A Missional Church Model

ME: Intro

This morning we are looking at one of the healthiest churches in the entire Bible.

If there is one church I would want FBC Afton to resemble most,

It would be this church.

It is the church of Antioch.

It was a launching pad for missions!

It was the base of operation for Saul and Barnabas throughout their missionary journeys.

But the church was in the heart of a pretty dark city.

Antioch was founded in 300 BC by Seleucus of Macedonia,

He was an officer of Alexander the Great.

And he named the city after his father, Antiochus.

Historically, there had been a significant amount of Jewish persecution in the city.

Yet, there remained a Jewish presence despite Jews not being able to gain Antiochan citizenship.

Eventually, the city became the capital of Syria,

About 300 miles north of Jerusalem.

It was a metropolis that was the third most important city in the Roman empire,

After only Rome and Alexandria.

It had about five hundred thousand people.

Its nickname was “queen of the East.”

So, visitors from all over the known world would come to Antioch.

It was a city of multiple ethnicities, cultures, and religious traditions.

There were Syrians, Greeks, Jews, Phoenicians, Arabs, Egyptians, Africans, Indians, Asians, and Romans all living in the same city.

It was incredibly diverse.

By the end of the first century,

Antioch was filled with magnificent structures and landscapes.

It had an extravagant and diverse marketplace with a wide variety of items from all around the Mediterranean region.

It had a racecourse, public bath houses, and the Theater of Caesar.

It was also a Roman military base.

And when it comes to religion,

Several Greek gods were worshiped there.

You would see statues of Greek goddesses, Poseidon, Adonis, and Tyche,

And temples for Zeus, Apollos, Jupiter, Astarte, and Artemis.

Statues were also built to worship Roman emperors as well.

And believe it or not,

This is what made Antioch a great place for a church.

Today, this is now a small town in Turkey called Antakia,

And it is a shell of its former self.

But God sovereignly positioned the history of Antioch to align with His world-changing purpose for His church.

God used the church in Antioch as the hub to evangelize non-Jews.

It was an international church whose diversity reflects the throne room in heaven.

So, what was it that made the Antioch church so effective?

What makes it a Missional Church Model?

Slide

Our outline lists three simple marks that answer this question:

Disciple-Making Disciples (11:19-26)

Mercy-Motivated Members (11:27-30)

Spirit-Moved Senders (13:1-3)

Imitate this missional church model which imitates the missional model of God Himself.

WE: Disciple-Making Disciples (11:19-26)

Slide

The beginning of Acts records Jerusalem as the first center of early Christian activity.

But after Stephen died in ch. 7,

Persecution against the church arose.

So, its here in ch. 11, we are introduced to the next center of early Christian activity,

That happened as a result of the Christians scattering from the persecution.

It says in vs. 19 they spread as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.

This is hundreds of miles outside of Jerusalem.

And ch. 8 said,

As they scattered,

They went around preaching the Word.

However, here it says these Christians were speaking the gospel only to the Jews.

Slide

But something different starts happening in vs. 20.

It says some of the Jewish Christians from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch.

And it says they spoke to the Hellenists,

That is the Greeks or Gentiles about Jesus.

Cyprus and Cyrene are in northern Africa.

So, we have Jews from northern Africa,

Who fled Jerusalem because of persecution,

Now courageously proclaiming the gospel to unbelieving Gentiles in Antioch.

Before this,

The only other person recorded to have shared the Gospel with unbelieving Gentiles was Peter earlier this chapter.

And it took God commanding him to do it through a vision,

Three times!

So, these men were breaking through a major cultural barrier for the church!

They are disciples-making disciples,

With no anti-Gentile bias.

Rather, they are striving to be all things to all people,

So, they may save some.

Slide

Sadly, we as Christians are often deceived into isolating ourselves from the world.

This comes from a place of good intentions.

But what happens is we slowly become disciple-protecting disciples,

Rather than disciple-making disciples.

Because we fear unsaved people will bring all sorts of baggage with them into our protected community.

So, we treat the church like a bomb shelter,

And we let those outside fend for themselves.

This mentality will never make disciples.

Jesus calls us to be salt and light.

But we can’t if we never involve ourselves with those who live in a corrupt and dark world.

So, the very beginning of the Antioch Church is a model for us.

Because it was started by disciples who did not withdraw from the unsaved.

So, if FBC Afton is going to imitate these disciple-making disciples,

We must be involved with people outside of this church.

We must live faithfully, sensibly, wisely, and graciously among the unsaved in this world.

Slide

These disciple-making disciples who essentially planted the church in Antioch,

Were not pastors or professional missionaries.

In fact, the Bible never even tells us their names.

Their goal was not to rise ranks,

Or get their name in a record book.

Their goal as ordinary people who were disciples of Jesus,

Was to be faithful to Jesus,

And He used them in a mighty way!

These unsung heroes are a model for us.

Because it is not just the people who have special titles or get their names in the record books that Jesus expects to make disciples.

No, Jesus used these unnamed nobodies to plant an incredibly missional church.

So, the Bible says all disciples are called to make disciples through our relationships with unbelievers.

These founders of the church in Antioch are ordinary people just like us.

Slide

And they were able to make disciples,

Because, as vs. 21 says, the hand of the Lord was with them.

Which is also true for us.

Yes, we preach Christ.

But God is the One who saves people by calling them to trust in Him.

Only God has the power to save.

He is sovereign.

He blesses our witness.

Slide

He is the Hero of the message,

The Prize of the message,

And the Power of the message.

Through His disciples,

Jesus built His Church in the heart of the dark city of Antioch.

By turning a great number who believed to Him.

We cannot manipulate the hand of the Lord to do amazing things in Afton.

But we can imitate the model of these disciples in Antioch.

Because they were faithful to preach Christ to all nations,

And God planted and grew the church in Antioch through them.

But this also means the church in Antioch was the first church made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

Slide

So, vs. 22 says, this incredible report made its way back to the church in Jerusalem.

Instead of just leaving these new disciples to figure out how to follow Jesus on their own.

The church sends a disciple to disciple these disciples.

Slide

This connects to our mission.

We Go and make disciples.

But we also grow in Christlikeness by discipling disciples.

And by being discipled.

This is a missional church model,

And that is why it defines our mission.

Here in Acts, two leaders, Barnabas and Saul,

Arrive in Antioch to disciple new disciples.

Slide

First, Barnabas is sent by the Jerusalem church to check things out in Antioch.

Based off the Jerusalem church’s response to the report of Cornelius becoming a disciple earlier this chapter.

It is likely that they were critical,

Or even suspicious about the remarkable things being reported.

But Barnabas seems to go as one who is hopeful.

He seems to want to disciple these disciples.

So, vs. 23 says, when Barnabas arrives,

He rejoices!

Because he sees the grace of God at work.

So, he encourages them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.

Which implies they were already being faithful.

Slide

Then in vs. 24,

Acts takes an editorial note to once again describe the character of Barnabas,

Saying he is a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.

Remember, Barnabas’ original name was Joseph.

He was given the name Barnabas by the apostles back in Acts 4.

Because Barnabas means son of encouragement.

He was the generous believer who sold his land and gave it to the apostles to distribute as needs arose.

But not only that, he was also from Cyprus.

Therefore, he could relate well to the Gentiles.

There was no one better to go, check, and encourage these new disciples.

There was little to no chance that Barnabas was going to show up and quench the spirit of these new disciples.

Slide

He rejoiced when he saw them trusting in the Lord.

He encouraged them to stay faithful.

Don’t underestimate the power of encouragement.

The disciples in Antioch needed it.

And we as disciples still need encouragement today!

Encouragement is a powerful gift empowered by the Spirit.

Slide

1 Thess. 5:11 explicitly commands,

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

So, yes, a disciple-making disciple needs a sound understanding of the gospel, for sure.

But also, Barnabas is a model of encouragement.

Teaching that a disciple-making disciple needs to be an encourager,

Needs to be able to stir up other disciples to faith and good works,

Needs to care for the minds of other disciples and their hearts.

So, a good thing to ask your self is:

Do other disciples want you to speak into their lives because of your encouragement?

Or do they see you and hope you turn the other way,

Because whenever you talk to them, they feel an even heavier burden?

It should be your aim to be an encourager, like Barnabas.

Slide

Vs. 24 says, through his encouragement,

God added a great many disciples.

But this great number also made Barnabas aware that he needed help.

As a leader,

Barnabas is a model for me here.

Discipling an entire church is not a one man job.

So, in vs. 25, Barnabas goes to Tarsus to enlist the help of Saul.

Remember, Barnabas was the one who stuck up for Saul after Saul trusted Jesus back in ch. 9.

Most of the church feared Saul because of his persecution against them.

So, they were understandably hesitant to welcome him into the church.

But Barnabas introduced Saul and told them his story.

So, they accepted Saul on the basis of Barnabas’ acceptance.

After that, Saul kinda faded from the narrative for a little while.

But Barnabas did not forget that Saul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

So, he intentionally goes to Saul to bring him to these Gentile disciples in Antioch.

Slide

It is interesting to think about this in the context of our influencer culture today.

Barnabas could have just stayed in Antioch by himself,

Make a name for himself by discipling this church.

But instead, he knew discipleship was not about him.

So, he did not force these disciples to only be discipled by him.

He shared the responsibility with a man who was an even more gifted teacher.

His recruitment of Saul was not just out of convenience,

It was strategic.

And he did this,

Knowing Saul would likely get attention he could have kept for himself.

But Barnabas did not disciple for his glory,

He disciples for God’s glory and the good of the disciples.

The same must be true for us.

So, he brought Saul in so they could teach these disciples together.

Slide

Teaching is the essence of discipling.

Disciples do not grow in Christlikeness by just listening to Christian music,

Or even just attending church.

These things can aid growth.

But we ultimately grow in Christlikeness by learning how to apply God’s Word,

Through faithful instruction of God’s Word.

And this is called discipleship.

This is how we grow in Christlikeness.

Here in Acts,

It says Saul and Barnabas dedicated an entire year to this.

The result is new disciples learned how to be a missional church.

Slide

And developed a reputation of following Christ.

As vs. 26 says,

They became the first disciples to be called Christians.

A name that identifies them with Christ.

Now, some suggest they began calling themselves Christians,

While others says the name was given to them.

The language here seems that it was given to them.

Because it says they were first called Christians.

And historically,

The rumor is that this name was meant to be a derogatory term,

Calling them “little Christs.”

Which is a hilarious twist of irony.

Because a phrase meant to be a put-down,

Is actually a label of honor.

It implies that these disciple-making disciples are growing in Christlikeness.

Slide

So, being given this title is another turning point in church history.

These disciples were so different,

That they needed their own classification.

They were not just a Jewish sect.

They did not live according to their former Jewish lifestyles and customs.

They were now Jews and Gentiles,

People from all nations,

Following Jesus of Nazareth together.

This unified group represented a new race.

So, they needed their own name.

And the name they were given,

Is the same name we have today,

Christian.

From that point on,

Being a Christian is not based on our ethnicity, social class, family, or background.

There is something beautifully different about being Christian.

Because we are a community that shows the world what Christ’s kingdom looks like:

People of different backgrounds with unique values living a unique way of life and preaching a unique message.

This message is a powerful message!

It breaks down incredibly strong social barriers and establishes unity amid diversity.

Because this unique community is ultimately,

A bunch of sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ.

We cannot have any heir of superiority or elitism as Christians.

No, we are to be a people who are all about Jesus.

GOD: Mercy-Motivated Members (11:27-30)

Slide

And being all about Jesus makes us Mercy-Motivated Members,

As the church in Antioch demonstrates in vs. 27-30.

These verses display the sacrificial mercy and generosity expected from members of Christ’s body.

The ministry of the church in Antioch was not just a word ministry,

No, it was a word and deed ministry.

Likely because this is what Barnabas and Saul taught them.

But this example of mercy begins with an introduction to a prophet who appears again in Acts 21,

Agabus, a prophet from Jerusalem.

He is not the same as the OT prophets.

He is simply foretelling by the Spirit something that is going to happen.

He does not call the people to repentance,

Or command a particular behavior in response,

As the OT prophets would do.

No, he simply expresses to the people that a great famine will come.

He says, this will not just be a regional famine,

But a widespread problem across much of the Roman Empire.

Acts includes an editorial note,

That this took place in the days of Claudius.

Records show that he reigned from 41-54 AD.

And his reign was marked with numerous famines in various parts of Rome.

But the one likely prophesied here was a grain shortage in 46-47 AD that was caused by the Nile River flooding in 45 AD.

But the focus of our passage is that this prophecy gave the church in Antioch an opportunity to show mercy to their fellow members in Jerusalem.

Slide

So, in vs. 29 they do not hesitate to send relief.

It says that every member,

According to their financial situation,

Donated money for Saul and Barnabas to bring back to Jerusalem.

There is something so wonderful about this church in Antioch,

That was a daughter church of the Jerusalem church,

Now having the opportunity to show mercy to the mother church that brought them the gospel of mercy.

So, they entrust Saul and Barnabas to bring the money to the elders in Jerusalem.

The mention of elders indicates that God had already begun leading His local church to organize the office of elders,

And back in ch. 6, they already began organizing the office of deacon too.

Slide

The only other word we have in Acts about this mercy mission comes at the end of ch. 12,

Where it says Barnabas and Saul completed this mission.

Then they returned to Antioch with John Mark.

Their role in this mercy mission continues to lay the foundation of the vital role these two men go on to play in the early church.

John Mark also has a vital role in Scripture.

For one, he is the guy who wrote the Gospel of Mark,

But in ch. 13, he also joins Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

And becomes a source of contention and forgiveness later in the Bible.

Slide

Now, before moving to ch. 13,

Let us briefly pause here to draw out three character applications from these mercy-motivated members.

First, they were selfless.

No famine had even happened yet.

Still, these members immediately determine to send relief.

They trusted the prophecy by faith,

And demonstrated a greater concern for providing aid for others,

Rather than hoarding resources for themselves.

They put others before themselves.

You see, you can’t only be motivated by mercy when you are financially stable.

You must be motivated by mercy when you have much and when you have little.

So, start now.

And start small.

As it says here, each member showed mercy according to their ability.

It does not have to be grand or extravagant.

Think of the widow’s mite.

Jesus said she gave all of what she have,

So, even though she gave numerically less,

She actually gave more.

For example,

My wife, Stephanie and I met this lady last week.

We were on our way to an apt in Syracuse with a fertility specialist.

And we were having a conversation with this homeless lady about it.

So ,she starts sharing with us about her tough upbringing.

And asks us to hug and love the child if we have one.

Because she never got that growing up.

Then, after we went our separate ways.

She came back to give Stephanie and I this rosary.

She shows me the charm that is near the cross on this rosary has two little kids pictured.

So, she said she wanted to give us this as an expression of her hope that God would bless us with children.

I was both touched and humbled by her selfless act,

The was much like the selflessness of the members in Antioch.

The second character application,

They were generous.

They did not worry about how much it would cost,

It says, they just gave as much they could.

These members have been transformed by the gospel,

And it shows in their generosity.

Third, they did this together.

Both as a local church they corporately decided to give.

But more importantly,

They demonstrated a togetherness with the universal church.

The church in Jerusalem was not just down the street,

It was hundreds of miles away,

And it was an entirely different culture and ethnicity.

Yet these mercy-motivated members model a togetherness among churches that is sadly absent among many churches today.

We have become fiercely independent local entities that believe acting autonomously from all other churches is a necessity.

Or even worse, we begin to think of other churches as competition.

But just like both the Antioch and Jerusalem church belong to Jesus.

Every church belongs to Jesus.

Therefore, every member of every church is a member of Jesus’ body.

So, the members in Antioch are a tangible model of this togetherness.

No matter the geographical, ethnic, or cultural distances that separate us,

All Christians are members of Christ’s body.

Therefore, we should remain mindful of fellow members down the street and around the world.

Assist other members in word and deed as we are able.

YOU: Spirit-Moved Senders (13:1-3)

Even if that means we are moved by the Spirit to send some of our own members.

Slide

Because, as Antioch once again models for us in 13:1-3,

Missional Churches are also Spirit-Moved Senders.

Ch. 13 starts by introducing a number of leaders in the church at Antioch.

They are described as prophets and teachers.

This seems to refer to the functions,

And potentially even their office as elders in Antioch.

By this time, the church in Antioch is still only a few years old,

Yet they have five leaders who teach Christ’s message,

And interpret the OT in light of Christ.

And although there are no specifics about their roles,

It is clear how incredibly diverse these leaders are.

Other than just Saul and Barnabas,

Who are Jewish Christians.

Acts lists Simeon who was called Niger,

Which means dark.

So, most assume he is from Africa.

Next is Lucius, from Cyrene in northern Africa.

Then, Manaen, who is not just a friend of Herod’s,

It says he is a lifelong friend.

The Greek word is synthrophos,

Which is a hyphenated word that means he is a like-brother.

Making him potentially a foster brother of Herod’s.

Either way, he was brought up in the royal upper class.

Slide

So, these five leaders are an extremely diverse group that are united by one Spirit!

Remember how difficult it was for the Jews to welcome the Gentiles into the church.

It took divine intervention with God giving two visions to Peter and Cornelius.

And now this predominately Gentile church in Antioch,

Is incredibly diverse,

Yet remarkably united!

You could imagine how shocking this diversity would be to some.

But also how attractive it is to many.

Because anyone could imagine themselves being a part of it.

Since they already welcomed all sorts of people from different nationalities and backgrounds.

But diversity like this is not always easy.

Just within these five leaders,

They certainly would have seen things differently.

But because they were missional,

Their differences ended up empowering them to be more creative and effective in reaching Antioch,

And in discipling their diverse church.

Slide

Then, in vs. 2

We essentially see worldwide missions being born in this diverse church,

Where they model what it means to be Spirit-Moved Senders.

The habit of worshiping the Lord and fasting,

Which implies replacing meals with expectant prayer,

Seems to heighten their sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading.

Because, it says, while they were doing this,

The Holy Spirit commands them to send Saul and Barnabas on a mission.

The Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for a specific work.

Slide

We do not have to guess what this work is.

Jesus told Ananias what He has called Saul to in Acts 9:15,

Acts 9:15 ESV

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Saul received word from both Jesus and the Spirit to be a missionary to the Gentiles,

And the next portion of Acts records him doing just that.

Saul and Barnabas are led by God to several cities to proclaim the gospel of Christ.

Slide

After the Spirit called Saul and Barnabas,

The church affirmed their call in vs. 3.

First, they fasted and prayed again.

Then they officially commission Saul and Barnabas by laying their hands on them,

Before sending them off.

Slide

Commissioning a person expresses confidence in what the Spirit is going to do through them.

The apostles also did this when the first deacons were commissioned to their servant calling in Acts 6.

Later, 1 Tim. talks about doing the same thing when commissioning an elder.

And the earliest biblical example actually comes when God directed Moses to lay hands on Joshua in Num. 27.

So, commissioning with the laying of hands,

Is a symbolic and public declaration of God’s calling of a particular person to a particular task.

There is nothing magical about laying hands,

As if it transfers some sort of spiritual power or authority.

In fact, Scripture does not even make laying hands a requirement for commissioning someone.

For example, Acts 14:23 commissions elders in Ephesus with only prayer and fasting.

There is no laying of hands.

So, laying hands is a symbolic gesture to recognize someone being commissioned by God.

But the commissioning of Saul and Barnabas is once again an important turning point in the history of the church.

Because the Holy Spirit calls missionaries from a Gentile church for the first time,

To continue extending the gospel to the Gentiles.

WE: Conc.

Slide

So, let us conclude this morning with three quick applications from these Spirit-Moved Senders.

First, worship, prayer, and fasting fueled the mission.

There is nothing that seems to imply the church was having a special meeting about Saul and Barnabas.

Rather, worship, prayer, and fasting were their normal routine.

They pray expectantly and express a complete dependence on God.

You see, Spirit-moved is not running ahead with our own ideas.

It is bathing everything in fervent prayer.

And while the church was doing this,

The Spirit moved!

After the Spirit moved,

They prayed and fasted again!

This church was drenched in worship, fasting, and expectant prayer.

The second application is that the Spirit and church affirmed the mission together.

You see, there are two extremes that we can fall victim two.

On one end is individualism.

Where we think,

The Spirit gives us a special calling regardless what our Spirit-filled church members may say!

The other extreme is institutionalism.

Where a church trusts their process more than the Spirit.

This is not to say processes are bad,

I love a good process.

But no process can replace prayer.

The church in Antioch avoids these extremes.

Saul and Barnabas did not just decide on their own that the Spirit called them.

And the church did not force them through a Spirit-less process.

Rather, when the Spirit called Saul and Barnabas.

The church went through a Spirit-led commissioning process of prayer and fasting to affirm the call.

That is the balance of Spirit-Moved Senders.

The Spirit impresses a sense of oughtness on a person,

And the church affirms the Spirit’s leading through prayer.

When both these things happen,

We rightly commission those who are called by the Spirit.

And it has the be churches that commission,

Not boards, not missions agencies, and not seminaries.

Missionaries are called by the Spirit and sent by the church.

The third point of application is that we must send whoever is called by the Spirit,

Now matter how painful it may be.

Barnabas and Saul made up 40% of the church’s leadership.

Sending them was a huge step of faith,

And a huge sacrifice.

But they obeyed the Spirit.

They did not hoard these men to themselves,

But sent them for the good of those the Spirit called them to.

You see, a missional church thinks beyond themselves.

So, when the Spirit calls people out of Afton,

It will be painful,

It will be a sacrifice to lose them,

But this is what a missional church does.

Slide

Therefore, we must be Spirit-Moved Senders.

Because this ultimately reflects the pattern of God the Father,

Who sent His Son, Jesus from heaven,

For our good!

God’s Son is the Alpha Missionary!

He was sent that we may be saved.

Now He sends us that others may be saved.

So, let us imitate not only the missional church model of Antioch.

But ultimately the missional model of God Himself.

Pray.