Passage: Acts 13-14 Speaker: Pastor Jon Kopp Series: Send Serve Steward
Speaker: Jon Kopp - As we enter our eighth year of ministry in Salt Lake City with an ever-expanding list of ministry opportunities before us, what should be the main business of Gospel Grace Church? Think for just a moment about how easy it might be for a church in our situation to begin to focus so much on maintaining what it already has going in the church that it misses what God wants to do out of and through the church. As I prepare to preach this weekend, it is my prayer that God's Spirit will use Acts 13-14 and the story of the church in Antioch sending Barnabus and Paul on the first missionary journey to remind us of gospel priorities, align our energies in gospel mission, and revive our hopes in gospel power. I think those are some of the primary reasons Acts is in our Bibles. John Piper, a pastor who served for over 40 years in the heart of downtown Minneapolis says it this way, “The book of Acts is a constant indictment of mere maintenance Christianity. It’s a constant goad and encouragement and stimulation to fan the flame of Advent—‘The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.’” May God fan the flame of gospel work at Gospel Grace through His word. Gospel work that isn't easy, but is always worth it. This Sunday is a break in our series through the book of Deuteronomy to begin an intermittent series of 3 messages to help prepare our church for what God has for us in the days ahead. Every few weeks, we will look into God's word for wisdom and strength as we send on mission, serve with our gifts, and steward what God has blessed us with. This weekend, we will gather around the book of Acts to see the gospel work of sending and going.