Several FIRSTS 1. Acts 11:19-30

Transcription

1 Several FIRSTS 1 st Acts 11:19-30

2 Beginning with Verse 19 of Acts Chapter 11, we find a number of very interesting "firsts" in Scripture. For example, this is the First Real Effort to expand the Kingdom among the Gentiles to occur in Scripture.

3 Acts 11:19-20 says- Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to none except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

4 The wonderful thing is that the Gospel was first being carried outside of Jerusalem by unknown men and women. To this day, we don t know their names. But we know that these Greek-speaking Jews, men of Cyprus, and of Cyrene which is on the north coast of Africa, when they came to Antioch, began to preach to the Gentiles there who also spoke Greek.

5 In many ways this is one of the greatest events in the history of the church. At long last the Gospel finally broke free from its Jewish cage that had held it in, and was now reaching into All of the World, just as Jesus said it should. And almost immediately, we see the Supernatural consequences of obeying Christ s primary command- the beginning of a brand new fully integrated, fully involved, church of Christ.

6 And it was ALL because the hand of the Lord was with them. And, as Scripture teaches, a great number that believed turned to the Lord (v. 21). So many and so rapidly that when the news of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

7 And when he saw the grace of God working in Antioch, Scripture says he rejoiced; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. (Acts 11:21-24)

8 At first this sounds wonderful. And one is motivated to rejoice with Barnabas at the tremendous growth of the Body in Antioch... But a more careful reading of the passage reveals that the results of this first preaching among the Gentiles was actually a bit disconcerting to the disciples at Jerusalem. Many, most, didn t know what to make of this development.

9 Since all but a hand-full of the members of the church at Jerusalem were Jews, raised in the tradition that they were God's chosen people, this rapid growth among the Gentiles was, again, genuinely disconcerting. Many had never even considered the possibility that God would ever extend His grace into the Gentile world and so they hardly knew what to make of it. To essentially settle the issue, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

10 As it always turns out, God s hand was in their choice. Barnabas was the perfect man to send to Antioch. He had one of the largest hearts recorded in all of the New Testament. He was a true encourager of God s Work. He didn t come riding into town on his white horse and say There s a new Sheriff in town! He just entered the city as an interested guest, and watched, delighted, as God turned the city upside down.

11 Now, the church at Antioch was also a kind of first. It was a strategic city, the third largest in the Roman empire. It was noted all over the empire as a sports center. Chariot races were a specialty. If you have read Ben Hur, or have seen the movie, you know that Lew Wallace places the exciting chariot race in Antioch.

12 What exactly did Barnabas find when he got there? There are several things hidden in this little section which you can read between the lines.

13 First, he found a group of men and women who were resolutely Christian in a resolutely non-christian environment. When Barnabas saw them and saw the Grace of God in their lives, it convinced him that these men and women were genuine. Which is essentially what he had been sent to Antioch to discover.

14 He saw also that they were a true church. They shared together a common life in Jesus Christ. That is what makes a Body The sharing of life by each individual cell. Every one of them had a place and a purpose in their local work. We could all gather here as an ordinary assembly of people and not be a Body. But because we all share the life of Jesus we are His Body, His church.

15 So Barnabas says, Remain faithful to what you have been taught. Don't change a thing. You don't need to imitate the Jews in Jerusalem... Just remain true to the Lord who saved you. The Greek here means, according to a set plan.

16 In other words, they didn t need Jerusalem s approval... All they needed to do was follow Christ. So Barnabas exhorted them to remain faithful in learning Jesus. That means reading the Scriptures daily. It means praying without ceasing. It means seeking his face, or the imitation of His Will in their lives.

17 You see, many Christians make a fatal mistake at this point. They come to Christ to enjoy the fellowship and excitement of being a Christian. At first they have their eyes fixed on Jesus, but gradually their focus shifts. Instead of focusing on Jesus they begin to look at themselves. They fail to concentrate on the Lord, to find their joy in Him and to glory in His presence.

18 They get all preoccupied with what the Lord does for them. They lose the sense of His presence in their lives when they fail to seek his face. That s why they fall away... and that is what Barnabas was trying to help them to avoid. So, he urges them to remain faithful to the Lord with a steadfast purpose.

19 This is good advice for every Christian, and Barnabas even takes it for himself and his new missionary partner, Saul. It has been about Ten years since Barnabas first met Saul. Ten years ago, Saul left Jerusalem with his tail between his legs and went home to Tarsus, defeated and disillusioned. But in those Ten years he has learned a lot.

20 He later tells us in Galatians that during that time he preached the Word throughout the regions of Syria, and of Cilicia, the area around Tarsus, and even entered Arabia where he received special visions and revelations from the Lord.

21 But what he has learned first and foremost is that what he had at first regarded as his credentials for Godly Service -- his ancestry, his orthodoxy, his morality, his zeal -- were not what make you an effective worker for Jesus Christ. What make you an effective worker for Christ is your dependence upon Christ and upon His Word...

22 When he had learned that, the Lord sent Barnabas over to Tarsus to find him. And when he found him he brought him to Antioch, ready to begin his First Worldwide Missionary work. In connection with this we learn of another first. My Bible says...and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. (Acts 11:26b RSV)

23 It is clear from this brief statement that it was not the Christians themselves, but the people of Antioch who named them that. The word means, those belonging to Christ, or even Little Christs. And it s obvious that they were labeled this because they lived for Jesus and talked about Jesus incessantly.

24 At first it was a really a kind of slur or a contemptuous term; Look at those ODD Christ-ians! They don't worship our City idols. They don't observe our moral (or immoral) standards. They seem to live entirely different lives from ours." What freaks! And they were likely ostracized from many city activities...

25 But as for our Brethren, they counted it a great privilege to be called Christians. They counted it a joy to suffer reproach for His name's sake, that s how committed they were to the cause of Jesus Christ.

26 The last scene in this chapter brings before us still another fresh new first-time ministry: Benevolence. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world;

27 and this took place in the days of Claudius. And the Disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to their (Jewish) Brethren who lived in Judea; and they did so, sending it to the Elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30 RSV)

28 Of course, the most important aspect of this event is how the newly converted Grecian Christians were truly unselfish in the benevolence toward the Jews. They essentially repeated the unselfish activities of the Jewish counterparts as recorded in Acts 4:32

29 Acts 4:32 And the entire congregation of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; and not one of them claimed that belonging to him was his own, but that all things were common property to them.

30 I note that each member participated in this voluntarily and in proportion to their ability. I note (between the Lines) that there was no questioning as to whether they should help their Jewish counterparts, although they must have known how they were viewed by many of them. And finally, I note that they sent Barnabas and Saul to the city as their representatives.

31 As I read it, this is the beginning of something marvelous. This may be the first time Barnabas and Saul will be officially paired, but it will not be the last. Soon these men will become the FIRST TRUE WORLDWIDE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES.

32 Barnabas the benevolent church encourager, and Saul the former church destroyer. This odd couple will bond and form one of the most effective Evangelistic Teams the world has ever known.

33 They will not always be welcome in every city, but they will not leave a town unchanged. And that is the unique goal of the Faithful Travelling Missionary; not to seek out personal comfort, but to seek out an opportunity to introduce the Good News of Jesus in Truth and in Love:

34 2 Cor. 1:12 & 4:5 The testimony of our conscience, [is] that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the Grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus' sake. Is that the way you see it?

35 Earlier in our lesson I emphasized that the big mistake many make when they first become Christians is that instead of Seeking his face, and the imitation of His Will in their lives, they focus only on what He can do for them...

36 As I read it, the reason the members at Antioch were first called Christians is because He was the One whom they served. They were Christ Followers. They were focused on Christ... The simple message today is this: It s not about you. It s ALL about Jesus.

37 The best advice anyone can give you regarding your faith, is the advice of Barnabas in this chapter: Remain faithful to what you have been taught. Don't change a thing. You don't need to imitate men... Just remain true to the Lord who saved you.

38 Imagine an entire church focused on imitating Jesus! Now BE that church.