SERIES: A Church For the City
TEXT: Acts 11:19-30
MESSAGE: “A Multiplying Church in an Age of Comfort”
“Churches are not franchises to be reproduced as exactly as possible wherever and whenever—in Rome and Moscow and London and Baltimore—the only thing changed being the translation of the menu…The Holy Spirit brings church into being his way, not ours…a Spirit-created community that forms Christ in this place.” — Eugene Peterson
TEXT: Acts 11:19-30
“Luke shows us how the church in Antioch was a launching pad for worldwide missions. It became a base of operation for Paul’s missionary journey with Barnabas (13:1–3; 14:26–27) and subsequently a base for his journey with Silas (15:35–41; 18:22–23). Antioch was the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world, behind Rome and Alexandria. It boasted some five hundred thousand people. It bore the nickname “the queen of the East.” It was cosmopolitan and commercial. It was the capitol city of Syria, and it was also a base for the Roman military. Antioch was located three hundred miles north of Jerusalem and thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, on the Orontes River, in what is now southeast Turkey. The city served as a crossroads, having major highways going to the north, south, and east. Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Egyptians, Africans, Indians, and Asians all populated Antioch, making it remarkably diverse.” — Tony Merida
What did this multiplying church look like? It was…(1. Culturally Engaged 2. Gospel Focused 3. Sending Culture)
1. Culturally Engaged (v. 19-20)
“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”
“…those who were scattered…” — Acts 11:19
“Scattered” = diaspeirō – dispersed, driven to different places; the believers were taken outside of their comfort zone because of persecution.
“…traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene (northern Africans), who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.” — Acts 11:19-20
“Up until this moment, when the Christians took the gospel message, they took it to people who already believed the Bible. They took the gospel message to Jews. They took the gospel message to Samaritans, who…also believed in the Hebrew Scriptures…They took it to the Ethiopian…in Acts 8, and Cornelius the Roman centurion in Acts 10, but these people were what they called “God-fearers.” They were Gentiles who believed the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures. For the very first time in history, we’re told here in verse 20, “Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks …” The word there is Hellenist, which means polytheists, people who were ancient pagans. They did not believe the Scriptures at all. They were given the gospel message, and many of them became Christians.” — Timothy Keller
Q: What united God’s people as they were scattered? Not a common surrounding, ethnicity, or comforts, it was Jesus! It was His Message! You see, God powerfully worked through the message of the Gospel because Jesus connects with every people, every culture, every human heart.
“Africans sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred or their clamor for an invincible Savior, so they beat their sacred drums for him until the stars skipped and danced in the skies….Christianity helped Africans to become renewed Africans, not remade Europeans.” — Lamin Sanneh (Professor at Yale Divinity School)
2. Gospel Focused (v. 21-26)
“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
“…they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” — Acts 11:22
“No more appropriate place could be imagined either as the venue for the first international church, or as the springboard for the worldwide Christian movement.” — John Stott
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” — 1 Peter 2:9
3. Sending Culture (v. 27-30)
“Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”
“The church determines to care for another group of believers—one that’s different from them in culture and ethnicity and one that’s located a good distance away from them. Such partnership among churches is rare today. The Antioch church delivers the offering to the “elders” of the Jerusalem church; this is the first mention of the term elders in Acts (11:30). Both churches belonged to Jesus, so the people were brothers and sisters. The Antioch church gave a tangible expression of this solidarity through their gift.” — Tony Merida
TAKEAWAYS: What does a multiplying church look like? May we…
- Be known for Jesus
- Be known for collaboration
- Be known for sending
“The Great Commission is not a calling for some; it is a mandate for all… When it comes to a calling, we don’t need a voice; we have a verse (Mt. 28:19). It is now our responsibility, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to evaluate how we are best suited to fulfill that call… We…see every member of our church as a potential missionary to be equipped and mobilized. Our goal is not to send some, or even our best, but to send all into the mission – to our city, across the country, or to the other side of the world.” — J.D. Greear
GOSPEL: Do you remember what Jesus got angry over? Many people, even non-Christians, know this account. It was when Jesus turned over the tables. Do you know why he was so angry?
“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” — Mark 11:15-17