God’s People: On God’s Mission

Sermon Summary:

In this powerful message, we’re reminded of our calling as a global family of believers, united in Christ and sent on God’s mission. The key scripture, Acts 13:1-3, illustrates how the early church in Antioch became the birthplace of the missions movement. We see a diverse group of leaders, including African and Middle Eastern refugees, coming together in worship and prayer. This diversity reflects God’s heart for all nations and challenges us to embrace our differences as we serve together. The message emphasizes that every believer is a missionary, called to serve in their neighborhood and beyond. We’re encouraged to become ‘neighborhood chaplains,’ knowing our neighbors by name, praying for them, and responding to the Holy Spirit’s leading. This practical application brings the global mission to our doorstep, reminding us that our location matters in God’s plan. As we reflect on this, let’s consider how we can renew our commitment to worship, prayer, and sharing the good news, allowing the Spirit to fill and send us anew.

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Key Takeaways:

• Baptists are a global family united in Christ and sent on God’s mission
• We are called to serve people on the move and those facing persecution
• Every neighborhood and city is a mission field
• Mission begins with renewed worship and prayer
• Diversity in the church is biblical and essential for global mission
• Every Baptist is called to be a missionary and neighborhood chaplain
• The importance of knowing, praying for, and serving one’s neighbors

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Scripture References:

• Acts 13:1-3

Stories:

• Ukrainian Baptists’ resilience and growth during war
• Shion, a North Korean defector preparing to return as a missionary
• Abdullahi, a Somali pastor who converted to Christianity and faced persecution
• Haya, a Syrian Baptist leader who found faith amidst conflict
• Examples of Baptist missions in Moldova, Venezuela, India, Liberia, and Australia
• The historical significance of Antioch in early Christian missions
• The role of African leaders in commissioning the first missionaries to Europe

Transcript

First Baptist, it is a joy to be with you. We are truly a global family of 51 million baptized believers in 134 countries. Baptists from Korea to Kenya, from Australia to Arlington, and we belong together because we belong to Jesus Christ. And because we belong to Jesus, we are sent on God’s global mission. We are together to the people.

Like BWA Baptists in Ukraine, it has been horrific for the 2 ,000 Baptist churches in Ukraine and for every citizen. I’ve been to Ukraine and seen the bombed out buildings. At times, invading churches have left a tank. A tank on the outside of the sanctuary to intimidate those who would come in to worship. One church received a call from the invading army which said, because of the work you are doing as a church, you don’t even deserve a bullet. You deserve to be buried alive.

In the horror of this conflict, Baptists have renewed their commitment to be sent by the Spirit on God. Since the start of the war, BWA Baptists have helped more than one million people forced to flee from their homes. Since the start of the war, Ukrainian Baptists have had 250 churches closed. But since the start of the war, they’ve also seen 10 ,000 people give their life to Jesus Christ. And they have ordained 500 new pastors.

And First Baptists, you have been key. Thank you for giving generously to stand with the Baptist family in Ukraine. Because you have given, lives have been saved. Thousands have given their life to Jesus. Thank you for living as a church committed to God’s mission.

If you are visiting today, the pastor is finishing a four -week series entitled, Together to the People. This is a recognition that together, we are invited to serve people in our community and around the world. First Baptists, even as you face some significant decisions, thank you for being a church committed to God’s mission. Together to the people.

I was in South Korea and met one of our Baptist leaders there named Shion, who was in prison. And she was burned 20 times before she escaped. Today, Shion is in South Korea, preparing to return to North Korea as a missionary. Shion teaches North Korean defectors to copy the Bible word -for -word. She gives them a journal, asks them to open up to the Gospel of Matthew, and then teaches them to handwrite the New Testament word -for -word. How many of us would hand write the New Testament?

As Baptists, we believe we are sent by the Spirit as a missionary people. The Father has sent the Son. The Son has sent the Spirit. And now the Spirit is sending us together to the people. For Jesus sent saying, as you go, proclaim this message. The kingdom of heaven has come near. Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons. Freely you have received. Freely give. I am sending you together to the people on God’s mission.

If you have your Bible, would you open up or power up to Acts chapter 13? This is a powerful passage about the start of the mission movement. A church filled by the Holy Spirit together in diversity and sent on God’s mission. Acts chapter 13, beginning in verse number 1. Now in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers. A Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, a Manian 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.

Off. The church at her birth calls us to be filled with the Spirit and sent to the people in four ways. Now the background to this passage is Acts chapter 6, 7, and 8, and a first missions principle. We are to serve on mission with people on the move and people in persecution. Prior to this moment in Acts chapter 13, Prior to this moment in Acts chapter 13, Prior to this moment in Acts chapter 13, the first mission of this church had been in Jerusalem. They may have remained in Jerusalem, but one of their fellow leaders, a man named Stephen, was killed for his faith.

When Stephen was killed, these leaders were forced to flee as persecuted refugees. Unfortunately, persecution remains all too common today. I think about a pastor in Somalia named Abdullahi. As a nine -year -old boy, Abdullahi had a dream, and in that dream, the Spirit spoke. He heard a voice which said, Follow me, my name is Jesus. So he woke and gave his life to Jesus, though it took him six years to find a Bible. Unfortunately, his family found him studying that Bible and

turned him over to the authorities. And at 15, he was incarcerated for his faith. I asked him what he remembered about those six months. He said he was in prison, and he shook his head. He said, I don’t really like to remember those days. They were filled with pain and with beating and with torture. So I said, okay, let me change the question. Was there a Bible verse that you held on to during that difficult experience? And he said, oh, yes. Matthew chapter 28 and verse number 20, where Jesus said, I will be with you always, even to the end of the world. And he said, As I clung to that promise, I would say that promise while those people were beating me and secretly two of those who were

torturing me came to my prison cell at night and gave their life to Jesus Christ. This is like the church in Antioch. It was a church started by people on the move who experienced persecution after the killing of Stephen. Stephen could not imagine that his death would propel, the gospel, but God’s kingdom can use defeat and setback, including in your life. If you have known defeat and setback, God can fill

you with his spirit and send you on his mission. This was the church in Antioch. To serve on God’s mission is to serve people on the move. Right now, for the first time, there are over 100 million people, forcibly displaced from their homes. There are more people on the move today than at any other point in the history of the world, including in Texas. Texas has the second largest immigrant population in the United States. California and

then Texas. 17 % of the Texas population was born outside of the United States. This was the… a church in the context of Antioch. I think about BWA Baptists in Brazil. Recently, Baptists in Brazil decided to embrace a mission to welcome people on the move. They began with Afghanistan refugees. They have helped resettle hundreds of Afghan refugees, the vast majority of whom were Muslim. More recently, they have helped resettle displaced people from Gaza. And today, BWA Baptists

in Brazil are leading the largest refugee resettlement in their country. Those who brought the gospel to Antioch were people on the move, refugees. They were chased out of Jerusalem, lost their worldly possessions, experienced pain and persecution, they could have turned inward and focused on their own security. They could have dwelt in bitterness and in hurt. But when they were persecuted, they welcomed. When they were pressured, they embraced. When they faced pain, they gave forgiveness.

When they lost their safety, they pursued missional witness. Stateless, landless, persecuted refugees, they turned inward and focused on their own security. They could have turned inward and transformed individuals, living out a transforming gospel. It was persecuted refugees who first brought the Gentiles into a church community. Thank you, Lord, for using migrants and persecuted believers, those who knew defeat and setback to build your church. Filled with the Spirit, we too

are to serve people on the move and people in persecution. Second, we are to serve on God’s mission in every neighborhood, in every city. This was Antioch. You know, locations matter. The location of this wonderful church matters. The location of your home and your neighborhood matters. You are called as a missionary to your neighborhood.

School, work, community, and around the world. The location of Antioch in the modern -day Middle East, it matters. When you hear the words, the Middle East, what are the first thoughts that come to your mind? Our Christian faith is woven into the fabric of these great lands. For it was from Ur in southern Iraq that God called forth the great patriarch Abraham. Isaac’s bride, Rebecca, came from northwest. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, spent 20 years in Iraq. His sons, the 12 tribes

of Israel, were all born in northwest Iraq. Jonah was a prophet of revival to the city of Mosul, Iraq. Nahum is buried in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Ezekiel helped reconstitute faith while living as a refugee in Iraq. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego lived with courage and faith. The intersection of Iraq and Iran. Esther prevented a genocide in Iran. Nehemiah served in Iran. Jesus spoke the language of these lands, lived in these lands,

and believed in the people of these lands. Now, my own reflection around Syria changed several years ago. I was part of a conference to help train some Christian leaders from Syria. And I know Dennis, and he always prepares well in advance. But I will confess, I was on the plane flying over there still thinking, what am I supposed to say to a group of Christian leaders from Syria whose context is so different from anything that I’ve ever had to live and minister in? And I felt like the Lord laid on my heart to begin with these words. Thank you. Thank you because it was your ancestors whose commitment to the gospel first welcomed Gentile believers into the church. Thank you. Thank you because it was your ancestors who became the first mission -sending church. Thank you because it was your ancestors who lived such a radical form of the Jesus way that the world needed

a new term and called them Christian. Did you know there are nine Baptist churches in Syria today? In the last 10 years, one of those Baptist churches has grown from four people to over a thousand people. They’ve done so with sacrificial service, willing to embrace suffering for the glory of Jesus. One Baptist leader is named Haya, a mother of four. A radicalized group entered her community one winter. Snow blanketed the ground as Haya and her family were taken down into a basement. After three days, they were exhausted. Spelled into the winds of winter and Haya and her family found refuge in a nearby apartment. It was so cold, she said, that our feet stuck to the ground. And after two weeks, they were surviving by rationing

one olive per person per day. They finally fled through the wintry cold to Damascus and scarred and in shock, they found a Baptist church. And as Haya, described, even though I lost everything, I gained Jesus Christ. In our challenging time and locations, how will we sacrificially serve together to the people? Just like the church in Antioch, each of us are sent by the Spirit as a missionary to our neighborhood and to the nations. Every, every neighborhood,

your neighborhood. Now, I have done what I’m sure all of you have done when you need a fresh word from the Spirit. I turn to ChatGBT. And I, I, I asked ChatGBT, how should we be sent to our neighborhoods? Dear Baptists, your neighborhood is your mission field. And we urge you to embrace it. And we urge you to embrace it. And we urge you to embrace it. And we urge you to embrace this divine opportunity. I’m not sure who the we here is, but this is AI, by be intentional in building genuine relationships with your neighbors. Listen to their stories. Share your own. Find common ground. Let love be the language that bridges

differences. Engage in acts of kindness, compassion, and service, reflecting the heart of Christ to those around you. Create spaces for fellowship and dialogue, whether it’s a simple gathering at your home or participating in community events. Seek opportunities to share the hope that resides in you. Be a source of encouragement, offering prayers and support for the needs of your neighbors. Remember, missionary living is not about imposing, but about inviting others into the transformative love of Christ. Let your prayers be drawn to the light of Christ that shines within you. A word from artificial intelligence.

But we don’t have to rely on AI. The BWA facilitates a global Baptist mission network of over 7 ,000 missionaries. I was in Moldova, the poorest country in the European Union, and they are supporting 20 missionaries from Moldova. If God can do that in Moldova, God can do that here. In Venezuela, in the midst of the greatest economic collapse of any country in modern history outside of war, they have responded by raising up and supporting a hundred missionaries. If God can do that in Venezuela, God can do that with you. In one area among the Baptists in India, they are supporting 3 ,000 missionaries across India and 300 missionaries from India to other countries. If God can do that in India, God can do that in Venezuela.

do that with you. I was in Liberia in January celebrating the inauguration of the president of the country, who is a Baptist deacon. Made those kind of deacons emerge from this sort of church, right? And I said, but what’s your vision? And they said, our vision is we want to plant 150 Baptist churches in the next three years. If God can do that in Liberia, God can do that with you. Several weeks ago, I was in Australia, and they said, our goal is to double the number of churches in our union because of all of the population growth that is happening. I was recently with a Baptist leader from India who shared, he said, we’re part of a church of 100 people, but we’re supporting 20 church planters.

Together to the people. Every Baptist is a missionary. And First Arlington, this is a mission. It is your time to use the resources the Lord has given you. God is raising you up to every neighborhood and to every nation. The BWA recently launched a major initiative we call Neighborhood Chaplains. We are praying that the Lord will raise up 500 ,000 neighborhood chaplains. Now, what does a neighborhood chaplain do? Well, you know your neighbor by name. Do you know your neighbor by name? The neighbor to your right, to your left, the one who lives above you, below you. You know them by name. You pray for them by name, and you respond as the Holy Spirit leads.

Today, would you become a chaplain to your neighborhood? Would you agree to know your neighbors by name? To pray for them and then respond however you want? Whatever the Holy Spirit leads you. Now, I know we’re not at the end of the message, but I think it’s okay. If you feel like God is talking to you and you feel like you could be a chaplain to your neighborhood, to know your neighbors by name, to pray for them, and then to do whatever the Holy Spirit asks you to do, would you raise your hand? Friends, we see hands all over this room. God is going to use you. God has placed you in that location for a reason.

So, how do we begin? Number three, this passage teaches us that mission begins with renewed worship and prayer. Verse number two, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke. Renewal comes in worship. Renewal emerges in prayer. Five leaders are listed. Barnabas is known as the encourager. I’d be an encourager to someone today. Paul, he was a murderer who was transformed in Jesus. Manian, whose leadership was developed in public service. Simeon called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene. Now, Niger in the Greek refers to a person with black skin, and Cyrene is from the country of Libya. So, we have here religious leaders, community leaders, Jewish leaders, and two leaders from Africa. God’s global mission calls for God’s global church.

This is Acts chapter 13. They were worshiping and praying. Maybe they came down to the front. I don’t know. Maybe they came down to the front, but it says the other three gathered around Paul and Barnabas, and they laid their hands on them. And two of the three who commissioned these first missionaries and led this great church were the church of the Lord. And they were worshiping and praying. And they were Christian. The term Christian was used for the very first time. We’re African. It was African leaders who commissioned the first missionaries to Europe. Thank you to the immigrants and the persecuted church in Syria, led by the believers from Africa, to whom all the rest of us owe a debt of grace. God’s global mission calls for God’s global church. God’s mission calls for God’s global church.

Diversity is healthy. Diversity is biblical. We need the perspective, the passions, the histories, the giftedness that every one of us brings. And the starting point is being together in our diversity, worshiping the Lord, praying and fasting. Now, perhaps you are like me. When I was a, young man, I used to lay in my bed and wonder if God could ever forgive me. I was filled with worry and fear until I gave my life to Jesus and found hope and joy. You too can find hope and joy. The separation that we feel from God can be bridged. Even before you go today, would you give your life to Jesus?

Now, friends, if you already know Jesus, would you give yourself to renewed worship, prayer, and fasting this week? May the Spirit renew us. Let’s spend time with Jesus. When we worship, when we pray, when we fast, the Spirit fills us again. One final point. Filled with the Spirit, we share the good news. So, after they fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them. This is the birth of the missions movement. Paul and Barnabas

were filled with the Spirit and sent on God’s mission to share the good news. Every Baptist is a missionary. Every Baptist can be a neighborhood chaplain to your apartment, your neighborhood, your school, university, to your workplace. Every Baptist is a missionary. So would you turn to your neighbor and say, I am a missionary? You may need to say that with a bit more commitment. Let’s try that again. I am a missionary, and I’ve got my ping pong ball ready to go to my neighborhood. Let’s try it again. I am a missionary. You know, in the last 10 years, the Baptist family in Europe and the Middle East has declined 1%, and in North America, it’s declined 5%. But in the last 10 years, the Baptist family in Asia grew 32%, in Latin America, 13%. In the last 10 years, the Baptist family in Africa has grown 112%. Friends, I invite you to experience this reality for yourself. First, I want to invite you to pray. If you have your phone, I want to encourage you, if you haven’t already pulled out your phone, pull out your phone. That’s allowed in church, I think. Is that allowed in this church? He says it’s allowed. Okay, so pull out your phone. There’s a QR code, and I want to invite you to join the One in Prayer movement. Thousands of Baptists around the world receive a weekly email, and over the course of the year, they will pray for every country in the world with the insights from the Baptists from those countries. Would you join the movement? We may not all be able to travel to all of these countries around the world, but we can. can be one in prayer. Second, would you participate? Every five years, there is a Baptist World Congress. These are incredible experiences. Thousands of Baptists from 100 countries come together to worship and to recommit to God’s mission. There’s just nothing else like them in the world. And the next one will be in July 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. It’s a life -changing experience. How do I know? Because it changed my life and my wife’s life when we first went. To be in a room with brothers and sisters from Africa, Ukraine, Korea, Argentina, Israel, Palestine, areas of persecution, areas of incredible growth, it’ll change your life. I think it’d be awesome if we had a big group there from First Baptist. First Baptist, Arlington, many across Texas are already coming. Don’t miss this, they only happen every five years. Don’t wait till 2030. Come and experience it yourself. From your neighborhood to the nation’s. These scripture leaders were African and Middle Eastern refugees. They were persecuted for their faith in Jesus. They were diverse in their leadership. They were renewed in worship and in prayer. They heard the Holy Spirit, and they launched a major missions movement that changed their community and changed the world. They placed their hands on them, and they were sent by the Spirit. And today, so are you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for First Baptist, Arlington. We thank you for the many ways they are already seeking to serve you. But Lord, we gather together in this place, and we say again to our neighborhood and to the nation,

yes, send us again, Lord, beginning in our neighborhood to know our neighbors, to the right, to the left, above and below, to pray and to serve, and to all the nations, each one equidistant to your heart.

Together, let us go with your Holy Spirit to the people.

Amen. Let’s stand together. We’re going to have a time of invitation. Thank you, Elijah. And it could be the Lord is leading you to join our church. Come be a part of who we are at First Baptist, Arlington. Or as Elijah, just to invite you to invite Jesus into your life. If you’re joining us online, we would welcome the opportunity to visit with you about what that means. And, or it could be the Lord’s speaking to you about being a neighborhood chapter.