Upon These Truths we Stand Msg.13

Devotional

Day 1: Go Ye Therefore – The Weight of Christ’s Command

The risen Jesus didn’t suggest missions – He commanded them. His authority to send isn’t rooted in human strategies or traditions, but in His victory over death and ownership of all power in heaven and earth. When He says “Go,” it’s not a negotiable assignment for overachievers. The call to teach all nations carries the weight of a king’s decree, binding every believer to participate through prayer, sending, or going. Missions isn’t optional because the Commander still reigns. [03:07]

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you subtly treated Christ’s command to “go” as optional? How does His promise to be “with you always” reshape your willingness to engage missions?

Day 2: Holding the Ropes – Partnership Beyond Paychecks

Missions thrives when churches hold the ropes for those in the pit. Like Antioch laying hands on Paul and Barnabas, biblical sending involves recognizing God’s call, praying fervently, and staying connected. Missionaries aren’t distant contractors but family reporting victories and struggles. Letters on a wall become lifelines when churches respond with encouragement, not just envelopes. True partnership means weeping over their setbacks and rejoicing when 30 prisoners repent. [11:40]

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.
(Acts 13:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: Which missionary’s recent update have you intentionally prayed over? How could you tangibly encourage one field worker this week beyond financial support?

Day 3: Repentance and Remission – The Non-Negotiable Message

Missions fails when it trades the gospel for good deeds. Jesus didn’t send disciples to distribute bread but to proclaim repentance and forgiveness. A well-dug in Africa saves bodies; the gospel saves souls. While humanitarian work opens doors, the core message remains: Christ died for sins, rose again, and demands surrender. Churches measuring success by food packages rather than transformed lives have abandoned their mission. [04:59]

And that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
(Luke 24:47, ESV)

Reflection: When have you been tempted to prioritize physical needs over spiritual ones? How can you better align your compassion efforts with gospel proclamation?

Day 4: Fellow Helpers to the Truth – Your Name in Their Story

Gaius didn’t cross oceans but hosted missionaries, making him a co-laborer. Every prayer, dollar, or note to a missionary enrolls believers in their work. When prisoners in Pakistan get saved through a missionary’s sermon, the church that sent him shares the eternal reward. Missions dissolves “us versus them” – the widow’s mite and the preacher’s sermon both advance the same kingdom. [35:26]

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name… Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
(3 John 5-8, ESV)

Reflection: What eternal project have you invested in through giving? How does seeing yourself as a “fellow worker” change your view of mundane acts like writing a check?

Day 5: Pray, Give, Encourage – The Trifecta of Obedience

Missions isn’t complicated – pray specifically, give sacrificially, love personally. A text saying “We prayed for you today” can steady a missionary’s shaking hands. Five dollars weekly becomes Bibles in 52 languages. Choosing one name from the mission wall binds hearts across continents. These simple acts fulfill Christ’s command as much as boarding a plane. Obedience starts where you are, with what you hold. [38:09]

Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your account.
(Philippians 4:14-17, ESV)

Reflection: Which of the three actions (pray, give, encourage) have you neglected? What specific step will you take this month to engage it fully?

Sermon Summary

Missions begins with the mandate of Christ, not with Baptist custom, missionary tradition, or a church budget. Christ opens the Great Commission by declaring that all power, all authority, belongs to Him in heaven and earth. Christ therefore commands His church to go and make disciples of all nations, carrying repentance and remission of sins to every people. The gospel crosses every border man has drawn, and it remains for whosoever will believe.

Acts 1:8 gives one commission with four addresses: Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. The commission does not allow a church to choose foreign missions while ignoring the neighbor across the street, nor does it allow local witnessing while having no concern for the nations. Christ sends His people with His own presence, promising, “I am with you always,” wherever the gospel worker goes.

Acts 13 places the local church right in the middle of biblical missions. The Holy Ghost calls Barnabas and Saul out of the church at Antioch, and the church prays, recognizes that call, and sends them in cooperation with the Spirit. Acts 14 then brings those missionaries back to Antioch to rehearse all that God had done. Missions letters, prayer requests, burdens, victories, and discouragements all belong to a real gospel partnership, not merely to a line item on a budget.

The gospel remains the heart of missions. Compassion can open doors, and Christians should care about hungry bodies and hurting lives, but wells, food, homes, and education cannot replace the preaching of Christ. Romans 10 presses the matter home: sinners cannot call without believing, cannot believe without hearing, cannot hear without a preacher, and preachers cannot go unless they are sent. Biblical missions does not export American culture or collect decision cards. Biblical missions calls sinners to turn from sin and turn to Christ, who died, was buried, and rose again.

Prayer, giving, and encouragement become the means by which a local church holds the ropes. Prayer fights the spiritual battle. Giving becomes an eternal investment and an offering that reaches God as a sweet smell. Encouragement reminds lonely and weary missionaries that they are not forgotten.

Matthew 28 and Acts 14 show that the goal is not mere professions but disciples, churches, and trained leaders. Mature indigenous churches should stand on Scripture, reach their own people, train leaders, and eventually send workers themselves. Antioch was a mission field before it became a sending church. Those who receive the gospel can become those who send it.

Third John calls supporting believers “fellow helpers to the truth.” The church that prays, gives, encourages, witnesses, and remains willing to go becomes a co-laborer in the gospel. The world still contains people who have never heard the name of Jesus, and biblical missions answers Romans 10 with action.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Christ’s authority drives worldwide missions [03:27] Christ does not ask His church to consider missions as one ministry option among many. His authority gives the command its weight, because the risen Savior who conquered death sends His people in His name. His presence also answers the fear of distance, danger, weakness, and unfamiliar places. The One who sends is the One who goes with His servants. [03:27]
2. The gospel must remain central [13:45] Compassion without Christ may relieve suffering for a moment while leaving eternity untouched. The gospel does not diminish mercy toward physical needs, but it refuses to stop there. Christ calls sinners to repentance and forgiveness, not merely to improved circumstances. A mission work can look busy and impressive while drifting from its central purpose if the gospel is absent. [13:45]
3. Prayer, giving, and encouragement hold ropes [19:18] Prayer is not the lesser work done by those who stay behind. God can act immediately in places that church members may never visit, and missionary labor stands in need of that spiritual warfare. Giving also bears fruit to the account of those who send, because the offering reaches beyond the missionary to God Himself. Encouragement turns financial support into genuine fellowship. [19:18]
4. Disciples and churches must multiply [29:19] Biblical missions does not end when a person makes a profession of faith. Paul returned to hostile cities in order to confirm disciples, exhort them to continue, and ordain elders in churches. The goal is a mature church that can stand on Scripture and reach its own people. Antioch shows the pattern clearly: a mission field can become a sending church within a generation.

## [29:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:26] - Why Biblical Missions Matters
[02:56] - Missions Begins With Christ’s Mandate
[04:30] - The Gospel for All Nations
[06:11] - One Commission, Four Addresses
[08:07] - Missions Through the Local Church
[10:40] - Sent by the Church and Spirit
[12:40] - Missions Proclaims the Gospel
[18:05] - Prayer, Giving, and Encouragement
[26:11] - Multiplying Disciples and Churches
[32:18] - Fellow Helpers to the Truth
[37:29] - Pray, Give, Encourage, Witness, Go
[43:43] - The World Still Needs the Gospel

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” [02:10] [03:21] [26:34]

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [04:59] [06:00]

Romans 10:13-15
“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” [15:27] [46:00]

Acts 13:1-4
“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court 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. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” [08:22] [08:34] [08:43] [09:16] [09:48]

3 John 1:5-8
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” [32:57] [35:00] [35:11]

Acts 14:21-23
“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” [27:46] [28:00] [28:55]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:18-20, what does Jesus say before He gives the command to go, and what three ongoing parts of disciple-making does He name?
Acts 1:8 names Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. What does the word “and” show about the scope of the church’s witness? [06:00]
In Acts 13:1-4, what actions belong to the Holy Spirit, and what actions belong to the church at Antioch in sending Barnabas and Saul? [09:48]
In Acts 14:21-23, what did Paul and Barnabas do for the believers after preaching the gospel and making disciples? [27:46]

Interpretation questions

Jesus grounds the Great Commission in His authority and promises His presence to those He sends. How should those two truths shape the way a believer faces fear, weakness, or uncertainty in gospel witness? [07:31]
Romans 10 shows a chain: calling, believing, hearing, preaching, and sending. What does this passage show about why sending missionaries is more than simply a financial matter? [15:47]
Acts 13 says both that the church sent Barnabas and Saul and that the Holy Spirit sent them. How can a local church recognize and support God’s call without trying to manufacture a call for someone? [09:24]
Acts 14 shows that Paul returned to difficult places to strengthen disciples and appoint elders. Why is a mission work incomplete if it seeks professions of faith but does not pursue discipleship, churches, and trained leaders? [29:34]

Application questions

Acts 1:8 includes both nearby people and distant nations. Is there a tendency in your life to care more about one while neglecting the other? What would a healthier balance look like this week? [06:54]
Prayer is real participation in gospel work, not a lesser task for those who remain at home. Which missionary or missionary family could you begin praying for by name, and what specific needs could you pray for beyond physical safety? [18:55]
Missionary support is relational, not merely financial. What is one simple way you or your family could encourage a missionary this month—a message, a note, a question about a prayer request, or a word of thanks? [25:37]
Giving to gospel work is an eternal investment and an offering to God. Have you prayerfully considered what part God would have you play in missions giving, whether the amount seems large or small? [23:13]
The gospel must remain central: Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again, calling sinners to repentance and forgiveness. When opportunities arise to help someone in need, how can compassion and a clear gospel witness remain connected rather than separated? [16:35]
Think of one person in your own Jerusalem—someone you expect to see this week who may not know Christ. What would it look like to pray specifically for an open door and to be ready to share your testimony or the gospel? [40:51]
A surrendered servant can honestly say, “Lord, if You want me to stay, I will serve You here; if You want me to go, I will serve You there.” Is there any condition, place, comfort, or fear that makes it difficult to pray that prayer honestly? [43:11]

Sermon Clips

39s

“But the gospel is meant to cross every border that man has ever drawn, whether that be on a map or around a culture. The gospel is for every nation on this earth, and it has eternal power to change every individual. The gospel is not prejudiced. It's to whosoever. And at the same time, just because we support worldwide missions, you know, that doesn't excuse us from evangelizing at home. Right? We are also on mission.”

58s

“Missions is not merely sending money. It is a church relationship built around the advancement of the gospel, which brings us to our third point. Missions proclaims the message of the gospel. Let me say it again. Missions proclaims the message of the gospel. Let me make this important distinction here. Missions is not primarily humanitarian work. It isn't a cultural exchange. Christians may build wells, and they can feed the hungry, and home the give homes to the homeless, and they can do all these acts of compassion. But those things, while they can open doors for the ministry, they are not the gospel themselves. If we do every good work imaginable and fail to preach Christ, we've not fulfilled the great commission.”

42s

“You see, the vast majority of us, we will never cross the ocean, we'll never leave our homes and our families behind to go to a mission field, but through the biblical missions, we can still be fellow helpers to the truth. This is more than just sending missionaries. Let me go back. This is us fulfilling the great commission. This is just as quality, this is just as as important as you walking out this street, out these doors, go out to the street and talk to somebody about Jesus Christ, and try to share the gospel with them. This is just as important.”

Ask a question about this sermon

ERBC This sermon · AI assistant

What is the primary message missions proclaims?

How does the local church participate in missions?

How should missions multiply disciples and churches?

Upon These Truths we Stand Msg.13 - MISSIONS