We Go: Church Planting - Go With Purpose
What happens when disciples are made?
We plant churches
Jesus is Building His Church
The Launchpad for Mission
The Result of Mission
Jesus is Building His Church
Acts 13:1-5 ESV
“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 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.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.”
The text above is just one example of how apostolic mission started in the church and resulted in new churches.
As the church at Antioch gathered together for worship, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
The work involved apostolic preachers going from island to island, city to city, ethnos to ethnos, preaching the gospel, strengthening disciples, empowering leaders, and establishing churches.
Everywhere they went, new churches emerged.
Jesus is building his church
Matthew 16:13-18 ESV
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Jesus asked his disciples the most important discipleship question: "Who do you say that I am?"
It didn't matter who the experts and influencers said he was.
Jesus only cared who his disciples said he was.
When Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus blessed him and renamed him "The Rock."
He then changed the subject to the church.
Matthew 16:18 ESV
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
If Jesus is building his church and we want to be part of his mission, then when we go, new churches should be established and existing churches should be strengthened.
Knowing that Jesus is building his church removes pressure from those who go.
Our job is to preach the gospel and make disciples.
Jesus then takes those disciples and builds his church.
So, if the church is small or large, don't fret; just keep preaching the gospel and making disciples, trusting that Jesus will build his church.
Any Bible teaching, Christ-centered church of which you have ever been a part has never been eternal (meaning it always existed), but each one started in some seed form when there was nothing but a small group of people committed to preaching the gospel, making disciples and building God’s church.
The Launchpad for Mission
The local church is a launchpad for mission.
Barnabas and Saul were not self-sent.
They didn't go on their own.
The scripture says that after fasting and prayer, the Antioch leaders laid their hands on them and sent them off.
The text continues: "So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus."
Barnabas and Saul were sent by the church and by the Holy Spirit.
This dual sending resulted in a new church planted in almost every city and town they visited.
To be a mission-sending church, there must be a willingness to send those who are called.
Too many church leaders are reluctant to send their modern versions of Barnabas and Saul, fearing a leadership shortage.
Other churches have no vision beyond their local community.
Neither scenario is acceptable.
Luke 4:42-44 ESV
“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”
This also changes how everyday believers view how they live.
Most detach their life transitions and environment from the purposes of God.
God does not.
**If God is the one who has truly called you to leave one thing, it is for a sending into his (not our self-derived) Kingdom purposes in the next.
You are and your family are to be arrows in the hand of the Lord.
Psalm 127:3-5 ESV
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
Do not just leave a place arbitrarily.
Have a sense of being sent by the Holy Spirit and the church into your next Kingdom post.
This means you ask the question:
What is God sending me to do to help establish and strengthen his church?
There are all sorts of reasons people initiate life transition on their own.
Yet instead of just leaving a place because of boredom, difficulty, disconnection, disappointment, a desire to be closer to blood family, the search for ease or simple economic opportunity, understand that when we seek Jesus, if God is truly the one saying to go, he is sending us with his Kingdom purpose.
And if God does not say to go, we stay and understand that we’ve been sent to our present job, city and church for his Kingdom purposes there.
But if God does send you elsewhere, it is to be by the Holy Spirit, through and as a part of his family, the church.
Mark 3:31-35 ESV
“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.””
This elevates our sense of purpose and fulfillment in the places we are and those which we are called to go.
When the Holy Spirit speaks, our only option is to do what he says to do and to send who he says to send.
*When churches send those who are called on mission, more leaders emerge locally to take their place.
The Result of Mission
Local churches are the result of mission.
When Barnabas and Saul (a.k.a. Paul) went on mission, they planted churches wherever they went.
They made new converts and new communities.
In Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, and throughout Asia Minor, Barnabas, Saul, and other apostolic leaders preached the gospel and started new churches.
They didn't plant and forget but regularly circled back to strengthen the new churches.
Acts 15:36, 41 ESV
“And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
Apostolic mission in Acts included preaching the gospel, strengthening disciples, empowering leaders, and establishing new church communities.
Increasingly, many modern mission organizations are beginning to recognize the need to plant churches along with preaching the gospel and serving the communities.
Acts 29’s position statement on the Great Commission states:
“The church is at the center of the Great Commission. Church planting is simply what missionaries do as they faithfully proclaim the gospel and make disciples. Our goal in proclaiming the gospel and making disciples is healthy church formation. Any effort in missions ought to be connected to the goal of reproducing local bodies of believers through the declaration and demonstration of the gospel.”
The Gospel Coalition’s essay on the mission of the church says:
“Evangelism, discipleship, church planting - that's what the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to do, and these should be the goals of all mission work.”
Every Nation agrees that church planting is at the core of global mission, describing itself as "a global family of churches that exists to honor God by establishing Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, socially responsible churches and campus ministries in every nation."
It is difficult to overstate the church's importance in God's mission.
It is central to his kingdom and how he carries out his divine purposes.
He has guided it through the centuries as the primary vehicle of making himself known among the nations.
Jesus promised to build his church so the gates of hell could not prevail against it.
Paul said it was the pillar and support of the truth.
I Timothy 3:14-15
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
Paul would also say that God's manifold wisdom would be made known through the church.
Ephesians 3:8-10
“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Therefore, our purpose in missions is to make disciples in the local church and send them to make new disciples and new church communities.