The Importance Of Missionary Work Series

To the Ends of the Earth, Part 18

The Importance of Missionary Work

Acts 12:19 – 13:12

Dismiss children for nursery (under 4) and children’s church (ages 4-7)

Introduction

- Welcome to Seasons Church & 2024 sermon series, “To the Ends of the Earth”

-- In 2023 we unpacked the beginning of all history (Creation/Fall/Promise)

-- And we looked ahead, anticipated the coming & victory of Jesus (Revelation)

-- But, in order to get to the end, we have to be busy doing the work now (Acts)

- Last week we examined a theme of much importance: being faithful

-- What we saw in the first church was a desire to be faithful – a drive to follow

-- However, we also saw them have their prayers answered and them not believe it

- CH: What if, today, we got serious about God and obeyed what He said to do?

-- How could our lives be affected and changed for the Kingdom if we did?

-- EX: What if we believed God would do what He said He would do, fully?

- Today, I’d like to look at the calling of the first missionaries, but prep it with:

-- FB Post: MYTH: It takes special training to be a missionary and share Jesus

-- FACT: We need NO special training to share Jesus, we just need courage to tell what we know! If we would – I wonder how could God use that for His glory?

-- If we’ll lean into this truth today, I think we’ll be encouraged this week

- Read Acts 12:19 – 13:12 / Pray

Point 1 – The death of a King reveals God’s authority (Time: ~42 AD)

- We talked last week about King Herod and his persecution of the Church

-- It was a renewed persecution (nothing new), his choice to silence the Church

-- Having James martyred, imprisoning Peter, was a plot to shut down the Gospel

-- And, when Peter escaped, Herod swore out a search party to find him (v19)

-- He even sentenced the guards who were supposed to be watching him to death!

- However, as the old saying goes, “nothing lasts forever…”

-- God, in His sovereignty, will not allow the Church to be mistreated forever

-- It might last for a season, yes, but it will not just go on with no ending

-- Diving into our passage, we begin with the death of King Herod Agrippa

-- But, more than just his death, we see God’s hand of authority here

-- Even as he tries to make peace with neighboring cities, God has had enough

- To be clear, Herod had a list of sins that brought God’s judgment:

• He was guilty of opposing God; violently persecuting the church

• He was a murderer, ordering the deaths of the faithful (and innocent)

• His love and focus was on the world, and the power he could get

• He was a hypocrite, a master deceiver, a liar in every sense

• He lacked compassion for the people and was hostile and unwise

• All of this surrounds one thing: pride, self-glory, self-exaltation

- FACT: The death of Herod was the sovereign authority of God

-- God even struck him down with a sickness that ate him from inside out (v23)

-- Greek: skólékobrótos; eaten by worms

-- Literally: He was being eaten from the insides, tape worms, etc.

- KEY: Don’t miss what happened even in the face of persecution, and his death

-- Greek: euxanen kai eplethuneto; grow and multiply

-- The church continues to expand, to grow, to flourish – to share Jesus! (v24)

-- Even more: we see how discipleship prospered with these men! (read v25)

- Enter John Mark, a young follower who had joined them on their mission

-- Imagine: You’re a young Christian & your disciples are Saul, Barnabas, & Peter

-- So much is poured into this young man, that he even wrote one of the Gospels!

- We know a few things about John Mark from history, and those are:

• He had a godly mother - Acts 12:12, “When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.”

• Her home was probably the very center of many church activities

• John Mark was related to Barnabas - Colossians 4:10 (Paul writing), “Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.”

• We know that as a young man something happened that weakened his faith

• And he abandoned Saul and Barnabas (see next week) to return to Jerusalem

• However, he does turn / come back to serve with faithfulness later