The Momentum Builds - a sermon on Acts 11:19-26

We could say that it was tragic that people who had just committed their lives to Jesus were hounded and persecuted for their new found faith, to the extent that they had to leave their native communities and head to places that were less antagonistic to different ways of thinking and believing. Who would have thought that it would be safer and better for Jesus followers in a big city like Antioch with its bad reputation in the area of morality! Who would have thought that a place like Antioch would have provided a better base for Christian mission than Jerusalem – for so long the centre of God’s dealings with the Jewish people! How it must of felt, to have to leave all their familiar surroundings, and their cultural and spiritual centre, just because they knew that Jesus was Lord and Messiah!

However, although it was still difficult to bear, this was not actually tragic or ultimately even regrettable! It was all part of God’s plan for the evangelisation of the world. In taking their new life in Jesus northward (and westward), with an obvious strong commitment within them, these early believers began the spread of Christianity around the world. God can and does bring good out of times of affliction. And these were not the heroes of the faith that we are normally reading about, but rather just everyday people who had become Jesus followers. Sure, Peter had set the scene for Gentile mission through his interaction with Cornelius, and his defence of this to the church back in Jerusalem; but almost with life of its own, the gospel message spread through ordinary people in everyday relationships.

For us today, the difficulties that come to us purely because we are Jesus followers should actually make us stronger and more effective – we know more about what we believe and why we believe it. We are able to know more intimately the One we rely upon and follow – Jesus of Nazareth. What are some of the difficulties of being a Christian in today’s world??? Some possibilities are:
· Standing out as different and therefore coping criticism or ridicule
· Having to make different harder decisions (ethics, financial, time)
· Being seen as one who needs a crutch.

These believers had left Jerusalem with their faith in Jesus being seen somewhat as a new grouping of their traditional Jewish religion. So it was no wonder they only shared about Jesus with Jews. However, as we know, God had instigated a revolution through Peter’s leadership towards reaching the Gentiles. It wasn’t long before other believers from other places (like the island of Cyprus, and Cyrene on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa) who had also been touched by the good news, started to share their testimonies a lot wider.

The momentum was building towards this following of the resurrected Jesus becoming a world wide phenomenon. Antioch, in Syria, 500 kilometres north of Jerusalem, was the third biggest city in the known (Roman) world, behind Rome and Alexandria. Antioch had a population at this time of around 500,000, with a melting pot of different cultures; it had a thriving economy – being placed strategically on the trade routes south to Palestine and Egypt, east to Persia, and west to Asia Minor. This would be the place where the church of Jesus Christ would really be launched, and the place from which Paul would begin his great missionary journeys. Why? Because people were willing, despite their difficulties, to share their faith! Why?? Because their faith was so important to them, and it had brought so much positive change to their experience of life!! And, because these believers understood God’s inclusive (heart) concern for all people groups. And, of course, as we read in verse 21, “the hand of the Lord was with them”.

The Gentiles of Antioch, in big numbers, took to the Christian message as the very thing that they had been waiting for, as something that exactly suited their case! Such big news travelled back to Jerusalem, where the church leaders wondered if this was for real, and was this movement true to the beliefs and message of the originating disciples.

They must have had a strong sense that it was authentic (following the convincing appeals of Peter – vs.1-18), because they sent a man with a reputation for support and encouragement – Barnabas. This was the man who, in Acts 4, had sold a field that belonged to him, and gave the money to the common purse of the believers. And when Barnabas experienced first hand the authenticity of the believers in Antioch, he could only rejoice and help with the teaching of these new Christians. Barnabas is one who could be flexible and adapt to the presenting circumstances. Luke clearly comments in verse 24 that Barnabas is “full of the Holy Spirit”.

However, in his God-given wisdom, Barnabas also knew that someone special would be needed to bring all this together, and take leadership in the mission further west, lest the momentum and opportunity be lost. But who would this special person be? Who could take on such complex leadership? It would of course be Saul, who would become known famously as Paul. You’ll remember that the former persecutor of Jesus followers had been converted on the road to Damascus, and remarkably become a disciple himself.

God had revealed to Ananias (Acts 9) that Saul was God’s chosen instrument to bring God’s name before the Gentiles. When Saul sought to connect up with the original disciples and they were still afraid of him, it was Barnabas that reassured the meeting that Saul had indeed been touched by God’s Spirit and become an ardent follower of Jesus.

And so Barnabas could have already been Paul’s closest friend, and therefore could know very well the person of God’s choosing. Time had moved on and Paul had been quieting sharing his faith locally around his home town of Tarsus, until the time was right. Barnabas travelled the 250 kilometres northwest to Tarsus, and having eventually located Saul, convinced him that this was the moment – the mission-field was ready. Then they travelled back together to Antioch. You can see I hope, God’s hand in all of this, not manipulating from afar, but rather working deeply and significantly in the lives of those that truly trusted in Jesus.

This new and growing Jesus movement would now have a name! They would be called “Christians”. This name likely came first from the curious citizens of the general Antiochean community, seeking to describe this new and somewhat exciting phenomenon which was fast becoming a distinct movement; likely to also being given as a nickname by those seeking to ridicule or diminish this cause. Yet the early believers were willing to accept this title as it indicated clearly that they:
Ø belonged to Christ, or
Ø were those of the household of Christ, or
Ø belonged to the party of Christ, or
Ø were partisans of Christ, or
Ø were Christ followers, or
Ø the Christ people (ones who are always talking about Jesus);
Ø perhaps the most literal translation suggests the ones who ‘transact business under the name of Christ’.

It is interesting with all the common usage of the term “Christian”, it is only used in two other places in the New Testament (Acts 26:28 & 1 Peter 4:16).

Some think now that the title “Christian” has outlived its usefulness, and is not really understood as it should be. There are a whole lot of unfortunate connections of this term with the failings and shortcomings of the Christian church in the past, and how this term has been connected with more nationalistic causes as opposed to other nationalistic causes. Referring to certain countries of the world as “Christian countries” just confuses what the word really should indicate, for example, to say Australia is a “Christian” country says more about its historical undertones that it does about its current spirituality. Countries can’t really be Christian, only people can be Christian, and only then if they truly wholeheartedly decide to belong to Jesus.

Australia is really a secular democracy where people have the right to choose their own religious path. We, as the Jesus followers, or as the Christian church, have the responsibility of presenting Jesus to the communities of Australia, in such a way as they will be attracted to join the Jesus movement themselves.

The believers of the first century church, despite their difficulties, shared the good news of Jesus with integrity, and the cause of The Kingdom of God was built. As we read continually in Acts, the numbers of believers continued to grow – many people were added; and of course – the hand of the Lord was upon them! These Christians were able to adapt and share the message of Jesus in a way that the spiritually needy and diverse citizens of Antioch could understand and appreciate.