SAME STORM, DIFFERENT BOATS || ACTS 11 Same Storm, Different Boats

“Delay has to be - sometimes. Your lives are so linked up with those of others, so bound by circumstances that to let your desire have instant fulfillment might in many cases cause another, as earnest prayer, to go unanswered.” A.J. Russell – God Calling Acts 11 – Fulfillment & New Beginnings

Fulfillment: The Inclusion of Gentiles • Cornelius’ conversion is defended • The gospel is for all people New Beginnings: The Church at Antioch • Non-Jewish believers • A new identity given to Jesus followers - Christian • A hub for Kingdom Expansion to the Gentile world • A contemporary in significance to Jerusalem Acts 11 - One Story – Different Boats

Acts 11:1-18 – Peter Defends Cornelius’ Conversion

Acts 11:19 – Stephen’s Death Remembered

Acts 11:19-21 – The Scattered People Reach Antioch

Acts 11:22-30 – Barnabas is Sent to Antioch

Acts 11:25-30 – Saul (Paul) joins Barnabas in Antioch Acts 11:1-18 – Peter Defends Cornelius’ Conversion & Gentile Inclusion

Acts 2 14 Peter stood up with the eleven apostles and shouted to the crowd. “Listen carefully, my fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem. You need to clearly understand what’s happening here…16 This is the fulfillment of what was prophesied through the prophet Joel, for God says:17 ‘This is what I will do in the last days—I will pour out my Spirit on everybody…

Acts 11 15-17 “So I started in, talking. Before I’d spoken half a dozen sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. I remembered Jesus’ words: ‘John baptized with water; you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to God?” 18 Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then, as it sank in, they started praising God. “It’s really happened! God has broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!” Acts 11:19 – Stephen’s Death Remembered

Acts 11:19-21 – The Scattered People Reach Antioch

Acts 8 Now, Saul agreed to be an accomplice to Stephen’s stoning and participated in his execution. 1-2 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles…. 3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus...

Acts 11 19-21 Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it—quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master. Acts 11:22-30 – Barnabas is Sent to Antioch

Acts 4 36-37 Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles. Acts 9 26-27 Back in Jerusalem he (Saul) tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him… 28-30 After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master’s name.

Acts 11 22-24 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master. 25-26 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. Acts 11:25-30 – Saul (Paul) joins Barnabas in Antioch

Acts 8 …. 3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus... Acts 9 28-30 After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master’s name. But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists—he had been engaged in a running argument with them—who plotted his murder. When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus.

Acts 11 25-26 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. The Antioch Story THE CHURCH OF THE SCATTERED PEOPLE

“Let’s talk about the spontaneous expansion of the church. In the chapters following Acts 7 the work wasn’t primarily done by leaders. It was done by the natural inclinations of people who likely didn’t feel any more like heroes than you and I do, but were so in love with Jesus that even as they fled persecution for the gospel, they shared the gospel and opened their lives to the people they met along the way! And it was a huge glorious messy bonanza that turned the world upside down. The leaders didn’t hold back the fire. They couldn’t if they tried! They chased the wildfire of evangelism and gave their lives to teach and strengthen and form the disciples into families who would send forth more fire!” How COVID-19 is Awakening the Sleeping Giant and Restoring the Church – Tim Thornton Would you like prayer?

Call 385-269-9197 Prayer teams (Monica & Brian Hess; Sharon Ouzts & Mike Buhler) are on call.