The First Missionary Journey – part 3
Acts 13:1-12 (5-8)
October 14, 2012

Well, as you know, we have recently been looking at
The first ever missionary journey and how it began.

We are studying the beginning of this church at Antioch,
And have learned some very encouraging things in regard to
The type of church that God uses to be missionaries to this dark world.

And we have already seen several aspects as we have looked at this church.
1) THE CHURCH (1-2a)

We have said it several times, but it is worth repeating,
That God has a vision for the church.

Matthew 16:18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

The church is to be God’s evangelistic agency on the earth.

There is really no other reason for her to be here.
• Worship could be better done in heaven
• Fellowship could be better done in heaven
• Holiness would be much easier in heaven

BUT EVANGELISM CAN ONLY BE DONE HERE

And so we saw the church.

And this particular church impressed us.
• They were committed to the proclaimed word of God.
• They were committed to true worship.

(2a) “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting”

And we talked about the foundation of a great missionary church
Is not one that seeks out missions, but one that seeks out God.

2) THE CATALYST (2b)

And of course the catalyst was the Holy Spirit.
He is the One who directed the mission trip.
He is the One who called out the missionaries.

We don’t plan trips, we don’t plan missions,
We simply seek God because He plans missions.

That happened for this church.

And last week we saw a third aspect of this church’s missionary journey.
3) THE COMMISSIONING (3)

This church didn’t just let Paul and Barnabas go, this church sent them.

• They fasted again to confirm the leading they had heard from God.
• They prayed again offering requests and seeking guidance.
• They laid their hands on them, indicating that through Paul and Barnabas they would all be faithful to the great commission.
• They sent them away.

And we learned that in order to be faithful to the great commission,
A Christian really only has two options.

You either must be the one going, or you must be the one sending,
But you must do one or the other.

And this church was faithful not only to let Paul and Barnabas go,
But to actually send them.

And then the mission started.
4) THE COMMUNICATION (4-5)

And we really on were able to start this point last week,
So I want to pick up on it a little more here tonight.

We see again that Saul and Barnabas sailed to Cyprus.
• One it was close
• Two it was predominantly Jewish
• Three it was Barnabas home

It made sense to go there.
(5) “When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.”

And we talked about this important aspect.
“they began to proclaim the word of God”

And we were reminded that a trip is only a mission trip
If the gospel is presented.

• Humanitarian aid is nice and can be beneficial.
• Construction is nice and can be beneficial.
• Cultural exchange is nice and can be beneficial.

But if all those things occur, but the gospel is not preached,
It is not missions.

The gospel is central to missions.
In fact, the proclamation of the gospel to the whole world
Is the one uncompleted task our Lord awaits before He returns.

Matthew 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

And so you wonder why we are here…
You wonder why He delays His return…

The answer for both is the same.
We are here to preach the gospel.
He waits to return until the gospel is preached to the whole world.

It is really all about preaching the truth.
Romans 10:9-14 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

And that really makes it clear to us doesn’t it?
• In order to be saved men must call on the name of the Lord.
• In order to call on Jesus, they must first believe in Him.
• In order to believe in Christ, they must hear the gospel.
• In order to hear the gospel, someone must preach it to them.

There really is no substitute for the proclamation of the gospel,
It is central, and it is of the utmost importance.

And we find this encouragement everywhere.

I’ve always loved Paul’s final admonition to Timothy.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

The admonition is clear that Timothy must preach the word.
• He must do it at all times, whether popular or not.
• He must do it with endurance
• He must do it with conviction and accuracy

But it is not just in church where Timothy must preach.

Paul concluded by also telling Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist”
While preaching to the congregation is essential and beneficial,
Simply preaching to the redeemed does not fulfill our entire calling.
We must proclaim the gospel to the lost.

And of course this was Paul’s heartbeat.
Romans 15:20-21 “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, “THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”

And make no mistake about it,
As Paul traveled it was all about the gospel.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

And don’t misunderstand that.
Paul priority of preaching the cross did not mean that Paul was some sort of simple preacher who preached the same message over and over.

Acts 20:25-27 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”

PAUL PREACHED IT AND HE PREACHED IT ALL
The gospel mattered to him.

LET ME SHOW YOU WHY THE GOSPEL MATTERS SO MUCH.

TURN TO: Romans 1:14-23

It is vitally important that you open this section
Understanding Paul’s statement, “I am under obligation…”

WHAT DOES HE MEAN?

We read last week as Paul told the Corinthians, “I am under compulsion…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

In our state, if you are driving down the road and the car in front of you veers off the road and crashes in the ditch, you are required by law to stop and render aid.
You have a moral obligation.
WHY?

Because you were there, and because you saw the wreck.
This also explains why Paul was under obligation.
Ephesians 3:1-3 “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.”

Paul had been entrusted with the truth.

To the Galatians he wrote:
Galatians 1:11-12 “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Paul knew the truth and so he was obligated to preach it.
(We have that same obligation don’t we)

So Paul was obligated to preach, and preach he did.
(16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

But why the gospel?
Because the gospel “is the power of God for salvation”

WHY?
(17) “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

So Paul says that the gospel holds the power of salvation,
Because the gospel reveals the righteousness of God,
And more specifically than that.
The gospel reveals how to achieve righteousness, which is “faith”.

WHY DOES MAN NEED TO ACHIEVE GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(18) “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

The reason you need God’s righteousness
Is because God will judge the unrighteous.

WHY WILL GOD JUDGE THE UNRIGHTEOUS?
(19) “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”

See it’s not just an issue of being ignorant.
Man isn’t ignorant he is rebellious.

He was told about God, but adamantly chose to rebel against God
And verses 20-23 explain how man knew about God’s eternal power and divine nature, but rebelled anyway.

READ 20-23

• So man rebelled and is under God’s wrath.
• In order to escape wrath he needs to be made righteous.
• And only one thing tells you how to obtain God’s righteousness.

WHAT IS THAT?
THE GOSPEL.

And that is why the gospel is central and not humanitarian aid,
Or construction, or cultural exchange.

• Giving a kid shoes will help their feet but it will not make them righteous and help them escape the wrath of God.

• Renovating a hospital will certainly help improve the health care in a country that needs it, but it won’t help those people escape God’s wrath, in a day when people are asking mountains and hills to fall on them to hide them from God.

• Teaching English as a second language will help people function in an English speaking world much easier, but it won’t put them on the right side of the Judge during the judgment.

The only thing that will help them is the gospel.

• That Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among us.
• That He lived a sinless life thus being acceptable to God.
• That He died upon the cross to appease God’s wrath on sin.
• That He rose from the dead proving His righteousness and conquering death.
• That He ascended to heaven and intercedes for the saints.
• And that when men believe in Him and call on His name they will be forgiven of
their sins and be justified in God’s sight.

It must be the gospel!

And that is the beauty of Saul and Barnabas.
“they began to proclaim the word of God”

They did it first in the synagogues
Because the gospel was for the Jew first, but they preached.

• So we have a church that sought God to give Him what He desired.
• When God said He wanted Saul and Barnabas this church sent them.
• And when these men went, they were faithful to preach the gospel.

This is how it is supposed to work.

The Church, The Catalyst, The Commissioning, The Communication
#5 THE COMPETITION
Acts 13:6-8

Now this is not a fun reality, but it is reality none the less.

(6-7) “When the had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.”

So at this point Saul and Barnabas have traveled
From the northeast corner of the island to the southwest corner.

They literally covered it all.
And there was a “proconsul” there (a governor) who was “a man of intelligence.”

And “This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.”

So in all their traveling and preaching they run across a man
Who likes to learn new things.

God is setting up here another divine appointment.

However, in going to find this man
They encountered someone else.

“a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus”

That is an interesting name, it means “son of Jesus”

And this man was “a magician”

We’ve already come across one man like this.
Acts 8:9-10 “Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, ” This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”

And so now we have another man of the same mold
And it is not too far-fetched to assume that this man
Is trying to ride the coat tale of Jesus’ popularity with miracles.

He is using smoke and mirrors to wow his audiences
And then to preach to them a false doctrine.

And when Saul and Barnabas approach the proconsul
This man jumps in the middle.
“But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”

“Elymas” was the Greek translation of his Hebrew name, but we are dealing with the same guy.

And this “Elymas” or “Bar-Jesus” “was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.”

And it really couldn’t be clearer what this man is about.
He simply wants to make sure
That the governor goes “away from the faith”

And so for the first time we now have opposition to the mission.
We have someone who is competing for the souls of men.

And while this is certainly not pleasant, it is necessary.

Opposition is a sure fire sign of effectiveness.

Philippians 1:27-30 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents — which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Paul actually used opposition as a way to encourage the Philippians
That they were in fact on the right path.

And we should know this, for Jesus clearly taught us:
Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!”

And the simple truth is that if Satan is not working against you
Then you must not be irritating him.

Satan only opposes those who threaten his dominion.
He is the god of this world and our job is literally
To snatch those from his control and lead them to faith in the true God.

Jude 22-23 “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.”

2 Timothy 2:24-26 “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”

And that is what we are doing.
• We are trying to snatch people from the fire.
• We are trying to correct people in such a way that they will come to their senses and escape the devil’s snare.

Do we suppose that he will easily
Give up his control of those that are his?
Absolutely not.

Let me remind you this evening exactly who we are dealing with.

I’ve always thought one of the most telling verses on the plan and course of Satan is seen in the book of the Revelation.

TURN TO: Revelation 12:7-12

Now this passage obviously speaks of a future event
In which Satan is permanently bound from heaven.

We know he lost his position back before the fall, but we also know that in some mysterious way he still has an access to God.
(We see this in the book of Job)

But on this future day, Satan is permanently removed.

And then verse 9 gives really I think
The best description of exactly who the devil is.

You will actually notice four names given for him.
• “the great dragon”
• “the serpent of old”
• “who is called the devil”
• “and Satan”

“the great dragon” is a term referencing his power throughout the ages.
Look back at verses 1-4

• The woman there is Israel (not Mary)
• Her child is the Messiah.

We see the woman about to give birth
And the dragon waiting to devour the child.

But notice the description of the dragon.
“seven heads and ten horns”

We know that the seven heads represent 7 kingdoms,
All of which were under the control of the dragon.
(Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media/Persia, Greece, Rome, Anti-Christ.)

And all of those kingdoms had the same desire,
Which was to either kill the woman or kill the child.

And so we first learn of Satan of his great power throughout the ages and that his power is the power of destruction.

So he is a destroyer.

He is also called “the serpent of old”
And we understand this reference.

It comes from the garden in which Satan did what?
He deceived.
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field”

And so not only is Satan a destroyer, but he is also a deceiver.
In fact later in this very verse it says he “deceives the whole world”

He is a liar and the father of lies.

He is called “the devil”

DIABOLOS in the Greek which literally means “accuser”

He is a condemning witness.
Sometimes his witness is false, sometimes true, but he always accuses.

• We listened as he accused Job.
• We listened as he accused Joshua.
• Even in this text we find in verse 10 he is “the accuser of our brethren” and that he “accuses them before our God day and night.”

So he is seeking to deceive, destroy, and condemn.

And then we get his fourth name.
“and Satan”

“Satan” is a Hebrew word that means “adversary”
He is simply the one who is opposed to everything.
He doesn’t have a position until he finds out God’s position.

And so you understand who we are dealing with here.
A destroyer, who deceives, condemns,
And simply opposes everything God wants to do.

WHAT IS THE POINT?
With him on the loose, would you really expect to go out on mission for God and not face opposition?

• We seek to reveal the truth.
• We seek to save men from condemnation and destruction.
• We seek to submit to the will of God.

Our model prayer is “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
And that is totally in opposition to the devil.

We should expect that he will be opposing us.
If he isn’t, then we might need to rethink our mission.

And this is why we love this church at Antioch.
• Not only did they seek God wholeheartedly…
• Not only did the willingly submit to God’s revealed will…
• But as they sent those whom God was calling, these men went out and ministered in such a way that Satan was forced to do something about them.

This church wasn’t playing games.
This church wasn’t going through the motions.
They understood that we are in a war for the souls of men…
They understood that we are on a military mission…

And this is such an important step,
I really fear that we are often tempted to stop short here.

• We seek God…
• We listen to His plan for a trip…
• We may even go…

But so often as we go, our prayers, our preparation, our focus
Is less on how to be faithful, and more on how to stay out of trouble.

Our Sanyati group can attest.
As we prepared we had different groups preparing all sorts of information packets for us to prepare us for the trip.

About 10% of it was actually about sharing the gospel.
The other 90% was about how to not offend the local government
Or the local culture, and thus to stay out of trouble.

Now you all know me well enough to know that I am not a man who seeks out pain; I’m not looking for persecution.

Yet, we learn from this church
That we have to be more focused on obedience, than safety.

And let me give you one more comforting thought here.

Remember Jesus’ intercessory prayer for us in John 17?

Notice what Jesus prayed.
John 17:11-15 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

• Jesus is focusing on your deliverance.
• Jesus is focusing on your security.
• Jesus is focusing on your safety.
He is praying for those things.

• You focus on obedience.
• You focus on the mission.
• You focus on what He has sent you to do.

And we see this church doing that.

Obeying God and obeying in such a way
That Satan felt the necessity to try and stop them.
They are a good example.
• They sought God
• They submitted to God
• They sent the missionaries
• They spoke the word
• They stirred up Satan

This church has it figured out.

The First Missionary Journey – part 2
Acts 13:1-12 (3- 5)
October 7, 2012

As you know we have entered a new section here in the book of Acts.
The Jerusalem church and Peter have now taken a back seat
To the Antioch church and Paul.

This shift in focus has nothing to do with
Each church’s faithfulness, for both where.

Rather, it deals with the fact that we are
Entering the time of the Gentiles
So it is a Gentile church that is now taking center stage.

Furthermore, we are grateful for this, for this Gentile church is giving us
A tremendous picture how a church ought to operate.

In them we see a missionary church.
They were really the first.

The Jerusalem church went on missions under compulsion,
This church eagerly does it.

And so while we are introduced to this church
We also get a picture of what it takes to be a missionary church.

And last time we met we saw the first two points of this text.
1) THE CHURCH

Any time you talk about missions you have to talk about the church.
The two are linked together.

If you have a mission, you have to have a missionary.
And God has so arranged things that He has now chosen
That the church would be that missionary.

However, that DOES NOT MEAN that every church
Is in fact used by God on the mission field.

• There are some churches like Thyatira who are too busy satisfying their own carnal appetites to seek or serve God.

• There are some church like Sardis who are resting on their past accomplishments, have entered spiritual retirement and have no desire to go on mission.

• There are some churches like Laodicea who could really care less what God’s will is at all. They have their own little system figured out and have no room to have their plan or routine interrupted by God.
So even though God desires to use the church, not all churches get used.

BUT ANTIOCH DID, AND WE SAW WHY.
They were a focused, God-seeking church.

• We noticed that they had not one, but five men committed to preaching and teaching the word of God.

• We also noticed that they were “ministering to the Lord and fasting”

While we have a mass of people today who go to church
To be ministered to, this church understood it correctly.

They were intent on finding out from Him what it was He desired.
It is no surprise then that Antioch became a great missionary church.

Consequently it is not our aim to be continually focused on missions.
It is our aim to be continually focused on God,
Otherwise we may not even recognize the mission He has for us.

2) THE CATALYST
And this of course was God.
We don’t start missions.
We don’t make mission trips happen.

The Holy Spirit has to be the catalyst behind our involvement.

WHY?
Because He is the necessary member of every mission trip.

• How effective can we really expect to be preaching the gospel if the Holy Spirit is not there convicting the hearts of men?

He is the catalyst.
And He certainly got this church started in missions.

His request was, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

This church sought God to find out what He wanted, and His answer was, “I want Saul and Barnabas”

And as we said this was no small request.
These were the two most seasoned pastors in the church of Antioch.

When we went to Sanyati this summer, God called out not only me, but also our music leader, both of our instrumentalists, and our sound man.

It would have been real easy for those in the church to pitch a fit and say,
“Well what about us? If you guys all leave, what are we going to do?”
That was the sort of dilemma hitting Antioch.

Their worship was going to cost them something.
God was starting a mission trip, and the sacrifice He desired
Was for this church to give Paul and Barnabas.

And so we are seeing how this missionary church began.
• A church with a heart for God.
• A God with a request for servants.

Let’s move on in our text and see more
About this missionary church and their mission.

The Church, The Catalyst
#3 THE COMMISSIONING
Acts 13:3

• And so this church was seeking God.
• God requested Saul and Barnabas.

And we love the response of this church.
“Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

Now I want you to initially notice.
• Scripture doesn’t say the church “let them go”.
• Scripture says the church “sent them”

Romans 10:15 “How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

This is an often overlooked part of God’s divine plan for missions.
Much of the time when a mission trip is planned,
Or a career missionary commits to go,
All of the focus is placed on the one going.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that
They are the only one being obedient, because they aren’t.

God’s vision of mission requires not only a goer, but also a sender.
God intends for His church to send missionaries into the world.

They didn’t just let Paul and Barnabas go, they actually sent them.

Let’s see how.
1) “Then, when they had fasted”

Now this is interesting.
We understand the fasting at the first.
At the first they did not yet know what God wanted
And so they were intensely seeking Him to find out.

But now God has made it evident. (Paul and Barnbas)
So what is the point of fasting now?

Let me put it this way.
• The first fast, I would call a fast of desire.
(They desired to know God’s will)
• This fast is a fast of discernment.
(They desire to make sure they’ve heard correctly.)

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 “Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;”

That is to say, don’t go against the Spirit, don’t ignore when someone tells you God’s will, but also don’t just accept everything at face value.

Discernment is required.

Remember Paul’s concern for the Corinthians?
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”

Now why would Paul fear this?
Because the Corinthians had a reputation
For being undiscerning and gullible.

1 Corinthians 12:1-2 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.”

There when Paul is confronting their obviously mystical fascination
He points out that they even had a propensity to follow mute gods.

John wrote in his epistle:
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

So it is obvious that at times we can receive a definite leading,
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it was from God.

There are times when we can get a definite direction,
But it could be a false spirit, or a false prophet.

Furthermore it could be that our heart was misguided
And we literally put words into God’s mouth.
Have you ever done this?
You wanted God to say something so badly, that you were actually able to find it in the Bible?
(I have.)

At times we have to fess up to the fact that our hearts are carnal And just because we think we hear, we must make sure
That we aren’t manipulating the situation to our own will.

That is the reason for this 2nd fast.
• They aren’t doubting God.
• They aren’t pulling a Balaam here, going back to see if God will give a different answer the next time.

They are merely making sure
That what they heard was in fact from God.

I often times do this in my life and walk.
I have especially done it in regard to mission trips.
(In a way I am doing this now)

I’ll pray and ask God’s guidance about something in regard to my walk.
And I think I get an answer.

But I also know my heart can be selfish, and I can be deceived,
So after I get an answer I kind of bring it back to God.

“OK God, this is what I think I heard you say. This is the direction I think You are telling me to go. I’m going to lean that way, if I am wrong here please interject.”

That is what this church is doing.
God has spoken, they are making sure they heard correctly.

So they are fasting again.
2) “and prayed”

This obviously runs hand in hand with fasting.

While you can pray without fasting,
I don’t think there is any way you can fast without praying.

This church is pretty sure they have been given a directive from God
So they return to God to make sure they are walking the correct path.

And it is obvious that as they have fasted and prayed
God has confirmed His word to them.

And so we see the third aspect here of this commissioning.
3) “and laid their hands on them”

NOW WHAT IS THIS?

There are some today that say, “This is a transfer of power”

They link it back to incidents where Peter laid hands on the Samaritans
And they received the Holy Spirit.

Or one of the apostles laid hands on someone and they were healed.

In fact some see it literally as a sort of divine hand me down.
You know Peter laid hands on one of the Samaritans,
And eventually that guy lays hands on someone else,
And so on and so forth.

And if you are in that line, then you also get the special anointing
Passed down from the apostles and thus gain their authority.

And people literally today seek to have hands laid on them
By some well-to-do prophet who claims to have the ability to lay hands on you
And give you some extra dose of spiritual power.

Tell me how is that any different from Simon the Sorcerer

All that really is, is a hoax meant to attract men to themselves.

If the laying on of hands was a spiritual means of
Passing along power from one to another
Then the first thing we notice, is that they are doing it backward.

Shouldn’t it have been Paul laying hands on these Antioch believers?
But it wasn’t.

The laying on of hands here did not empower Paul and Barnabas with the Holy Spirit, neither did it somehow enable them to do their mission.

They had already received the power of the Holy Spirit.
In fact they had already been called.

What did the Holy Spirit say up in verse 2?
“Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I HAVE called them.”

• They were already called…
• They were already empowered…
• They were already Spirit-filled…

The laying on of hands did not accomplish any of that.

SO WHAT IS IT?
It was merely a means of endorsement and recognition.

Do you remember at the Day of Atonement,
What did the priest do with the scapegoat?

Leviticus 16:20-22 “When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. “The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”

Now did Aaron literally pass all of his sin onto the goat? No.

He merely identified himself with that goat.
This goat is going out in my place.

Let me give you another example.
Take the Levites, the priestly tribe.

They were holy to the Lord as His servants.
But the Levites were actually an exchange of what God originally required

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT GOD ORIGNIALLY REQUIRED?
Exodus 13:1-2 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”

However God worked at trade.
Numbers 3:12-13 “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. “For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.”

And so, would you like to guess what the children of Israel did
When the commissioned a Levite to service?

Numbers 8:9-10 “So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.”

They were saying this Levite is in my place.
They identified themselves with the Levite.

• They didn’t give the Levites authority.
• They didn’t give the Levites power.

God did all that, the people merely recognized their place in it.

Consider Moses’ replacement.
Who picked Moses’ replacement?
God did.

And notice what God told Moses.
Numbers 27:18-23 “So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. “You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. “Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” Moses did just as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.”

This is not some sort of divine empowering,
Whereby you have to seek someone out to get empowered.

Actually this has very little to do
With the person on whom the hands are laid,
And everything to do with those who lay their hands on you.

They are the ones saying, “You are going out in my stead”

That is why Paul said:
1 Timothy 5:22 “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.”

If you send someone out in your place,
You had better think about who you are sending.

Some will say, well what about Timothy?
1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.”

• That doesn’t indicate that Timothy received authority from them,
• It doesn’t indicate that Timothy received a spiritual gift from them
Scripture is clear where spiritual gifts come from.

Paul is merely telling Timothy
That he has a stewardship entrusted to him.

Those men entrusted him to go and be faithful to preach the gospel,
If he quits or is unfaithful, he brings shame upon them as well.

SO YOU UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BETTER NOW.

Well that is what this church is doing.
They lay hands on Paul and Barnabas as if to say,
“You are going in our stead”

Any of us would have gone, but God selected you, and so we place our hands on you signifying that through you we are all on mission.

This church was not empowering Paul and Barnabas
They were merely commissioning them.

Through Paul and Barnabas this church
Would be obedient to God’s call to missions.

When God starts a mission, He calls those He wants to participate.
Those who are not called to participate still do so,
By sending others in their stead.

And that brings to the final aspect of this.
4) “they sent them away.”

Again, they did not let them go, they “sent them”

Implied here is obviously a concept of provision.

Remember what Paul told the Corinthians?
1 Corinthians 9:4-5 “Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?”

1 Corinthians 9:13-14 “Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.”

That is what is also implied here.

And we understand now why the commissioning is so important.

• God has a plan for missions, and when we seek God
He calls out those whom He would send.

• But also expected is that the church would be the sending agency
That sends these missionaries on their journey.

“Missions is not an individual effort,
Missions is a congregational effort.”

Missionaries are an extension of the church’s arms
And their ministry must be supported by the church.

That is one of the things we learn here about being a missionary church.
• It starts with seeking God (not necessarily missions)
• Next we submit to God’s leading through His Spirit
• Then we send those He calls as an offering to Him and our obedience to His
command.
The Church, The Catalyst, The Commissioning
#4 THE COMMUNICATION
Acts 13:4-5

And at this point the mission actually starts.
And in part I’m glad it has actually taken us a while
Just to get to the start of the mission.

If there is one thing I have learned even in regard to short-term missions Is that the mission must actually start long before the trip begins.
You don’t just go get on a plane and call it missions.

There must be that period of seeking and submission and praying and finding God’s will and obeying it.

Well, this church has done that, and now the trip begins.
(4) “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”

Again notice the phrasing.

Verse 3 said the church “sent them away”
And now we read that they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit”

There is certainly no contradiction here.
We have a church working in total harmony with the leading of the Spirit
So that it is difficult to distinguish who is doing what.

It is a thing of beauty.

And when they had been sent “they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”

If you are wondering why Cyprus, we aren’t told specifically.
But there are some logical reasons to be gleaned from Scripture.

• One is that it was close.
It was only about a two day journey.

• Another is that there was a high Jewish population there,
And the gospel was taken to them first.

• A third reason is that it was Barnabas’ home region.

Acts 4:36 “Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),”

So sometimes missions are a DIRECT CALLING TO A SPECIFIC PLACE;
Maybe even a place you wouldn’t have initially thought of.
(This will happen on the 2nd missionary journey)
But sometimes missions is to the most obvious place,
And that is what we have here.

It made a lot of sense why they went to Cyprus.

Verse 5 here is very important.
“When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.”

“Salamis” was a city in the northeast and that is where they started.
They will end up in “Paphos” which was the southwest.

But what is important is that they “began to proclaim the word of God”

Now I realize we are about out of time tonight and so we will have to wait until next time to develop this thought a little more fully.

But certainly we can understand the true purpose of missions.
• Traveling the world is not in and of itself missions…
• Humanitarian aid is not in and of itself missions…
• Cultural education is not in and of itself missions…

The Christian mission is and will always be to preach the gospel.

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This was the commission,
And you will notice there is nothing humanitarian listed there.

Listen to the commission given in Luke’s gospel.
Luke 24:46-47 “and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Jesus put the gospel at the forefront and center of all Christian work.

• Can humanitarian things be used? Of course
• Can medical trips or construction trips be used? Of course
Those things can surely help open doors for the gospel.

But until the gospel is preached it is not missions.
• Paul could sympathize with people.
• Paul could even fix someone’s tent.
• Luke most certainly could have helped medically.
• We all know Barnabas was a generous man, who could have helped financially.

But at the end of the day, the mission is the preaching of the gospel.

In fact Paul said:
1 Corinthians 9:16 “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

And so hopefully you understand the point here.

• This church sought God and when God spoke they submitted to God
and sent those whom God had called.

• And when those who had been called went out they did what was
primarily expected in that they proclaimed the gospel.

This is the way missions is supposed to work.

Now next time we meet we’ll talk about
Why the gospel and not humanitarian aid or something else must be the forefront of all missions.

But tonight simply see that when we seek God
We understand that missions is on His mind.

And in that you or I can only fall in to one of two roles.

We are either the SENT who go and preach the gospel,
Or we are the SENDER who helps them go.

As the church we must fill one shoe or the other.
• If you aren’t going then you must be sending.
• If you aren’t sending then you must be going.

Otherwise you are being disobedient to the Great Commission
And are totally missing your purpose for being left here.

John Piper said it this way: “Go; send; or disobey.”
Those are really our only options.

 

Seek God,
Listen to God
Obey God
Either by going and preaching the gospel,
Or by sending those who will.

The First Missionary Journey (part 1)
Acts 13:1-12 (1-2)
September 30, 2012

Well tonight we actually enter the 2nd part of the book of Acts.

Acts is easily dividable into two sections.
• The first 12 chapters center around the Jerusalem church with Peter as the main character.

• The last 16 chapters center around the Antioch church with Paul as the main character.

So at this point Peter disappears from the scene and Paul emerges.

And this is of course a strategic and important distinction.
While Israel will forever remain God’s chosen people,
And God’s plans for them or promises to them cannot be revoked
We still understand that we have reached a period of time
Where the Gentile church takes center stage.

Paul wrote to the Romans:
Romans 11:25 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;”

So it stands to reason that if we are now entering the time of the Gentiles
That a Gentile church would now take center stage,
And the missionary specifically appointed to proclaim the truth to Gentiles would also take center stage.

That is certainly what occurs from here on out.

And it begins with what is often called “The First Missionary Journey”

As I told you the last couple of weeks,
We all owe a debt of gratitude to this church in Antioch.

While the Jerusalem church was almost forced into missions, this church willingly embarked upon it, and we are literally a result of their faithfulness.

So we study this church and their great mission ventures.

As we do, we not only see how missions operate and God’s continued power to grow His church, but we also are reminded of the necessary attitudes and practices to be a missionary church.

So tonight let’s look at our text, and as we do, there are 7 things I want you to see.
#1 THE CHURCH
Acts 13:1-2a
Any time you talk about missions, by definition
You have to have a conversation about the church.

If you have a mission, you must have someone on that mission.
And the church is the one who answers the call.

And of course we understand “missions” to be a broad term.
Missions reaches from a parent who teaches the gospel to their child all the way to the career missionary who lives their entire life on a foreign mission field.

But regardless of where, our mandate is the same.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
It is clear what God had in mind.
He wanted someone to carry His truth to a lost and dying world.

And now the task falls to us.
(It once was the mandate to Israel, they dropped the ball, it now falls to us)

It is in fact the reason we are still here.
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 1nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

We get the idea.
The mission falls to the church.

So we actually start our conversation here by looking at the church.

“Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.”

What we have there are the five leaders there in the Antioch church.
We know about Barnabas and Saul.

• Barnabas was sent there by the Jerusalem church to sort of check things out.
• Once Barnabas was convinced he went and found Saul and brought him in to help teach.

What we also learn here is that three other men had aspired to leadership
And had also begun to teach and preach.

“Simeon who was called Niger” (meaning he was a dark skinned man.)
“Lucius of Cyrene”
“Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch”

So we have some leadership here in the church
That leadership is characterized as those who preach and teach.

And this is so important.
Scripture is clear about church leadership.

We run in to words like “overseer” or “bishop” or “pastor” or “shepherd” or “elder” and we even find qualifications for such men.

One thing that is clear about them all however
Is that they all must be “able to teach”

In fact when you read the qualifications for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3, “able to teach” is the only ability based qualification.

What God wanted was men who could and would
Pass what He was saying on to the church.

• God didn’t want CEO’s
• God didn’t want General Managers
• God didn’t want proven, successful, executives

God wanted men who would listen to what He was saying
And accurately and clearly explain that to His flock.

And so when we find the leadership in Antioch,
They are “prophets and teachers”

And this church was so intent on hearing the word of God
That they had not 1, but 5 men skilled to do this.

That already tells you a great deal about the priority of this church.
They were intent upon hearing & understanding the word of God.

But that is not all that makes this church appealing.
(2) “While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting…”

This is such an important statement.

Churches can so easily get their priorities off.
If we aren’t careful we actually determine that church is about us.

People come to church with expectations of what they want,
And how they want it.

• We have what I want to sing.
• We have what I want to study.
• We have how long I want it to last.
And if anyone threatens to throw the old curveball of “change” out at us,
Then “I just don’t like that”

But those types of mentalities shouldn’t surprise us.
Church has become a place where you go to “get a blessing”
“I just want to be blessed”

Instead of doing what this church was doing
Which was “ministering to the Lord”.
Most today want God to minister to them,
They think nothing of ministering to God.

That is why I love that song we sing pretty frequently called
“Jesus, Lover of My Soul”

“It’s all about you, Jesus; and all this is for You, for Your glory and Your fame. It’s not about me, as if You should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways.”

It really is a forgotten aspect today.
When we come to this place it is to give to God, to minister to God,
Not to wait for God to give something to us.

In the Old Testament it was seen through the countless offerings and sacrifices presented to the Lord.

In the New Testament it is the same. (only it isn’t sheep)
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

See, God has already given mercy, in response to that,
We now go and “present” our bodies to Him. We give back to Him.
We bless Him.
We worship Him.
We minister to Him.

And that is what this church is doing.

“they were ministering to the Lord”

This is actually a phrase borrowed from the Old Testament
That spoke of when the priests offered the sacrifices to God.

Remember when Hannah promised to dedicate Samuel to the Lord, when she actually left him with Eli? Here is what the Scripture said.

1 Samuel 2:11 “Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.”

And so it is for this New Testament, Gentile church.
Their worship wasn’t about pleasing people.
Their worship wasn’t about pleasing the culture.
Their worship wasn’t about pleasing each other.
Their worship wasn’t about pleasing themselves.

It was about pleasing the Lord.
Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

AND THIS IS THE GOAL FOR THE CHURCH.

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he said:
Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

On Sunday nights we pray every week for the lost, do you know why?
It pleases God.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

We don’t do it because it is enjoyable to us, we do it because God likes it.

And that should be true of all our worship.

In fact, even when Paul told Timothy to preach the word, notice why:
2 Timothy 4:1-2 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Paul told Timothy to preach with a view of God and of Christ Jesus.
It is important that you and I understand
Why we are here, and why we are gathering.

• What we do is not to please ourselves, it is to please God.
• We come to give Him worship.
• We come to give Him what He desires because of all that He has given to us.
We come to minister to Him.

Well that is what this early church was doing.
“they were ministering to the Lord”

In short they were focused and tuned in.
They had a constant ear pointed toward whatever God wanted.

They were eager servants, ready to jump at His request
And give Him whatever He desired.

That furthermore explains why they were also “fasting”

As we have said many times (even again this past Wednesday night)
Fasting is not a means by which we manipulate God to answer us.

Some people think it is where we put ourselves
Through some sort of difficult and depriving set of circumstances
By which God will be more highly motivated to grant our request.
That is manipulation, and it doesn’t work on God.

Others think fasting is meant simply to show God how serious we are.
You know, if I don’t’ eat then God will know how serious I am.
But God sees the heart, He already knows how serious you are.

Fasting occurs any time the spiritual takes president over the physical.

Matthew 4:1-2 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.”

• Jesus wasn’t fasting to get God’s attention.
• Jesus wasn’t fasting to prove to God His commitment.
• Jesus was fasting because He was so consumed with seeking God that stopping to eat didn’t make much sense.

He was so consumed with seeking God that He wasn’t even hungry.
His mind was preoccupied with spiritual things.

Fasting then is simply an expression of a focused believer.

And that further explains to us what kind of church we have here.
Not only are they “ministering to the Lord”, but they are also “fasting”
Which indicates just how focused they are on pleasing to God.

The best servants are those who are
Preoccupied with the sound of their master’s voice.

And those who desire to be so faithful, purposely keep
From involving themselves in things that would distract them.

2 Timothy 2:4 “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”

That is the idea, and that is what we have occurring here.
• This church is zoned in.
• This church is focused.
• This church is listening intently that they might know how to please God.

Now, I don’t mind telling you then that it is no surprise
That this church heard God’s call for missions.
We have talked about it before,
But it always merits reminding us of the fact.

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Those first three words are very pivotal.
“Then I heard…”

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MISSIONS.

And we could have a similar testimony here in our church.
Do you remember our first ever mission trip?
(2005 – El Paso, Zimbabwe, Lebanon, Israel)

Do you remember when those people signed up to go?
(January, during our missions month.)

Do you remember what took place 4 months before that?
(Our Month of Stillness.)

I am not giving credit to some program for our missions involvement,
But do not minimize the fact that for a month
Many in our church devoted themselves to hearing from God,
And 4 months later we started planning mission trips.

People set their heart to give God what he wanted and they even fasted.
Not from food (from television and internet, etc.)

But as they cleared their head to fully focus on God,
God spoke and missions began.
THE POINT?
It is not a coincident that those who determine only to please God
Often times find themselves involved in missions.

FURTHERMORE YOU MUST UNDERSTAND
THEY ARE NOT FOCUSED ON MISSIONS
THEY ARE FOCUSSED ON GOD.

That is fundamental, and this is where it starts.
You can’t be a mission church by focusing only on missions.
You only become a mission church when you focus on God.

But we start here with a church that is.

The Church
#2 THE CATALYST
Acts 13:2b

“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, they Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

And again it is very important that we understand how missions works.

Mission work does not start with the intention of man.
Mission work must be started by the Spirit of God.

Right now you can go back on the table in the foyer and pick up a information sheet about Sanyati 2013.

We have done that because in order to have an opportunity to return
We had to pencil in some dates right now.

But don’t assume for a second that means we are going no matter what.
If you notice the Sanyati slide on the big screens
Hopefully you will notice the verse that is included.

It is the verse that was laid on my heart.
Exodus 33:15-16 “Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”

James said:
James 4:13-16 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
The last thing we want to do is plan all this stuff our self.

Now, is there a command to go? Yes
Is missions biblical? Yes
And so we don’t mind blocking off dates and keeping doors open

But ultimately this whole thing really is up to God.
He must be the catalyst

And He certainly was here.

This church wasn’t focused on missions,
This church was focused on God
And in their seeking, they heard God speak.

“Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

I hope you grasp the magnitude of this statement.

The church is praying, the church is seeking, the church is listening.
The church is asking, “God, what do You want?”

And God answered, “I want Barnabas and Saul”

See God had already called them out.
God had already revealed that Saul was His chosen instrument
To bear His name before the Gentiles.

God had already determined their mission.
And now when the church wanted to know what God wanted,
He said, “I want them to fulfill the work “to which I have called them.”

And so the request of God was “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul”

And so first we understand that God must be the catalyst.
He planned the trip.
He called the participants.

This church was not seeking missions, this church was seeking God.
God planned the mission trip.

We understand the catalyst.

But in this verse there is something else you need to understand,
And that is the degree of this church’s commitment to worshiping God.

GOD ASKED FOR BARNABAS AND SAUL
Now that may not seem like much to you, but think about it a moment.
This church is only about a year old.
Acts 11:25-26 “And [Barnabas] left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

This church is young, this church is green.
They do have three other prophet/teachers in their midst,
But certainly none like Barnabas and Saul.

And now when this church asks God what they can give Him, God answers, “You can give Me Barnabas and Saul”

They are the offering that God wanted.
God asked for their two most experienced, and greatest leaders.
This was a sacrifice.
This was an offering.
This was an act of worship.

And some of you have felt that sting on a small scale,
As you have watched spouses or children or parents
Answer God’s call to go on mission.

That is what this church is asked to give.
And so worship can be a sacrifice – but this church paid it.

We are going to have to get the rest of this next time,
But we already learn a great deal about being a mission church.

We don’t want to be a church that is only seeking missions.
To some degree we could be compared to a Pharisee who would travel on land and sea just for the glory of claiming his prize.

We don’t want to be a church that is only seeking missions.
• We want to be a church that is seeking God.
• We want to be a church that desires to minister to God.
• We want to be a church that desires to give God what He wants.
• And we want to be a church that is focused in our search for those things.

And then, if we are that type of church, we are then more apt
To hear the voice of God saying, “Whom shall I send?”

And then we find out where the mission is.

So make sure in your life that you are not seeking what you want,
Or what you want to do.

Make sure you are seeking God,
And offering to give Him whatever He wants,
For that is when God is able to use the church for His glory.

 

But the Word of the Lord Continued
Acts 12:1-25
September 23, 2012

I certainly don’t mean to continue covering these large chunks of Scripture every time we meet on Sunday night.

But as I study these passages it becomes apparent to me that
There is an overall story here that must be preserved to be understood.

If we just break off and see a few verses at a time I fear that we will
Fail to see the forest for the sake of looking to closely at the trees.

It is obvious when studying chapter 12 that it is one incident,
By which Luke reveals a very important truth to us.
And that truth is in regard to opposition.

One thing we are certain of as we study Scripture
Is that God has faced His share of opposition.

We are aware of how Lucifer opposed God and was kicked out of heaven.
He is often called “Satan” which is a Hebrew word meaning “adversary”

• Satan just opposes God.
• Satan is always there to vote “no”
• Satan is always there to argue
• Satan is always there to drum up opposition to whatever God is doing.

And we have seen that throughout the pages of Scripture.
• It was Satan in the garden convincing Eve to eat the fruit.
• It was shortly after that the whole world opposed God brining on the flood.
• After the flood they built the tower of Babyl which God stopped.
• We get Pharaoh not listening to Moses
• We get the children of Israel rebelling against God’s commands

And on and on and on.
God has faced His share of opposition.
He knows what it is to be opposed.

Even in the New Testament, God was continually opposed
From the Jews, from Rome, from false believers…

God knows what it is to face opposition.
But God does not know what it is to lose to His opposition.

One thing we are sure of about God is that though He faces opposition,
He will win the battle.

Job 9:4 “Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?”

I have always been fond of Revelation 4.
That is the chapter in which God calls John into the throne room.

Before John saw anything of the end, John first saw the throne.
It was a vivid reminder to John, that despite what he was about to see,
God was still on His throne, God was still in charge.

There can most certainly be times in our lives when by our estimation
It appears that God has forgotten, God has fled, or maybe even failed.

When we get in the middle of the storm, it can certainly feel that way.

And that is why we are thankful for stories like this in the book of Acts.
We get the liberty of reading about a difficult period for the early church,
And yet we get to cover it from start to finish in a matter of minutes.

We get to zoom out and see the whole story.
We get the bird’s eye view of the event.

And any time we get that view we come away convinced
That God was never in danger of losing the day.

Take the story of Job.
Terrible for Job, but because we get to see the whole story from start to finish, it all makes sense to us.

Take the story of Joseph.
There must have been days of extreme confusion for Joseph, but we get to see the whole story and it makes sense.

Take the story of Paul and his arrest.
Certainly the shipwreck and the snake bite must have been difficult, and yet because we see the whole story we realize what God was doing.

Now when we are in the midst of our own trials and storms…
When we face our own opposition we don’t have the luxury
Of zooming out and seeing the bigger picture.

We just have to endure.
We just have to trust.

But we are thankful for all the testimonies preserved
That help us see the sovereign and powerful hand of God
To help us know how our struggle will turn out.

So let’s examine this chapter and see the great victory of God here.

There are three main things I want you to see.
#1 HEROD’S OPPOSITION
Acts 12:1-4

The Herod we are referring to here is Herod Agrippa I.
• You know him as Herod the tetrarch who was reprimanded by John the Baptist and who eventually be-headed John.

• He also tried Jesus before His crucifixion.

• His grandfather was Herod the Great who slaughtered all the babies in Bethlehem seeking to kill the Christ child.

And just a little background on him.
• He was educated by Rome, but not necessarily a fan favorite.
• He ran up several debts in Rome and then fled without paying them.
• He also had a big mouth and comments he made actually had him imprisoned for a while.
• This made his relationship with Rome a little rocky.

The point being; he needed Jewish support
To help keep him in a place of leadership.

And that explains what we see taking place here in chapter 12.
We have a man seeking to keep his power
And here he has found a way to do it.

“Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.”

In those 4 verses we already get a taste
Of what a difficult time this must have been for the church.

We see:
1) The Mistreatment of Believers
“the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.”

2) The Execution of James
“he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.”

3) The Arrest of Peter
“When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.”

Those are what we call – DIFFICULT TIMES

The church is once again under persecution.
They are being mistreated.
The writer of Hebrews alludes to this mistreatment:
Hebrews 10:32-34 “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.”

The early church faced some extremely difficult circumstances.
“reproaches” “tribulations” “imprisonment” “seizure of your property”

This was a difficult time to be in the church.
Just when Saul settled down, now you have Rome on your back.

And apparently this is serious for now James has been killed.
• This was one of the twelve, John’s brother, one of the “sons of thunder”.
• James was one of the more brass and direct of the apostles.
• He was the one who wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans.

He is the first original disciple to have been martyred,
But if Herod has his way, he won’t be the last.

For now he has also arrested Peter.
When he saw that the death of James earned some points with the Jews
He went for the big fish.

Peter was the leader of the 12, he was the chief disciple.
Herod is going all out now to please the Jews.

But think what a difficult time this must have been.
Don’t just skip over these 4 verses.

People were suffering, the leadership was attacked.
If this guy will kill James and Peter, what does that say for the rest of us?

This was a time of great hardship for the church.
I can imagine there were plenty of people
Who were curious exactly what God was up to.

The church was facing opposition.

Herod’s Opposition
#2 GOD’S INTERVENTION
Acts 12:5-23

Now as we read this passage here, there are really six things
That just sort of jump out at you here as astounding.

1) THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH (5)

I like how that verse reads.
“So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

In other words we have a bad situation,
But don’t underestimate what is going on behind the scenes.

We have the church in full-battle mode.
They are praying.

And just notice some of the aspects of this prayer.

“prayer for him” – this was SPECIFIC PRAYER
• They weren’t praying in generalities or non-specifics.
• They were specifically praying directly for Peter.

“was being made” – this was CONTINUAL PRAYER

Paul told us to “pray without ceasing”, certainly Peter’s predicament was heavy on the hearts of the other believers and their prayer was continual.

“fervently” – this was INTENSE PRAYER

The Greek word here is EKTHENOS, it comes from EKTENES, which is a medical term referring to “a stretching of the muscles”.

It is the word used of Jesus in the garden.
Luke 22:44 “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”

This was devoted fervent prayer.

“by the church” – this was EFFECTIVE PRAYER

James is clear that “the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.”

None of us would claim to be righteous and thereby successful prayers,
But we have been made righteous by the blood of Christ,
And so we pray in His name.

That makes the prayer of the church effective prayer.

“to God” – this was TRUE PRAYER

Far be it from us to pray to anyone else.
The early church surely didn’t.

Jesus taught us to pray like this:
Matthew 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]”
The Psalmist said:
Psalms 79:11 “Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.”

That is the type of praying going on here by the church on Peter’s behalf.

Now, I’ll be honest.
We talk about prayer a lot as an absolute in the Christian life.

For one thing absence of prayer equals the presence of pride.
A prayerless person is a person who thinks they can handle it on their own.

Furthermore if Jesus prayed, and if the Holy Spirit prays,
Who are we to think we don’t need to.
And so we understand the necessity of prayer.

But in all honesty there has always been and there will always be
An element of mystery surrounding it.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
I have no idea.

But it does.
Luke 18:1-8 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘ Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The point is, that just because Peter is still in prison,
Doesn’t mean you give up praying.

Jesus said we “ought to pray at all times and not to lose heart”
I realize the dark is darker than you expected
And has lasted longer than you thought,
But don’t lose heart, keep seeking God.

“will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”

The early church certainly understood this.
They were in the middle of a difficult time, but they kept praying.

Another thing that stands out to us:
2) THE PEACE OF PETER (6)

• Peter is facing execution in the morning.
• He is chained between two soldiers.
• Two more are guarding the cell.

And what is Peter doing?
“Peter was sleeping”

That sure sounds like a nervous man to me.
Peace like this only comes from God, and from trusting God.

David had a great Psalm describing God’s peace.
Psalms 131 “O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.”

David knew the way to have peace was
• To not be proud,
• Not to involve himself in matters beyond his control.
• And to lean upon God and to trust in him.

You get the idea that this is what Peter is doing.
There’s nothing he can do about his circumstances so he’s resting in God
He is at peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

3) THE POWER OF THE ANGEL (7-11)

Now for one thing we see how hard Peter was sleeping.
The bright light into the cell didn’t wake him up, the angel had to actually hit him.

And Peter was so groggy that he wasn’t even totally sure what was going on.

But beyond that, notice the power of this angel.

You sort of have here a “Mission Impossible” type scenario.
• We have Peter in a cell guarded by two guards…
• Peter chained to two guards…
• Peter not wearing his shoes or coat…
• And Peter asleep.

The angel’s mission is to get into the cell,
Get Peter awake, unchained, dressed,
And then back past the first and second guards,
And then through the iron gate that leads to the city.

It would take us days to come up with a plan,
And one that probably wouldn’t work.

And yet none of those things were obstacles for the angel.

What looked like an impossible situation to Peter or the church
Was in reality nothing to God.

He even had time to wait on Peter to tie his shoes.

4) THE PECULIAR RESPONSE (12-17)

Now honestly we find this a little humorous.

Peter shows up at the house of the praying believers, and the servant girl is so excited to see Peter she forgets and leaves him outside.

(I’m sure that was some nerve-racking for Peter)

But then notice the response of the church.
(15) “They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.”

I find this interesting.

We have a church fervently praying,
But they were not fervently believing.

• They were not expecting Peter’s release.
• They were not believing it would happen.
• They were praying, but did not expect this.

So first, do not attribute this victory to the power of their faith,
Their faith obviously had holes.
Attribute this victory to the power of God.

Furthermore, it illustrates the gravity of this situation.
They had no expectation that Peter would be delivered, that’s how bad it was.

And yet God had delivered Peter.

5) THE PUNISHMENT OF THE GUARDS (18-19)

NOW WHAT DOES THAT INDICATE?
Namely that Herod was serious about his plans to execute Peter.

He was so serious in fact that the guards who let him escape
Gave their lives in his stead.

See, I want you to recognize the seriousness of the situation.
Sometimes after God delivers, He does it so easily that
The temptation is to look back on the situation and assume
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as we thought.

Yes it was, it’s just that God had great power to deliver.

This situation was so bad
That even the praying church wasn’t hoping for much.

And yet, God had intervened and delivered Peter.

One more noteworthy thing
6) THE PASSING OF HEROD (20-23)

Here we have a separate incident in the minds of most people,
But not to God.

God was about to deal with a man
Who had caused much grief to His people.

Herod had been angry with Tyre and Sidon and apparently cut off their food supply, so they come to beg for mercy.

And on this day he put on his “royal apparel” which Josephus tells us
Was made of silver cloth and reflected the sun brilliantly.

And he began “delivering an address to them.”

And in order to flatter him and make sure they got their food.
(22) “The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

(23) “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

He didn’t die and then was eaten by worms,
He was eaten by worms and died.

The historians tell us that Herod died from a ruptured cyst filled with tapeworms that literally ate him to death.
His pain was excruciating and took 5 days.

God dealt with this opposition to His church.
He thought messing with God’s people was a good way to secure his career, in reality it was a good way to end his life.

He came to attack God’s people and God intervened.
He did something totally beyond the scope what was humanly possible.
He did something so amazing that even those who were praying for it to happen couldn’t believe it actually did.

That is God’s intervention.

Herod’s Opposition, God’s Intervention
#3 THE CHURCH’S CONTINUATION
Acts 12:24-25

What a simple and yet amazing statement.

“But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.”

It looked like someone was stopping the church, but they weren’t.
God had this all under control.

(25) “And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”

Remember, Barnabas and Saul had been sent to Jerusalem to deliver the famine relief money.

And they fulfilled their mission and then came back.

And here is the amazing thing.
Chapter 13 picks right up where chapter 11 left off.

Chapter 12 indicates that Herod had great plans of stopping the church
By executing her leaders and mistreating her people.

But he didn’t affect the flow or growth of the church one bit.
The church was the same after him, as it was before him.

This man didn’t even make a dent.
Because God knows how to handle opposition.

And when you see the scope of the hardship from start to finish,
We realize that God can handle the hardships that we face in life.

We realize that not only is God in control.
We also realize that God has everything under control.

When you read Peter’s letter
1 Peter 5:6-11 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

When Paul wrote about suffering he said:
Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

That was Paul’s ways of saying that the victory is sure and absolute.

Or we could even go back to the writer of Hebrews.
I read to you earlier about those believers who suffered the seizure of their property.

TURN TO: HEBREWS 10:32

Notice his encouragement.
READ (10:32-39)

Then of course comes the faith chapter by which he highlights the people who have endured hardship on the road before them, but how they exercised faith.

READ (11:13-16)

READ (11:32-40)

READ (12:1-2)

And you get the idea.
Be encouraged.

Suffering and hardship and opposition are real,
Because Satan the adversary is real.

But just because it feels like all is lost and we are defeated,
Doesn’t mean it is true.
God always stands victorious.

• So be in prayer
• Be at peace
• Be patient for God to deliver, because God never loses.

God can handle opposition.

Job 9:4 “Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?”

The First Gentile Church – part 2
Acts 11:1-30 (19-30)
September 16, 2012

Last time we met we covered the first part of this very important chapter.

We find here the beginning of the very first ever Gentile church.
And as we said this is significant to us, because we are Gentiles.

• We are thankful that while the gospel was for the Jew first, it is also for the Gentile.
• We are thankful that Jesus had other sheep, not of the original fold, that He also desired to bring.
• We are thankful that we, although a wild olive branch, could be grafted in to the domestic olive tree of Israel.

And while this truth was alluded to many times in the Old Testament
And even through the statements that Jesus made,
We are thankful for Acts chapter 11,
Because here those promises became a reality.

Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,”

We are also eager to see the formation of this new Gentile church
Because they were used of God to be a missionary church.

As we noted last Sunday night, it was literally under compulsion
That the Jerusalem church ventured out on mission.

It took the persecuting hand of Saul to motivate those Jerusalem believers
To leave the city and spread the gospel.

But not this church.
This church answered the call of missions to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Acts 13:1-3 “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
We all owe a debt of thanks to the church at Antioch.
They were the first to actually seek to reach the world for Christ.

And in Acts chapter 11 we see their beginning.

Now one of the things we noticed last week is that
This church was founded amid much prejudice.

We studied the first 18 verses and were reminded of the events
That actually led to Gentile conversion.

• Cornelius had an angelic visitor that told him to send for Peter.
• Peter had a trance that told him to no longer consider unholy what God cleanses.
• And the result of the story was Peter went to Caesarea, spoke to Cornelius and God poured out the Holy Spirit on them.

And that that should have been a cause for great rejoicing.
After all, there is much rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents.

But there wasn’t.
In fact by the time Peter returned from this little trip
He already had a fight waiting for him.

Acts 11:1-3 “Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

And so we find that far from being excited,
The Jews were actually prejudice.

• They didn’t want the Gentiles saved.
• They didn’t want the Gentiles to be fellow heirs.
• In many regards they were like Jonah whose disdain far outweighed his compassion.

And we talked about making sure we examine our own lives
For the exact same type of prejudice.

Just because a person is of a different race, or different economic level, or
Different political belief, doesn’t mean God won’t save him.

Just because a man has done unthinkable and morally horrific things
Doesn’t mean that God won’t save him.

In fact, let me kind of illustrate this point a little further for you.

TURN TO: LUKE 15

READ VS. 1-2
Does that look like a familiar mindset?

It was the exact same mindset the circumcised believers hit Peter with.
How could you go and associate with those people?

In Matthew’s gospel we remember Jesus saying, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.”

But in Luke’s gospel Jesus answers it a completely different way.
(3) “So He told them this parable,”

These parables were to answer those who had issue
With the salvation of someone who seemed unworthy.

These parables show how different the prejudice reaction is
From the heavenly reaction.

Jesus is here confronting that same prejudice mindset
We see on hand in Acts chapter 11.

VERSES 3–7 – (The parable of the lost sheep)
VERSES 8-10 – (The parable of the lost coin)

And then the familiar one:
VERSES 11-32 – (The parable of the lost son)

Now to make sure you understand,
Know that the first two parables were really meant to lead up to the third,
For in the third is where Jesus makes the point.

Now, we don’t have time to talk about this parable in its entirety,

• But you recognize the insult the younger brother gave to his
father.

• And you know the story about how the young man went off and
squandered his wealth and made every bad decision we would
expect.

• And you also know how the son finally saw his filth and was
compelled to return to the Father.

• And you know about the tremendous mercy of the father to forgive
the son, and the grace of the father to make him a son and even
throw him a banquet.

The point of the story begins in verse 25.

READ 25-32

I know we often make the story about the rejoicing over salvation,
And we certainly don’t want to overlook that,
But the story was given to address the prejudice of the Pharisees.
Remember verses 1-2?

And because of that we know who the characters represent.
• Jesus is the Father.
• The younger brother is the tax collectors and sinners.
• This older brother is the Pharisees.

He is a picture of a man full of hatred and prejudice
Who could not even rejoice that a sinner was saved.

Now if you’ve read John MacArthur’s book “A Tale of Two Sons”
You know that this parable does not have a written ending.

It ends with the father pleading for the older son to come in and rejoice,
But we aren’t told what the older brother does.

At least we aren’t told in this parable.
The gospels do reveal what the end of the story is.

The gospels finish the story and it goes like this.

I’ll quote from MacArthur’s book.
“Since the father figure in the parable represents Christ and the elder brother is a symbol of Israel’s religious elite, in effect, the true ending to the story, as written by the scribes and Pharisees themselves, ought to read something like this: ‘The elder son was outraged at his father. He picked up a piece of lumber and beat him to death in front of everyone.’”
(MacArthur, John [“A Tale of Two Sons”, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2008] pg. 194-195)

That is what they did to Jesus.
They hated His compassion so much that they killed Him.

And yet we find hints of the exact same mentality
Already working in the minds and hearts of the circumcision.

They took issue with Peter because he did the same thing Jesus did.
He went to men who were sinners and ate with them.

We have to watch out for prejudice in our lives don’t we?
• No one is beyond the loving reach of God.
• There is no race…
• There is no league of sinner…
• There is no economic level…
That Jesus has deemed too filthy, or sinful, or undeserving of salvation.

And we can’t have an attitude of prejudice either.
If you do, you’ll find yourself on opposite sides with Jesus.

And that is what Peter ended up saying
After recounting what the Lord had done.

Acts 11:17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

“What did you expect me to oppose God?”

And fortunately the believers quieted down.
Unlike the Pharisees before them, these men decided to go ahead and attend the banquet.

Acts 11:18 “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

So the Gentile church was starting, but not without prejudice.

Last time I gave you the first four points to this text, here they are again.
1) THE INITIAL REACTION (1-3)
2) THE INFORMATIVE RETELLING (4-14)
3) THE IMPORTANT RECOLLECTION (15-16)
4) THE INTELLIGENT RESPONSE (17-18)

Now let’s move on in our story.
#5 THE INEVITABLE REVIVAL
Acts 11:19-21

Now I told you that this first Gentile church was at the very onset
Met with prejudice and we have talked about that.

But that apparently isn’t all they were met with.

They were also met with stubbornness.

• Now we just had this tremendous testimony by Peter, through which he clearly articulated how God had sent him and ultimately saved these Gentiles.

• And the early church heard that testimony and came to the obvious conclusion that “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

But then look at we instantly read in verse 19.
“So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antiock, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.”

It’s enough to drive a person crazy isn’t it?

You just reach this amazing epiphany that
God is in the business of saving Gentiles too,
And you are so excited about it that you don’t tell a single one of them.
DO YOU WANT A LITTLE APPLICATION HERE?

You can know prejudice is wrong in your mind
And still let it dwell in your heart.

These Jews knew it was ok to go to the Gentiles, but they still didn’t do it.
It was a real prejudice, and they had difficulty getting past it.

In fact, can I show you how much difficulty they had getting past it?
Galatians 2:11-13 “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.”

They just wouldn’t let their heart follow what their mind knew to be true.

Even later when Paul was on trial in Jerusalem and was giving his defense, he was fine until he mentioned this one thing:

Acts 22:17-22 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and I saw Him saying to me, ‘ Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'” They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ” Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”
Jews hated the notion so much
That even saved Jews had difficulty implementing it.

And let me show you how dangerous this was.
Their stubbornness to accept this truth
Eventually opened the door for the people we call the Judaizers.

The Judaizers were those who went around to the Gentiles
And tried to force them to be circumcised.

If you’ll remember, Paul’s entire letter to the Galatians
Was an attack on the Judaizers.

Galatians 6:12-13 “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”

BUT YOU GET THE POINT.
They knew it was ok in their mind (just like Peter with the meat),
But they had trouble living it in their lives.
You can see that prejudice
Was stubbornly hanging on in the Jerusalem church.

BUT THAT WOULDN’T STOP GOD
That is why I called this “The Inevitable Revival”

The Jerusalem church may have had difficulty accepting this new reality,
But that wasn’t going to stop God.

(20) “But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

WHO WAS THIS?
These were the converts of the people in verse 19 who went to Cyprus.

That first group wouldn’t witness to Gentiles, but their converts did.
And notice what God did.

(21) “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.”

Now we rejoice in verse 21, but it doesn’t surprise us.
After all God has done to send Peter to Cornelius and correct the thinking of the Jerusalem church, we had no doubt God was going to save Gentiles.

And I just continually rejoice in the sovereign hand of God.

The Gentiles were not saved:
• Because the Jews were so concerned – they weren’t
• Because the Jews were so obedient – they weren’t
• Because the Jews were such great evangelists

Gentiles were saved because God wanted them saved,
And He wanted them when no one else did.

This revival was inevitable.
God wanted it, and it happened.

#6 THE INVESTIGATING REPORTER
Acts 11:22-26

At this point the prejudice of the Jews almost becomes humorous.
They just had a tough time believing that Gentiles could be saved.

(22) “The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.”

We know what this is, it is a spy
But here is the good news, and the evidence
That God has really delivered these people from sin.

(23) “Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced…”

And I fully understand what happened there.

You can walk in a church in Africa on the other side of the world.
• They may not have lights.
• They may not have cushions on their pews.
• They may not have backs on their pews.
• They may not have carpet.
• They may not have air conditioning.
• They may not speak your language.

But you can tell when God’s grace has been there,
And it is impossible not to rejoice with them.

That is what Barnabas saw.
• He saw people different from him,
• Maybe even worshiping different from him,
• But he saw the grace of God and “he rejoiced”

And finally some of that prejudice and skepticism is coming down.

But rejoicing isn’t all that Barnabas did.

“he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.”

Barnabas told them what mattered most,
And we are thankful for his message.

• He didn’t tell them to get circumcised.
• He didn’t tell them to observe dietary restrictions.
• He didn’t tell them how to have a more Jewish friendly worship service.
• He told them only what was necessary: “remain true to the Lord”

He simply told them to abide in Jesus.
He told them to continue with Jesus.
He told them to hold on to Jesus, to be His and His only.

This was always the message for new believers.

Acts 13:43 “Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.”
Acts 14:21-22 “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

And that is ALL Barnabas told them in Antioch.
(He didn’t try to make them Jewish)

And now we are getting somewhere.
The church is not characterized by being clone copies of one another.
It’s not about the similarity of our worship styles.

What makes us Christians and what makes it church
Is a gathering of people filled with God’s Spirit,
Who love and worship Jesus Christ and abide in Him daily.

That is a church.

And then Barnabas did another wise thing.
(25-26) “And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

And incidentally the Greek here indicates that it was no quick or easy search.

But why did Barnabas go look for Saul?
Remember Barnabas was the first one back in Jerusalem
To embrace Saul and accept him.

Barnabas knew what Saul’s purpose in the kingdom was.

WHAT WAS HIS PURPOSE?
Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;”

Barnabas remembered that God had already raised up a preacher
For this new Gentile congregation.

He brought Saul back and for a year they pastored that church
And encouraged those believers how to stay true to Jesus.

AND THEN COMES THAT GREAT STATEMENT.
(26b) “and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

You couldn’t call them Jews.
You couldn’t even call them proselytes.

These men were followers of Christ,
And so they became known as Christians.
It was initially a term of derision, but it became the banner
And God-ordained name of all those who follow Jesus.

1 Peter 4:15-16 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

To be called a Christian became the highest form of honor to those who follow Christ, and it was a name that began in Antioch.

And don’t you love that name!
• We aren’t Jehovah’s witnesses
• We aren’t latter day saints
• We aren’t even messianic Jews

We are Christians (little Christs)
And we glory in the name.

Initial Reaction, Informative Retelling, Important Recollection,
Intelligent Response, Inevitable Revival, Investigating Reporter
#7 IMPRESSIVE RESULT
Acts 11:27-30

And what a beautiful event this is.
A prophet named Agabus came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

And undoubtedly he had already delivered this message at Jerusalem,
But by God’s prompting he would deliver it to all believers.

And he told the church at Antioch that a famine was coming.

And notice what they did, it is extremely significant.
(29-30) “And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

And so we are blown away by their generosity
And touched by their love and willingness to have unity.

And we know that this is a fruit of salvation.
1 John 3:17-18 “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

BUT WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT?

DO YOU REMEMBER THE CHIEF WAY THE JERUSALEM CHURCH SHOWED LOVE FOR THEIR OWN?

Acts 2:44-45 “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”

Acts 4:34-35 “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

And now on this day the Gentiles
Were speaking a love language that the Jews understood.
(That’s how you overcome someone’s prejudice toward you)

A famine may have been a bad thing,
But this famine helped unify the church!

At last the Gentiles had opportunity to display to the Jews
That they had the same Spirit in them that was alive in Jerusalem.
And we rejoice in this unity.

We also rejoice in a real, Spirit-filled, self-sacrificing;
Gentile church!

It wasn’t an easy beginning, but God did it in spite of the prejudice
And we rejoice that Gentiles are fellow heirs in the kingdom of God.

Isn’t it amazing just to sit back and watch God build His church.
May we continue to be a part of what He is doing.

Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”