Acts 13:1-5, 13-15, 26-41 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
“Missionary Journeys”
Summer Series: Joy for Our Journeys 9 Sunday, September 1, 2019
This morning I would like you to imagine that you are looking for a job when you run across this posting: “Help wanted. This job entails hard work and low pay. You will probably need a second job to take care of all your needs. The work may result in flogging, lashing, and other beatings including stonings. Shipwrecks are possible, and danger is a given. Sleeplessness, hunger, and thirst are all likely.” You probably don’t circle that listing for future reference. You probably wonder who would possibly ever consider a job like that. And while that wasn’t a real job posting, it is based on a real life experience. It is based on the way that the Apostle Paul describes his life of service in a letter to fellow Christians, a letter we know as 2 Corinthians (11:23-27). You might recall that Paul was not searching for a job when he found the career that would define his life. Paul, known more by Saul at that point, was content to do a work that he was very much committed to, the work of persecuting Christians. As a devout Jew, Paul believed that Christians had abandoned the true religion, were causing others to fall away, and needed to be stopped. Paul travelled from town to town rounding up and arresting as many Christians as he could. He was eager to have them stopped. Instead, God stopped Paul. Jesus appeared to Paul in a blinding light on one of his persecution journeys. He explained to Paul that he had died for his sins and was raised to life again. He led Paul to believe and trust in him as his Savior, and he called Paul to work for him. Paul’s job would be to lead other people to Jesus. Our Second Lesson this morning is from the start of Paul’s first missionary journey. As it details, Paul was serving the Christian congregation in Antioch as a prophet and teacher. He was sharing God’s Word with the people there. And God gave him an expanded assignment. Along with an associate, Barnabas, and an assistant, John, Paul was to take a journey. The Holy Spirit communicated to the church, we’re not told all the details of exactly how he went about this, but he communicated that these men should be set apart and commissioned for this work. There was fasting and prayer associated with this event. The leaders laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas to offer a blessing, and the men set out to new places to share God’s Word. They went to Seleucia, sailed to Cyprus, arrived at Salamis, and proclaimed the Word of God. They went on to Paphos and Perga and Pamphylia. John left to head back home, and Paul and Barnabas continued on to another city called Antioch. You notice that our Second Lesson included selected verses from Acts 13, so there are some details that have been left out, but this was the missionary journey. Paul and those with him went from place to place to share with people what God’s Word said. Again, some was left out of the portion we read today, but the chapter in Acts goes on to describe what Paul said in the Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath Day in Antioch. Realize also that what is included here is just a small part of the very first missionary journey of Paul, which took him to more towns and synagogues. He went on two other missionary journeys and finally a journey to Rome before his career as a Christian missionary came to an end. And you already heard in the job listing introduction to this sermon about many of the difficulties that Paul faced. He didn’t accept money from the churches and people that he taught, so he worked to make income on the side of his missionary work. He was driven out of many towns, beaten, and even almost killed. But he kept going, and he kept working. He kept doing what he started as recorded in the account in front of us today. He kept journeying, and he kept pursuing his mission. He kept preaching God’s Word. Yes, Paul’s missionary journeys really centered on the message that he had to proclaim. And he proclaimed that message. To the Jews who had familiarity with the Old Testament, he referenced the Bible passages with which they were familiar and explained how they described Jesus. He spoke of men like David who prophesied about the Messiah. But most of all, Paul spoke about Jesus as the Messiah, as the one who kept God’s promises and came to be the Savior of the world. Recorded in the verses before us this morning is part of one of the sermons that Paul preached. It gives an idea about some of the things he may have repeated in other synagogues and in other towns. One thing is for certain, however, that Paul always preached about Jesus. We might summarize the point that Paul makes by
quoting just this section: “through this Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, also forgiveness from everything from which you could not be justified through the law of Moses. In this Jesus, everyone who believes is justified.” So many Jews, like Paul himself before Jesus appeared to him, had come to believe that the things that they do could earn God’s love and favor. They could follow God’s law closely enough that God would reward them. They believed that they could be right with God without anyone else’s help. But they were very wrong. They were ignoring the fact that God expects perfection. The only way to earn heaven is to follow all of God’s laws and rules perfectly all of the time. They had not done that. No one has. So they needed someone else. They needed Jesus. And Jesus accomplished what they needed. He lived the perfect life that God demanded. He gave his life as a sacrifice for sin. He died on the cross and rose from the dead. And Paul points out that this coming to life again was exactly what God promised of the Messiah. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the proof, absolute proof, that he is the Savior of the world. His sacrifice is the message that changes life and gives people heaven. That’s the message that Paul proclaimed on his first and every other missionary journey and in every place he had opportunity to preach it. And his mission is our mission, too. Our experience may not be as drastic as the Apostle Paul’s, and our calling was not done in the same direct way, but God has called us from our natural unbelief and sin and into faith in Jesus. We have come to know and believe that while we had nothing to offer to God, while we have earned God’s just anger and punishment, Jesus died for us and lives again. He gives us the gift of eternal life with him. And God invites all believers to share the good news with others. We have the same mission. We have the same message, too. God brought us to faith through the power of his Word. Our faith trusts the message that he gives, that Jesus Christ is the long-promised Savior of the world. And our faith is strengthened and nourished by that Word as we read it and hear it. Our faith is fed as that Word is connected to visible elements in the sacraments as well. And if we are to share the message, it is going to be a wonderful blessing to know that message better and better. We have the same mission, we have the same message, but our journeys may still be very different. Paul spent years on missionary journeys. He devoted his life after his conversion to sharing the message and doing that work. Don’t forget that he faced much opposition and that he did other work to support himself as well. He was directly called by God himself and set apart for his missionary journeys. Our journey may take us only as far as our next-door neighbor who needs to hear from us an invitation to attend church with us. It may take us to a co-worker who doesn’t know yet what makes Jesus so special. It might take us to a family member or a friend who wonders how we can stay positive even when faced with challenging circumstances. Our journey could even take us to knock on a stranger’s door in the hopes that they will let us tell them about our Savior. Out of the congregation there at Antioch, only Paul and Barnabas were commissioned to go on the journey. But the whole congregation prayed and supported them. That’s part of our missionary journey, too. We pray that God would bless people who go places we can’t and who share God’s Word with others there. We support mission work with portions of the offerings that we place into the plates or give online. We support people who do as Paul did and travel great distances in order to bring the message of God’s love and forgiveness to many who need to hear it. And when someone offers us the opportunity, we share with them the good news of what God has done for us—giving us eternal life through Jesus. Remember the help wanted ad with which we began our sermon? What would lead someone to even consider that sort of work and all that it entails? What would lead them to give money or time or effort? What would lead them to step outside a comfort zone and actually tell someone about the Savior? The answer to all those questions is the same. It is God’s love. It is the life that we have because Jesus died for us and lives again. It is the confidence that God will bless others through us. Paul had it. You have it. May God bless our missionary journeys wherever they take us.
The Text: Acts 13:1-5, 13-15, 26-41 (EHV) Now in the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas; Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch; and Saul. 2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off. 4 So
they were sent out by the Holy Spirit and went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. 13 Paul
and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14 But they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Gentlemen, brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 26 “Gentlemen, brothers,
sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, this message of salvation has been sent to you. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the statements of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These same individuals are now his witnesses to the people. 32 “We
are preaching to you the good news about the promise that was made to our fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this promise for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my Son. Today I have begotten you.’ 34 “That God would
raise him from the dead never again to be subject to decay, God said in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ 35 Therefore he also says in another place: ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’ 36 “For
David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was laid to rest with his fathers, and saw decay. 37 But the One God raised did not see decay. 38 “So,
gentlemen, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, also forgiveness from everything from which you could not be justified through the law of Moses. 39 In this Jesus, everyone who believes is justified. 40 So watch out that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you: ‘41 Look, you scoffers, be amazed and perish! For I am going to do something in your days, something you would never believe, even if someone were to explain it to you.’”