Revolution Church opened The Amazing Race series on Sunday, January 6, 2019. Watch the full service replay and check out the message notes!
“Everybody Has a Role, Everybody Needs a Teammate”
The Amazing Race, Week 1
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Scripture: Acts 13:1-51 (NLT)
2 One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3 So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. 5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
There were three primary players on this first team on a missionary journey.
1. Who was Saul (The Apostle Paul)?
2. Who was Barnabas?
3. Who was John Mark?
4. Where is Cyprus and why would they choose to go there first?
All three were commissioned for the missionary journey by the laying on of hands and prayer.
In modern time, we have made this an official process called ordination. What is ordination? Should we commission people as missionaries and servants in modern time?
The team meets its first opposition almost immediately.
9 Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him.
12 When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.
When Saul was converted as a follower of Jesus, the story is about him being stricken with blindness, and now the opposition is cursed with the same.
At this point, John Mark returns to Jerusalem but the team of Paul and Barnabas take on the first major steps of the missionary journey and proceed to Antioch.
14 On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services. 15 After the usual readings from the books of Moses[d] and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.” 16 So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing Gentiles, listen to me.
Paul and Barnabas were followed by traveling Jews who heard their message – however the missionary journey was not for the Jews, but for the Gentiles.
What is a Gentile? Why should that matter to me?
Have you been:
– Far from God
– Rejected by family
– Not part of the crowd or the social circle
– Misunderstood
– Unwanted
– Struggling to find your place
– Feeling like you don’t belong
The missionary journey is for the Gentiles because essentially all of us are them!
We have been adopted into God’s family through the Gospel of Jesus Christ though we were not part of the original family of God by heritage.
When the Jews following Paul and Barnabas saw they were reaching “Gentiles” they began to oppose them.
44 The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. 45 But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. 47 For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.
- Everyone has a role.
- Everyone needs a teammate.
- Everyone has to work together to fulfill a purpose and succeed.
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. 49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout that region.
50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. 52 And the believers[n] were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Who is going to heaven because of your decision to run the race?
#RevRace #WhosOnYourTeam
