Sermon Notes
Church Definition: A movement of people on mission for God with a message of salvation.
Key Thought – The moment you clarify a missional goal is the moment you have opened yourself up to resistance, obstacle, and tension.
1. Sometimes the church’s mission (and leaders) can be easily misunderstood (so we must keep explaining) – Acts 14:8-18
2. Sometimes there are other forces at work that slow down our mission (so we keep returning) – Acts 14:19-22
3. And sometimes the broader cultural tone toward us is one of hostility (so we strengthen and encourage) – Acts 14:23-28
What hardships are you willing to go through to see the kingdom of God expanded?
D.R.I.V.E. – Debt Reduction Increases Vision Expansion
Discussion Questions
MAIN TEXT
Acts 14:8-28
TALK IT OUT
- A key thought from this week’s message is that the moment you clarify a missional goal is the moment you have opened yourself up to resistance, obstacles and tension. Think of a time in your own life when you set a goal that you voiced publicly. What resistance, obstacles and/or tension did you face when you did that? What resistance, obstacles and/or tension do you think we might face regarding our D.R.I.V.E. campaign?
- Read Acts 14:8-18. In what ways were Paul and Barnabas misunderstood in this setting? In what ways is the church misunderstood today?
- Read Acts 14:19-28. At one point, the people in Lystra became hostile towards Paul and Barnabas and the mission appeared to be threatened. How did Paul and Barnabas respond? What lessons can we learn from them as we carry out our mission today?
- Read Romans 8:31,35-39. What are some of the forces and factors that threaten the mission of the church today? How do they compare with our position in Christ?
- Read John 15:13 and 2 Corinthians 11:24-27. Most of us will never literally lay down our life for someone as Jesus did for us or ever face the hardships Paul experienced for the sake of sharing the Gospel. What more common hardships, sacrifices or inconveniences will we likely face today in order to see the Gospel message spread?
LIVE IT OUT
- How willing are you to be inconvenienced in order to see other people come to know Jesus? How evident is that in how you spend your time and money? As you reflect on this, ask God if you need to make any changes in these areas this year.
- Continue to pray for our D.R.I.V.E. campaign this week as we begin to follow through on the commitments God has led us to make.