May 23, 2010
Evening Service

Acts 11:19-30

 

Review:

1.       We are seeing some truly remarkable things happen here in the beginning of the church dispensation.

2.      We see great preaching.  Repentant seekers.  Many being baptized, and added to the church.  We see a martyr.  We see a church persecutor converted, and become a preacher.  We see healing by the Apostles.  We see the gentiles accepted by God.  We see the divine plan of God unveiling right before our eyes.

3.      I’ve ask myself what has happened to all this moving of the Spirit these last 60 to 70 years?  I can remember when I first started my walk with the Lord there were some pretty good revivals, in tents, and in churches.

• Christian homes were built around activity in the church.
• People weren’t as affluent as they are today.  What I mean by that is that people had definite needs.  Today all we have are wants.
• Too many other things to keep people out of church, and away from growing with God.
• Stores and restaurants were not open on Sunday as they are today. 
• People were hungry for the Word of God, they saw lives being changed.  They drunkards being delivered, and turning into good faithful husbands.  They saw children having respect for their elders, and with good manners.
• God was lifted up in the home, at school, and in the work place.

4.      So because these things are not as prevalent as they were, we are in the twilight time of the church dispensation.  Jesus is getting ready to come back after His church.  And that’s why for the past 30 to 40 years God has been giving us time to prepare.  It’s kinda like preparing Gideon’s army.  We been in the falling away now for some time, and what is left is the Bride. 

5.      Jesus gave us the parable of the 10 virgins.  Five wise, and five foolish.  The foolish are those in the falling away, and the wise are the Bride who remain faithful to the Lord, and put Him first in their lives.

 

This is why I think we are not seeing all the great works of God happening today.  People are too busy with everything else, and God is not going to take second seat to anything, or anyone.

 

We saw Peter this morning explaining to his fellow colleagues why he went to the household of Cornelius.  They were not bitter, but rejoiced, and praised God for allowing the gentiles to be saved also.  This evening we want to finish chapter 11 verses 19 – 30.

 

Act 11:19-30  Then, indeed, they who were scattered abroad by the persecution that rose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the Word to no one except the Jews. 

• As far as Phenice - Phoenice, or Phoenicia, was a province of Syria, which in its largest sense comprehended a narrow strip of country lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and extending from Antioch to the borders of Egypt. But Phenice Proper extended only from the cities of Laodicea to Tyre, and included only the territories of Tyre and Sidon. This country was called sometimes simply “Canaan.” See the notes on Mat_15:22.

And Cyprus - An island off the coast of Asia Minor, in the Mediterranean Sea.                                   And Antioch - There were two cities of this name, one situated in Pisidia in Asia Minor (see Act_13:14); the other, referred to here, was situated on the Orontes River, and was long, the capital of Syria.

• It is thought that these men had heard of Peter’s vision, and his opening the door for the gentiles, and this is who they went to preach the gospel too, the gentiles.

(20)  And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene; who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus.  (21)  And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

• I have often wondered why it took me so long to see the glory in gospel message, and how perfect it is for mankind.
• Here we see that many are hearing and excepting the gospel message.

(22)  And the Word was heard in the ears of the church in Jerusalem. And they sent out Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch;  (23)  who was glad when he had come and had seen the grace of God. And he exhorted all with purpose of heart to remain near to the Lord.  (24)  For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And many people were added to the Lord.  

• This was not that far from Jerusalem.  We see that God is still adding to the church daily those who were being saved.
• Now we see the authority of the church at Jerusalem starting to take hold.  They had already sent out Peter, and John to lay hands on the people of Samaria and now they are sending out Barnabas to edify the ones of Antioch that are turning to the Lord.
• This is truly quite saddening as we look at Syria today.  It is predominately a Muslim nation, as most of the people are in this part of the world.  And why they have turned their backs on Jesus is beyond my understanding, except that I know God is in control.
• And it says because of Barnabas many were added to the Lord.

(25)  And Barnabas went out to Tarsus to seek Saul. 

• This would have taken him over into Turkey where Tarsus was located.

(26)  And finding him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened to them a whole year they were assembled in the church. And they taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christian in Antioch. 

• Now I believe we can see the church evolving to the point of where they are no longer able to meet together in a house.  When they say, “they were assembled in the church.”  There are getting to many of them, so I believe they are improvising.  They are not compromising the Word, just making provisions for more people to get together at one time, in the same place.  Just me thinking out loud.

(27)  And in these days prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch.  (28)  And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified by the Spirit that there should be great famine over the world (which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar). 

• By this coming to pass, this proved Agabus to be a prophet of God.

(29)  And the disciples, as any were prospered, determined each of them to send for ministry to those brothers who lived in Judea,  (30)  which they also did, sending to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

• What we saw in the beginning was Christians sharing all they had with one another.  And now we see a great famine, and the people around Jerusalem are starving, and need help.  So the church at Antioch gave as they had been prospered to help those in Jerusalem, and sent it by the hands of Barnabas, and Saul to be distributed by the hands of the church leadership.
• We have seen many times in just our lifetime that when times get tougher people have a tendency to get closer to God.  I would like to see it again, but I don’t look for it.  Any more they turn to the Government, and this is not a good thing. 

 

We sum things up this evening by saying that Antioch is a far cry from what it was in the days of the Apostles, but then what isn’t, so we can’t be too hard on them.

 

Christians, keep looking up, for your redemption draws even nearer today, than it was yesterday.