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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 11:19-30

INTRODUCTION: Our message series is called Church on the Move, and we are currently learning how the gospel moved from the Jews to the Gentiles.

We just finished a section in the book of Acts where God directed Peter to bring the gospel to Cornelius and his household. Now we are about to enter the second and largest section of the book of Acts—the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles through the ministry of Paul.

However, before we get there, there are two other important events that must first take place: 1) the start of the church in Antioch, and 2) King Herod’s attack on the church in Jerusalem. The Antioch event is important because it shows the church beginning to spread to the Gentiles. The church in Antioch would become the major staging area from which the church would send missionaries forth into the Gentile world. The Herod event is important because it closes up the story on Peter in Acts, who is the apostle to the Jews, as the focus shifts to Paul, who is the apostle to the Gentiles.

This is all in keeping with Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 on the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. (Read Acts 11:19-21 and pray.)

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Our passage today introduces us to the church in Antioch. The church in Antioch was an important part of the early church movement, but it also serves as an example of how healthy churches begin and grow.

A healthy church begins and grows through gospel witness, Christian discipleship and missionary outreach. The gospel tells you how to become a Christian. Discipleship teaches you how to live as a Christian. Missions helps others know how to become and live as Christians.

God calls us to be a church that is Christ-centered, Bible-teaching and missions-minded. We see all three of these characteristics in the church at Antioch.

I. Gospel witness (19-21)

A healthy church begins with gospel witness. Churches don’t simply spring up out of nowhere. They must be planted first. Everything planted starts with a seed, and the seed required for a new believer or church is the seed of the gospel. A healthy church begins with gospel witness.

In the case of Antioch, the seed of the gospel came riding on the winds of persecution. This was part of that outward movement of the church prompted by the great persecution in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Look at verses 19-21:

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. Some 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. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:19-21)

Here we see the gospel spreading northward to Phoenicia (which is modern day Lebanon), Cyprus and Antioch. The church was on the move. The bad news is that it took persecution to get the church moving. But the good news is they took the gospel with them.

   A. First to the Jews (19)

Notice they began by telling the message only to Jews. All the early believers were Jews, and the early church witness consisted of Jews sharing the gospel with other Jews. It makes sense. Jesus was Jewish. He was born to Jewish parents, raised in the Jewish faith, taught in the synagogues and ministered primarily to his fellow Jews. Jesus came as the Jewish Messiah, and so it makes sense that the gospel went first to the Jews.

   B. Then to the Gentiles (20-21)
      – Romans 1:16

But it was essential that the gospel go also to the Gentiles. Jesus came not only as the Jewish Messiah. He came as the Savior for all. The good news of Jesus is for everyone, and so these men from Cyprus and Cyrene who went to Antioch began sharing Christ with the Greek-speaking Gentiles as well.

Antioch was a large city in Turkey, about twelve miles north of the Syrian border. It was one of the three largest and most important cities of its time—along with Rome in Italy and Alexandria in Egypt. It was often called Antioch the Beautiful, known for its large buildings, paved boulevard, and many trees and fountains.

Antioch was a mostly Gentile city although it had a large Jewish population as well. What a mistake it would have been only to share the gospel with the Jews in Antioch and not the Gentiles who also needed Christ. These men from Cyprus and Cyrene shared the gospel with the Gentiles, and God blessed their efforts mightily.

What was the secret of their success? Luke tells us, “The Lord’s hand was with them.” Never attempt mission apart from the Lord. If there’s one thing we need to pray as a church on the move that wants to see others come to Christ, it’s “God, may your hand be upon us, may your hand be with us, will you bless our efforts with the gospel.”

God is the key when it comes to sharing the gospel with others. Luke tells us a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. In fact, it is possible that this is when Luke himself became a Christian. Some early writings place Luke in Antioch at this time. This may be when Luke first heard the gospel and put his faith in Christ.

The gospel went first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. This was a historical pattern that eventually became a gospel pattern. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

The early believers thought the gospel was only for the Jews. We sometimes make the opposite mistake. We act like it’s only for the Gentiles! Too often we overlook Jewish people in our gospel efforts. But the Gentile mission was never intended to replace the Jewish mission. The gospel was simply supposed to go to the Gentiles as well. Jesus is a Savior for all, but he came as the Messiah for the Jewish people, and therefore Jews as well as Gentiles need to hear the good news of Jesus who came to die for us all.

And so, the church at Antioch began. It began as a result of gospel witness, and it included both Jewish and Gentile believers together.

II. Christian discipleship (22-26)

A healthy church begins with gospel witness. However, it doesn’t end there. Gospel witness is just the beginning. A healthy church continues to grow through Christian discipleship. You don’t just plant a church and move on. New believers need to be discipled and taught.

A new church or new believer is like a child who has just been born. When a baby is born, you don’t leave the hospital, put the baby in the car seat, and then leave the car seat by the side of the road. No, the baby needs to be nurtured and fed. It’s the same with the church.

   A. The church sends Barnabas (22-24)

So, when the church at Jerusalem heard what God was doing in Antioch, they sent help. They sent Barnabas. Look at verses 22-24:

News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 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. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. (Acts 11:22-24)

This is now the third time we’ve met Barnabas in the book of Acts. We met him in Acts 4 when he was selling a field to help other people. We met him in Acts 9 when Saul first came to Jerusalem, and he helped Saul. Barnabas’ name means “son of Encouragement,” and every time we meet him in Scripture, he is always helping or encouraging people.

Barnabas was a great choice to send to Antioch. He was originally from Cyprus, so he was fluent in the Greek language and understood Greek culture. He was the perfect person to send, and he is a wonderful Christian example for us. William Barclay called him “the man with the biggest heart in the church.”

When Barnabas arrived, he saw God’s grace at work among the people, and true to his name, he was glad and encouraged them. He especially encouraged them in two areas: that they remain true to the Lord, and that they do this with all their hearts. Those are good encouragements for us today. I encourage you to remain true to the Lord with all your heart!

Next, we get a wonderful description of Barnabas. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. No wonder God blessed his ministry. In verse 21 we already learned that a great number had turned to the Lord. Now under Barnabas another great number comes to the Lord.

   B. Barnabas gets Saul (25-26)

God blessed Barnabas’ ministry so much that he went and got Saul. Look at verses 25-26:

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 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. (Acts 11:25-26)

Barnabas realized he needed help, so he went to Tarsus and brought back Saul. Together they served the church for a whole year. Their ministry was mainly a teaching ministry. Even today, teaching the word of God is the primary component of any discipleship ministry. How are we discipled? We are taught the word of God. We are strengthened by the word of God.

And so, a new team was born. Barnabas and Saul would eventually be sent out as missionaries together, but their first mission was right here in Antioch discipling and teaching these new believers.

   C. A new name that sticks! (26)

And then we are given an additional detail about these new believers in Antioch. Look at the end of verse 26:

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:26)

Did you ever wonder where the word “Christian” came from? It all started at Antioch. Up to this point Luke has used various words to designate Christians. He has called them disciples (6:1), saints (9:13), brothers (1:16, 9:30), believers (10:45) and people of the Way (10:2).

The word Christian is not a common term in the New Testament. It is only used three times: here in Acts 11:26, in Acts 26:28 and again in 1 Peter 4:16. But even though it is not a common term in the New Testament, it was clearly a common name by the time Luke wrote Acts, because he explains where it came from, and it is clearly the name that stuck.

Notice it is a name that was created by outsiders. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. It was not necessarily a derisive term. It was likely modeled after the term “Herodians,” which is what followers of Herod were called. If you followed Herod, you were a Herodian. If you followed Christ, you were a Christian.

It is significant that this name developed in a Gentile context. Up to this time most followers of Christ were still Jews, so you didn’t need a name for them. “What are you?” “I’m a Jew. I’m a Jew who worships Jesus.” But if you weren’t a Jew and you followed Christ, then what exactly were you? Well, you were a Christian—just like someone who followed Herod was a Herodian.

The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. When were you first called a Christian? Not when did you become a Christian, but when were you first called a Christian? When did you first go public with your faith? When did other people learn that you are a follower of Christ? Do the people in your life know that you’re a Christian? If not, why not?

People today are often looking for a substitute for the name Christian. Many prefer to call themselves “followers of Jesus,” which I also like, but I like the name Christian just fine! The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch, and I am proud to be called a Christian today.

III. Missionary outreach (27-30)

So, what are the signs of a healthy church? Gospel witness is primary. Christian discipleship is essential. But a healthy church must also engage in missionary outreach. We are not called to serve ourselves. We are called to serve the Lord and others, and that means an outward focus. A church on the move doesn’t stay where it’s at but gets out into the community and indeed out into the world.

   A. Famine prophesied (27-28)

For the church in Antioch this phase in their growth began with a prophecy. Look at verses 27-28:

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One 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.) (Acts 11:27-28)

Even though Antioch was north of Jerusalem, Luke says the prophets came down from Jerusalem. That’s because in the Bible no matter which direction you’re coming or going, it’s always down from or up to Jerusalem! Jerusalem is always central. It was also at a higher elevation.

One of these prophets, named Agabus, predicted a severe famine that would affect the whole Roman Empire. Luke, ever the historian, tells us this happened during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius reigned from AD 41-54. There were quite a few famines during this time including one particularly large famine which the historian Josephus wrote about.

   B. Giving in faith (29-30)

It was this prophecy that prompted the church at Antioch to begin their missionary outreach. Look at verses 29-30:

The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:29-30)

The believers in Antioch received the prophecy of the coming famine, and they gave in advance of the need. Now that’s faith! Giving in faith is an important biblical principle, but we find several other biblical principles of giving in this section.

First, notice that each gave. Each one participated. Everyone gave something. It was a team effort. Next, notice that each gave according to his ability. Everyone gave something, but they gave differing amounts. Those who had more gave more. Those who had less gave less. This is another biblical principle when it comes to giving—to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). We give according to our ability. Finally, they gave in order to help others. We do the same. We give in order to help others spiritually through the gospel as well as to meet their physical and material needs.

The church in Antioch was a young church, but they were being discipled well. When they heard this prophecy about the coming famine, they gave in faith and sent their gift with Barnabas and Saul to help the brothers in Judea.

Notice they sent their gift to the elders in Jerusalem, not the apostles. The first part of Acts was all about the apostles, but we see a shift happening here. This shows that pastoral leadership was already developing in the churches by this time. [Note: This trip by Barnabas and Saul may be the same trip Paul described in Galatians, where he says he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas in response to a revelation (Gal. 2:1-2).]

We may not always receive a prophecy to get us moving, but we all need the vision of a lost and hurting world to help motivate us to missions and giving so that God can help others through us.

CONCLUSION: A healthy church is Christ-centered, Bible-teaching and missions-minded. That’s actually the motto for our church. You will find it on our website. You will find it on the front of your worship guide. You will find it on other literature we distribute as a church as well.

A healthy church begins with gospel witness and then grows through Christian discipleship and missionary outreach. All three are vital. Without a gospel foundation, the church is not a church. Without Christian discipleship, the church is not growing in its practice and faith. Without missionary outreach, the church grows inward and fails in its mission to help and reach others.

There are many so-called churches today that have abandoned the gospel. They have forgotten to make the main thing the main thing. We must always make sure that Christ and the gospel are central to our church’s identity. We must never stop proclaiming the good news that Jesus is a Savior for all.

There are other churches that are founded on the gospel, but they never get beyond the gospel. Every week the gospel is proclaimed, but the church is never taught the whole counsel of God from the Scriptures.

Now the gospel is important. We never graduate from the gospel. We take the gospel with us wherever we go. As a church we must never leave gospel witness behind, but we also have a responsibility to move forward with Christian discipleship. When you cease to share the gospel, you cease to be a church. When you leave out discipleship, you cease to be a growing church.

Teaching and discipleship are both part of the Great Commission. Jesus told us: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

Finally, every church must be missions-minded. We should never grow inward, because we are called to be a church on the move with the gospel. We should be active in sharing the gospel in the community, and we should be active in the worldwide mission of sharing the gospel with those who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ, who have never even heard the name of Jesus.

The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. The gospel tells you how to become a Christian. Discipleship teaches you how to live as a Christian. Mission helps others know how to become and live as Christians.

God has called us to be a church on the move known for our gospel witness, Christian discipleship and missionary outreach. It’s not just a motto for a church. These are the tasks God has called us to as we become a church on the move together.

© Ray Fowler

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