Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.
Dear Father,
we thank you for calling us into your family,
rescuing us from sin and death,
giving us eternal life,
this joyful fellowship we share with you
and with one another, your people.
We humble ourselves once again before your Word.
We have come to worship you.
We pray for you.
To pledge our allegiance once again to you
and to your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
We want to hear from you
in the reading and preaching of God's Word
that we might know how,
as one church,
we might build up one another.
We pray for conviction
that you lay on each and every member's heart
a specific way you are calling him or her
to build up this body
and use their gifts.
And we pray that you'd impress deeply upon us
our sense of dependence on you
and our interdependence
with each other
as members of the body of Christ.
Speak to us.
We are listening to you.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Acts chapter 11, verses 19 to 30.
Now those who were scattered
because of the persecution
that arose over Stephen
traveled as far as
Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch,
speaking the word to no one except Jews.
But there were some of them,
men of Cyprus and Cyrene,
who on coming to Antioch
spoke to the Hellenists also,
preaching the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them,
and a great number who believed
turned to the Lord.
The report of this came to the ears
of the church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he came and saw the grace of God,
he was glad,
and he exhorted them all
to remain faithful to the Lord
with steadfast purpose.
For he was a good man,
full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
And a great many people
were added to the Lord.
So Barnabas went to Tarsus
to look for Saul,
and when he had found him,
he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year,
they met with the church
and taught a great many people.
And in Antioch,
the disciples were first called Christians.
Now in these days,
prophets came down
from Jerusalem to Antioch,
and one of them named Agabus
stood up and foretold by the Spirit
that there would be a great famine
over all the world.
This took place in the days of Claudius.
So the disciples determined
everyone according to his ability
to send relief
to the brothers living in Judea.
And they did so,
sending it to the elders
by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
This is God's holy
and authoritative word.
When I was a student
at the Sovereign Grace Pastors College,
there was a class on church planting,
and we were learning about
how best,
some of the best practices
for planting a church,
starting a new church
in an area where there's no church.
And we had several instructors,
and one of them was someone
who leads a denomination
and that has been,
by all appearances,
very successful in planting churches.
And he said something
that was surprising
and has stuck with me.
He said,
quote,
it's easy to plant a church service,
but it's hard to plant a church.
What he meant by that was this,
that it's easy to find
a gifted speaker
or someone with a charismatic personality,
team them up with a team
of gifted musicians
and graphic artists,
and put together
an impressive service.
And when you do that,
when you have an attractive product,
an appealing product,
it's not hard to get consumers.
People come.
It's not hard to get a crowd.
But if you want more than consumers,
if you want a congregation
of people who have deep relationships
with one another,
if you want people who love
and serve one another,
in other words,
if you want to plant a church,
not just a church service,
that takes the hand of God.
That's why it says in verse 21
that the hand of the Lord
was with them.
That's why it says
in chapter 11, verse 23,
that the grace of God
was evident among the Christians
there in Antioch.
It takes,
on top of that,
all the various members
of the body of Christ
pitching in
and using their gifts
to build up the church.
That's what the church
is meant to be.
And that's what we see here
in Acts 11,
verses 19 to 30.
Some of you might have wondered
at times,
you know,
what can I possibly do
to serve Christ and His church?
There are so many other gifted people,
so many other mature people.
What can I possibly do
for this church?
Well, if you are a member
of this body of Christ,
then you do have a role to play.
God has given you,
in particular,
gifts that this specific body needs.
In this passage,
we see believers
serving in many different ways.
We see evangelists speak.
We see apostles established.
We see shepherds exhort.
We see teachers teach.
We see prophets prophesy.
And we see disciples give.
And the main point
of all of this is
that Luke is trying
to convey to us
is that the church grows
as its interdependent members
partner and serve together
in the grace of God.
The church grows
as its interdependent members
partner and serve together
in the grace of God.
First, we see the evangelists
speak in verses 19 to 21.
We already saw in chapter 8
how believers were scattered
by the persecution
that broke out against the church
after martyrdom of Stephen
had the effect of actually
spreading the gospel abroad,
pushing the believers
out of Jerusalem and Judea
to Samaria,
where the Samaritans,
kind of a half-Jews,
were living.
The great scattering
of the church by persecution
led to the great spread
of the gospel
by those very same believers.
And we see the same phenomenon
happening here
in verses 19 to 20.
It says,
Now those who were scattered
because of the persecution
that arose over Stephen
traveled as far as
Phoenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch,
speaking the word
to no one except Jews.
But there were some of them,
men of Cyprus and Cyrene,
who on coming to Antioch
spoke to the Hellenists also,
preaching the Lord Jesus.
The word Hellenists
is the same word
that we saw in chapter 6
where the Hellenized
Gratian Jews
were in conflict with
and had a complaint
against the Jews,
the Hebraic Jews,
about the distribution
of food to the widows.
And in that case,
in that context,
the Hellenists
referred not to Gentiles,
for which we have
a separate word,
but to Jewish believers
who had been Hellenized,
Greek-speaking Jews,
Jews who were culturally
Greek,
Hellenist.
We know that
that was the case there
because the Hellenist Jews
are not contrasted
with the Greeks
and the Gentiles,
but they are instead
contrasted with
Hebraic Jews.
So it's Hellenized Jews
versus Hebraic Jews.
But here in chapter 11,
the Hellenists
are not contrasted
with other
Hebraic Jews,
other Jews,
but he's contrasted
in general with Jews.
It's the Hellenists
versus the Jews,
not the Hebrews
versus the Grecian Jews.
So this here
is an ethnic division.
It's referring to
the actual Greeks,
the Gentiles.
So some of the believers
who had been scattered
by the persecution
that broke out
against the church
went about spreading
the gospel
to no one except Jews.
That was what
most of them were doing.
However,
some of them
who on coming to Antioch
spoke not only
to fellow Jews,
not only to Hellenist Jews,
but also to the Greeks,
the Gentiles.
The Gentile mission
of the church
didn't begin in earnest
until chapter 10
when Peter preached
the gospel to Cornelius.
And so then
these believers
who were preaching
Jesus among the Greeks,
they were doing so
after that
has already happened.
So then,
not only did the persecution
led by Saul
lead to the gospel
spreading to Samaritans,
it's now going
to the end of the earth,
to among the Gentiles also.
And this is a wonderful reminder
of God's sovereignty
to all of us.
And it's a great comfort
to me personally
because when there are
setbacks and disappointments
in ministry,
just like the persecuted church
in Jerusalem experienced,
we need not
to hang our heads
in despair
because of God's
sovereign work
in and through
all of that.
What we might see
as regression,
as a disappointment,
we must remember
that God might not
see that way
because we don't see
personally all that
God himself is doing.
We have seen
similar patterns
throughout church history.
One notable one
is when Constantinople
fell to the Muslim Turks
in 1453.
It looked like
the end of Christendom.
The Byzantine Empire,
Constantinople,
was the heart,
the capital
of the Byzantine Empire
which was the cultural
and political center
of Christendom.
And however,
what happened
with that
was the church
which was back then
an empty shell
in a lot of ways
was exposed
and the conquest,
the Islamic conquest
of Constantinople
pushed a lot
of the Eastern
Greek-speaking
biblical scholars
to the West,
to the Latin-speaking West.
And when that happened
they brought their
original Greek manuscripts
of the New Testament
with them.
And at the time
there was
kind of a
scholarly revival
happening
called Back to the Sources.
They were trying
to go back
to the sources
of the teachings
and the things
that they were learning
and the Christians
likewise
were trying to go
back to the sources.
Let's go back
to the scriptures,
to the original scriptures
and see
what is taught.
See what we're
supposed to believe.
See how we're
supposed to live.
And because
of this new influx
of the original manuscripts
of the Greek New Testament
people were seeing
things that they were
never taught before.
They were seeing
things again
recovering these doctrines
that were lost.
And that led
to the Renaissance
and more particularly
to the Protestant Reformation
which led to
an unprecedented
period of
restoration
and recovery
and renewal
in the church
and sparked
some much needed reforms.
Similarly,
when our hard work
appears to come
to nothing,
we have to remember
that God is still
sovereignly at work.
Maybe some of you
have been sharing
the gospel
with an unbelieving
friend of yours.
She seemed
really open to it
until they suddenly
turned
and seemed to have
closed the door
on the gospel.
Maybe
some of you
have experienced
setbacks within
your respective
ministries that you
serve in the church.
You thought the team
was growing and thriving
but then
you lost some people,
there were some
disagreements on how
to go about things
and now you feel like
there's been a setback.
Maybe you were discipling
or personally ministering
to someone,
to another believer
in the church
and you thought you
had taken two steps
forward
but now you feel like
you've taken three steps
backward.
Whatever the case
might be,
don't be discouraged.
Remember that God
is at work in ways
that you do not see.
We can keep
on plowing,
keep on sowing,
keep on praying,
keep on speaking
the word
knowing that God
is at work in ways
we can't discern.
Note also the emphasis
on speaking the word
in verses 19 to 20.
Some of the scattered
believers traveled
as far as Phoenicia
and Cyprus
and Antioch
speaking the word
to no one except Jews.
But there were some
of the men of Cyprus
and Cyrene
who on coming to Antioch
spoke to the Hellenists
also preaching
the Lord Jesus.
Gospel ministry
involves speaking.
If you want to see
your family,
friends,
and neighbors
saved by Jesus,
you must speak
the word of Jesus.
There's a famous saying
that is often attributed
to Francis of Assisi
goes something like this,
preach the gospel
at all times,
when necessary,
use words.
It's an appealing sentiment
because we all
squirm a little bit
at the thought
of having to break out
of our comfort zones
to share the gospel
and actually speak it
to somebody.
The reality is
Francis of Assisi
never said such a thing.
The quote is actually
a misleading paraphrase
of what Francis
actually said.
And this is the actual quote,
No brother should preach
contrary to the form
and regulation
of the Holy Church,
nor unless he has been
permitted by his minister.
The minister should take care
not to grant this permission
to anyone indiscriminately.
All the friars,
however,
should preach
by their deeds.
Far from saying
that the preaching
the gospel with words
is usually unnecessary,
he was so concerned
with ensuring
that the preaching
of the gospel
is done faithfully,
he was trying
to stop friars
who were doing it poorly
while still encouraging
them to live
in a manner
worthy of the gospel
until they can be
properly trained
and authorized
to do so.
He believed
that preaching the gospel
with words
was of utmost importance.
If news can be spread
without words,
there would be no need
for newspapers
and news anchors.
The good news
that Jesus
is the messianic king
sent by God
to save us,
that he died on the cross
for our sins
and was raised
from the dead
for our justification,
that if we repent
of our sins
and believe in Jesus,
we can be saved,
that we can receive
the Holy Spirit
and have eternal life.
This good news
cannot be conveyed
by deeds alone.
The good news
of Jesus Christ
must be spoken.
And the people
we must speak
the word of Christ
to are all the nations,
all peoples.
Though some of the
Jewish Christians
spoke the word
to no one except Jews,
others of them
spoke to the Hellenists
also.
They crossed ethnic lines
and preached the gospel
to the Greeks,
the Gentiles also.
And this latter group
of Christians
who spoke to the Hellenists
are commended
in verse 21.
It says,
And the hand of the Lord
was with them,
and a great number
of who believed
turned to the Lord.
God blessed their ministry
so that a great number
of Greeks believed
and turned to the Lord.
For decades now,
what missiologists call,
scholars of missions theology,
called the homogeneous unit principle,
has dominated Christian thinking
about missions
for decades.
A proponent of that principle
famously encapsulated
the principle
when he said,
quote,
men like to become Christians
without crossing racial,
linguistic,
or class barriers.
For this reason,
he argued that Christians
should evangelize
within existing cultural lines
and social networks
because that's when
the church grows the fastest.
However,
there's a big difference
between saying that
this is the way
things often are
and saying that
that is the way
things should be.
The fact that
that's the easiest
and fastest way
to do things
or to grow a church
does not mean
that that is the best
way to do things.
When applied,
the homogeneous unit principle
has meant
evangelizing along
racial lines
in America,
along tribal lines
in Africa,
along economic lines
in South America
and along caste lines
in India,
and so on.
In contrast,
however,
throughout the book
of Acts,
we see believers
proclaiming the gospel
to all people,
Jews and Gentiles,
men and women,
slave and free,
rich and poor,
without partiality,
without distinction.
In fact,
the very breaking down
of the dividing wall
of hostility
between Jews and Gentiles
that Paul speaks of
in Ephesians chapter 2
is a distinguishing mark
of the church.
This is why
theologian Edmund Clowney
has gone so far
as to say
that the point
at which human barriers
are surmounted
is the point
at which a believer
is joined to Christ
and his people.
Here in verses 19 to 20,
we see that
while the scattered
Jewish Christians
spoke the word
to no one except Jews,
some of them
spoke to the Hellenists
also.
Unless someone
crosses racial
and ethnic
and cultural
and socioeconomic
boundaries
to speak the word
of Christ,
the gospel will never
reach all the nations.
And that's
our explicit commission
from our Lord.
Make disciples
of all nations.
Be witnesses
of Jesus Christ
not only in Jerusalem
to the Jews
but also to
all Judea and Samaria
among the Samaritans
and also to the end
of the earth
among the Gentiles.
We are called
to bear witness
not only to people
who are of our own
culture only,
of our own language
only,
of our own race
only,
of our own
socioeconomic class
only,
but to all
peoples.
Evangelists
speak the gospel
to all.
And note that
these evangelists
are everyday Christians.
They were not
one of the twelve
commissioned in Acts 1.
They were not
even one of the seven
commissioned in Acts 6.
In fact,
these evangelists
are not even named.
We don't even know
who they were.
But nonetheless,
they spoke
the gospel
to these Greeks
and the hand
of the Lord
was with them
and a great number
who believed
turned to the Lord.
There are evangelists
among us
in our church
as well.
I know that
some of you
are doing
one-on-one
Bible studies
or book readings
with other friends
who are unbelievers,
sharing the gospel
with them
in that context.
I know that
some of you
are considering
going into
cross-cultural missions
as witnesses
for Jesus Christ.
May you do so
more and more.
May God raise up
more evangelists
from our midst
and let us
remember that
evangelism is not
something that's
received for only
gifted evangelists
but something
that every Christian
is called to do.
And it says
in verse 22
that when,
the report of this
came to the years
of the church
in Jerusalem,
they sent Barnabas
to Antioch.
That's my second point.
The apostles
established.
It seems that
the twelve apostles
based in Jerusalem
were responsible
for authorizing
and incorporating
new congregations
to the larger church.
So in the same way
that they sent
Peter and John
as delegates
to Samaria
in Acts 8,
14 to 17,
this time
they delegate
the task
to Barnabas
who travels
to Antioch.
And then as we see
in the following verses,
Antioch in turn
recruits Saul
for his ministry
in Antioch
and it says
in verse 26
that for a whole year
they met with the church
and taught
a great many people.
In our context,
modern day,
this looks a lot
like the extra-local
denominational leaders
who play this kind
of role sometimes
for churches.
For example,
our regional
denominational leaders
ensure that the pastors
that we are ordaining
as a local church
uphold the Sovereign Grace Church's
statement of faith.
And they help us
by administering
some of the ordination exams.
When we plant
the new church
in partnership
with our denomination,
Sovereign Grace Churches,
they offer not only
financial assistance,
they also help
in assessing
and training leaders.
Sometimes they send
members of their church
to be a part
of our church plants.
This kind of partnership
that extends
beyond the local church
provides accountability
and protection
for local churches.
We just had the privilege
of having
a leader in our denomination,
a pastor from
a sister church
in this past weekend,
Andy Farmer,
to equip us
and encourage us
this past weekend.
And as a pastor,
I personally derive
a lot of encouragement
through these kinds
of inter-church relationships.
So in this way,
evangelists speak the word
and apostles establish
the church.
Third,
shepherds exhort.
Look at verses 22 to 24
with me.
It says that
when the report of this
came to the ears
of the church in Jerusalem,
they sent Barnabas
to Antioch.
When he came
and saw the grace of God,
he was glad
and he exhorted them all
to remain faithful
to the Lord
with steadfast purpose.
For he was a good man,
full of the Holy Spirit
and of faith.
And a great many people
were added to the Lord.
Barnabas was the perfect choice
really for sending to Antioch
for several reasons.
First,
we know from Acts 4.36
that Barnabas
was a native
of Cyprus himself.
Since the Jewish believers
who preached Jesus
to the Greeks
in Antioch
were men of Cyprus
and Cyrene,
it is possible
that Barnabas
already knew
some of these believers
and had a relationship
with them.
Secondly,
we also know
from Acts 4.36
that Barnabas' actual name
was Joseph,
but that he was nicknamed
Barnabas,
which means
son of encouragement.
He was a man
known for encouraging
and exhorting
those around him.
Remember when Paul
returned to Jerusalem
after his conversion
because of his history
of persecuting the church,
rounding up Christians
and putting them into jail
and getting them killed?
The apostles
were understandably
wary of them
and at that time
when they were not
willing to take the risk
and bring Paul
into their midst,
it was Barnabas
who went and grabbed Saul
and brought him in
and introduced him
to the apostles.
And later,
in Acts 15,
we'll also see
that when Saul
or Paul,
his Roman name,
when Paul insists
on not taking
John and Mark
along with them
on their missionary journey
because formerly
John and Mark
had deserted them,
it's Barnabas
who insists
on giving John and Mark
a second chance.
Barnabas was a man
who always
thought the best
of people.
He always saw
the good
in people.
He encouraged
people in it.
And that's precisely
what Barnabas does
in verse 23.
When he came
and saw the grace
of God,
he was glad
and he exhorted
them all
to remain faithful
to the Lord
with steadfast purpose.
the word
translated
exhorted
is the verb
form of the word
encouragement
in Barnabas,
son of encouragement.
I'm sure
this new church
in Antioch
was not perfect
just like
every other church
that's ever existed.
Particularly
considering the fact
that this included
Greek converts
who were really new
to this whole
faith,
Jewish faith
or the Christianity.
they were probably
doing a lot
of things wrong.
They probably
were clueless
about a lot
of things.
But nevertheless
it says that
when Barnabas
came and saw
the grace
of God
he was glad.
However imperfect
this church
may have been,
Barnabas acknowledged
the grace
of God
at work
among them.
He saw
that they were
genuine believers
and he was
gladdened in his
heart because
of it.
and he exhorted
them to be
faithful to the
Lord with
steadfast purpose.
Though uncertainties
and doubts
can creep
into the minds
and hearts
of young believers
especially new
believers,
Barnabas exhorted
them to be
unwavering in
their faith
in the Lord.
I thank God
that we have
many such
encouragers
in our church.
I've personally
been built up
by and encouraged
by some of you
when I've been
discouraged at times.
And I've heard
of many instances
of you all
counseling one
another,
comforting one
another,
exhorting one
another.
I pray that you'll
do so more
and more.
And that God
would raise up
more and more
people like
Barnabas in
our church,
sons and
daughters of
encouragement.
Let's be a
people who
even in the
midst of
difficulties,
even in the
midst of
disagreements
and conflicts,
a people who
can see the
grace of God
at work in
each other,
who can celebrate
that and thank
God for that,
encourage one
another in that.
But how can we
become more like
Barnabas?
Verse 24 tells us
why Barnabas was
the way he was.
It says,
for he was a
good man,
full of the
Holy Spirit
and of faith.
good.
The word good
is an adjective
that is particularly
associated with
God throughout
the scriptures.
That's what Jesus
says in Mark
10, 18,
no one is good
except God
alone.
Barnabas was a
good man,
meaning he was
a godly man.
He exemplified
the goodness of
God in his own
dealings with
others.
He was a man
of integrity.
He was also full
of the Holy Spirit
and of faith.
He was not
controlled by his
own impulses
and selfish
desires.
He was controlled
by the Spirit
who indwelled him.
And the power
of the Spirit
of God was
evidenced in his
ministry in
whatever he did.
He was also
full of faith.
Barnabas was not
a man who did
things merely
by what he
could see,
how he felt.
He's someone
who acted
and made decisions
according to
what he believed,
what he knew
to be true
through his
faith in the
Word of God.
Barnabas was
an effective
encourager and
bridge builder
in this church,
not because he
had mastered
some strategy
of making
friends and
influencing people,
but because he
was a good
man,
because he
was a godly
man.
There is no
shortcut or
silver bullet
to spiritual
power.
If you want
to empower
people,
you must be
empowered by
the Holy Spirit.
If you want
to produce
praying disciples,
you must be
a man and
woman of
prayer yourself.
Let's pray
that we might
be filled
with the Spirit
more and
more,
as Barnabas
was,
to come under
his influence
and power
more and
more,
to come under
the influence
of God's
Word more
and more,
so that we
too might be
good man and
woman who
can encourage
and build
up others.
And as Barnabas
is serving this
way in verse
24,
he says,
a great
many people,
more people
are added
to the Lord.
My fourth
point is this,
teachers teach.
The addition
of great
many people
produced some
new needs
in this new
church in
Antioch,
and others
needed to
step up
to fill
the void.
He says
in verses
25 to 26,
so Barnabas
went to
Tarsus
to look
for Saul,
and when
he had
found him,
he brought
him to
Antioch.
For a
whole year
they met
with the
church and
taught a
great many
people,
and in
Antioch the
disciples were
first called
Christians.
Barnabas
traveled to
Tarsus to
recruit Saul
for his
ministry in
Antioch,
and Saul,
it appears,
was a
particularly
effective
teacher.
Later in
Acts 14,
12,
we learn
that when
Barnabas
and Saul
are traveling
together on
their missionary
journeys,
Saul came
to be known
as the
chief speaker,
likely because
he was
maybe more
knowledgeable
about the
word or
theology or
because he
was a
more effective
teacher.
this is an
important aspect
of being a
part of the
church.
When Jesus
commissioned his
apostles in
Matthew 28,
18 to 20,
he didn't
merely command
them to
baptize people.
He told
them to
teach them
to observe
everything I
have commanded
you.
Discipling
others does
not end with
conversion.
It doesn't
end with
baptism.
It continues
with teaching
everything that
Jesus has
commanded us.
So it's
reductionistic and
simplistic to
say, well, I
believe the
gospel and
that's all
that matters.
There's
something wrong
with the
baby that
doesn't grow
after being
born.
Likewise,
there's
something wrong
with the
Christian who
is born
again through
faith in
Jesus Christ
by the
Spirit of
God and
yet does
not grow
in faith
and obedience
to his
or her
Lord Jesus
Christ.
teachers are
a gift to
the church
given by
God to
instruct us
in the
will of
God.
Once again,
I'm grateful
for the
teachers that
God has
placed in
our midst.
There are
many people
among us
who are
gifted to
study the
Bible deeply
and then to
communicate the
findings clearly.
I pray that
God will
bless all of
you to do
so more and
more for
his glory as
well.
Fifth,
prophets
prophesied.
It says in
verses 27
to 28,
Now in
these days
prophets came
down from
Jerusalem to
Antioch and
one of them
named Agabus
stood up and
foretold by the
Spirit that
there would be a
great famine over
all the world.
This took place
in the days of
Claudius.
A group of
prophets came
down from
Jerusalem to
Antioch and
they used
their gifts to
minister to
the church
there, the
new growing
church in
Antioch.
Agabus was
one of those
prophets.
He was a
highly gifted
and a
prominent prophet
in the early
church.
We'll encounter
him again later
in Acts chapter
21.
And it says
that he
foretold by
the Spirit
that there
would be a
famine, great
famine over
all the world.
The phrase
over all the
world doesn't
literally refer
to the entire
globe, but is
a phrase that
is often used
in ancient
literature to
refer to the
entire inhabited
world known at
the time or
to the Roman
Empire more
narrowly.
And Luke
adds an
editorial note
here to
confirm that
the famine
did indeed
occur in
the days of
Claudius,
which was
between 41
and 54
AD.
Other
historians
corroborate that
this famine
did take
place.
It was a
widespread
famine that
encompassed
Egypt, Syria,
Judea, and
Greece during
45 to 47
AD, which
would have
been about a
year after
Agabus'
prophecy.
And this
prophecy enabled
the church in
Antioch, which
was wealthier
than the church
in Judea, to
collect and
send relief to
the saints
there, the
brothers living
in Judea.
Prophecy is a
gift of the
Holy Spirit by
which a
believer receives
and then
communicates
divine revelation.
And the
purpose of it is
to build up the
church, as it
says in 1
Corinthians 14.
Prophecy is not
something that
adds to the
salvific content
of Scripture.
Scriptures, as it
says in 2
Timothy 3.15, are
able to make us
wise for salvation
through faith in
Christ Jesus.
Prophecy doesn't
add anything to
that.
It's not something
that is normative
and authoritative for
all Christians at
all times in all
places.
Rather, prophecy
has a more
specific circumstantial
content.
For example,
Agabus'
prophecy applied to
people in that
particular place
at that particular
time.
It does not
apply to us.
Similarly, when
people prophesy in
our church, it's a
prophecy that's given
in that particular
time to this
particular people
to build them up.
Prophecy was not
something that our
church was
historically strong
in.
But 1 Corinthians
chapter 14,
verse 1,
teaches us to
pursue love,
and earnestly
desire the
spiritual gifts,
especially that
you may prophesy.
So that's what we
did.
We invited a team
of prophets from
a sister church in
our denomination to
visit us a couple
years ago.
They preached for
us and did a
prophecy seminar for
us, which was a
powerful time of
ministry for many
of you who were
able to participate.
We prayed
earnestly that God
would impart and
distribute the
gifts of prophecy
more liberally among
us.
And he has
answered that
prayer to a
large degree.
not only has
God brought in
new people who
have the gifts
of prophecy,
he has also
raised up from
our own midst
people with
gifts of
prophecy.
I'm so thankful
for many of you
who use your
gifts to build up
our church in
this way.
You have been
hearing regularly
from these
prophets, people
with gifts of
prophecy during our
church services.
many of you have
not heard from
other prophets in
our church who
also have strong
gifts of prophecy,
some of whom have
not been able to
come during COVID
during extenuating
circumstances.
But I look forward
to, I can't wait to
have you all hear from
them also, Lord
willing, in the
near future.
Sixth, disciples
give.
It says in
verses 29 to 30,
so the disciples
determined everyone
according to his
ability to send
relief to the
brothers living in
Judea.
And they did so,
sending it to the
elders by the hand
of Barnabas and
Saul.
The disciples of
Jesus Christ in
Antioch determined
everyone according
to his ability to
send relief to the
brothers living in
Judea.
From the very
beginnings of the
church here in
Acts, we see that
the early church,
there was inter-church
partnership among
them.
Christians in the
early church didn't
have the attitude of,
well, I care about
my own local church
and nothing else.
They were partnered
with each other
and served each
other.
We see this in the
repeated mentions of
other believers'
travels and the
act of sending out
believers to other
churches throughout
this passage.
Verse 22, they
sent Barnabas to
Antioch.
Verse 27, now in
these days prophets
came down from
Jerusalem to
Antioch.
Verse 29, the
disciples determined
to send relief to
the brothers living in
Judea.
And finally, verse 30,
they did so, sending
it to the elders by
the hand of Barnabas
and Saul.
The more theologically
mature and spiritually
gifted congregation in
Jerusalem sent others
who were gifted from
their church to minister
to the burgeoning church
in Antioch.
And likewise, the new
church in Antioch,
which was more
financially wealthy,
better off, then sent
financial gifts to the
church in Judea in order
to help them in
anticipation of the
famine in a time of
need.
I've seen you guys do
this also time and
time again.
I've seen many of you
give generously to the
needs of this church.
I remember last year
when in a span of two
weeks, each of you gave
according to your own
ability and we
collected $20,000 toward
the COVID emergency
fund.
which we have now
designated as part of
our benevolence fund to
help the needy saints
among us.
Over the last four years,
we have given a
cumulative sum of
around $40,000 to
Sovereign Grace
Churches, our
denomination, much of
which has been used to
help needy sister
churches and to plant
new churches throughout
the U.S. and abroad.
In partnerships like
this, we can accomplish
more toward Christ's
mission than we can on
our own.
And I pray that God
will help us to do so
and lean into these
partnerships more and
more in the future.
Notice that the word
church is used twice in
this passage.
First in verse 22,
where it refers to the
church in Jerusalem.
Second in verse 26,
where it refers to the
church in Antioch.
This shows that the
church in Antioch,
made up of new Greek
believers, is just as
much a church as the
original church in
Jerusalem, made up
primarily of Jews,
Jewish converts.
There may be multiple
congregations, multiple
local churches, but there
is one universal church.
Though many of the
believers in the church
in Antioch likely have
never met the believers
in the church in
Jerusalem, they still
call them brothers in
verse 29, out of their
recognition that they are
members of the same
family of God.
Christians all over the
world look different and
they talk differently.
We have many differences
among us.
Christians in the south are
very different from the
Christians in the north.
Christians in Africa and
Asia are very different
from the Christians in
Europe.
But we must remember that
Christ binds us all
together by one spirit.
He says at the end of
verse 26 that in Antioch
the disciples were first
called Christians.
I love that little
insertion by Luke, the
historian here.
The form of the word
Christian suggests that it
was a word that had Latin
origins, which means it's
not a term that the
Christians adopted for
themselves.
rather it's a term that
others label them with,
probably the Romans.
It may well have been a
derogatory term, which
started as the church was
starting to establish
itself among the Greeks.
Now that there were Greek
converts joining the church,
they can no longer just
call Christianity a Jewish
sect.
They were like, what do we
call these guys?
Oh, let's call them
Christians, since they
follow that guy that they
call the Christ.
But the Christians
embraced that label.
Because they were proud
to follow a man named
Jesus, who is the Christ,
the Messiah, the King,
the Son of God, who died
to save them and was raised
from the dead victoriously.
A couple years ago, I met
a Christian chaplain at a
prominent university.
It was like a gathering
for ministers.
And he was supposed to be
a Christian chaplain for
this university, but he
not only denied the death
and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, he expressly
refused to call himself
a Christian.
He called himself instead a
follower of Jesus the
Nazarene.
I respectfully told him
and quoted this verse to
him, in Antioch, the
disciples were first called
Christians.
And tried to talk to him
about the fact that you
can't associate yourself
with Christ and then
dissociate yourself with
Christ's body, his bride,
his people.
That Christian, the term,
has a venerable heritage.
That we are not merely
followers of some man
named Jesus who did some
good works and then said
some wise things.
But that we are those who
have pledged allegiance to
Jesus called the Christ,
the King, the Messiah,
the Savior of the world.
And that we are called to
submit to him and follow
him in all of life.
I think there are people
who increasingly, in this
area especially, were
embarrassed to be called
Christians.
Who are embarrassed of other
Christians.
Sometimes I see Christians
Christians who are more
critical and more
slanderous toward other
Christians than
unbelievers.
That should not be the
case.
There was a time when I
was this immature elementary
school kid in South Korea
growing up.
I had, for a short time,
my paternal grandfather
living with me and my
family.
And being the insecure and
socially awkward kid that
I was, I was so embarrassed
of my grandfather.
I didn't want him to come to
my school.
So I told him, don't come
anywhere near my school.
Of course, he comes, of all
things, picking up garbage,
trying to clean up the area.
And I was mortified.
I was like, grandfather, I
told you not to come.
I was really mean to him.
Scolded at him.
Even though he probably had
more reasons to be embarrassed
of me than I had of him.
I'm ashamed of that now,
looking back.
Because no matter how much I
didn't want to be associated
with him, he was my
grandfather.
He was proud of me because
I was his only grandson.
I didn't want anything to do
with him.
It's the same way for us.
You might be embarrassed by some
of the political views of
Christians, some of the things
that they said, some of the
things that they do, some of the
things that we have, churches have
done throughout church history.
Well, if they got to take a good
look at us and have a relationship
with us, to be honest, they'll
probably be embarrassed of all of us
as well.
But none of that changes the fact
that if we have faith in the
Christ who died and was raised,
we belong to the same family of
God.
Remember this, brothers and
sisters, before you are
anything else, you are a
Christian.
And as such, let us embrace
the church of God, love his
people, serve his people, because
the church grows as its
interdependent members partner and
serve together in the grace of
God.
Let me close by reading a part of
this Charles Spurgeon quote that
Andy Farmer shared last Sunday.
It's very impactful for me.
He says, I felt that I could not
be happy without fellowship with
the people of God.
I wanted to be wherever they
were.
And if anybody ridiculed them, I
wished to be ridiculed with them.
And if people had an ugly name
for them, I wanted to be called by
that ugly name.
For I felt that unless I suffered
with Christ in his humiliation,
I could not expect to reign with
him in his glory.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you
will help us to be a people who
are unashamed of the gospel.
help us to be a people who are unashamed of the
people who are unashamed of the gospel.
For it is the power of God for salvation for
those who believe.
Help us to remember our identity as
Christians.
That we belong to you.
And that for that reason, we belong to
one another as brothers and sisters in
Christ.
help us to love and serve one another
as you command us to.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.