In Acts 13 we find a blue print for world missions in the church at Antioch–one of the most dynamic churches of the first century. I believe the church at Antioch could be called the “cradle of New Testament Missions.”
In Acts 13:1 the Bible says, “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers…” The word “church” as it is used here means “a called out assembly” or those “summoned for a definite purpose.” These were the saved, baptized believers of the church at Antioch. The prophets and teachers taught and preached the Word of God to new believers who were growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly, these believers received their missionary zeal from the teaching and preaching they heard in that place.
One of the key leaders in this church was Barnabas. He was an encouraging and equipping pastor. We need more Barnabas-like pastors today who will equip people for the work of the ministry, including worldwide missions. Barnabas was obviously a spiritual leader with a passion for souls and a passion to develop others.
The church at Antioch was not only a church with a great spiritual testimony and godly leaders, but it was also a church with a hungering to know the will of God. This is evidenced in Acts 13:2, where the Bible says they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. Fasting is the denial of self in order to bring prayer to its fullest development. From this principle we see that a sending church must be willing to sacrifice in order to know God and to fulfill His great commission.
It was to this church that the Holy Ghost said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Sometimes I wonder if the average church today would hear the Holy Spirit when He is calling forth laborers into the harvest field. I believe many churches have lost their sensitivity to the leading of the Lord in this area.
It has been a great joy to see godly men sent forth from Lancaster Baptist Church, who are pastoring as near as Los Angeles and as far away as St. Petersburg, Russia. These were vital, soul winning, tithing men of God who were members of our local body, yet God called them to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord that they were willing to hear the Holy Spirit’s call and that our church was privileged to send them forth.
Perhaps one of the most critical verses to comprehend regarding the concept of sending forth laborers is found in Acts 13:3, where the Bible says, “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” Who are “they” in verse three? Obviously, this is referring to the believers in Antioch. It was this local body who sent away Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey.
In this passage we simply see a church sending two men to go forward with the Gospel. This was a sacred and spiritual action and it should be the pattern for all world evangelism today.
Having been sent forth by the local church, the Bible says they “departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus” (verse 4). From this, we understand that the first missionary journey to Seleucia was about a sixteen-mile trip. As Paul traveled on to Salamis, he was joined there by a young man named John Mark. Traveling to the isle of Paphos, the Bible says the first missionaries encountered a sorcerer–a false prophet–whose name was Barjesus.
Immediately, in reading the biblical text, we see and sense the need for prayerful and financial support. These men would need help and encouragement from the local church as they fought the spiritual warfare that world missions requires.
I recall coming to Lancaster in 1986. Our family had no salary and the church had only a few families. Within the first two weeks of moving to this southern California town, the church was broken into and the few possessions we had were stolen. In addition, a lady came into our home while I was out soul winning and had an epileptic seizure while screaming at my wife during our second day in this city.
Day after day we met spiritual resistance in establishing this new work. However, thanks to the prayers and financial support of a few dozen churches, we were sustained and a church was planted to the glory of God.
What a great blessing it is to read in verse twelve, “Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.” Here we see a deputy of Caesar now accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour. All of this is because a church was willing to send forth the first two missionaries in obedience to the Word of God.
Acts 14:26-28 teaches that Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch. We read, “And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples.”
Now we see the cycle of local church missions. We have seen a church obey the Holy Spirit and missionaries yield to the Holy Spirit and go to the regions beyond. After a period of four or five years, the missionaries returned to the sending church and rehearsed with them all that God had done through their efforts.
One cannot read Acts 13 and 14 without sensing the dynamic relationship between the missionaries and the local church. It was one that was spiritual, sacrificial, and highly accountable.
In recent days I have seen some men claim to be “local church” missionaries who were not accountable to local congregations or their local pastors. It was as if this “less cumbersome” way of going to the mission field had granted them, in their own minds, a liberty not to give a report or not be as accountable as others. This lack of accountability is neither scriptural nor healthy. God’s model requires the local church and a missionary to work in close cooperation for world missions.
Perhaps some mission agencies have been overly involved in demanding accountability. Yet there are others that assist the local church pastors in their support of dozens of missionaries. These organizations provide standardized financial policies and moral guidelines, as well as systems of reporting and accountability to local churches that support the biblical model. I have always appreciated BIMI’s biblical belief in this matter. The directors at BIMI know they are simply servants to God’s local churches.
It is my opinion that the local pastor should have policies and standards for missionaries, but it may be that a local pastor will find confidence in cooperating with a mission board with similar policies and standards. This relationship can be profitable for the encouragement of missionaries and for the integrity of the mission process.
However this relationship develops, let no one mistake the fact that it is the local church that is spiritually, morally, and financially accountable for the sending of the missionary. As we do not believe Christian parents should delegate their responsibilities for child-rearing to the Christian school or youth group, even so, the local church pastor should not feel that the missions agency is solely responsible for the spiritual oversight of the missionary. This is simply not biblical. God always blesses His plan, and we must make sure we carry out His commands in accordance with His instructions.
