I was speaking at some meetings yesterday and what happened is what always happens when I go to speak at a meeting.
! I finished speaking, singing the final hymn, I go and stand somewhere, people come and talk to me.
And one of the first questions I'm asked is, Levy, it's a Jewish name, are you Jewish? Are you Jewish?
And the answer to that question is I don't really know, yes and no. The Levy family tree is a bit of a mystery.
We don't really know where the kind of Jewishness comes from but it's certainly there at some point.
And I wonder if you've ever done any work on your family tree.
And lots of us are interested in our ancestors, aren't we?
We like to know the stories of our family.
We like to know where does our name come from.
And Acts chapter 11 verse 26 tells us that it was in the city of Antioch in the middle of the first century AD that the name Christian was first used.
So Acts chapter 11, here is a piece of our heritage.
That word is used, isn't it, all over the world today.
And it's used for those who follow Jesus Christ.
We are Christians and we meet with Christians all across the globe today.
And that name is traceable back to a certain time and a certain place in Acts chapter 11.
And so this is a chapter, Acts 11, that should have some historical significance for us.
But I want to suggest to you it has far more significance than that.
Because this chapter not only tells us where our name comes from, but it tells us where our faith comes from.
And where our life comes from as Christians.
And it gives us vocabulary to talk about.
Vocabulary is so important, isn't it?
How you speak about something.
What you describe something as.
And we're going to think about what vocabulary this chapter leaves us with this morning.
The chapter is in two halves.
And then I want us to look at the major theme and then trace out the implications.
So verses 1 to 18 of Acts chapter 11.
Is the work of God in Peter.
Chapter 10, do you remember that?
It tells us the story of Cornelius coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
And receiving the spirit of God along with his whole household.
And this was significant precisely because Cornelius was a Gentile, a non-Jew.
He wasn't a Jew.
And so chapter 10 is like a Gentile Pentecost.
It's like a rerun of Acts chapter 2.
Because the receiving of God's spirit in Acts chapter 10 marks the beginning of the next stage of Jesus' mission.
The gospel is not only going to be for Jerusalem and Judea.
But through Samaria.
And as we get to the ends of the Acts, we'll see it goes out to the ends of the earth.
And chapter 10 though is not the story just of one conversion, is it?
But it is two conversions.
It is the story of how Peter, the apostle, his mind was changed.
It was changed in terms of how a Jew like him was meant to relate to a Gentile like Cornelius.
Previously, Peter wouldn't associate with Gentiles.
Wouldn't go into their homes.
Wouldn't eat with them.
But chapter 10 tells us that God persuaded Peter.
And he started to live and think differently.
Because the gospel, the good news of the Lord Jesus, was being received by the Gentiles.
And since they were receiving the spirit of God as well, the Jews needed to receive the Gentiles.
And so, the first half of chapter 11, Peter retells the story.
And he does so for a specific reason.
Because his actions were now being criticized by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.
Do you remember when Peter first saw that vision of a sheet coming down from heaven?
And all sorts of animals on it.
He's told, get up, eat the unclean animals.
And his response was, surely not, Lord.
Well, that is exactly how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem are reacting to him.
You're eating with uncircumcised Gentiles in their homes.
Surely not, Peter.
Listen again to chapter 11, verse 1.
Now, the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea
heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God.
So, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him.
saying, you went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.
Circumcision party is a group of people.
It's not an event.
Alright?
It's a far better joke than I was giving credit for.
It's a terrible party to go to.
Right.
At this point, Peter sympathizes, doesn't he, with his critics.
Completely.
And when they articulate their criticism of him,
it's exactly where he was a short time before.
His mindset has changed.
They're still there.
Their mindset was his mindset until very recently.
So, he knows that he needs to explain to them how his mindset's changed.
That's exactly what he does.
Look at verse 4.
Peter began and he explained to them in order.
He told them about the threefold vision that he had.
And then the three men from Caesarea.
And then he told them about the meeting he had with Cornelius.
And the coming of the Spirit to the Gentile household.
And all that text that we have from verses 5 to 15
is really a repetition of what chapter 10 is.
Except this time it's from Peter's perspective.
But when we get to verse 16, there's a little bit of new information.
He says,
I remembered the word of the Lord, the Lord Jesus.
How he said,
John the Baptist baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
And so, Peter is saying,
what happened in chapter 10
was in fulfillment of what Jesus had predicted.
He's come to see that the baptism that matters most
is not the baptism with water,
but the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Which God performs.
And water baptism is a sign
of that Holy Spirit baptism
that God brings to every believer.
It was the coming of the Spirit
to these Gentiles that really clinched it for Peter.
And now he's hoping that
that will clinch it for his critics too.
So in verse 17,
he says this,
if then God gave the same gift to them
as he gave to us
when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who am I to stand in God's way?
Do you get Peter's logic?
Right, he's saying,
if the Spirit of God
has come upon these people,
then the whole thing
is from God
and who am I to object to it?
And when Peter says that,
it's actually pretty pointed,
isn't it?
Because he's not just saying,
is he,
who am I to stand in God's way?
He's speaking to his fellow leaders in Jerusalem
and he's saying,
who are you to stand in God's way?
That's his explanation
to those who just couldn't fathom
that he started eating with Gentiles.
He says,
God has showed him
that he needed to stop
keeping his distance from the Gentiles
and so does every other Jewish believer.
And of course,
Peter's explanation
has exactly the effect
that he desired.
Verse 18,
and when they heard this,
they had no further objections.
They praised God,
saying,
so then,
even Gentiles,
God has granted repentance
that leads to life.
This is the fruit
of Peter's explanation.
The other Jewish leaders,
they are persuaded
that God has granted life
to the Gentiles through repentance
and there's no room
for any Jewish person
to prevent them
from being welcomed
as part of the family of God.
And not only did they accept
this new conviction,
they praised God
for what he had done.
As one writer puts it,
their criticism ceased
and their worship began.
That's the first half of the chapter
where we see the work of God in Peter
and it becomes the work of God
right the way through
the Jerusalem elders.
But then in the second half
of the chapter,
the focus shifts
to the work of God
in Antioch.
The work of God
in Antioch.
It's a largely Gentile city
and in order to set the scene
for what happens in Antioch,
Luke first has to go back
to tell us how the gospel
got there in the first place.
Do you remember
the martyrdom of Stephen?
It's recorded in chapter 7
and what followed
in chapter 8 verse 1
is we're told that
as a result of Stephen's death,
the believers are scattered.
They're terrified.
They run.
They're scattered all over
Judea and Samaria.
They fled
and they escaped from Jerusalem
and they ended up
in other places
and what did they do
when they got there?
They shared the gospel of Jesus
with people who hadn't heard yet.
Once again,
can you see
the sovereign wisdom of God
that he even uses
the persecution
of his people
to spread the news
of the Lord Jesus?
What Luke tells us here
is that these scattered believers
turned up in cities
as far away as Antioch
and these scattered believers
told other Jews
about the Lord Jesus
and some of them
even started telling
Greek people
about the Lord Jesus.
So verse 19,
can you look there?
Now,
those who were scattered
because of the persecution
that arose over Stephen
travelled 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 weren't coming to Antioch
spoke to the Hellenists,
the Greeks,
also preaching
the Lord Jesus.
Well,
when the Jewish leaders,
when the Christian leaders
in Jerusalem
got wind of this
back in headquarters,
they are not
particularly happy.
and so they send
a delegation.
They send one of their own.
They send,
verse 22,
a man called Barnabas
down to Antioch
to investigate.
And Barnabas
is an interesting choice.
I'm not sure
if you've heard
the language
that people use
to respond
to innovators
in technology.
And so a new piece
of technology
comes out
and how do people respond?
There's different responses,
aren't there?
So some people,
when it comes to
new technology,
a new iPhone
or new iPad
or something comes out,
some people are said
to be early adopters.
And they love,
don't they,
trying out new gadgets.
There's people like that here.
And they love
trying out new ways
of doing things.
And then there's
another group
and people talk about
the early majority.
They get on board
with some
technical advance
once that technology
has gained
a little bit of traction.
And then there's
another group
that are called
the later majority.
They don't embrace
technology
until pretty much
everyone else has.
And then at the other end
there are
those who are
the phobics.
And they are the people
who are generally
allergic to any
kind of technological
change.
There's
the early adopters,
there's the early majority,
there's the late majority,
and then there's
the phobics.
And the reason
I'm telling you that
is because
when it comes to
what God is doing
in this period
of history,
the new thing
that God is doing,
Barnabas is an
early adopter.
Remember,
do you remember
he was the first one
to put his arm
around Saul?
When he came to
Jerusalem and all
the other Jewish leaders
are terrified of Saul,
Barnabas accepts him.
And now he goes
down to Antioch
to see what's happening
with the Gentiles there.
And instead of being
sceptical
or phobic,
he is
delighted.
He embraces
their newfound faith.
And verse 23,
it says,
when he came
and saw the grace
of God,
he was glad.
And he exhorted them,
encouraged them
all to remain faithful
to the Lord
with steadfast purpose.
And then Lucas
tells us
why he was
an early adopter.
It was because
he was in tune
with God's purposes.
Verse 24,
he was a good man,
full of the Holy Spirit
and of faith,
and a great
many people
were added
to the Lord.
And as that ministry
amongst the people
of Antioch
grew,
soon people realised
he couldn't do it
all on his own.
So he heads off
to Tarsus
and he brings Saul
along.
He brings him
back to Antioch.
Verse 26 tells us
they spent a year
together
teaching the church
in Antioch.
And as the church
grew,
people came up
with a new nickname.
These believers
are Christians.
The people of Christ
in Christ ones.
And then Luke
tells us
there's a third
arrival in Antioch
after Barnabas
and after Saul
comes.
There's a prophet
from Jerusalem
called Agabus
and he predicts
a worldwide famine.
A famine
that Luke tells us
did take place
in the years
that followed.
But the significant
thing is
how do the believers
in Antioch
respond to this?
To the prophecy
that Agabus brings?
And we read about it
don't we
in the last two verses.
Verse 29
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.
They give generously.
The church in Antioch
gives to
the church in Judea.
They want to help
their brothers and sisters.
They are connected.
There is a formal
connection there.
And so they pull together
and they send money
with Paul and Barnabas.
And as they head
back to Judea
it's a wonderful moment
in the story isn't it?
The Gentiles
whom the Jews
at the start of the chapter
wouldn't even spend
a meal with
are now caring
for the very people
who wanted to exclude them.
It's a stunning
reversal isn't it?
And it's another example
of the pattern
we've seen a few times
in Acts
of God's people
caring for one another
in need.
Except now
it includes the Gentiles
as well.
Gentiles loving
and serving Jews.
It's an evocative picture
of what the mission
of Jesus has accomplished.
The unity of Jewish
and Gentiles
in fellowship
and love
all together.
At the end
of the first half
of the chapter
the Gentiles
are receiving a gift
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
At the end
of the second half
of the chapter
the Gentiles
are the ones
giving a gift.
And the two
are inextricably linked.
Because what happened
in Antioch
was the work of God.
Just like what happened
to Peter
was the work of God.
And what happened
to Cornelius
and what happened
to those Jewish leaders
in Jerusalem
who did a complete
180 degree turn
it was the work of God.
And that I think
is the big theme
that ties together
Acts chapter 11.
The work of God.
We hear about it
in the first half
of the chapter
with Peter.
The work of God
and then in the second half
of the chapter
we hear about it
in Antioch.
The word of God
that people are speaking.
People speaking to
seeking to persuade others.
People praying.
People going.
But what is accomplished here
is accomplished
under the Lord's hand.
And I want to remind you
of how Luke
underlines that.
So track with me
through this chapter.
What is it
that Peter explains
the 180 degree
that he has done
with respect
to the Gentiles?
He talks about
the vision
that he received
from God.
And then he talks
to us
about the messengers
that were sent
to him
by God.
And then he talks
about the spirit
of God
who told him
to go with these men
and the voice
that he heard
was the voice of God.
And he tells
the circumstances
in which God
was revealing himself
to Peter
while at the same time
working in another city
to reveal himself
to Cornelius
before bringing
the two together.
God's divine purpose.
And then he tells
about the spirit
falling on Cornelius.
The spirit
who unmistakably
came from God.
He makes the point
very explicitly
in verse 17.
He says that God
gave them the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
All the events
that Peter describes
are the work of God.
And then when
the Jerusalem leaders
reflect back to Peter
what they've just learned,
listen to the language
they choose.
Look at verse 18.
They say even
the Gentiles
God has granted
repentance to.
And when they heard
these things
they fell silent
and they glorified God.
Saying then
to the Gentiles
God
has also granted
repentance
that leads to life.
It's a pretty
interesting way
to speak about repentance.
Repentance means
when you turn away
from your own sins
and you turn back
to God.
You turn away
from going
your own way
to God.
It's what
every Christian
must do
to be a Christian.
The command
is to repent.
It's an action
isn't it?
It's a choice
to make.
And yet
the Jewish leaders
in the way
that they describe it here
they describe it
as a gift
of God.
The repentance
of the Gentiles
they say
has been
gifted to them
granted to them
by God.
Their repentance
their turning
was a gift
of divine
grace and favour.
And the language
is very deliberate.
Vocabulary
matters.
And then listen
to how Luke
describes what
happened in Antioch
when Jewish Christians
first turned up
there with the gospel.
There were believers
teaching in Antioch
and responding
of course
but once again
Luke chooses
his language
really carefully
and he focuses
on the way
that God's power
was at work.
The vocabulary
matters.
Look at verse 21
and the
hand of the Lord
was with them.
And a great number
of people who believed
turned to the Lord.
By the hand
of the Lord
the people
turned
to the Lord.
It was God
who changed
their hearts
and their lives.
And then finally
look how Luke
describes the reaction
of Barnabas
when he turns up
in Antioch
and he finds
all these Christians
there.
He came
and he saw
verse 23
the grace
of God
and he was glad.
It doesn't say
Barnabas arrived
and he saw
the scattered Christians
what they'd managed
to achieve
through their ministry.
He doesn't say
Barnabas arrived
and he saw
what the people
of Antioch
had done
by turning
to Jesus.
He says
Barnabas
arrived
and he saw
the grace
of God.
What God
had done.
He chooses
his language
very carefully.
Vocabulary
matters.
And we find
this language
being used
over and over
and over again
and it's carefully
chosen at every point
because Luke
the author of Acts
wants you and I
to understand
what this story
is about.
this book
is known
isn't it
as the Acts
of the Apostles
but we know
that it should
be known
as the Acts
of God
because the mission
of the Apostles
is the mission
of Jesus
and the birth
of the early church
is the work
of Jesus
and the spread
of the gospel
throughout the known
world at this time
is the plan
of God
fulfilled by God
in the power
of the Holy Spirit
and in the name
of his son
Jesus Christ.
What Acts 11
tells us
and what in fact
the whole book
of Acts tells us
is that God
is at work
in people's lives
and this chapter
is at pains
to point that out.
This chapter
chooses its vocabulary
really carefully
it's a chapter
about the work
of God
and the work
of God
continues to this day
and it continues
here
and all over
the world.
It continues
in our lives
in the lives
of people around us
so how do we
respond to it?
I want to finish
with four applications
alright
they're on your sheet
actually
I wrote them
under the sermon
because you won't
remember them.
Four suggestions
on the significance
of this chapter
for you
and for me.
First of all
believing and repenting
that is
the fundamental
work of God
in someone's life
and Acts 11
reminds us of that
look again
at verse 18
when they heard
these things
they fell silent
they glorified God
saying then
to the Gentiles
also God
has granted
repentance
that leads to life.
Verse 21
and the hand
of the Lord
was with them
and a great number
who believed
turned to the Lord.
If you are
trusting in the Lord
Jesus Christ
this morning
if you would
call yourself
a Christian
if you are
a believer
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
then this
work of God
must have
taken place
in your life
and given
it is a work
of God
you should
thank him
for it.
God
granted
you
repentance
and you
must resist
that temptation
to think
that your
relationship
with God
is something
that you've
initiated
you've
created
you deserve
and of course
the other
implication
is a sobering
one
that if you've
never believed
the gospel
if you've
never turned
from your sins
then you
cannot
rightly
call yourself
a Christian
because this
is at the
heart
of what
a Christian
is
someone
who turns
away
from living
from themselves
in order
to live
for God
somebody
who realises
that they
need the
Lord Jesus
that God
sent to
save us
and so
if you're
here this
morning
and you're
still
considering
what it
will mean
if and
when
you are
ready to
become a
Christian
what it
will mean
is it
will mean
believing
and repenting
it will
mean trusting
and following
the Lord
Jesus
and turning
away from
living for
yourself
and given
that this
is the
work of
God
the best
thing that
you can do
this morning
the best
way that
you can
move in
that
direction
is praying
this morning
God
please
give me
repentance
and faith
secondly
through trusting
and praying
because if
Acts 11
suggests that
people becoming
Christians
is a work
of God
then those
of us
who want
to see
people
become
Christians
need to
make sure
that we
don't get
too big
for our
boots
and we
need to
remember
that we
may well
try and
explain
the gospel
to others
and we
may try
and live
in a way
that shows
people the
love of
the Lord
Jesus
and we
may really
want people
to love
to share
our faith
I hope
that's true
but it
is God
alone
it is God
alone who
can ultimately
make that
happen
and so
we need
to trust
him
for his
work
and it
makes a lot
of sense
for us
to pray
about it
because
prayer
what is
prayer
prayer is
articulating
that we
depend on
God to
change
people
prayer is
our
admission
that we
can't
change a
person's
heart
prayer is
our plea
that God
would do
that
and God
alone
would do
that
and so
if you
want people
in your
life
and I
hope you
do
to repent
and believe
in the
Lord
Jesus
pray for
them
ask God
to work
in their
hearts
and if
as a
church
we want
our
church
to grow
for more
people to
come and
join us
for more
people to
grow in
their faith
to trust
the Lord
Jesus
we need
to pray
you may
or may
not be
aware of
this but
there are
thousands
and thousands
of books
written about
what they
call church
growth
strategies
every
Christian
wants to
see churches
grow
and in
the UK
at the
moment
there is
lots of
ink being
spilled
on
the way
you grow
churches
is actually
by being
better
organised
and lots
of structure
in place
and lots
of things
like that
but I
want to
remind you
that here
at IPC
and we
have one
primary
strategy
for growth
and
everything
else
is
secondary
to that
that is
we pray
because
we are
convinced
that people
becoming
Christians
is the
work of
God
and we
trust
him to
do it
thirdly
seeing
and
praising
I hope
you notice
that's what
Barnabas did
in this
chapter
he saw
and he
praised
and he
took time
to observe
the work
of God
and when
he looked
at the
lives
of the
people
that he
met
he was
filled
with joy
and he
worshipped
God
do you
remember
that when
he arrived
in verse
23
he saw
what the
grace of
God
had done
and he
was glad
and he
encouraged
them all
and so
surely
part of
what
the work
of God
in our
church
means
is that
we'll
do
likewise
it
means
I think
that we'll
actually
slow down
enough
to see
what God
is doing
by his
grace
and I
suspect
when we
do that
we won't
be able
to stop
being glad
because
one of the
privileges
of being
part of
a church
like this
is that
there are
examples
of the
work
of God
all around
you this
morning
and that
should
thrill
your
heart
one of
the
thrills
of being
part of
a church
family
is seeing
the signs
of God's
grace
and I
certainly
find that
thrilling
so for
example
we have a
couple in
our church
who in the
midst of
great
heartache
and sadness
have kept
loving the
Lord
God
do you see
what the
grace of
God
has done
we have
people sitting
here in
front of
me who've
come from
a background
that saying
it would be
dysfunctional
would be
putting a
very positive
spin on
it
but with
God's
grace
and help
they've put
their lives
back together
and they're
living for
God
do you see
what the
grace of
God
has done
there are
people here
who've
managed
to forgive
with
God's
strength
there are
people here
whose marriage
is hard
and it's
often hard
but they've
continued
over many
years to
faithfully
serve Jesus
and keep
trusting him
and stay
together
do you see
what the
grace of
God
has done
we have a
man in
our church
who a
number of
years ago
was completely
ignoring
God
and he
needed a
hand over
control of
his life
to Jesus
and he
did
he repented
he believed
and he
continues to
believe
and God
continues to
give him
victory over
his temptations
and addictions
do you see
what the
grace of
God has
done
we have
women in
our church
who would
love to
be married
but God
hasn't
opened that
door
and they
feel lonely
at times
but they
haven't
become
bitter
they've
devoted
themselves
to serving
and loving
God's
people
do you
see what
the grace
of God
has done
we have
people in
our church
who struggle
with chronic
anxiety
it's a very
heavy burden
to bear at
times and at
times it's
been overwhelming
but they've
surrendered their
life to the
lordship of
Jesus
and they
trust in him
to get them
through every
day
to keep
persevering
in all the
ups and
downs
to keep
growing
to keep
looking to
serve others
in whatever
way they
can
do you see
what the
grace of
God has
done
we have
teenagers
who are in
school and
have been
unashamed of
the lord
Jesus but
they are
outsiders
and they
don't fit
in and
they're given
a hard
time but
they bravely
stand for
him
do you see
what the
grace of
God has
done
we have
those for
whom grief
is a
daily
painful
companion
and yet
they keep
reading their
bibles and
praying and
trusting in the
lord Jesus who
is the
resurrection and
the life
they are
just
examples
there are
plenty more
stories sitting
around you
there are as
many stories as
there are people
sitting next to
you
and what I'm
trying to
what I'm
trying to
communicate is
this to you
sometimes we
just need to
open our
eyes to
see like
Barnabas did
and I'm
trying to
teach you that
language matters
vocabulary matters
because if we
get the
vocabulary right
seeing who has
really done
these things
amongst us
it will lead
us to respond
rightly with
praise
see what the
graces of
God has done
fourthly and
briefly and
finally remaining
true
remaining true
I look at
verse 23
this was
Barnabas's
message for
them keep
going stand
firm
having seen the
grace of God
in that city
he urged them
to never
depart from
that grace
instead he
pleaded with
them be loyal
to Jesus
with all of
your hearts
I think it's
when we see
how gracious
God has been
to us
that our
desire to
stick with
his grace
grows
and so the
risen and
exalted Lord
Jesus urges
you this
morning in
the same way
that Barnabas
urged them in
Antioch where
they were first
called Christians
our spiritual
forebears
saw the work
of God
and they
responded as
they should
and you and
I bear the
same name
we have the
same responsibility
and the same
joy
and having
seen God
work in our
lives
having seen
that our
repenting
and our
believing
is actually
God's gift
to us
having seen
his initiative
the fruit of
his power
having seen
his grace
and tasted
just how sweet
it is
he calls
on us
to stay
close to
him
to stay
true to
his grace
as verse
23 says
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
let me
pray for
us