Awesome Antioch
Acts 11:19-30
Introduction:
For the next few weeks we are going to be talking about qualities and principles of a Growing church. We are taking these concepts not from some populous book but from the word of God. I would like us to turn to Acts 11:19 and lets look at the characteristics we find in the church at Antioch.
A. Acts 11:19-30 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.
God really use a “bad thing” for the Jerusalem church to be a good thing for the kingdom. Steven and others were killed and persecuted by Saul and others this caused the dispersion of the church and they began sharing Christ through out the world. The Jerusalem church had become an ingrown church and the Lord used the persecution of the Jews to spread them across the world.
In the south you see First Baptist, Second Baptist, New Hope, Little Hope and No Hope Baptist all started by church splits. I know that God would rather use a strategic strategy to reach the world but he will use a rock when there is no hammer available.
20Some 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. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
This is awesome. Not only are they reaching Jews in Antioch but they are reaching Gentiles.
(22-30) News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When 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. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 13:1-2 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers:... 2While 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." 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
What were the characteristics of this awesome church?
It was a Incarnation-al Church-Evangelistic
20Some 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. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
This was a church that was started the right way. It was started through conversion. They led people to Jesus and they began to congregate as a church. Then in verse 24 it says, “that they were taught by Paul and Barnabas “and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” The church continued to be an evangelistic church.
I am concerned over the American Church. We are not sharing and we are not winning people to Jesus Christ. It truly bothers me. Many churches are just picking up members from the church down the street that is going through trouble. Some how, as a church we have to become missional and search for ways to go and tell.
People are not sharing the gospel out there. Let me ask you a question. In the last month has anyone tried to share the gospel with you? How about in the last year?
E. An awesome church is a evangelistic church.
It was a Spiritually Growing Church-Discipleship
A. 23When 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.
26 So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
B. Three words
Evidence (23)-Of God’s grace-there was a supernatural change in the hearts and the lives of the people. My son worked sales and he would have people say to him all the time, I know you are a christian because you are different or why do you act the way you do. You are different.
Disciples(26)-Followers or learners of Christ. They absorbed the teachings of the Lord. They were learners. But they did not just learn but they changed.
Christians (26)-Christ like people. They were so filled with the HS they were transformed into little Christ's.
Let me ask this of you christian?
Are you someone who evidences a transformed life?
Are you someone who is a learner, a follower of Christ?
Would people call you Christ-like?
What about Calvary Baptist Church? Does the town recognize that something is going on here? If a church is really living out their faith the community has one of two responses to the church?
1. Some people will be drawn to the church because of their witness.
2. Some people will reject the church because of their witness.
The most dangerous reaction for a church is that the church are absorbed into the community and people are not challenged with the Gospel by the church people. I am not talking about being obnoxious but being a change agent in the community.
The church at Antioch was a spiritually growing/ discipling church. It was an incarnation church...
It was a church with Godly Leaders-Leadership
When I talk about leaders I am not just talking about the Pastor. Here we see Paul and Barnabas and in chapter 13 we see other men identified as leaders. One person can not lead a church.
A great church has to have other men who rise up and lead the church through example.
What are some characteristics of these Godly leaders?
1. Barnabas was a good man (23)-Agathos: Mature, useful, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable.
2. Barnabas was filled with the Holy Spirit (23) How do you know if a leader is filled with the Holy Spirit? They have the Fruit of the Spirit in their ives.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.
There are no perfect people out there and every leader will mess up from time to time but these characteristics will dominate a Godly leaders life.
3. Paul and Barnabas were disciplers.(26) They taught and modeled how to live for Jesus and these people were transformed and became reproducing Christians.
II Timothy 2:2 says, 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
4. The elders were men of Prayer, fasting and worship. Worship is not singing in the church it is so much more. I went to basic training for church planters and they were asked about their number one worship experience, no one said a church service.
Acts 13:1-2 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers:... 2While 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."
When I think of Isaiah’s coming face to face with the Lord in Isaiah 6, his response was, 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
When I think of John in the first chapter of Rev. coming face to face with the Lord John says, 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
You know when you have Godly leaders in your church when you have leaders who are worshipers of God (not just singing), they are praying people who sit at the feet of Jesus.
IV. It was a caring-giving church-ministry (27-30)
28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
This body of believers had a heart for the body of Christ. They were kingdom minded.
John 13;34-35 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
If a church develops a true caring community that goes outside the wall, this is both attraction-al to non-believers and pleasing to God.
E. A Spirit-filled person and a Spirit-filled church does not have to be forced to give they have to give when there is a real need.
V. It was a sending-reproducing Church- Mission-al
Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Sett apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
They sent out Paul and Barnabas on three missionary journeys that transformed the world. They were benefit of the Jerusalem's churches missionary efforts and they felt a responsibility to do the same.
My hope is that your church will continue to be a sending/ reproducing church. How can you do this?
1. Encourage your people to pray about the ministry and missions. I first typed in “young people” but Paul and Barnabas were not young people they were mature men. They sent off their brightest and best to do missions.
2. Continue to give to the cooperative program and be involved in your Association.
3. Begin to pray about church planting.
4. Go on a mission trip every year as a church. It maybe close or it maybe far away but begin to put that in your DNA as a church.
Conclusion:
I am going to go over these 6 qualities one more time. But before I do, I want you to know a couple things:
First, I want you to know it is a process. The Antioch Church was not perfect and was in process and Norwood Baptist Church is in process also. This is a process that will never end until Jesus comes back.
Two, I want you to pick one or two of these elements to pray about and work on as individuals and as a church.
Calvary BC needs to be...
1. A church with people that share the Gospel
2. A church filled with spiritually growing people
3. A church full of Godly Leaders
4. A church full of caring-giving people
5. A Church with the heart for sending their best
