SERIES: “LESSONS FROM THE EARLY CHURCH”
TEXT: ACTS 11:19-29; 12:25-13:3; 14:26-28; 15:1-3
TITLE: “AN EXAMPLE OF A GREAT CHURCH: 9 Marks of a Great Church as Exemplified in the Church at Antioch”
INTRODUCTION: A. What does being “great” mean?
1. The dictionary definition is “markedly superior in character, quality, or skill”
2. Have to admit: I’ve been in some really great churches and I’ve been in some
really sorry ones
B. Jesus taught us what true greatness was all about
1. Lk. 9:48 – “…for he who is least among you all – he is the greatest.”
2. Mt. 18:4 – “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven.”
3. Mt. 20
a. Mother of James and John came to ask the favor that here tow sons would sit on
Jesus’ right and left.
b. Mt. 20:25-28 – “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over
them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.’”
C. Winston Churchill, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
1. That’s a dirty word in our society
--We don’t like that word
2. Responsibility is liability to answer for one’s acts or deeds; the ability to fill one’s
obligations; accountability”
D. What Jesus was saying about greatness is that true greatness is very dependent on our
desire and our dedication to be servants
1. Are we willing to take responsibility to be the body of Christ in the midst of a lost
and dying world?
2. Are we dedicated to serving the needs of others or are we dedicated to serving
our own personal desires?
3. By Jesus’ definition and example, greatness is putting aside what makes us feel
comfortable so that we can provide what is necessary to reach a lost and dying
world.
4. Let’s look at nine significant things that made the church at Antioch of Syria a
great church
I. THE GRACE OF GOD WAS EVIDENT
--Acts 11:23 – “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.”
A. Consider the character of Antioch as a city:
1. 3rd most influential town in Roman empire
2. Chariot racing/gambling
3. Groves of Daphne
4. Some historians have even suggested that Rome became corrupt beyond control because of the
influence of Antioch
B. Evidence of God’s grace was in the changed lives of those in the church at Antioch
1. “Grace” – God’s undeserved loving favor
2. George Chapman: “They are only truly great who are truly good.
a. Only way to be good by biblical definition is through the blood of Christ
--It washes and cleanses our filthiness of sin and it is through Christ that we are made righteous and
clean.
b. A church that is not different from the world will make no impact on the world
--People have to see a difference in the lives, speech, and attitude of the individual members of the
church.
3. Somebody: “A church is not influential because of the number of its members, the size of its buildings,
or the balance in its budget… a church is influential because of the character of its people.”
--Antioch was the place where the followers of Christ were called by the divinely given name of
Christian.
II. THEY WERE EAGER TO LEARN WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO
--Acts 11:25-26 – “Then 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.”
A. A disciple by biblical definition is someone who has pledged him/herself to be a student
B. A church cannot be a great church unless it’s individual members are dedicating to learning
1. Individual members can’t learn without being faithful to the process of learning
2. Individual members won’t learn unless the leadership is committed to the task of learning
III. ABUNDANT IN CHRISTIAN GIVING TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS
--Acts 11:27-29 – “During 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.”
IV. THE MEN WERE ACTIVE IN LEADERSHIP
--Acts 13:1-3 – “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called
Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
A. The New Testament makes it very clear that it is very important for the men to take the leadership role:
1. Jesus chose 12 men to be His apostles.
2. The first deacons were 7 men
3. The Bible designates that men were to be chosen as elders and deacons for each congregation.
B. Only when the men of the church take up their responsibilities in their homes, in the church, and in the
community will anything change in our society
1. Don’t mean a male-dominated society with women and children as second-class citizens
2. Bible makes it clear that a true leader puts others needs ahead of their own
a. Jesus said a great leader is a great servant
b. Paul says that a husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.
V. THEY WERE EAGER TO SEEK THE WILL OF GOD
--Acts 13:2- 3 – “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.”
A. They sought God’s will by placing a priority on worship
1. Doesn’t mean ritual religion
a. There’s a big difference between going to church and being the church
b. Regular attendance does not mean true worship
2. True worship is the acknowledgement of how great God is, the acknowledgement that we are nothing
without Him, and the implementation of God’s Word into everyday life
a. Mt. 7:24-27 – “"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is
like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish
man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."”
b. True worship doesn’t mean we give God what we think He ought to have
--True worship has to involve finding out What God would like and then submissively, adoringly,
lovingly, and willingly offering it to Him.
B. They sought God’s will through fasting and prayer
1. Fasting is simply defined as going without food to spend concentrated time in worship and prayer
a. Clearly advocated and practiced in the Old Testament
--especially in times of repentance and revival
b. Jesus practiced regular fasting
c. The early church practiced it before making decisions on leadership
2. Notice in the New Testament, fasting is always accompanied by prayer
a. Fasting and prayer were synonymous because the purpose was seeking God’s will
b. It’s a practice of laying aside comfort and desire to seek the will of God
-- A missionary in Africa was once asked if he really liked what he was doing. His response was
shocking. “Do I like this work?” he said “No. My wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonable
refined sensibilities. we do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse....But is a man to
do nothing for Christ that he does not like? God pity him, if not. Liking or disliking has nothing
to do with it.”
C. Worship brings us into God’s presence
1. Don’t be confused
a. God is always with us
b. His Spirit dwells in us
2. However, it’s through worship that we seek to enter His dwelling place
--Ps. 100:4a – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise…”
D. Prayer seeks more than Divine Presence, it’s seeks divine guidance and strength
VI. THEY WERE DEVOTED TO PRACTICING THE GREAT COMMISSION
--Acts 13:2-3 – “While 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.”
A. Paul Powell once said “Many churches today remind me of a laboring crew trying to gather in a harvest
while they sit in the tool shed. They go to the tool shed every Sunday and they study bigger and better
methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors, and then get up and go home. Then
they come back that night, study bigger and better methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes and grease
their tractors and go home again. They come back Wednesday night, and again study bigger and better
methods of agriculture, sharpen their hoes, grease their tractors, and get up and go home. They do this
week in and week out, year in and year out, and nobody ever goes out into the fields to gather in the
harvest.”
B. What was it that Baranabas and Saul were called to do?
1. This was the start of the first great missionary journey
2. It carried the gospel to places where it not yet been
C. In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."”
1. This missionary journey was the beginning of the fulfillment of “to the ends of the earth”
2. All brought about because the church at Antioch was obedient to the Great Commission
3. Their strong evangelistic effort was because the both preached and practiced Christ crucified
VII. THEY COMMITTED THEIR WORK TO THE GRACE OF GOD
--Acts 14:26 – “From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of
God for the work they had now completed.”
A. They worked like it all depended on them and prayed like it all depended on God but were wise
enough to know that the final results were in God’s hands.
B. 1 Cor. 3:16-17 – “I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. So neither he who
plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
VIII. THEY WERE A PLACE WHERE WEARY CHIRSTIANS COULD RECHARGE THEIR
BATTERIES
A. Acts 14:27-28 – “On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had
done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they stayed there a
long time with the disciples.”
B. John Bisagno told the story of going to candidate for the First Baptist Church in Houston. Back then
it was a small church, located downtown. He said that when he walked in there were few people in a
dimly lit sanctuary. The service was very depressing. They were singing songs that were like funeral
dirges — "Day Is Dying In The West."
Later that day he was walking around the downtown area and saw a jewelry store having a grand
opening. He went in and it was bright and cheerful inside. There was upbeat and happy music playing.
There were friendly and enthusiastic people who greeted him. They offered him some punch to drink
and showed him around the store. He remarked that if they had given an invitation, he would have
joined the jewelry store, not the church.
IX. THEY STOOD STRONG AGAINST FALSE TEACHING
--Acts 15:1-3 – “Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you
are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2This brought Paul and
Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some
other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3The church sent
them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had
been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.”
CONCLUSION: A. Billy Sunday used to tell about a well-known atheist in a little town. One evening the
church building in that little town was burning. People began to rush to the site to help
put out the flames. One of the people seen dashing to help was the atheist.
One of his neighbors said to him, “Well, this is something new. I’ve never seen you
coming to church before.”
The atheist replied, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen the church on fire.”
1. What kind of fire is burning within you?
2. The church isn’t a building, a preacher, or a certain way of doing things
--The church is made up of people whom
3. Maybe you’ve heard this little piece before:
What kind of church
Would my church be
If everyone in it
Were just like me?
B. We all need to comprehend and implement the thoughts in this piece from a church
newsletter of a congregation in New York:
This is my church. It is composed of people like me. We make it what it is. I want it
to be a church that is a light on the path of pilgrims, leading them to goodness, truth, and
beauty.
It will be, if I am. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help to fill
them. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I bring them. It will
be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith; if I make it what it is, and if I
am filled with these. Therefore, I dedicate myself to the task of being what I want my
church to be.
C. The most important thing about the church in Antioch in Syria is that they influenced
their community in such a way that a divinely-given and divinely ordained name was
imparted to the disciples of Christ in this particular city.
1. If you were here last Sun. eve, you know what that name is: Christian
2. That particular name designates two very important things:
a. It designates that someone belongs to Jesus Christ
b. It designates that someone is active in the business or profession of JesusChrist
3. What I didn’t mention last week is that there is a good number of scholars that believe
that the name “Christian” was meant to be a derogatory and demeaning name
a. In the Greek, it’s a noun in the diminutive
--That means to make smaller or to make less of
b. Basically, the pagans in Antioch were calling the disciples there “little Christs”
--“Look at all the little Jesus’ running around! It’s Jesus this and Jesus that. You
guys are even starting to act the way you say He acted. Give us a break!”
c. I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be called than a “little Christ”
--The church should be pleased to be considered affiliated with such a great name.
4. The name of Jesus is great.
--There is no greater name
a. Phil. 2:9-11 – “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the
name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
b. Acts 4:12 – “"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved."”
c. Rom. 10:13 (Joel 2:32)– “"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved."”
