3.2.20 4.15.2018 Acts 11.19-26 Antioch: Becoming Christian

Riddle me this?

▾ Start:

Entice: There are two great limitations on the health of the Church.

What are they? Can you think of them? Riddle me this…is it.....

▾ Engage: Biblical illiteracy? Nope. Failing to deal with sin? Good guess…NO! Compromise with the World? Financial Mismanagement? Demographics? Space

Biblical illiteracy?

Nope.

Failing to deal with sin?

Good guess…

NO!

Compromise with the World?

Financial Mismanagement?

Demographics?

Aliens? NO, NO, NO, and No. The two limitations on healthy, vibrant, growing, effective Churches:

Space Aliens?

NO, NO, NO,

and

No.

The two limitations on healthy, vibrant, growing, effective Churches:

• The past

The past

• The future

The future

• Expand: When we are anchored to the past we are afraid to minister when & where we are at.. When we are infatuated with the future we are afraid to minister…

Expand: When we are anchored to the past we are afraid to minister when & where we are at.. When we are infatuated with the future we are afraid to minister…when & where we are at.

when & where we are at. Effective, healthy, growing churches are always a combination of local and universal factors engaging in ministry here and now. Founded

Effective, healthy, growing churches are always a combination of local and universal factors engaging in ministry here and now.

Founded on(not anchored in) the the past, focused on (not dreaming about)the future. That's the Story in our text

Acts 11:19–26 ESV

19 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. 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. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 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, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 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.

Acts 11:1–30 ESV

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” 19 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. 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. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 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, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 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. 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 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). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

(not anchored) the the past, focused on (not dreaming about)the future. That's the Story in

Excite. How we get to our Antioch is in God's hands. What are you going to do once you have gotten there?

• Excite. How we get to our Antioch is in God's hands. What are you going to do once you have gotten there?

A healthy, growing Church is the result of God's people executing God's plan.

• Explore: A healthy, growing Church is the result of God's people executing God's plan.

Explain: Faithful, flexible, obedience releases some basic principles of growth that transcend any crisis.

• Explain: Faithful, flexible, obedience releases some basic principles of growth that transcend any crisis.

1 Follow God's Purpose. 11.19-22

1 Follow God's Purpose. 11.19-22

▾ 1 Follow God's Purpose. 11.19-22

1.1 God's purpose extends our reach. 19

1.1 God's purpose extends our reach. 19

• 1.1 God's purpose extends our reach. 19

1.2 God's purpose changes our perspective. 20

1.2 God's purpose changes our perspective. 20

▸ 1.2 God's purpose changes our perspective. 20

1.3 God's purpose produces results. 21

1.3 God's purpose gets results. 21

• 1.3 God's purpose gets results. 21

1.4 God's purpose generates publicity. 22

1.4 God's purpose generates publicity. 22

• 1.4 God's purpose generates publicity. 22

2 Find Gifted People. 11.23-26

2 Find Gifted People. 11.23-26

▾ 2 Find Gifted People. 11.23-26

2.1 Gifted people Encourage the Church. 23

2.1 Gifted people Encourage the Church. 23

2.2 Gifted people Enlarge the Church. 24

• 2.2 Gifted people Enlarge the Church. 24

2.3 Gifted people Equip the Church. 25.

• 2.3 Gifted people Equip the Church. 25.

2.4 Gifted people Evolve the Church. 26

• 2.4 Gifted people Evolve the Church. 26

By a bend in the River:

▾ Shut Down:

Syrian Antioch was a big, prosperous, cosmopolitan city nestled in the bend of the river. Kind of sounds familiar. We live in a town nestled in the bend of the river. Antioch is not prosperous now. It’s just a little village in a war torn land. Maybe it’s because Christians there got too anchored to the past, or so fell in love with the future they failed to create it.

•

It’s not a mystery what made the church prosper in Antioch so that people started talking about “those Christians”. They loved God so much that followed His purpose into new, uncharted, and dangerous territory. they Trusted God to provide the right people at the right time with the right gifts to help the Church grow.

Different river.

Different town.

Same plan.