The Hand Of The Lord Series

Hello everyone! Let’s continue to worship the Lord with the reading and proclaiming of His Word. Let’s pray and commit this time to Him.

As we gather Lord, may your spirit work within us. As we gather may we glorify your name, knowing well that as our heart begin to worship, we'll be blessed because we came. We are here Lord, to praise you.

We praise you for your power, which is beyond compare. We worship you for your wisdom, which is beyond understanding. You can meet all our needs. You restore the broken-hearted and heal the wounded. You are the Shepherd of our lives.

As we open the Bible today, we pray that we would hear your voice and understand your will. Opening our ears to hear and our hearts to receive Your Word. May we be sanctified and transformed into your likeness. Bless this time and glorify yourself, Lord. In Jesus’ Name we ask, AMEN.

Let me recap last week message.

• The traditional Jews in Jerusalem questioned Peter for his visit to the Gentiles.

• Peter explained what the Lord has done, recounting the visions of God, the witness of the Holy Spirit and the words of Christ.

• It was undeniably the work of God in saving the Gentiles and bringing them into the Kingdom of God. The people submitted to God’s will.

• It was the revealed will of God that the believers have to LEARN. There were wrong assumptions that they need to UNLEARN, and the truths that they need to RELEARN.

• Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ. We are all equal at the foot of the cross – all sinners in need of God’s saving grace.

• There is no first-class or second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. We love and accept one another.

In today’s passage, we are going to shift our focus from Jerusalem to Antioch, a city 480km North of Jerusalem. Let us read Acts 11:19-21, the first of 3 parts.

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 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. 21 The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Now you know where I got the title for the sermon today: The Lord’s hand was with them. The Hand of the Lord.

Stephen’s martyrdom sparked off the persecution of the church in Jerusalem that scattered the believers to the regions beyond as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch.

• Look at this map. Arrows with the 1 are the places the persecuted “refugees” went to (in Acts 8:1). Initially reaching out only to the Jews.

• Now in Acts 11:20 we see others from Cyprus and Cyrene carrying the Gospel to Antioch and beginning to speak to the Gentile Greeks.

• (Cyprus is this island out in the Mediterranean and Cyrene is in modern-day Libya)

There are many Antioch in ancient times, but we are looking at the Antioch in Syria, Syrian Antioch (map top right).

• The Bible also refers to another Antioch in Pisidia, Pisidian Antioch, later in Paul’s journey. (map middle top, out of the map)

• Syrian Antioch was the 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, a city known for its business but also corruption and immorality.

This marks a turning point in the book of Acts. We now see the Gospel being preached openly and actively among the ‘uncircumcised’ Greeks.

• It was carried by unknown men and women who believed Christ. They were the missionaries to this city and pioneers of this church but no names were mentioned.

• No big name, no sending organisation, no gifted speaker standing behind a podium or in the synagogue (since they were reaching out to the Gentiles), just ordinary believers sharing the good news about Jesus.

• “The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (11:21) The Lord was working through His people.

The Gentiles were turning to the Lord in large numbers. It’s a growing community of FAITH in Christ.

Acts 11:22-26

22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 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. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.