So for the last four weeks here in church, we've been drawing lessons from the life of Barnabas,
who we meet in the book of Acts.
And as we come to the second part of this description of the church in Antioch,
we're going to discover that God's church is a church that both gives and grows.
What is it that connects these stories?
A story from the Philippines of a church that's part of a farming community
that took some of its precious rice, floated it down a river to help some other Christians downstream
whose crops had been flooded.
What connects that story with the story of a girl called Saria, a 10-year-old,
sending her pocket money to her Bible society
so that children in her country would have the chance to learn about Jesus?
What connects those stories with the story of churches in Scotland
raising money to send to Christians who were left homeless after the military coup in Myanmar?
And what connects those stories with the story that we read here of a church in Turkey
collecting money to send to struggling Christians in Jerusalem?
I think the collecting link in each case is that these are people who believe the good news of Jesus
and that good news of Jesus then motivates them to give generously and sacrificially
for the sake of others and for the kingdom.
The book of Acts, that's where we are this morning,
sees Jesus continue his mission.
And we've been seeing the church growing and spreading.
And we've also been seeing that Luke, at different points,
pauses for a moment to take snapshots of different local churches.
We've seen him do it in Jerusalem,
and now we see him here focusing on the church, this young church in Antioch.
And as we consider this snapshot that Luke gives us,
we see two things, I think.
We see a church that's growing,
as Barnabas and Saul teach about Jesus,
so that believers are growing in knowledge and maturity.
But we also see at the same time, don't we,
the church is giving.
And again, Barnabas and Saul are involved.
They're helping to facilitate this generous gift
to Christians experiencing famine conditions in Jerusalem.
So Jesus is continuing his mission.
He's calling and he's forming healthy disciples
who love Jesus, who love the church,
who want good news to spread,
who want Jesus' love to be shared.
And so my prayer for us today, as we gather,
is that God will use the church in Antioch
to teach and to encourage us today.
Well, let's think, first of all,
about this church that grows,
to recognize that God's church grows.
Verse 25 and verse 26.
Just to fill in the blanks for those of us
who weren't here last week,
we're thinking about this reality,
that here is, again, a major leap in Jesus' mission.
The good news is now spreading across language and culture.
It comes to the Greeks in Turkey and Antioch.
They're turning from their idols,
and now they're saying Jesus is their Lord.
The church is growing rapidly.
The church in Jerusalem hears about it.
Barnabas is sent to encourage them,
to instruct them.
That's where we finished last week.
Now we're going to see what happens next.
And I want us to see three things
about this growing Antioch church.
First of all,
to see in Barnabas someone who's leading like Jesus.
Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he found him,
he brought him to Antioch.
To know anything about Jesus in the Gospels
is to know that Jesus was profoundly humble.
Jesus was a servant leader
who encouraged his disciples to be servant leaders.
And I would suggest that Barnabas in this moment
is showing great humility.
So the church has been growing.
The good news of Jesus has been spreading.
Barnabas has been winning people to Jesus.
But he knows that what's best for the church
is for him to have a colleague,
a helper.
And he knows that Paul, Saul,
has been called, especially by Jesus,
to bring good news to the Greeks, the Gentiles.
He knows that Paul is a gifted preacher.
Now Barnabas, of course, could have said,
now hold on a minute,
the growth here,
well it's all about me.
I'm the leader in Antioch.
He could have been concerned
for his position and his standing.
If someone like Saul comes,
people will think more of him and less of me.
He could have done that.
He was proud.
But he's a humble leader.
His focus is not himself.
His focus is all about Jesus.
He's not wanting to build his kingdom.
He's wanting to see the kingdom of God grow and advance.
Barnabas' nickname means son of encouragement.
And here we see him encouraging us
that it's good to get help from others.
It's good to enable the gifts of others to be used.
He doesn't hold on to his position of leadership in pride.
Another thing we certainly see as this church grows
is that they grow because they're learning about Jesus.
into verse 26 again.
So for a whole year,
Barnabas and Saul met with the church
and taught great numbers of people.
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
So here we get a sense of Barnabas and Saul
and they have this year-long discipleship training.
And we're not given the details,
but we know that the content
is Jesus Christ and the way of Christ.
And we know that
because of the nickname that emerges for this church.
They're called Christians.
That points us to the focus of the teaching, doesn't it?
This is what they're all about.
So Barnabas and Saul are teaching the way of Christ.
That's how to make disciples.
That's how to have people saved.
That's how to see people grow in faith.
To teach about Jesus.
So no doubt Barnabas and Saul in this year
would have taught about the life of Jesus.
Jesus, the eternal Son of God,
who became a man,
who walked on this earth,
and who demonstrated the power of God
in his miracles.
They would have spoken too
of Jesus' perfect obedience
to the Father's will,
to the Father's plan of salvation.
They would have spoken
to these new believers in Antioch
of the generous grace of God
in sending the Lord Jesus.
They would have spoken
about Jesus' love
for outsiders.
Jesus' love
for those that other people despised.
They would have spoken
about the compassion
of Jesus.
There was a time
when Jesus and his disciples
were super busy.
And Jesus said,
let's go to a quiet place
and find some rest.
When they go to the quiet place,
they find a crowd
of 5,000 people.
And the Gospel tells us
that Jesus had compassion on them.
They were like sheep
without a shepherd.
And so he did two things.
He taught them
and he fed them
with the miracle
of the 5,000.
So no doubt
Barnabas and Saul
spoke much of the life
of the Lord Jesus
to establish faith.
But they would have spoken too
of the death of Jesus.
His death as a sacrifice
that covers the sin
of his people.
the sacrifice of Jesus
that atones for sin
and guilt.
They would have spoken
of the cross
as a demonstration
of the justice of God.
Because the judgment
that we deserve
fell on the Lord Jesus.
There was a transfer.
And so justice was done.
But they would also
have spoken about
the cross
as the greatest
demonstration
of God's love
that has ever been seen.
Because there is Jesus
the perfect sinless
Son of God
dying in the place
of sinners like us.
So that simply
by trusting in him
we could be saved
and have eternal life.
They would have spoken too
of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus.
That three days
after his death
he rose
in victory.
The powers
of evil
and darkness
could not hold
Jesus.
He was vindicated.
His Father
was pleased
with his finished work.
And so Jesus
risen to new life
now gives
new life
eternal life
to those
who trust him.
They would have spoken
to this young church
of the exaltation
of Jesus.
his return
to the glory
of heaven
to sit
at his Father's
right hand
that the Father
had given
Jesus a name
above every name.
Jesus is King
of Kings
Lord of Lords
every knee
should bow
every tongue
will confess
that Jesus
is Lord.
And from
this place
of glory
Jesus and the Father
they send
the Spirit
so he comes
to take up residence
in our hearts.
And they would have
spoken too
of the return
of Jesus.
That for these believers
this hope
was established
that Jesus
would one day
come again
that his victory
would be final
and complete
and eternal
that death
and sorrow
and sin
and sadness
would be
no more.
That this new creation
this perfectly
restored world
was coming.
And so these
young believers
were discipled
in the way
of Christ.
They taught
for growing
maturing
faith.
So these young
Christians
rescued
from
a pagan
way
of thinking
and worshipping
that they now
understand
the good news
of Jesus.
They now know
and worship
the one true
and living God
and they're
learning
to apply
the truth
of Jesus
to their
everyday lives.
Because the third
thing we see
about the church
as it grows
we see
leaders who
lead like Jesus
and we see
learning about
Jesus
but we also
see
loyalty
to Jesus.
Barnabas
is a great name.
It's a great
nickname
to be someone
who encourages
others.
It's a wonderful
thing.
It's also
wonderful
to recognize
end of verse
26
that the
disciples
were called
Christians
first
at Antioch.
They didn't
give themselves
that name.
People in the
city of Antioch
looking in
gave them
the nickname
Christians
and this is
an excellent
nickname.
So maybe
if you read
the gospels
you'll have
heard about
a group of
people called
the Herodians.
So the
Herodians
they were
Herod's
people.
They were
loyal to
Herod.
So when the
church quickly
becomes known
as Christians
it's a nickname
saying these
are Christ's
people.
Their loyalty
belongs
to Jesus.
So imagine
them for a
moment in the
city of Antioch.
How do you
get a nickname
like that?
Well surely
as a church
they're always
talking about
Jesus the
Christ.
Jesus God's
promised
saviour king.
They identify
themselves as
belonging to
Jesus.
They're not so
bothered about
being Roman
citizens.
That was super
important before.
Now what
defines their
identity is
I belong to
the Lord
Jesus.
Now we see
them living a
completely different
way of life.
They're not
going to the
pagan temples
and offering
sacrifice to
pagan gods.
They're not
participating in
pagan rituals.
They're living a
different way of
life.
They're living the
way of love.
And within
this city they've
established
themselves as a
new community.
Marked by their
love and
obedience to the
Lord Jesus and
their acts of
love and service
service towards
one another and
to the community.
The impact in
Antioch was
obviously huge
because they
become at least
in some parts
the talk of the
town.
The church is
bringing surprising
people together.
So we thought
about this last
week that the
great dividing
line in the
first century in
this part of the
world was between
Jews and non-Jews,
between Jews and
Greeks.
Well in this
church Jews and
Greeks are
worshipping together.
they're boldly
living out this
new faith.
When the whole
city, perhaps
under pressure, is
declaring Caesar
as our Lord, the
Christians are
saying, no, no,
Jesus is our
Lord.
When they used
to think that the
way of the Roman
religion was the
best way, Roman
religion which
said what you
need to do is you
need to sacrifice to
try and earn
favour from the
gods, now the
Christian church is
declaring Jesus
the Son of God
has sacrificed
himself so we
can freely enjoy
favour from the
one true and
living God.
A whole new way
of life.
The town sees it.
So the church
grows, Jesus'
mission continues
and God is
receiving glory
just as it should
be, the church
grows.
Now three lessons
for us to keep
thinking about this
before moving on.
First of all to
think about
leadership.
What are the
positive
encouragements that
you and I can
take from the
example of
Barnabas?
Think about
where perhaps you
exercise leadership.
That may be
within a family,
it may be within
an organisation or
a community, it
may be within
your workplace
or in church.
What does
Barnabas' wisdom
have to say to
us?
He would say to
us, in
whatever context,
practice humility.
Always act as a
servant leader.
Consider the needs
of others.
I think he would
also say to us,
remember that it's
good to involve
others, to
equip others, to
enable others to
use their gifts,
not to let
everything fall on
the shoulders of
one, and not in
our pride to take
it all on
ourselves.
We prayed for
our church leaders
this morning.
Perhaps this week
we might continue
especially to pray
for our church
leaders to be
humble servants
like Barnabas.
And we can pray
for one another,
for wisdom to
lead well in
whatever context
we find ourselves.
What can we
learn about
learning for
our own good?
Perhaps we've
heard the phrase
that nothing in
the world is
worth having
unless it means
effort.
Now we
understand that
boys and girls,
we understand
this I think.
If you want to
be good at
anything, you
want to be good
at sports, or
music, or
art, it
doesn't just
happen.
And it doesn't
happen overnight.
It takes effort.
It takes practice.
It takes training.
Sometimes we
forget that the
same is true
when it comes to
the Christian
faith.
Christianity is
a call to
commit time
and effort
to grow and
to mature in
our faith and
understanding.
It takes time
and effort to
commit to
spiritual
discipline.
to make
time each
day to
read God's
word, to
make time to
pray for
ourselves and
others.
And if we
are to be a
community that
learns about
the way of
Christ, then it
certainly involves
a commitment to
a local church,
this church or
another.
And we can
pray about that,
that we would
have the desire
to learn and
to let Jesus
shape us.
What about
our loyalty?
Have you ever
had that really
cringeworthy
experience, maybe
an icebreaker,
even worse than
an interview,
where someone
says, describe
yourself in
three words or
five words?
This is the
horrible on-the-spot
moment.
Well, imagine
the testimony of
these believers in
Antioch.
It was so clear
that they belonged
to Jesus.
That's where
their loyalty
lie.
It wasn't
easy for them
in Antioch.
Most people
were not
friendly to
the Christian
faith.
Of course, it's
not easy now
to be loyal
to Jesus.
As we consider
their life and
witness, perhaps
like me, you
feel a sense
of guilt, that
it can be so
easy to stay
quiet instead
of speaking up.
we can so
easily let our
love for the
Lord Jesus
grow cold.
Again, we can
pray for
ourselves and
for one another
that we would
stand firm in
our faith,
that we would
stand up for
the Lord Jesus,
and that for
the sake of
our city,
that we would
be a strong
and growing
family of
faith.
That by God's
grace and by
the Spirit,
we might have
an impact in
our city,
just as the
church did in
Antioch.
So we see that
God's church
grows.
Now let's see
that God's
church gives.
So this is the
next development
in the life of
the church in
Antioch.
We have a chance
to see more
evidence of how
the gospel is
at work,
changing their
heart, changing
their lives, and
it leads them to
good works and
to generosity.
So in verse
27 and verse
28, we're
told that some
prophets come from
Jerusalem to
Antioch, and
there's this man
Agabus, this
prophet, who
predicts a severe
famine over the
whole Roman
empire.
Under the reign
of Claudius,
history backs
this up, you
can look in your
history books,
you'll find under
the reign of
Claudius, there
were major
famines recorded
in Rome, in
Greece, in
Egypt, and in
Judea as well.
A reminder, the
Roman empire was
massive, but so
too, was the
problem of
famine.
Bad harvests
and famine were
frequent.
So what does
the church do?
Verse 29, the
disciples, as
each one was
able, decided to
provide help for
the brothers and
sisters living in
Judea.
This they did,
sending their
gift to the
elders by
Barnabas and
Saul.
The church
responds with
generosity.
They know,
because they've
been well taught,
that Jesus came
to build a global
church family.
And what
family does, is
family helps one
another.
When family works,
as family should.
So again, through
Barnabas and
through Antioch, I
think Jesus would
encourage us, which
of us, if we're
Christians, would
encourage us to
take our place in
the kingdom of
God.
To do what we
can, to give for
the sake of
mission, that he
would promote in
us open-hearted
generosity.
Let's think, first
of all, about their
missions mentality.
It was Saul Paul
who wrote in
1 Corinthians 12,
using the church
as a body image,
when one part
suffers, the
whole body
suffers.
So what we've
got here at the
end of chapter 11
is great need,
famine in Judea.
And for the
church in Antioch,
they feel that
becomes their
responsibility.
This is their
way to care for
their Christian
family.
They decide to
provide help for
their brothers
and sisters.
Family language.
Remember, they
have never met.
They are separated
by geography.
They are separated
by language.
They're separated
by culture.
They're separated
by religious
background.
But they are, in
reality, all one
in Christ Jesus.
And they show it
through genuine
sacrifice.
So think about
this.
What does Agabus
say?
Agabus doesn't
say, oh, by
the way, a
famine's coming
to Judea.
What does
Agabus say?
Agabus predicts
a famine over
the entire Roman
world.
So Antioch doesn't
know, is it going
to come to our
door next?
So they could have
stockpiled and said,
well, we need to be
prudent, but rather
they give freely and
sacrificially according
to their ability.
And we see this
wonderful picture and
pattern that faith
in Jesus unites
churches and
prompts love in
action.
Now we got to see
that as we built a
little bit of a
connection with the
church in Myanmar.
Our denomination
sent money to help
in Manipur, so we
can help globally,
but also locally as
well.
But there's that
missions mentality
that where there is
need, Christians in
other parts, as we
are able, should look
to help.
It's actually one of
the things I love
about being part of
a Presbyterian church.
If you're new to our
church, we are a
Presbyterian church, so
we are connected by
structures, which
means we have a
support network
around Scotland and
in our particular
Presbytery of
Edinburgh and
Perth.
Our resources are
spread.
Needs are shared
and prayers are
offered.
And it's a
wonderful little
pattern of a
missions mentality
in a local
context.
Let's think too
about their
missions partnership,
because you've got
this beautiful
two-way dynamic.
And we see it in
the journeys of
Barnabas in the
first place.
So Barnabas, I
know nothing about
geography,
but I'm going to
move, because that's
helpful, I think
sometimes.
So imagine
Barnabas, he comes
from Jerusalem to
Antioch, because he
wants to strengthen
the church, he
wants to share the
gospel with them.
But then a year and
a bit later, he's
going to encourage the
church in Jerusalem by
returning with a
financial gift from
these new brothers and
sisters formed in
Antioch.
What's happened in
Antioch is that
Barnabas and others
have come and
they've shared the
good news of the
Lord Jesus.
By the grace of God,
they come to
understand, if we have
Jesus, we are rich, we
have treasure.
And so as God's
grace came to
them, crossing
lines of culture and
language and
religion, so now
they want a
financial gift to do
the same.
And so they send
money back, as it
were, to the
mother church in
Jerusalem.
When we think about
missions partnership,
we need to understand
that it's not
narrow, it runs
wide.
It's not restricted
to the sending of
money, though that's
a good thing and a
necessary thing.
It's not restricted to
sending Bible teachers,
though that's a good
thing and a wonderful
thing.
Missions partnership
includes sharing
personnel, sharing
finances, but also
sharing ideas,
learning across
countries and
cultures.
It involves sharing
prayers across
languages, countries,
cultures.
It involves sharing
the gospel of
Jesus.
And because
partnership runs
wide, there is
good news for us.
Whoever we are,
whatever church we're
from, every
Christian can
partner in the
mission of God
in some way.
In some way we can
all be involved,
and we should be.
So perhaps again as
we think about how to
apply this, we can
pray.
Consider, how can I
be involved in the
mission of God?
Some ways here
locally, we have a
mission support fund
to help raise money
for a church plant in
Galashiels.
There also helps a
couple of
missionaries, the
Riannual family in
Colombia.
perhaps we could
also pray for
them.
Our junior church
raises money to
help the church in
different places.
We will meet on
Wednesday to
gather to pray for
the church here and
around the world.
Lots of ways we can
get, perhaps we can
also go, like our
Korean friends who
have come to
Scotland to bless
us by praying for
us.
We're really
thankful to you
for that.
Let's pray and
think, how can I
partner?
And let's think
too about their
missions giving.
What is it that
would have motivated
these Christians in
Turkey to support
another group of
Christians they'd
never met before,
even while the
threat of famine was
over their head
also?
Why did they
decide to give?
And not just to
give money.
Notice in verse
30 who the gift
is sent through.
They send their
gift to the elders
by Barnabas and
Saul.
So they send the
two main guys,
their two main
teachers are sent
from Antioch to
Jerusalem.
They're really
generous in their
giving.
Why is that?
It's not because
of the culture that
they were living in.
The culture of the
Roman Empire was
very much focused
on self-promotion.
let's look after
ourselves.
So what would
prompt them to
make that kind of
sacrifice?
And I think the
only answer,
the only power,
the only motivation
is the generosity
of God.
The generosity of
God in sending
the Lord Jesus
to be the
saviour for sinners,
to be the saviour
for the world,
to be their
saviour.
I think 1 Peter
chapter 1 can
help us in this.
Peter writes to
a new church of
largely folks who
became Christians
from a pagan
background,
non-Jewish
background, and
he says this to
them,
you know it was
not with perishable
things such as
silver or gold
that you were
redeemed from
your empty way
of life.
So you were
rescued from
following idols that
couldn't help,
couldn't save,
that couldn't help
you to know God,
but you were
redeemed with
the precious
blood of Christ,
a lamb without
blemish or
defect.
Now they have
come to know
this truth by
experience,
that they were
saved by Jesus
to belong to
the true and
the living God,
to receive
forgiveness from
God, to have
eternal life
now and
forever, to
know eternal
hope.
They have
come to know
that they were
saved at
great cost,
not silver or
gold, but in
God's own
Son, shedding
his blood so
that we might
be saved.
Salvation comes
freely to us,
but it cost
Jesus his life
on the cross.
So God's
rescue mission,
as it gripped
their hearts,
meant that money
lost its grip on
their hearts, so
they were glad
to give, and
to give generously
in response to
the goodness of
the gospel.
And that takes
us back to
where we began.
God's church
grows and God's
church gives.
They're connected.
I hope we've
seen the beauty
of the church in
Antioch.
We're not
finished, we'll
see some more of
the church in
Antioch later.
But it's
wonderful to see
a group of
Christians growing
in faith and
love, growing in
generous giving.
It's what God
wants for his
church.
Isn't that what we
want for our
local church, for
your local church
if you're not
part of
Bucklew?
How will that
happen?
How will we
become a part of
this amazing
story?
Well it's only
as the goodness
of the gospel
would grip our
hearts too.
Only as we'd
come to see and
to experience each
day how gracious
and generous God
has been to us
in Jesus.
Let's pray
together briefly
that we would
want to know
Jesus more
deeply, that we
might play our
part in his
kingdom and
mission.
Let's pray.
Lord God,
thank you for
your work in
the church in
Antioch, although
thousands of
years ago.
Thank you for
their growth in
faith and
obedience and
for the way
that they lived
out their
faith by
giving generously
and by their
concern for
your kingdom
and your
mission.
And Lord, we
pray that you
would apply
your word to
each of our
hearts, that you
would show us
areas where we
need to be
transformed and
renewed, that you
would show us
where we need to
learn to grow
in our faith or
to grow in our
generosity, that
you would show
us how we can
play our part in
your kingdom,
whoever we are,
whatever our
circumstances,
however you've
gifted us.
But most of
all, will you
show us Jesus?
Will you show us
our wonderful
Savior?
Will you show us
your great grace
towards us?
in that Jesus,
the sinless,
perfect Son of
God, and
became sin for
us so that in
him we might
become the
righteousness of
God.
And we pray in
Jesus' precious
name.
Amen.
Now we'll
close singing
praise with a
hymn, O for a
thousand tongues
to sing.
Just to say,
please stick
around after.
We'll get tea
and coffee
immediately after
the service.
We'd love to
get to know you
better.
Let's stand
and let's
sing as
we're able.