5/24/13. Acts 11:19-30. A MISSIONARY CHURCH  – my devotional

Acts 11:19-30                                                            Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 11:20                                                       5/24/13

“But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenistsalso, preaching the Lord Jesus.” (ESV)

    Dear God, thank you for granting me strength each day to do what I must do. It was so hard at work, but you gave meaning to it all and you granted me the strength to overcome. I know you will strengthen me in all things. Help me to be a blessing at the local hospital and in the community of DeKalb/Sycamore. I pray that you prepare the hearts of those going to NW Ontario. Help us to have the same vision as you have. Help us to be part of a miraculous work of God among the Native people. Inspire us as we go on this journey. I also pray for the KBC Vacation Bible School. May 300 kids be blessed by the VBS as well as their parents. Help us all to serve. Please nestle your word and your vision in my heart today through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Seeds Scattered By Persecution (19-21)

After Stephen’s death, persecution of Christians intensified. They scattered, preaching the gospel wherever they went. Verse 19 reads, “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.”  The early Christians were exposed to some hard times. They were experiencing persecution and they had to leave their homes and travel to parts unknown. We see such persecution happening today in many areas of the Middle East, where regimes toppled and the Christian communities are no longer protected. They are driven from their homes, their churches bombed and burnt. In Syria so many Christians are in refugee camps and in most of these countries many are immigrating to other countries, leaving some countries without an public Christian presence. I can never imagine someone knocking on my door and telling me I have 24 hours leave my house. I would pack my car and truck and drive away from it all, leaving all that I have worked hard for only to see my persecutors begin living in my home for free. Maybe my family and I would be subjected to physical violence. Maybe some of us would have lost their lives. Such persecution would be devastating. But that is what Christians have faced over the last 2,000 years.

Even though persecution is terrible, it a very effective tool in spreading the church. The persecution of the first century church was effective in sending Jewish converts into Asia. God wants his people to go the ends of the earth to spread the gospel to the far away lands and far away cultures. If we don’t do it voluntarily, by living as missionaries, then Christians will be scattered through their circumstances. Nowadays, people may be scattered through economic hardships…looking for a job. How many missionaries are out there in the oil boom of North Dakota? What about natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy? Or the New Orleans floods? What about inner struggles and sufferings that rage within us? These things spread believers around to spread the gospel to far away places. I would not go as far as God creates the hardship and the persecution, but I will say that he definitively works through it.

When hardships come my way, I have a tendency to complain. But I need to not complain. I need to open my eyes to see what God is doing. He is moving me in some ways, to preach the Gospel in new ways. All of my sufferings have a reason and purpose. I need to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. Or maybe I should say, I should look for God’s lit candle instead of cursing the darkness.

What hardship is God using to spread me and my family to the “ends of the earth”. We did have an emotional hardship where we had to re-define our family and our mission. We were locked into a certain expression of faith and a particular ministry and style of ministry. For decades I thought that there was no other way. But God used my inner suffering and turmoil to move me from familiar ways to new frontiers. In this two year journey God led us to “The Art of Marriage” Seminars. We are reaching out to 18 couples (this year) and helping to lay a Biblical foundation to their marriages. God is opening the way for me to help co-ordinate the sending of missionaries to NW Ontario. This mission came to me after two years of inner emotional suffering and relational strains within my family, to get me to move into parts unknown. God wants to me spread the gospel as I move into these new areas of life and ministry.

There were some Jewish converts that did something very unconventional. Some who went to Antioch in Syria found prepared Gentile hearts. Look at verses 20-21, “²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenistsalso, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.”  Most of those scattered were Jewish converts to the faith. They went to various parts of the Roman Empire. As they went, they would go to the local synagogues and preach the gospel to other Jews. But these people broke the mold. They actually preached to Gentiles. And God blessed their efforts born out of their faith. They preached the good news, and a great number of people believed. I can learn here that if we reach out to others with the Gospel as we live our lives, accepting our present circumstances as the will of God, then God will bless our efforts.

We can not be afraid to try something new. The men of Cyprus and Cyrene could have been the sons of Simon of Cyrene. Maybe they were Simon and his sons. They were innovators. Maybe they were criticized by others at first, “Why are you talking to those Gentiles? You should stick to preaching to the Jews.” But God was very pleased in what they did. We need to look outside the box. We cannot just stick to old paradigms of mission for no good reason. God is moving like the wind. You don’t know where it is going to, you can’t see it with your eyes, but you see its effects. God used the first two decades of my life of faith, but he definitely is doing something new in the next two decades.

We can not be afraid of reaching out to new people groups in new ways. God may have in mind to do something wonderful through that act of faith. We can not just be stuck in one way. Look at what happened when these men of Cyprus and Cyrene reached out in new ways. To some, it looks like the doors to the remote communities of Native Canadians is closing as they are turning to traditional ways as an answer to problems. How can a white American missionary effectively present the gospel in this type of environment? There seems to be so many barriers. But, based on this passage, I know that there is a way. We don’t know the way yet. But God wants to show us a very fruitful way. We just need the faith of these men from Cyprus and Cyrene to believe in God and try something new. Lord, open wide the door of fruitful and life giving Gospel work in NW Ontario.

Part 2: The Ministry Of Barnabas (22-29)

Barnabas was a man with the heart of Jesus. He had eyes to see God’s work in Antioch, and he encouraged the Gentile believers. Look at his ministry in verses 22-26a, “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ 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, 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. ²⁵ So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people….”  Barnabas knew that they needed Bible study, so he went to Tarsus and got Saul. He could share a fruitful ministry with someone more able than himself. Together, he and Saul taught the Bible to them for a year, and God blessed their ministry. Perhaps it was Barnabas who taught them responsible stewardship and sacrificial giving (4:36-37), and planted in them (and in Paul) a sense of missionary responsibility.

First, we need to be people of encouragement like Barnabas. We can open our eyes and look around us and see how we can teach others and encourage others. We can go invite other servants of God to come and encourage new believers. Dr Ben Toh is doing this type of work in the Philippines. How can I be a Barnabas. I need to encourage the people whom God has brought into my life, like my family, like the few people who have accepted Bible study, like the people at work, like the people at my church. I can help to raise up and send out servants of God to help build up the body of Christ. I can engage in internet evangelism. I can be an encourager to the few families that are engaged in “Art of Marriage” Seminars. I can encourage those who are interested in Native ministry in Ontario. I hope that one day I can go to missionaries on the mission field and have Bible studies with them. Maybe we can do Art of Marriage seminars and Courageous Faith seminars. I pray that all those who are engaged in the continuing missionary education at UBF may be able to take what they are learning and share it all over the place. Lord, help me to be a Barnabas.

    Second, God started something new in the Antioch church. These new believers lived in a Christ-like way and became known for their Christian lifestyle. Verses 26b reads, “…And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” In this type of environment, with encouraging leadership, world mission, prayer and Bible study, the Christian church broke out of Judaism and the world began to know that the believers were actually Christ-like followers of Jesus, for that is what Christian means. History shows that they were taking care of the sick, whom were thrown out into the streets to die. They were living pure lives. They were generous. They were really standing out from the unbelieving world because of their love and sacrifice. The question begs to be asked, “Are we known as Christians in our realm of influence?” Do people know that we are Christ followers, not because of what we say, but more by what we do? I pray that those around me may know that I and my whole family are Christians and that our daily lives of love and sacrifice may advertise Christ.

Third, we need to break free from old stereotypes and paradigms through sincere Bible study, prayer and mentoring. That is what happened in the Antioch church. Our Bible study should never be used to just support our old ways. It should never be used to resist change. It should be used in such a way as to foster change so that the church my follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and be used by God is culturally sensitive ways. The culture is changing all around us. The context in which we do ministry is changing. We need to change, without compromising the Gospel message. I am so tired of just “patting myself on the back” and maintaining the status quo with Bible study. I want to see new things happening as the Gospel touches new hearts in a new generation. I pray that everything we do may be an encouragement and also a catalyst for change, following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Fourth, they were willing to listen to a New Testament prophet and humbly respond in a Christ-like manner. Look at verses 27-29, They read, “ Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). ²⁹ So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothersliving in Judea. ³⁰ And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”  I don’t know if we today would ever listen to a prophet? Does God still work through prophets like this? I do know that God does work though people and we need to be humble to have ears to listen to other people whom God may be sending among us. They were not stuck in their ways and were allowing God to communicate with them. Would we mock a Muslim in Saudi Arabia who says that Jesus appeared to him in a dream and urged him to repent and believe. This is happening time and again. Jesus is changing hearts in the midst of a very repressive society. What if God is calling you to deviate from what you thought was your life long, unchanging mission? May God grant us humble hearts.

Fifth, they responded in generous giving. Look at verses 29-30 again, “²⁹ So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothersliving in Judea. ³⁰ And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”  These believers in a Gentile church were willing to give generously to Jewish converts who were judging them and excluding them. But they forgave and were generous. This in one of the reasons that these people came to be known as Christians. Their generosity set them apart. How would you respond to a crisis? Would you respond in a Christ-like way? I pray that I may give generously to those in need.

Craig Smith, in his book, “Whiteman’s Gospel” reflects in how his Native grandparent accepted Jesus. Some people came to their community as Paul and Barnabas did and preached the gospel in ways that were very sensitive to the community they were entering. Craig’s grandparents were converted and now there were four generations of believers in his family. This has been done by modern day Paul and Barnabas’. They were missionaries who followed the ways of discipleship and mentoring. They encouraged the converts to step out and do things for Christ. (p.99) They presented the gospel in ways that were powerful, effective and culturally relative.

The Antioch became a strong, established minority church, whom God used to be a blessing to the entire body in a time of crisis. They were moving from being on the receiving end of missions to actually reaching out others and this happened in one year. (p. 100). Craig related this to the Native church. For generations, missionaries have come and tried to give and give. They would even raise up workers for their own programs they established. But he is saying that missions to Natives must have discipleship in mind with the goal that the Native church may be a giving church and a sending church. He calls the Native church to be cross cultural. He calls every native believer to reach out to bless someone from another culture and race. He notes that the believers in Jerusalem were the one who did the Antioch believers wrong at first. In keeping with this principle, he suggests that the Native church should reach out to the dominant culture and bless them. To do this they must break down walls and division and do something tangible for those who have hurt them in the past. When the Native church become cross cultural and reaches out to be world Christians, then they will be blessed. (p.. 102) I agree with this. I too need to apply this principle in my life and reach out an bless those who had made my life difficult in the past.

Prayer: Lord, help our church to be like the church in Antioch. Raise up people of encouragement and Bible teachers like Barnabas.

One Word: Marks of a missionary church