Aug 1, 2021 - Ch Ellis (Acts 11:19-26, Vocalist: Mark)

SHARING (IN) THE GRACE OF GOD Acts 11:19-26 – Mountain Home AFB – 8/1/21 – Chaplain Ellis I. Slide 1) Introduction A. Introduction: Last time I spoke: 16 Aug 20 1. There are certain things in life that we enjoy most by sharing them. a) Perhaps I’m a bit bias as an extrovert, 2. But I think introverts can get in on this, too—w/their close friends… a) As an example—I love food, but it is much more fun to enjoy food with good company. 3. What do are some things you enjoy more when you share them? a) Funny videos or pictures, jokes, board games, recipes. advice, secrets, umbrellas, happiness, grumpiness, good ideas, life hacks, special skills and abilities (pipework) 4. Now, if we tap into our “Christian answers” for this question, all sorts of other answers come up! a) Love, joy, peace…, the Gospel! B. Big Picture: Today I want to focus on... 1. S2) Sharing and [Sharing in] the Grace of God a) In this you will see that in sharing the Grace of God with others, b) You have the joy of receiving His grace in return! 2. S3) Thesis: Today’s journey takes us through Acts 11:19-26 where we see that… 3. God extends great grace to His people as they join Him in courageously sharing His Gospel. C. Passage: Acts 11:19-26 1. Context: This morning’s passage takes us a good ways into the book of Acts… a) Jesus has ascension, the day of Pentecost was years ago, and the early church has made amazing inroads with both Hebraic & Hellenistic Jews, primarily in Jerusalem (Acts 1-6)! i) If you remember… (i) Hebraic: Jews that held closely to their very distinct Hebrew culture (ii) Hellenistic: Jews whose language and culture was much more Greek, rather than Hebrew ii) These were clear ethnic & cultural divisions, which may be comparable to how we think of racial divisions today. (i) Overcoming this boundary was no small task for that day! (ii) It showed how the Good News of Jesus could unite people between ethnic and racial boundaries! iii) Ah, but this is also when great persecution started for the Church… b) In Acts 7-8 we are told about the martyrdom of Stephen. i) And then as Acts 8:1b shares, “On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.” (i) But, “those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word” (Acts 8:4) ii) The Gospel was shared with the Samaritans, an Ethiopian, the seacoast communities, and many other regions! iii) After Saul’s conversion, “the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace” (Acts 9:31), iv) Persecution was still a growing threat—especially when the Gospel spread further away. v) Acts 10 shares how Jesus taught Peter that the Gospel was also for the Gentiles, (i) And shortly after that we come to today’s text… 2. Passage: Please stand and join me as we read Acts 11:19-26 (CSB, as with other references below) a) S4) 19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. b) S5) 22 News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. 3. Please be seated & join me in prayer… a) Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in spreading Your Good News to the nations b) Thank You for using us in this great mission c) And extending Your grace to us as we partner with You in this. d) Give us wisdom, courage, joy, & a holy expectation for how You would use us in these ways e) In Jesus name we pray—Amen! D. Transition: Now, let’s dive in to these verses by first considering… II. The Men of Cyprus & Cyrene A. Explain: Those who courageously joined God in sharing the Gospel! 1. What do we know about these men? a) Likely Greek-speaking, Hellenistic Jews b) Originally from: i) S6) Cyprus: A large island in the Northeast of the Mediterranean (see Acts 4:36, 15:39, 21:3, 27:4) (i) Home town of the Barnabas (Acts 4:36, Joseph, a Levite) ii) Cyrene: A Greek-settled city in north Africa (modern day Libya) (i) Large Jewish population (This was the hometown of: Lucius, a notable prophet/teacher in Antioch [Acts 13:1] & Simon who carried Jesus’ cross [Luke 23:26]) c) That came to Antioch due to the persecution following the martyrdom of Stephen. i) This was the Roman military & administrative capital of its region (modern day Turkey) ii) It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire (exceeded only by Rome & Alexandria), (i) Having a population somewhere between 500,000 to 800,000 people (ii) About 2 to 3 times the size of Boise (226,115 in 2018) iii) This was a carefully planned city with streets laid out as a grid (i) With special note given to aesthetic beauty. iv) While ~5% of Antioch was Jewish, religiously, Antioch was a blend of various Greek and Assyrian spiritual traditions known for their sexual immorality v) And this is the city to which these new Christians fled. 2. So, what did they do in this city? And this is where I really encourage you to take note— 3. First we see that they were… a) S7-8) Courageously committed to sharing the Good News: i) Jesus shared “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) (i) He commanded us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20) (ii) He declared, “that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:47-48) (iii) And these men took His words to heart ii) S9) Joining God’s work! (i) As the book Experiencing God encourages us— 1. They saw where God was working & joined Him there iii) S10) And they did this… United as God’s family (i) Notice that this was a group of believers (ii) And that they shared the Gospel together! iv) S11) And note again that they did this courageously! (i) Why did they move to this region? 1. They were severely persecuted in Jerusalem for being Christians 2. And yet in this new region, they are so outspoken about their faith that everyone will know they are Christians—Jews & Gentiles alike! 3. Persecution would not keep them from “proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus!” (v20) (ii) Consider also their courage in doing this across cultural barriers. 1. S12) Despite persecution & cross-cultural trials— a. They kept God’s mission first & foremost in their lives 2. These Jews went to Greek-speaking non-Jews—Gentiles! 3. How many of you have done much cross-cultural work? a. What are some of the barriers you face interacting with a different culture? Language, values, misunderstandings, etc. 4. Some people prefer to avoid these and stick with ‘their own people’ a. They stay with their generational group, their socio-economic group, their language group, their political group, their cultural group on various levels. 5. How easy it is for each of us to fall into this! a. But these men of Cyprus & Cyrene show us that as Christians… i. We are to be those that courageously engage the world around us, ii. Even, & especially those outside our own comfort and cultural group! B. Quote: I like how one commentator put it, (Source: “Holman New Testament Commentary: Acts,” by Gangel, K. O.) 1. “This aggressive evangelism by anonymous preachers throws our heavily-programmed modern church into stark and feeble contrast. 2. Never mind that they had been driven from their homes and scattered. 3. Never mind that God led them to one of the most wicked cities of the Roman world. 4. They had a message to deliver—the good news about the Lord Jesus.” C. Expand: 1. May we rise up to such a calling and be as such people! a) United in a courageous faith b) Committed to joining God’s work, even in trails & tribulations c) Longing to see His family—our family—grow across cultural lines d) Making the sacrifices necessary to see this happen in and through us! 2. Brothers & sisters, a) When our community of faith is shaped in this way, b) Our families… our base… even the world around us will be changed! D. Transition: These are the men of Cyprus & Cyrene— 1. Now, let’s consider… III. S13) The Impact of Such Genuine Christian Living A. Explain: What happened as a consequence of how these men lived? Luke shares… 1. S14) The Lord’s hand was with them! (v21) 2. S15) Many believed & turned to the Lord! (vv21, 24) a) Disciples were made and grew both in numbers and maturity! b) God’s work through these Christians was so loud that the Church in Jerusalem found out! i) And like they did with Philip’s mission work in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17; also see Acts 11:1-18), ii) To get a full report, they sent a trusted Christian, namely Barnabas. (i) Himself a native of Cyprus, he was likely fluent in Greek & could relate well to Jews & Greeks alike (ii) He came and checked things out— iii) What was the consequence? 3. S16) The saints were encouraged! (vv22-23) a) v24 shares that Barnabas “was glad," i) Undoubtedly when the Jerusalem church received his report, they were glad too! b) Furthermore, v24 shares that Barnabas (the “Son of Encouragement,” Acts 4:36) made it a point to “encourage all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.” c) All around, the saints were encouraged! Furthermore… 4. S17) God’s grace was evident! (v23) a) Barnabas saw this when He arrived— b) Through the transformed lives, i) How the church treated one another… ii) How they related to the world around them… iii) What they valued & pursued in life… c) Through all these things & more, I am sure— i) God’s grace was evident. ii) And wanting to see God’s grace expand all the more—Barnabas took action and… 5. S18) Leaders were raised! (vv25-26) a) He went to Tarsus i) (Where Saul had gone some ~7 years prior) ii) To find (the wording implies he had some difficulty here!) & invite him to join this mission movement— iii) To engage him in Bible teaching & rise him up as a leader! b) It was actually from this church that Paul was then called to go on his mission trips that brought the Gospel around the Roman Empire, esp. in modern-day Turkey, Greece, & Italy (Acts 13:1ff). i) Had Barnabas not been intentional about rising volunteer leaders— (i) Had Paul refused to rise up as a volunteer & leader— ii) How much of the book of Acts would we miss! (i) How much would the Gospel’s delivery to Europe have changed! 6. S19) Disciples were taught! (v26) a) For a year, the dynamic duo of Barnabas and Paul focused on teaching these new believers b) God’s Word took center-stage i) To ensure these disciples were mature, well-grounded saints ii) Those that rightly understood the Word of truth (see 2 Timothy 2:15) iii) (Where are you with this? Have you been intentional in pursuing Biblical teaching?) c) Finally, we see here that… 7. S20) Christ was glorified! (v26) a) In Antioch we were first called CHRISTians B. Illustrate: Ecclesiastes 7:1 shares that “a good name is better than fine perfume.” C. And Proverbs 22:1 shares that “a good name is to be chosen over great wealth.” 1. In Acts 4:36 we are first introduced to Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth— a) The Apostles renamed him “Son of Encouragement,” or as we know him this morning— Barnabas (Acts 4:36) b) Luke further described him in our passage today as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” (v24) c) This was a man with a good name. 2. And through his work in Antioch, we became known as Christians (also see Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16)— a) A combination of i) The Greek word for Messiah (Christ, God’s promised savior of the world) ii) The Latin suffix/ending for “meaning belonging to, identified by,” or simply “of” b) These people were so obviously trying to follow Jesus that the people started calling them names! i) Their beliefs, actions, undoubtedly their love (John 13:34-35) marked them as belonging to Christ! ii) May we be so marked! c) While it is speculated that this title was likely give by outsiders, with an offensive intent— i) Followers of Jesus accepted it as a great honor ii) And we began to adopt it for ourselves! d) And here in Antioch it became evidence that Christ was being glorified i) He was becoming known, loved, & honored through those who knew, loved, & honored Him. e) And when they later sent out Paul as a missionary, i) This Christ—our Christ—became known throughout the Roman Empire! D. Expand: And this all started with a few unnamed men from Cyprus & Cyrene that “made a name for themselves” in all the right ways… 1. They made much of Christ and saw… a) His hand with them, b) His grace upon them, & c) His power through them! E. Transition: Let’s wrap this up… IV. Conclusion A. S21) Reiterate: B. God extends great grace to His people as they join Him in courageously sharing His Gospel. 1. Courageous Christians committed to sharing the Gospel… a) Joining God’s work, b) United as His family, c) Despite persecution & cross-cultural hardships! 2. And the impact of their genuine Christian living was substantial! a) It transformed many lives, communities, & even nations to come. b) Evangelizing the lost, encouraging and discipling saints, raising up leaders, and magnifying Christ! 3. Do you want to see such changes in your lives? Our church? Our communities & nation? a) Let us let God’s Spirit, through His word & church, transform our lives. C. Apply: So, how should we respond? A few recommendations for you… 1. S22) Look for God's opportunities in hardships a) S23) This starts with gaining His perspective on our hardships… i) From Covid-19, to heartaches with the family, to challenges at work, to personal medical crises— (i) God will work these hardship—even persecution—for the good of those who love Him & are called according to His purposes (See Romans 8:28-39; Genesis 50:19-21; James 1:25; 1 Peter 1:6-9, 4:12-16; Matthew 5:10-12) ii) Such good is received through... (i) Our perseverance in obedience, (ii) Our uniting in studying and apply His Word, (iii) Our devotion to persistent prayer (iv) And many other such thing b) Often these opportunities are not found by our wit i) But by His insight and our obedience to Christianity 101! c) During these hard times upon us now—and any that is to come—I exhort you-i) Look for God’s opportunities! ii) But don’t stop there, also… 2. S24) Courageously join Him in this! (See Joshua 1:6-9) a) To make & grow disciples, no matter what! b) Such courage takes sacrifices from us i) The men for Cyprus & Cyrene sacrifices their homes & livelihoods in Jerusalem! ii) What is God calling on you to sacrifice to do this? To… c) S25) Keep His mission at front & center… i) …with great faithfulness to His Great Commission? d) Persevere in such sacrifices and even in severe hardships i) S26) Persevere with biblical, confident hope in God e) S27) Willingly cross those cultural barriers that stand in the way of so many… i) Generational gaps, political views, nation of origin, language group, socio-economic levels, and beyond! f) And finally… 3. S28) Pursue this in community a) This has become all the more challenging, i) Yet all the more necessary during this season of Covid-19 b) Do this, as these disciples did, i) With biblical teaching at center-stage c) Unite with one another as these men did (v20) d) S29) Encourage one another to greater godliness, as Barnabas did (v23) e) S30) Intentionally raise up leaders to carry on this work, as Barnabas did with Paul (vv25-26) i) Allow God to rise YOU up -- that is to say, be raised up as a leader! ii) This is such a key part of disciple-making! iii) How has God called on you to rise up within this community of faith? D. Appeal: Let’s begin to close this off… 1. Antioch became the center of & the sender for the Gentile mission— a) And it is because of those things we have seen this morning. 2. Have we been such a people? Will we become as such? a) God has called us to be a people of His grace— i) Magnifying it, ii) Living in it, & iii) Demonstrating it. b) Our world has such a great need for this grace. i) Let us share it with them! E. Concluding Statement: Pray with me… 1. Father, thank you for the high calling You have given us to join You in sharing the Good News of Jesus 2. Thank You for your faithfulness to always be with us & help us to do this very thing. 3. Give us further strength and wisdom to courageously unite together and… a) Share Your Gospel beyond where we are comfortable b) To learn how best to share this truth in love c) To cross cultural barriers—between ages, political groups, nations of origin, ethnic groups, socio-economic groups, & beyond. 4. Teach us to be Your witnesses in word, action, and attitudes. 5. Thank You for your grace in this & all other things. a) Rise us up all the more as a people through whom people clearly see Your grace at work. b) We pray all these things in the name of Jesus—Amen. __________________________________________________________________________________________ What is God calling on you to do now based upon His Word to us this morning? Write down your notes here! Consider if there is … …a relationship to nurture? …an attitude to change? …an example to follow? …a verse to memorize? …a person to speak to? …a command to obey? …a principle to apply? …a challenge to face? …a promise to trust? …a habit to change? …a truth to believe? …an error to avoid? …an action to take? …a word to speak? …a prayer to pray? …a sin to forsake?