Commissioned to make Disciples

*no sermon audio

Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47

The pastoral priority of the Church is to make disciples of those who are being born again.

Jesus' commission calls every local church/pastoral team to thoughtfully and intentionally answer at least three questions and then to thoughtfully, diligently, and consistently execute on their answers.

I. WHO do we seek to make into disciples?

Those whom the Lord adds to our church. These are brothers and sisters who are:

- Authentically reborn

- Publicly identified

- Locally aligned

II. WHAT do we want to make them into?

“Doers” of all that Jesus commanded. What we mean by this, is people whose gospel-informed faith is so infused with gospel-defined hope that their lives are characterized by gospel-inspired love. We call these people “gospel fluent,” because the gospel comes to inform and drive more and more of what they do every day.

We strive to be a community of believers who:

• Find beauty in the ordinary,

• Fight to show up, and

• Faithfully engage in meaningful conversation

III. HOW are we going to do this?

By creating spaces and routines that promote biblical literacy and gospel fluency.

What can you do to make this happen?

The answer is found in our sermon text: And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Simply put, those people who had received the word, who were baptized, and who were added to the number adjusted their lives and routines so as to become active participants in this new thing God was doing in their lives and in their midst. Becoming a disciple of Jesus was the only thing that made sense to them and they were all in.

Adopted in Christ

Adopted in Christ

Ian Thomas

Galatians 3:26-4:7

Adoption strikes at the heart of the questions that are fundamental to our existence: Who are we? Where are we going? What are we doing here? 

Main Idea: Though we were orphans, through Christ we have been adopted as sons, guaranteed an inheritance, and given God’s Spirit.

I. A New Identity (3:26-28)

After Paul had helped plant churches throughout the region of Galatia, false teachers infiltrated these communities arguing that Gentile converts to Christ needed to become “Jewish” (circumcision + obedience to the entire Mosaic Law) to truly become the people of God. 

These false teachers could appeal to the fact that the church was birthed out of Judaism. The Jews were God’s chosen people. They were the physical offspring of Abraham. They were the recipients of all the promises of the OT. Jesus himself was Jewish. So the question that looms over the early church is this: Are Jews and Gentiles really family? Are we really brothers & sisters? 

The gospel clearly tells us that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.”  The implications of this new identity means that for both Jews and Gentiles we have a shared Father and we are part of a new family. 

Paul identifies 3 of the biggest barriers & points of division in the world that church is birthed into:

1. Racial Barriers (there is neither Jew nor Greek…)

2. Social Barriers (there is neither slave nor free... )

3. Gender Barriers (there is no male or female... )

“If we are too quick to correct the biblical language, we miss the revolutionary nature of what Paul is saying. In most ancient cultures, daughters could not inherit property. Therefore, “son” meant “legal heir,” which was a status forbidden to women. But the gospel tells us that we are all sons of God in Christ. We are all heirs. Similarly, the Bible describes all Christians together, including men, as the “bride of Christ” … Men are part of his Son’s bride; and women are His sons, His heirs. If we don’t let Paul call Christian women “sons of God,” we miss how radical and how wonderful this is.” ~ Tim Keller

Bottom line: Are we looking at & relating to others through the lens of biology or theology? Are we really treating one another in the church as brothers & sisters in Christ? 

Just as there is a “family likeness” in biological families, Paul reminds the Galatians that there is a “family likeness” in the church, because all who have been “baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

II. A New Inheritance (3:29-4:5)

Issues of inheritance deals with the past, present, and future. 

1. Our Past (3:29-4:3)

Being the true “offspring” of Abraham became a key issue in Galatia. Paul makes it clear that all who have faith in Jesus are “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.” He addresses the past of both the Jews & Gentiles:

• For the Jewish people (4:1-2), though they were “heirs” of Abraham, they were essentially “slaves” because they were like a child who was under “guardians” and “managers,” unable to come to age before Christ

• For the Gentiles (4:3), they were enslaved to sin & the things of this world, unable to help their situation. 

Just as an adopted child becomes a part of the lineage of their new family, the same is true with the gospel. Our adoption in Christ means that our past is redefined.

2. Our Present (4:4-5)

Adoption is an incredibly sacrificial and costly process. This is also true of God’s adoption of us; in order to adopt us into the family of God, it took:

• Preparation (4:4a)

• Entrance into our broken world (4:4b)

• Paying the cost to redeem us (4:5)

All of this is offered to us as a gift to “receive.” Our adoption in Christ should remind us of the incredible love that God has for us. Adoption is a choice, not an obligation. 

“Adoption, by its very nature, is an art of free kindness to the person adopted… God adopts us out of free love, not because our character and record show us worthy to bear his name, but despite the fact that they show the very opposite. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of his loving and exalting us sinners as he loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild – yet that, and nothing less than that – is what our adoption means.” ~ J.I. Packer

Our adoption in Christ means our present is redeemed.

3. Our Future (cf. Rom. 8:17)

Our status is God’s family is “co-heirs with Christ,” meaning all that belongs to Christ also belongs to us. This is the idea of ‘propitiation’: God does not only save us from our sins, he also credits us with Christ’s righteousness & his perfect record. 

Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”

Our adoption in Christ means our future is secure.

III. A New Intimacy (4:6-7)

God not only sends his Son; he also sends his Spirit into our hearts that causes us to cry out “Abba! Father!” ‘Abba’ is a term of intimacy, like a child babbling ‘da-da.’ No Jewish person (until Jesus) dared to refer to God in this way. 

But ‘Abba’ is more than this childish talk; it is a “screaming out” for help in the midst of a broken world. It is a cry that comes out of us when we feel the weight of sin & the fallenness of this world, looking for help from our Father. 

We can trust that our screams of ‘Abba!’ are always heard by our Heavenly Father, because Jesus’ prayers went unanswered. Jesus, the natural born Son of God, becomes a substitute orphan for us, crying out in the garden of Gethsemane “Abba!” and on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

“Because we share the Spirit with Jesus, we cry out with him to the same Father. And since what unites us to Jesus is his Spirit, not our flesh, we share a common family with all those who also have this Spirit resting upon them…. That’s adoption. We’re part of a brand-new family, a new tribe, with a new story, a new identity… The Spirit leads us to see when we are in enemy-occupied territory, and he teaches us to rage against that machine… The Spirit leads us to cry out with the rest of the universe, ‘O God, deliver us from this! This is not how it is supposed to be!” ~ Russell Moore

Caring for orphans is not merely a “special interest group” within the church; this issue is about the very gospel of Jesus Christ. Adoption lies at the center of the gospel and also is a call to mission. It is not a matter of “if” God has called us to orphan care but rather “how” he has called us to this. 

Is God your Father? Are you living with brothers & sisters in Christ? How can you care for the fatherless & the motherless - whether you end up with a child in your home or not? 

Called to Mission

Called to Mission

Ian Thomas

Acts 16:6-34

Christianity Today Survey:

• “I believe every Christian has a responsibility to share their faith.” (64% of Christians agreed)

• “I actively seek or create opportunities to share my faith.” (19% of Christians agreed)

Main Idea: God’s mission to save a diverse people is accomplished through divine encounters and opportunities to share the gospel.  

I. The Mission is Directed by God (16:6-10)

How the missionaries were specifically “forbidden by the Holy Spirit” on their travel plans is unclear, but the principle is clear: God had other plans for them at this time. Strategy, rationale, and logic are important in seeking to share the gospel, but everything must be submitted to God’s sovereign plan and direction. 

After shutting doors, God clearly opens one through the vision of the Macedonian man asking for help. The priority is also placed on the fact that “God has called us to preach the gospel to them.” The group understands that the greatest need for those in Macedonia is the good news about Jesus. The church can & should be doing a lot of good things on mission, but gospel proclamation must be the priority. 

This is all a reminder that the mission is ultimately God’s work. This means 2 things for us:

1. The pressure is off. We are called & invited to participate, but ultimately God is the one who is directing and bringing about salvation. 

2. We should be seeking to follow his leading and prompting. Visions like this are not the norm for the Christian life, though God is free to act in this way. However, God has given us his Spirit, his word, prayer, and community. Are we using these means of grace to actively engage seek his will and follow his leading? 

Colossians 4:2-4: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

II. The Mission is Driven by Divine Encounters (16:11-34)

As the missionaries land in Philippi, God orchestrates 3 divine and opportunistic encounters:

1. Lydia (16:11-15)

There does not appear to be a Jewish synagogue in Philippi, so the group finds a prayer meeting with a group of women. Luke describes Lydia as a ‘worshiper of God,’ a technical term denoting a Gentile who believed in God but had not become Jewish. 

As they were having a conversation about the gospel, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Our role in the mission is always to bear witness to the gospel, while God must open the heart to believe. God is the one who saves and who changes our hearts to respond to the good news of Jesus. 

Lydia’s response indicates the genuineness of her faith:  She is baptized (along with her household) and then opens her home. There is a beautiful simplicity in her response that the Lord calls each of us to. “Once the heart is opened, the home is opened too.” ~ John Stott

2. A Slave Girl (16:16-18)

As Paul and his companions were continuing in Philippi, a slave girl with a “spirit of divination” starts following them around for days. The evil spirit is communicating the truth about the identity & work of the group, but was seeking to discredit their message and reputation. 

After Paul rebukes the spirit and it comes out of the girl, her owners stir up trouble for the missionaries. The girl likely would have been abandoned by her owners & welcomed into the new church community in Philippi. 

3. A Roman Jailor (16:25-34)

Despite their difficult situation, Paul & Silas are “praying and singing hymns to God” while imprisoned, so that all may hear them. Gospel joy in the face of sorrow & adversity will always be a powerful picture of the gospel. 

God sovereignly causes an earthquake which opens all the doors of the prison and all of the bonds of the prisoners to break lose. But rather than escaping, Paul & Silas remain, seeking an opportunistic encounter with the jailor, remain in the prison and gain the opportunity to share the gospel with him. 

The jailor realizes the grace of Paul and Silas (and the other prisoners) not escaping, he cries out, “What must I do to be saved?” They tell him of the good news of the gospel and he responds in the same way as Lydia: he is baptized and opens his home for them, rejoicing in his new faith in Jesus.

Application: Recognizing that God sets up divine and opportunistic encounters, we can intentionally position ourselves so that God can use us to start gospel conversations. 

“God isn’t necessarily looking for us to try harder or add more ministry demands on our lives. He wants us to walk in greater awareness and dependency on him in the everyday stuff of life and engage what we we’re already doing with gospel intentionality. This isn’t additional; this is intentional. It’s not about adding more to our busy lives, it’s about engaging all of life for his glory. It’s about fully realizing we have his power because he is present in us and in all we do.” ~ Jeff Vanderstelt

III. The Mission is Defined by Unity & Diversity

The diversity of people that make up the first church in Philippi is shocking. The missionaries, Lydia, the slave girl, and the Roman jailor were all different racially, socially, and spiritually. 

Despite all of these differences, they are all saved by the same gospel and welcomed into the same church. These people who had no earthly reason to be in relationship with one another are now unified by the blood of Jesus, becoming brothers and sisters in Christ. 

“Ideally the church itself is not made up of natural "friends." It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form a natural collocation, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance… In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.” ~ D.A. Carson: 

Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Created for Worship

Created for Worship

Ian Thomas

Acts 17:16-34

Worship works from the top down, you might say. In worship, we don’t just come to show God our devotion and give him our praise; we are called to worship because in this encounter God remakes and molds us top-down. Worship is the arena in which God recalibrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and re-habituates our loves. Worship isn’t just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is the heart of discipleship because it is the gymnasium in which God retrains our hearts.” ~ James K.A. Smith

Main Idea: We are designed to worship with our whole being because we are created by and for God.

I. The Inevitability of Worship (17:16)

Athens was the cultural, philosophical, and intellectual epicenter of this region of the world, and was city was of great significance throughout history. Paul is not struck by its beauty or brilliance, however. Instead, he is bothered by the fact it is “full of idols.” He perceives everything in Athens through the lens of worship. 

“There were innumerable temples, shrines, statues and altars. In the Parthenon stood a huge gold and ivory statue of Athena, ‘whose gleaming spear-point was visible forty miles away’. Elsewhere there were images of Apollo, the city’s patron, of Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Neptune, and Diana. The whole Greek pantheon was there, all the gods of Olympus. And they were beautiful. They were made not only of stone and brass, but of gold, silver, ivory and marble, and they had been elegantly fashioned by the finest Greek sculptors” ~ John Stott

“Worship is ascribing ultimate value to an object and engaging your mind, your heart, and your will- your whole being, as you do it” ~ Tim Keller. 

Worship is inevitable for humans. Everyone worships as it is fundamental to who we are. There is no “on” or “off” switch to our worship; we are constantly and naturally ascribing ultimate value to something in our lives, and our entire being is engaged in this activity (head, heart, and hands). 

Application: What are we really worshipping? What has captivated our affections and our loves? Is it really God or something else? 

Paul’s response to this idolatry is instructive for us as the church. He is “provoked” (conflicted, irritated, angered). This word is used in the OT to describe God’s feelings about idolatry; he viewed the city the same way that God does. God is rightly angry at idolatry, but he is also jealous for the worship of his creation. 

II. The Interaction of Worship (17:17-21)

Being “provoked” drives Paul to action in Athens. As was his custom, he first goes to the synagogue (place of teaching & learning for the Jewish people). He then moves on to the marketplace (Gk. ‘agora’), which was the hub and central gathering place of city. 

As he entered these spaces, he engaged in 2 things:

1. Meaningful Conversations (17:17-21). As he engaged with the Jews, Epicureans and Stoics, he was reasoning and conversing with them. He was listening and learning about their belief system, worldview, lifestyle, and ultimately - their worship. 

2. Proclaiming Jesus and the resurrection (17:18a). Paul’s gospel conversations were “strange things” to the ears of those in Athens. The gospel is indeed “folly to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18), and we should both expect and embrace this “strangeness.” 

Application: Do we know the idols of our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and city? Are we critically engaging with others in meaningful conversation through the lens of worship, or are we unconsciously being shaped by the worship happening around us? 

III. The Inventor of Worship (17:22-31)

Having earned a hearing and the right to speak at Mars Hill, Paul bridges into their worship by observing two things that are true of all humanity: They are “religious in every way” and they are searching (an altar ‘to the unknown god’)

Having established this bridge, Paul then appeals to the Athenians to believe in the inventor of worship. His appeal is steeped in Biblical imagery as he draws their attention to 6 things about God:

1. God is Creator (17:24). He is the Lord over heaven and earth. He cannot be confined & controlled by those whom he has created, and he cannot be manipulated by worship. 

2. God is Sustainer (17:25). God does not need ‘anything’ from us. He is actively involved and is upholding his creation (Heb. 1:3)

3. God is Sovereign (17:26-27a). God is sovereign over when and where we live, so that we might find him. This is God’s purpose for humanity. 

“Human beings are made by and for the Creator, who is known in Jesus Christ. In other words, to be truly and fully human, we need to “find” ourselves in relationship to the One who made us and for whom we are made. The gospel is the way we learn to be human.” ~ James K.A. Smith

4. God is Near (17:27-28). He has come to seek and save the lost through the work of Christ. Paul quotes their own poets to show they have some conception & longing for this. 

5. God is Personal (17:29). He is not a “statue” or an “image” that is impersonal and can be contained & controlled; he has created humanity in his image. 

6. God is Judge (17:30-31). God commands all people to repent, because of the “man whom he has appointed” (Jesus), and his “raising him from the dead.” The time of ignorance is now over because of the manifestation of Jesus Christ.

IV. The Invitation of Worship (17:30, 32-34)

If these things are really true of God, then he is worthy of all of our worship. We are designed to esteem him of ultimate value, and to engage our entire being in orienting our lives around him. 

There are three responses to this message at Mars Hill:

1. Mocking & Rejection (17:32a)

2. Intrigue & Curiosity (17:32b)

3. Repentance & Faith (17:30, 34)

“There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships... And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive” ~ David Foster Wallace