. And be part of it.

notice passage highlights are first two pillars preaching Christ and growing in Christ. and notice that when there is Health within that it flows without This is true of a person. It's true of a family. It's true of a local institution church. It's true of a greater Gathering of churches. What we will call in our system of government a presbyterian. Regionally. It's true of an entire denomination when there is Health Within

it flows without the church is never to be provincial. We are never simply concerned with ourselves or even our own backyard. There's a reason that we as a church, you are see committed to planting a church in Kalamazoo. And now that we're committed to planting a church in Mount Pleasant and that we're committed to planting churches in Malawi and have these brothers with us for training here to send back there. What does East

Lansing have to do with Mount Pleasant? nothing What does East Lansing have to do with Bland Tire Malawi nothing? and everything in Christ do Spartans have to do with chippewas? nothing

everything in Christ when we are healthy Within flows without

and that happens primarily in normatively through the institutional Church. fourth Advancing the mission of Christ has in view the glory of Christ. some view the glory of Christ He's the great savior of men. There's no other name under Heaven among men by which we must be saved. We Proclaim him though. We haven't seen him. As Peter says though. You have not seen him you love him though. You do not now see him you believe

in him here. We believe Paul preach to them and they believed in the Lord Jesus though. They had not seen him and then he goes back to encourage them to hold on to Christ. Keep persevering in your faith in Christ. And how does he do that? He talks about the fact you're going to go through trials. You're going to go through tribulations. You're going to go through suffering. You're going to feel like all of the world is against

you as you cling to Christ, but then he does this he reminds them at this is the way that you enter the kingdom of God. He sets the glory of Christ before them. He sets the glory of Christ before them.

We labor for the glory of Christ.

Do you know? one way passed into Glory

That our faith disappears. You know that.

We'll no longer believe. The sun is the only begotten of the father.

will no longer believe that Christ is the one mediator between God and Men. will no longer believe

that we have peace with God. Will no longer believe because we will know.

No, we will gaze upon his glory in the face of Christ. We will see him face to face. And our faith will become sight.

It will know.

him back habakkuk 2 we will see the Earth filled with knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. It's inevitable.

It's going to happen. Every tongue is going to confess every knee is going to Bow it's inevitable. The glory of Christ the knowledge of the glory of our savior will flood this Earth. inevitable

he gives you an eye. the Great responsibility are but the great privilege. of just participating in our little small way seeing that prophecy come to fruition.

This is a very imperfect Church.

Is you have an imperfect pastor? And you are in Perfect People. It's just reality. We want to be good stewards what the Lord has given to us. And we want to see the mission of Christ advance in this world. And oh, he has given us so much. It's given us so much in Christ to use for the glory of Christ.

And we are healthy within it flows without. I think about it in concentric circles. That's how we've talked about as elders. So we want to advance the mission here. We labor to see every person in this church come to saving faith and then to see them grow in the faith or as Luke says here continue in the faith. And so we are seeking to grow in our service of one another in our praying for one another and praying for these Covenant children and setting a Godly example before them

and coming alongside of these parents and caring for one another we ministered older Saints and younger Saints we teach and we pray and we worship together that Christ might have his way more and more in each of us. Because we want to see the mission of Christ Advance here. All the darkness and all the evils and all of the different. Places that the kingdom of darkness has made encroachments. We want to keep pushing it back here and here

and here. We're doing that together.

We don't stop there. There's Health within flows without and so we not only care for here, but we care for our backyard. You are see from its very beginning recognized. Look we can't do everything. We can't do everything as a church. We can't address everything in our backyard and so from its very beginning. It said look our bread and butter Ministry is to reach that campus. to make Christ know and so we've sought to do that and will continue to seek to

do that. We labor to support those who are faculty and staff and students and Scholars at the University. We have ESL and Christian Explorer and Spartan Christian fellowship and our International Ministries and our Sundays who classes and our College and Career Class A Faculty Bibles book study and more all seeking the minister. To make the name of Christ known on that campus. Because we're seeking healthier seeing the the advancing

mission of Christ in our own lives as we're working on parenting together working on being husbands wives good working on being a faithful single together working on being a faithful child. working on being faithful brothers and sisters and that Health flows without

some of you volunteered to serve and these contexts others. Have you pray some of you host students in your home? All of us can welcome people that walk through the door children you can do this. See a new college student walk in you haven't seen before you walk up to them and you say hi. I'm Lucas. Hi.

I'm Caleb. What's your name? I love this.

was it was a doing an excellent interview with a young lady that a couple of years ago was leaving our church. She'd come to saving Faith at URC. And she had grown in her faith here. And then she was leaving going somewhere else. And so I was sitting down with her and talking about it. I she was talking about the impact that the church had upon her and she said I want to tell you especially what impacted. She said there was this family and she named the family.

She said this family would have me over to their house and I would just sit while the wife. Hold the laundry. And I would go in the kitchen. While She Was preparing dinner and She said I would just watch. The interactions and the family and and I watched how this wife honored and respected her husband. I'd never seen anything like that. and she said and I watched as The the husband was clearly the head of the home. I didn't know what that meant. It was

clear that he was and yet she said what shocked me one day was especially shocking as he was sitting out in the other room and we were in the kitchen and his wife said could you come in here and help me get dinner ready? And he immediately said yes, I would love to and came in and just began to serve she said Who does that? To sudden. I watched their kids their kids would yeah, they would fight and they would talk back at times like all kids. She said but there was

a desire to honor their parents and I watched how they just loved on their kids and then we would sit down and we would read the Bible together and I would listen to the kids pray.

She said I never experienced anything like that before. I didn't know what it looked like to live as a Christian at home. first saw it

one of you did that. Just invite her in showed her. impacted for the rest of her life I love it. This couple weeks ago. I heard that. four of our four or five of our more senior women here at URC decided they want to start evangelizing on campus. They've been on campus. going out there and meeting students and trying to share the gospel. completely outside their comfort zone but worth pressing into together. the mission of Christ

we do other things here in our backyard host various conferences to advance the mission of Christ. We support local Ministries host a number of other things because we want to see the mission of Christ advance in our right backyard concentric circles here our backyard and then we have our region we care for Michigan and the Upper Midwest and so we seek to see and help churches in our region. We are often Fielding questions and sending our

training materials our experience and often our people to help other churches throughout the state our fellows and our residents and our interns and staff are receiving training here. They're working out their gifts here and you graciously allow them to do that. And then we send them out to populate churches in the Philipp pulpits around the state. We host biblical training classes where people come from throughout the region Presbytery other meetings to

equip others in our region. We support Church plants and seek to raise up pastors to populate churches providing a pipeline of faithful pastors for our state. were committed to church planting in Michigan all to see the mission of Christ advance in our state and your prayers and your faithfulness and your giving and your service all of that creates Health here that then allows us as a church to flow without

we're blessing without by God's grace. Just want to be good stewards. Here are backyard or region and finally Beyond. we willingly send college graduates and couples and families and seasoned Saints out from your sea to populate the church throughout the country and even to the ends of the Earth. In the old language of your sea, we bring them in we build them up and we send them out. That's not easy it cause

it's hard. To bring people in that, you know will only be here for a year two years three years press into their lives be willing to love them invest in them. And then to see them. leave

that's part of the beauty of being a University Church. On the great ways that we get to bless to the ends of the Earth. And so you and I have to keep pressing in though it often hurts. when they leave

we will send these malawian brothers back to Malawi we will. and international Scholars to Iran and Korea

South Africa

Justin using what he's given to us for a short period of time best of our abilities how often think we often send out some of our best right we even do this in missions. We're seeking to bless the ends of their two of our oh most dear single young women in the church who were leaders in this church. up the lead or singles Ministry We sent them to the other end of the Earth.

Because we want to see the mission of Christ advance in the world. It's worth it.

All involved in advancing the mission of Christ here and to the ends of the Earth. From the youngest member of this congregation to the olders. Who exist a glorify and enjoy Christ? As long as we're able. As long as they still has us. Keep seeking to Proclaim him. growing him and advances mission

requires us doing it together.

Let's pray.

Our Father we are thankful.

That you have given us. a distinct privilege and honor of being Ministers of your gospel in this world. And we so love Christ. And we want to make Christ known. If we be busy. About the work of our King and savior.

We might see men and women and children. Here in East Lansing to the very ends of the Earth come the saving Faith everlasting life in this great savior. just through small pittance Of ministry that we have to offer. Ah Thank you for giving us this privilege. We labor For Your Glory the glory of your son by the power of your spirit. In Christ's name we pray. and