Acts 11:19-30 (Click title for audio access)
"Confirmation" • 8.28.11 • Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship
Intro.
- Studying the book of Acts is like looking at the owner's manual for something you have owned and kept running using non-standard methods.
- A little duct tape here, a few paper clips there, a wing and a prayer and voila! Many years pass and your kick the front part before you start it doesn't work anymore!
- You go back to the owner's manual and you find that you have gone far from the page. What you have in front of you resembles what you purchased, but the resemblance is slight.
- The portrait of the church that we discover is dangerous to look into because when we do so, we can tend to feel a sense of guilt for not measuring up. That's never God's Spirit.
- He never guilts us into anything and such feelings should be rebuked as coming from another source. What we do see and sense from the Lord is an invitation to come into this life.
- From this section, I see 3 signs of life that I'd call your attention to.
I. Daring (v.19-21)
II. Depth (v.22-26)
III. Duty (v.27-30)
Text
I. Daring (v.19-21)
• Acts 11:19 : "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." : Acts 9:32 through Acts 11:18 is a lengthy parenthesis, necessary to the story of the growing church, but not in chronological order.
- In Acts 8:4, Luke mentions that the scattered church went everywhere preaching the word. They went north into the areas of Phoenicia, a general region, west of modern day Syria.
- One might think of this lightly, but remember that they were fleeing for their lives because of what they believed. Here they are exposing that belief by what they spoke.
- If you were to look at this area on a map, you would see a question mark type land mass. Throughout that area above Caesarea, were Phoenician settlements.
- There would be a healthy Jewish population living there, but this was a Gentile region. The church was scattered not only by land but by sea, all north of Jerusalem. From Phonecia to Cyprus.
- Cyprus was and is an island right in the center of the Mediteranean sea between what is Syria and Turkey today. It is one of the oldest sources of well water and is a strategic place.
- It has been ruled by every major empire and is thought to be the place where cats were first domesticated! Cyprus was a thriving island in the time of the book of Acts.
- We finish our geographic tour with the city of Antioch, which is several miles north of the Mediteranean sea, deep into what is modern day Turkey.
- Ancient Antioch was another of those special cities in Biblical times. It was situated on the banks of the Orontes river and was right in the middle of major trade routes.
- Libanius, a Greek philosopher would say of Antioch several hundred years later that "If the gods ever really leave heaven and come to earth, I believe that they must come together and hold their councils here, since they could not spend their time in a fairer place." [i]
- As beautiful a place as Antioch was, it was just as legendary for in it's vile morality.
- This means that people gave credit to Antioch for the depravity that eventually found expression in Rome! That's like blaming Utah for Las Vegas!
- It's fascinating to consider that Christians, having been in Jerusalem, now returned to a place so wicked! Of course, they had no choice, but what a benefit this would be to Antioch.
- There are some who believe that we should only have minimal contact with the world, seeking always to separate ourselves into little Christian communities. That wasn't an option for them.
- What can be said is that the influence of a Christian witness is vital in the world!
- These Hellenized Jews who were forcefully expelled from Jerusalem, went back into their native lands, preaching or talking about the word as they went.
- At that time, the scattered Christians limited themselves to sharing with Jews only, the modus operandi for the church of that day. They were in conformity with church policy as they knew it.
- Even then, without the use of communication devices, God was working to spread things out.
• Acts 11:20,21 : "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." : I love that word "but!" It sounds subversive: "The modus operandi was a Jew only crowd, but a few experimented with boundaries of grace by sharing with non-Jews!" Ooh!
- These wild untamed are unnamed men traveled to Antioch speaking with the Hellenists, in this case, not Hellenized Jews, but Greeks. They were trying out the gospel on Greeks!
- Peter had seen the birth of the Gentile Roman Church. Here was the Greek church birth. Their contact with the Gentiles started out inncocently.
- The word "spoke" refers to chatting or making small talk, simply being friendly. The word itself seems to be onomatopoetic being used of birds chattering away.
- Their chatter and small talk eventually worked into the full intention of preaching the Lord Jesus! You could say that their small talk became the big talk when the subject turn to Jesus!
- We have seen discussions turn to sharing the good news. We've seen announcement. We've seen the decree of Good news. Every form of speech for a Christian should lead us to Jesus Christ!
- When you fully grasp the good news of Jesus Christ, you will not be able to not share Him! When you consider what His name affects in the heart of an unsaved man, you will want to share!
- These unknown men did not have apostolic authority, but they had the authority and efficacy of God with them. The hand of the Lord, significant of His power and strength, was with them.
- His hand with them, bringing power to their preaching and people to the Lord!
- A great number believed in Jesus and turned themselves toward the Lord! We read that and just blow by as if it's just an ordinary everyday occurrence!
- These are souls who once were destined to spend eternity in hell that we will now see in Heaven. These are lives that went on to bear Christian fruit in their neighborhoods and employment!
- These are ones who turned from wickedness to righteousness, from darkness to light, from PC's to Mac! All from these unknown, but faithful men.
- Whose lives will be turned to Jesus because of you? What destinies will be changed because you were faithful?
- Why does Luke share this with us at this juncture in Acts? He is sharing this information to further corroborate the story that he has just told regarding Peter.
- Peter had been given a dream. He had been given scripture. He had taken along witnesses. When the circumcision heard the tale from the beginning, they believed.
- Now, Luke is saying that without collusion, God's Spirit was effectively working in the same way in Antioch, miles away from Caesarea and without the involvement of an Apostle!
- In the case of these men, there was not just a family that had emerged. There was a great number and a church that was beginning to thrive in Antioch!
- In point of fact, Antioch will become the center of early Christianity!
II. Depth (v.22-26)
• Acts 11:22-24 : "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." : As with Peter, the news of the gospel spread came to Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been the center of Christian ministry. In a few weeks, we'll see a council that meets to establish conduct from Jerusalem.
- The church in Jerusalem sent out Barnabas to go out and investigate what was going on. What Barnabas found was not a superficial community. He found a deep work taking place.
- Barnabas, aside from being an outstanding Christian man himself, was also a man who was bent on encouraging people. This was his disposition.
- His name is actually Joses, but the church nicknamed him Barnabas, meaning "Son Of Encouragement." When Saul, couldn't find a friend, Barnabas swooped in and stood for him.
- When it came to sending a delegate to look in on what was happening, the church in Jerusalem sent their best man!
- If he found a great work, he would encourage it. If he found a less than stellar work, he would encourage it to grow in the right way.
- Having arrived what he found was the grace of God. In other words, he found evidences of true Christian conversion and life stemming from authentic Spirit experience!
- Like many of us, when we leave one place where we experience the grace of the Lord and travel to another of the same order, we find something familiar to us! It's the grace of the Lord!
- Barnabas found it and he rejoiced! What a contrast to the reaction of those of the circumcision who had responded with harsh criticism!
- One man, predisposed, gifted of the Lord to be an encourager and another, a group looking for proof to the contrary. One man rejoices, while the group looks on with skepticism and disbelief!
- Which would you rather be? Of what sort would you ask God to reveal in you?
- For Barnabas, this was a wonderful act of God's Spirit and he did what Barnabas always did: He encouraged them! He came alongside of them and called them to continue.
- Literally, he told them to cleave themselves unto the Lord, to hold onto Him. What would that mean? How would that look?
- Keep doing what you are doing! Keep running after the Lord! What makes you passionate for the Lord? If I saw it in your life, I'd come alongside of you and tell you the same thing!
• Acts 11:23 (NLT) : "When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord."
- Shakespeare once said "To thine own self be true!" Barnabas said, "To thine God be true!"
- Barnabas did this because of who God made Him to be. He was a man that was characterized by goodness, empowered by the Holy Spirit and full of faith!
- What a description! What words would best describe you? Would these be accurate terms?
- Antioch was bustling at the seams and in such an oxygen rich environment, more were added! God will grow that which best seeks to represent Him!
• Acts 11:25 : "Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul." : When we last saw Saul, the brothers from Jerusalem had sent him to Tarsus, which was his hometown.
- Barnabas needed help in Antioch and the man that could be of greatest help was Saul.
- It's likely that this is the period of time that Paul talks about in Galatians 2:1. When Barnabas went to seek after Saul, it may have been around the 10th year of that 14 year period.
- That would coincide with the scholars opinion of the Cornelius story and further show a connection between these events.
- Barnabas sought after Saul, indicating an intense search, looking through the eyes of many. It was not an easy search, but Barnabas needed to make it.
- What is telling is that Barnabas came from Jerusalem, but when he needed help in the growing church of Antioch, he went to Tarsus.
- It's almost as if he went to Saul because the church in Jerusalem wasn't ready to be of help! Perhaps he felt that they would be overly critical. In any event, Saul was the better choice.
• Acts 11:26 : "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." : Saul's time away from the limelight was not likely a silent time at all.
- Saul was a man that took time to learn, work and live, but he kept himself sharp by preaching as fast as he learned. Luke does not include those details, but brings him back here.
- Why? Because Saul is to become to the ministry of the Gentiles what Peter had been to the ministry of the Jews!
- Barnabas had brought Saul before the Apostles. Now, he brings them before the church of Antioch. They assembled together for a whole year.
- What did they do? Saul's primary job was to teach. He was to teach the Word of God! What does a growing church need? To be taught. What does a veteran Christian need? Teaching!
- That is the primary job that I hold. It is my biggest priority within my week and the main reason we will always come together for. Saul taught and so will I.
- They had a year of the greatest teaching any church could possibly imagine! It was in that place where the people of the church, formerly known as the way, were called Christians.
- The term means "Little Christs." This was hardly a nice moniker among the masses. The same suffix was applied to slaves of other men. Slaves of Claudius were called Claudians.
- The world took notice of the group and the congregation accepted their slurs, turning them into a badge of honor! Is that your heart?
- They call you something derogatory and you respond, "Yep!" What can be done about people like that? Absolutely nothing!
III. Duty (v.27-30)
• 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." : In the days of the thriving Antioch church, everyone came to visit, including men with prophetic gifting.
- Paul will later write about the church being gifted with Prophets, people with insight from the Lord into things that He is doing in the Earth.
- Among this group from Jerusalem was this man named Agabus. He spoke to them about a world wide famine.
- This famine would hit in the days of Claudius Caesar whose reign lasted from 41 to 54 AD.
- During his reign, there were three famines, the first in his first year, the second in AD 45, the final one in AD 52.
- Famine happened throughout his entire reign, but the one that happened in AD 45 is the one that Agabus is prophesying about, putting this about 12 years after Acts 2.
- Now, the important part of this is the result of hearing this prophecy. The church responded.
- There would be a famine all over the world, but it would hit especially hard in Judea.
- Some might take the attitude, "Who cares what happens over there? Let's take care of ourselves and our needs." That is not the Antioch approach. They saw need and they responded!
- According to several commentators, Henry Ironside, himself a commentator, had conducted research looking for an equivalent action in history before this time.
- He could find charitable work among people who belonged to the same nation.
- It was also easy to find familial response. However, in history, when a nation heard of another nation's trouble, the nation in the better condition prepared to divide the spoil.
- This is the first recorded charitable action taken by a nation on behalf of a foreign nation. Christians took the lead in that department.
- The disciples took action. Whatever means were available to them, were used for relief.
- They took up an offering that would help to sustain the churches in Judea, who would be devastated by the famine.
- They responded out of faith, trusting that Agabus had properly prophecied and began to work. They gave according to what each person had.
- It was heart felt and given out of a sense of duty for others in need.
- The other significant part of this is the beginning of Barnabas and Saul's first missionary journey, which is predicated on their dispensing of this gift.
Conclusion
- In our lives, there must be a little daring, a great depth and a sworn duty. You will be asked to take risks, which will force you to greater depths and will work out in you a duty to perform.
- The outcome of such a life is an experience of the hand of God with them, which is what every one of us wants more than anything.
No comments:
Post a Comment