Signs of Growth October 23rd, 2022
Living God, you feed us not only with bread from the harvest but with your Word, which stands by us in every circumstance. Nourish us with your hope, and comfort us with your presence, as we listen for your voice speaking in the Scriptures today. Amen.
What we heard in our lesson from the book of Acts this morning was the continued growth of the church of Christ, not just within Jerusalem, but moving out into the surrounding area. And what we’ll see is that the driving force of that early group of Christians was not their wealth, their education nor their political clout. It was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ at work in the lives of regular people. It was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, that launched and advanced the church.
Our reading opened with these words, “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. 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. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.” It’s worthwhile to note how the church grew as it moved beyond the walls of Jerusalem. It wasn’t by the efforts of apostles or pastors or trained missionaries. Rather, some unnamed men who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen being stoned to death came to Antioch and began talking, not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, telling the good news about the Lord Jesus. And these men simply spoke to those they met. They didn’t preach as orators in the marketplace. Rather, in their everyday contacts, they told others about Jesus Christ. In the same manner as Jesus, they wanted others to know about the truth and love of God.
At that time in history Antioch was the third largest city of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. It was well known for its university life and was also famous worldwide for its chariot racing. And now it’s about to become a major center of Christianity!
And here’s how the church in Antioch grew.
First of all, its members declared the word of God. Twice, the physician Luke tells us that the men who left Jerusalem because of the persecution of the church started speaking the word about Jesus Christ to those they met. And the key to what Luke said is the word, “speak”. As the believers were scattered by the persecution, they “spoke the word,” sharing Christ in their ordinary conversation. Antioch was led to God not by the Apostles but by average members of the body of Christ who were willing to share their faith. They didn’t preach to the people, as we understand it today, but rather, in their everyday contacts, they told others about Jesus. They were not behind pulpits, preaching to people. They were in the marketplace, in the shops, and at social gatherings, talking about Jesus Christ who was the Lord of their lives.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit was with them. The apostle Luke, author of the book of Acts, writes, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.” Because of this many people came to faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord worked through those men and the church quickly grew.
Because of that growth, word of what was taking place in Antioch soon got back to the church leaders in Jerusalem and a man by the name of Barnabas was sent to see what was happening. This is the same Barnabas whom we’re first introduced to early on in the book of Acts, where we’re told, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common…There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.” (Acts 4:32, 34-37)
We also read of him again later on when Saul, whom we know better as Paul, returns to Jerusalem after having come to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, wishing to become part of the church there. This is what took place, “And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 9:26-27) So at that critical moment Barnabas stepped in and vouched for Saul who would go on to be the author of 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. No wonder the name Barnabas means son of encouragement!
And so, Barnabas was sent to investigate. And what did he find? Luke says, “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.” Barnabas was a man who lived by God’s grace, and so he saw the grace of God and rejoiced. No doubt he also saw a lot of imperfection in these new converts. A church made up of people from such different backgrounds as those in Antioch was bound to have some irritations and conflicts. But rather than focusing on the imperfections and problems, Barnabas focused on God’s grace in saving these people. He rejoiced at what God was doing, and then began to encourage them to remain true to the Lord.
And to encourage those new believers even more Barnabas left Antioch to go to Tarsus in search of Saul, that same Saul whom he had defended in front of those church leaders in Jerusalem. Once he found him, they returned to Antioch and the two of them spent a year teaching the people the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And one of the things the church learned during that time was that it is more blessed to give than to receive. What had taken place was that a prophet by the name of Agabus had come from Jerusalem and warned them that a famine was going to take place, that crops were going to fail, and the people were going to face starvation. Now in hearing such news they could have started stockpiling food, but instead the Antioch church did the exact opposite, here’s what we’re told “So the disciples determined, every one, according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”
This seems like such a simple thing unless you think about the implications. The prophecy was that a famine is coming upon the whole region, which meant that the famine was also coming upon the land and the people of Antioch. So, when the members of the church in Antioch gave to the church in Judea, they did so at their own risk. And that’s an important point, it’s one thing to give to others when you know you have more than enough for yourself, but it is entirely another when you give knowing you might suffer as a result of that giving.
And that wasn’t the first time such generosity had been show by the members of the church. This is what took place shortly after the Day of Pentecost, when the church was founded, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” (Acts 2:44-45) And, as we heard earlier about Barnabas, he himself had sold a piece of land and had given the proceeds to the apostles to support them in their efforts to spread the Gospel news.
Thanks to the teaching of Barnabas and Saul, those members of the early Antioch church clearly understood what it meant to be a follower of Christ. They saw that essential character of the church -- that it is a body that helps one another. This wasn’t to be just the body of Christians together, one group in Jerusalem and one in Antioch. One has need and the other has plenty. And so, the church in Antioch sent to the church in Jerusalem what was required to meet their need and to share together in the life that is in Jesus Christ, one body. What a wonderful picture this is of the church. The essential characteristics of a church are all there: the gifts of the Spirit, the shared life in Jesus, the proclamation of the Word, the teaching of the Scripture, the sharing of the Communion; it’s all there.
And that’s the same for us today. We’re all of the same family. We all profess of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We all believe the same basic things, all share in the same mission, to make disciples of all nations bringing others to the body of Christ. That’s the way the early church grew and it’s the same way we can grow our church today. Although it may not seem like it after the chaos of the last few years, people today are looking more than ever for someone to believe in, someone to bring meaning to a world in turmoil. People are looking for purpose, direction, and truth. People are looking for greater meaning in someone who is genuine and caring. Will they see that in our lives and be drawn closer to the truth of Jesus Christ?
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, make us to be men and women available to you, Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, people of faith, flexible, ready to move according to your word. Lead us in truth and make us willing to change, save us from being rigid, unbending, and inflexible in our outlooks, and in our attitudes to one another. Help us share your gifts and reach out as your body, the church, to all who are lost and need you. Let us truly be the body of Christ leading others to you, dear God. We ask all this in Jesus' name, Amen.