Church Planting & the Meaning of Missions
To the ends of the earth - Acts 14:20b-28 (ESV) - Pastor Tim Kroeker
MATTHEW 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”
The game of football consists of four 15-minute quarters. The winning team isn’t determined by who makes the most big plays or by who dominates in just one phase of the game. The winner is determined by which team has the most points when the final whistle blows.
It’s quite plain to see when a football game has been completed. The coach gives a post-game press conference and can objectively assess his team’s performance. But what about a missionary team?
Sent off by the church at Antioch, Paul and Barnabas, along with John Mark, took the gospel to the ends of the earth, sailing first to Cyprus, then traveling throughout the region of Southern Galatia. When would Paul and Barnabas’ missionary work be considered complete? And what would success look like?
Acts 14 concludes with Paul and Barnabas finally returning home to Antioch, where they reported on the work that they had completed. What we see is that after evangelizing throughout all the towns and villages, the work was not complete. After making many disciples, the work was not complete. The work was finally complete when they had left behind viable local churches.
A local church sent out Paul and Barnabas, who went and established local churches where previously none existed. They then came back and reported these things to the church that had sent them out. The circle was complete. Healthy churches make more churches. The local church is the vehicle that God uses to accomplish His mission. And the local church is the vehicle that God uses for our own growth as disciples. Success in missions means planting churches.
