Are you aware of these three marks of believers?

"Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.” Acts 13:26

In these few words, Paul refers to three identifying marks of true believers:

Believers are “sons of the family of Abraham.” Paul is crystal clear in Romans 9:6-7, “they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham.” His point is that the biological descendants of Abraham are not all the spiritual children of Abraham. Think how many Jewish people, including kings, were despicable non-believers. Yet all who trust in Jesus are the children of faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful. Those who are of the “seed of Abraham” are are those who are of Christ, not merely the biological descendants of Israel as Paul makes clear in Galatians 3:16.

Believers “fear God.” Believers fear God because He is our Creator. Believers fear God because He is the righteous Judge who will condemn the wicked. And when believers trust in Christ for salvation, we enter a new dimension of the fear of God: loving, reverent obedience to the God who saved us with His own blood.

Believers receive the Word of God. Once born again, believers are given the ability to understand the written and preached Word of God through which we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the incarnate word of God.

Each of these three marks are gifts of God’s grace. If you have these marks, thank God for giving them to you.

Greatness and humility

As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' Acts 13:25

Some people thought John the Baptist was the Messiah. John clearly rejected that idea, not wanting to receive any glory that belonged to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. John made it clear that though he was used mightily by God, he was not worthy to untie the real Messiah’s sandal straps!

Of course we know that the real Messiah of whom John spoke is Jesus.

Jesus said John was the greatest of the prophets (Luke 7:28). What made him the greatest prophet? (1) John not only prophesied about the Messiah, but was himself also prophesied about (in Malachi and Isaiah). (2) The other Old Testament prophets spoke of the Messiah, but did not know who He was. John not only spoke about Jesus, but knew and introduced Him!

Though Jesus spoke so highly of John, John rightly subjugated himself to Jesus. No matter how the Lord may use us for His glory, no matter how people may profusely thank God for us, let us be sure to give all glory to Him, claiming none for ourselves.

Christian baptism is a testimony to the fact that God saves us

Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.
Acts 13:24

Baptism was not unknown in the days of Jesus and the New Testament Church.

In the Old Testament, the priests underwent ceremonial washing when ministering in the tabernacle. These were not baptism per se, but had certain similarities.

John the Baptist, on the other hand, baptized people. John’s baptism was also different from Christian baptism. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, administered to those who responded to John’s preaching on repentance.

Christian baptism brought these older pre-figurements of baptism to a new and much deeper level. Instead of a mere ceremonial washing, or a commitment to repent (turning from sin to follow God by following the law), Christian baptism is “an outward physical symbol of an inward spiritual reality.”

The inward spiritual reality is that a person has been “immersed into,” and is now “identified with” Christ. Water baptism is the outward symbol of the spiritual baptism “into Christ” that happens when a person is born again. As the Old Testament priestly washing and John’s baptism of repentance were symbols of what the person intended to do, Christian baptism is a symbol of what God in Christ has already done for us—namely, He saved us. And in saving us we are “immersed into,” and now “identified with” Christ.

This is why we practice believers’ baptism, by baptizing only those who have professed saving faith in Jesus. This baptism is therefore a testimony to the fact that God saves us.

If God has saved you, have you been baptized in water as a symbol of what He has done for and in you? If not, let’s get together to talk about, and make plans for your baptism.

There is no other Deliverer!

From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior--Jesus--
Acts 13:23

Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God promised a Deliverer (Genesis 3:15). This Deliverer was to be “the seed of the woman.” Technically the woman has no seed apart from union with a man. This promise of a Deliverer was the foundation of mankind’s hope of being delivered from sin, and that the Deliverer would have a human mother, but no human father. Jesus is the Deliverer and His virgin birth (the only virgin born person ever) identified Him as the Deliverer.

Later, we read that the Deliverer would be from the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12, 15, & Galatians 3:16).

Later still, God promised that the Deliverer, whose “kingdom would have no end” would be of the Seed of David (2 Samuel 7, & Romans 1:3). Paul made it clear (Acts 13:23) that Jesus is the fulfillment of these promises and is in fact the Deliverer.

Be encouraged. (1) God promised a Deliverer, and God kept His promise. (2) God identified the Deliverer in advance so we would know who His is. (3) Jesus is our God-given Deliverer.

Trust in Him, and in Him alone, for there is no other Deliverer!

Are you a person "after God's own heart"?

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ Acts 13:22

What does it mean to be a person after God’s own heart? The person after God’s own heart does God’s will. Perfectly. All the time. We do well to understand three realities about that statement.

First, there is only one Person who fits that description perfectly. Jesus. Jesus never did anything contrary to His Father’s perfect will, nor did He ever fail to accomplish a single detail of the Father’s will. Jesus never sinned. Then what about David? He sinned, sometimes greatly.

Second, David, though a sinner, was a man who, in spite of his sin, loved God. His love for God did not exempt him from sin, but when he sinned, he was repentant. Read Psalm 51 for a snapshot of David’s repentant heart.

Third, repentance alone does not render us sinless in God’s eyes. That happens only when we are “in Christ.” Being in Christ means acknowledging one’s sin, that Jesus is the only remedy for our sin, trusting in Him for forgiveness—and then repenting. When we are in Christ, the Father sees us as being people after His heart—sinless “in Christ Jesus,” living lives that, while not sinless, are lives of ongoing confession and repentance for our sins.

Our repentance doesn’t save us. Jesus does. And those who trust Him, like David, have repentant hearts.

Wanting to be like the world

And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. Acts 13:21

Musings from Paul’s sermon in Acts 13…

God saved His people, Israel. He saved them for Himself. He was their Savior and He was their King.

But God’s people wanted to be ruled by a human king like the kinds that ruled the pagan nations around them. God warned them in Deuteronomy 17:14 that they would do this, and in 1 Samuel 8:19-20 they did precisely what God said they would do.

As R.C. Sproul used to say, every time we sin, in that moment we love our sin more than we love God’s Son. Stated a different way, every time we sin, we want to be ruled by someone or something other than by God! Oh Lord, expand and deepen our love for Jesus!

The Church does the same thing. As the Roman Catholic church dresses her popes in costly vestments and seats them on golden thrones, they do so that they may be led by worldly kings. But is the so-called evangelical Church today any less guilty of the same thing? Have not many “reimagined” church, worship, and the faith itself to be cheap imitations of the world to be attractive and liked by the world? Oh Lord, expand and deepen our love for Jesus!

Thanking God for those who bid us to return home

"After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
Acts 13:20

Observations from Paul’s sermon in Acts 13…

The book of judges covers a period of from 350 to 450 years (depending on when one counts the beginning and end of the period). During that time, Israel’s history was a history of disobedience, punctuated graciously by leaders who led the people into temporary periods of repentance, followed by recurring times of backsliding. This long period of national history is not unlike the history of both God’s people individually and the Church collectively.

But likewise, God has been gracious to raise up leaders, whose voices bring us back home. The history of the Church can be studied as a history of revivals as God shepherds His erring Bride (the Church) back to Him after her many wanderings. And likewise, haven’t many of us experienced the same in our individual lives?

Let us beware of our propensity to turn away. As Robert Robinson’s timeless 1758 hymn, “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing,” aptly state it:

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

And let us thank the Lord for those He sends as gifts to us who bid us to come home.

Oh, how patient is our Lord!

Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.
Acts 13:18

More observations from Paul’s sermon in Acts 13…

After God rescued Israel from bondage in Egypt, we might think Israel, overwhelmed with humble gratitude, would have obeyed God in all things. But the Old Testament record reveals a strikingly different story. Israel discontentedly grumbled about virtually everything after being delivered. As you may remember, on numerous occasions they even lamented ever leaving Egypt, and pined to return there.

Likewise, we might think that the redeemed of the Lord—born again by the Holy Spirit, and set free from both the penalty and power of sin—would gratefully and humbly obey God in all things. But sadly, Jesus’ words in Luke 6:46 are frequently true of us:

“But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?”

This reminds us that we must first be more intentional about thinking of God’s grace as we endeavor to obey our Lord. And secondly, let us be mindful of how patiently God “puts up with our ways.”

A Footnote: When we reach Heaven, there will be no more sin. Then and there, at last, the Lord will not need to be patient with us!

He saved us, we did not save ourselves...

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Acts 13:17

More from Paul’s sermon in Acts 13…

Not only did God choose Israel, He delivered them from their bondage in Egypt. Note that God didn’t choose them to deliver themselves. He delivered them.

They were enslaved, having no ability to deliver themselves. So God worked mightily to deliver them miraculously by His almighty “uplifted arm.” The salvation of Israel from Egypt is the most dramatic Old Testament prophetic types of Christ saving His people:

• Egypt and Pharaoh are types of the world and the devil. Moses is a type of Christ.

• God, through Moses, delivered Israel from bondage to Egypt. Jesus delivered His people from bondage to sin.

• Israel did nothing to aid in their deliverance—if anything they resisted Moses. But God delivered them nonetheless. Is not the same true of Jesus’ triumph in rescuing us?

Let us meditate on how He saved us, remembering that we have not, nor are we saving ourselves.

Footnote: A prominent ordained Baptist minister who recently became a US senator tweeted on Easter Sunday, “The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than [goes beyond] the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” He went on to say, “Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves.”

I am the judge of no individual person. But by the authority of the Word of God, anyone who teaches or believes that, is not a Christian!

Sovereign grace and humble worship

Paul’s evangelistic sermon recorded in Acts 13:14-41 contains not only the gospel and a brief history of Israel. It has some great nuggets of truth.

The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. Acts 13:17

Some people are unnerved by the Bible speaking about God “choosing” who He will save. The reason for this discomfort has nothing to do with the Bible. The Bible clearly teaches election. To deny it, one has to either ignore the scriptures or engage in some fancy interpretive gymnastics to explain it away.

The number one objection is that it is not fair. This objection is based on our fallen human notions of fairness, instead of on the Bible.

Ironically, those who deny the biblical doctrine of election usually have no problem with the fact that God chose Israel in the Old Testament. Why wasn’t that unfair? Why didn’t God choose the Egyptians or the Canaanites? God is clear in Deuteronomy 7:6-8 that He did not choose Israel because they were any more worthy.

Let’s let God speak for Himself on this matter of who He chooses. Read Romans 9:15-16:

For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

We need only to understand that God does as He pleases, and He is only pleased to do good—and because He has been pleased to save us, we must worship Him in gratitude and humility, since it is all of His grace.

The Lord will be Praised.

And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Luke 19:39-40

The people were making such a ruckus that Jesus’ enemies were afraid pandemonium was inevitable.  Some of them told Jesus to rebuke the crowd and tell them to be quiet.  Jesus’ response in verse 40 is classic.  “I tell you that if these people should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Why?  Because Jesus will be praised. 

Philippians 2:7-11  [Jesus] emptied Himself of His glory, taking the form of a servant.  He came in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Jesus will be praised.  Everyone will confess that He is Lord, either willingly now and forever more, or, on the day He judges all people. 

Those do not acknowledge and praise Him have less sense than rocks!

Those who do acknowledge and praise Him must also understand that we praise Him because by His grace He has begotten us again.  We know what we know of Him and we praise Him by His grace.

Jesus will be praised.

The praise of men cannot be trusted

Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: " 'BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Luke 19:37-38

The crowds cheered for Jesus, offering Him great honor.  And rightly so.  Though they certainly did not understand the depth of the situation, they were not merely giving honor to a man.  It was not mere adulation they gave that first Palm Sunday. It was nothing less than adoration.

This reminds us that we must beware of the praise of men. Why?  Because in just 5 short days, the crowds were turned bitterly against Him.  Some of the same people who sang His praises on Palm Sunday demanded His execution on Good Friday.  Even His closest disciples abandoned Him on Friday. 

In Luke 6:26 Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets!”

Human fickleness is proof enough that it is foolish to think more of the praise of men than the praise of God.  Nothing is more fleeting than popularity. But when the tide of popular opinion turned and the masses cried out for His execution on Friday—when Jesus was crucified, the Father’s approval was never greater.

Whose approval do you care for most?  The approval of men?  Or of God?
What do you approve of most?  The things that men cheer for?  Or the things God esteems? 

The Lord went public

Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: " 'BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Luke 19:37-38

Throughout Jesus’ ministry He regularly sought to withdraw from crowds.  When He healed people, usually He told them to tell no one.  When the crowds became too numerous, He spoke hard truths, routinely thinning the herd, so to speak.

Now, uncharacteristically, Jesus makes a grand entrance into the Holy City of Jerusalem, during the week of Passover when the population of the city swelled to 3 to 5 times its normal number, making His entrance widely publicized. Why the change in strategy?

Jesus was entering the most important week of His rescue mission.  He was going to die for the sins of His people and then rise again.  The events of this week are the most important in human history.  Jesus wanted it well documented.  What He was about to do was not to be hidden away in a dark corner, but done in the full light of day for the world to see.  Having thousands of eye witnesses to every detail, Christ removed the excuses of those who would reject Him by claiming that there wasn’t enough evidence.  Folks, the hard evidence that Jesus Christ was crucified and rose from the dead is overwhelming.  Hundreds, if not thousands witnessed His entry into Jerusalem. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:6 the Apostle Paul pointed out that Jesus had 500 eyewitnesses who saw and testified that He rose from the dead—and that after thousands knew of His death!  How much more public can you get?

Why did Jesus go public?  So that the only way a person could disbelieve is to flat-out deny the evidence.

What about you?  Do you believe the evidence?  Oh how I pray you believe the evidence—and it is that by grace of God that you do! The glory, even for our faith, is His!

The Lord owned nothing

So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" And they said, "The Lord has need of him."
Luke 19:32-34

When Jesus needed a boat, He borrowed a boat (Luke 5:3).  When He rode into Jerusalem it was on a borrowed beast (Luke 19:32-34). And when He was buried, He was buried in a borrowed tomb (Luke 23:50-53).

Jesus could have arrived in a golden chariot pulled by six white stallions.  He could have been attended by servants, singers, and soldiers.  But even if He had, these would be beneath the Lord of Glory.

Though Jesus possessed all glory (John 17:5), He condescended, making Himself of no reputation (literally emptying Himself, Philippians 2:5-8).  Why?  To rescue you and me from our sins.  Paul put it this way:

2 Corinthians 8:9  “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

This condescension is all a part of God’s master plan to bridge the gap that separates sinful men from the one true and holy God who made us.   We sometimes sing the song:

“Meekness and Majesty, Manhood and deity,  in perfect harmony, the Man who is God.
Lord of eternity, dwells in humanity,  kneels in humility and washes our feet.
Oh what a mystery: meekness and majesty! Bow down and worship, for this is your God.”

The Lord of glory who created everything that is, voluntarily, temporarily owned nothing at all so that you and I may become joint heirs of all things with Him (Romans 8:16-17).

The scriptures must be fulfilled

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "
Matthew 21:4-5

Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews riding on a donkey was prophesied in the Old Testament by the prophet Zechariah, nearly 500 years before Jesus was even born in Bethlehem.  Every detail of Jesus’ life was ordained by God that Jesus might save His people from our sins!

How wonderful that God knows and controls all things.  And this is true, not only in Jesus life, but in yours and mine as well!  What a comfort to know that nothing regarding our salvation is left to chance and that nothing or no one can thwart God’s plans!  No one can snatch any of Christ’s sheep from His sure and ever-loving  grasp (John 10:27-29).

Just as the details of Christ’s first coming were all ordained by God, so is every detail of His second coming.  As sure as He came once, He will come a second time!

Christ’s second coming is called both the blessed hope and the great and terrible day of the Lord.  For those who make up His holy Church, the Second Coming is most certainly a blessed hope (Titus 2:13).

For those who continue to reject Christ, His coming in judgment will be the great and terrible day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). 

If He were to return today, which would it be for you?

The Lord knows everything

…He sent two of His disciples ,saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' " So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. Luke 19:29-32

 How did Jesus know about the colt?  Jesus is God, and therefore He knows everything.  There is nothing hidden from His sight.  That He knows everything is either good news for saints or bad news for unrepentant sinners.

The bad news for unrepentant sinners is that He knows about every sin everyone of us commit.  There is no darkness black enough to provide cover for our sins.  We may fool others, or even ourselves, but we cannot fool God.  Galatians 6:7-8  “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, that will he also reap!”

The good news for saints is that He knows our every need, our every weakness, our every fear—and He loves us and carries us.  And while He sees every sin, He knows that every sin committed by those who trust in Christ is completely and forever forgiven!  He also knows the righteous acts we commit in the Spirit and He will reward us for those acts.  We do not do righteous acts to be seen by men, but to be seen by God who will reward us openly (Matthew 6:4, 6, & 18).  Do not despair when men fail to appreciate your goodness or acknowledge your godliness.  He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! (Hebrews 11:6)

Is the reality that the Lord knows everything good news or bad news for you?  Comfort or curse?

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD!

In Acts chapter 14, verses 14-41 we have a record of one of the Apostle Paul’s sermons on his first missionary journey recorded in Acts 13-14. In this sermon Paul recounted the history of Israel from their time in Egypt, during the years of Moses, and of King David, all pointing to Jesus the Messiah. The sermon is a great “Reader’s Digest” version of Israel’s history and well worth reading. In that sermon there are some great truths that on their own are worthy of note.

Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen…
Acts 13:16

As Paul called the people to listen he particularly mentioned, “you who fear God.” Why did he say that? Ideally, it was another way of referencing Jewish people, or as Paul put it, “Men of Israel.” But were all “men of Israel” God-fearing people? There is no “people group” who all fear God. There is probably no church of any size in which every person fears God. That is sad, but it is also true. So, in reality it is not a reference to all men of Israel.

I cannot say I know exactly why Paul specifically called those “who fear God” to gather and to listen to his presentation of the Gospel. But I can say that the only people who can understand the preaching of the gospel are those who fear God—or at least are in the process of coming to fear God. Without the fear of God the gospel doesn’t mean much, if anything at all. Without the fear of God the preaching of the gospel is dismissed as boring and irrelevant. Some who do not fear God even scoff at, or are even hostile to the gospel.

What does fearing God have to do with it? The heart that fears God dares not turn away. Those who fear God understand something of holiness of God, their own sinfulness, and are therefore ready to hear about Christ and the gospel of forgiveness. Those who fear God desire forgiveness in Christ and to walk in His ways.

“Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways.” Psalm 128:1

Should we expect miracles to be the norm?

But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:8-12

This is a dramatic account of a supernatural occurrence that took place when the missionaries were opposed. The record in Acts 13 speaks for itself with no explanation needed to understand what happened.

What are we to make of this today? Some insist that “If it happened in the Bible, it should happen today.” But that is not necessarily so, and here is why:

Do not base doctrine (or practice) on narratives. Everything recorded in the Bible is recorded accurately, but not everything recorded in the Bible is to be understood as right or normative.

For instance, the Bible accurately records that Judas betrayed Jesus. That does not make betraying Jesus right! Likewise, the Bible accurately records things that happened that we are under no obligation to repeat. To be considered normative (things the Church should always do), the activity must not merely be recorded as having happened, but also taught that we are to do it.

The Bible is filled with supernatural and one-time occurrences—not all of which are normative.

Footnote: We do not want to deny or seek to restrict the Holy Spirit, but neither should we expect or presume that He will act supernaturally in every, or even most cases! I sincerely doubt that Paul and Barnabas “expected” what happened in Paphos before it happened!

Notes on the first missionary methods

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
Acts 13:4-5

One of the Paul and Barnabas’ common missionary methods was to go first to Jewish synagogues when entering a town. They did this for three reasons:

First, Jesus “came to His own,” the Jews (John 1:11). So the first missionaries went first to Jewish people as well.

Second, since Christianity was understood primarily as a sect of Judaism, going to a Jewish synagogue was a great place to begin in a new city.

Third, the Jews in the synagogues would have been at least somewhat conversant in the Old Testament scriptures, giving the missionaries a place to begin presenting Jesus. After all, the entire Old Testament is about Jesus (John 5:39-40).

Sadly, while Jewish people were often the first converts in a new place, there was usually great opposition to Christ and the gospel. As a result, after going to the synagogues, the missionaries would then preach Christ to Gentiles.

While missionaries in our day do not follow this pattern of going first to Jewish synagogues, missionaries still must prayerfully follow the Holy Spirit’s lead in how they enter each new place they go.

What do we do as a missions "supporting" church?

Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 13:3-4

The Local Church’s Role in Supporting Those Missionaries They Support

There is a difference between being a sending church and being a supporting church.  Most missionaries receive financial support from a number of sources, both individuals and supporting churches.  In addition to providing financial support, supporting churches pray and write letters, keeping the relationship with the missionary in the field alive.

How we at GBC “support” the missionaries we support.

We provide monthly financial assistance, and most years we are able to send additional “bonus” financial support at the end of the year due to the generous giving of our church family.

Our missionaries send us greetings by mail and sometimes in short videos. We share and pray for them in most Thursday evening worship services as the mail and videos come in. (This is another reason to attend Thursday evening worship!)

Our Home Fellowships each have one or two missionaries they specifically pray for and write to. Some of the Home Fellowships also send additional financial assistance on their own.

We highlight a different one of our missionaries each week in our Sunday bulletin and they are prayed for during the Sunday Service each week.

Our missionaries are listed on the prayer guide used for each Sunday’s Pre-service prayer meeting. Flags representing the countries in which our missionaries serve hang in our sanctuary reminding us to pray for them.

There is always a bulletin board in the church lobby, giving an overview of the missionaries we support, along with cards our folks can use to send greetings. (The church office will mail these cards when put in one of the offering boxes.)

We at Grace Bible Church have been a sending church. We do not currently have any missionaries who are sent from GBC, but we continue to be a supporting church for eight missionaries and/or missions ministries. May we always be an active missions-minded church!