The Antioch Example

Hi there I am in God. Why good. Do you expect me to stand in the way of God is at work and by asking that by the way he implies the same question the damp are you understanding God's way. The question was is one offer praise that would they listen their grip on the past when they relearn centuries of tradition the message that Stevens calling Jacques example, when the gospel took root in the hearts and lives of members of the early church their lives radically changed.

They were committed to prayer committed to sharing the good news of the gospel with others and they were doing all of this, regardless of color or national origin, or any other factor. The church was coming together to impact its culture.

It's the same lesson we need in this century, would you like to know what grace looks like when it's lived out. Stay with us for Stephen Davies Bible lesson right now. I want to invite you to travel back with me this warning to the Golden city of the Roman Empire. The name of the city was Antioch.

It was called the Queen city of the East just to give you a couple of snapshots of the city before we go to the passage. The city had Main Street.

That was 4 miles long. You can imagine that add that the opulence of the city for that Main Street was instructed entirely of marble and it had colonnades of marble pillars and curves going down the 4 mile stretch.

It was a city sister of the Roman author wrote of of learned men and liberals. Studies was also a very sinful city. It was the only ancient city in the world that had its brief lit at night.

The city never slept was known for its gambling, its chariot races its immorality infected's chief religion center on the Temple of Daphne, where worshipers would come. Supposedly, and they would chase the religious prostitutes. The priestesses who were nothing more than prostitutes about the temple grounds and enact each evening. What supposedly took place when Apollo's capture Daphne it was immorality under the name of religion.

If there was one city in the ancient world, you would think would close its ears to an evangelistic crusade.

It would be Antioch if there was one city in this part of the world and you would think would sort of sniff and sort of pushed away these silly Christians. It would be the city and yet were going to discover together this this passage will show us how this particular city housed what would become an example and for 1900 years to this day. It provides an example of godly Christianity in the midst of ungodliness. It provides for us.

To my surprise in yours perhaps an example of what a New Testament church should look like and act like so is pick our story back up with Chapter 11 and verse 19 in the book of acts. So then, those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except the Jews alone.

That phrase may be a little strange unless you remember the transitional nature of the book of acts is as the gospel is now reaching not just the Jew but the Gentile.

But these people left Jerusalem when Stephen was stoned that they didn't know that Peter had already open the gospel to the Gentile by way of Cornelius and his own. They were they were doing it the old way, to the Jew only they didn't know that the Gentiles were now being reached.

However, verse 20 some mavericks. There were some of them men of Cyprus and styrene who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also preaching the Lord Jesus now for our study this morning. I simply want to focus our thoughts on why phrases five key phrases that really could be studies we just read the first we might underline it in your text following your in your notes. It's this phrase, they began speaking to the Greeks also preaching the Lord Jesus. If you go back to the fact that they were men of Cyprus and styrene that sort of comes as a surprise, as I have been studying this passage.

Evidently, these Jewish men could come to faith Cyprus and styrene were rough were burden for the cosmopolitan harvest field. What's fascinating is that Cyprus and styrene were to rather blue-collar villages that revolved around the copper mine. These men perhaps copper minors or former copper minors came to faith in Jesus Christ and they just believe that the big city needed air to sell without permission from the apostles in Jerusalem without checking for permission first. I guess they would ask forgiveness later they had to Antioch to deliver the message that burned in their hearts, and I can imagine their grammar may have been a little crooked in our hands were probably callous they had done any market research and did know the demographics and the net purpose statements on their hip pocket administrative techniques. These men were simply on fire for Jesus Christ to come to know and if it's good enough for the copper minors people and Antioch needed to go. And since no one else had volunteered.

They headed for Antioch code of love to those men. And so they go to deliver the message and I'll have to tell you their ministry was unconventional, but the results were undeniable. Look at verse 21 and the hand of the Lord was with them in a large number who believe turn to the Lord we don't know all the details but we do know Antioch is not the same. There were large numbers, who in turn to the Lord. What that means is, there were large numbers that had turned away from all the other practices that Antioch was known for the template.

Daphne noticed a drop in nightly attendance.

The chariot races in the gambling tables noticed a drop in profits. Why, because you do not turn to the Lord, unless you have turned away, the world they didn't understand back here, they were sophisticated enough to know you can gambling be a Christian we go to the temple of Daphne and call yourself a Christian, then picked up on the game yet so they had turned away from all of that and unto the Lord, and Antioch was in the midst of an incredible revolution. We are given many details, but I can only imagine it was swept up in this evangelistic crusade, none is verse 22 in the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem. I like the way that just and and were hearing things are happening over there and Antioch without our you know are stamp of approval so they sent Barnabas off to any we we we don't know about this copper minors for Christ off so Barnabas you go in you go check it out that we study this man Barnabas before his nickname was encourager, but if you drop down verse 24, Luke provides a brief biographical sketch of this man. He says for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith three things as Luke penned this under inspiration Mark his mind about Barnabas. He was a man of commitment. He was a man of character is a man of courage. Now I have to stop here because as I thought about this.

What came to my heart and mind was the challenge. If I were a member of this Jerusalem church and the leaders needed to send somebody over there to Antioch with discernment and faith go check it out and make sure the real genuine. I know they sent me this and you could you discern whether or not the revival, and Antioch was the genuine item Barnabas we don't have any guidelines giving on paper.

We can give you some things. He is observed in Jerusalem and you give known men who walked with the Lord you can go with inside and you can go with with the what you've learned in and out we we don't have anything really on church growth to give you to compare to. You go to Antioch with sensitive ears to the holy's. May I ask you a question. Could the church have chosen you.

They could choose him and here he arrives. Finally, and Antioch. Verse 23 then when he had come is the next key phrase and witnessed the grace of God. He he rejoiced and began to encourage them all. With resolute hard to stay true to the Lord is the next key phrase he witnessed the grace of God, literally Barnabas saw the grace of God and I just had to stop and ask myself the question I want to ask you what is the grace of God look like you see the grace of God we sing about amazing Grace. We know were saved by grace, we experience the grace of God we talk about living under grace. What is grace look like so so Barnabas could see it. Well, it looks like people who were coming to faith in Jesus Christ, so that it it look like people who were praying, fasting, they were doing that.

It look like people who were giving spontaneously from their financial resources will see in a moment they were doing that. It look like people who were accepting one another in the body where there was neither Jew nor Gentile effect, Paul will make reference in the book of Galatians to the fact the Jews and Gentiles in Antioch ate together probably a reference to the Lords table is an amazing thing we've Artie discussed that he saw. That's what grace look like. And here is Barnabas right in the middle of it all is a layman from Jerusalem, preaching, encouraging, teaching, he's faithful. He soon realizes he can't do this on his own. He needs needs an associate the word exhorted us Barnabas exhorted them is the word used for a preacher.

He is preaching to them. He seems to be the leader of this this growing group and he realizes he needs an assistant who is he going to choose well. Verse 25 says he left for Tarsus to look for Saul. Now we've studied this in detail what you may remember, if you are with us that eight years would have elapsed between. This time between the time a Barnabas meeting Saul and now Barnabas going to look for Saul here in Tarsus Barnabas if you remember risk his entire reputation because this former hatchet man of the Sanhedrin had supposedly come to faith in Christ but nobody wanted to get around this man. Saul's name and nobody want to let him into the church and he kept trying to enter the church in Jerusalem and all the disciples were saying stay out so this man Barnabas came along and took some time with Saul and and and Barnabas was able to determine that he indeed was a believer and so he took Saul with him and introduced him to the apostles and he said fallacies. He's telling the truth he really is a believer. Lenin's encouraging man. He risked it all now you remember perhaps the Vista soon as he was introduced and seen that Saul was sort of scent scuttling back to his home in Tarsus. The leadership in Jerusalem. The apostles and the sea. Perhaps a lot of future out of this man is seen that the potential of him causing division or trouble was higher with him being in Jerusalem than with him being home and because his life was was at risk. They said Saul go back to Tarsus. Nice to meet you hello and goodbye go so left women heard anything about Saul for eight years until now.

Why is it that Barnabas would not even go to the apostles and asked them Hades ago to go get Saul what he think about Saul. He didn't ask permission. Was it intuition was the fact that he and Saul and sort of hit it off eight years earlier. He likes Saul and Buddy can work well with Saul, maybe all those things were true, but I want you to understand Barnabas at this moment is obeying the will of God say how you know that will earlier in the book of acts. This blind man named Saul. Blinded by his experience on the Damascus Road was waiting for a man named Ananias to come visit him and God came by way of vision, Ananias and Zidane and I should go to this Saul of Tarsus and you lay your hands on him and restore the site we study that wonderful passage and then God told him something that he no doubt communicated that apostolic community. He said Ananias go is to Saul for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name to the Gentiles and Barnabas is in the midst of the first Gentile reliable was at work. Gentiles are coming to faith in Christ.

He needs help, but I happen to believe this wasn't necessarily an easy decision. He is the leader of this movement and now he is going to entrust this movement to a man who is unproven untested. He doesn't know what's happened in eight years. Just go get an unknown and then bring an unknown and hearsay go after install two great obedience to the revealed will of God. He just knew because it would guided earlier said it was Saul's time and so verse 26 tells us that when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. That's a wonderful verse when you think about it tells us that he went to look for Saul, that word look you in a circle and may be right in the margin intent to very intense Greek word literally means to look up and down you get this vision differently when you understand what that word means. Because here's Barnabas where so he doesn't have a home address. He just simply knows that eight years earlier. We sent him back to Tarsus so is somewhere in that in that village in that town and so he's going any everybody he sees. He did us all. You know this man probably have 40 years all and is looking intently. He cannot be distracted until he finds this mad brings him back. The text also doesn't tell us, but some of suggested that the use of the word. He brought him to Antioch has a negative connotation. The maybes always say that your man for the job.

Barnabas, the encourager insisted and brought this man whose time had come into this ministry of God while well the school in here. Verse 26 when he found to be broadened Antioch and it came about that for an entire year. They met with the church and taught considerable numbers this just the constant teaching all that Saul had learned directly from Revelation from God, having been trained by the spirit personally. Barnabas had learned there just teaching in the church is growing in more people are coming to faith in an exciting community to be involved in in Antioch and scratching its heads. I just can't quite figure it out, and who are these people and here's the next key phrase and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch and there been a lot of names for for believers in the New Testament disciple brother sister steward child priest, holy nation lacked Pilgrim St. that we discover from history that the name Christian that eventually stock was a name given by pagan to believers that when the church came up with itself.

It was a derogatory term. It was a slang or try to figure out who these weird people are who left all this stuff and are not following after this crucified Nazarene what we call a mother's people are there little Christ's today are Christian, meaning they are imitators. They adhere to this one. Those people those Christians. Yet, it became precious over time affect by the time that Peter wrote his epistle is the only other one who use that word in the New Testament to know that when Peter use that word he used it to encourage the Christians as he said if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but at that name, glorify God see at this point in time when Peter's writing is that name that will execute a person. The name Christian ever thought about what it means to be called Christian. Does it mean to the name tag. He just invisibly put on on Sunday walk in the lobby. I'm a Christian you drop it off at the lobby desk on your way out. Now somebody else.

Monday through Saturday to the name tag. No, is it an adjective never used that way. He's a good Christian man. Is that what stop using it that way or she's a she's a fine Christian woman. Another way of saying a kind of a moral person in adjective it's in now, to name is. It is the name Christian synonymous with being an American citizen you heard that course, I'm a Christian morning America is a Christian report of people that haven't committed a felony course of the current I've never killed anybody heard that was it mean the name Christian or Little Christ means that you adhere to, seven days a week. You follow after 11 years ago my family and I moved from the state of Texas. So we stop being Texan that were North Carolinian urine nor Carolinian because you abide in the state of North Carolina you live within its borders.

You are a Christian because you live in Christ within his borders he belong to him where the question is, are we living up to our name on the way. One man phrase the question if you are arrested for being a Christian with there be enough evidence to convict you in a court of law.

Well, at this time. Verse 27 says, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch and one of them named agate bus stood up and began to indicate by the spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. This took place in the reign of Claudius, not Ephesians informs us that the apostles that office and the office of prophet were part of the foundation of the church and any homebuilder knows that you don't continually build the foundation. Eventually you build the superstructure Ephesians goes on to tell us then that the next offices were pastors and teachers who would help build superstructure will evidently four. In this transitional error of miracle in Revelation God use this this gift of prophecy. One of these true prophets makes a prediction and a true prophet in this area and prior to this didn't prophesied to Tina just sort of answer what can happen in the future, but really to to impact lives and to create action when he tells them that there's going to be a famine that will ultimately affect the church and in Jerusalem. And so, in fact, history tells us there were three of them under the reign of this up for fellow while the Jerusalem church has already been decimated by persecution.

We've long since left the days where everyone had their needs met the church in Jerusalem is now prepped more than 20 years old. They need help.

So he comes in he tells them it's only going get worse. I noticed the next key phrase.

Verse 29 and in the proportion that any of the disciples had means here is each of them determined to send the contribution for the relief of the brethren living in today and this they did sending and in charge of Barnabas Saul to the elders there was any percentage dictated. This was in the command to give.

It was simply the response of of a caring heart that had been impacted by the grace of God for others who were in need and and don't miss the irony here either related, is helping to Gentiles are helping to it is the Gentile church now is lending a hand to the Jewish believers Antioch as this was a place where the apostles didn't really had done the same model would be too hard on them but didn't care to the point that they sent one of the apostles to check it out a set a layman, Barnabas you go in and check it out and see if it's it's really the truth of the gospel and in you notice now didn't come back with money carrying the money so all fellow that seems was dismissed without too much of the future in the church, someone that they had probably forgotten all about. Come Saul did you know by the way, this is the very first reference to a church taking up missionary collection church in Antioch had a lot of first related to regular lot about them because shift of focus moves from Jerusalem to Antioch over these next many chapters and by the way it is.

To this day, a sign of a healthy church that is able to give to the world affect Philip Brooks, a famous teacher from a century ago was once asked how do you revive it dead without even thinking he responded take up a missionary collection get them to think about somebody other than the give it away and these believers get quickly. Let me give you two thoughts. How can we be like this church, and Antioch, working to get to know real well over these next many weeks I can we move their spirits and their commitment to Jesus Christ here ministry planted by these copper minors well number one we have to act worthy of our new identification or new name that's before the world. Paul exhorted the believers to walk worthy of the gospel. Do you realize the responsibility that is on your shoulders when you leave here today credible opportunity that you and I have been told, commanded, challenged, encouraged, indwelt, so that we could walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That's were to do were walk worthy as well.

Before the believers, the believers Antioch could of said to the church in Jerusalem you're on your own. You really care about us Gentiles member Megan struggle all the way up to chapter 15 before the Jerusalem church is okay Gentiles are in thinking that a chip on their shoulder a mile high having trouble in Jerusalem get another job work it out. Instead they gave. They acted like Christ Christian to want to be like the church in Antioch. We have to be alert to new opportunities is the church in Antioch will send out the first missionaries to get the first missionary offering will be the church in Antioch at Paul as he returns from his missionary voyages. He will report to them, not Jerusalem. He will go to Antioch report them. What they become the center of God's working in the Gentile world's is this process of evangelism to develop the parallels between the first century church in in your church today are pretty clear day. It's a powerful example in reminder for us. You been listening to wisdom for the hearts we've gone back to our archives with this vintage wisdom series from the book of acts that Stephen Devi first taught many years ago, but the truth of this series is just as relevant today. If you joined us late or had to step away for a portion of this lesson, you can listen to it in its entirety on our website which is wisdom online.org. We also posted to our smart phone app. By the way, if you've not installed the wisdom international app to your smart phone. I encourage you to do that today. It's really the best way to interact with our ministry on a regular basis because you can take the daily broadcast as well as the complete archive of Stevens teaching wherever you go.

There's also a gospel presentation right there in that app that you can open and share with a friend or loved one who needs to hear and understand the truth of the gospel again. You'll find the wisdom international In the iTunes and the Google play stores. Thanks for joining us today. Tune in next time. For more wisdom for the heart