Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Biblically Sent

Theme: Enjoying the Protection of Healthy Oversight

Series: Laboring Together With God

“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with 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.’

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

(Acts 13:1-3)

The Word of God gives us guidelines for nurturing, organizing and training those who are responding to the high calling of missionary work

The Body of Christ as represented in the local church can be a great assistance to foreign missions.

There is a great difference of opinion in how missions should be overseen, but all deep studiers of the Word of God agree that Acts 13 is a valid starting point for consideration of how to Biblically oversee foreign missions.

To me foreign mission is any ministry that is sacrificially operated outside the local Body of Christ.

The Word of God under the illumination of the Holy Spirit gives us guidelines for nurturing, organizing and training those who are responding to the high calling of missionary work.

“The procedure of evangelizing found in the [Word of God] is reproducible and should be reproduced.”

(Mark C. Vowels, Director of Missions at Bob Jones University)

Just how can the truths known and lived out in the first century be reproduced in our lifetime in regards to missions?

I would propose to you that the Word of God gives at least five key truths for the enjoyment of foreign missions.

Understanding these truths enables us to 1.) Embrace the Source.

2.) Be Submitted to the Separation.

3.) Participate in the Sending.

4.) Give Healthy Supervision.

5.) Biblically Support Our Missionaries.

A healthy missionary ministry embraces the source

The first step to enjoying a healthy missionary ministry is to embrace the source.

Matthew 9:35 – 38 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’"

(Matthew 9:35) The Winston Dictionary for Schools tells us “to embrace is to adopt; turn to; as, the heathen embrace Christianity.”

To embrace Christianity is to become a disciple of Christ.

The New International Dictionary of the Bible tells us that a “Disciple, (mathetes) is a pupil of some teacher.

[The personal application] is the acceptance in mind and life the teacher.

The heart of the “Great Commission’ is to make “‘disciples’ (matheteuo) or followers of the doctrine [of Christ].”

(The Complete Dictionary of the Bible)

The spiritual heartbeat of this first division is to have compassion on those to whom the Lord is sending missionaries.

Those whom we should partner with regarding missions are to have the same compassion as that of Christ.

The missionary we should partner with has a heart that sees the people they will serve as souls like sheep without a shepherd to teach them about Christ and the Word of God.

They grieve in their hearts because they know that those they are sent to reach are unprotected from the wolves of the flesh, the world and the devil.

All true missionaries have the heart of the Apostle Paul whom the Holy Spirit led to make this great plea, “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”

(2 Corinthians 6:2)

We see God’s heart for reaching the wicked in the story of Jonah, the reluctant Hebrew Prophet.

(Book of Jonah) God’s call for repentance is so clearly seen in the work He did through John the Baptist, the great Nazarite New Testament Evangelist and forerunner of Christ.

(Matthew 3:1-6) Through Phillip, one of the original seven deacons, who led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ we see God’s work in reaching out to those who are hungry to hear the preaching of God’s Word.

(Acts 8:5; 21:8; 8:26-38) God’s heart in making disciples is clearly seen in His sending Apollos, a powerful teacher from Alexandria to Ephesus.

(Acts 18:24-28) We see God making the way for true shepherds for the flock in the appointing of Titus to oversee the church in Crete.

(Titus 1:5) God’s heart and enabling for the work of missions is found in and through the life of the Apostle Paul who was a missionary and evangelist.

God used him to write most of the New Testament.

(Acts 13-28; 1 Timothy 1:12) Epaphras, an evangelist from Colosse was trained by the Apostle Paul.

(Colossians 1:7; 4:12-13)

Those we should partner with in missions must embrace the heart of Christ for the souls of mankind and true missionaries trust not in the efforts of man but to, “…the Lord of the harvest, …to send out workers into His harvest field."

Biblical separation for missions work

Embracing the heart of God and Christ in the work of missions prepares the heart for Biblical separation for missions work.

Acts 13:2-4 says, “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.’

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit…” The heart of this part of the message is “set apart” (aphorize) meaning to select to some office or work of the Lord.

(Acts 13:2; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:15; The Complete Word Study of the New Testament)

There are Christians who are sold out to the work of the Lord and they are given the privilege of serving the Lord by going out from the local Body of Christ.

There is a leading of the Holy Spirit being confirmed by both those being sent out and those who are joining hands with the missionaries.

Though the missionary’s call begins in the heart of the person being sent, the Lord’s people should also confirm it.

Director of Missions at Bob Jones University, Mark C. Vowels writes, “Missionary candidates should not go to the field without the approval of godly counsel from those who know them.”

When those who have the Christ apportioned gifts for the edifying and maturing the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13) are truly ministering to the Lord through fasting and prayer their spiritual hearts are enabled to be led of the Holy Spirit of Christ.

Frequently in the Book of Acts we read of those who have Christ apportioned gifts being guided by the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 8:29 we read, “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

This is when the Ethiopian eunuch believed upon the Lord and was baptized.

In Acts 10 we read of the account of Peter’s vision.

The Bible says, “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you… Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

(Acts 10:19-20) In Acts 10 we read that this vision came to Peter after he went to pray.

(Acts 10:9) In many different places in the Word of God we read of the people of God being led of the Holy Spirit including Jesus.

(Acts 16:6-7; Acts 13:4; Isaiah 6:1; Matthew 4:1)

The New International Dictionary of the Bible tells us, “As the Heavenly Father is God and His Son Jesus Christ is God, so the Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit as well as the Son was active in creation; He was active on certain occasions in His own person in Old Testament times and more intensively in the Gospels; and in Acts and the Epistles He becomes the resident divine agent in the church and [her] members.

Teaching concerning the Holy Spirit has been neglected and [sadly] distorted, but the subject deserves careful attention.”

Romans 8:14 says, “…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Let the Holy Spirit take His sword, the Word of God and place it deep within your heart.

The church at Antioch were first to set forth the workings of the organized church.

(Acts 14:23; A Commentary Critical and Explanatory) The Christian Church was becoming more organized with heart of deliberately evangelizing the world.

Because the church wanted to enjoy God’s plan they were willing to be overseen by “prophets” and “teachers.”

These prophets spoken of in Acts 13 were preachers who had given their hearts to listening for the word of the Lord and at every opportunity provided they took God’s Word and made it known.

The teachers were men in the local area whose duty was to instruct new converts in Christian doctrine.

(Daily Study Bible Series)

“Fasting” (nesteu) and prayer in our key text is often the model set forth for the organized church in appointing people to oversee a great work for the Lord.

(Acts 13:3; 14:23) Fasting in the right spiritual heart means to be so consumed over a matter that spending time from food or other desires of the flesh is for the key purpose of determining the will of God.

(The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible) Satisfying the flesh is replaced with the sole desire of being sensitive to Holy Spirit’s leading for the purpose of achieving the perfect will of God.

“Reasons given for fasting are to strengthen in prayer [and] to prepare for revelation…” (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament)

In Scripture we see several purposes for fasting.

It’s self-control submitting to the control and enabling of the Holy Spirit.

It is a way of depending upon God alone and drawing all strength from Him.

It is a way of focusing totally on Him when seeking His guidance and help.

We tend to think of fasting as going without food, but we can fast from anything.

We can choose not to do something we like in order to do what is better so we can spend time with the Lord and give Him proper adoration.

(Isaiah 58) There is no power in fasting.

It is simply a way of expressing a heart attitude before the Lord that you would rather be with Him and know His will.

Let the Holy Spirit of Christ lay this truth deep into your heart.

When the spiritual leaders take seriously the call to reach lost souls for Christ, there will be obedience in separating themselves from living for the flesh, being influenced by the world and listening to the lies of the devil.

They will be involved in fasting and prayer, thus, enjoying separation unto the Lord’s work.

Participate in the sending of missionaries

Holy Spirit leaders and Christians enjoy separation unto the Lord’s work and they participate in the sending of missionaries.

Acts 13:3 says, “So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

Because the term “sending church” is so used in the Body of Christ today to challenge people to become involved in missions, it is important to understand what the Holy Spirit is teaching here.

Here we see the recognition of Christian unity of fellowship and purpose in the Holy Spirit.

(New Bible Commentary) The laying on of hands identified the church with their missionaries’ work and acknowledged the Lord’s direction for the missionaries being sent.