Antioch: People Given God
- Marc Erickson
- Sep 5, 2010
- Series: Light for the City
- Passage: Acts 11:19-30
LIGHT FOR THE CITY #1: Antioch
Marc Erickson … September 4-5, 2010
People Given God
Acts 11:19-30;13:1-3, 26-28 (see p3)
“ So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught
great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
… Acts 11:26
Did you say.........REVOLUTION?
Yes.....turning from idols to the Lord Jesus.
Yes.....crucifying self to become a new person.
Yes.....exchanging the transient for the eternal.
Yes.....replacing every civilization with the Kingdom.
They were called......CHRISTIANS?
… Acts 11:26
Acts 11:26
and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Yes....with the emphasis on ‘anointed’.
e.g. the power to be uniquely God’s persons
The Community was......MULTI-RACIAL; MULTI-ETHNIC?
Yes....only God Almighty can make this happen.
e.g. the total resurrection in play; Eastbrook
Their Worship became…...GIVING?
… Acts 11:29-30; 13:1-3
Acts 11:29-30
The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 13:1-3
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Yes....instead of taking they learned to fast.
Yes....they offered praise and thanks to The Lord.
Yes....they offered their best leaders to The Lord.
Yes....they offered their goods in the Lord’s Name.
This all happened by....GOD’S GRACE ALONE?
… Acts 11:23
Acts 11:23
When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
Yes....this visible revolution is the evidence for
the truth about our Gracious God.
Some topics for discussion and application in Life groups, triad studies, and personal devotions
- Does the word revolution accurately describe what happened to you when you bowed the knee to Jesus?
- If the answer is yes then give out the details. If the answer is no then what did happen to you?
- What does the name ‘Christian’ mean to you? Should alternative words be used and why?
- Discuss the various aspects of resurrection made available to us through Christ.
- How has the change from ‘taker’ to ‘giver’ affected your daily activities and the price tags you place on things?
- How would your neighborhood look if Jesus brought his revolution to it?
- What the evidence of the Grace of God in your life? Why is this called Grace?
Acts 11:19-30
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 13:1-3
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13:26-28
"Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
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