Commissioning Service for Grace Baptist Church

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

News of this reached the ears of the church at Antioch, or at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.

So for the whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. Then go down to Acts chapter 13.

We'll read the first five verses. In the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers. Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menean, those who had been brought up with 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. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.

John was with them as their helper. Well, as Pastor Jason said, if you're visiting with us today, this is a very important day in the life of our church.

Today we are having a commissioning service for Pastor Aaron and the Church Planning Corps group. But some of you might be asking, what is a commissioning service and why is it so important?

I trust to answer those questions this morning from the word of God. Now when someone is commissioned, they're authorized and charged to carry out an assignment of work.

We've all heard of the Great Commission, so let's begin there. In Matthew 28, 18 through 20, the Lord Jesus, just before he ascended back into heaven, is gathered there on the mountain in Galilee along with his 11 disciples.

And he gives them this commission. This was their mission.

This was their assignment. This was their work. This was their work. What they were supposed to be about. But it's our commission as well, isn't it?

For it extends, we notice, to the very end of the age. That's long after the last of the apostles has died and gone on to heaven. And so this is the ongoing commission for the church of Jesus Christ.

Notice just several things briefly about this great commission. Not everything, but just three points. First, it involves evangelism.

We are to make disciples. That means we're to find people who are not disciples of Jesus Christ. And by evangelizing them, we're to make them such.

We bring the good news to them. We preach to them and we pray for them. We witness to them and we pray for them. We invite them and we pray for them.

We love them and we pray for them until they too believe and become disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. It involves evangelism.

Secondly, involves going. Going into all nations. In other words, wherever sinners are found. That's where we go.

Now, some sinners are found next door. Some are found in the next city. Some in the next country and many more in the far-flung nations of the world.

But we're to be going to them wherever they are. Jerusalem. All Judea. Samaria. To the ends of the earth.

And thirdly, it involves churches being planted. These new believers are not to be left alone. But they're to be gathered together.

And baptized into local churches. Baptism is a church ordinance. It is the church that baptizes new disciples and then teaches them to obey everything that the Lord has commanded.

And by the way, everything that Jesus commanded includes not only just the Ten Commandments or the two great summary commandments of the law. But it includes this great commissioners as well.

Which means that every disciple of Jesus is to be taught to be involved in making other disciples. So what I want you to see is that this morning, our commissioning service is really just an extension of this great commission.

We're simply particularizing what Jesus here says in general. The very same elements can be seen. We are going.

Going to another city of Warsaw. We are going to evangelize sinners. And tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. So as to make disciples.

And we are going to baptize them and teach them to obey everything that Jesus commands. Thereby establishing a local church that they might in turn make other disciples.

So that's the great commission as it's heard from our from the lips of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's consider secondly the great commission in the mother church at Jerusalem.

The book of Acts is God's historical record of how the apostles carried out their assignment, their commission. Well, they started where they were in Jerusalem.

The promised Holy Spirit empowered them to witness. Speaking and proclaiming the good news with the result that people were being saved and being saved every day.

As many as believed were baptized and added to the church there in Jerusalem. Where they were further taught to obey all the commands of Jesus.

And it wasn't just the apostles who were witnessing. The rank and file believers were speaking the word of God boldly. Chapter 4 and verse 31 tells us.

And the number of converts grew to well over 5,000. And then persecution arose. Chapter 8.

Well, persecution arose. First, because Satan hates losing people from his kingdom to the kingdom of Christ. And so chapters, I think it's 3 and 4 and 5, we have the apostles arrested, imprisoned, threatened, flogged, and then released.

Chapter 7, we find Stephen is stoned to death. Even as he's giving a defense of the gospel, he's drug out of town and stoned dead.

And on that day, a great persecution broke out against the disciples of Jesus. Satan's top persecuting agent is a zealous man named Saul of Tarsus.

And chapter 8 and verse 1 of Acts says that all the apostles, all except the apostles, all the believers except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

So great was the persecution. The whole church was just scattered. But what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good.

And so verse 4 of chapter 8 tells us that those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. These are not the apostles. These are everyone except the apostles.

And as they're scattered wherever they went, they preached the word. They proclaimed the good news of the gospel. So here you are. You've been scattered out of your home church in Jerusalem.

And you've come into a new town. You're the new boy on the block. And somebody says, what are you doing here? And you said, well, we got chased out of Jerusalem. Why? For our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, what is so important about him that you would endure persecution rather than to renounce your faith? Well, let me tell you about this Jesus.

You see, I was a sinner under God's wrath. Because I had sinned, I deserved to be punished in hell forever. But God sent his one and only son, Jesus, into the world to die in my place.

And he bore all the wrath that I would have endured forever and ever. All of God's punishment for my sin. He took it. He died for it. And then God raised him from the dead.

And he's alive. And he ascended into heaven. I can't imagine ever forsaking him. He's my hope for eternal life.

I love him. And so, wherever they were scattered, you see, they were talking about Jesus. Why are you here? Well, it was a very easy lead-in to the gospel, wasn't it?

We're here because we're being persecuted by the Jewish authorities. Well, in this way, the gospel moved on out from Jerusalem.

And it crossed that cultural boundary line on into Samaria. Those half-breed Jews, the hated Samaritans, heard the gospel and many of them believed.

Because of this scattering and this witnessing of the church at Jerusalem. And then it crossed another boundary line. Gentiles, non-Jews, heard the gospel and believed.

So, what began in Jerusalem now extended into Samaria and into all Judea. And even into other nations and parts of the world as well.

Look at chapter 11 and verse 19 that was read for us. Some of those scattered by the persecution traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.

That's in Syria. Telling the message only to Jews. So, they're still preaching to Jews that they find in these places. But this is clearly outside of Judea. This is on into the nations.

Verse 20. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also. That is, Gentiles, non-Jews.

Telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. Put very plainly, they were talking about the Lord Jesus. And now they're talking to Greeks.

And verse 21 says, The Lord's hand was with them. Of course it was. That was the command he gave them. And now as they're fulfilling it, he had promised to be with them wherever they went.

And now his hand is with them. Such that we read that a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. Here in Antioch. Well, the church back in Jerusalem, here's the news.

Folks, Gentiles, Jews, people in Antioch have believed the gospel and become disciples of Jesus Christ.

So they send Barnabas, that son of encouragement, uniquely fitted to check it out. And when he arrived, he saw the grace of God and was glad. And he encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

And many more were brought to the Lord there in Antioch. And these new disciples were baptized. A local church was established where they would be further taught the commands of Jesus.

But who's to teach them? Well, by now, Saul, the arch persecutor, had himself been converted. And he's already proved to be a helpful defender of the faith.

And so Barnabas runs off and finds Saul and brings him to Antioch. And the scripture says that for a whole year they met with the church. This new church that's just been founded.

They met with them. And they taught great numbers of people. And here, believers in Jesus were first called Christians. So how was the Great Commission carried out by the mother church at Jerusalem and the apostles?

The pattern that emerges from the book of Acts is this. Christians preaching and witnessing the gospel to sinners everywhere are used to bring others to faith in Christ.

And these new disciples are baptized and gathered into local churches. If there was no church there to begin with, a church was founded and established where disciples were further taught to obey all the commands of Jesus.

Especially his great commission, his last command. Which is to be his witnesses. And to go out and to make disciples of all the nations.

And to establish new churches and baptize and teach. And so on. So the Great Commission is all about Jesus Christ building his church.

One disciple at a time. One church at a time. And all through the bold, spirit-empowered witness of believers to the gospel.

Now we see this same pattern in the church at Antioch. So we come to the third point. The Great Commission in the daughter church at Antioch.

We've seen the mother church at Jerusalem. How they fulfilled the Great Commission. Now we study the church at Antioch. And how it fulfilled the Great Commission. Remember, the church in Antioch is a church planted by the church in Jerusalem.

And it too becomes an evangelizing church. And it's not long before it becomes a sending church. And it's used to launch the gospel into further fields of darkness.

And make more disciples. And to start more churches. Now this church at Antioch was a great church to belong to. They had good ministers of the word.

But after one year, two of her best ministers, Paul and Barnabas, were sent off. They were sent on a mission. They were commissioned. They were given an assignment of particular work to be done.

Work of evangelism and church planting on new territories for the gospel. And we read that in chapter 13. The first five verses.

The Holy Spirit made it clear that he wanted Paul and Barnabas to be sent out. To proclaim the gospel and plant churches. And so after they had fasted and prayed.

They placed their hands on them. Authorizing them. And sending them forth. That was a commissioning service.

A commissioning service to the work assigned. As they committed them to the Lord. Now you can read the account of what follows in Acts. The next couple of chapters. You'll find they traveled hundreds of miles.

From one city to the next. And what we find is what they did. Wherever they went. They preached the gospel. They told people about Jesus Christ.

And they planted new churches. Into which they gathered the new believers. And then after some time. Verse 26.

Tells us that they sail. Of chapter 14. Tells us that they sailed back to Antioch. Back to Antioch. Where they had been committed to the grace of God.

For the work they had now completed. You see they were responsible to the church at Antioch. The church at Antioch had given them the assignment. You go and preach and plant churches.

They had gone and done so. Now they returned back to the church. To report on their assigned work. Their commission. So verse 27 says.

On arriving there at Antioch. They gathered the church together. And reported all that God had done through them. And how he had opened the door of faith. To the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time.

With the disciples. So the church at Antioch. Which is born out of the great commission. Of Jesus. Becomes a church committed to the great commission themselves.

Antioch's commissioning of Paul and Barnabas. Was just a part of the greater commissioning. From the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the same way.

Our commissioning today of Pastor Aaron. To this new work. Is just a particular application. Of this great commission. From our ascended Lord. So we've seen the great commission.

From the lips of our Lord. We've seen the great commission. As it was carried out. By the mother church at Jerusalem. We've seen how it was carried out.

By the daughter church of Antioch. Well number four. What does the great commission. At Grace Fellowship Church in Bremen look like? The great commission.

The great commission. At Grace Fellowship Church in Bremen. How will these chapters. Those chapters of the record. Read about us. You see the book of Acts.

Is not the end. Of the story by far. Further chapters are still to be written. In the fulfilling of the great commission.

I don't mean added to scripture. But in the record. In the historical record. Of the great commission. The last chapter has not yet been written. Many other chapters are being filled out.

Jesus commission is not yet completed. There's much of it. Left to be accomplished. At our general assembly. Of churches. This spring.

David Vaughn. A missionary to France. Reminded us that the God of the Bible. Is a God on a mission. He's on a mission. Of making. His name great among the nations.

By saving sinners all over this world. Drawing them to faith. In Jesus Christ. And that mission. Is expressed.

In Jesus. Great commission. The mission. That. That. That is on the heart of God. Was given words. When our Savior. Left this world.

And gave this last commission. To his people. This is the agenda.

For the church. In these last days. From his ascension. Into heaven. Until he returns again. This is what we're to be about. Go into all the world.

Preach the gospel. To every creature. The great commission. As David. Reminded us. Is not just one of the many activities. Of the church.

Rather. It is the activity. Of the local church. Living in this period. Of history. No aspect. Of church life. Is to be detached.

From this great commission. That means our worship. Is meant to proclaim. His glory. To fire our hearts. To make him known. Our preaching.

Should proclaim. The gospel. And should teach. Obedience. To all that Jesus. Has commanded. Our discipleship. Is meant to train others.

To give themselves. To the great commission. And to obey. All the commands. Of Jesus. Our prayer meetings. Should have this. As their grand. End in view.

Our deeds. Of compassion. And mercy. Should be. Pointing. To the great compassion. Of Jesus. Jesus. So that even. A cup of cold water.

That we give. Is to be given. In his name. Nothing we do. Our fellowship. Even should contribute. To the great commission. As the great commission. As we spur.

One another on. To witnessing. To evangelizing. To obeying. God. And his commandments. So do we. Grace fellowship.

Realize. What time it is. On God's calendar. Father. It's time. For making. Christ known. Among the nations. It's time. For making. The glory. Of God. Known.

In all nations. This nation. Included. This isn't. Jerusalem. This isn't. Judea. This is one of those. Other parts. Of the ends. Of the earth.

And it's come here. And we are to make. God's. Gospel. Known here. And in. All the places. Of the world. We are to see. That Christ. Is known. And Jesus.

Said. This gospel. Of the kingdom. Will be preached. To the whole world. As a testimony. To all nations. And then. The end. Will come. Pastor Jason.

Read the portion. In. In Luke 24. According to Jesus. All the. Old Testament. Is all about. The life. And death. And resurrection. Of the Messiah. One point.

Point two. It's all about. The preaching. Of repentance. And forgiveness. Of sins. In Jesus name. To all the nations. Point one. Is done. Point two. Is still going on. And when it's completed.

The end. Will come. Jesus. Will return. It will be the beginning. Of a new age. Sinners. Without Christ. Will go into eternal. Torments.

Believers. And disciples. Of Jesus. Will enter into. Eternal bliss. Do you understand. What time it is. On God's calendar. It's time to make his son known.

This is the most important thing. That is happening today. It's the final main event. Before Jesus comes again. Worldwide. Proclamation. Of salvation. In Christ alone.

Through faith alone. What is our privilege. Grace Fellowship Church. To have been saved by that gospel. And then. To have been given a part.

In this. Great. Commission. Of Jesus. In other words. Our lives are not left. To be wasted. On trivial. Nothings. But to be caught up.

In this greatest thing. This most glorious. This grandest. Work of God. In the world today. The great commission. Involves us here. Our witness here.

What we're doing. Here this morning. In sending one of our pastors. To Warsaw. With a group of family. To evangelize. And plant a church there. This commissioning service.

Is part of the great commission. It's part of Jesus. Building his church. So what. Chapters in the great commission.

Are yet to be written. Here at Grace Fellowship. Are we a church on a mission? Are we a church on God's mission? What about your life particularly?

Is it oriented around the great commission? Your finances? Your time? Your resources? Your prayers?

How much of your life. How much of your life. Is taken up with this grand. Glorious commission. Of our ascended Lord. This is an opportunity. This morning to.

Dedicate ourselves afresh. To this work. If no one in this church. Witnessed more than you did. How much witnessing. Would be done. If no one in this church.

Prayed for the extension of the gospel. More than you do. How much praying. Would be done. Let's confess. How easily. We have been distracted.

By the enemy. From. What God is about. In the world today. The last great event. Proclaiming Christ. And then he comes.

And the end. Arrives. Let it be. The main agenda. Into which we fill. All our other activities.

You say. But I got to do this. I got to do that. I got to do the other things. Well some of those things. You do have to do. But why not make those. Avenues. And areas. Into which you.

Make Christ known. Is that what they did? Wherever they were scattered. They proclaimed. The message of Christ. Christ. We're all gathered here. This morning.

We're going to be scattered. For the rest of the week. Some of you going to this job. And that place. And this school. And the other. And everywhere we're scattered. Let's be proclaiming. The word. Of the Lord. The way of salvation.

Through Jesus Christ. So that when Christ returns. He'll find us doing. What he's commissioned us to do. The great commission.

At grace fellowship. Church. Bremen. Well. What should we say. Fifthly. About the great commission. At grace. Baptist fellowship. In Warsaw. Well. That page is waiting to be written on too.

Isn't it? And may you. Brothers and sisters. Have the great commission. Branded. On your foreheads. So that everything you think about.

Will in some way or another. Advance the glory of Jesus Christ gospel. May it fill your vision. For what you're doing.

In Warsaw and beyond. And may it flavor your activities. As individuals. As families. And as a church. Together. So we've seen. That church.

Planting. Is a. Is an integral part. Of the great commission. And. It remains. For us. To speak a word about. What kind of church.

We're seeking to plant. In Warsaw. Now many things. Could be said on this point. The Bible is full of descriptions. Of the nature of the church. And her activities. Pastor Aaron. Has gone over much of that. With the core group.

On Thursday evenings. But I want to point out. Just three things. They all begin with self. And the first is. A self-supporting church. God's normal plan.

For children. Is not for them. To remain forever. Financially dependent. Upon their parents. There is a proper time. For them. To leave father and mother.

And to establish. Their own home. Independent. From their parents. Financially. Independent. Supporting themselves. If they're still coming. To your mom and dad.

For their lunch money. At 25. Something is wrong. And it's the same way. With the church. If the church plant. Remains financially.

Dependent. Upon the mother church. Then it will be. An unhealthy. Dependence. Upon the mother church. It's their responsibility. To meet the financial needs.

Of that church. And their minister. It was to the local churches. In the region of Galatia. That Paul writes. Anyone who receives. Instruction in the word.

Must share all good things. With his instructor. Galatians 6. To the church of God. In Corinth. Paul writes. Don't you know. That those who work. In the temple.

Get their food. From the temple. And those who serve. At the altar. Share in what is offered. At the altar. In the same way. The Lord has commanded. That those who preach. The gospel. Should receive their living.

From the gospel. And to Timothy. Who is leading. The church of God. At Ephesus. Paul writes. The elders. Who direct the affairs. Of the church.

Well. Are worthy. Of double honor. Especially those. Whose work. Is preaching. And teaching. For the scripture says. Do not muzzle the ox.

While it is treading. Out the grain. And the worker. Deserves his wages. All that to say. That. God intends. For. Each church.

To support. Their own. Ministers. That's the kind of church. We are intending. To plant. In Warsaw. A self. Supporting. Church. We will be helping.

Initially. But less and less. As we're. Wanting to see. That church. Growing up. And fulfilling. That responsibility. That is theirs.

Secondly. A self-governing. Church. A self-governing. Church. The mind of Christ. Is for each church. To be governed. By its own leaders.

Its own pastors. And elders. Others. This is the way. His sent ones. Christ sent ones. His apostles. This is the way.

They establish. Local churches. Wherever they went. They set up. Self-governing. Churches. It was. They did not set up. Churches. With a pope. Over all the churches.

In the world. Nor did they set up. A bishop. Who would rule. Over all the local. Churches. In some. Geographical area. Churches. Nor.

A mother. Church. Ruling over. All her daughter. Churches. That she plants. But rather. The apostles. Under the direction. Of Christ. Saw.

That each. Local. Church. Was governed. By certain. Members. Of that. Congregation. Whom the Holy Spirit. Set apart. To be pastors. To be shepherds.

Of that flock. So. When Paul. And Barnabas. Went out. And evangelized. And planted. New churches. They came back. A bit later. And. Made their way.

Back through. Those churches. That they had planted. Acts 14. 23. Says. Paul and Barnabas. Appointed elders. For them. In each church. And with prayer.

And fasting. Committed them. To the Lord. In whom they had put. Their trust. So these many churches. That they planted. Were not. To remain. Dependent. Upon the church. At Antioch.

For leadership. For decisions. For governing. For care. Far worse. Were they to remain. Dependent upon. The missionaries.

Paul and Barnabas. Rather. They were to have. Their own elders. Plural. In each church. Who would lead. And shepherd. The flock. Under.

Their oversight. And that's why. Paul. In writing. To his. Apostolic aide. Titus. Says. The reason. I left you. In Crete. Was that you. Might straighten out. What was left.

Unfinished. And appoint. Elders. In every town. As I directed you. Titus 1. 5. That tells us. That a group. Of Christians. Gathered together. As a church.

Without elders. As long. As they remain. Without elders. They have. Unfinished business. To tend to. Now it may not. Be wise. And prudent.

To appoint elders. Right away. In each situation. That's. Not what was done. In Crete. They did not. Appoint elders. Right away. It's not. What was done. By Paul. And Barnabas. On their first.

Missionary journey. But it was. Recognized. Right from the start. That a church. Without elders. Is a church. With unfinished business. An important. Unfinished business.

At that. So Paul. Leaves Titus. In Crete. To finish up. Business there. And to appoint elders. In every town. And so Titus. Has a list of qualifications. For anyone. Who aspires to be an elder.

Because we've got to finish business. And see that elders. Are established. In every town. And that's why Paul. And Barnabas. Revisit the places. Where they had gone. And gathered converts.

Together in churches. They returned. And encouraged them. To continue in the Lord. And they appointed elders. For them. In every church. Church. So for now.

Grace Fellowship Church. Will have the oversight. Of this church planting work. In Warsaw. It's an outreach. Of this church. It is under our governing. As elders.

And members. Here at Grace Fellowship. And though we believe. This situation. Is wisest. At present. Even at the outset. We want to say.

This is not the way. It should really be. In the end. It's not the way. It should remain. We're acknowledging. There's unfinished business. Here. That must be addressed.

At the appropriate time. When. That group. Of Christians. Gathered together. As a church. In Warsaw. Will have their own. Elders. To rule them. And will be independent.

From us. Kids. Parents. Set the bedtimes. And rising times. For you. While you're at home. But it's not a healthy situation.

To have a 30 year old man. Still depending upon. His parents. To get to bed on time. To get up on time. Those are kinds of things. That you are to be learning.

Now. Taking responsibility. For yourself. So that. Eventually. You can leave the home. And be a responsible. Citizen. Knowing when to get to bed.

And when to get up. And what to pack for lunch. And all the rest of the decisions. That mom and dad. Are now making. And in a similar way. God's plan. Is for each church.

To be self-governing. That's the kind of church. We're wanting to plant. In Warsaw. Self-supporting. Self-governing. And lastly. Self-propagating. Self-propagating.

Now. We see this in nature. God made plants. To self-propagate. So there's that milkweed plant. Growing alongside the highway. And it won't be long now.

Before it will dry. And. And. Pop open. And all that. Those seeds. In that seed pod. Will. Will come out. And. Each one.

Of those seeds. Will be carried on. A tiny little cotton. Parachute. To do what? To go plant themselves. Somewhere else. That's. That seed pod. Carries within it. All that is needed.

To self-propagate itself. Elsewhere. The church is like that. She carries within herself. The life-giving seed of the gospel.

To self-propagate herself. In other places. Wherever the gospel goes. It carries that life principle. Of God.

To bring to birth. Christians. Believers. And indeed. Churches. To stand. For the glory. Of the Savior.

So the daughter church. Is to grow up. And to become a mother church. A mother church. Who gives birth to. A daughter church.

Of her own. Antioch. Was a church planted. By those sent out. From the mother church. At Jerusalem. But then. It sent out. Men to evangelize.

And plant. Many other churches. In other places. So the biblical example. For us. Is that churches. That are planted. Should grow. And multiply. And give birth.

To more churches. Like it. That will in turn. Give birth. To other churches. And in this way. The kingdom of God. Will increase. The church of Jesus Christ. Will grow. And the great commission.

Will be fulfilled. A self-propagating church. Is a church. Where every disciple of Jesus. Is taught to make other disciples.

You say me. Yes you. If you know enough. Of the gospel. To believe. And be saved. Then you know enough.

To tell another. How to believe. And be saved. Even baby Christians. Can say to another. I once was lost.

But now I'm found. I once was blind. But now I see. Come see a man. Who told me everything. I ever did. Could this be. The Christ.

Remember that demoniac. That was. Set free by Jesus. From all those demons. Controlling him. He wanted to go with Jesus. Didn't he. Wanted to go in the boat. With him. And Jesus didn't allow him to.

Instead he said. Go home to your family. And tell them. How much. The Lord has done for you. And how he's had mercy on you. Can you not. Tell. Your family. Tell your neighbors.

Tell your friends. How much the Lord has done for you. And how he's had mercy on you. Yes. The church. Is to be a self-propagating church.

Because it's people. Are self-propagating. Witnesses. Witnesses. Of this life-giving message. The power of God unto salvation. That's what the gospel is.

I was encouraged just yesterday. To learn in the church in Rockford. Having plans. Set in motion. To begin in the new year. A church on the southwest corner of.

Chicago. 28 years ago. This church was planted. And here we are today. To send out another. Church planter.

To seek to start a church. In another place. A church that we pray. Will give birth. To another church. That will dispel. Even further darkness. That's the kind of church.

We're seeking to plant. A self-propagating church. And we pray that you will bear children. Much quicker than our 28 years. Here. Self-supporting.

Self-governing. Self-propagating. A great commission church. That's what we're describing. Pastor Aaron. What an assignment. What a commission.

Who is sufficient for these things. For you're not going alone. God has given you a suitable helpmate. At your side. In your wife. Receiver.

And treasure is God's gift to you. And you're taking with you. Mrs. Aaron. May you find even greater joy. As you labor together. Alongside of your husband. And you're taking with you.

A wonderful core group of families. To labor alongside you. Whose shared vision. And fellowship in the work. Makes the load much lighter. And whose love and prayers.

Encourage you to labor on. In the expectation of hope. And whose holy lives. Adorn the doctrines of God. Our Savior. That you preach. And demonstrate.

In a visible form. The power of the gospel. To transform lives. Core group. As you labor shoulder to shoulder.

Along with Pastor Aaron. May you lose your. All your lesser ambitions. To this great ambition. To this great ambition. Of the great commission. Oh but your greatest encouragement.

Brothers. That the Lord Jesus. Goes with you. In this very commission. In which he. Commissions his. Eleven disciples. He promised you.

His own powerful presence. To the end of the age. In this work. Of making disciples. And planting churches. I have all authority.

In heaven and on earth. He says. So now you go. You go everywhere. On earth. To all the nations. And you make disciples. And baptize. And teach them. And surely.

I am with you. Always in this work. Even to the very end. Of the age. I am with you. So knocking on that door.

To make that evangelistic call. I am with you. In the study. Preparing to preach this. Wonderful message of the gospel.

I am with you there. In that naughty business meeting. In which you're seeking to sort out. The problems in the church. Which you will have. I am with you. He is with you.

He who says. I will build my church. And the gates of hell. Will not prevail against it. He knows how to build churches. His. And. He has. He has power.

And wisdom. For you. Our brother. Your sufficiency. Is in Christ. Abide in him. As a branch. In the vine. Yes.

You're just a branch. But you're. You're united. To a. A fruitful vine. And the secret. Of your fruitfulness. Is remaining. Closely. Attached. To him. I want you to notice.

In verse. 26. Of chapter 14. Brother. Acts 14. 26. What was said. Of the commissioning service. For Paul and Barnabas.

This is after they've gone out. And fulfilled. Their. Commission. And they're reporting back. On the work. But notice what it says. About the commissioning service. From Italia.

They. That is Paul and Barnabas. Sailed back to Antioch. Where they had been committed. To the grace of God. For the work. They had now. Completed. In other words.

That their commissioning service. They had been committed. To the grace of God. The grace of God. Is the great difference maker. And. There's a fullness of grace.

In Jesus Christ. And from his fullness. You have received. Grace upon grace. And there's more grace. To be received. Indeed. This grace of God. Is. His favor. Acting for you.

His power. Working on your behalf. It's at work in you. And God is able to make all grace. Abound to you. So that in all things.

At all times. Having all that you need. You will abound in every good work. Yes. This work. Of church planting. It's to this grace of God.

That we commend you brother. In Grace Fellowship Church. We'd be a sorry lot. To send a group. A battalion of soldiers. Out to the front lines. And to fail. To send supplies.

May the Lord. Stir our hearts. As we are sending out. A battalion. To Warsaw. To evangelize. And plant a church. That we will plead. For every. Supply of grace.

For them. From that throne of grace. Where Jesus reigns. I wonder if you're. Unconverted here this morning. You just found yourself.

In this service. This is a strange service. You've never been in a commissioning service. Before. I want to. I want to ask you this. Have you seen at least this much.

The great extent. To which God goes. To bring the saving gospel. Of Jesus. To your ears. He sent his son. From heaven.

And now. He is sending his disciples. Into all the world. For what purpose? To get up. Side. Beside you.

And to tell you. About your sin. Your need to repent. And be forgiven. And it's all. Done. Through Christ. It's his perfect life.

That you need. To have a righteousness. In heaven. It's his. Death on the cross. That you need. To take away. The punishment. For your sins. And God. Has gone to.

All this. This activity. That we've talked about. Tonight. This great commission. This. This stirring up. Of people. To not just. Hold the message. To themselves. But to give it to others.

He's gone to. All such ends. To bring. Into your ears. The sound. Of the gospel. Of Jesus Christ. And will he do. All of that.

And you sit here. And yawn. And refuse. Christ. And his gospel. And go on. In your sin. Oh. Why will you die? Why will you not rather.

Turn. And live. Pastor Aaron. Come up at this time. To receive your commission. Pastor Bob.

And Pastor Aaron. Please join. As well. Pastor Aaron. Remains. An elder. At Grace Fellowship Church. But we are reassigning him.

To a new commission. We're releasing him. From his ministerial duties here. To labor full time. In Warsaw. Brother.

We thank you. For. Your service of Christ. Here. To us. Over. Some eight years now. For your labor. In the word. And in prayer. In evangelism.

And in shepherding. Our souls. We thank God. For the servant's heart. That we've sensed in you. That has shown us. Something. By the grace of God. Of the heart of our savior.

And we're now commissioning you. To spend. And be spent. In church planting work. In Warsaw. We charge you. To go on. Preaching. And teaching. The word of God.

In season and out. To evangelize the lost. And to baptize. And. And disciple. Those who believe. So as to establish. A church.

That is. Self-supporting. Self-governing. And self-propagating. To this end. We're ready to commit you. To the grace of God. To you then brother.

Receive this commission. From your brothers and sisters. Here at Grace Fellowship Church. By his grace. And his strength. Amen. Well let's pray together.

Our father in heaven. What is our. Blessedness. To have been saved. Out of our sin. Been brought over. To the side. Of our savior. And been given a part. In this wonderful work.

Of making him known. Forgive us. For all the ways. That we've been distracted. And work in us. Afresh. And give us that singleness. Of heart. And action.

For this great commission. We thank you. For our brother Aaron. And we thank you. For giving him a heart. For this work. We now ask.

That you would. You would come. And clothe him. With power. From on high. You would equip him. With everything good. For doing your work.

You would work in him. A burden. For the lost. And a corresponding. Zealous action. For their salvation. Fill him.

Lord. With that love. That brought. The savior. From heaven. To the cross. Make him. To be like Jesus. A true friend. Of sinners. Make his lips.

To overflow. With grace. To be a fountain. Of life. That will. Nourish many. Use him. Oh God. To turn many. From righteous. From sin.

To righteousness. From darkness. To light. And from the power. Of Satan. To God. Save sinners. Through his ministry. Sanctify the saints.

Build up your church. And oh. We ask. That you would establish. Another golden lamp stand. In Warsaw. That would shine brightly. To your glory. For many years.

To come. We realize. These are not small things. We're asking of you. But. But you are not a small God. You're the God.

Who is exalted. Far above the heavens. And so we ask you. Our great God. And father. To do immeasurably. More than all we ask.

Or even could imagine. We ask it through the merits. Of our savior. Even Jesus. In whose name we pray. Amen. Amen. I'm going to ask all of you.

Who are part of the core group. Who will be. Going with Pastor Aaron. To plant this work. To come at this time. To the front. And join him up here. On the platform. Right now. Just come on up.

We want to pray for you all. Brothers and sisters. We thank the Lord. For the shared life. That we've had together. For many years. And we want you to know.

That as you leave us. To start a work in Warsaw. We will miss you. We will pray for you. And we will look forward. To all opportunities.

That we have. To renew our fellowship. Together with you. Until he comes. Who has united us. And made us one. Forever. If that's your sentiments. Grace fellowship.

Say amen. Amen. Amen. Pastor Jason. Will lead us in prayer. Let's pray. Our heavenly father. We. Love you.

We delight in what you. Are doing through us. We delight. In what you. Are doing through this. Core group here.

Father. And father. We do thank you. For the grace. That you have. Exhibited in their lives. That you have displayed. In saving. And.

In calling them. Out of sin. And darkness. Into your wonderful light. We thank you. That you. Are in the business.

Of saving. And making. For yourself. A name. That is great. Among the nations. And that you have. Done that saving work. In their lives. And so we thank you.

For the grace. That you've shown that way. In that way. Father. We. Thank you. That you have made them. Willing. To say goodbye. To their friends.

To the. What they have known. And. To face things. That they. Are unsure of. And they don't know. Thank you. For their.

Courage. To do that. We know that. That is a work. Of grace. In their hearts. So we thank you. And we praise you. For that. We. Thank you.

Also. For their willingness. That they have shown. And. That they are showing. To love. Pastor Aaron. To support him. To support his family. We thank you.

That they have. Done. More than we have. Asked. In way of loving them. And. That kind of love. Doesn't come from.

An old. Dead heart. That only comes. Through your grace. And so we thank you. For that. And Lord. We ask you now.

That you would go on. Pouring out. Your grace. Into their lives. That. In every way. In all that they do. That you. Would have the glory.

Will you give them. More grace. To love. And support. Pastor Aaron. Will you give them. Grace. As they seek. To evangelize. The lost. As they seek. To fulfill.

The great commission. That you have given. To them. Will you help them. Not to hide. Their. Lights. Under the basket. In the dark.

Where no one could see. But that they would be. Brave. That they would be. Joyful. In the way. That they hold forth. The light of the gospel. Will you do that.

For them. And father. Now we pray. That you would establish. The work. Of their hands. Unless. You build. The city.

Lord. The laborers. Build in vain. And so. We do commit them. And all of their activities. To your grace. And we ask. That you would build.

The city. That you would build. Their church. That you would. Work. Marvelously. For them. And through them. For your glory. And father.

We pray. That in all things. That you would show. Your sufficiency. Just how. Overflowing. And joy. And love. And power. You are. And make that joy.

And love. And grace. And power. And everything. That they need. To overflow. Into their lives. And we do pray. That you would. Establish. The work. Of their hands. And we do ask.

All these things. Not in our own merit. Not because of. The works. Of our hands. But because of. Jesus Christ. And we ask. That you would. Hear us. And answer us.

Because of your. Covenant love. For us. In Christ. And so. We pray. All these things. In his name. And for his glory. In Jesus name.

I pray. Amen. Amen.