The Local Church Is Worth The Sacrifice (Acts 14:21-23)
We have separated our spiritual lives from our physical lives in a multitude of ways and we don’t even realize it. To illustrate this, many of you would struggle to figure out how you glorify God by doing your job. Some of you would be able to list things you do at your job, such as Bible Studies, prayer, and Christian counsel, but you would struggle to come up with a reason why going to work every day is God-glorifying.
There was once a time, long ago that Christians believed that priests and monks had a higher sort of life. It was believed that they were in the career that was more pleasing to God. In other words, there was a split between the secular and the sacred. It often left those not in the ministry frustrated that they could not be in an endeavor that pleased God, they could only feed their families.
The Protestant Reformation came along and corrected this mistake. And they did so by going back to the Scriptures. The Doctrine is called The Priesthood of All Believers and it is most clearly articulated in 1 Peter 2:5-9.
“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:4-10 ESV)
Who is it that is a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him”?
I am. You are. And so is every person in this room that is a Christian. You are part of that chosen race and royal priesthood. This is the priesthood of every believer.
Though there are more sacred things in this world, our vocations are not prioritized in a secular and sacred split. The Lord’s Supper is more sacred than my dinner at home. The Scriptures are more sacred than the novel I am reading. But here is the thing, the world is not really split between the sacred and the secular. My job as a pastor is not more important or more God-honoring than the other jobs in this room.
How does this make any sense at all?
The message that we proclaim makes sense of all this.
The Christian message begins with the creation of the world. God created the world and everything in it. He created people as the pinnacle of creation. They were given work to do, work the earth and subdue it. And humanity was in perfect relationship with God.
I want you to notice that in the creation of the world there was no secular and sacred split. God walked with mankind, who worked the earth and subdued it. Man and woman dwelled together and were called upon to fill the earth. All of life was a sacred duty before God. And that has never changed.
Mankind fell from his blessed state when he broke God’s command. Everything changed from that point forward. He was removed from God’s presence. Death was in his future. And all his posterity inherited his rebellion. And so, we all have God’s wrath and justice hanging over our heads. We are now impure, sinful, and wretched. And God does not tolerate sin. But that is not all that happened. The entire world has been given over to corruption because Adam, who was to care for the world, rebelled against God.
God did not leave us in this state. God sent His Son to redeem. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the grave so that we could be brought to God. We are saved from God’s wrath because Christ took it in our place. We are counted righteous because we are credited with Christ’s righteousness. We can be declared righteous before God because Jesus rose from the grave. That is precious to us. But the finished work of Christ is the means by which redemption comes, not just to us but the physical world.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” (Romans 8:18-24 ESV)
Because of the finished work of Christ, I am redeemed. I will one day be completely set free from the bondage to corruption. And so will the ground that I garden in, so will the earth that you labor in.
This means that all of life is sacred, or it should be. The fall does affect that, we do not live in a sinless world. But all of your life carries more significance than you might consider.
You don’t enter into secular work when you leave church. Your drive home is sacred, so is your time with your family.
Your time at work is not a secular duty that you trudge through to pay the bills. It too is part of your sacred obligation to the Lord. Your job is not more sacred than mine. You are a priest at work.
Somehow, we’ve lost sight of this along the way. Somehow, we have fallen back into thinking that there is a split between the secular and the sacred. We look at parts of our life as having purpose and other parts of our lives as being completely meaningless. And it has caused us to have a feeling of meaninglessness.
David Wells picked up on this in his book “God in the Wasteland”.
“Our experience of the modern world produces the sense that there is no sure and steady purpose pervading life, that purpose, like life itself, has broken apart into small, unrelated fragments, that our daily routine is severed from the meaning that God once provided to it.” (David Wells, “God in the Wasteland”)
Our lives, broken into small fragments, “family life”, “work life”, “friends”, “church”, has nothing standing over it to give it all meaning and purpose. The sure and steady purpose that pervades every detail of life is God. God created the world and God is redeeming the world through His Son. And you and I have a part to play.
God has rights over the entire world that He has created. It is currently occupied by Satanic forces and sin runs rampant. Jesus has accomplished the redemption of mankind and redemption of the world. And we are those people that march all over the world, taking it back, if you will from the forces of darkness that inhabit the land.
That is who you are. Every facet of your life is that of priest declaring God’s grace to a world in bondage.
I introduce our passage this way today because Paul and Barnabas risked their lives to go back and minister to the churches that they started. They found it to be profoundly important. But because we don’t understand our importance in this unfolding drama and the role of the church, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. But when you understand the importance of your role in the world today, and the importance of this church to that mission, then it all makes sense.
Paul and Barnabas were commissioned to carry the gospel. And they did so in Cyprus, where many believed. They did this in Pisidia where many believed as well. But there as a hiccup in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas were driven out of the district. They went on to Iconium. Many believed here as well, but plans for their murder caused them to flee to Lystra. In Lystra they were almost worshipped and then Paul was either murdered or almost murdered. And then they went to Derbe where many people believed. And it was time for Paul and Barnabas to go back to Antioch, which way would they go.
They would travel right back into danger because there was something of massive importance to do.
They went back into danger to strengthen the disciples, to encourage the disciples, and appoint elders in every church. This was worth risking their lives for.
They went back because the local church is worth giving your life to. It’s worth the risk to have strong and healthy churches.
Churches that spread the gospel, strengthen members, encourage one another, and have godly leadership are glorifying to Christ. They are worth the effort and the sacrifice.
As a church, we strive to be this very thing. And we work to conform ourselves to this pattern. We strive and work to excel as a local church for the furtherance of the gospel and growth of God’s people.
We Strengthen One Another
Strengthening one another must be a priority for us. And, in reality it is. Look around our church and that is noticeable. We don’t want to just make converts. We want to make disciples, life-long learners.
Growth in faith is a big priority for us.
Paul and Barnabas did not expect to just create converts. They knew that these people would need to be strengthened. They would need to be strengthened in their knowledge of the Word, their adherence to the Word, and their reliance upon the Lord.
Think about the different things our church does. Why do we do many of the things we do as a church? We do them for the strengthening of one another.
Why do our Sunday School teachers spend time preparing their lessons each week?
Why do our children’s ministry and youth ministry leaders work to prepare and deliver Wednesday Night messages?
Why do men’s and women’s ministry groups do the same?
Why do I prepare sermons and Bible studies for us?
It is so that you will be strengthened in the faith, strengthened in your knowledge of the Word, strengthened in your adherence to God’s Word, and your reliance upon the Lord.
Here is the truth of the matter. When you leave here today, you do not leave your sacred obligations behind. As a Christian, there is not a moment on this earth that you are not a representative of Christ. You will leave this place and will be expected to lead your family, go to your jobs, and live your whole life as a priest before the Lord. You are to go into every facet of your life as Christ’s representative in that place.
Making you able to do that is a local church project.
I have heard people occasionally say that they can live the Christian life on their own. They believe all will be okay if it’s just them and their Bible. But the truth is that they can’t. It is necessary for us to be strengthened by one another.
It is the responsibility of the local church, of Victory Baptist Church, to strengthen you in the faith. It is our responsibility to prepare you for living the Christian life in the outside world.
Notice what Paul says in Ephesians 4.
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV)
Why am I here? Why do I have the position that I do at this church? What is my purpose as your pastor?
It is to equip you for the work of the ministry. It is to equip you to go forth as Christ’s representatives and live faithfully out in the world.
I am not saying that you do not have responsibilities. You do. You have responsibilities for yourself in knowing God’s Word and being in prayer and loving God. You are responsible for the life of your family. But that does not lessen the fact that the local church is responsible for your being strengthened in the faith, for your being strengthened to go.
We should never be content with members of our church remaining immature in the faith and unable to do the work of the ministry out in the world.
We desire to see people come to faith in Christ. And we work to strengthen them in the faith. We teach them God’s Word and how to apply it to their lives. And we want to move everyone in our midst toward making disciples of their own within their homes and out in the world.
Why is the local church worth giving your life to?
Because this is how God prepares us to meet a lost and dying world with the message of the gospel. It is how we are prepared to go. It is how we are prepared for faithfulness in this enemy occupied world in every facet of our lives.
We Encourage One Another
The encouragement that Paul and Barnabas gave was not encouragement as we often think of the word being used. It wasn’t an “attaboy” no matter what they’d done. It was “encouragement to continue in the faith”.
In fact, their encouraging word doesn’t seem very encouraging when you really think about it. Their encouraging word was “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”. And when we think about what is taking place, this becomes an even heavier message.
Paul and Barnabas had already fled Lystra, where Paul was stoned to death and Iconium where division arose and they were run out of town. And this is where they are encouraging people and saying “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God”.
There is nothing in our text to make us think that the things going on in Lystra and Iconium were worse than what Paul and Barnabas had already experienced. But I am sure that life was not easy for them. I am sure that there was some sort of persecution going on. And I am sure that they needed to be encouraged to remain faithful to Christ amid that persecution.
Christian encouragement, the type of encouragement that we are called upon to give, is what Paul and Barnabas were doing. It is not just being positive and affirming. It is giving encouragement to remain faithful to Christ amid all the many difficulties that life brings to us.
As Christians, living life together is not merely looking at one another and saying “you’re great and everything is peachy”. We are to encourage one another to remain faithful to Christ even in the hardest of situations.
As a pastor, I have had the opportunity to be with those that are having massive struggles and losses in their lives. And, as a pastor, people look to you for that encouragement. But that does not mean that only pastors are to give that encouragement. That is a job that is for all of us.
And I think it helps to see that small actions on your part are huge encouragements to others.
In his book, “Life Together”, Dietreich Bonhoeffer wrote,
“The believer therefore lauds the Creator, the Redeemer, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the bodily presence of a brother. The prisoner, the sick person, the Christian in exile sees in the companionship of a fellow Christian a physical sign of the gracious presence of the triune God. Visitor and visited in loneliness recognize in each other the Christ who is present in the body; they receive and meet each other as one meets the Lord, in reverence, humility, and joy.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Life Together”)
Making a phone call, writing a letter, stopping and praying with someone, sharing a Scripture with them…these are all small activities that make a big difference in someone’s life.
Sometimes it’s inviting people over for dinner. Sometimes it’s going out to eat with them. Sometimes it’s spending time with them in other ways. Sometimes it’s small things. But we encourage each other to remain faithful to Christ.
As Christians, we understand that it is not what is within us that gives us salvation, peace, and comfort. It is from outside of us that these helps come. And we are reminded of all this through the encouragement of other believers.
Sometimes when we are in the middle of life’s troubles, we need people to step in and speak God’s Word to us, pray for us, remind us of the promises of God, and to encourage us to faithfulness.
Life is hard. And we need the encouragement of other believers. We will lose those we love. We will face physical troubles and trials. And we may face hardships because of other people in our lives.
And we will need other believers to hold us up, to encourage us.
But also, you need to be encouraging others.
Over 50 times in the New Testament, we are commanded to exhibit love to one another in some way. In fact, Paul would write in the Book of Galatians, which was a letter written to these churches,
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 ESV)
As Christians, we are commanded to go to those in need who are among us. We go to them, love them, care for them, and encourage them. And our encouragement should be an encouragement that moves them to remain faithful to Christ amid the hardships in their life.
And it is an encouragement to be faithful witnesses for Christ out in the world.
We desire for you to leave here and be faithful to Christ out in the world. Your measure of faithfulness is not how often you are here. You are commanded to be here and not forsake the fellowship of believers. But your measure of faithfulness is not how many hours you spend here. But you come here to be filled up for the ministry you do out in the world.
When you come to church, it is to be filled so that you can go and pour out your life for others in ministry out there.
Godly Leadership Is Needed For The Task
Notice the other thing that Paul and Barnabas did in all these cities. They appointed “elders” in every church. And this was a very important part of what they were doing.
I think I should note, in passing, that the number of elders does matter. There wasn’t one person for the task, there were multiple in every church.
The important thing for us today is that Paul and Barnabas ensured that the leadership was in place so that the work of the Church, of Christ among these people would continue. And they did this in prayer and fasting because of how big a decision it was.
I have already stated that my role here is to prepare for ministry out there. But that highlights how important it is to have the right kind of person as your pastor.
If the local church is to fill you up and prepare you for ministry out in the world, then someone that is going to be able to do that in the power of the Holy Spirit is necessary for the task.
We can get so caught up in making sure everything is a certain way at church that we miss what is really happening here.
We come together and fellowship with one another. We encourage one another in the Lord. We pray together, corporately as a church. We sing together to the Lord and to one another.
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19-21 ESV)
We come together and hear God’s Word declared to us and applied to our lives.
We see baptisms together and are reminded of God’s grace and mercy shown to us and the work He is doing in the world.
We participate in the Lord’s Supper together and are reminded of God’s grace toward us, His broken body and poured out blood for our salvation. We are together reminded that we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
In other words, we are fed.
If we are going to keep up our strength, then we need to be fed.
Illustration and Closing
I was working out at the gym and trying to lose weight. And nothing was really working. I was getting frustrated. I was working hard in the gym and results were slow. And I wasn’t losing weight.
I started researching what body builders do and then the recommendations of some fitness trainers that pay attention to what body builders do. They eat a lot of protein. A LOT of protein.
When I first tried to eat that much protein, I was amazed at how little I’d been eating. My goal is .7 or more grams of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight. So, I try to eat around 170 grams of protein a day. Why? Because I go to the gym, and I work hard enough that my muscles think they need to be stronger, or I’ll die. So muscles work to get bigger. And I need to have the materials in my body for them to make their self-bigger. That comes from protein. As my body rests, it works on itself, and muscles get bigger and stronger. It’s quite a simple process.
As Christians, you are supposed to leave this church and go forth as God’s priests to the world. You are to go forth and give your life to the ministry outside the walls of this church. You are called upon to go forth in the world and take ground for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. You are called upon to give your life to your families love and care and raise them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. And God has given to us a method of strengthening and encouragement for your recuperation and growth in the faith. Your spiritual muscles are supposed to rest and grow here.
You come to church to rest in the salvation that Christ has given you and be recharged for the days ahead.
R. Dwain Minor