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0:53According to their deeds, so he will repay. Wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies. To the coastlands, he will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. For he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives. A redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, declares the Lord. Lord. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do look for your Redeemer.

1:38Father, we know that there is nothing good in us apart from you that dwells. Father, we are not going to find our way out of unrighteousness. Even our very laws and our ways will reflect the perversity of our hearts. And unless you send the one to bring salvation, to bring the one to intercede, Father, we are going to be lost. But there is good news, Father, that though you looked down and found none, you yourself came, taking up righteousness, taking up flesh, and bringing your righteousness and imparting that to us through your cross work, through your resurrection work.

2:36And so, Father, we come in the knowledge of your great grace this morning. On behalf of this church, on behalf of every individual here, Father, we bow our hearts and we ask for your mercy and blessing, forgiveness, and new life. Lord, on behalf of our nation as we face a very large and important thing. Week ahead. Father, we commit this to you. We pray that righteousness would prevail. Father, we know that it's not going to come about because of man or because of the scheming or machinations of man. It will come about because you inserted yourself, that you took pity and had mercy, and that you inserted yourself into our world. And so that is what we pray, Father. We pray for this country. We pray for your glory to once again be seen and proclaimed loudly and boldly. Father, may you establish righteousness in the hearts of this land to the end that you may be exalted. For Heavenly Father, we know that you exalt in your Son. That is what you delight in. So, Father, may our hearts also delight in your Son, and may you do whatever is necessary to bring that about in our land, in our hearts, in this church, and in everyone that's here today. For the great praise of your glory, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Good morning.

4:12Please turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 14. We'll be looking at some verses 21 through 28 today. Acts 14, 21 through 28. Yes, another introduction to Book of Galatians. I think we'll have one more after this. But I think you'll see why, as we go through, it's necessary to get an understanding of what took place in Galatia before we jump into the book or to the letter written to them. Good question to ask ourselves this week. I know the election is on many people's minds and hearts.

5:00The question is: what is going to triumph this week? What is going to triumph? The question is really not who is going to win the election this week, but what is going to triumph in this week's election. See, there's two very different ideologies with two very different visions for this country and the world that are in a struggle for supremacy. And one of them is going to prevail, at least in the short term. The question becomes: will a world envisioned by the Democratic platform prevail this week, or will a world envisioned by the Republican platform prevail?

5:50Well, this time next week, we'll have a much better idea. I would say by the end of Tuesday, you'd know, but these days, you know, it takes a little longer than that. That. But a more personal question to us today and to the body of Christ is: what role will you play in which ideology prevails? In this country and in this land, major decisions of government are vested in the people. We call it a right to vote.

6:29It's we, the people, that are intended to make the decision which ideology will prevail. The question is: how will you steward your right to vote, your gift to vote? Let me try to put it like this. I like pretty marbles. Let's think about it like this. I call it four cups in a pocket. It's going to be one of my misspeaks. Four cups and a pocket. Okay, so we in this land, you think about a right to vote, a privilege, and it's not just a right, it's a stewardship. Every one of you who are a citizen of this land, who 18 or older, have been given this. Privilege to vote and decide how our country is going to go to play a role. I've got these little ornaments. These aren't marbles, they're ornaments, and each one's different.

7:44And you will take this stewardship and you will put it in one of the buckets. One of the big buckets. Stay there. Big buckets. I just put these as like, you think about them as parties. I'm sorry, this isn't, this, you, can you see? You get the idea here. Where are you going to go? You're putting them in, and I'm thinking about God's people as having the right. Now, some, there's other, I recognize there's these other little parties in the past. There's secondary, tertiary parties that really aren't up for winning, but they are, they represent some ideologies, and people will some. But you can see what happens at the end of the day is that some of these, one of these two big ones, is going to prevail.

8:48Now, I call this, so you're going to either play a role directly by voting in one of these, or you're going to put your vote in one of the left. ones with really no expectation of really prevailing but maybe making a statement or whatever then there's another place where you might put your vote and that's in your pocket not really show up and it's considerable there's a considerable amount of people that are going to do that they're going to take this privilege to play what small role they have in impacting or affecting which ideology is going to prevail in this country and they're going to put it in their pocket and but let me tell you something as you as you i think it's evident regardless of where things end up at the where regardless of where people put their votes it comes down to these two and which ideology is going to prevail it's not who's going to win so much as what ideology and so it's a privilege for you to steward what god has given us and to help this country make a decision about what is right and good Don't expect them to figure it out without your participation. I encourage you to vote.

10:43Help them choose what is better. Yes, I realize it's not ideal. I mean, how many of you would like to say, I'm tempted to write in Jesus Christ as Lord and President? Yes, yes, I am tempted to do that, but not just tempted. He knows I want him to rule and reign. But we need to play a role. It's a stewardship, and you will play a role in the outcome. You don't get around it. If you put the vote in your pocket, you play a role in the final outcome, and you will be responsible for how you steward this little part of the government of this land. You don't get around it.

11:41So I hope you will help this country. If it doesn't hear from the people who know the difference between right and wrong, God help us if we don't speak. But as important as your right to vote is, there's something far more valuable that has been entrusted to us, and that is the gospel. And friends, it will triumph. I don't know what's going to happen this week. I don't know what ideologies are going to take hold in this land or going to get a boost this next week, but I do know that the gospel has guaranteed to triumph.

12:38Why is it that we've got the name Galatians on the board up here? Why are we still talking about this little short letter that was written to a few little churches by some Jewish rabbi 2,000 years ago? Why are we still talking about it? Of all the documents of antiquity, why has this one had so much impact on the world and Western Christianity, Western society? Why has this little book had so much impact with all the other documents from antiquity? Why?

13:19Why is this one? Why are we still talking about it? It's because it communicates the gospel. And not only does it communicate the gospel, it clarifies it. The gospel. And so here we are, 2,000 years later, still very much interested in the contents of this little book. Kingdoms have come, kingdoms have gone, but we're still talking about the words of this Jewish rabbi, Paul. Because he communicates the gospel and he talks to us about where true renovation happens. Where does true renovation of society happen? It happens in the soul. True renovation of the soul.

14:09It's the good news of God's grace, is what truly changes souls and society. And so the question becomes to us: this steward, the gospel has come to us. How will we, as individuals, how will you take in and steward the gospel that has been given to you, that is for you and given to you? And how will we as a church steward this precious resource that has been entrusted to us? Well, welcome back to Galatia. Paul's first missionary journey. You know, there's Tarsus up there on the map. That's where Paul was born. Church forms in Antioch after some. Years later, and that's where the first missionary journey begins. This is Acts 13. This is where the gospel begins to go out from not only from Judea to Samaria, but it's here in chapter 13 where it begins to go to the ends of the earth.

15:20That first missionary journey. And so, you see, Paul's missionary journey goes through the island of Cyprus up into the region of Galatia at Pisidian Antioch. We followed his path. There he is in Pisidian Antioch, in Galatia. And then he goes into Iconium, Lystra, and Derby. And that is where that gospel of grace went. And it was communicated. What was the message of the gospel of grace? Christ crucified. God has made a way for your sins to be forgiven. Christ resurrected. His life granted. New life imparted. Christ exalted. Now you have a purpose for living.

16:10Sins forgiven, new life imparted, and a purpose for living that excites your heavenly Father. He delights in the Son. And our fellowship with the Father is in delighting in that which He delights in. Who He delights in? Jesus Christ. That's the message of Galatians. That's the gospel. Christ crucified, Christ resurrected, Christ exalted. And then last time we looked at this opposition that rose up against God's grace in Galatia. You remember, it was instigated by jealous Jews. You remember that? They repudiated the message. They didn't like this idea that Gentiles could just be welcomed into these synagogue areas and really more so welcomed into God's blessing without going through all the labors and works that they had done and were doing. And so they repudiated this message of grace and they blasphemed God in the process. And they opposed. They opposed the gospel. How did they oppose the gospel? Well, they contradicted it. And that's the way opposition still happens today. The lessons that we learn in Galatia are still very much alive and happening today. Opposition comes by contradicting the gospel, number one, or by persecuting the messengers. And that's exactly what happened in Galatia. And this persecution took the form of persuading prominent citizens, leaders, and the masses to turn against Paul and the messengers and to harm them, push them out. And that's what they did. It's clear that Paul and Barnabas, as we saw last time, suffered greatly in Galatia. And yet, as we looked at the people, Today, in spite of all of this opposition, God's grace triumphed in Galatia. Their suffering wasn't in vain. God's grace triumphed. And that's what I want to look at this morning: the evidences how God's grace triumphed in Galatia. So we'll look at that this morning, then summarize this pattern. And we'll finish this first missionary journey this morning, and then we'll be able to put it into retrospect what happened on this first missionary journey and this pattern for missions that God established through Paul and Barnabas. So I want you to see this gospel. See how the gospel overcame the opposition in Galatia and see this triumph so that you'll let it triumph in your heart. This gospel, first of all, let it triumph in your heart. Let it triumph in your home. And let it triumph in your work. Let it triumph wherever you let, but it starts with: you've got to let this grace, sins really forgiven, new life really imparted, and the purpose and the beauty and the honor to be able to exalt the King of kings with a few words. Days that we have on this earth. What a privilege. So I want you to see this. First of all, I want you to see that the triumph of God's grace in Galatia is seen in that many disciples were made in Galatia. Now, come to chapter 14, verse 21. Let me just go ahead and just read those words all the way to verse 28. So we get an idea of where we're going. Verse 21. After they had preached the gospel to that city, speaking of Derby, you remember Paul had just gotten beat up, stoned, left for dead. After that, they had preached the gospel, verse 21, in 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, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Atalia, and from there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent A long time with the disciples.

21:04So, the first line of evidence that we can see that God's grace triumphed in Galatia was that many disciples were made in Galatia. In fact, already in every city where Paul evangelized Paul and Barnabas, there were those who responded positively. There were those who responded negatively, but there were those who believed and had faith and they became followers of Christ. You remember in Pisidian Antioch, chapter 13, 52 says this, and the disciples were continually filled with joy in the Holy Spirit. So there in Pisidian Antioch, disciples were made. In Iconium, chapter 14 and verse 1, they entered the synagogue together and they spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed. So fruitful ministry there in Iconium. And then they went into Lystra. And that's where, after being stoned, you remember they first wanted to worship Paul and then they wanted to kill him and thought they did. Verse 20.

22:10But while the disciples stood around him, he got up. So there he is. Even in Lystra, even after such a brutal stoning, there are disciples there. In every city, there are disciples. And then notice, then that's where we're picking it up. The next day, he goes to. To Derby. And in Derby, look at verse 21. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples. So there again, in every city where they went, they made disciples. And in Lystra, Timothy is going to be one of them. And they're going to come back and pick Timothy up. He's going to play a key role in the future spread of the gospel. But many were made. So despite all the opposition, the evangelistic efforts were fruitful. And God's grace triumphed in the hearts of many Galatians through their evangelistic efforts. So that's the first line of evidence. Another line of evidence of the triumph of God's grace in Galatia was seen in that many churches were established. Many churches were established. Now look at what happens in verse back to 21. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, then look what they did. They returned to Lystra and Iconium and to Antioch. So let's get back on our map. So what did they do? After they came to Derby and they had made disciples in all those places, city in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derby, what do they do? Verse 21, they returned to Lystra, Iconium. In Antioch. So there's a return. Do you see how they go back to these very same cities where they had evangelized and people came to Christ?

24:11That's pretty bold. Let's go back to Lystra. We just got stoned there. Let's go back. They had a reason. And their reason wasn't to go back and do more evangelizing. No, that wasn't their purpose. Their purpose this time was to strengthen and organize the disciples that had already been made. And that's what we're going to see in the following verses. This is an effort to plant churches. He goes in and evangelizes. They come to Christ. Now he's going back to establish churches.

24:46And so you're going to see this, how he does this. How many these many churches were established? Look at verse 22. First of all, through instruction. Look at verse 22, strengthening the souls of the disciples. Strengthening. The idea of strengthening here is to build up, to cause to stand, to be firm, strengthening them in the faith. That's what he's doing. Strengthening them in the faith. The very same word, just in the next chapter, in chapter 15:32, speak of Judas and Silas. And they encouraged, in verse 15, 32, it says this, they encouraged. And strengthened, there's the word, the brethren, with a lengthy message. So a lengthy message is what strengthened them. So if I go long today, it's about strengthening y'all.

25:46But here's the point: instruction, strengthening the souls in the faith. That's what they're doing, in strengthening them, causing them to be firm. Now, notice, notice what they're strengthening: the souls of the disciples. The emphasis is upon the people. Paul's not coming along saying, you know what, we need a good building campaign here because you need a nice place right here. And if you can get it into a nice, you know, high visible area and that kind of thing, then you need these programs, and then you're like this, and then you've got this category of people. And if you really want to grow the church, here's a couple more pointers. None of that. He's focusing on the people, strengthening the souls of the people. There needs to be a mechanism, strengthening the souls, and how they're going to relate to one another. Think about what's taken place. He's been driven out in every city he's gone into. There have been believers made, and now they're going to have to stay there and live and carry on the faith in a place that's very hostile. So they had to. Instruct them in the faith. Establish them more. There's a second element that's related to that, and that's exhortation. Not only did the instruction, what's their instruction, but there is exhortation. Look at verse 22: strengthening the souls of the disciples. And then here's the word: encouraging them to continue in the faith and saying, through many trials we must enter the kingdom of God. Again, what is the idea of exhorting somebody? It's to come along their side, to empathize, to comfort, to encourage, to exhort. And you think about what Paul's done. He's going back to those cities where there had just been all this horrific treatment, and now you've got disciples, and he's coming back to them to comfort them, to strengthen them, to establish them, and to motivate them to stand firm. You've begun in the faith, now continue in the faith. You can see it there. Encouraging them to continue in the faith. And this is going to be a very important concept when we come to the book of Galatians and really get into it. Because that's it. It's not only do you begin in faith, you continue in the faith. And there's going to be those forces that oppose both junctures.

28:23Not only did they teach them about the faith, instruct them in the faith, but Exhorted them to continue, to keep living, to persevere in the faith. That's the idea. They were brought into the good graces of God by faith alone, and they were to continue in the good graces of God, not by going back to the Mosaic law, but in faith alone. And inevitably, as Paul pointed out, this is going to involve tribulations. Tribulations. That's difficulties, pressures, sufferings. And just think, they had already had a living illustration of what those tribulations would look like. Paul just experienced them all.

29:19And this, again, is going to be one of the major exhortations of Galatians. Now, Paul is not saying that we must enter the kingdom of God or earn entry into the kingdom of God by suffering. No. But what he is saying is that while we wait for that coming kingdom, we are to expect tribulations. Those who are born from above are going to experience tribulations. Because of the word. In fact, Paul is later going to say in 2 Timothy 3:12, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And it's interestingly enough, as he's writing to Timothy in that verse, he's referring to Lystra, Antioch, Iconium. He's saying, Timothy, you remember, at that very last juncture when Timothy is himself waning in the faith, and Paul writes to encourage him. Paul's last letter, really to encourage him, he reminds Timothy, you're going to be persecuted. It's okay. You watched me be persecuted, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Jesus said something very similar: Blessed are you when people persecute you because of me.

30:55In John, Jesus said, In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world. So it's suffering, expect tribulation, expect difficulties, expect sufferings and pressures as you wait the Lord's return. So there was instruction for these churches, there was exhortation for these churches, but there was also indigenization for these churches. We'll talk about what is that. Look at verse 23: when they had appointed elders for them in every church. Having prayed with fasting, what is appointed to choose? What are they doing? They're taking local leaders, local individuals who came to faith. And Paul and Barnabas are appointing them, choosing, installing them as elders, masculine, plural, elders in every church, church, feminine, singular, in every single church, leaders, multiple ones. Notice what they didn't do. Notice that Paul and Barnabas didn't appoint one leader over one church, nor did they appoint multiple leaders over multiple churches. There was no pope, no presbytery.

32:25Very important to point that out. They were autonomous, each one. And one of the ways that Paul and Barnabas come back and to help these new communities that have embraced the faith, they come and help them continue in the faith by organizing them under local Indigenous leadership. And notice that they did it with prayer and with fasting. Look at that. Having prayed with fasting, verse 23. They appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting.

33:09So to Paul and Barnabas, who you put in the leadership was no small decision. It was a matter of great importance and dependence upon the Lord. And so they prayed with fasting, thinking through. You see, this wasn't some good old boys' club. Nor was it just a matter of a personal choice. Well, I think he's a swell guy, or I think he's. No, it was going to the Lord, fasting, praying, Lord, we need your men for this task, because these communities aren't going to last unless we have the right men in the place. No doubt, these men had to be of genuine faith, unassailable character, and willing to suffer for the faith and for the flock, just like Paul had.

34:13Men who are genuine of faith, unassailable in character, and had a willingness to suffer for the faith. That's going to be necessary if these churches are going to continue in the faith. If these disciples, which are now in these little areas, They're going to continue. They need such leadership. It's interesting to note that even at this juncture, Paul saw it necessary. This is an infant community, infant church, infant stage, and yet Paul saw it as necessary early on to establish leadership in these churches.

35:02Another element in this church planting process: not only instruction, exhortation, indigenization, but also accommodation. They commended them to the Lord. Look at verse 23. Having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. They entrusted them. Notice that. They just gave them over to the Lord. Lord, we're entrusting these men and this church into your hands. And the idea to commend is to entrust, to place before the Lord, put these in the Lord's hands, and they moved on.

35:45And it's very clear. Just think about if you're one of these new leaders who are installed there, it's very clear that these men were responsible and needed to feel their duty. Direct responsibility to the Lord Himself. There was no intermediary. These elders were to be responsible to the Lord for their stewardship of the faith and the stewardship of the body, and for that they would be held accountable. No bishops, no intermediaries, not even the missionaries were to head the church. Now, I find this interesting.

36:30Not even the missionaries were to be the head of the church at this juncture. Elders. It's clear that Christ was the head of the church. One commentator said it like this. If the first converts are taught to depend upon the missionary, if all work, evangelistic, educational, social, is concentrated in his hands, the infant community learns to rest passively upon the man from whom they receive their first insight into the gospel. Instead of seeking strength in the working of the Holy Spirit in themselves, they seek it in the missionary. And they put him in the place of Christ. They depend on him.

37:19See, early on, Paul didn't want these churches looking to him or anyone else, wanted these churches looking to the Lord and wanted. These elders and one of the elders to be looking to the Lord, relying upon the Lord for his power, his comfort, his strength, and upon the Holy Spirit's guidance. That's going to be necessary. But the triumph of the gospel in Galatia is seeing that these local churches were established. There was sufficient instruction. There were local leaders installed. And then the churches were commended to the Lord.

38:07You see, these little communities were to be lights, lights to their surrounding area, spiritual light. But they were also the place where the disciples would be built up in the faith. You remember, Jesus said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And that's what we see happening in Galatia. But it's in these little communities, which we call the church, is where Jesus' words would be passed on from one generation to the next generation. It's there where all that he commanded, his disciples, would be kept, retained, taught, and passed on. It's necessary for the fulfillment of the great commission for there to be these little communities established where those who come to Faith are then built up in the faith, and it continues from Paul's time all the way down to us today to grow up, to mature, to keep in contact with the Christ revealed in Scripture. And that's what we do.

39:22So you can see the triumph of God's grace in Galatia is seen in that many disciples were made in Galatia and many churches were established. Despite all the opposition, these things happened. Third, you can see that the mission team returned safely. Returned safely. Look back at verse 24. They passed through Pisidia, came to Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Atalia. From there, they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had accomplished. So here's the map. They come back from Pisidia and Antioch, come down to Perga to Atalia, all the way over direct fair, all the way back to Cilicia and then up into Antioch.

40:17But notice upon their arrival, look at what they did. They gathered the church together. Look at verse 27. And they gathered them together for the purpose of reporting to them. Look at. Verse 27, when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples. God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. The church was excited. The church had participated. And this is an epic changing moment.

41:02Because if you think about what has happened, the former mission to the nations, really, or the formal mission, when I say the formal mission, really gets started here in chapter 14. Formal mission to the nations, yes, you've already seen Peter down in chapter 10 with Cornelius going to Gentiles, Philip to an Ethiopian in Samaria. You see those elements. But here the gospel goes forth from a local congregation, Antioch, Jew and Gentile, very mixed group, going forth into the territories of the nation. And it's important to understand that Gentiles had always been welcome to the faith. That's not an issue. Even under the Mosaic law, remember Rahab, you remember Ruth, laws about those who would convert and come. But the point up until This point is that they had to become proselytes.

42:05And the epic-changing moment of the gospel, this gospel of faith that the church in Antioch is so celebrating, was that God had opened a door to the Gentiles as Gentiles. They didn't have to come under the Mosaic law to come under the good graces of God. That was new in these proportions. And that's what they are celebrating. Now, the triumph of the gospel of grace is also seen in the edification of the sending church and really the glorification of God.

42:55I'll talk about that here in just a moment, but you can see in this moment that the church is edified. I'll go back there. The church is edified. They hear the news, hear the reporting. They commended Paul and Barnabas to the work, and now they had come back and they were getting a report. And so they were celebrating and glorifying God. One more aspect of this triumph of God's grace in Galatia is seen in that Christ's pattern for missions was illumined.

43:31Christ's pattern for missions was illumined. Now we can summarize what took place. What I mean by that is: okay, yes, Christ had given the great commission to go into all the world to make disciples of all the nations and teaching them to obey everything that he had commanded. Now, what did Christ have in mind? What does that practically look like? He commissions it in the great commission in Matthew 28, but here we see it actually fleshed out on a real mission trip of how Christ envisions that this gospel is going to go throughout the whole world. And so we have God's pattern for missions. It's kind of a summary, Christ's pattern. And so I want to just real quickly just summarize this whole two chapters of what this first missionary journey looks like. First of all, Christ's mission, pattern for mission, involves co-mission. Co-mission. God wants local churches at the helm of global missions. Don't ever set that aside. Acts 13:2, you remember while they were ministering, this is the people, the elders ministering to the Lord and fasting there at Antioch in Syria, Syrian Antioch. While they were ministering to the Lord, And fasting, Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

45:14God wants churches involved, not just loosely connected, but involved and involved in a very important role, and that is at the helm of it. He wants them recognizing the missionaries, he wants them recognizing the importance of the missionary endeavor, and then he wants them sending missionaries to the work. Friends, parachurch organizations are not churches, seminaries are not churches, mission agencies are not churches. Yes, there may be a role that they play in this great commission, but they are not the ultimate one. We have a lot of self-proclaimed missionaries going out today that no church didn't envision the mission that they were on, they envisioned it, and then they go and start calling themselves a missionary and raising support without this process of a church over them recognizing them as missionaries. And yes, you may be partnering with certain different mission agencies, but oftentimes we get that started. We go to the mission agencies. And then we try to find a church that'll get on board. That's not how it happens here. It is to begin in the church, mission endeavors, and the church, and there's reasons why we partner with parachurch organizations who are doing work in missions. We do that. It's not a downplay. The IMB is not a church, it is a collaborative mission agency. The TMAI is not a church, it is a collaborative mission, and there's purposes for that. But it comes out of a vision that the church is to be commissioning the missions.

47:09Another important element: evangelism. And then evangelism is to go forth. The message: Christ crucified, Christ resurrected, Christ exalted is to be proclaimed to all people and all people groups without distinction. It is to go forth. And the goal of such proclamation is to bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ through the preaching of the Christ so that they may grow up in the faith. And it no doubt involves baptism. Third, instruction. Instruction. And the goal of this phase is to build up the church. The instruction isn't just some transfer of a body of knowledge, like a doctrinal statement. Here, this instruction is about getting you to. To sign on the dotted line. You need to get these components. It's not just that. It's about coming under the exhortation of the Great Commission to learn all that Jesus taught and said. That's the corpus of that instruction, and very closely related to the next exhortation. It's instruction for the purpose of embracing, obeying, and carrying it out, continuing in it.

48:33You see, the effort involves teaching, comforting, equipping, and all other means of exhortation for the building up of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:12. And an exhortation to continue in the faith. You're going to face challenges of all sorts from all sides. Overcome them. How do you overcome them? By continuing in the faith. Continue. Hold that precious treasure. That's what's been entrusted to us. The words of faith. The gospel. Hold on to that. Keep walking in it. Keep encouraging others. Another pattern element in this pattern of Christ's for missions is indigenization. This is raising up local leadership. That was a core part of Jesus' vision for the gospel, advancing through. The whole world.

49:33Communities of light organized under godly men who embrace the message of God's grace. You don't even can't put people who've never been touched by grace at the helm of these churches. That seems silly. And yet, that is so what characterizes so much of the professing church today. People who do not know the Christ of Scripture, do not know the grace, haven't experienced God's grace, or have turned it into something completely different than what the Bible speaks about. And that's what the book of Galatians is going to be all about: grace. Two extremes: there's works, and then there's libertine.

50:17Galatians is going to address both. Sixth element, Christ's pattern for missions, is accommodation. Paul is going to commend leaders, and in fact, you can see it in Acts 20, 32, Paul will commend the elders of Ephesus to God and to the word of his grace. After all the years at Ephesus, in Acts 20 and 32, he's going to finally make his final meeting with them in Acts 20 and verse 32. He's going to commend them to God and to the word of his grace.

51:00So, such men that are commended to the Lord to keep the gospel, they're responsible for the well-being of the church, responsible for the purity of the gospel. They understand who owns the church, and they understand they will give an account for how they stewarded the words of faith and the people and souls that God brought in to their care. Each church is to be autonomous, but each church is to be accountable. Seventh element of this pattern is edification. Edification for the sending church.

51:44Missions reporting is necessary, friends. It's necessary as we engage in missions, whether those missions are local or whether they're abroad. Reporting is very necessary, and I think that's something that we often fail to do here at this church. And I'm to blame and large for that. But reporting isn't just about fundraising, it's about edifying the church. Because we're all in this together, whether it's a mission here locally, we're part of that. And we need to hear from our mission leaders and those in the team, whether it's Pioneers, or whether it's Praise Jam, whether it's Elm, whatever ministry, whether it's PGM, whatever is going on, or whether it's Honduras, or wherever it is, we need to hear what's going on so that we can be edified, because that's part of what we're doing as a body.

52:51And so that we can glorify God, who is behind all this work, continually right through the ages, making disciples and transforming them into His image. And so all of our mission activities need to honor this pattern in some way. We may not be like Antioch. Maybe one day we will be able to send out our missionaries like to such a degree as they did. But we do send out. We can support those and work those who are involved in evangelizing and instruction and exhorting and raising up Indigenous leaders and committing them to the faith. Well, triumph of the gospel in Galatia is seen in many disciples were made, many churches were established. The mission team returned safely, and Christ gave us a pattern for missions. He illumined that place.

53:54Well, the gospel overcame in Galatia the opposition. Pray it will triumph in our hearts. True renovation of your own soul is going to begin right here with Christ crucified, Christ resurrected, and to be exalted in your life. True renovation of our society begins here. That's what's been entrusted to us. I want to know what the world, I know the world, much as we're involved in a big election season. We've got situations between two very different worlds.

54:44You have bad and better, not perfect. You have evil and good, but you don't have perfection. I hope you will be a good steward of your right to vote. Help lead this nation in righteousness. Help our nation do what's right, specifically as it relates to this election this week. And by the way, you are competent. 1 Corinthians 6:2 says, Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Verse 3, do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the matters of this life? Listen, if Christians bow out and throw away or bury their right to impact, even though it's small, and maybe feel insignificant, if you don't, you just give more weight to all the others.

55:52Listen, all the nations are dust. Isaiah 40:15 says, The nations are like a drop in a bucket, regarded as a speck of dust on the scales. Nations will come and go, but let's serve our nations. Let's help them endure in righteousness by calling them and reminding them of the biblical standards of justice and righteousness. Let us play our role. But there's something more important, and that is the gospel. Let us point them to the one who is perfect, to the one we can completely embrace, not just the lesser of two evils, but the one who is perfect.

56:47Many nations have come and gone since Paul, since he visited Galatia. And we don't talk about those nations anymore. In fact, we don't even remember the majority of them. History doesn't remember the majority of them, but we're still talking about the gospel that Paul preached. How will you steward the gospel? May it renovate your heart and my heart. And may the truth that it says about God renovate our society. And let us let the gospel triumph in our heart.

57:36Let the gospel triumph in our church here. And may we be like Antioch of Syria and long to see this gospel continue to advance because we are certain that it will. What are you going to do with this gospel? You have a privilege today to embrace and to communicate and to steward this gospel and everything you say and everything you do. And that's the most important thing about you. What are you going to do with this gospel? Let it triumph over your heart and let it triumph in your home and beyond because it certainly will. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we again bow our hearts. To you, thanking you for the truth of your word.

58:35Gracious gospel that overcomes all opposition and will prevail, will prevail in depth in the hearts of those who people and will in breadth, for it will collect the people and it will be prevalent upon the earth. We thank you for your truth. Thank you for your glory. In Christ's name, amen.