Walk Faster – please

Walk Faster – Please

Early Christians grew spiritually at a phenomenal speed.

• After Pentecost, new believers were quickly studying the Word, giving generously and sharing Jesus.
• At Antioch, we see not only new converts in the first Gentile church, but their sudden growth spiritually. The Gentile’s salvation is memorable of Acts 2. Their growth is very rapid and well grounded.
• Maybe the modern church moves discipleship too slowly. We do too many book studies, and don’t get hands dirty, down on the ground discipleship.

The Movement of Missions in Acts 1-11:

1. Pentecost: Jews from all over the world were saved. Hope was that these new Jewish converts would carry the Gospel back to their cities all over the world, synagogues get saved, worldwide movement stirred. Jesus: You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria, ends of earth. (Not what happened! Instead: People stuck around Jerusalem and built a mega church.)

Jerusalem church: Living Apostles. Peter. John. James the brother of Jesus. Know how many (missionaries to the Gentiles they sent out?) Zero. (Missions offerings they took?) (Missions trips?) Their focus was wholly on Israel, Jews and in particular: Making Jerusalem the headquarters for Christianity.

Because Christianity started in Jerusalem, it was difficult for them to see the movement going far from Jerusalem, and certainly far out from Israel itself. Israel was the people of God in their view. Jesus died and rose again in Jerusalem. It made sense to them to stay close to Jerusalem.

2. Persecution: Synagogues. Get in an argument with Stephen, it all boils over. Kill Stephen. It sets Saul loose to move through houses’ of worship and homes looking for Christians to persecute.

3. Samaria: Some of the people who were running because of the persecution related to Stephen’s death, headed down to Samaria. In Samaria, Philip preached Jesus. Peter and John confirmed the salvation of the Samaritans and prayed for the giving of the Holy Spirit.

4. Philip: Goes from Samaria, Spirit sends him to Desert Road where he meets a Eunuch from Ethiopia. The Eunuch is saved and baptized and history tells us that he took the Gospel home as the first missionary to Ethiopia.

5. Saul: As the Gospel goes out, God does something amazing. Saul of Tarsus is converted on the Damascus Road. (Acts 9)

6. Peter has a vision: Sees a sheet full of nasty animals. Those animals represent God’s plan to reach the Gentiles. He goes to the home of a Gentile, Baptizes him and then has to defend his actions with the Jerusalem church.

7. Antioch: People who were scattered because of persecution go all over the ancient world. Some go to Antioch (Syria) and they share Gospel with Gentiles. And the Gentiles get saved! Suspicious that Gentiles can actually be saved, the church at Jerusalem sends Barnabas to investigate. But what he finds is authentic followers of Jesus. He goes to Tarsus and gets Saul to help him lead this new church of Gentile believers.

I. What was so remarkable about growth at Antioch?

1. Their salvation quickly produced visible (Acts 11:19-26)

• In five verses they go from being saved to people noticing a transformation.
• Antioch has been called the “Cradle of Christianity.”
• Their transformation was visible. It wasn’t just what they professed, outsiders noticed that they behaved like Jesus.

2. They showed (Acts 11:27-29)

• Agabus appears twice in the book of Acts. (11:27-30 and Acts 21:10-12) He is a prophet who had a gift for foretelling future events. His spiritual gift reminds me of Joseph, who saw the future. Only, in Agabus case, dreams are not the method by which God reveals the events to come.
• Everyone gave, no matter where they were in their spiritual growth. They all wanted to be a part of what God was doing.
• Their giving was gracious. The Jerusalem church was suspicious of their salvation. Instead of being resentful, when the Antioch church heard there was going to be a need in Jerusalem, they gave money to help them.

3. They went Radically Missional! (Acts 13:1-2)

• The church at Antioch became the launching pad for Christian missions.
• Acts 13:1, Simon called Niger. Simon is a Latin nickname. Presumably he was a man of dark complexion. Some have wondered if he is the Simon who carried the cross. But there is no real reason to identify him has that same Simon.
• Acts 13:1, Lucius of Cyrene (Africa): Common Roman name. Probably one of the ones who first preached Gospel to those in Antioch. Do you sense a great African influence on the Gentile movement?
• Acts 13:1, Manaen: “Foster-Brother” also be translated, “Intimate Friend.” Herod was the Herod who killed John the Baptist. Put Jesus on a show trial, sent him back Pilate. His close friend: SAVED! (One rose to rule a Provence. Other higher honor of leading in God’s Kingdom.)
• Acts 13-14, the first Missionary Journey.

4. They Defended

• Acts 15, the early church had “Judizers.”
• Paul describes this situation in Galatians 2:4-5
• 15:1, Men come from Jerusalem and tell Gentile believers at Antioch that their salvation is dependent on circumcision!
• Acts 15:2, Paul and Barnabas shut them down! (The intensity of this argument is expressed in Galatians 2:4-5)
• Acts 15:2, the matter was taken to the Apostles. But don’t miss how amazing it is that this young church and young believers like Saul could so quickly and adequately defend the Bible.

II. How were they able to move so fast?

1. Direction: They kept their focus (Acts 11:23)

2. Muscle: They (Acts 11:29)

3. Anticipation: They expected God (Acts 11:25)

4. Plan: They had a teaching plan to produce (Acts 11:26)

• Bible study
• Sermons with the intent of spiritual growth. Our sermon planning follows a curriculum kind of like this: (Winter, Doctrine) (Spring, Family) (Summer: Exposition, through a book) (Fall, Discipleship.)
• Availability. Do live together.
• Disciple children. Our primary structured discipleship program for children is AWANA.
• Youth, teaching skills with Bible application.

5. Passion: They personalized the (Acts 13:1-3)

• Something crazy happens in Antioch: Teaching. Growing. Worshiping. God says: Go! I love their passion: The Gospel has to get out from these walls! This News is Too GOOD to stay here! Got share it! Not “Someone”, their attitude was, “we need to go!” and “let this go out from among us!”
• Booker T. Washington was raising money for black education. He spoke to Andrew Carnegie. At the end of his speech, Carnagie wrote a check for a thousand dollars! Lot of money back then. Washington said, “Oh sir, you have failed to see the bigness of what I am doing.” He spoke some more, and then Carnegie wrote a check for $100,000.