Michael Wells: Well, if you guys would go ahead and be seated, we're gonna jump in the word here.
Michael Wells: While you're uh making your way back, don't forget we are taking up a uh a missions offering.
Michael Wells: And for the local missions, it's gonna go to options now, lamp, mailbox club, and um lamp lunch.
Michael Wells: Lamp lunch.
Michael Wells: I knew there was four of them.
Michael Wells: And um, and so thank you guys for uh being so faithful to to give and to support, and uh we love what God is doing in our own city here.
Michael Wells: And uh while we're doing this, if you would turn to Acts chapter 11.
Michael Wells: And um, today is just one of those days it's like, Lord, I am just so excited what you're doing across the body of Christ and um just in the kingdom of God.
Michael Wells: How many of you guys know we serve a king?
Michael Wells: How many guys know that king has a kingdom?
Michael Wells: Okay, about five of you said that, okay?
Michael Wells: To be a king, you gotta have a kingdom, y'all.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: And in Isaiah, it says that that kingdom will never know decrease.
Michael Wells: It will always go forward.
Michael Wells: So no matter what is telling you going around your circumstances or what news source you're listening to, the kingdom of God is going forward.
Michael Wells: It is not going backwards.
Michael Wells: And for the last 7,000 years, it has not gone backwards.
Michael Wells: It has always gone forward.
Michael Wells: And as we're talking about the kingdom, the king has specific things that he's building, and one of them is called the church.
Michael Wells: Okay, I got one amen out of that.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: The king is building the church.
Michael Wells: And in Matthew chapter 16, it says, the gates of hell will not overcome and prevail against the church, which means that the church will overcome because the king of the church has overcome.
Michael Wells: And so he's made us overcomers.
Michael Wells: If Christ is for us, who can be against us?
Michael Wells: Romans 8 says.
Michael Wells: He's made us more than conquerors.
Michael Wells: And so in this church, there are supposed to be specific things.
Michael Wells: So a few weeks ago we talked about the DNA of a church.
Michael Wells: We talked about what are those things that are the very essence of what the church is and what it's supposed to be.
Michael Wells: And we're gonna go back to that for this week, and we're gonna be talking about what is the DNA of New Covenant based upon the DNA for the biblical church.
Michael Wells: And this is important in light of everything that we're doing today that we understand this.
Michael Wells: So, how many of you guys have ever had the privilege of building a house?
Michael Wells: Okay.
Michael Wells: Now, for some of you, when you raised your hand, there was pain in that memory.
Michael Wells: For some of you, there was joy.
Michael Wells: For some, and I would probably say 99.9%, it was not done in the timeline you had intended for it.
Michael Wells: Is that right, Don Gibbs?
Michael Wells: I'm sorry.
Michael Wells: Okay, and in that process, there were more decisions than you thought there were, and there were more little things and you probably got tired, and you were like, just get it done.
Michael Wells: Was anybody there?
Michael Wells: Okay, but I don't think any of you went to an architect and just said, build me something pretty.
Michael Wells: I want to spend a couple hundred thousand dollars on a home.
Michael Wells: I don't care what it looks like, you you just build me something pretty.
Michael Wells: I don't think anybody said that.
Michael Wells: Nor has God said that about his church.
Michael Wells: And in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul said, God has made me a master builder, meaning an architect.
Michael Wells: And so God has a blueprint for his church of certain things that it has to contain, of the ways that needs to be built in order to function.
Michael Wells: Because you build a house according to the function that you want in that house.
Michael Wells: You don't build a house and then you adjust your function to it.
Michael Wells: No, you have a vision and a purpose first, and you build according to that vision and purpose.
Michael Wells: Well, see, the kingdom has a vision and a purpose, and the church is part of that kingdom, and God's building the church with a function and a purpose in mind.
Michael Wells: So let's look at Acts chapter 11.
Michael Wells: So going up to this point, Acts chapter 2, the church was birthed.
Michael Wells: And in one day, 3,000 souls.
Michael Wells: They only counted the men at this point, not the women and children.
Michael Wells: So let's just say 10,000 people.
Michael Wells: About a week later, 5,000 more were added.
Michael Wells: So let's just say 12 to 15,000 more were added.
Michael Wells: And the church was just exponentially increasing.
Michael Wells: You want to call it revival, whatever you want to call it.
Michael Wells: It was crazy.
Michael Wells: And they started adding structure in the church.
Michael Wells: But then this thing called persecution began to happen in society.
Michael Wells: And the church suddenly was forced out of Jerusalem.
Michael Wells: So every member of the church carried their faith with them wherever they went.
Michael Wells: And you can see that in Acts chapter 8.
Michael Wells: One guy went to Samaria.
Michael Wells: He took the gospel message.
Michael Wells: He was a deacon, and then the biblical deacons are not what we would call deacons in most traditional churches.
Michael Wells: Deacon just means a servant.
Michael Wells: They were overseeing the food distribution so people weren't getting left out.
Michael Wells: Acts chapter 6.
Michael Wells: You can see that.
Michael Wells: And one of those deacons who was full of the Holy Spirit went to Samaria and started preaching.
Michael Wells: You know what he did?
Michael Wells: He started laying hands on people.
Michael Wells: The entire city got saved.
Michael Wells: Thousands came to the Lord.
Michael Wells: More were coming because news was spreading.
Michael Wells: So the church in Jerusalem was like, hey, we want to send some leadership down to make sure we steward this thing, not control it, but steward this thing so that the gospel can continue to go forward.
Michael Wells: So then persecution begins to hit there and they continue to spread.
Michael Wells: And they go to this town called Antioch, which is in modern-day Syria, just north of Lebanon.
Michael Wells: And this is where we're going to pick up in Acts chapter 11.
Michael Wells: So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen, you can read Acts chapter 7 and see Stephen being martyred.
Michael Wells: And he made their way to Phoenicia, which is modern-day Lebanon, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews alone.
Michael Wells: So I want you just see what.
Michael Wells: Remember at this point, Acts chapter 10, was Peter was the first one to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
Michael Wells: The Jews thought it was just for them.
Michael Wells: So they were only going to Jews.
Michael Wells: Verse 20.
Michael Wells: But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
Michael Wells: What was their message?
Michael Wells: Jesus is Lord.
Michael Wells: That's the gospel message.
Michael Wells: And it says, and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
Michael Wells: Now I need you to stay with me of what's going on here.
Michael Wells: Who was it that went and preached?
Michael Wells: Was it the professionals?
Michael Wells: It was the saints.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: This is something we gotta still break in our mentality today in a Western mindset.
Michael Wells: It is not the pastor's job to do everything.
Michael Wells: And I say that because I are one.
Michael Wells: But I say that more for you because your calling and your destiny is to be a priest of the Lord, to minister to him and minister to others.
Michael Wells: And you do it in your job, you do it in your neighborhoods, you do it wherever you're at, the gas station, Walmart.
Michael Wells: It has nothing to do with a local place of worship that we call a church.
Michael Wells: You were on mission with God.
Michael Wells: And all they did was preach the gospel, but they didn't withhold it from those that they had preference with.
Michael Wells: I need you to hear this.
Michael Wells: They broke the cultural boundaries of only going to Jews and they started to minister to Greeks.
Michael Wells: They started to minister to everyone.
Michael Wells: In a large number.
Michael Wells: What the Bible says, large number, you know what that means?
Michael Wells: A lot of folks.
Michael Wells: You just got a lesson in Greek.
Michael Wells: Large means a lot.
Michael Wells: Verse 22.
Michael Wells: And news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem.
Michael Wells: So they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
Michael Wells: So just like when Philip went to Samaria, the church sent Peter and John.
Michael Wells: Now the church sent Barnabas.
Michael Wells: And I think it's really interesting.
Michael Wells: They're not there for control, they're there to help steward what God's doing.
Michael Wells: Because how many of you guys know we need everybody to do this?
Michael Wells: Not one person can do it by themselves.
Michael Wells: And look at what it says.
Michael Wells: Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them with a resolute heart to remain true to the Lord.
Michael Wells: So here's something I need you to know.
Michael Wells: Grace should be visible.
Michael Wells: What do you mean?
Michael Wells: When we're in obedience, doing what God wants us to do, and I don't care if you're five-year-old or you're 55, every single person is in this.
Michael Wells: When you are obeying what God tells you to do, and you are speaking what he says to speak, loving who he tells you to love, serving who he tells you to serve, the grace of God will be seen.
Michael Wells: And it will awaken people.
Michael Wells: And what is grace?
Michael Wells: It is God's enabling power to do what he wants you to do.
Michael Wells: So we got grace to get saved.
Michael Wells: What was that?
Michael Wells: It was enabling us to believe on Jesus and get saved.
Michael Wells: We got grace for this life.
Michael Wells: We have grace for everything.
Michael Wells: And grace to become holy.
Michael Wells: Grace should always be tied to transformation.
Michael Wells: Grace isn't permission to do what you want and stay the way you were.
Michael Wells: Grace is the enabling power to become Jesus.
Michael Wells: But what I loved about this is that grace tore down barriers between ethnicities.
Michael Wells: Instead of building walls, it built bridges.
Michael Wells: That church became diverse and it became strong.
Michael Wells: It wasn't based on preferences, it was based on grace.
Michael Wells: And then it says concerning Barnabas in verse 24, he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
Michael Wells: Now read this last part.
Michael Wells: And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.
Michael Wells: Now let's go back to our Greek lesson.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: The first one says a large number was brought to the Lord.
Michael Wells: This one says considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.
Michael Wells: What's that mean in Greek?
Michael Wells: It means a lot more.
Michael Wells: Not just a lot, it means a lot more.
Michael Wells: So here's the point.
Michael Wells: I want you to see.
Michael Wells: The blueprint or the pattern that God has for us is that we network with others to steward the move of God.
Michael Wells: It is not about us, it's about the kingdom of God expanding.
Michael Wells: We are a part of the kingdom.
Michael Wells: The kingdom of God is not centered on us.
Michael Wells: The church is a part of the kingdom.
Michael Wells: And our job is to do whatever it takes to partner with whoever God brings us to go and expand the kingdom of God.
Michael Wells: Remember, the kingdom will not know failure.
Michael Wells: It will not know decrease.
Michael Wells: It will always expand.
Michael Wells: Why do we need to know that?
Michael Wells: What is God doing here?
Michael Wells: Why are we expanding?
Michael Wells: Because you guys are sharing your faith.
Michael Wells: You guys are partnering with the Lord.
Michael Wells: We're trying to obey Him as best we can, but we need one another.
Michael Wells: But guess what?
Michael Wells: I don't care if everybody comes to New Covenant.
Michael Wells: I want them to go somewhere because there's a kingdom here.
Michael Wells: And if it's here, great.
Michael Wells: We're going to steward them and help them grow.
Michael Wells: We're going to develop them and establish them.
Michael Wells: But they got to go somewhere.
Michael Wells: Because the kingdom is bigger than just the church.
Michael Wells: So let's go forward.
Michael Wells: Pick up in verse 26 with me.
Michael Wells: It's kind of an interesting verse right here in the middle of this.
Michael Wells: And it just shows what the Holy Spirit's doing.
Michael Wells: So remember, a large number, a considerable number.
Michael Wells: Let's just say thousands were getting saved.
Michael Wells: And then it says, and Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul.
Michael Wells: Now remember Acts chapter 9, Saul, who was the leader of the persecution of the church, who was driving people into jail, killing them.
Michael Wells: He was wreaking havoc on the church, had a drastic encounter with the Lord on the Damascus road.
Michael Wells: Now he became a servant of Jesus, gave his life and said, I believe you, Lord.
Michael Wells: Whatever you want me to do, I'll do.
Michael Wells: And people were a little leery of it.
Michael Wells: That dude that used to persecute us, you really want to bring him around?
Michael Wells: And this is what was going on.
Michael Wells: And Barnabas said, I'm going to go seek Paul in Tarsus, and I'm going to bring him back here.
Michael Wells: He had to have been led by the Holy Spirit to do it.
Michael Wells: But here's what is exciting to me.
Michael Wells: There was something at Antioch that Paul would supply.
Michael Wells: And there was something that was missing until his gift was there.
Michael Wells: So, church, going to church is not about your preference.
Michael Wells: Well, I like that worship leader.
Michael Wells: Well, I like that pastor, or I don't like that pastor.
Michael Wells: It is not about your preference.
Michael Wells: It is about you saying, Lord, use me to build and do what you want me to do.
Michael Wells: Where do you want me to go?
Michael Wells: And you stay for that season that the Lord tells you to stay and you serve.
Michael Wells: And you don't move until He gives you another word.
Michael Wells: If the pastor makes you mad, that's not an excuse to leave.
Michael Wells: Remember, I are one.
Michael Wells: It's just a matter of time.
Michael Wells: It's not if, it's just a matter of when.
Michael Wells: Going to church and being part of a local assembly is obedience.
Michael Wells: And there's something that assembly needs that you have for God to assign you to it.
Michael Wells: 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 18 says, God assigns the parts of the body where he wants them.
Michael Wells: That means there's something in you that is needed.
Michael Wells: And when the Lord says go, we hold people like this.
Michael Wells: We don't control anybody.
Michael Wells: We hold them with open arms.
Michael Wells: We just want obedience for what God tells you to do.
Michael Wells: This is what the church is built on.
Michael Wells: So he left for Tarsus to go look for Saul.
Michael Wells: And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.
Michael Wells: Now listen, and for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people.
Michael Wells: What did Paul and Barnabas do?
Michael Wells: They were faithful to steward the harvest God brought.
Michael Wells: The thousands that got saved, they taught for a year, met with men, with women, with families, in houses, in larger groups.
Michael Wells: They poured the foundation of the faith in them.
Michael Wells: And then it uses an amazing word here at the end of this chapter or this verse.
Michael Wells: And the disciples, okay, now need to understand, he's not talking about the 12.
Michael Wells: The 12 were all spread all over the world at this point.
Michael Wells: He's saying, all those who believed in Jesus and were following him, and a disciple simply means a learner.
Michael Wells: Someone who says, I'm going to follow you, Jesus, to learn not just about you, but to learn who you are so I can be just like you.
Michael Wells: That's a disciple.
Michael Wells: It says the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Michael Wells: Who called them Christians?
Michael Wells: They weren't calling themselves Christians.
Michael Wells: Scripture doesn't say that.
Michael Wells: The world was saying, you remind me of Jesus.
Michael Wells: The disciples weren't calling themselves Christians.
Michael Wells: Probably because they knew, Lord, every day I'm trying to be more Christ-like.
Michael Wells: And I'm not there yet, but God, I'm going.
Michael Wells: But the world looking at them because remember, grace can be seen?
Michael Wells: Man, I see Jesus on you.
Michael Wells: When I look at you, I see Jesus.
Michael Wells: Church, would the world call us Christians?
Michael Wells: Because they see Jesus, or would they call us Christians because of the things that we know we're we are known for being against instead of what we're being for?
Michael Wells: What's the point?
Michael Wells: Number two, the pattern, the blueprint of Antioch was for all believers to be formed into Jesus' image.
Michael Wells: Colossians chapter 2, verses 6 and 7 says that I'm being established, built up, abounding in Christ, which means there's a process you have to go through that you can't do yourself.
Michael Wells: You have to have somebody else walking with you, or a group of other people walking with you to call things out, to walk beside you.
Michael Wells: Hey, you're interpreting that wrong.
Michael Wells: That is not what Jesus would do.
Michael Wells: Or, hey, you're doing a great job.
Michael Wells: Keep going, keep going.
Michael Wells: God's doing this thing.
Michael Wells: It's encouragement, it's correction, it's life together.
Michael Wells: That's what the church is supposed to be.
Michael Wells: You cannot be established just on your own.
Michael Wells: You will get into error.
Michael Wells: Because there's things you can't see that God wants to do.
Michael Wells: When they called him a Christian, it wasn't a compliment.
Michael Wells: They were publicly mocking them because to the minds of the Greeks, Jesus was a radical who was so weak that he got captured and crucified.
Michael Wells: It wasn't a compliment.
Michael Wells: But to us, he's the power of God to salvation.
Michael Wells: He's the risen king who conquered death, hell, and the grave.
Michael Wells: To us, he's everything.
Michael Wells: All right, take your breath.
Michael Wells: We're getting there, okay?
Michael Wells: Look at verse 27.
Michael Wells: Now at the same time, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Michael Wells: So within the church network, there were trusted people who held the office of a prophet.
Michael Wells: And that means they were tested, they were tried.
Michael Wells: That means that they had authority by the leaders of the church as a whole, and they were held in regard.
Michael Wells: We still need prophetic voices today.
Michael Wells: There are still offices today.
Michael Wells: But it says they came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Michael Wells: Why?
Michael Wells: If you go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, you don't have to turn there, but this is for your reference.
Michael Wells: After Paul talks about spiritual gifts, then he spends 20 verses on what the body looks like and how we're to operate as the body.
Michael Wells: Then he goes in verse 27 and he says, first in the church are apostles, then teachers, prophets.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: Gifts of healing, gifts of miracles, gifts of administrations.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: It's not a hierarchy.
Michael Wells: Don't misunderstand the word first.
Michael Wells: It's an order of building a house.
Michael Wells: The blueprint is in the heart, in the mind of the apostle, the builder.
Michael Wells: The apostle Paul saying, I'm a master builder.
Michael Wells: The prophetic voice comes in and gives direction of what to hit when and what's critical.
Michael Wells: The teacher builds the structure for growth and life.
Michael Wells: The Holy Spirit fills the house with his power and with his miracles and with his presence.
Michael Wells: And then we begin to administrate so that all of us can live together and go.
Michael Wells: It's the process of building a house.
Michael Wells: And so Paul, as the apostle, came in, Barnabas, prophets came in, all these gifts were beginning to align because they were building the house at Antioch.
Michael Wells: And then it says this one of them named Abigus.
Michael Wells: Sorry.
Michael Wells: This one.
Michael Wells: Okay.
Michael Wells: One of them named Abigus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world.
Michael Wells: And this took place in the reign of Claudius.
Michael Wells: Now, let's be real.
Michael Wells: Half the church would label him a false prophet.
Michael Wells: I don't believe that.
Michael Wells: God wouldn't be negative.
Michael Wells: Let's be honest.
Michael Wells: How would we handle this?
Michael Wells: Lord, you sent somebody from another city to come to our city and to prophesy that this was coming.
Michael Wells: How many of you guys know the Lord says in Isaiah that He will tell us before He does what He does?
Michael Wells: So why?
Michael Wells: So we can prepare and align with it.
Michael Wells: And look at verse 29.
Michael Wells: And in proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.
Michael Wells: So what'd they do?
Michael Wells: They took up an offering.
Michael Wells: Today we're taking up the local missions offering.
Michael Wells: Why?
Michael Wells: For our city.
Michael Wells: Because is there a famine going on?
Michael Wells: Well, there's a famine of the word of God in people's lives.
Michael Wells: There's many things going on that we give what we have in order to take care of people so that they can do what God wants them to do.
Michael Wells: So what's the point?
Michael Wells: The pattern of God's house, the early church that we're supposed to build after, the blueprint, is that we accrue in order to bless others.
Michael Wells: It is not just for us.
Michael Wells: And so I want to give you a picture, like I like to do occasionally, is just throw up for you guys to be able to see some of our numbers.
Michael Wells: Okay.
Michael Wells: So you can see what our the tithe for this year up to the end of August.
Michael Wells: This is the tithe.
Michael Wells: You can see the expenses.
Michael Wells: You can see the margin, which we just call it the freedom that we have being in the black.
Michael Wells: Okay, we try to run our finances here as a church in a way to honor God and steward.
Michael Wells: But I need you to hear it.
Michael Wells: There is no financial security in an apostolic work.
Michael Wells: God is our security.
Michael Wells: When he tells us to give, we give.
Michael Wells: Even when it doesn't make sense.
Michael Wells: Our bank account is not the extent of our faith.
Michael Wells: Now, I'm gonna meddle here a little bit.
Michael Wells: Whatever the number is that gets you to quit trusting God, that's all he can trust you with.
Michael Wells: There's a friend of mine that tells me that and reminds me of that.
Michael Wells: I don't want any number to hold us back.
Michael Wells: But I want you to be able to see over here this thing called mission.
Michael Wells: So far, this is what we've given this year outside of us.
Michael Wells: Y'all see that.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: Is there anything special about it?
Michael Wells: No, it just means we're not being tight-fisted.
Michael Wells: And it means I want to see more digits in that number.
Michael Wells: Because just like what they did here, as they had means, they gave.
Michael Wells: As a church, what we have means, we give.
Michael Wells: So at this point, I want to ask the Israel team to come down.
Michael Wells: Tomorrow morning, 23 of us are leaving to go serve in southern Israel, about 30 miles from Gaza.
Michael Wells: And how stinking awesome was it?
Michael Wells: A week before we go, they sign a ceasefire during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Michael Wells: Y'all, God's doing something.
Michael Wells: And all of these people up here, including myself and my family, have given God our yes to go and to serve.
Michael Wells: And we're going to be gone for 10 days.
Michael Wells: We'll be back the evening of the 22nd.
Michael Wells: We leave tomorrow morning.
Michael Wells: And I just need y'all to pray for us.
Michael Wells: So if you guys would stand, I want to ask elders, former elders, anybody who wants to come around this group to come and to pray for and with us.
Michael Wells: Pastor Matt, we're or Josh, who is leading now.
Michael Wells: Thank you.
Michael Wells: Church, stretch out your hands.
Michael Wells: If you want to come lay hands on people, you can.
Josh Turner: You're faithful.
Josh Turner: God, and we humbly come.
Josh Turner: We humbly ask that you guide and direct the steps of every person here, that they would be right where they need to be, right in front of the right people at the right time, God, and you would grace them with the words.
Josh Turner: You're not going to grace them to go and not grace them with the anointing while they're there.
Josh Turner: And so, Lord, we just pray for the anointing upon every heart and every mouth and every hand that whoever they touch and whoever they speak to would be straight from the Lord to them, Lord.
Josh Turner: And so just put them in the right place at the right time in Jesus' name.
Josh Turner: I had this scripture here.
Josh Turner: Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead.
Josh Turner: I love how the Lord is going to really preface this thing and show you how powerful He is.
Josh Turner: May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
Josh Turner: Lord, it's all for your glory, and you've equipped every person here through the power of the blood of Jesus.
Josh Turner: Amen.
Michael Wells: The baskets have been taken back.
Michael Wells: So they're at the back wall now.
Michael Wells: The little boxes or baskets.
Michael Wells: Alright, if y'all would be seated, we got one more thing we need to do here.
Michael Wells: And we're going to continue on here.
Michael Wells: Alright.
Michael Wells: Go to Acts chapter 13.
Michael Wells: Flip one page over from chapter 11.
Michael Wells: The end of it.
Michael Wells: So they took up an offering and they sent it through Paul and Barnabas in the end of chapter 12, verse 25, says that as Paul and Barnabas completed their mission, they returned to Antioch.
Michael Wells: And just as you guys have invested in that Israel team, we're going to come back having fulfilled that mission, literally going to Jerusalem like what they did, and we're going to be able to come back and share with you the things God has done.
Michael Wells: And so on that note, it's something that I just I want to thank you guys for trusting us.
Michael Wells: It's a weighty thing to be sent out from a group to go minister behalf of others.
Michael Wells: And thank you for investing in us.
Michael Wells: Thank you for trusting us.
Michael Wells: It's an honor and it should never be taken for granted.
Michael Wells: So chapter 13, verse 1.
Michael Wells: Now there were at Antioch in the church that was there, prophets and teachers.
Michael Wells: Remember, go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
Michael Wells: Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Menaeon, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul, verse 2.
Michael Wells: Let me see where I'm at.
Michael Wells: While they were ministering to the Lord or serving the Lord with fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work that I've called them to.
Michael Wells: Then when they had fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and sent them away.
Michael Wells: So the first thing we need to know about a church that God's building, and we can't go over it too quickly, is that the pattern is for us to minister to God and make room for the Holy Spirit.
Michael Wells: They ministered to the Lord first.
Michael Wells: He gets priority.
Michael Wells: So you notice recently we've changed our service structure so that we can give ourselves to this.
Michael Wells: Is Lord our jobs to minister to you and go where the Holy Spirit's telling us to go?
Michael Wells: And we're not restricted to a time and a plan.
Michael Wells: And this is what we're we've changed the structure for.
Michael Wells: But then it goes and it says, When they had fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and they sent them away.
Michael Wells: So the next point that a church that is built according to the blueprint that God has for the church is that we send people to their assignments.
Michael Wells: Our job is not merely to gather.
Michael Wells: So what's your assignment?
Michael Wells: What is it that the Lord has brought you here for?
Michael Wells: Some of you will minister to the nations going on trips.
Michael Wells: Some of you will minister to the nations right here in Valosta.
Michael Wells: Some of you will minister at Walmart, at the gas station.
Michael Wells: Every one of us are on assignment at the golf course.
Michael Wells: I don't care where it's at, we're all on assignment.
Michael Wells: We're all called to minister.
Michael Wells: And so I want to play for you a prophetic word.
Michael Wells: It's about three, three, four minutes long here, of what God has spoken over this body.
Michael Wells: And this was two and a half years ago.
Michael Wells: And I want you to listen to it and be reminded of it.
Michael Wells: Can you start the video for me?
Julian Adams: In this season, the Lord is giving you a wineskin for revival, reformation, and renaissance.
Julian Adams: And it's not one or the other, it's all three and some.
Julian Adams: And God wants to encourage you, you're going to achieve more by accident than you ever will on purpose.
Julian Adams: So don't stress the small stuff.
Julian Adams: Because in this next season, there's going to be a holy visitation on this church.
Julian Adams: That will become a habitation for his glory.
Julian Adams: That this will be a resource incenter that people from all over the region will come.
Julian Adams: I feel like God's going to release even some schools to you.
Julian Adams: I feel like there's even some residential training facilities that the Lord wants to unlock on this church, on this premises, so that people will come and be trained for the nations.
Julian Adams: The Lord wants to save you there is going to be a multiplied dimension of church planting that is about to come from you.
Julian Adams: That will not cost the local church, but it will resource many churches.
Julian Adams: I feel like in the last season, the cost is always being at the local level for apostolic ministry.
Julian Adams: But in this season, like Jeremiah, you will prophesy from the courts of the king.
Julian Adams: People will come to you because of what he's going to do through you.
Julian Adams: And God's breaking a season of limitation over both of you that we're just small town folks giving up in.
Julian Adams: No, you are international influences.
Julian Adams: And you're going to see the nations are suddenly going to start coming to Veldasta.
Julian Adams: And it's going to cause all sorts of complications for you.
Julian Adams: People are going to be upset, and it's not always going to be easy.
Julian Adams: But the Lord says, if you'll pay the price in the season, I will make this an international hub for the purposes of God.
Julian Adams: My dear brother, the Lord says you're a good son.
Julian Adams: And because you're a good son, you're a good father.
Julian Adams: And your girls are going to come into a whole new dimension of their own destiny.
Julian Adams: I want to say to you, as a church, you all need to bless these girls with lots and lots of wonderful things.
Julian Adams: Take them shopping, do amazing things.
Julian Adams: I say that as an apostolic instruction.
Julian Adams: Not because I'm an apostle, but because I'm a PK and I know what it's like to be a pastor's kid.
Julian Adams: I want to honor you guys.
Julian Adams: I want to say thank you for the price you're paying with your mom and dad.
Julian Adams: The world is changing because you girls are sick, we're with mom and dad.
Julian Adams: And I bless you in Jesus' name.
Julian Adams: Young lady, what's your name?
Julian Adams: This church is not called to be simply.
Julian Adams: And in this season, the Lord is giving you a wine skin for revival.
Julian Adams: This church is not called to be simply a pastoral church, a church that cares for people.
Julian Adams: That's part of what you're called to do.
Julian Adams: It's not just called to be a church in a little region doing wonderful things.
Julian Adams: No, you are called to do that.
Julian Adams: But you're called to be an apostolic people, the kind of Ephesus chapter 19, stronghold shifting, principality pulling down people, that establishes the gospel of the kingdom as the standard by which we live empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Julian Adams: That it will cross denominational lines, that it will cross geographical lines in this region, that there are church plants that are going to come from this place into Florida and into different parts of Georgia, even into the city, like Atlanta.
Julian Adams: People say, How is it that a church in the city is connected to a church in a small city like Valdasa?
Julian Adams: Well, actually, God loves to use small things.
Julian Adams: It's the way of his kingdom.
Julian Adams: That which is obscure and hidden becomes influential because of faithfulness.
Julian Adams: Faithful with a little.
Michael Wells: Amen.
Michael Wells: When Pastor LA came, it came with a vision to minister the love, the power, and the presence of Jesus Christ to the local community, to the region, and to the world.
Michael Wells: And from the beginning, this was meant to be a regional apostolic center that positions both people and resources to go where the Holy Spirit leads them to go.
Michael Wells: Just like what we just read in Acts chapter 13.
Michael Wells: And so with Pastor L.A.
Michael Wells: with the former elders and all the church members who've sacrificially invested for decades into this, we've launched nine churches out of this church.
Michael Wells: We've sent missionaries, numerous ministries, and we're establishing the work God's called us here.
Michael Wells: And this is what is on my heart.
Michael Wells: And as an apostolic center, our heart is to train and equip, like Paul and Barnabas for a year poured into those people and trained and equipped to release mature sons and daughters of God into their God-given assignments.
Michael Wells: And so just as we read in Acts 13, the elders and I are tremendously excited to announce that we are going to launch Scotty and Taylor Williams out to start a church in Ado.
Michael Wells: So Scotty, Taylor, Sarah, if you guys would please come up.
Michael Wells: If anybody knows them, this is not a surprise.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: This is the kingdom, first of all.
Michael Wells: But what are we doing?
Michael Wells: Acts chapter 13 that we just read.
Michael Wells: As we have stewarded Scotty and Taylor's gifts, he's been on staff here for 15 years.
Michael Wells: When I was a youth pastor, Scotty jumped in my back pocket.
Michael Wells: He fits.
Michael Wells: He's a son.
Michael Wells: And Taylor's a daughter.
Michael Wells: And this is excitement that we have to be able to say, Lord, you said separate Scotty and Taylor for this work.
Michael Wells: Lord, we're going to do everything in our power to make them successful.
Michael Wells: I don't know what that beeping is.
Michael Wells: And so I want you to hear from Scotty and Taylor's heart.
Michael Wells: And you're going to hear numerous times he's actually speaking next week while I'm in Israel.
Michael Wells: And we're going to be talking about this through the upcoming weeks and months to be able to hear what God wants us to hear.
Michael Wells: So Scotty, Taylor, is there anything you want to share in your beautiful family?
Scotty Williams: As long as that's not a fire alarm, but I don't think it is.
Scotty Williams: I think we're good.
Scotty Williams: You know, this the Lord has spoken to Taylor and I for a long, long time that one day this would be coming, and we never knew along the way what it would look like, but we are so excited.
Scotty Williams: Um this this the Lord is in this.
Scotty Williams: We don't know exactly what it looks like, but you know, our boys, we've talked to them, they've known for about six months and haven't been able to wait for this day to be able to talk to you about it.
Scotty Williams: But God is doing something beyond what Valdasta can contain.
Scotty Williams: And He is on the move, and He is just sending us north to expand the kingdom of God wherever it is we to put our feet.
Taylor Williams: I think I just want to say that it's been an honor to like walk through this process of training and equipping.
Taylor Williams: That's what this kind of has been for the last 15 years.
Taylor Williams: Um, and there will be so much more training and equipping as we go.
Taylor Williams: Um, but just thank you for the honor of serving with you and for you.
Taylor Williams: Um so thank you guys so much.
Michael Wells: And what's your family call it?
Michael Wells: The game plan?
Michael Wells: Was that what it is?
Michael Wells: The game plan.
Michael Wells: So if you see them like this, it's called the game plan.
Michael Wells: It's their church plan.
Michael Wells: Sarah, was there anything you want to share?
Sarah Wells: Is there um this is obviously anyone that knows Scotty and Taylor and their family, this is not a surprise.
Sarah Wells: The Lord has been putting this in them and they've been growing and being shaped and challenged, and they are ready and they are well equipped and well able.
Sarah Wells: They're not going anywhere just yet, so don't freak out.
Sarah Wells: Um, it's gonna be a little bit of a process, but we are just so excited, and I think that um it's it's a it's gonna be a healthy thing.
Sarah Wells: I just I feel like reassuring this church, it's gonna be a healthy thing.
Sarah Wells: It's not gonna injure this church, it's not gonna hurt theirs.
Sarah Wells: It's it's all gonna, we're growing up together in the kingdom, and he's expanding by creating more spaces around more tables for his children to gather, right?
Michael Wells: Amen.
Michael Wells: And so before we we let them go down it, I imagine if I know this body at all, there's some of you that have about 15 questions in your head already of what's gonna happen, how's it gonna do this?
Michael Wells: What about this?
Michael Wells: So we um can you put that QR code up, please?
Michael Wells: So you can get your phone out, take a picture of this QR code, and it will take you to a page on our website called Church Plant.
Michael Wells: And we're answering questions that we know you're going to ask us.
Michael Wells: Okay?
Michael Wells: And so, first of all, like we said earlier, this is a celebratory thing.
Michael Wells: This is, I get no greater joy than seeing a spiritual son and daughter go and outrun me and go do what God tells them to do.
Michael Wells: And it's our joy.
Michael Wells: Any parent wants to see their kid go further.
Michael Wells: And Scott, God knit Scotty and I years ago, and we've walked together, and Taylor came into the family, and it has been a joy to help steward their gifts.
Michael Wells: And so all we're gonna tell you is go to the website, it's gonna answer questions.
Michael Wells: If you want to talk to Scotty and Taylor, they're going to be um over here to the side or the back room to be able to talk to you afterward.
Michael Wells: This is gonna be a process.
Michael Wells: Everyone say process.
Michael Wells: So Ron's word was prophetic.
Michael Wells: We love trust, but do we love his ways?
Michael Wells: Well, this is where some of the ways are gonna stretch us, it's gonna take time, just like a pregnancy.
Michael Wells: Okay, if you go too early, you mess it up.
Michael Wells: You say too late, you mess up.
Michael Wells: No, it's gotta be God's perfect time.
Michael Wells: And so if you have questions, we're an open book.
Michael Wells: There's nothing to hide.
Michael Wells: We are so excited about doing this, and it's gonna be an honor to walk through this process and us as a church to send our best out to go start what God wants.
Michael Wells: How many guys know you reap what you sow?
Michael Wells: And we're excited for the kingdom expansion and the church that is in them and that they're gonna build what we're gonna continue to build here at New Covenant.
Michael Wells: And so let's honor Scotty and Taylor.
Michael Wells: Remember, the apostolic work that we've talked about is all about bringing a God, bringing the kingdom of God to where the Lord tells us to on assignments with Him.