How God Plants a Church
Acts 16:6-40
Introduction””How can we help each other as Christians to stay motivated to tell others about Jesus? I think I”™ve found the answer!
–“Evangelism Linebacker” Video (Click here to See YouTube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvYFvhx1dcY)
Are YOU in danger of being the Evangelism Linebacker”™s target?
There must be another way!
READ Acts 16:14, 18, 30-33 (NKJV)
God will use YOU in unique and unexpected ways to bring others to Jesus!
HOW can we be ready to be God”™s agent in bringing others to Jesus?
Notice 4 responsibilities we are given that will keep us in sync with God and ready for His use:
1. FOLLOW the Holy Spirit”™s leading, and
TRUST His timing. (6-8, READ The Message)
Jesus”™ Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)””Literally, “as you are going, make disciples”
God is in control of our “going”””sovereign over our schedules, where we live and work and the relationships that we have.
And Jesus lives in us by the Holy Spirit:
John 14:16-18””“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever””the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Jesus is with us as we go through life and will direct us by the Holy Spirit. Now, He won”™t always lead us like we think He ought to. He won”™t always open doors according to our timeline.
But, our responsibility is to follow His leading and trust His timing!
2. RESPOND IMMEDIATELY when God”™s call is clear. (9-10, The Message)
Chances are, you and I won”™t get a vision outlining our next assignment from the Lord! But when the Holy Spirit leads us, we WILL know clearly what we are to do””even, where we are to go! And when He”™s made His call clear, our responsibility is to respond immediately!
Colossians 4:5””“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.”
(“making the most of every opportunity”)
Do not hesitate when God calls! His call is right on time for someone to meet Jesus!
3. TALK ABOUT JESUS as you go, and BE READY for Divine appointments. (11-15, NJKV)
This story is what I call “Smooth as Silk” Witnessing. It”™s how we all wish sharing our faith would go every time! It”™s a nice peaceful setting down by the river on a sunny, Sabbath afternoon and Paul and his companions are attending a ladies”™ prayer group. And as Paul is preaching, God saves Lydia!
–Church Member #1: Business Woman/Family
Before we”™re done this morning, we”™re going to see a small church made up of very diverse folks. Know that God likes diversity””Jesus died for every kind of person in the world!
Paul didn”™t know for sure that this prayer meeting was why he”™d come to Philippi. But he knew he was to keep talking about Jesus! And, as he did, he found himself in the middle of a Divine appointment!
Our responsibility is to talk about Jesus as we go and be ready for Divine appointments!
4. EXPECT “detours”, and REALIZE they are part of God”™s “schedule” for you.
Detour #1 (16-18): Irritation
Keep your eyes open when you encounter irritations””they just might be opportunities for you to share Jesus with someone!
Now, we”™re not 100% sure, but I think it”™s a safe guess that God saved this girl. So, notice””a detour of irritation turns into a witnessing opportunity and now, the church at Philippi has . . .
–Church Member #2: Demon-Possessed Girl
*Don”™t stop talking about Jesus when you don”™t understand God”™s “schedule” for you!
Detour #2 (19-34): Opposition/Persecution
Even when you”™re opposed or the object of persecution, be assured that God”™s put you “in position” to share Jesus with someone””maybe even your persecutor!
Isn”™t this amazing? God picks such a diverse bunch with which to plant a church in Philippi . . .
–Church Member #3: Jailor/Family
*Don”™t stop talking about Jesus when you don”™t understand God”™s “schedule” for you!
Expect “detours” and realize they are part of God”™s “schedule” for you!
Both of these situations were unexpected and seeming “detours”””that is, Paul”™s path didn”™t go where it was, according to his plan, “supposed” to go.
I”™ve asked Mike to share a testimony of an opportunity he had to lead a young boy to Christ recently during a “detour”.
–Mike”™s Testimony
The Mistake
You know there are times in leadership we make decisions about things, not knowing if it is a good call or a mistake. You can pray about the things that come along at a slow pace and be relatively sure that you have sought the Father”™s face and come to the appropriate conclusion regarding His will. Sometimes though, we who are subject to time are faced with decisions in a hurry. Such was the case last month when the threat of ice and snow forced us to cancel Sunday morning services. As the morning progressed, and there was little to no snow, we felt we had made a mistake.
Trying not to let the morning be a total loss, we invited our neighbor David, his son Colby, and his nephew Chris down for breakfast. David’s wife was out of town visiting her mom who was ill, so I”™m sure David appreciated Paula”™s cooking. I planned a short devotional to share after breakfast.
When breakfast was over we began a devotional about water that I have shared with our kids at church before. It spoke of how water is such a unique and special thing for us here on earth and without going into all the details of that let”™s just say that water, or ice, or vapor, sometimes in the form of steam is quite unique and life sustaining. We really could not live here without it. That was the queue to segue into what Jesus said about the woman at the well and how when we drink the water from the well we”™ll get thirsty again, but Jesus said,
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
John 4:10 (NIV)
I explained that with that kind of water, which is salvation unto eternal life, you”™ll never ever get thirsty again. We talked about how you can have some of that “Living Water” where Jesus offers a drink and says,
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38 (NIV)
Yeah, because there was no wintry weather that morning, we thought that we had made a mistake in calling off church, but God knew that particular day He was serving “Living Water” to a boy named Colby Edmondson who would drink deeply and believe. Praise God!
Thank you, Mike. God can use you and me like that too, if we”™ll:
1. Follow the Holy Spirit”™s leading and trust His timing.
2. Respond immediately when God”™s call is clear.
3. Talk about Jesus as we go and be ready for Divine appointments.
4. Expect “detours” and realize they are part of God”™s “schedule” for us.
Look at 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 with me””here on the screen (READ).
God planted a church through Paul in crazy ways and with a diverse group of people. And then, God used that small and impoverished church to demonstrate His grace in such a way that it would be recorded in the Bible forever as an example of what God”™s grace can do!
Never underestimate what God can do through YOUR available heart/life! Never underestimate what God can do through OUR availability as a church!
Let”™s pray right now and ask God to blow our minds as a church by demonstrating His grace through us in ways that we could never plan!