Church with a Purpose
Well, it is Super Bowl Sunday, Chiefs and Eagles. Say what you like about football, but it has no doubt provided many examples of strength and determination.
Dick Butkus, Chicago Bears linebacker from 1965-73. He was called the most feared man in the NFL. Steve Sabol labeled the “greatest defensive player” of all time and said, “His career as the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears stands as the most sustained work of devastation ever committed on a football field…”
Others, like gunslinging quarterback Brett Favre, would start an astounding 321 games straight. That’s 20 years of full contact, beating after beating, and pushing through, and even starting a game the day after his father died.
But there is one guy who stands as arguably, the baddest dude in the NFL, Ronnald Mandel Lott. Ronnie Lott. Played 14 seasons from 1981-1994. The first-round draft pick became a legend in 1985 Coming off San Francisco 49ers’ second Super Bowl championship, it was game 15 against arch rival, L.A. Rams. Lott was tracking down tailback Timmie Newsome when he smashed his finger between his shoulder pad and Newsome’s helmet. He came to the sidelines and was told he needed surgery immediately and would miss time. Lott said no, he had to play, and would not miss the playoff. The following week he took the field with a heavily bandaged hand, which somewhat hid the fact his finger was sewn multiple times, the nail removed and reattached, the bone was grafted, and the skin also reconstructed. Lott played the game but San Francisco lost.
After the season the finger struggled to heal and when the next season started again, Lott was given two options: he could continue with more surgeries and recoveries, which meant time off from playing, or he could simply amputate the finger. Lott made a football decision and had his finger amputated. Cut off in order to play the game. That’s dedication and the stuff of legends. Lott went on to be the defensive leader for a team that had a ten-year stretch of dominance, winning four Super Bowls and becoming a dynasty. He is a hall of famer and known as one of the greatest players of all time.
Say what you want about Ronnie Lott and others, but they were men on a mission and they were not easily deterred. They had a purpose and they were willing to sacrifice for that purpose
People with a purpose and conviction can have a powerful effect in the world, and I am praying we would see more of this in the Church.
A lot of people today are floundering in pursuing God, in understanding who he is, thriving in life and being fruitful in sharing the gospel with others, because they don’t have a purpose and a place in which they can apply themselves.
In our passage today we get a snapshot of a church that is impacting the world. God gives his people a purpose. He gives them a place to apply themselves and he calls them to sacrifice themselves. And this is how great things are achieved for the glory of God and the advancement of his mission.
Context of Church
We have a context to develop our gifts, and that context is the church.
If you want to be a great football player, you need to be on a team. Football teams are the contexts in which players are developed. So, also, if you are going to be strong spiritually, you need to be around other people who are growing spiritually. You need to be around people who are committed to honoring him and serving him. If you are to grow spiritually, you need a context, and that context is the church.
It is not by accident that the first overseas mission trip took place in the context of the church. It is the church that is the epicenter of what God is doing in the world. The church catapults missions, or at least it should. And the church is God’s design for changing the world. It’s the place people find healing and take that healing to others. The church is key to what Jesus is doing in the world.
Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). What is Jesus doing in the world? He is building his church. If we want to serve God then the church is key to that and furthering his mission.
After rising from the dead, he gave his disciples a commission to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all that he commanded (Matt 28:18-20).
We see a spiritually vibrant community of people that is sending others out to minister. People are being healed of their brokenness by the one who was broken for them. They are gathering into an organized community. It is this organized gathering of believers, the church, that is at the center of God’s work in the world.
Church is minimized today. More emphasis on school and nonprofits, but those are not the church. If you have strong churches, you have strong missions, schools, etc. When the church wanes so does everything else. We live in a time when people are bailing on the church for other things and the problem is that when you do that everything suffers. The church community is the primary place we learn to live out our faith and grow in our faith.
The church was not focused on themselves but on Jesus. They were seeking and stretching to make Jesus known. When you encounter the grace of God, you want others to know it. Look at who was in this early church. You would never find this group of people hanging out together unless they are cast for a reality TV show, or because God’s grace showed up.
Prophets and teachers, these are the leaders of the church. This tells you the leaders are concerned with relaying a message–the proclamation of God’s word.
Barnabas
“Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:36–37).
Simon
Simon, who was called Niger. “Niger,” which is Latin for black, and likely indicates a southern origin, a reference to his ethnicity of north African.
Lucius of Cyrene
Lucius of Cyrene, which is of north Africa. Some have made arguments that Lucius is the Luke who is writing this book. Based on transliteration rules of Latin and Greek, it doesn’t seem likely, but it makes you think about the early apostles and who they might have been.
Manaen
Manaen, a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, is described as being “reared” with Herod the tetrarch. This is the same Herod (Antipas) seen in Luke 3:1 and Acts 4:27, and who is a sell-out Jewish king who conspired to have Jesus crucified. Manaen is a sophisticated Jewish brother, man of “high society,” of considerable social standing, who likely grew up in a lukewarm Jewish home. It’s ironic that the king who conspired to kill Jesus has a lifelong friend who is proclaiming Jesus as king.
Saul the Former Pharisee
Who persecuted Christians and required a personal, physical encounter with Christ to believe in Him.
Cue the jokes–a Jewish priest, two Africans, and a royal rebel all walk into a church together and set the world on fire. That’s the gospel of Jesus Christ! They all found hope and healing in Jesus, and church is the context for them to work out their faith.
These leaders are worshipping God and seeking what he has for them. They were fasting, so not doing what the rest of the world does. Casting aside other things to make room for God. The Holy Spirit spoke to them. It doesn’t tell us any more about this. Was it an audible voice? Was the unity of the church in the matter. Not sure. But if you want to hear the voice of God, get in the church. It's amazing how often I hear people say God spoke to them when they were with other believers or were in his word.
This is the church. God designed his people to be in the church. The world wants to tell you church isn't important, and you should engage in it because it is not perfect. If it were supposed to be perfect you would not be allowed in. It is imperfect, but it is sincere in its pursuit of Christ.
The church is the context that we learn and grow spiritually. Football teams make football players. The church makes disciples. This is what we are called to do. Help people see who Jesus is.
I can’t preach on the church without remembering what the church has been in my life. I remember being a new believer. My life was a mess, I was in college, and I didn’t have a clue what I was supposed to do. I was 18 with guys in my small group, 28 and 29 years old. I thought they knew everything. They took time to have lunch with me and talk to me, “Hey, man, I think you need to study.” I needed to hear those things.
I look at other seasons of our life, of being new parents, and there were others who had raised teenagers, and we were able to learn from them. At a small group recently the couples were praying for each other. We need to live our lives out with one another.
The Purpose of Missions
The reason the church exists is to make Jesus known. The church is the one institution that exists for its nonmembers. Yes, we are here for our members, but we have a mission. You can’t know the grace of God and be content to keep it all to yourself. The church is the place that reminds us we have something so much greater to live for. There is more to life than football, money, kingdoms.
This heartbeat for missions is the heartbeat of the church. God has work for them to do. God didn't save you to soak but to serve.
We are not told what they are praying and fasting for, but what they are told to do is to send some key people out on a mission to make Christ known where he is not known.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2
They had seen God work and wanted to see him do it again.
Do you know how the church in Antioch, this city, was planted? The word of God was spreading in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7) and a great many people were believing. And so the religious leaders launched an attack and Stephen is the first martyr of the faith. Persecution spread in Jerusalem.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:19-21)
The church in Antioch was birthed because of persecution. We don’t know who planted it. Just some ordinary Christians honoring God in a really hard spot in life. What was intended for evil God redeemed for good. We don't always praise God for hardships in life. But God brings good out of evil. We need to hear that and be reminded of it.
People from Cyprus share Christ to the Greeks in Antioch, and a church is born.
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:25–26)
Now the church in Antioch has matured, and the child now becomes a parent. They are sending people out intent on making Christ known. There are intentional and unintentional missions, just Christians going about their business being Christians. If they got kicked out of one place, they went to another place. They weren’t depressed or in need of counseling. They were telling others about what Christ had done for them. That’s a bold faith that is undeterred.
Paul and Barnabas are intentionally commissioned by the church to plant churches. The other missionary strategy is for believers to act like believers. But there is also a strategy of believers planting churches.
One theological category for the church is that it is militant. The church is militant. We are on a mission. The church is a family, clearly. We are called brothers and sisters in Christ, but don’t get too comfortable on the living room couch. God has a purpose for you. People are in a spiritual battle and we want them to know the Savior. Those who would follow Jesus have to leave everything else behind. Thomas A. Kempis said, “Jesus has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who are willing to carry his cross.”
“When a church ceases to be militant it also ceases to be a church of Jesus Christ” (The Glorious Body of Christ, R.B. Kuyper, 33).
That God has a purpose and plan for you is the message we need to take to the world. That was the message I needed to hear as a clueless 18-year-old who had messed up in life in every way possible. I didn’t know the right thing to do, but I knew that everything I had done was the wrong thing. I needed a different path. I’m glad the church came to me and told me there is another way. You can experience God’s love. You can experience his grace.
How determined are you to serve Jesus? How committed are you to the things he calls you to do? Do you have a desire to share his love with others? How much do you really want to see a work of God in our day? Ronnie Lott was committed to being great at football. How committed are you to the greatest news we will ever receive? When others share their problems, do you see Jesus as the answer?
Commitment to missions should be a part of our life. We should have a commitment to share the gospel. Is this a part of your life? Is there more to making money, more to getting a nice house? You have something bigger to live for. God has something better for our lives.
Your kids need spiritual leadership. They will have struggles and hardships, and if you as a parent aren’t committed to growing as a disciple, you’re not going to have anything to give to your kids. How many people wait too long to take their own pursuit of Jesus Christ seriously and they lose too many formative years in their parenting, in their relationships and their marriage? It’s not too late to start. Don’t miss opportunities to grow.
Missionaries are witnesses and witnesses are spiritual guides. You might think you aren’t called to be a missionary, but you are called to be a spiritual guide. If you know Jesus, you have a light that many others don’t have. You’re called to share that light. We are all called to be spiritual leaders. Seen a lot of parents flounder because they have not developed their spiritual muscles.
We want to share Jesus with those who don’t know him! We need to sharpen one another in our witnessing. The church has shrunk from talking about being witnesses. It is treated as an optional advanced degree. I think there is a problem if we know the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and can stand in silence about it. I pray as a church we can send out more people to be missionaries, to take the gospel to other places where it’s not being preached, but first and foremost we need to be a place that shares Jesus here. If we aren’t faithful in telling others about him right here, who do we have to send overseas?
We need to pray about that. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. A lot of times we want to share the gospel. We just don’t want to be inconvenienced in the process. Gospel opportunities seldom come at “convenient” times.
I think a key strategy for today, which I learned in replanting, is tactical patience. Tactical as in our strategy, approach, operations. Patience, as in not rushing, not demanding, not being overbearing or insistent. Jesus was stern with the hard-hearted religious leaders. He was gentle and patient with the broken. There is a strategy to being patient. There are a lot of hardened, religiously devout people that we may need to be stern with. There are many more who simply don’t know, who are open, who are searching, who might welcome the chance to read the Bible and hear about Christ. They are coming in from the darkness, and need some encouragement, direction, love and time.
Might be in Bible study with people who are just starting in a new direction and they may say and do things that make you uncomfortable. Give them time, encourage them to pursue the Lord, nurture their faith. They may need some patience.
It was prophesied of Jesus, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory” (Isaiah 42:3).
First stop is Cyprus, which is where Barnabas is from. Wants to impact those he knows.
The Commitment to Sacrifice
Anything worthwhile does not come easily. You don’t win Super Bowls and become a hall of famer by sitting on the couch. You do hard things. You train, you study, you work, you press on when you don’t think you can go any further. Should we expect to see God do great things if we don’t really care about it? Churches are dying left and right and most Christians don’t care and are not willing to lend a hand just like they are not willing to share the gospel.
Life is full of difficulties. Doing anything requires sacrifice. Even doing what God calls us to do is hard. That’s the way he has designed it.
The Sacrifice of Going. Paul and Barnabas are making a great sacrifice. They have an established community that is pretty comfortable. Comfort and militant don't go together. Going to uncomfortable places. Leaving friends and their life. Life will go on while they are not there. Their friends will have a hole where they were.
A vibrant church refuses to settle. Do you see what this church is doing?
The Sacrifice of Sending. This church could be rocked by this news. Giving up their very best. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, the greatest teacher and preacher ever! Sunday preaching is going to take a hit. Send out Barnabas, who may be the biggest giver in the church. He sold a field and brought the proceeds to the feet of the apostles. He is known as the encourager. What do you think it did for the church when he gave that field? It didn’t just meet their budget. It was like a bolt of lightning for their faith. I’m sure it stirred others.
This isn't phony Christianity. These are people who heard Jesus gave his life and they wanted to give their lives for him. Who would take their place? How would the church survive? It would survive because their commitment to Christ was producing fruit. They were reaching people.
The mission is not easy. Paul and Barnabas will quickly find themselves abandoned by key members of their launch team, they will be expelled from cities, there will be assassination plots, and at one point Paul is stoned and they thought he was dead. If it were easy everyone would do it. We prove our commitment to Christ by what we sacrifice for him.
If you are going to do great things you are going to go through hard things. I recently heard a story of a burn out and told her you haven’t even started to burn yet. We need a community of people around us, encouraging us, reminding us of our purpose and sacrifice.
Let me also give you another theological aspect of the church. The militant church is often mentioned with the triumphant church. The militant church is the church now on Earth. The triumphant church is the eternal church that is in heaven. The militant church is already triumphant and the triumphant church is militant.
We are saved in Christ.
Thomas Watson put it bluntly: “Faith that does not change your heart will never save your soul.”
Discussion Questions
- Do you have new affections? Do you have a heart for the church?
- Do you hunger for holiness? Do you hunger to share your faith?
- Do you long to build your life on the truths of the word and what God has done for you?