Major Questions About Missions

Text: Acts 13:1-13

Introduction: For many years I have been deeply involved in the missionary programs of the churches I’ve pastored. Mission conferences, mission budgets, and missionary speakers have always been a big part of my church life. In 2000, I was invited to be the missionary pastor of the Evangelical Church of Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Suddenly, missions took on a new perspective. My wife and I were faced with raising monthly support, writing missionary letters, and speaking to prospective supporters! At that time, I found Acts 13:1-13 to be extremely helpful. For me, it answered four major questions about missions.

1. What kind of church launches world missions?

• A church that embraces diversity (13:1). We sense that in the ethnic backgrounds of the five Antioch leaders. These gifted men were:

Simeon called Niger and Lucius (Africans)

Saul and Barnabas (Jews)

Manaen (probably a Roman)
These church leaders reflected the cosmopolitan city of Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman Empire. There were 27 nationalities in the United Arab Emirates church where my wife and I served. From the pulpit, I saw the body of Christ. The church God uses for world missions is free of racial prejudice.

• A church known for compassion (11:27-30). Early in its history, this fledgling church was offered a challenge. Agabus the prophet predicted a famine in Judea (11:28), which would affect Jerusalem, the church that was the home of the Antioch church planters. But it was also the church that was not so sure of the spiritual validity of the Antioch church. They sent Barnabas to check it out. But the church’s heart of compassion swept aside all doubts when they sent a love offering to Jerusalem.Time for a reality checkup! Has your church embraced diversity? Is it known as a place of compassion?

2. How will I know I am called to a career in ministry? (13:2-4)

The Holy Spirit called Saul and Barnabas. How was that experienced? Can we still expect that? Could it be that the gift of prophecy was exercised to convey the message? The text mentions that there were prophets among the leadership team. There is an element of mystery here. How does God extend His call to a career of service today? I have heard the stories of pastors and missionaries, and a thread of similarity runs through these accounts. They remind me of my own experience. Looking back over 50 years, I see:

• God spoke to my heart in 1946 in a service in my home church.
• My call was confirmed by family and friends.
• My choice of college and seminary provided good preparation.
• Opportunities became available to begin serving immediately.
• Experienced leaders who cared for me gave me good advice.

3. How will I be effective in my service? (13:4-12)

In this passage, one of the first missions stories, we read of a battle for the souls of people. Here Satan’s agent was Elymas, or Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer who provided the deputy governor Sergius Paulus with counsel that emanated from the world of black magic and the kingdom of darkness. Paul and Barnabas were a threat to the control he had over the governor. In 13:9-11, Paul confronted Bar-Jesus, whose judgment was blindness. As a result, a victory for the gospel followed. While Bar-Jesus stumbled around in the dark world of his blindness, Sergius saw the light! He believed the gospel and was welcomed into the family of God. Paul later wrote, “If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Cor. 4:3-4 nkjv). He could write that with this story in mind.

So how will I be effective? By being fully aware of the spiritual warfare that goes with ministry and then dressing in the armor of God (Eph. 6:14-18).

4. Will I be able to handle disappointments? (13:13-14)

There have been many suggestions about why John Mark left Paul and Barnabas when they arrived in Asia Minor. He was the helper and third member of a great team. God only knows what prompted his departure and return home. What we do know is that this rupture was the cause of a heated argument between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41). The word “contention” in 15:39 is the Greek word that is the basis for our English word paroxysm, a violent gut-wrenching feeling. At issue was the worthiness of John Mark to have a second chance. Paul said no, but Barnabas said yes! The result was two teams: Paul and Silas, Mark and Barnabas.
Having served on the mission field and been a pastor to 30 missionaries, I know that the major issue is still the same: relationships with fellow missionaries. Thankfully, there is a happy ending to this story. In Colossians 4:10, we read of Mark visiting Paul. Paul wrote Colossians while imprisoned in Rome. This means that the one who was considered a quitter traveled 700 miles to help Paul in prison. I believe this was the place of reconciliation, because the words in 2 Timothy 4:11 assure us that Paul and Mark had humbled themselves and healed the wound that separated them in their relationship. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Paul had earlier labeled Mark as a quitter (Acts 15:38), a death word. In 2 Timothy, Paul uses a life word—helpful, or profitable—to describe Mark.
In the family, the church, and the mission field, relationships are destroyed by harsh and harmful words. Is this the day for wounds to be healed?