Sunday, November 14, 2021
Acts 11:19-30
“Spreading Success”
Service Overview: Widespread outreach took place when Stephen was stoned, and by God’s grace, the gospel was increasingly making inroads among the Gentiles, especially in Antioch as faithful men were living into the new reality. God has a proclivity to bless and make fruitful those who operate in step with his mission, plan, and agenda.
Memory Verse for the Week: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
Background Information:
- After the death of Alexander the Great, the kingdom he had established divided into four parts. One of these was ruled by a man named Seleucus, who founded Antioch. Antioch was on the Orontes River, which made it possible for it to maintain trade with the big Mediterranean cities. Yet it was far enough inland to be a strategically-centered command post for the rule of Syria. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 197)
- Cosmopolitan and metropolitan in spirit and size, it was also one of the most corrupt cities of the then-known world. Ritual prostitution in the temple of Daphne characterized the sensual orientation of the morals of the city. And it was in that atmosphere that Paul began his ministry of preaching Christ! (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 194)
- It is Antioch that the Roman satirist Juvenal has in mind when he complains that “the sewage of the Syrian Orontes has for long been discharging itself into the Tiber.” The city’s reputation for moral laxity was enhanced by the cult of Artemis and Apollo at Daphne, five miles distant, where the ancient Syrian worship of Astarte and her consort, with its ritual prostitution, was carried on under Greek nomenclature. But a new chapter in the history of Antioch was about to be written, for it was to be the metropolis of Gentile Christianity. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 247)
- This is a crucial hinge in the Acts account. For the first time the church actively proselytized Gentiles. The Samaritans of chapter 8 were partly Jewish; the Ethiopian eunuch on his own was reading Isaiah 53 on his return from Jerusalem; and even Cornelius took the initiative in seeking the gospel from Peter’s lips. But here the church took the first steps to take the message to uncircumcised Greeks. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 382)
- The church people called themselves by several different names, but the world called them Christians. It is immediately evident when we look at the word Christian that it was not established by Jews. The Jews would never have called them Christians because the word for Christ in Greek (Christos) is the translation of Meshiach, meaning “Messiah,” and the Jews did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They might, in a pinch, have called the believers followers of Jesus and thus named them something like “Jesuits,” but “Christians,” never! So the title was given to them by the gentile world. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 102)
The question to be answered is…
Why in the world would God bless and prosper his new movement in a place like Antioch?
Answer…
God’s redemptive mission meant rescuing anyone from anywhere; especially in a place like Antioch.
The word of the day is… Success
How do we see this early church being setup for success?
- By their willingness to get outside the synagogue.
(v. 20 | Isaiah 6:8; 43:10; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Rom. 10:14; Col. 4:2-6; 2 Timothy 4:5)
The Gentiles took to the Christian message as the very thing they had been waiting for, as something that exactly suited their case, and a large number of them believed the gospel and yielded their allegiance to Jesus as Lord. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 248)
This group of “Jesus people” became so distinct that those around them coined a new name for the believers. The pagans of Antioch first called those who had joined Barnabas and Saul the “Christ-ones” or, as we say today, Christians (11:26). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts, Kindle Edition)
- By their responsiveness toward encouraging and godly leadership.
(vv. 22-24 | Ex. 18:21; Prov. 11:14; Mat. 20:26; Romans 12:9-13; 15:13; Hebrews 13:17)
The choice of Barnabas is important. It shows that the Jerusalem church (not just the apostles) were concerned about this new assembly in Antioch and sent out their best encourager to help them. He was sent literally “to go through as far as Antioch” (Gk. dielthein heōs Antiocheias), which means also that he was to preach the gospel and encourage assemblies of believers all along the way. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4942-4945)
Luke gives a threefold characterization [of Barnabas]: As regards his character, he was a good man, genuine, competent, capable; as regards his spiritual life, he was full of the Holy Spirit, completely given over to God, living with singleness of heart; as regards his approach to Christian work, he was full of faith, full of true insights, full of optimism and confidence in the Lord. It is evident also that Barnabas was capable of seeing his limitations and assessing his needs, thus unselfishly seeking out Saul to share the leadership with him. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 129)
- By their hunger for growth in discipleship.
(v. 25 | Proverbs 18:15; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 1:9; 1 Timothy 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18)
When Jews of the first century became Christians, they had a head start. They already knew God the Father and Old Testament history, and they lived by God’s strong ethical teaching. But Gentiles, coming from a pagan background, had so much to learn, starting from Genesis 1! (Bence, Acts, Kindle Edition)
- By their support of others in times of need.
(v. 29 | Proverbs 19:17; Luke 6:38; Galatians 6:2, 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; James 1:27)
That is what it means to be a Christian. It means to encourage. It means to reach out to the lost, and it means to give to relieve the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters—locally, nationally, and internationally. That is how the connection was made between Antioch and Jerusalem, and it formed the foundation for the great missionary outreach of Paul and Barnabas. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 174)
Conclusion…How might HFM be setup for godly success in a place like Hillsdale?
A. By seeking to actively engage our local culture.
(Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 9:37-38; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:14; Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15)
Wherever we live, we should trust God for that same kind of boldness and that same impact. Our eyes must be ever outward to the world in need of the message. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 194)
Christ’s command means that we all should be devoting all our resources of ingenuity and enterprise to the task of making the gospel known in every possible way to every possible person. (J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 38)
Unfortunately, the realities of a post-Christian context for the West have yet to be fully grasped by the Western church, much less responded to. Yet the rise of the nones and the coming force of Generation Z will inevitably challenge every church to rethink its strategy in light of a cultural landscape that has shifted seismically. If the heart of the Christian mission is to evangelize and transform culture through the centrality of the church, then understanding that culture is paramount. (James Emery White, Meet Generation Z, 12)
B. By fostering a church culture where encouragement eclipses criticism.
(Rom. 15:2, 13; 1 Cor. 8:1; 14:12; 2 Cor. 10:8; Eph. 4:16, 29; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:25)
Almost all so-called constructive criticism is destructive criticism. There is such a thing as constructive criticism, but it is always bathed in a spirit of encouragement. That is what I love about Barnabas. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 173)
The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. (William Barclay, Hebrews, 123)
C. By positioning ourselves to help when the need arises.
(Ps. 41:1; Prov. 19:17; 22:9; Luke 6:38; Galatians 6:2, 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:13; James 1:27)
A commitment to the real gospel of salvation carries along with it a commitment to the material welfare and well-being of people. True religion involves not just praying and receiving Christ, but it also involves feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners, and helping bring relief in times of calamity, such as the famine we read about in Acts. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 174)
Gospel Application…
You are the light of the world (Mat. 5:14), so start shining like it!
(Matt. 5:16; 9:37-38; 28:18-20; Rom. 1:16; Colossians 4:2-6; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 3:15)
Jesus was prepared to have table fellowship with a Levi and indeed with notable and notorious sinners in order to bring them back to God. He was more concerned about reaching them for God than about protecting his reputation. … Yet this did not mean that he condoned their immoral and unethical behavior. But his way of approaching the matter was by practicing forgiveness in action as an open door to invite them to amend their lives. A person who has not sinned does not need forgiveness, and clearly Jesus believed all sorts of people needed forgiveness, including the sexually immoral. … Jesus found a way to strike the balance between loving sinners and even fellowshipping with them while not endorsing their sin. Here is another case where Jesus is a tough act to follow. But some have managed it. There once was a brilliant young Englishman who was extremely rich. His name was C. T. Studd. Under the conviction of Christ’s words and example, he gave away most of his fortune in order to go out to the forests of Africa and reach some for Christ. He put his life philosophy as follows: “Some like to dwell / Within the sound / Of church and chapel bell. / But I want to run a rescue shop I Within a yard of Hell.” This appears to aptly sum up Jesus’ approach as well. (Ben Witherington, The Gospel of Mark, 138)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What prompted the first preaching to the Gentiles at Antioch? How does this fit in with God’s redemptive plan?
- What good resulted from believers being scattered by the persecution that was connected with Stephen earlier in Acts?
- What different efforts were made to nurture the new believers at Antioch? How are you seeking to be nurtured in your faith?
- Who is someone that often encourages you in your faith? Who are you encouraging in theirs?
Quotes to note…
If the hand of the Lord is on a Christian work, we have every right to expect it to grow and be effective; when the Lord’s hand is there, growth follows. However, we have to be careful because such growth does not prove that the hand of the Lord is there. We cannot have the hand of the Lord and not have growth, but we can have growth without the hand of the Lord. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 172)
The Jerusalem church could not have chosen a better representative than Barnabas. He had already shown his worth by his generosity (see 4:36-37) and open-mindedness (helping Saul to enter the fearful Christian leadership group; see 9:27). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Antioch (of Syria) was a huge city—cosmopolitan, commercialized, and corrupt. With over half a million people (and most of them pagan in their beliefs), this godless metropolis might have intimidated the followers of Christ who had fled there. Not so! The believers arrived in Antioch with the Good News on their lips. They permeated the entire city, so much so that they earned the nickname “Christians” (Christ’s ones). And the church that God raised up there became the church that commissioned and supported Paul in his worldwide missionary work. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 194)
Prophecy in the Bible is always primarily “forthtelling,” speaking for God whatever His message may be, rather than foretelling the future. However, on this occasion Agabus (“ Grasshopper”), one of the prophets, “stood up and through the Spirit predicted [a manifestation of the gift of prophecy given directly by the Spirit in their own language] that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” And as Luke indicates, the famine took place “during the reign of Claudius” Caesar (A.D. 41– 54). It was especially severe in Judea in A.D. 45– 48. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 4998-5004)
The ending “-ian” means “belonging to the party of”; thus “Christians” were those of Jesus’ party. The word “Christians” is used only two other times in the New Testament: in 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. The significance of the name, emphasized by the word order in the Greek text, is that people recognized Christians as a distinct group. The church was more and more being separated from Judaism. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 383)
The new name doubtless helped develop the self-consciousness of the early Christians, despite its having first been given in derision. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 402)
What Barnabas did for Saul needs to be practiced in our churches today. Mature believers need to enlist others and encourage them in their service for the Lord. It was one of D. L. Moody’s policies that each new Christian be given a task soon after conversion. At first, it might be only passing out hymnals or ushering people to their seats, but each convert had to be busy. As previously mentioned, he said, “It is better to put ten men to work than to do the work of ten men.” Many of Mr. Moody’s “assistants” became effective Christian workers in their own right, and this multiplied the witness. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 359)
The Lord pours out His blessing on the church wherever it responds to His guidance and moves on in faithful obedience. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 194)