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Past Ponderings

Sunday, March 10, 2019

PONDERING...Are You Called A Christian? (Acts 11:19-30)

Are You Called A Christian? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Christians live like Christ.
SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30
This morning we’re coming to the second half of Acts chapter 11. For the last two weeks, together or through Facebook due to snow☺️, we have been addressing one continuous account--the conversion of the first Gentiles. We saw how God overcame cultural barriers, prejudice, and legalism to spread His salvation beyond Jewish borders. Today, Luke focuses our attention back to God spreading the Gospel to the world, as we look at the beginnings of the church where believers were first called Christians. And man, there is so much we could glean from their commitment to Jesus! Let’s read Acts 11:19-30.
“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.”
Like I said in opening, “in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians”.  This wasn’t necessarily a positive term at first. It was likely used as an insult to describe these “Jesus people”. However, it was an accurate description. Antioch becomes a super significant city in the life of the church. In fact, it’s the first primarily Gentile congregation, and it functioned as Paul’s home base during his missionary journeys, but it wasn’t a likely site for this. It was the capital of Syrian province of the Roman empire, and the third largest city behind only Rome and Alexandria, boasting a population of over half a million people. It was huge and multicultural. There were people from all over the ancient world here. They spoke different languages, ate different foods, wore different clothes, and worshipped different gods. Then, all the sudden, Jesus puts these Christians here and starts changing that last part. They’re united under the truth of the Gospel. And that truth is all that united them (Life Application Study Bible). This is the church. They were connected because of Jesus alone, and He was more than enough. They were Christians, the people of Christ.
That being said, I think there is a lot we can learn from this congregation, but the gist this morning is simple: Christians live like Christ. While that should be obvious, it’s not always reality. There are many who claim to be Christians, but their lives look absolutely nothing like Jesus. We could talk about that forever, but I just want to focus on the examples provided in this particular passage. Let’s break this down into the who, what, and why. We already hit the where, and the how will be covered with the other three☺️.

I. WHO?
Fair warning, this will probably be the longest portion of our discussion this morning because what they did only happened because of who they were. Let’s start by noticing that they were normal people placed here by God-ordained circumstances who kept God’s perspective and willingly shared Jesus. Look back at verses 19-21, then we’ll break this down. “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.” (emphases added)
Normal People. This is huge. Did you catch the names of the first people to start this church in Antioch? Nope, because they’re not provided. This body of believers is second in importance only to maybe Jerusalem in the early spread of the Gospel, and we don’t even know who started it. It just says “some of them”. Why is that important? We’re a culture of superstars and celebrities. There are people we place on pedestals as the gold standard, and Christianity is no different. I’m not immune from this either. There are people who are heroes of the faith who I really look up to, but we have to be careful not to put them on the level of God or forget that God doesn’t use superhumans. He uses wretches saved by Grace. He uses humbled hearts longing to serve the King. He uses Christians. Eventually, two big names will be connected to this church, Barnabas and Saul (or Paul). But they didn’t start it, and eventually, they will be sent out from this body. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not a famous Christian. God uses the faithful. And these were normal people→
Placed Here By God-Ordained Circumstances. This might be one of my soapboxes, but it’s in this passage, so I’ve got to get back on it for a second☺️. God puts you where you are for a reason! Why did these believers end up in Antioch in the first place? They were scattered, by God, during the persecution that started with the death of Stephen. These were not great circumstances, but they were part of God’s plan. You might not be where you want to be right now, but while God might be moving you somewhere else, I can promise you that you’re exactly where you are for a very specific purpose. These were normal people running for their lives→
Who Kept God’s Perspective And Willingly Shared Jesus. They realized their circumstances were part of God’s plan, so they shared the Gospel with...everyone. They were away from home. They were running for their lives. They were in a city where false gods were rampant, and the enemy was strong. In that context, they shared the Gospel...even with people the majority of Jewish Christians at this time would not have even thought could be saved. What’s our excuse? This is how Christians should be living, so if we claim to be Christians, this should be reflected in our lives, as well. Is it? Do we realize that God can use us and has ordained that we be where we are right now for that purpose? Are we boldly and bravely sharing Jesus with everyone we encounter? We should be. That’s what I want my life to be about. Pray for me. That’s what I want Providence Baptist Church to be about. Let’s pray for each other and encourage each other, so that we can be used as Christians--Jesus people.
So, they were normal people placed here by God-ordained circumstances who kept God’s perspective and willingly shared Jesus. They were also selfless encouragers not interested in personal gains, but invested in kingdom growth. Barnabas best personifies these characteristics in this passage. Look at verses 22 through the first part of 26. “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, 26a and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.” (emphases added)
Selfless Encouragers. Every time we see Barnabas, this is what he’s doing--encouraging others. He was sent to Antioch like Peter and John had been sent to Samaria, as confirmation that what God was doing here was the same thing He was doing in Jerusalem. This wasn’t so much a “let’s make sure this is the real deal” as a “let’s make sure the whole Church is united”. He shows up, sees God’s movement, and is glad. Then, he encourages the church to stay faithful to God and His purpose. Shouldn’t that be what we do every day? We share the Gospel with those who are lost and remind those who are saved to stay true to the same Gospel! He’s not looking for glory here; he’s just excited to be part of what God is doing. And we see that all the more in what he does next. He’s→
Not Interested In Personal Gains, But Invested In Kingdom Growth. Therefore, he goes looking for Saul. Barnabas was from Cyprus, and believers from Cyprus were amongst those who first spread the Gospel here. Plus, it’s geographically pretty close. The island of Cyprus is just off the cost of Antioch, so he had ties to the area. However, he knew Saul was even more equipped to serve in a place like this. Not only had God said He’d use Saul to reach the world, but Saul was also a Roman citizen, who spoke the languages of the area, and had the best Jewish education available. He had been specifically equipped to serve in a place like this. That’s why Barnabas went searching for Saul. The Greek here is strong. It implies diligent or thorough seeking. He wasn’t casual about this. He knew God could use this man, so he put real energy into bringing him to this place. He didn’t care that it would mean taking a backseat. He wasn’t interested in personal gains. He wanted to see the Kingdom of God grow. How much could we learn from this? One of Melissa’s favorite songs right now is “Only Jesus” by Casting Crowns. They express this well:
Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself
Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else
Make a name the world remembers
But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams
I got lost in the lie that it was up to me
To make a name the world remembers
But Jesus is the only name to remember
And I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me--Only Jesus
And I've only got one life to live
I'll let every second point to Him--Only Jesus
So, they were normal people willing to share, encouragers willing to build each other up, even if it meant sacrificing acknowledgment, →
And Teachers Committed To The Truth Of Jesus. We could camp out here for some time, as well. However, let’s just note that they had been proclaiming Jesus all along. Then Paul shows up… and they keep doing that! “26b For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (emphases added)
Why were they first called Christians? Because they loved Him and lived like Him and proclaimed Him, so others could love Him and live like Him and proclaim Him!
That’s the who. So→

II. WHAT?
Again, I knew that point was going to be longer, so I will try to be more timely in these last few observations. First, we see they→
Went To The People. They didn’t camp out in a building and hope people would find them. God put them in Antioch, so they went to Antioch. We talk about this often, but we can never forget. We cannot reach this community by never leaving these four walls. Is that uncomfortable? Sure, but it’s also Christian. Jesus’ life wasn’t comfortable. Dying on the cross wasn’t easy. Taking on the sin of the world and enduring the punishment we deserve wasn’t a light task. Why do we think Christianity should be comfortable? We’re called to go and make disciples, and that will require us to actually… go where people are who are not yet disciples.
Secondly, they→
Grew Together. Over and over again in this passage, we see this phrase repeated: “a great many were added”.  We touched on this last week, and here’s the flip side of the going coin. They went to the world, but they also grew together. Their fellowship was vibrant because it was Christ-centered and consistent. We cannot neglect each other. I’m not saying you’ll go to Hell for missing church, and I understand that sicknesses arrive which prevent us from coming. However, whenever possible, we need to be actively together. Otherwise, you're not only missing out on what God could be doing in your life, but you're allowing others to miss out on what God could use you to do in theirs!
They also→
Met Needs. Both spiritual and physical. Verses 20-26 focus on spiritual needs, and that was by far their priority. However, 27-30 gives us a picture of how they met physical needs. “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.” (emphases added).
There are three phrases I want to draw your attention to here real quick this morning. They saw a need and determined to do what they could about it. BUT, they didn’t stop there. They also did it. There was follow through. And everyone was involved according to his ability. Service wasn’t the action of a few. Everyone did what they could. And that wasn’t an excuse to give their very least. It was a call for everyone to give their best.
So, that’s the who and what, so→

III. WHY?
I won’t draw this out at all. They did this→ Because They Loved Jesus, And He Had Put Them In These Places And Given Them These Opportunities To Serve, So They Did!

TAKEAWAYS
1. Are you a Christian? This conversation about living like Jesus is completely irrelevant if you have not come to know Him as your personal Savior. Has He moved in your heart? Do you realize you’re a sinner who needs salvation? Come to Him today. All who call upon the name of the Lord can be saved. Believe in Him and give Him control of your life.
2. Do you live like a Christian? I don’t want to be satisfied with nominal Christianity, a Christianity that is in name only and has not had an impact on my life--or yours. I don’t want you satisfied with that either. Here’s the picture we saw today. How do you measure up?
-Normal people placed here by God-ordained circumstances who kept God’s perspective and willingly shared Jesus.
-Selfless encouragers not interested in personal gains, but invested in kingdom growth.
-Teachers committed to the truth of Jesus.
-People who went to the lost, grew together, and met needs.
-People who loved Jesus and wanted others to know this same love!
3. How are we doing as a Church fostering these kinds of life transformations?











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