When Jesus gave His commission to the apostles, He
told them to take the good news to “all nations.” (Matthew
28:19-20) “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, teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age. Amen.” (NKJV) After the conversion of Cornelius, a
Gentile, the gospel began to be preached to “all nations.”
Our account today is about the beginning of the Lord’s church in
Antioch of Syria, one consisting of many Gentiles.
Text:
Acts 11:19-30
Body:
I.
The Church Is Started
Acts 11:19-21
“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.
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. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and
a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”
(NKJV)
·
Persecution led Christians to spread the
gospel to Phoenicia [present-day Lebanon], Cyprus [an island
100 miles off the coast], and Antioch. Antioch was a Roman
metropolis of 300,000 inhabitants, the third largest city at
that time. It was a beautiful city by the river Orantes
where it emerges from between the Lebanon and Taurus
mountain ranges. It was noted for its fine buildings and
colonnaded, marble-paved road. The city also contained
temples dedicated to pagan gods such as Artemis and Herakles.
Its depravity was well-known. It was ungodly and immoral.
·
The word was first spoken to the Jews, but
some men from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the
Gentiles in the city. Jews from Cyrene were present on the
Day of Pentecost. They were preaching the Lord Jesus – in
other words, that Jesus was Lord! (Matthew 28:18)
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’ ” (NKJV)
·
“Hand of the Lord” – divine help and divine
approval It is God who opens doors of opportunity and
gives the increase. (Colossians 4:3) “meanwhile
praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for
the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am
also in chains,”
(I Corinthians 3:5-7) “Who then is Paul, and
who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord
gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the
increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who
waters, but God who gives the increase.” (NKJV) A large
number of believers turned to the Lord; they turned from sin and
turned to Christ. Believing and turning were separate acts.
See Acts 3:19. “Repent therefore and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord,” (NKJV)
II.
The Church Is Strengthened
Acts 11:22-26
“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. 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. For he
was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a
great many people were added to the Lord. Then
Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 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.” (NKJV)
·
Barnabas is sent by the church at Jerusalem
to the new church to encourage and strengthen it. Recall
that Barnabas was from Cyprus. When he arrives, he “sees
the grace of God.” He sees former enemies [Jews and
Gentiles] united in Christ and loving one another.
(Ephesians 2:13-19) “But now in Christ Jesus you
who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of
Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one,
and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in
Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and
that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through
the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came
and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who
were near. For through Him we both have access by one
Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God,” (NKJV)
He encourages the church to remain faithful and steadfast.
And the church grew!
·
Barnabas leaves to find Saul in Tarsus to
bring him to Antioch. This was over 100 miles. Together
they form a very effective partnership and teach many people
over the course of a year.
·
It is here in Antioch that the name Christian
is first used. Isaiah had spoken of the new name hundreds
of years prior. (Isaiah 62:1-2) “For Zion’s
sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I
will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as
brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. The
Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your
glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth
of the Lord will name.” (Isaiah 56:5) “Even
to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place
and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will
give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.”
(NKJV) The church was now composed of both Jews and
Gentiles. A new name was needed – a special name. (I
Peter 4:16) “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this
matter.” (NKJV) It is a special name because God
gave it and the name honors Christ. Christians are those
who belongto Christ. (I Corinthians
6:19-20) “Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are God’s.” (NKJV)
III.
The Church Is Generous
Acts 11:27-30
“And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to
Antioch. 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. Then the disciples, each according
to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren
dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the
elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.” (NKJV)
·
Several prophets came from Jerusalem to
Antioch. This is the first mention of prophets in the
church. One of them, Agabus, foretold of a coming famine.
[~45-47 A.D.] The Christians were determined to send relief
to the brethren in Judea. Each one did so according to
his/her ability. This is all God ever asks. (II
Corinthians 8:2-4, 12-15) “that in a great trial of
affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear
witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond
their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with
much urgency that we would receive the gift and the
fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” 12
“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted
according to what one has, and not according to what he does
not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and
you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your
abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also
may supply your lack – that there may be equality. As it
is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over; and
he who gathered little had no lack.’ ” (NKJV) The
contribution was taken to the elders in the Jerusalem
church. This is the first mention of elders in the church.
Conclusion:
The church in Antioch became one of the most
influential congregations in the first century. Its members were
certainly deserving of the name “Christian.”
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Genesis
22:17-18
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is
upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess
the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed; because
thou hast obeyed my voice.
