A Study of the Book of Acts
Sermon # 22
“Living Up to the Name”
Acts 11:19-30
“Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. (20) But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. (21) And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. (22) Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. (23) When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (24) For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. (25) Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. (26) And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (27) And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. (28) Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. (29)Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. (30) This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul”. (NKJV)
Prior to this believers had been called several things. The first word used to describe them was “disciples.” They were disciples of their Master. They were disciples or “learners” after their master Jesus. That name prevailed throughout the ministry of Jesus.
Afterward they were called “saints.” Jesus gave them this word, calling them literally “the holy ones, or the set apart ones.” A saint is not one who is perfect. Not one who has been credited with so many miracles as in the Catholic understanding of the word. A saint is one who is committed to or devoted to God, which are all the followers of Jesus Christ.
They were called “believers.” This does not refer only to an intellectual adherence to a set of facts, but to a joyous reception to the gospel.
They were called “witnesses.” Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses..” (Acts 1:8). They were to be witnesses of what they had seen and heard, of the truth about Jesus Christ to the rest of the world.
It is in Antioch that for the first time the followers of Jesus are called “Christians.” The word means “Christ’s ones’ or “Christ’s people” or “belonging to Christ.” Some believe that it was intended as a sneer, an insult. But once given to them, it was felt to be too appropriate, too beautiful, too dear, to be ever allowed to die.
Here for the very first time these, disciples, saints, believers, witnesses, are called Christians. No longer is the church considered a sect of Judaism. The church is recognized as being distinct from Israel
It is somewhat amazing to recognize that it is the city of Antioch where the disciples are first called Christians. Antioch was a city that was noted for it depravity and wickedness. But it was Antioch, which was chosen to be the birthplace of foreign missions. Antioch was to have some of the greatest preachers who ever lived for over four hundred years, in the first century, Barnabas, Paul, Peter; in the second century, Ignatius and Theophilus; in the third and fourth, Lucian, Theodore, Chrysostom, and Theordoret. God’s light often shines brightest against a dark background.
I. THE EVANGELISM OF THE CHURCH vv 19-21
“Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. (20) But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. (21) And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
A. THE MEANS OF THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL
In this passage three different Greek words are used for witnessing and sharing the Gospel. They show us as believers how to go about sharing the Word.
1. There is the word translated “preaching” in verse 19 (lalountes). This word really means “speaking” as in simple sharing of conversation with people. As the believers were scattered by the persecution they “spoke the word,” shared Christ in their ordinary conversation. Although seem to have confined themselves to people like themselves. This could have been the result of a cultural block or it may have been as simple as a language barrier.
2. There is the word translated “preaching” in verse 20 (euangelizo). This word means to declare or proclaim the gospel. But even here notice they were not behind pulpits, preaching to people. They were behind their work counters, in their market places, in their shops, their social gathering talking about Jesus Christ who was the Lord of their lives.
3. There is the word translated “encouraged” in verse 23 (parakaelei). That they would “cleave to the Lord” that is keep on remaining loyal (present active infinitive). Persistence is indeed needed in such a pagan city.
B. THE RESULTS OF THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL - “the hand of the Lord was with them” First, is to be understood in the sense that God had empowered their preaching so that many were saved. It can also be understood in the sense that it was because , “the hand of the Lord was upon them,” that they were moved to do as they had.
They were so successful that by the time of the Nicean Council in A.D. 325, there are reported to have been more than 200,000 Christian in Antioch, nearly a fourth of the entire population of the city.
If we are today going to turn the world upside down as they did in the first century we will have to turn the church inside out. We have got to tell the good new wherever we go.
II. THE DISCIPLESHIP OF THE CHURCH vv. 22-26
The growth of the church at Antioch is mention in our text twice (vv. 21, 24). The first time it is mentioned (v. 21) it is due to an emphasis on evangelism. The second time, it is the result of an emphasis on discipleship.
In the great commission (Matt 28:18-20) Jesus said, “…All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;…..” (NKJV) Evangelism is just one of the things the followers of Christ were to do. Phase one was to Inform. We are to first “make disciples of all the nations,” (v. 20) that is Evangelism. Phase two, is Incorporate, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” incorporating them into the body of a bible-believing church through baptism. Phase three, is to Indoctrinate, “teaching then them to observe all things that I have commanded you”. That is we are to instruct them or disciple them in the fundamentals. We are not talking about just teaching a set of doctrines but of a way of life. It is Phase three, the discipleship phase, that the church at Antioch is now working at. This phase always takes longer, according to verse 26, Barnabas and Paul spend an entire year on the process.
A. THE JERUSALEM CHURCH HEARD ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING (22a) “Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem,”
This passage tells us what happened to the believers who were forced to flee Jerusalem because of persecution. As the believers scattered they shared the glorious new of the gospel of Christ. When news that “a great number had believed” in Antioch reached Jerusalem, the mother church wanted to help the new believers.
B. A MISSIONARY WAS SENT TO DISCIPLE THE NEW BELIEVERS (22b-24) “… and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. (23) When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (24) For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”
No better man could have been chosen to go than Barnabas, the encourager. Barnabas, was himself originally from Cyrus just as some of those who had evangelized Antioch were. True to his name when he saw that the grace of God was obvious at work in the people he was glad.
Note that it is stated that Barnabas was a good man, not talented, cultured, educated or intelligent. He was what he should have been, inside and out. It is also stated that he was a man “full of the Holy Spirit,” that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. And a man “of faith” believing in and reacting to the leading of the Lord.
C. BARNABAS LOOKS FOR HELP (25-26)
“Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. (26) And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
1. Barnabas was humble enough to know when he needed help. It is a wise person who knows his or her own limitations and is willing to ask for help.
2. Barnabas willing to give up the limelight. Barnabas searches for Saul until he finds him. This is the second time Barnabas has intervened in Paul’s life. For sometime now God has been preparing Paul for this time, perhaps has much as ten years have pasted since his conversion.
Barnabas brings him back to Antioch to work. At first it was the team of Barnabas and Saul but before very long we notice in the account in Acts that it is Saul and Barnabas. Saul (Paul) has superceded Barnabas as the recognized leader of the team. It is a rare individual who can be like Barnabas and John the Baptist can say, “I must decrease that he might increase.” Who care more that the work is done than who gets the credit.
3. The end result was the many people were taught (discipled) through the efforts of Barnabas and Saul.
III. THE MISSION OUTREACH OF THE CHURCH vv. 27-30
“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. (28) Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine through-out all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. (29) Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. (30) This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul”
The unselfishness of the church at Antioch is remarkable especially considering that none of the believers there are more than a few years old in the Lord. The Antioch church developed a missionary attitude, which resulted in a reversal of missionary roles. The mother church in Jerusalem sent the gospel, and the daughter church in Antioch sends money to the mother church. Antioch in turn would soon be the mother church of Gentile missions. We need to see missions as a partnership, in which sometimes you give and sometimes you receive.
As Saul and Barnabas traveled back to Jerusalem with the offering from Antioch they had in their hands tangible proof in the form of this offering, of the transforming power of the gospel.
