Acts 11_19-30 Church Growth Done Right

Read Acts 11:19-30 – There’s a a clear theme in this passage. 21b) “And a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” 24h) “And a great many people were added to the Lord.” This is all about Jesus building His church.

The 20th century saw an interesting phenomenon -- the application of sociological and business principles to growing churches, which resulted in “seeker-sensitive churches” – audience sovereignty – entertainment spectacles – and targeted audiences, usually of a single ethnic and sociological background -- and, in far too many cases, the loss of the gospel message as too offensive for the average person. Marketing Jesus has led to churches that offer good advice rather than a word from God!

It’s about therapy, not conversion. Leadership Journal, an evangelical magazine for pastors was analyzed for content over the years. Every conceivable church problem and methodology was there. Yet, less than 1% of the articles had any reference to Scripture, or any serious theological content.

We’ve come to believe we are to build the church. Yet Jesus said: Mt 16:18b: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” I will build my church – not you, me! So – we do nothing? Of course not. But our job is to get Jesus front and center, not hidden in a back room to avoid giving offense. This all seriously undercuts Jesus’ rightful identity as Savior and Lord – and until you know Him that way, you don’t know Him at all.

So, how does Jesus grow His church and what is our part? Here are four elementary principles.

I. Through Little People Preaching Christ

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch.” This intro takes us back to Acts 8:1 where after the execution of Stephen, “there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.” Many of those were Hellenistic Jews who had become Christ-followers and returned to their homelands, including the island of Cyprus, Phoenicia, along the coast, and the city of Antioch, 300 miles north of Jerusalem. In new homes they shared Christ. No doubt they went to the local synagogue, identified themselves with fellow Jews, then shared they’d found the One who fulfilled all the OT Messianic prophecies – Jesus of Nazareth. Good news. God delivered!

But then the remarkable happened. 20 “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.” Antioch was the 3rd largest city in the empire, behind Rome and Alexandria – a major commercial center on the Orontes River, often likened to NYC. It’s half million people included a large Jewish population. Its main street was 4 miles long, paved with marble and lined with stores. It was the only city in the ancient world with street lights!

It was also a city of gross immorality, 2nd only to Corinth. The Temple of Daphne was located in a grove 5 miles out of town where Apollo’s pursuit of Daphne was reenacted day and night by men of the city and temple priestesses -- ritual prostitutes. Throughout the world “the morals of Daphne” was a euphemism for depravity. The Roman satirist, Juvenal, complained, “The sewage of the Syrian Orontes has for long been discharged into the Tiber” meaning it was so corrupt it impacted Rome from 1300 miles away. Yet, Antioch became site of a great church and base for Paul’s mission activities.

That started when “men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. These “Hellenists” were Gentiles, as the are contrasted with “Jews” in v. 19. Thus the NASB, NIV and KJV all translate Greeks. Men from Cyrene and Cyprus arrived, maybe on business, and began sharing Christ with the Gentiles – the first mass evangelism of Gentiles. Maybe they knew of Peter’s visit to Cornelius, maybe not. In any case, this was clearly a turning point in the history of the church.

They came “preaching the Lord Jesus.” Same core message, but different emphasis. To Jews, emphasis was on how Jesus fulfilled the OT prophecies of Messiah. Most Gentiles didn’t care about that, but they were interested in someone who could save them from life’s calamities and offer life after death. As the emperor increasingly claimed the title of Lord, to preach that the title most properly belonged to Jesus gained an immediate hearing – allowing the case to be strengthened by showing how He did fulfill ancient prophecies, and how His resurrection solidified His right to the title. Jesus was both Messiah and Lord, but by emphasizing the latter, they fit message to audience.

Above all, this shows Jesus building His church apart from human methods. These men came with no official direction, no human instruction, no precedent – nothing but a burning love for Christ, and they revolutionized this city. So, one of the most critical steps in the growth of the church was accomplished by laymen whose names we do not even know. But while unknown to us, God knows. God loves to do great things thru little people.

Little people. One guy down south went to a church surrounded by dusty roads. He wanted to pave them. Everyone told him he’d never get the permits. But after 5 persistent months, he had them. A man named Gus led the construction. After the work was done, the man who started it, tho he’d never met Gus, wrote him expressing his appreciation for a job well done. A few days later, Gus’ wife showed up. She said, “Gus has been working for the city for years, and no one ever wrote a letter of appreciation.” She said, “Gus read your letter over and over and just cried.” Next Sunday, Gus and his wife were in church. Six weeks later they were baptized as new believers. A few months later, Gus died of a heart attack. Think evangelism is street-corner preaching? It can be a simple as a letter of appreciation in Jesus’ name. God’s ways are not our ways. He builds His church – one little person at a time. There’s no greater honor than to be one of Jesus’ little people, is there?

II. Through Spirit-Filled Encouragement

It wasn’t long before the church in Jerusalem heard rumblings out of Antioch and decided to check it out. And who better to send than Barnabas? He was from the area – Cyprus. He was generous and consistently lived up to his name – “son of encouragement.” Get a church full of sons and daughters of encouragement and you’d change the world. And: 24) “For he was a good man, full of the HS and faith.” He was a Spirit-filled man – constantly looking to the HS within for guidance, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit in his daily life.

So it’s no surprise to read, 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.” Imagine if a legalist had been sent? Wait, you can’t mix Jew and Gentile. These people are not kosher. They’re not circumcised. They’ve got to adopt Jewish regulations and rituals.” But not Barnabas. He looked and said, “This is different. But this is God’s grace at work.”

Barnabas knew the truth of Eph 2:14 when Paul said regarding Jew/Gentile relations: “For he himself [Jesus] is our peace.” He doesn’t make peace; He is peace. The closer we all come to Him, the closer we will come to each other. “Remain faithful to the Lord.” That’s what Barnabas encouraged. You want to help Jesus build His church? Be an encourager. You want to know the Spirit is filling you? Be an encourager. Imagine if every time we were about to criticize, we encouraged! That would change everything. Let’s be great at this.

Martin Luther, prior to his exemplary marriage, once said, “At home in my own house there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through.” Isn’t that good? Let’s be spiritual arsonists. See how many fires we can set with encouragement! Heb 10:24: “And let us consider how to sir up one another to love and good works.” Just when we’re most anxious to set someone straight – let’s look instead for some way to encourage and value and respect them. You’ll be amazed at the dividends that pays.

III. Through Persistent Teaching of the Word

Barnabas knew a growing church must be a knowing church. So, he went after the absolute best person he knew for the job. He hadn’t seen Saul in 8 years, but that’s who he wanted. He knew Saul had an education second to none, having been taught by Gamaliel in OT Scriptures, and by Christ Himself after his conversion. He knew his growing flock needed in-depth teaching, and who better to provide it than this man who had God’s special call on his life.

But finding Paul wasn’t easy. When the Jerusalem Jews wanted to kill him in Acts 9:30: his friends got him out of town back to Tarsus. But then Saul dropped out of sight for the next 7-8 years. It is likely that when he turned up on his Pharisee father’s doorstep with the news that he was now a follower of Jesus he was disinherited. He says in Phil 3:8b: “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” That wasn’t hyperbole. That was real. Discipleship was costly to Saul.

He no doubt continued his itinerant preaching ministry as soon as he arrived home. On his 2nd journey Acts 15:41 says, “And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Where did those churches come from? Well, Cilicia is just west of Tarsus, and it is likely that Saul preached the gospel there during those lost years. In II Cor 11:23-27, Paul mentions many persecutions he suffered which included being five times beaten with the 39-lashes. These are not mentioned on any of his later journeys, so probably happened during this time – as did, perhaps, the vision of heaven he speaks of in II Cor 12:1-4. Paul was never one to let grass grow under his feet.

That would also explain why Barnabas had such a hard time finding him. “To look for Saul” is a mild translation of αναζητεω which meant to search diligently for someone – like a runaway slave who didn’t want to be found. Saul wasn’t hiding, but he was moving around and being prepared by experience for all that was to come. When Barnabas found him, he was no longer a neophyte. He was a hardened, experienced, dedicated servant of JC.

So, 26 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.” Paul and Barnabas knew what many today have forgotten. Teaching of the Word keys Xn growth which keys church growth. No wonder they were first called Christians – little Christs at Antioch. They were being taught to become like Him.

John Stott once wrote: “Expository preaching is a most exacting discipline. Perhaps that is why it is so rare. Only those will undertake it who follow the example of the apostles and say, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables…. We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:2, 4). We must daily soak ourselves in the Scriptures. We must not just study, as through a microscope, the linguistic minutia of a few verses, but take our telescope and scan the wide expanses of God’s Word, assimilating its grand theme of divine sovereignty in the redemption of mankind. “It is blessed,” wrote C. H. Spurgeon, “to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you talk in scriptural language, and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is Bibline and the very essence of the Bible flows from you.” That’s what happened in Antioch, and that’s why they were first called Xns. Thru the ministry of the Word, that’s exactly who they were.

IV. Through Generous Love of Others

27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Prophets delivered direct revelation from God prior to the NT writings. In that sense they were foundational, along with the apostles. And sometimes they foretold the future, as here, where Agabus prophesies a great famine, which did occur during Claudius’ reign. For several years, particularly between 45 and 48 AD, crops failed. Judea was hard hit and many died of starvation.

The response from Antioch is remarkable. They don’t even know the saints in Jerusalem, yet they determine to support them as God gives the ability. Good doctrine (the teaching they were getting) always leads to action, and that was the case here. This is the greatest evangelistic tool there is – love in action. God doesn’t give us resources to horde, Beloved, but to share as needs arise.

Conc – So, church growth designed by God involves little people sharing Christ, Spirit-filled encouragement, persistent teaching of the Word and love in action.

Christianity became the religion of Rome under Constantine. He was followed by Julian who wanted to wipe it out. But the church only grew faster. Why? Julian himself tells us: Atheism (i.e., Christian faith) has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers. It is a scandal there is not a single Xn who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.” It’s not about methods; it’s about obedience to the King. This is what stunned the ancient world and will stun ours as well. Let’s pray.

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