[This is Part 1 of a 6-part study to promote a biblical understanding of church planting. The intent is for this to become a part of a “missionary pathway” in my local church. More on that later.]
It is likely that no one ever embroidered Acts 13:4 on a pillow. Probably few have memorized it. It is sadly neglected by most Bible-believing Christians. But it is a breath-taking moment in history. Luke reports this moment without fanfare: “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”
So simple—just three guys going on a trip that many people made regularly at the time. Why is it breath-taking? What is it so important? It represents the very beginning of intentional, Gentile missions. The beginning of a global movement that has changed the world like nothing else—a movement of good news, new communities, sacrificial love and good deeds. A movement that has crossed every language, geographical and cultural barrier. It was the beginning of the progress of the gospel.
As we—the churches of the modern era—embark on similar church planting ministries, it is critical to “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). Developing “one-mind” is crucial for a cooperative effort of any kind and that kind of “unity” only comes from agreeing on what God has instructed us to do “together for the faith of the gospel.”
What led to this moment?
Before we look over the example of the first missionaries for clues about how the Holy Spirit intends for His work to be done in this Church Age, ask yourself a very important question: How did they get to that point—what led to this moment of intentional Gentile missions? What happened before Acts 13:4? Of course, there are many answers. Consider the following.
God revealed Himself as the Missional God (Missio Dei)
God created human beings in His image to reflect His glory. When their sin messed everything up, He “so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Multiple passages in the Bible help us understand the missional heart of God (see 1 John 4:9-10; Matthew 20:28; Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 8:9; including Genesis 3:15 known as the “proto-evangelion”). Jesus’s promise to “build His Church” (Matthew 16:18) is part of God’s plan for restoring all of creation to its original state of goodness.
God promised to send the Messiah
The entire Old Testament—the Law, the Tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices, the covenants, the line of David, the line of Abraham, etc.—all point to one great truth: Messiah is coming! Jesus Himself said this was the case (Luke 24:27; see also Gen 3:15; 12:3; Num 21:9 [John 3:14]; Deut 18:15 [John 1:45]; John 5:46).
God Himself came in the flesh
The Incarnation of Jesus fulfilled numerous promises from the Old Testament. The Gospels report that the promised Messiah came to God’s chosen nation, Israel, presented Himself as Messiah but was rejected by His own people. His death and resurrection served the purpose of reconciling lost humanity to Himself—His death substitutes His righteousness for our sin, His resurrection provides us with eternal life. This act of Jesus defines our message, mission and purpose, plus Jesus provides the ultimate example of missional, sacrificial servanthood (see Philippians 2:5ff).
The Great Commission
After Jesus died and rose again, He defined the work of His people by giving the Great Commission before ascending into Heaven—returning to His rightful place on the throne of God. The primary command in Matthew 28:18-20 is “make disciples”—lead others to faith in Christ and participation in His reconciliation work to identify with Christ and become part of His people.
The Gift of the Holy Spirit and Birth of Church
The first major event of the Church Age was the coming of the promised Holy Spirit—the source of power for the building of Christ’s Church. The Church was born in Jerusalem and soon faced persecution that caused the “scattering” that carried the gospel to Antioch.
The Ministry of Peter in Acts 1-11
God used Peter to proclaim the gospel multiple times in the opening chapters of Acts. This served to clarify the message of the Church. Then God moved Peter in a spectacular way to proclaim the gospel in the home of Cornelius—a Gentile—opening the door for the spread of the gospel to the Gentile world.
The Conversion of Saul (Paul)
In a stunning conversion, Jesus sovereignly chose the first and worst persecutor of the Church to become the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians when Jesus completely changed the course of his life, declaring him to be “a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Of course, this same Saul became one of the first missionaries chosen by the Holy Spirit and sent out by the Church of Antioch.
Christians Scattered by Persecution to Antioch
Acts 11-12 record how Jerusalem Christians—scattered by persecution—made their way to Antioch leading a large number of people to Christ. Barnabas was sent by the leaders in Jerusalem to see and shepherd what was happening in Antioch, and one of the key decisions he made was to recruit Paul to help. We’ll explore this pivotal story more later.
Why did they do it?
Another important question must be asked: Why did they go—what compelled these Jews (all three original missionaries were Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah) to leave the amazing church in Antioch they had helped disciple, depriving themselves of the fellowship of a great family of believers, literally risking their lives to take the gospel to people they didn’t even know? At least four answers stand out.
The Greatness of God
This team understood God’s unfolding plan didn’t begin with this journey, nor was this the end of it. His plan was unfolding to include the building of Christ’s Church throughout the world. They knew that Jesus offered eternal life, that in this life “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Philippians 1.21) and to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ would provide unimaginable reward (Matthew 5:10-12). This same knowledge should compel all believers of every generation to participate in the Great Commission because it is life-worship—to sacrifice our time, treasure and talent, even to risk our safety at times in honor of the great missional God.
The Call of Christ
The writer of Acts—Luke the Physician—wrote that his “first account” (the Gospel of Luke) was “about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen” (Acts 1:1-2). The word “began” means Jesus continued to “do and teach”! Jesus wasn’t done after His ascension. He continued working and teaching through the Apostles and the Church. Some of Acts is prescriptive—it is critical to understanding the Great Commission to see that the Holy Spirit of God documented how the first Christians carried out the Great Commission. Their example contains patterns and principles that are meant to be imitated throughout this Church Age.
The Holy Spirit of God
Acts 13:2-4 describes the very clear commending and endorsement of the Holy Spirit on the ministry of Barnbas and Saul. The Holy Spirit was revealing “the work” of the Church Age. That first missionary team provided a pattern and some very clear principles for how “the work” is to be done by every generation of faithful Christians.
Compassion for People
As we read the proclamation of the gospel in Acts and read the letters that became part of the God-breathed New Testament, it is clear that these first missionaries wanted others to know the mercy, grace and love of God they themselves had received. We’ll see more as this study progresses, but this motivation should challenge every generation of Christians to beg God to give us His love and compassion for the people who have yet to hear the gospel and be reconciled to the Creator.
Picture those three men again—sitting on the boat, on their way to Cyprus. What did they talk about? What were they excited about? What were they afraid of? We’re not told. But we do know they were human, so they did not know what the future held. We can be sure they missed their families as well as their church families in Antioch and Jerusalem. It’s also a safe bet that they were praying like they had never prayed before.
Also, we can be sure God was pleased with them—they knew that. The Holy Spirit had spoken! They were stepping out in faith, prepared to share the gospel and trust God to work through them. That hasn’t changed. God is still pleased with all those who participate in that same work today. Whether they get on a boat to travel to a foreign land or lead a local church plant or give a gift to support the progress of the gospel, they are participating in what God is building—the greatest building project imaginable.
