First Mention of Christian, Acts 11:19-30

 

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

God’s Divine Plan is always fulfilled, His will is often not fulfilled.

For example, firemen don’t want fires, but they plan and prepare for them.

Police don’t want crime, but they plan and prepare for it.

God doesn’t want evil, sin, sickness, sorrow, death, it’s not His will, but He’s prepared for it, made a way of escape from it. He doesn’t cause it, or do it, but promises to be with us through it.

His plan and will is that His Word, be preached to all peoples, all nations, to the utter most parts of the earth. Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15.

We just read, in our text, that they were scattered; like Seed planting the Word.

His plan moved forward.

However, not necessarily according to His will.

He wanted them to scatter to fulfill His Plan, not because of fear of man.

The persecution was not His will. Stephen being martyred was not His will.

Run for your lives! was not exactly the sendoff to the mission field He was looking for.

Nevertheless, God weaves His plan into the circumstances of man.

No matter the mess man makes, God will still propel His plan. Even through the quickly approaching Great Tribulation.

Okay, so, they scatter and preach the Word throughout the known world.

From Jerusalem, some go to Phoenicia; a region on the east coast of the Mediterranean; where Lebanon is today.

Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean, west of Phoenicia.

Antioch of Syria, (there’s more than one Antioch) began in 300 BC. It’s about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Today the location of Antioch is Antakya along the Orontes river in southern Turkey, just north of the Syrian border.

Antioch of Syria is one of the most important cities related to the early Church.  It was the third largest city in the Roman empire, with a population of around one million. Rome Italy, was the largest, and Alexandria Egypt was second. However, Antioch was considered the most wicked city in the entire Roman empire.

So, in God’s eyes, a great mission field, the perfect place to start a Church.

Okay, awesome. They scattered and are preaching His Word. Hallelujah, His plan and will, are working in harmony—

Wait, not so fast.

His will is to preach the Word to all. Mark 16:15; Go into all the world, preach to every nation. 

But look again at our text. ¹⁹… “preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

Oh, for Pete’s sake!

From Jerusalem, the seat of religiosity, the Jewish believers still clung to the erroneous idea that because they’re chosen, they’re better.

They obviously missed Peter’s podcast about the sinking sheet, kill and eat, all are clean, Jew and Gentile, alike are God’s people. Acts 10:34-35.

God’s patience is beyond comprehension.

So, now what’s God going to do? Send Peter to tell his story? Or, give them all the same sheet dropping dream?

No worries, no matter what kind of mess man makes, God’s always got a plan.

20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

Folks from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch, and preached Jesus to the Hellenists (the Gentiles).

See, God’s always got a plan. He’s not stuck using only religious elites. He calls Islanders (Cyprus) and Africans (Cyrene is on the north coast of Africa).

They show up singing, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, Jew and gentile, just alike, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

Unencumbered with religious baggage, they simply preach the Lord Jesus.

Maybe that’s why Jesus didn’t choose religious elite, but fisherman, tax collectors and sinners for His first disciples.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

Amazing what the hand of the Lord will do when we simply preach Jesus without any religious segregation, denominational dictates.

And a great number believed. That’s the 1st step. Faith.

But there’s more.

And turned to the Lord.  2nd step. Repentance. They turned around. They changed the direction of their lives.

Faith and action.

Faith without works, is dead. James 2:14-26.

Now, the plan of God, and the will of God is flowing together in harmony.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.

Oh great.

Just when everything was going so harmonious, headquarters finds out.

They send Barnabas; his real name was Joses (Joseph). Nicknamed Barnabas, “Son of Encouragement.” He was a Levite from Cyprus.

Now, just to be clear. Organization is good.

All things should be done decently and in order.

Accountability is wise and necessary.

Without such, leads to chaos, and confusion.

However, whenever man tries to control something, they usually go too far.

For example: The religious scribes and pharisees. Government. Many religious denominations.

Romans 14:17; For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; (laws, and rules, and regulations, denominational dictates) but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

2 Corinthians 3:6; The letter kills, but the Spirit gives Life.

James 1:25 calls the Scripture the perfect law of liberty.

23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

According to John Newton in 1779, Grace can be heard. Amazing grace how sweet the sound...

According to Barnabas Acts 11:23 Grace can be seen.

Ephesians 2:8; For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God

There is visible evidence on a person who has been saved by the grace of God.

What’s that look like? What did Barnabas see?

Jesus says you can know a person by their fruit. Matthew 7:15-20.

God’s fruit is evident and can be seen.  

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit can be seen in countenance and behavior.

Barnabas saw the grace of God, manifest by the fruit of the Spirit in the people.

And that was enough.

No need to ask, what religion are you?

What denomination do you belong to?

What Bible do you read?

What doctrine to you adhere to?

He could’ve. He was a Levite. He could’ve had a theological debate. He could’ve looked down his long Levitical nose and saw Islanders, and Africans, and Antiochians, unchurched, unlearned in Scripture.

Like that Church in the Clubhouse. Many times, they don’t even sing at the start of the service. One time during a Sunday morning service, a four year old kid rode his little bike right past the pulpit and almost knocked over the camera. They don’t sit in pews, but at tables, and they even eat and drink during the service. Sometimes they don’t get started on time because they’re too busy talking. And then, folks ask questions right smack dab in middle of the sermon.

“My oh my,” Barnabas could’ve said, “that’s just so unorthodox”.

Good.

God can’t be put in a box.

But Barney was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and faith, and when he looked at them, (and you) he sees the fruit.

And that was all the evidence he needed.

When he saw the grace of God, evidenced through the fruit of the Holy Spirit, he was glad.

This says a lot about the heart of Barnabas.

Are we glad when we see the grace of God on another Church? 

Do we rejoice when God blesses someone else; or are we jealous?

Barnabas was glad.

Lord, we pause and pray for Your Church, in our community, other families that gather in other places, we pray for Your will and Your plan to be fulfilled in them. We purpose in our hearts to rejoice and be glad when we see Your grace on them. Amen.

Barnabas, true to his name, encouraged them. Way to go! Well done!

Keep up the Good work by purposing in your heart, to continue, to cling to, the Lord Jesus.

Dig in and don’t look back, this won’t be a honeymoon forever, it’ll get rocky, and there will be trials and persecution, and spiritual warfare, so you must intentionally on purpose, cleave to Jesus.

If you do, you’ll never regret it.

If you don’t quit, you win.

He didn’t say, make sure you pray at least an hour a day. He didn’t say read your Bible and memorize Scripture. He didn’t say make sure you go to Church every time the doors are open.

He didn’t say that, even though you should and those things are good.

But they are of no value unless you cling to, cleave to, hold fast to, Jesus.

If you continue with Jesus, the other stuff will come as natural as breathing.

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.

Because Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, he was able to see the grace of God upon them and be glad.

And a great many were added to the Lord. Not the First Church of Barnabas. It’s always about adding to the Lord. It’s all about Jesus. His Church.

25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.

Remember Saul?

He was a terrible persecutor of the Church. But then Jesus met him, and Saul of Tarsus was saved and changed. His eyes and his heart were opened and he started preaching Jesus.

The religious elite were furious. Saul used to be their main weapon against those Christ followers, then he became one of them. So, they tried to kill him.

For his own safety Saul was sent back home, to Tarsus.

Then, a decade or so passed without hearing another word about Saul. You ever feel like that? Like you’ve been benched? Sat on a shelf? Forgotten?  

Saul wasn’t idle. He was clinging to Jesus, preaching, and praying, and waiting. Out of the spotlight, but not out of God’s sight.

But now, Mr. Encourager, decides to pay him a visit.

Tarsus is north west of Antioch about 150 miles.

26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

They assembled with the Church.

The early Church in Acts is our example, and assembling with the Church was customary with all believers. They went to Church faithfully. Jesus did too. Luke 4:16 says He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath as was His custom. 

The Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

This is the first mention of Christian in the Bible, in HIStory.

They say the word was first used to mock the Christ followers.

But, the Christ followers, liked it. You think I’m like Christ. Awesome.

It’s the greatest height a person can reach, to be Christ like.

Some aspire to be called, Doctor, Lawyer, President, Pastor, CEO, but the best title of all is, CHRISTian.   

Above all, we pray for us all, to be True, CHRISTians.

27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.

29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.

Another sign of a Christian, is concern about meeting the needs of others.

Notice: Giving should always be according to ability. Monetarily, and Spiritually (joyfully, cheerfully, faithfully). Never by coercion.

It should be determined, settled, prayerfully, peacefully, not emotionally, hastily.

30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

Another sign of a Christian. They didn’t just say it, they did it.  

The Church helped those in need. They didn’t rely on the government to do it.

Barnabas and Saul, were trustworthy men of integrity, using what was given for its intended purpose—not to line their pockets.

 

Let’s pray.

Thank You Lord, for this wonderful Word and example of how we are to be. Help us reflect the fruit of Your Spirit, so others can see the grace of God in us, and be glad; resulting in many turning to You.

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

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