A Sermon by Christopher Patton
Sovereign Grace Church Middletown, DE
July 4, 2010

Acts 18:1-22

I think it’s safe to say, when most Christians think about the mission of the Gospel, they think foreign missionaries.  They think of those relatively few individuals who leave the confines of comfortable middle class American life for some impoverished region of the world to share the Gospel.

We all respect people who do that.  I have some relatives who’ve spent the better part of their adult lives as missionaries to Thailand, which is mainly Buddhist. They and their children learned the Thai language and embraced an entirely different way of life for the sake of the Gospel.  I saw them last year and had a chance to communicate my respect. I also said, “look I could never do what you do.”  The sacrifices they have made, I just can’t relate to.  I appreciated his humble response.  My relative told me that what we’re doing here in Middletown, is no less significant. And I think he’s right because being part of this church and seeking to reach this community for Christ, is mission work.

The challenge is, we’re not used to thinking about local church life in terms of mission – because mission is typically about “what happens over there”.  So we don’t intuitively know what our mission involves, what it requires. That’s why Acts can be so helpful.  It is why this passage is so helpful.  It helps us know what local church mission in a particular location is all about.

Through this story, we learn that mission is about teamwork, faithfulness and confidence.

I.          Gospel-mission requires teamwork

As I studied this passage, one thing that struck me was just how the mission in Corinth was such a team effort.  Many different individuals Luke mentions served the Corinthian mission.

You have the couple: Aquila and Priscilla, who opened their home to the Apostle Paul. Paul stayed with them during his time in Corinth.

There’s also Silas and Timothy: Paul’s ministry associates.  They helped carry the teaching load and I’m sure did whatever else they could to serve

There’s also Titius Justus, the Gentile God-fearer who was converted.  When the Jews rejected Paul/Christianity, Christians were no longer permitted in the synagogue. So where did they meet? Titius Justus’ home.  Imagine that.  You’re converted and immediately the pastor says “Hey, can we have all our meetings at your place?”  That’s essentially what happened here. Titius Justus’ home became the primary outpost for the Gospel in Corinth and assuming he was married, his wife must have been a heroic servant too.

So I think you see – as the Gospel advanced in Corinth, it wasn’t a one man show. It wasn’t Paul alone doing the work.  A whole group of individuals participated; and each one had a key role to play.

There’s an important principle for us here: Gospel-mission is about teamwork; a team of individuals, contributing their respective gifts, talents – time, energy, and money to achieve a common goal.  That goal is a strong, healthy local church that serves as an outpost for the Gospel in a particular region.

So this story reminds us – as a local church, we’re a team.  And each member of this team, has an important role to play.  From time to time it can be helpful to ask ourselves:   “Am I in the game?   Am I a player on the team?  Have I become a spectator?”

It has been said that in most churches 20% of the people do a 100% of the work.  All the serving, all the reaching out, all the welcoming the new people, all the hospitality, all the evangelism, it’s all the same 20% of people.

But where do you find that in the New Testament?  It’s not there. That’s because it’s not biblical Christianity. I am glad its not true of this church.

A blessing of small church ministry – is it presses people into biblical Christianity.  When you come into a small church, the needs are obvious, so people tend to more quickly get involved and become part of the team.  That is — unless they have a spectator mentality where they just want to watch the game, evaluate the players, and complain about the team.

Most people who come to a church with that mentality don’t stick around; they’d rather sit in the stands, hope for an inspiring sermon and go home.  They’re not interested in getting their hands dirty with relationships.  They’re not interested in biblical fellowship.  They’re not interested in getting in shape, taking a position on the field of play, and giving their lives away.  Their attitude can be – “great message” – “kids liked the children’s ministry” –- maybe we’ll see you next Sunday!

Now I don’t say that self-righteously.  That attitude can be an attractive option – particularly in our individualistic culture – because you can have a form of Christianity without the cost.  But there’s no power in it, because its not biblical Christianity.

Just think about it – what did Jesus say?  “Take up your cross and follow me.”  In other words, if you’re a believer, you gotta get in the game.

Justus in this passage had it right.  He responded to the gospel, he received Jesus and all the sudden the church is meeting in His house!  Now that’s the effect of the Gospel in Justus’ life.

Now I want you to hear me on something.  Maybe you’re thinking “I’ve kind of been more of a spectator lately”.  Maybe you know you could help out in some way, but haven’t said anything.   Or maybe you are giving your life away for the sake of Christ, but currently find motivation lacking.  If any of those things describe you – the antidote isn’t “just get to work.”  The antidote is to become reacquainted with Jesus.  Think about what He’s done for you in sending His Son to die for all your sins.  And then, because you love Jesus, get in the game.  We don’t suit-up in order to earn God’s favor or impress anyone.

We need to realize to the degree we’re  spectators, to the degree we’re un-motivated or reluctant to invest relationally or to serve or give, to that same degree, we’ve weakened our grip on the Gospel.  Folks – involvement in the local church, giving your life away in the context of the local church really is a Gospel-issue.

Now you might be thinking, “what are you talking about?  Serving in the local church – a Gospel issue?  What do you mean by that?”

Here’s what I mean.  There’s many places in the Bible where we see this connection, between the Gospel and serving.  One of them is Romans 12.

In Romans 12 Paul calls believers to faithfully exercise their spiritual gifts in the local church.  But he doesn’t just tell them to do it. He doesn’t just give the command-“Go use your spiritual gifts because that’s really what all Christians should be doing and I want to make sure you all are doing what Christians are supposed to be doing.”  No

He promotes the use of spiritual gifts after he presents the gospel as the motivating force.   He uses what Jesus has done to motivate us.  This is the way it is constantly in the NT.  This is why you have to keep the Gospel at the center of everything, because its at the center of everything in the Bible.  What Christ has done is the basis for all that we do.  We don’t just do things moralistically, because “I want to be a good Christian.”

Notice that Paul exhorts us, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, in response to God’s mercy, as worship to him.  It’s “in view of God’s mercy, in view of the Cross – in view of what Christ has done – offer your bodies as living sacrifices – go use your spiritual gifts.”

In light of the mercy God has shown us in the Cross, how can we not use our time, our resources, our spiritual gifts to both build up the body of Christ and advance the cause of Christ?  In light of what He’s done, how can we do anything less? How can we, in good conscience, hold back from giving ourselves to building His church when he has given himself so profoundly for us?

Our motivation to obey God and to serve should always be a response to His great mercy, His great love.  If our primary motive is anything else – like “there’s a need and I’m here”  -is not enough to sustain a life of sacrificial service for the kingdom of God in the church;  we eventually burn out and move on to other things.

As the Christian hymn writer put it:

Take my hands and let them move, at the impulse of what?

At the impulse of thy love, at the impulse of thy love.

Why do we work?  It’s a response to His love.

So we work, we pursue sanctification, we pursue holiness, we serve in the church “at the impulse of thy love.”  Now that’s motivating.  He gave everything.  He gave His own Son, that we might not bear the judgment of God in hell.  He gave His Son that we might be released from the prison of our sin.  He gave His Son that we might not be condemned.  He gave His Son that we might know the comforts of His Spirit throughout this life.  He gave His Son that we might be in heaven in eternity worshiping and praising and loving and enjoying Him along with all the saints.  Now that can sustain you.  That’s what sustains service.  Not “this is what everybody is doing.”  It’s not rising to some “acceptable level” of service.  We need the Gospel.  That should always be the reason behind why we do what we do.

Folks – no matter how big or how small the local church – If we love Jesus – we’re gonna invest financially and relationally; we’re gonna allow ourselves and our families at times to be inconvenienced –and we’re gonna bear the wonderful fruit that comes from being part of a team and accomplishing something together.

Who here wants to be part of a team?  We’re part of a team here.  This isn’t just a loose connection of individuals.

II. Gospel-mission requires faithfulness

When he arrived in Corinth, Paul began to preach in the synagogue to the Jews and God-fearing Greeks.   Paul was reasoning with them, trying to persuade them of the truth of the Gospel

Eventually, the Jews had enough.  They opposed and reviled him (vs.6). They were done with Paul; done with the Gospel.

How does Paul respond?

6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Here we see that Paul eventually came to a point where He’s like:  “I was faithful to share the Gospel with you, I’ve fulfilled my obligation – so if you’re not going to believe in Jesus, that’s on you – that’s your responsibility, not mine.”

And he moves on to the Gentiles.

It’s important for us to recognize that we, like Paul, just want to be faithful to share the Gospel but we are absolutely, unequivocally not responsible for how people respond.  That’s on them.

If you’re here and you’ve heard the good news of Jesus Christ again and again –perhaps from a parent or a relative, I want to lovingly warn you – when you die, you’re going to face Jesus Himself and how you respond to Jesus today will be on you that day.

You will be held to account if you rejected Him time and again in favor of doing life your own way.  If that’s you, I urge you, stop your rebellion today. Come to Jesus for forgiveness.  He promises to abundantly pardon.  Turn from living for yourself and begin to live for him.

Many Christians can feel it’s their job to make sure certain unbelieving family members or friends respond to the Gospel.  Paul’s example helps us to see is that’s it’s not.  Our responsibility is simply to be faithful to love and share the gospel.

Some of you really need to hear this.  You have family members you’re gonna see today who are unsaved. Some of you may have parents, siblings, perhaps grown children who do not know the Lord.  You need to get something straight in your head: you are not responsible for how they respond to the Gospel. You are responsible to be faithful to tell them about Jesus, to serve them, care for them and to pray for them.  That’s it.

“While we must always remember that it is our responsibility to proclaim salvation, we must never forget that it is God who saves (Packer 27).”  My suggestion based on this passage: Focus on faithfulness – that’s what God requires of us. Let God take care of the fruit.

I also want to say –  as a church, we need to keep the principle in mind as well.  We’ve talked a lot about evangelism in recent months – in Care Group and on Sunday.  It’s important to constantly be reminded of this priority.  However, its equally important for us to focus on faithfulness and let God take care of the fruit.

III. Gospel-mission requires confidence

Let’s look at verses 9-11.

Keep in the mind the context is the hostility of the Jewish leaders towards Paul.

9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” 11 And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Notice what gave Paul confidence to persevere.  God tells Paul that he has many in this city who are my people. In other words, there is a specific group of people God has sovreignly predetermined to save in Corinth.  With that assurance, in the midst of fierce opposition, Paul stays, proclaiming the Gospel.

Of this incident, JI Packer writes in his book Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God:

…Luke’s emphasis reflects Paul’s conviction, based on Christ’s own assurance to him.  Thus the sovereignty of God in grace gave Paul hope of success as he preached to deaf ears, and held up Christ before blind eyes, and sought to move stony hearts.  His confidence was that where Christ sends the gospel there Christ has his people—fast bound at present in the chains of sin, but due for release at the appointed moment through a mighty renewing of their hearts as the light of the gospel shines into their darkness and the Savior draws them to himself.

He goes on to say:

“Paul’s confidence should be our confidence too.”

Brothers and sisters, as we seek to reach our community with the Gospel, let not our confidence be located in any evangelistic method or technique.

Let it not be in one-day having a certain kind of facility or eventually having more people in attendance on a Sunday morning.  Instead, let our confidence be as Dr. Packer exhorts “in God who raises the dead.” Let our confidence be “in the almighty Lord who turns people’s hearts” and “will give conversions in his own time.”

Packer goes on to give very wise pastoral counsel.  I cannot improve upon it; it is pure gold.  He says that in the work of evangelism, in the work of gospel-mission – this confidence that God alone saves – should cause us to be bold, patient, and prayerful.

It should make us bold – because we know that ultimately, salvation comes from the Lord, not us.  And he can save even the most stubborn, hard-hearted sinner!

This confidence in God should also make us patient.  Packer notes “God saves in his own time, and we ought not to suppose that he is in such a hurry as we are.”

So you have family members who don’t know the Lord?  They haven’t responded to the Gospel after repeated attempts?   Be patient.  God’s timetable often isn’t ours.

As a church, we haven’t seen a lot of conversions.  We have seen a few.  Let’s keep in mind, even as we strive to be more faithful to share the Gospel than we have been, let’s remember, we may or may not see immediate results.  Let’s strive to be both faithful and patient in our mission to reach this community.

Lastly, this confidence in God to save should make us prayerful.  When we realize that only God can save, that should cause us to pray.  It should cause us to cry out to God and ask Him to do what He alone can do and that is move upon the hearts of unsaved loved ones, neighbors, co-workers and friends.

CONCLUSION

In summary…Today we learned that as Christians and as a church our mission requires teamwork, faithfulness and confidence.

First, we learned that our mission together requires teamwork.  God advances the Gospel in specific locations through people working together as a team.  Therefore we should be confident that God will advance the Gospel here through us as we work together as a team.

Secondly, we learned that our mission together requires faithfulness.  We are not responsible for conversions, God is.  Just be faithful to share the Gospel as God gives opportunity

Finally, we learned that our mission together requires confidence.  We should be confident in God’s plan.  As in Corinth – God has many people to save in this city.  He is committed to save them.  Therefore we can and should confidently proclaim Christ

PRAY