Responding to God's Call: Worship and Mission

Devotional

Day 1: The Holiness and Glory of God Inspires Surrender

When we encounter the holiness and majesty of God, as Isaiah did in his vision, it brings us to a place of humility and surrender. The awareness of God’s glory and our own unworthiness leads us to lay aside our pride, confess our need, and offer ourselves for His purposes. True worship is not just singing or attending church, but recognizing the presence of the Holy One and responding with a heart that says, “Here am I, send me.” [10:37]

Isaiah 6:1-8 (ESV)
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Reflection: In what area of your life do you sense God calling you to deeper surrender or service, and what would it look like to say, “Here am I, send me” today?

Day 2: The Spirit Gifts Believers to Serve Where They Are

God, by His Spirit, gives every believer unique gifts to build up the church and expand His kingdom right where they are. These gifts are not just for pastors or missionaries, but for all who follow Christ—whether teaching, encouraging, serving, or leading. The diversity of backgrounds and abilities in the church is a testimony to God’s wisdom, and each person is called to use their gifts for the edification of others and the spread of the gospel in their local context. [47:50]

Acts 13:1 (ESV)
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Reflection: What is one spiritual gift or ability God has given you, and how can you intentionally use it to serve others in your church or community this week?

Day 3: The Spirit Calls Some to Go Where They Are Not

While many are called to serve where they are, the Holy Spirit also calls some to go beyond their current context—to new places, new people, and new challenges for the sake of the gospel. This calling often comes as believers are faithfully serving, praying, and seeking God’s direction. The willingness to go, even when it means leaving comfort or familiarity, is a vital part of God’s plan to reach the world with the good news of Jesus. [54:59]

Acts 13:2 (ESV)
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Reflection: If God were to call you to a new place or ministry, what fears or hesitations would you need to surrender to Him, and how can you begin to pray about your willingness to go?

Day 4: The Church Must Send and Support Those Whom the Spirit Calls

When the Spirit calls some to go, the church’s role is to send them with prayer, support, and authority. This sending is not always easy—it can be painful to release beloved leaders and friends—but it is essential for the expansion of Christ’s kingdom. The church’s willingness to let go, to pray, and to empower others for ministry is a mark of faithfulness to God’s mission and a source of blessing both for those who go and those who remain. [01:01:38]

Acts 13:3 (ESV)
Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Reflection: Who in your church or circle is stepping into a new ministry or mission, and how can you tangibly encourage, pray for, or support them this week?

Day 5: God’s Rescue Mission—Salvation by Grace and the Call to Share

At the heart of God’s plan is a rescue mission for lost humanity, accomplished through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. Salvation is offered freely by grace through faith in Him, not by our own works. Once we have received this gift, we are called to lay down our pride, trust in Christ alone, and join in sharing this good news with others—whether across the street or around the world. [01:16:25]

John 3:16-17 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Reflection: Who is one person in your life who needs to hear about the grace of Jesus, and what step can you take today to share His love and message with them?

Sermon Summary

This morning, we gathered as a church family, overcoming obstacles and distractions, to focus our hearts on the Lord and the glory of Jesus Christ. We began by remembering that worship is not a burden but a blessing, a response to the immeasurable gift of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice. Our time together was centered on the reality that Jesus is not only our Savior but our King—worthy of all honor, praise, and our humble surrender. We reflected on the global nature of Christ’s kingdom, recognizing that while we enjoy the freedom to worship, there are still countless people and places who have never heard the name of Jesus.

Turning to Acts 13, we saw the pivotal moment when the church at Antioch became the launching point for the worldwide expansion of the gospel. The Spirit of God worked through a diverse group of gifted men—preachers and teachers from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes—demonstrating that God’s kingdom is built through unity in diversity. The Spirit not only gifts individuals for ministry where they are but also calls some to go where the gospel has not yet reached. The church’s role is to recognize, support, and send those whom the Spirit calls, even when it is difficult to let go of beloved leaders and friends.

We were challenged to consider our own willingness to serve—whether that means using our gifts here in Boulder or being open to God’s call to go elsewhere. The expansion of Christ’s kingdom is not a human endeavor but a work of the Spirit through the church, following the same pattern established since the days of the apostles: the Spirit gifts, the Spirit calls, and the church sends. This is how the gospel continues to reach new hearts and places, and how we, as a church, can become a new starting point for God’s global mission. Ultimately, we are called to lay our lives on the altar, saying, “Here am I, Lord, send me,” trusting that God will use us—wherever we are—for the glory of Christ and the salvation of the lost.

Key Takeaways

1. Worship is a response to the worthiness of Christ, not a duty to be endured. Even when gathering is difficult or life is full of distractions, remembering the sacrifice and kingship of Jesus reorients our hearts to gratitude and awe. True worship flows from recognizing that Christ took our place, offering us forgiveness and eternal life, and is always worthy of our praise. [10:37]
2. The Spirit of God gifts individuals within the church for the edification of the body, using a diversity of backgrounds, talents, and personalities. These gifts are not just for those who go abroad but are essential for building up the local church, reaching the lost in our own city, and discipling believers. We must discern whether the Spirit is calling someone to stay and serve or to go, rather than assuming gifting always means a call to leave. [49:38]
3. The expansion of Christ’s kingdom is a Spirit-led process that requires both patient waiting and active seeking. The church at Antioch ministered, fasted, and prayed, not content with past growth but longing for God’s next step. It was in this posture of humble dependence that the Spirit spoke, calling some to go and others to remain, reminding us that spiritual fruitfulness comes from surrender and prayerful expectation. [56:03]
4. Sending those whom the Spirit calls is often a painful act of faith, as it means releasing beloved leaders and friends for the sake of the gospel. The church’s willingness to let go, to “divorce” itself from its best for the sake of the lost, is a mark of true kingdom-mindedness. This act is not just organizational but deeply spiritual, involving prayer, fasting, and the laying on of hands—a transfer of authority and blessing for the work ahead. [63:19]
5. God’s mission is rooted in His gracious rescue of rebellious humanity, and He continues to use ordinary people, empowered by the Spirit, to carry this message to the ends of the earth. No one is beyond being used by God—He delights in gifting and calling even the unlikely, transforming weakness into strength for His glory. Our response must be surrender: to serve faithfully where we are, to be open to His call to go, and to trust that He will accomplish His purpose through us, just as He has always done. [77:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:00] - Opening Prayer and Setting Our Hearts
[05:00] - Worship and the Worthiness of Christ
[10:37] - Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6
[13:00] - Singing and Praise
[34:08] - Exalting Jesus as King
[36:22] - Overcoming Obstacles to Worship
[37:36] - Acts 13: The Starting Point of Kingdom Expansion
[39:50] - Chick-fil-A and the Power of a Starting Point
[42:13] - The Cross: The True Beginning
[43:37] - The Ongoing Need for Kingdom Expansion
[46:17] - The Spirit Gifts: Diversity in Ministry
[54:59] - The Spirit Calls: Serving and Sending
[58:21] - Willingness to Go: The Call to Missions
[61:38] - The Church Sends: Letting Go for the Gospel
[69:22] - Personal Testimony: Being Sent
[73:27] - God’s Rescue Mission and the Heart of the Gospel
[77:56] - The Spirit’s Power in Our Weakness
[81:18] - Prayer of Surrender and Response
[84:49] - “Here Am I, Send Me”: Laying Our Lives Down
[85:53] - Closing Prayer and Announcements
[88:07] - Upcoming Events and Final Scripture Reading

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 13:1-3 (ESV) — Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Observation Questions

Who were the five men mentioned as prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, and what do we know about their backgrounds? (Acts 13:1; [49:38])
According to the passage, what were the church members doing when the Holy Spirit spoke to them? (Acts 13:2; [56:03])
What specific actions did the church take before sending Barnabas and Saul out? (Acts 13:3; [01:03:19])
In the sermon, what was described as the “starting point” for the expansion of Christ’s kingdom? ([42:13])

Interpretation Questions

What does the diversity of backgrounds among the leaders in Antioch suggest about the way God builds His church? ([49:38])
Why do you think the Holy Spirit chose to speak while the church was worshiping, fasting, and praying, rather than during a time of regular activity? ([56:03])
The sermon described sending out leaders as a “painful act of faith.” Why might it be difficult for a church to let go of its best people, and what does this reveal about the church’s priorities? ([01:03:19])
The pastor said, “The Spirit gifts, the Spirit calls, and the church sends.” How does this pattern challenge the idea that missions or ministry is just for a select few? ([01:10:43])

Application Questions

The sermon emphasized that worship is a response to Christ’s worthiness, not just a duty. When was the last time you felt distracted or burdened coming to church? What helped you re-focus on Jesus, or what could help you next time? ([10:37])
The church at Antioch was made up of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes. Are there ways you can help build unity in our church, especially with people who are different from you? ([49:38])
The Spirit gifts people for ministry both here and elsewhere. What gifts or talents do you sense God has given you? Are you using them to serve in our church or community? If not, what is one step you could take this month? ([53:43])
The church fasted and prayed, seeking God’s next step. When was the last time you prayed (or even fasted) specifically for God to show you how to serve or where to go? Would you be willing to do that this week? ([56:03])
The pastor asked, “If the Spirit came calling, would you be willing to go?” What fears or hesitations come to mind when you think about God calling you to serve somewhere new or unfamiliar? ([58:21])
Sending out leaders was described as a “painful act of faith.” Have you ever had to let go of someone for the sake of God’s mission (a friend, leader, or family member)? How did you process that, and what did you learn? ([01:03:19])
The sermon ended with the challenge to lay our lives on the altar and say, “Here am I, Lord, send me.” What would it look like for you to surrender your plans to God’s mission—either here in Boulder or somewhere else? ([01:24:49])

Sermon Clips

Every effort of expansion has a starting point. The starting point for the kingdom of Jesus Christ was on a hill called Golgotha outside the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus suffered, bled, and died on the cross sacrificing his life, his innocent sinless life for the sins of all humanity. And anyone who will believe on him can be completely forgiven of their sin, can be saved, and given eternal life as we just spoke about moments ago. That was the starting point, was at the cross. But then three days later Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death, hell, and the grave. [00:41:49]

But what I want to tell you today is that the kingdom of Christ is not done expanding. Because there are still cities all over the United States of America that have no gospel witness. There are still countries around the world with little to no churches. There are still entire groups of people who are not only unreached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but are completely unengaged with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They've never one time in their lives heard the name of Jesus. They've not heard of the Bible. They've not heard of the God of the Bible. Their only experience with God is the creation that he has shown them and his law written on their hearts. But for them to be saved, they must hear about Jesus. [00:44:11]

God's plan is not for Boulder Valley Baptist Church to simply survive. It's for us to thrive and it's for us to expand Christ's kingdom throughout the Boulder Valley and all around the world. It's for us to have a role in that. But what we need to understand is we can't do it on our own. The Spirit of God must help us. [00:45:55]

See the spiritual gifting of preaching in teaching is not limited to pastors and missionaries and evangelists. That in a church like ours what God is going to do is he is going to gift some men in our church along the way to be able to teach and preach. Men like Yvonne will be preaching here in just a few weeks on a Sunday morning. Men like like John, men like Royal, and in other men along the way God's going to gift them to be able to communicate and proclaim God's Word. But it doesn't guarantee that it means he's going to send them somewhere else. Because God gifts churches with those gifts for the particular place where they serve. [00:52:08]

The truth is that to expand God's kingdom here at home the Spirit gifts men to teach and preach. He may gift them to preach in the service. He may gift them to teach in the children's class. He may gift them to to work with teenagers or to work with seniors or it might be that he gifts some to preach and teach on the university campus. To be able to go to the center of liberalism and indoctrination and be able to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. [00:53:19]

As much as things were growing in Antioch, as many souls as were being saved from every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nation that was there in this melting pot city of Syria, as much as God was doing, they were not satisfied. As big as they had grown, they knew that they weren't done. They knew God wanted them in some way to take the next step in expanding his kingdom, but they didn't know what that was. So they served, they waited, they fasted, and prayed. And it was in that moment the Holy Ghost said. [00:56:06]

And the question that I want to ask this morning is if the Spirit came calling, would you be willing to go? Would you be willing to give your life for the gospel ministry? To go to start a church maybe on the south side of Boulder or because we realize that nobody likes to drive to the north side of Boulder if you live on the south side of Boulder. And so we need to start another church down there. Or it may be in Louisville or it may be in Superior or it could be in Berkeley, California or San Francisco, California, in New York City that in our country there's never enough churches because there's so many people. But it may be that God would call you to go to the uttermost part of the earth. To Africa. To Mongolia. To Egypt. To Iraq. Iran. Places that desperately need the gospel witness of Jesus Christ. [00:58:57]

If you're here and you're a faithful attender or member of this church God's plan is not for you to just sit in a chair and just soak everything in. His plan is for you to get involved. To use the spiritual gifts that he's given you to serve. Whether that is teaching and preaching or if it is singing or if it is discipling people one on one or if it is evangelism whatever it might be God's plan is for you to serve here. But not all will stay. [01:00:25]

As painful, listen church, as painful as it was to say goodbye to Barnabas and Saul, this church recognized that the most important thing was the expansion of Christ's kingdom. It was that lost souls who have never heard the gospel might hear and believe and call on Christ and be saved. It was that churches would be established everywhere. And so the church at Antioch let them go. [01:03:28]

They recognized that the task that God has called Barnabas and Saul to and that them going forward in ministry without Barnabas and Saul now was a task beyond their capability. And so they prayed and they begged God and they fasted for Him to do what only He could do. They cast their lives and their souls and their ministry at the feet of Jesus and begged for the power of the Holy Spirit to work through them. [01:04:05]

What this shows us is that individuals alone do not have the authority to plant churches. That they do not have the authority from Christ to baptize or to administer the Lord's Supper or to discipline believers. And by the way, neither do colleges and neither do seminaries and neither do missions boards. No, the authority to establish churches and to baptize and administer the Lord's Supper rests solely in the church that Jesus authorized to do so. [01:05:43]

And it's not because of me, it's not because of our family, it's because the Spirit did what he's always done. He gifted, he called, and a church sent. And because we have been the recipient of such grace, we are called to show the same grace to the lost elsewhere. [01:10:31]

If we are thinking, most importantly, about the expansion of Christ's kingdom, and of the lost who still need to hear, and need to be saved, then we too will come to the point where instead of holding on to them, we let them go, no matter how much it hurts. And then they get to go and do the work of seeing souls saved and lives changed and baptized and trained and equipped and sending forth. [01:11:30]

That is why Christianity has expanded globally to be the most influential and largest religious system the world has ever known. It's because it is a movement and a power of God that comes not from man, but from the power of the Holy Spirit who always does what He's always done. And He's going to do it again here today. And that's not something to be scared of. You don't need to be scared. What if God calls me to be a missionary to China? You don't need to be scared of that. Why? Because God's going to do with you what He's always done before. [01:12:17]

God works to expand His kingdom by His Spirit through His church. He uses Spirit -gifted preachers and teachers and sends them through Spirit -led churches. It's what He's always done. It's what He's still going to do today. [01:13:29]

God is on a rescue mission that from the very first human beings created who received one and only one command, revealed the rebellion against God inside of our hearts, the pride that we have. You know why Eve ate of that fruit? Because the serpent told her her eyes would be open and she would be like God. Man has been trying from his creation to play God. That is our most fundamental form of rebellion against Him. [01:14:22]

But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus, that whosoever, catch this, simply whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. God loved the world in this way. Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone, who offered the only sacrifice God will accept. He loved you in that way. He loves the world in that way. [01:16:10]

Once you get saved, the Spirit's going to gift you in ways that are beyond your capacity. He may take a natural talent you have and just grow it by the power of the Spirit. He may gift you with something that you never thought you could do. You ever known someone who's real shy before? Couldn't stand in front of anybody? If that's you, he could turn you into a preacher. He could turn you into a powerful evangelist in this city for Christ. [01:17:39]

That is the power of God, my friends, to do through you what you could never do on your own. And it's not just Larry who experienced that, you can experience that. He's going to do it in your life. Something beyond your ability. And sometimes that may be to preach or teach. And you think, I could never do that. And over time as you grow and as the Spirit develops you, God is using you in tremendous ways right here to edify your local body of believers. [01:19:01]

But the time may come when he says, I want you to go. I want you to go to the other side of the world and tell people about me so they can be forgiven, so they can be saved. so that one day when we're in a new heaven and a new earth and we are gathered around the throne room of God worshiping and singing his praise then Royal who's gone back to Nepal comes up to you with this person he led to Christ and he says this guy got saved because this church let him go. It's going to be an amazing time of rejoicing when we realize the power of God to save all through Jesus Christ when we simply follow his plan. [01:19:47]

The spirit's going to gift the spirit's going to call and the church must send and if we will utilize the spirit's gifting and follow the spirit's leading this small new little Baptist church can become another starting point for global expansion. May it be so. [01:20:38]

God is great. Christ is gracious, and that we ought to praise him for it. [01:27:41]

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