From Jerusalem to Antioch - Acts 11:19-30
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[READING] Acts 11:19-30
19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. 25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. 27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. 29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.
[PRAYER]
[CONTEXT] How were the Gentiles included in the salvation won by the Jesus, the Jewish Messiah? That’s the question that Acts 10-11 answers. As we’ve seen, the Gentile believers were saved in the same way as the Jewish believers.
They were saved by God’s grace.
They were saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
They were saved as the Holy Spirit fell on them.
In Acts 10 we saw all of that with a Gentile named Cornelius and his household.
In the first part of Acts 11, we saw the Apostle Peter report on the salvation of the Gentiles to the church in Jerusalem.
When the Jewish believers in Jerusalem heard Peter’s report, they said, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life,” (Acts 11:18).
[CIT] In our passage this morning, we continue to see the grace of God bring Jews and Gentiles together through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It may be an oversimplification, but we might think of this as God bringing two churches together in two cities: the Jewish church in Jerusalem and the Gentile church in Antioch.
[PROP] As we study Acts 11:19-30, we see how God knit His people together and how we can still be knit together with other believers today.
[INTER] What THREADS did God use?
[TS] Let’s notice four of them…
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
THREAD #1: Gospel (vv. 19-21)
THREAD #1: Gospel (vv. 19-21)
19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
[EXP] Verse 19 takes us back to Acts 7 where Stephen’s martyrdom was recorded. He faithfully preached Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah that had been murdered by hard-hearted Jewish people. Those who heard Stephen stoned him to death, and a young man named Paul stood by giving his approval.
After Stephen’s death, Paul greatly persecuted followers of Jesus, chasing them here and there and everywhere so that they fled to many cities like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.
The end of Acts 11:19 tells us that as these Jewish believer ran from persecution, they spoke the Gospel to no one except Jews alone, but v. 20 says that some finally began to speak to the Gospel to Greeks.
They were preaching the Gospel of the Jewish Messiah to Gentiles.
When the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected had been preached to the Jews, many believed, and it was no different as the Gentiles heard that same Gospel.
As v. 21 says…
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
Jews and Gentiles were being knit together as they believed and turned to the Lord Jesus.
[ILLUS] This past week during one of the worship times at the Southern Baptist Convention, there were people singing the same praise chorus at the same time in probably six or seven different languages. It was incredible to hear people singing of the grace of God in Jesus Christ in English and Spanish and Japanese and German and whatever languages were being used to lift up praise to God.
These were people from different countries and cultures with different languages and leanings, but we were and still are knit together by this Gospel thread of Jesus crucified and resurrected.
[APP] The most important thread that knits followers of Jesus together is that Gospel thread.
We are knit together by belief in Jesus as the crucified sacrifice for our sins.
We know that we are sinners and that the price for sin is death, and we believe that Jesus paid that price for us on the cross.
We are knit together by belief in Jesus as the resurrected Son of God who guarantees our righteousness before God.
We know that we don’t have any righteousness of our own; we know that we must be covered in the perfect righteousness of a resurrected Jesus in order to stand justified before God who is holy, holy, holy.
[TS] There will still differences between Jewish believers and Gentiles believers, but on thread that united them—the most important thread—was the Gospel thread.
We may have our differences with other believers today, but let us remember that the Gospel thread that knits us together is stronger that whatever may threaten to tear us apart.
THREAD #2: Encouragement (vv. 22-24)
THREAD #2: Encouragement (vv. 22-24)
22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.
[EXP] When news reached Jerusalem that many Gentiles had believed on Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, for salvation, they sent Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, off to Antioch.
Barnabas was the one who welcomed and encouraged Paul after he was saved by Jesus.
Paul had persecuted the church, but Jesus appeared to him and called him to salvation and service on the road to Damascus.
Paul first preached and taught in Damascus, but when his life was threaten, he went to Jerusalem.
The church in Jerusalem remember Paul as the persecutor and initially shunned him…
27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.
Here at Antioch, Barnabas would do the same thing with these new Gentile believers.
Barnabas arrived in the city and witnessed firsthand the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with steadfast hearts (Acts 11:23).
It’s only those who endure to the end with Jesus that will be saved, so Barnabas’s encouragement wasn’t just “feel good” encouragement but necessary encouragement.
It wouldn’t be enough for these Gentiles to start with Jesus, they must go with Him all the way in order to be saved.
We are told in v. 24 that Barnabas was a good man, and here’s the definition of a good Christian man—a man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
Barnabas was a man continually sensitive to the continual leading of the Holy Spirit.
Barnabas was a man continually trusting in Jesus and continually believing that Jesus would call others to trust Him too.
These things made Barnabas a constant encouragement to those like these Gentiles in Antioch.
[ILLUS] When I was in tenth grade, I was going to play basketball for my high school team, but I didn’t have any friends on the team. All my friends played soccer, so I decided to try out for the soccer team. I had never played soccer before and wasn’t very good, but apparently showed just enough ability to improve that I made the team.
What helped the most as I tried out though was the encouragement.
I’d do something halfway right, and the coach would encourage me.
I’d do something else a little less wrong, and a teammate would encouragement me.
One time someone took a shot at the goal, and I stopped it with my face!
The coach ran over and said, “Great job!” let’s see if you’re nose is broken.
[APP] Encouragement is powerful as we are learning, especially as we are learning to follow Jesus.
It must have meant so much to these Gentile believers in Antioch to be encouraged by Barnabas, this Jewish believer from Jerusalem.
God was using the thread of encouragement to knit His people together.
God still uses the thread of encouragement to knit His people together.
[TS] We might be different from one another in myriad ways, but encouraging one another is a thread God uses to knit us together.
Be the Barnabas in someone’s life.
Be someone who encourages.
Encourage a new believer as they learn to follow Jesus.
Encourage all believers to endure with Jesus to the end.
THREAD #3: Discipleship (vv. 25-26)
THREAD #3: Discipleship (vv. 25-26)
25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
[EXP] Barnabas not only encouraged but also connected. He saw a host of people in Antioch who needed to be discipled in the Word of God, but who could do that job? Who had the knowledge and ability to teach these new Gentile believers the way of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah? Barnabas, no doubt directed by the Holy Spirit, knew of someone who could do the job.
The last time we saw Paul, here referred to as Saul of Tarsus, he was on the run.
He preached the Gospel to Jews in Damascus; he was threatened with death; and then he fled to Jerusalem.
He preached the Gospel to Jews in Jerusalem; he was threatened with death; and then he fled to Tarsus, his hometown.
Several years had passed and then Barnabas brought him to Antioch to disciple these new Gentile believers.
Paul and Barnabas met with the church in Antioch for an entire year teaching crowds of folks, discipling them in the way of Jesus.
God was using the thread of discipleship in the word of God to knit together these Jewish and Gentile believers.
This discipleship was so transformative that it was likely unbelievers outside the church that started to call the believers in Antioch “Christians.”
What was likely meant as an insult, was actually an honor. To be known as a “little Christ” was an encouraging distinction from the unbelieving world.
But this title also served to tie together Jewish and Gentile believers more firmly.
Rather than being known as Jewish followers of Jesus and Gentile followers of Jesus, they would increasingly be known as Christians.
[ILLUS] We celebrated the birthdays of two of our children on Friday and Saturday. Dalton turned 11 and Lillian turned 2. Birthdays cause parents to reminisce.
I think back to the day any of our children were born, and I remember them looking their first look, crying their first cry, and I especially remember bending down to them and whispering to each one of them, “Your mom and I have given you life, but you're on your own now."
Now, you know that it isn’t true. We don’t bring children into the world and then leave them to fend for themselves.
We give them life and then we help them learn all they need to learn.
We help them learn to eat, to talk, to walk, to read, and so on. We don’t just give them life and then say, “You’re on your own now.”
The Gentiles believers in Antioch had been given new life in Christ, but they weren’t on their own.
Paul and Barnabas arrived to teach them all they needed to learn as they grew in Christ.
That’s discipleship.
Discipleship knits us together as the people of God.
[APP] There are people who seem to think that we should be focused on evangelism rather than discipleship. They point to the Great Commission in Matthew 28, which says…
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Some hear that verse and say, “See, we are to be focused on baptizing! That’s evangelism! We share the Gospel with them, they believe, and then we baptize them!”
But the first command in that verse is “make disciples” and the following verse, Matthew 28:20, is where Jesus says…
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The only way to make disciples is through evangelism—sharing the Gospel and baptizing those who believe—and discipleship—teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us in the whole counsel of God’s word.
It’s through evangelism—sharing the good news of Jesus—that God sovereignly brings believers to new life in Jesus.
And as we’ve already discussed, the good news or Gospel is a thread that God uses to knit his people together.
It’s through discipleship—teaching the whole counsel of God’s word—that God graciously teaches believers to walk like Jesus.
And as we all learn to walk in this world like Jesus, we see that discipleship too is a thread that God uses to knit His people together.
[TS]…
THREAD 4: Care (vv. 27-30)
THREAD 4: Care (vv. 27-30)
27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. 29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.
[EXP] After Barnabas and Paul had been teaching in Antioch for some period of time, prophets from Jerusalem showed up. By way of the Holy Spirit of God, a prophet named Agabus prophesied a great famine all over the world.
Luke tells us that this famine took place during the reign of Claudius, emperor of Rome from AD 41-54. His reign saw several famines, but the one referred to here may have happened in AD 46-47 with the after-effects lasting for a number of years.
Now, this wouldn’t just be a regional famine. It would affect the believers in Antioch too, but here was there chance to show solidarity with Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
So they decided to care for their fellow believers in Jerusalem by sending relief by way of Paul and Barnabas.
This act of compassion would’ve communicated to the Jews in Jerusalem that they and the Gentile believers in Antioch were not two groups but one in Jesus Christ.
The act of care was a thread God used to knit these Jewish and Gentile believers together.
[ILLUS] In February of this year earthquakes devastated Antioch, today known as Antakya of Turkey. Thousands of people were displaced as their homes and businesses were leveled.
But on the ground were Southern Baptists.
Missionaries with the IMB were in country, and support arrived quickly through Send Relief, the disaster relief arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Southern Baptists were assessing damage, meeting needs, and were committed to stay for the long haul as the people of Antakya and the surrounding region tried to put their lives back together.
Through our giving to the Cooperative Program, we were able to send relief to the hurting; we were able to care for brothers and sisters in Christ reminding them that we stood in solidarity with them.
God used our giving and our brothers and sisters on the ground in Antakya to knit his people together once again.
[APP] You can go to sendrelief.org to send care to hurting people all over the world or you might send care to the hurting in your house or you might do both, but whenever we send care to other brothers and sisters, we remind them that they are not alone, that we are in it with them, and God knits His people together a little more closely.
[TS]…
Conclusion
Conclusion
Gospel. Discipleship. Encouragement. And Care.
These are the things that knit us together as the people of God.
Are you knit together with the people of God?
It starts with believing the Gospel. The same Gospel that saves the Jew saves the Gentile.
Have you turned from sin and trusted in Jesus as the sacrifice for your sin?
Have you turned from self-righteousness and trusted in Jesus as your righteousness?
Before God knits us together with the threads of discipleship, encouragement, and care, He knits us together with the Gospel, the good news of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ.
The wrath of God that we deserved, Jesus took for us on the cross.
The righteousness before God that we couldn’t earn, Jesus provided for us in His resurrection.
Trust in Jesus today.
Once you do, we’ll come along side of you and help you learn to walk like Him.
[PRAYER]