Download audio

Leroy Hopson (left) gets restored.

Building a Great Church, part 12 – Mission Accomplished – Outline

This is the final part in our 12 part study on the book of Acts entitled “Building a Great Church.” At the end of the sermon is also a bonus song, “Let Us Break Bread Together.”

2 Timothy 4:1-8: Paul’s final letter.

1. Trust or Bust: Acts 27

• Trust God or Majority
• Trust God or Circumstances
• Trust God or Feelings
• “I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”
• A kite rises against the wind not with it, and a man or woman of faith will rise against the winds of adversity in their life.
• God has the string and wants to see you soar.
• He will not tempt you beyond what you can bear.
• He is sovereign.
• You must trust him and fly.
• We trust our world’s way more than we trust the forever standing word of God.
• There are two places where we don’t mind being taught, questioned and held accountable: School and Work.
• We allow ourselves to be taught, questioned, tested, corrected, rebuked and held accountable at school and at work, but we don’t want to allow that in our spiritual lives.
• We obey someone because they put money in our hands (your employer), but won’t obey someone with the word of God in their hand?
• If we got ten bucks everytime we shared our faith, would we share it more?
• If we got fifty bucks for every Bible study we were in, would we squeeze a few more in this week?
• If paid, would you ever miss a midweek or complain about overtime on Sunday at time and a half?
• We trust our world’s way more than we trust the forever standing word of God.
• When we do it the world’s way, it leads to disaster.
• Suicide is the 3rd killer among teens.
• 1 in 5 teen girls ends up in an abusive relationship.
• There are 1700 drinking related deaths on campuses in America every year.
• 40% college students binge drink (Five in a row for guys. Four in a row for girls).

2. Love will find a way. Acts 28

• People are fickle. We must love them anyway.
• Paul is in Rome in prison, preaching boldly and without hindrance about the kingdom for two years.
• Some believe, some would not.

2 Timothy 4:6 Paul’s final letter

• History records that Paul was beheaded in Rome. He was not alone. Jesus was with him.
• Finish the race. Long for the appearing of Jesus. Go for the crown of righteousness.
• Most historians agree that Paul was in prison here in ad 60-63, and that Paul was not killed, but released. He continued to preach and then, was again arrested and now writes his final letter.
• A book entitled “The man who shook the world” states that paul was condemned for treason against the divine emperor Caesar.
• Early belief states that Peter and Paul were executed on the same day and possible held in prison together for some time. June 29, 67ad is the date honored of their martyrdom.
• Peter crucified upside down at his own request at nero’s circus, but Paul, a roman citizen, beheaded in a much less public place.
• He knew going to his death that he would only change his situation, but not his relationship. When he died he would see Jesus face to face.
• Don’t get caught up in earthly, civilian affairs.
• Don’t get choked by adversity.
• Cortez’ army wanted to stop fighting the Aztecs and go home, so Cortez burned the ships. It’s time for us to burn some ships and get back to fighting.

- Chris Broom

Download audio

JC Sbraccia (3rd from left) gets baptized.

Building a Great Church, part 11 – On Trial – Outline

Acts 9:15-16

• Paul is God’s chosen instrument.
• Paul must suffer for God’s name.
• 2 Timothy 3:10: Anyone who wants to live a Godly life will be persecuted.

1. False Accusations: Acts 21:20-29a

• Some twisted what Paul was saying.
• Even disciples can twist words and gossip about other Christians.
• Paul goes out of the way to be above reproach.
• Paul was willing to do whatever it takes to win people to God.
• Some will try to twist what we are doing even today.

2. Disturbing the Peace: Acts 21:30-40

• The whole city was in an uproar over what Paul was preaching.

• Is your city in an uproar because of your preaching.

• Paul used to persecute people in exactly the same way in that same city.

• The Jerusalem church forgave Paul and greeted him warmly.

• Can you forgive any act anyone has done against you.

• Can you go anywhere even if it means remembering your shame.

3. In Defense of the Truth: Acts 22:14-16

• Are you looking for spiritual entertainment or truth?
• It’s easy to go to church and enjoy the good stuff, but not obey.
• Being a true disciple is tough. We are called by God to expect each other to obey.
• Going to church should be fun, but if nobody is called to hold anyone accountable, that’s not worship, it’s spiritual entertainment.
• The “world” hates us because we say sin is wrong. Sleeping with someone before marriage is wrong. That’s why there’s so much rape and babies having babies.
• If we just obey the Word of God, it would all change.
• The “spiritual world” hates us because we say that you can’t just say you are a Christian and live however you want, you have to obey the word of God.

Before the Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin: Acts 22:22-30

• People were angry with Paul.
• Paul was put in chains but got out of it by divine guidance.
• He was Roman citizen.

Acts 23:1-8

• Paul was determined to see his destiny through and speak to the gentiles and their kings, and all Israel.
• Paul wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t wrong in what he said, but he was taught to show respect.
• God doesn’t ask you to check in your brains when you become a Christian. You can still be shrewd.
• Paul pits resurrection believing Pharisees against the Sadducees.

Acts 23:9-11

• In prison, Jesus strengthens Paul.
• Determination allows Paul to go to most influential city of the day … Rome.
• Paul is told to take courage (because he was afraid).
• Are you afraid to fulfill your destiny?

A Fast to Kill: Acts 23:12-24

• God fights to protect you so you can fulfill your destiny.

Before Governor Felix: Acts 24:5-16

• Paul is called a troublemaker, also known as a pest and a plague.
• Church is called a sect, which means a cult.
• Drusilla, Governor Felix’ wife, comes from a long line of persecutors. She left her husband to marry Felix. She was one of three daughters of Herod Aggripa 1st. who was eaten by worms in chapter 12. Her dad. Her sisters were Mary Ann and Bernice. Her father murdered the apostle James. Her great uncle, Herod Antipas, beheaded john the baptist. Her great grandfather Herod the great had all the babies in Bethlehem killed after Jesus was born.
• Paul preaches in front of her. Even after all that wickedness, she heard the gospel.

Procrastination: Verse 24-26

• People that aren’t ready to follow God want to call the shots. They say, “that‘s enough, I‘ll call you when it‘s convenient.”
• Convenient never happens.
• God loved Drusilla and gave her a chance to hear the message.
• Every one deserves a chance to hear the whole will of God.

Before Festus: Acts 25:9

• Paul fulfills his destiny to preach in Rome before Caesar’s court.
• Are you willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill your destiny?
• Who do you want to please?
• Verse 13. Bernice is Drusilla’s sister.
• Paul gets to preach to all the leading men of city and rulers because he is in prison.
• He has nothing to lose! We have stuff to lose. We must get rid of it, and preach unhindered.
• His goal was not to be free, but to fulfil the will of God.
• Being a prisoner was God’s way to give Paul an audience with Kings.

Before King Agrippa:

• Agrippa is the 2nd son of man eaten by worms which makes him the brother of Drusilla and Bernice.
• Bernice had married her uncle Herod but he had died. she then went to live with and began an elicit affair with her brother.
• The future emperor of Rome, Titus, who in ad 70 would destroy the temple and all that was Jewish as we knew it was said to have fallen in love with Bernice. (She was said to be one of the most beautiful women of the world at the time and maybe that is why there was so much sin surrounding her.)
• The Romans, pagans who were known to be sinful, were so nauseated by the life of Bernice that they had caused an uproar and therefore Titus didn’t marry her.
• These were real people like us. Even they were given the chance to hear the life giving message.

4. Guilty as Charged.

• Paul was a follower of the way.
• He loved God with all his heart.
• He wanted Agrippa and all who heard him to become Christians!

Armed and Dangerous.

• We must be armed with the sword (God’s word) and our shield (our faith)!
• We must be armed with the evidences and proofs of Christianity and the Bible, so that we can persuasively proclaim the truth.
• Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation. – Elton Trueblood
• There’s so much proof of the power of God.
• If you don’t believe in a creator, then you believe that you are an accident … a freak of nature.
• Creation testifies to the genius of God.
• The human eye has 40,000 nerve endings and focusing muscles that move more than 100,000 times a day. (137 million light sensitive cells)
• Charles Darwin, creator of the theory of evolution said, “To suppose that the eye could have been formed by natural selection seems, i freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”
• This building: how do you know there was a builder? We cant see him, touch him, taste him or smell him.
• The building is evidence of a builder. Creation is absolute proof there is a creator.
• It is not intelligent to say a building has no maker, and it is not intelligent to say we don’t have a maker.
• Genealogy: A little girl asked her mother, ‘How did the human race appear? The mother answered, ‘God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made. Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved. The confused girl returned to her mother and said, Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys? The mother answered, ‘Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.
• We must study these things and know them well.
• Andrew and Patrique Smellie will be here June 6-8 to do a weekend for us on the evidences of God, Jesus and the Bible called “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.”

-Chris Broom

Download audio

Jay Shelbrack and his family celebrate as Barb’s mom (and our sister) Irene visits the Chicago Church.

Building a Great Church, part 10 – World Missions – Outline

For the first twelve chapters of Acts, we see Peter and the beginnings of the Church in the Holy Land. Acts 13-28 shows us Paul and the expansion of the Church from Antioch to Rome. We rejoice at all the incredible miracles that happened in the first century, but in order to see miracles in our day, we must understand the amount of sacrifice it took for our early brothers and sisters to evangelize the world in their day. We will never see Bible results without Bible effort.
World Missions will cost us many tears.

In Acts 20:36-38, we see Paul’s tearful farewell to the Ephesian elders. Tears are the price of world missions. In our culture, we see people move across the world and shed many tears as they say goodbye to loved ones in order to attend a good school, advance their careers or pursue that special someone. And we will spend a lot of money to accomplish those things for ourselves. By comparison, so few are willing to sacrifice equally for God and his Kingdom.

We are so encouraged by Lee and Noni Pullen and Deborah Perry. They have answered the call and, God-willing, will be moving to Washington DC very soon to help plant that church. It is going to be difficult to say goodbye to them, as they have been such an important part of the work here in Chicago, but that’s what world missions is all about. We are not here to live a comfortable life on earth. We are here to prepare as many as possible for the judgment that will occur for all mankind.

World Missions will cost us our very lives.

In Acts 21:10-12, a prophet named Agabus warns Paul that he will be bound and handed over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem. The people pleaded with Paul, and tried to dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. In Acts 21:13, Paul said to them, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

That’s the heart of world missions … great determination! Paul was ready to go and ready to die to get the message out.

Why do it?

When we came to Chicago from Syracuse, there were some that tried to dissuade us. “Why Chicago,” they asked? That’s an easy question to answer now. All I have to do is get them to come and visit. They will see a church that God has grown from 29 to over 90 sold-out disciples in less than two years! I would introduce them to Nick and Jacque and say, “that’s why!” I would introduce them to Leonard and LaTanja and say, “that’s why!”

“So, why Washington DC,” you ask? That’s easy. All you have to do is look with eyes of faith and plan to come and visit the church there in a few months. When you do, we will be introduced to blank and blank and say, “that’s why!”

Where Next?

Theresa and I are ready to go anywhere. I could have lived and died anywhere we have lived as disciples. I resolved in my heart, after I was baptized into Christ in New York City, that I would serve the church in Manhattan with my blood until God made it clear I needed to go somewhere else. When we were called to move to Queens, I had to be torn away from the disciples in Manhattan. When we were called to move from Queens to Syracuse, and from Syracuse to Chicago, it was equally painful to leave the disciples, but we are surrendered to God’s will. Wherever God wants us to stay and wherever God wants us to go, that will be home. Now, we are ready to live and die in Chicago, but God may have a different plan. As a disciple of Jesus, are you surrendered and ready to go anywhere, do anything and give up everything for the sake of the gospel? Who knows where God will call us next … Wisconsin, Indiana, Detroit or Albania?

Good News!

In Acts 21:17-20 Paul arrives at Jerusalem, and goes to see James and all the elders. There, he tells them about all that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. They praise God, and report to Paul about the thousands of Jews who had believed, and about how they were all zealous for the law.

The New Movement!

It is incredible to see people becoming disciples all over the world! We know that there are disciples worldwide in many different churches that are laboring for the lost. Specifically, we thank God for the movement that we are a part of. A movement of churches that are worshiping today not only in Illinois, but in New York, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma, India, Australia, the Carribean, Honduras, Africa, Ukraine, Russia, England, Chili, Astonia and Canada.

God willing, we will plant churches this summer in New York City and Washington DC, which are arguably two of the most influential cities in the modern world as Rome was in the first century.

New Member Celebration!

We met the end of January to celebrate all our young Christians, and on that night we were blessed to see Gustavo baptized. Now, just three months later, we will meet this Wednesday in Regional Midweek Services to celebrate all that have joined us since that time. In the past three months, Ted, Roslyn, Leonard, LaTonja and Baltazar have placed membership. Tiffani, Kierre, Elaine and Leroy have been restored. And Roy, Lisa, James, Nick, Jackie, Jakob, Chip, Tricia, Alex and Sherry have been baptized!

Sherry Morris celebrates with family and friends after her baptism.

Chicago International Christian Church Scholarship.

As part of our rental agreement at Whitney Young High School, we are privileged to give a scholarship to a Whitney Young Senior. Essays were written on the topic of “What Religion Means to Me,” and our Deacons chose our winner. Her name is Lonyae Thomas.

Lonyae and her mom visit services and receive scholarship.

World Missions Contribution.

The history of our churches is rich with stories of the generosity of members in giving money to missions and sending members to help plant churches all over the world, including the Chicago International Christian Church. This doesn’t happen without sacrifice.

Our church’s financial goal this year is to become self supporting by the World Missions Jubilee in Los Angeles in late July. That will mean a weekly contribution of about 3,500. Last month we averaged just over $3000 a week which has grown from around $2000 in late December. We set a goal for our 2008 World Missions Contribution of $31,395 (15 times the December weekly amount). My prayer was that we would collect $35,000.

The 2008 Missions Contribution will specifically help us to …

1. Hire a Campus / Teen Minister on January 1st to work with our Youth Ministries.
2. Purchase a sound system.
3. Send $10,000 to Help the Central New York Church of Christ plant the Washington DC International Christian Church.
4. Help with the moving costs for our new Latin Ministry Leaders.
5. Supplement our weekly budget until we become self-supporting.

I am so proud of the church and the incredible sacrifice of the missions contribution. We far exceeded our goal of $31,395 and my prayer of $35,000. After all was said and done, we collected over $48,000. But that’s not all … there’s more besides! Seth and Amy Drew have decided to give $12,000 to the church over and above their regular weekly contribution and their World Missions Contribution in order to help us hire Jay Shelbrack to work part-time in the ministry for the next six months. That brings the missions total to over $60,000, almost twice our goal! Hiring Jay was not in the budget, but because of the Drew’s sacrifice, we are able to do it. Many in the church have said that this one act of sacrifice has helped to bring the Bible to life for them. They have referred to Acts 4:36-37 where Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. The scripture I think of is Acts 18:2-5 where Paul was making tents and reasoning in the synagogue on the Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. Verse 5 tells us, “when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.” With Silas and Timothy in town, Paul could stop working and devote more time to proclaiming the gospel. Because Seth and Amy know what God can do through Jay, they have said, “Don’t get another part-time job. We will work, because you need to preach the word!”

Now that’s the heart of World Missions!

Chris Broom

Download audio

O’Donnells and Adams Visit Chicago and Strengthen the Church

Building a Great Church, part 9 – Third Missionary Journey – Outline

We were incredibly encouraged to have Chris and Kerri-Sue Adams, Mike and Pam O’Donnell and their children with us if only for a brief stay. These two couples have been so dear to Theresa and I over the past decade. They have been at the core of the building of a great church in Syracuse as well as the effort to plant our church here in Chicago, and God-willing, the DC planting this summer.

God really encouraged us in our faith and partnership with the Central New York Church this weekend. We had a young woman named Tricia that would not leave our Latin devotional until she got baptized. She studied all night long and was baptized at five in the morning on Saturday. That story was shared at the Sunday morning service in Syracuse, New York and inspired a young woman named Maniya who studied all night and was baptized around two in the morning on Monday. It is truly inspiring to see the book of Acts lived out in front of our very eyes even as we study it.

Chris and Kerri-Sue are giving up so much to enter into the ministry at this time. Chris has built quite a teaching career and recently stepped down from a position where he was an instructional technology administrator overseeing 52 school districts in upstate New York so that he could train for the ministry under the mentoring of a much younger man, Andrew Smellie. I am so proud of Chris’ humility and determination. Upon their return to Syracuse, the Adams will be leading the Central New York Church of Christ with the O’Donnells by their side. Please keep them in your prayers.

Chris Broom

• 2 Timothy 2:2 The importance of teaching.
• Acts 2:42 Devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching.
• Acts 4:2 Greatly disturbed by the Apostles teaching.
• Acts 5:25 Strict orders not to teach in His Name, yet they filled Jerusalem with the teaching.
• Acts 5:42 They never stopped teaching.

1. You can’t teach what you don’t know. Acts 18:24

• Apollos was an incredible preacher and yet he stops short.
  He didn’t know about the baptism of Jesus.
• Pricilla and Aquilla invite him to their home and teach him more adequately. Then they fill in the gaps.
• You can’t learn if you are not humble.
• Apollos debated publicly proving from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. (Later in Acts 19:8, Paul would argue persuasively about the Kingdom of God.)
• How well do we know our Bibles?
• We won’t argue persuasively if we take people’s reactions personally.

2. The most radical thing you can be is consistent. Acts 19:8

• Paul met with the disciples and had daily Bible study in the lecture hall of Tyrannus:
• Some publicly maligned the way.
• The pattern of the early disciples was to preach daily in the leading cities, raise up people and the whole Province of Asia heard the Word of God.

3. You better have your own convictions. Acts 19:13

• Seven sons of a Jewish chief priest named Sceva tried to use Jesus’ name without really knowing Him.
• Jesus’ name was held in high honor.
• Now, many believers came and openly confessed evil deeds.
• We need deep convictions about our need to confess our sins (James 5:16).
• Big bucks were lost (50,000 days wages). So what! It’s better than losing your soul.
• The Word of God grew in power.
• There is no power if you don’t obey it with all your heart.
• In Acts 19: 23, a riot breaks out because the Word of God is obeyed and so many people repent and stop buying idols that the cities economy is affected and the local business men are furious.
• We need to pray for the day in Chicago when so many people repent and stop buying garbage like pornography and drugs that the whole city gets ticked off.
• We will be persecuted when that day comes.
• We need to have deep convictions about evangelizing the world and how to do it according to the scriptures.
• In Acts 20:1, we see that Paul is building a band of Prophets that can lead churches and travel from church to church encouraging them, keeping them united and keeping them focussed.
• He had found these evangelists in the cities he had visited:
  - Sopater from Berea
  - Aristarcus and Secundus from Thessalonica
  - Gaius from Derbe
  - Timothy from Lystra
  - Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia
• It is so exciting to see the band of Prophets God is forming here in the Chicago International Christian Church.
• We need Godly men who are marching side by side with other Godly men in order to evangelize the world.
• In Acts 20:7, we see a young man named Eutychus who falls asleep while Paul is speaking on and on.
• We must love the Word of God and love church. We must love preaching and love getting preached to if we are going to evangelize the world.
• We must have deep convictions about pouring ourselves out and never leading a boring Bible study.
• If someone doesn’t love God or His Word, they will be bored no matter what you do.

4. Teaching God’s Word is hard work. Acts 20:13

• Great Humility is hard work. You have to be willing to look your worst if you want to become your best.
• Tears are hard work. You don’t cry for someone that you have not labored for and poured out yourself for.
• The task of testifying to the Gospel is hard work.
• Innocent of the blood of all men is hard work.
• We must declare the whole will of God. i’t easy to declare the partial will of God.
• Building relationships that will knit us all together is hard work.
• Night and day with tears is hard work.
• Night and day because people are always having problems.
• Tears means love. Let’s pour ourselves out. If you do, you will have relationships like this!

Download audio

Anthony and Elizabeth Eckels, pictured with their sons, recently moved to Orlando to the plant the Orlando International Christian Church (see the report on their new website www.orlandoicc.org)

Building a Great Church, part 8 – Second Missionary Journey – Outline

I was listening to a Christian radio station last week and heard a woman that called in to play a Bible trivia game. She was asked to name the four gospels in a multiple choice format.

1. Mark, Luke, John and Matthew.
2. Acts, Luke, John and Matthew.
3. Larry, Curly and Moe.

Sadly, she picked #2.

We live in a world that is biblically illiterate. Even among those that fill churches every week, people just don’t study the Word of God. I feel so bad for this woman and all who have been told that they are saved by just praying a prayer, and yet they don’t know the basic teachings of Jesus much less the names of the four gospels. It is so important to know the Bible because it is our guide in this world and our treasure map to the next. I hope you are encouraged and challenged by this week’s sermon (you will find the audio above and the notes below). Let’s make it our ambition to be men and women who correctly handle the Word of truth.

Chris Broom

The Second Missionary Journey:

Acts 15:36:

• Paul and Barnabas were great partners in the gospel.
• Paul wanted to go back and encourage all the churches they had started on the first missionary journey.
• Barnabas wanted to take John Mark and Paul said no! Sadly, after a great victory for unity at the Jerusalem Council, the two men that most influenced the churches that were planted on the first missionary journey, parted company. They didn’t disfellowship each other, but they were going in different directions.
• Barnabas took John Mark, who was probably broken hearted, humiliated and shamed. The great news is that by Colossians 4, John Mark is with Paul when he is in prison, and in 2 Timothy 4:9 (late 66 AD), shortly before Paul is beheaded and martyred for Christ, he writes to Timothy and says, get John Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry. The only person that Paul asks for by name is John Mark.
• We learn two powerful lessons from these events.

1. The power of forgiveness. When forgiveness is complete, unity is restored. Sometimes, when my children apologize to one another, it is not a real apology. When they can once again play together, I know that true forgiveness has taken place. We know when we have truly forgiven someone, because then we can go back into fellowship with them.
2. A lot of people can identify with John Mark. He was a hero and he blew it. His dreams were gone. But Barnabas put his arm around him and said, “I believe in you.” He helped to restore John Mark, and in a few years time, John’s dreams were not only restored, but he became one of the closest brothers to Paul. Most all commentators say that John wrote the first gospel, the gospel of Mark, in the late 60s and early 70s. We need to offer hope to the broken hearted who’s dreams have been smashed. We need to let them know that If they but repent and surrender and become disciples again, God will use all that has happened to them for good. (We have to learn not to waste our pain. When we go through things, we learn to minister to a whole segment of people we wouldn‘t have been able to reach or help before those experiences.)

• Paul took Silas and left commended by the brothers.

Acts 16:1

• Paul added Timothy to his team.
• Paul had the Macedonian Vision. Macedonia is in Europe. Until now they had only been in the continent of Aisia. This is a significant advancement for world vision and world missions. There is a whole world out there that needs to know about Jesus, so…

1. Pick a team and get busy.
2. Make sure you believe the leader of your team is walking with God, because if you don’t, you will never conclude that God is calling you to action through them.
3. The leader of an evangelistic team has the right to pick who is giong to be on their missionary journeys, where they are going, when they are going, and what the guidelines for their team are going to be (as long as they are not against scripture).

• You do not have to be in a certain church or on a certain missionary team to be saved, but God willing, you will put yourself on a team that will help to save more people.

Acts 16:11-15 “Lydia’s Conversion”

• Keypoint: they went to a leading city of that region so they could reach the whole area through that city (i.e. Chicago – leader of Midwest).
• They went to prominent people who have influence over many.

Acts 16:36-40 “Paul and Silas in Prison”

• Keypoint: Paul was a Roman citizen and shouldn’t have been treated this way. God used him to go all the way to Rome and preach to Caesar!
• The situation with the girl who screamed and followed Paul for several days shows us a couple of things…

1. Exposing of purpose.
2. This persecution is all about the money.

In Chapter 17:

1. In Thessalonica … These men who caused trouble all over the world have now come here…
2. In Berea … Now the bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians… The “three E” challenge (eagerly examine the scriptures everyday).
3. In Athens … Paul proclaims the God they worship as an unknown God. God is sovereign and not far from us.

In Chapter 18:

• They are in Corinth.
• Paul meets Pricilla and Aquilla.
• Silas and Timothy arrive and Paul devotes exclusively to preaching.
• Paul is kicked out of synagogue, so he shakes out his clothes in protest and goes next door where he continues to preach and baptize.
• Crispus, the synagogue ruler gets baptized.
• Sosthenes, the new synagogue ruler gets beaten by his own people and later, in 1 Corinthians 1:1, he is the brother of Paul, and co-author of that letter written by Paul back to the church in Corinth.
• Anyone can become a Christian, anytime and anywhere. However, the Bible tells us that few will make it.
• Then Paul arrives back in Antioch, and so the 2nd missionary journey comes to a close.

Closing Thoughts on Partners in the Gospel.

• We all need Partners in the Gospel. (We intuitively understand our need to have a partner. Many people dream of getting married because marriage is supposed to be a partnership.)
• We need partners! That’s why Jesus sent them out two by two. That way, we won’t get lonely.
• When people work side by side in the gospel to change someone’s life. To help a marriage that is on the verge of divorce. To help someone that doesn’t believe they can change. To see someone who is on verge of suicide become a disciple of Jesus Christ. When we work together like that, we become partners.
• Closeness doesn’t come from sitting next to each other in church at the scriptural time of 10 in the morning. The tightness comes from being partners in the gospel. (Recently, Joe and Denise / Ken and Val worked together to help Nick and Jacque become true disciples. These men and women sacrificed alot because they clearly saw the need and therefore had the vision they needed to do the work of the gospel.)
• Hebrews 3:12 … Daily! Who’s your partner?

Download audio

Disciples and their families at the Washington DC Mission Team Retreat

Building a Great Church, part 7 – First Missionary Journey – Outline

Theresa and I had the privilege of joining Andrew and Patrique Smellie and the Washington DC mission team for an incredible missionary journey as we gathered for their church planting retreat which was held on the weekend of March 16, 2008 (see report on LA website). Upon our arrival in Washington, I was overwhelmed with a flood of memories. It was exactly two years earlier that we had met in Chicago with the dream to plant a church of sold-out disciples there. God has blessed us incredibly as we have now grown to 90 members in Chicago. It is a very diverse group and we are confident that God is going to use even us, the worst of sinners, to make disciples of all nations here in the Midwest.

It was my second time in DC. I had traveled there in the summer of 2000 with about seventeen others from Syracuse, New York, to attend an International Campus Ministry Conference entitled “Known But To God.” I’ll never forget the life changing message that Kip McKean gave at that seminar. One of the young men with me at that retreat was a three month old Christian named Andrew Smellie. Now, eight years later, we were in DC again, yet Andrew is no longer a young Christian. With his wife Patrique by his side, God is using him to bring hope to our Nation’s Capitol!

As we talked and prayed with the Smellies and McKeans about the mission team, we had a strong sense that the team needed more diversity. The Holy Spirit answered our prayers through Elena as she mentioned a couple that she thought would be a great fit for the team. That was Thursday night. Kip talked to the couple on Friday morning, we booked plane tickets for them to come to the retreat on Friday afternoon and they landed Saturday evening in DC. We met them at the Lincoln Memorial where we shared and prayed and sang as we walked the three miles or so all the way down the mall, past the Vietnam memorial, the World War Two memorial, the Washington Monument and all the way to the Capitol Building. That night we went out for a late dinner and a talk about the possibility God had put before us. By Sunday after church, Chuck and Elizabeth Hess, currently of the Corvallis Oregon Church said, “We’re coming to DC!”

When I returned to our hotel, I saw Lee and Noni Pullen, currently in the Chicago Church, and told them the good news. They said, “It’s a yes, we’re coming to DC as well! The joy in them was infectious. It‘s called living by faith. Please continue praying for the DC planting. Their inaugural service will be held on September 14, 2008!

I hope you will enjoy the lesson posted above on Paul’s First Missionary Journey (I have included some of the notes below). Perhaps God is calling you to join us on a missionary journey of your own as we strive to fulfill Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations!

Your Partner in the Gospel,

Chris Broom

Acts 13:1
1. Zeal for the mission.

• Antioch is the 3rd largest city in the Roman world. It was a big metropolitan city. A very diverse city.
• The leadership of the church in Antioch was very diverse. (A church’s leadership needs to reflect the demographics of the people in that city.)
• Chicago is a big city. A diverse city.
• It has been great to see the church here growing: from January to the end of March, our church has grown from 71 to 90 disciples.
• As the church here is growing, the leadership must also grow and change in order to meet the needs.
• In verse 2, we see the church leadership is worshipping God and fasting, and God‘s Spirit chooses Barnabas and Saul and sends them on their way on a missionary journey. (This Summer, God willing, at the 2008 World Missions Jubilee in Los Angeles, The New York City and DC mission teams are going to be sent out; not by the Syracuse church or the LA or Chicago churches, but by the Holy Spirit.)
• The First Missionary Journey took place from 46-48 AD, and established Paul as a leader in the evangelization of the world. They sailed across to Cypress (some 80 miles).
• At this time Barnabas was still the senior member over Paul. That was soon to change.
• John Mark was with them as their helper. We first met him in Acts 12:12 when the angel broke Peter out of Jail. He was Peter’s son in the faith (1 Peter 5:13), and the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10).
• You will never grow as a leader until you entrust yourself to someone as a helper or follower. (Ace and Pam have given themselves over as helpers in LA and therefore God is raising them up.)
• They meet Bar-Jesus, which means Son of Jesus, and he’s a false prophet. He opposed Paul and tried to turn the proconsul from faith.
• Paul stands up to him and calls him a Son of Satan, strikes him with blindness, and the Proconsul believed their message. (We can‘t get so sentimental that we won‘t preach the truth without apology.)
• John Mark deserts them. We don’t know whether it was the travel, sickness, home sickness or just plain cowardice, but he quit and went back to Jerusalem.
• Acts 14: We don’t just want to preach the word, we want to be effective in preaching. That means you have to study the word and live it and teach it. You also have to be humble and learn from those that are effective.
• Even the most effective people will have others go after the people they are teaching and try to poison their minds. In the first century and now, people will say bad things about a church that is trying to make disciples and turn the world upside down. They will say things with their mouth and on the Internet that are half truths and lies. There will be persecution. We have to deal with it, and have a zeal for the mission.
• Acts 14: Paul heals a cripple, and the people believe he is a god that has come down in human form.
• Oved, a roman poet, wrote about mythology. In one of his writings, he told of how Zeus and Hermes had visited Lystra and they hadn’t received them well. Now, the people think Zeus and Hermes are back and they are determined not to blow it again.
• While Paul is trying to convince them that they are not gods, Jews came and won the crowd over. They turn on them and stoned Paul and left him for dead.
• We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
• For some, church Is like Disneyland. We say, “I hope there are good songs today“ or “communion will be insightful“ or “I’ll see people“. Some just come to be entertained. I believe that church needs to be fun with people who have a sense of purpose in God and in Christ, but for too many people, church is no more than a Disneyland affair and when it stops being fun, they quit.
• We say, “I don’t have gas“ or “it’s to far!“ Can you imagine the disciples in the first century making excuses like that. Every disciple must be ready to go anywhere the Spirit leads, and we must be totally devoted to God and His church. (We must eat, sleep, drink and breath God and His church.)
• How can we cheapen the church. We need to hold the church dear. It’s not to be worshiped, but it is to be loved.
• How zealous have you been this week? How many have you shared with. Does it match the early disciples. Are you willing to do what they did?
• Every four hours a new McDonald’s opens.
• CNN reported that it is currently the tenth anniversary of Viagra. Ten years ago, no one knew what it was. Now, 3 pills are taken every second.
• If they can do that, we can evangelize the world with the gospel.
• We must ask ourselves, “Have I been stoned and left for dead?” We have such a weak view of the commitment it takes to follow Jesus. For the early disciples, It was life and death everyday. It was worth living for and it was worth dying for.
• We’ve got to have a zeal for the mission.

2. Zeal for unity. Chapter 15:1 “Jerusalem Council.”

• Church was a good news celebration.
• Some are teaching that the Gentiles must be circumcised and become Jewish before they can be saved.
• James, the half-brother of Jesus, heard form the circumcision party and Peter and Paul.
• Then James gave his judgment in the situation. He didn’t think it right to make it difficult for the Gentiles to enter the Kingdom of God, but there were some things that he did consider worthy of obedience. He basically said, “This is what we are going to do.”
• There was no voting or casting lots. Just leadership that said, “This is what’s right.”
• Most likely, in the crowd, there was a majority of Jewish disciples that thought differently, but James said no!
• This was not the democracy of God, it was all about the Kingdom of God.
• For Americans, this is a hard teaching, because we think democracy is the highest form of government. But when you have God leading you, and the authority of his word as your guide, you don’t need a majority decision.
• Most of the time when there was a majority in the Bible, they were wrong.
• Unity must be forged, and that takes leadership.
• A letter was sent to all the churches that told of the leadership’s decisions on what should be obeyed.
• Today, the Chicago International Christian Church is going to make some changes in it’s structure. The Holy Spirit has worked through our growth, as well as hardship and the need to make sure we are sharing the load of leadership.
• Growth means change. (If your child grows, you have to buy them new clothes.)
• Today, we are going to restructure the church into four different regions of work.

1. Spanish Region: Juan Carlos and Betty Garcia
2. Northwest Region: Jay and Barb Shelbrack
3. Southwest Region: Pat and Pam Boea
4. East Region: Chris and Theresa Broom

• Let’s have a zeal for the mission and a zeal for unity!