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Home , Agabus, Barnabas

Screen 1 Screen 2 “A Two Way Street” :1-30 September 27, 2020

(Emphasize the street from to – back and forth – throughout this sermon!)

Last week, we spoke of :1-48, on the conversion of Cornelius, a God- fearing, Centurion of Caesarea and the Gentile that occurred at the end of th echapter. Reiterate the importance of this account in the fact that the events of this chapter are told and retold seven times in the book of Acts. Chapter 10 – Chapter 11:18 is the longest single narrative is the entire book of Acts. (Scrolls were only about 35 feet long – so space was limited. The fruition of the whole narrative is in:

Acts 10:34-35 34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Explain the absolute hatred from the toward the (notes from last week.) As well as the Gentiles toward the Jews.

(Use Screen #13 from last week) Screen 3

PRAY HERE

Acts 11:1 Now the and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard Screen 4 that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

(Chapter 11 as a whole is devoted to the foundational events in the Gentile

1 mission of the ) as soon as the Gentile Pentecost occurs.

Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of . Then they asked him to remain for some days.

Acts 11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized Screen 5 him, saying,

(The “mother church” in in Jerusalem.)

“circumcission party” – evidently, this party believed that any Gentile who became a Christian would have to convert to Judaism and undergo the full Jewish procedure, which included circumcisim.

Acts 11:3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Notice the only thing they attack about what Peter did is the fact that he went and “ate with them” (table fellowship was absolutely forbidden). Table fellowship equals acceptance of the Gentiles.

Acts 11:4-18 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in Screen 6 the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment

2 three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The “mother church” at Jerusalem rejoices and glorifies God because repentance that leads to life has been granted to the Gentiles – me, too!!!

Acts 11:19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that Screen 7 arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

Now, our focus moves from the church in Jerusalem, led by the apostles and comprised mainly of speaking Jewish , to the church at Antioch, which was established by the Hellenists, Greek-speaking Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem after Stephen’s execution (). Antioch was Antioch of (to distinguish it from 15 other cities named Antioch). This one was the third largest city in the Roman Empire: (1) ; (2) ; (3) Antioch [of Syria] with 500,000 – 800,000 in population. An estimated 25,000 - 50,000 Jews living there

3 at the time.

Screen 8 (Map of Antioch, Phoenicia, and Cyprus here)

In Christian history, apart from Jerusalem, no other city in the Roman Empire played as large a part in the early life of the church. It was the birthplace of foreign missions (:2) and the home base for Paul’s outreach to the eastern half of the Empire. It was the very first place converts were called “Christians” (Acts 11:26) and where the question of should Gentile converts submit to the rite of circumcision first arose (:1-2; :11-21). It had among its teachers , Paul, Peter (Galatians 2:11-13) in the first century; Ignatius and Theopholus in the second century; Lucian, Theodore, Chrysostom and Theodoret at the end of the third and fourth centuries. Antioch of Syria had a rotten reputation for (its world-famous) immorality. It has sacred prostitution, etc. “What happened in Antioch (of Syria), stayed in Antioch!”

Though Stephen was dead, his legacy lived on.

Acts 10:20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on Screen 9 coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

The way Stephen was killed and his testimony kept these men preaching the . “Hellenists” here, actually means – i.e. Gentiles. Notice they used the word “Lord, Jesus.” “Lord” was a word those Gentiles understood better than “Messiah” which the Jews understood better.

Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

4 A great number of Greeks/Gentiles believes and “turned to the Lord.” This showed both faith and repentance.

Acts 11:22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and Screen 10 they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

The “mother church” sends out Barnabas “the son of encouragement.” His real name was (:36). He already had proven himself to be a very generous believer (prompted ) and he introduced and defended Saul/Paul into the debacle circle of apostles (:27). I long to be an encourager like Barnabas (“hope, encouragement and vision . . .”). He was a true bridge-builder! He could see the positive aspects in both sides of an issue and mediate between perspectives. (Matt Stewart is like him!) He was exactly the kind of person needed for this very controversial issue of Jews and Gentiles. Ultimately it was erased.

Acts 11:23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he Screen 11 exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,

“he was glad” – he rejoiced.

“he exhorted them all . . .” – The son of encouragement/exhoratation did what he always did best. (literally “to call to one’s side”).

Acts 11:24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

“he was a good man” – Luke only describes one other man this way – (Luke 23:50).

5 “full of the Holy Spirit and faith” - Luke only describes one other person this way – Stephen (:5).

He always looked for the best in others – my how this is needed today!

“And a great many people were added to the Lord” – because of Barnabas’ leadership.

Screen 12 Acts 11:25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

Because of the growth in Antioch, Barnabas needed some help – Saul/Paul immediately came to mind. Saul was in Tarsus, near (:21). Galatians 1 – 2 teach that ten to twelve years have passed since he left Jerusalem for Tarsus in Acts 9:30. Ten to twelve years have passed between the end of Acts 9 and Acts 11:25! Saul has been ministering in obscurity for a decade plus - let that sink in. Now, Barnabas goes and gets him.

“to look for Saul” – this phrase means Barnabas had difficulty finding Saul [off the grid] but is being faithful to God.

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole Screen 13 year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Together, they taught a great number of people. This would prepare them for their very first mission together in Cyprus and Southern Turkey (Acts 13:4 – 14:26).

“Christians” – the term only occurs in two other places in the entire New

6 Screen 14 Testament:

Acts 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

In all three instances it is a term used by outsiders to describe Christians. Insiders preferred the terms “believers, disciples, brothers.” The first extensive usage by a Christian writer was Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, around the turn of the Second Century A.D. It consists of two words: Christos – Greek for “Christ/Messiah” and the ending Ianus – meaning “belonging to/identified by.” Ancient Roman writers such as Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny, Lucian used the term often. Beginning here, starts to develop its own identity apart from Judaism. (“Christ- ones” – Boice) *Soldiers in the Roman Army identified themselves by their general’s name by adding ian to the end of their names.*

Acts 11:27 Now in these days came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Screen 15

“prophets” – In the prophecy is primarily viewed as a word spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit intended for the direction or edification of the Christian community (the Forth telling). However, here, we have an example of the foretelling of future events. Prophets were from the “mother church” in Jerusalem to Antioch of Syria.

Acts 11:28 And one of them named stood up and foretold by the Spirit

7 that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of ).

“Agabus stood up” – Agabus foretells of a great famine “all over the world” – or the entire Roman world or civilized world.

“In the days of Claudius” – Luke is the only New Testament writer to mention a Roman Emperor by name (Augustus once and Claudias twice). The reign of Claudius was marked by a long series of crop failures in various parts of the empire - in Judea, Rome, Egypt and Greece. There was a major famine coming in 46 A.D. several years from where our account takes place this morning.

Acts 11:29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to Screen 16 send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

“according to his ability” – Christians should always be givers, just like Stephen, Screen 17 Barnabas, Saul/Paul, Agabus, just like Jesus.

Acts 11:30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas Screen 18 and Saul.

“the elders” – not the apostles because the apostles continued to give themselves more and more to the prayer and the preaching of the Word.

“As for as I know, this is the first charitable act of this nature in all recorded history – one race of people. (Gentile Christians) collecting money to help another people (Jewish Christians). No wonder they were first called Christians at Antioch.” (Boice)

8 The street from Jerusalem to Antioch, and back and forth, was long and difficult (approximately 300 miles, paved with a lot of hurts and hatred) but God began and continued to break down racial barriers as both groups continue to reach out and embrace/encourage each other.

PRAYER AND VERBAL INVITATION Screen 19

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