Acts 11:19-30
November 15, 2020
Acts 11:19-30
19 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 no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 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.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. 1
Sometimes in church we just need to ask the right questions again. The questions that determine what we believe, why we believe them, how we
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 11:19–30). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people.
And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
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live out these beliefs, and how these are measured to ensure we stay focused.
The church that does not do this intentionally will fall into a routine of doing religious events, ceremonies, activities, and even gatherings and trips that are good, but at best disjointed and at worst socially elevated but doctrinally empty.
For new churches, the answering of these questions are vital. I’ve been working with church planters and young pastors on helping them frame their questions and answers to give them foundations and confidence to press on as the church God has called them to be. It also gives them freedom to say no to certain things that church attenders may pressure them to do because they have a belief that “that’s just what the church does.”
It is freeing and right.
For established or legacy churches as ours is, the revisiting, restating, reframing the questions and answers are just as, if not more so, important.
When I read of what God was doing in the launching stage of his church in the book of Acts, in this era when every church was a church plant, every pastor was without years of experience, and every church member was bringing with them ideas of what the group, the church, the brothers and sisters ought to be about, I am encouraged to see the timeless reality of God’s plan.
What God built his church to be in Acts is not a precursor to what he expects today, but actually a model he expects to continue without upgrade, shifts, or “new and improved” doctrine. While practice and context means that no two church bodies will look exactly alike, have gatherings that are identical, or have members of the same heart language, culture, or background, the solidity of the founding is God,
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His Word, the Gospel, and the unchanging, immutable teachings that lead us to a narrow place of vitality – where God is glorified and we are blessed.
1. Love God
Why would people in these cities around the Mediterranean, in Jewish, Roman, Greek, and other regions abandon the religious practices of their families, neighbors, communities, and surrender to the one known as Jesus Christ?
Why would churches begin where persecution of Christ followers was common?
Why would people choose to consider themselves as family members of those whom they previously despised?
Why in the world would this even occur?
These people abandoned it all for the love of God.
As John stated, however, this love for God was not birthed in the heart of man. It was from the heart of God, who is love, that the capacity to love deeply, rightly, and holy is borne.
1 John 4:19
19 We love because he first loved us.2
As the early church did, so must we. Our love for God motivates us to seek to glorify him in our lives. Our talk, our thoughts, our motives, our actions, our impact in the lives of others is not something that we do to gain God’s love. He loves. And because of his love for us, we can love him.
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Jn 4:19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 3
The church in Acts that we just read of was learning to love God in deed and not just word. They were also learning to love people...all people...and that was not easy.
2. Love All People
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
It may be politically incorrect to identify people by their heritage, skin tone, heart language, or culture, but here in Scripture it was stated clearly for a godly purpose.
These believers, men of Cyprus and Cyrene (island nations considered closely identified with northern Africa by some cultural anthropologists) showed up in the city of Antioch preaching the good news – the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Their love for God overflowed and they could not keep it to themselves. And to whom did they speak? People who were ignored prior.
They spoke to the Hellenists (Greeks or Gentiles.)
Tim Keller calls these preachers mavericks. F.F. Bruce calls them “daring spirits.”
I call them models to follow.
Their love for God led them to love people – all people. They abandoned the man-made, racial and religious divides that are so common in all cultures.
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The black-skinned, brown-skinned, white-skinned, olive-skinned, Hebrew-speaking, Greek-speaking, any other language-speaking were their neighbors. They were in front of them, therefore they heard the message. They loved these people enough to tell them the truth.
3. Love Where They Lived
Now, we have a missionary story here, but when they arrived in Antioch, they met some folks who called that city home.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
We believe in the mission call. The call to go where God is doing a great work, for his own glory. The call to send, support, and serve is essential. Yet, there is a calling that often we miss. This is not about an arrogance of elevation by living in a certain neighborhood in a certain area. It’s not about looking down on those who live elsewhere or even nearby, but in a less affluent area.
It’s about recognizing the mission begins where God has placed you.
The Antiochians were led to Christ by some missionaries, but the Christians in the city grew. More came to know Christ. A story was being written and while persecution remained, the love for the city, for the people, kept them there telling others of the great gospel.
I heard a story in our leadership meeting last week of a family who moved to southern California and lived in a less than desirable neighborhood where the houses were small, old, and sold for around $400,000. The local schools were lowly rated and the area was considered undesirable by many. This family was there due to work and then the husband received a job offer to work for a major
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corporation that would move him to New England, in an area where the schools were A rated and the homes were larger, newer, and less expensive. It was the dream job. Yet, the family turned down the job.
Why? Because they had a church family in southern California where they were impacting others, discipleship was occurring, new life was occurring, growth was happening, and ... they loved where the lived and realized God had placed them in a church there for his glory and their good (and their neighbor’s good.) They couldn’t abandon the call for the shiny new option.
That should be the norm, but sadly most would take the job and then later ask God to bless their decision that from the world’s perspective is best for their family (but ultimately may have been the worst thing for the family eternally.)
You either love where you live and the people around you or you will long for another place where the grass is greener, hoping for the paradise that awaits, while ignoring the mission in your front yard. This is the state of American evangelicalism in many areas.
4. Love the Church
A lost reality for many. Consumers join churches for the programs and the experiences. That’s also why they leave churches – looking for the latest, best option as a shopper looks for sales.
Disciples love God’s church. Why? Because God loves his church. Christ died for the glory of the Father and the redemption of his bride – the church.
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he
had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year
they met with the church and taught a great many people. And
in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
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The church matters. The local body matters. It is here that corporate worship occurs as family.
It is here where the equipping of the saints is centered as a family of believers.
It is in the church that discipline and holiness are elevated.
It is in the church that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are set apart for the fellowship and the individual believer to proclaim God’s goodness and grace.
Sure, there are some really sorry excuses for local churches. There are some with skewed doctrine and leaders playing power games. But be careful not to lump all expressions of church in the same category. To love God is to love people is to love where you live and to love his church for his glory! And for your good.
CONCLUSION
The believers were first called Christians at Antioch – and it wasn’t a compliment. Yet, that name-calling didn’t cause the church to fold. It didn’t make the Christians want to run away and find another place to serve. It didn’t mean that God had abandoned them.
It empowered them to take the not so kind term and turn it into a badge of honor and submission.
Oh to be made fun of and be called a “little Jesus!”
What does this mean for you? What does this mean for us?
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Simply put, First Baptist Church of Orange Park exists to glorify God by surrendering fully to his lordship, joining in God’s work, while living as authentic, joyful believers.
Why?
Because we
- Love God fully
- Love all people equally
- Love where we live and are willing to do whatever it takes that our
homes may be God-honoring and transformed
- Love God’s church
It’s good to be reminded of this. It’s better to be in on the story. What about you? Are you all in? For some, it means surrender to Christ today.
For others, it means as a believer putting aside pre-conceived ideas of what the church is, what it does, why it exists – for God’s glory and our good.
Footnotes
