God's church grows and gives

So for the last four weeks here in church, we've been drawing lessons from the life of Barnabas,

who we meet in the book of Acts.

And as we come to the second part of this description of the church in Antioch,

we're going to discover that God's church is a church that both gives and grows.

What is it that connects these stories?

A story from the Philippines of a church that's part of a farming community

that took some of its precious rice, floated it down a river to help some other Christians downstream

whose crops had been flooded.

What connects that story with the story of a girl called Saria, a 10-year-old,

sending her pocket money to her Bible society

so that children in her country would have the chance to learn about Jesus?

What connects those stories with the story of churches in Scotland

raising money to send to Christians who were left homeless after the military coup in Myanmar?

And what connects those stories with the story that we read here of a church in Turkey

collecting money to send to struggling Christians in Jerusalem?

I think the collecting link in each case is that these are people who believe the good news of Jesus

and that good news of Jesus then motivates them to give generously and sacrificially

for the sake of others and for the kingdom.

The book of Acts, that's where we are this morning,

sees Jesus continue his mission.

And we've been seeing the church growing and spreading.

And we've also been seeing that Luke, at different points,

pauses for a moment to take snapshots of different local churches.

We've seen him do it in Jerusalem,

and now we see him here focusing on the church, this young church in Antioch.

And as we consider this snapshot that Luke gives us,

we see two things, I think.

We see a church that's growing,

as Barnabas and Saul teach about Jesus,

so that believers are growing in knowledge and maturity.

But we also see at the same time, don't we,

the church is giving.

And again, Barnabas and Saul are involved.

They're helping to facilitate this generous gift

to Christians experiencing famine conditions in Jerusalem.

So Jesus is continuing his mission.

He's calling and he's forming healthy disciples

who love Jesus, who love the church,

who want good news to spread,

who want Jesus' love to be shared.

And so my prayer for us today, as we gather,

is that God will use the church in Antioch

to teach and to encourage us today.

Well, let's think, first of all,

about this church that grows,

to recognize that God's church grows.

Verse 25 and verse 26.

Just to fill in the blanks for those of us

who weren't here last week,

we're thinking about this reality,

that here is, again, a major leap in Jesus' mission.

The good news is now spreading across language and culture.

It comes to the Greeks in Turkey and Antioch.

They're turning from their idols,

and now they're saying Jesus is their Lord.

The church is growing rapidly.

The church in Jerusalem hears about it.

Barnabas is sent to encourage them,

to instruct them.

That's where we finished last week.

Now we're going to see what happens next.

And I want us to see three things

about this growing Antioch church.

First of all,

to see in Barnabas someone who's leading like Jesus.

Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,

and when he found him,

he brought him to Antioch.

To know anything about Jesus in the Gospels

is to know that Jesus was profoundly humble.

Jesus was a servant leader

who encouraged his disciples to be servant leaders.

And I would suggest that Barnabas in this moment

is showing great humility.

So the church has been growing.

The good news of Jesus has been spreading.

Barnabas has been winning people to Jesus.

But he knows that what's best for the church

is for him to have a colleague,

a helper.

And he knows that Paul, Saul,

has been called, especially by Jesus,

to bring good news to the Greeks, the Gentiles.

He knows that Paul is a gifted preacher.

Now Barnabas, of course, could have said,

now hold on a minute,

the growth here,

well it's all about me.

I'm the leader in Antioch.

He could have been concerned

for his position and his standing.

If someone like Saul comes,

people will think more of him and less of me.

He could have done that.

He was proud.

But he's a humble leader.

His focus is not himself.

His focus is all about Jesus.

He's not wanting to build his kingdom.

He's wanting to see the kingdom of God grow and advance.

Barnabas' nickname means son of encouragement.

And here we see him encouraging us

that it's good to get help from others.

It's good to enable the gifts of others to be used.

He doesn't hold on to his position of leadership in pride.

Another thing we certainly see as this church grows

is that they grow because they're learning about Jesus.

into verse 26 again.

So for a whole year,

Barnabas and Saul met with the church

and taught great numbers of people.

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

So here we get a sense of Barnabas and Saul

and they have this year-long discipleship training.

And we're not given the details,

but we know that the content

is Jesus Christ and the way of Christ.

And we know that

because of the nickname that emerges for this church.

They're called Christians.

That points us to the focus of the teaching, doesn't it?

This is what they're all about.

So Barnabas and Saul are teaching the way of Christ.

That's how to make disciples.

That's how to have people saved.

That's how to see people grow in faith.

To teach about Jesus.

So no doubt Barnabas and Saul in this year

would have taught about the life of Jesus.

Jesus, the eternal Son of God,

who became a man,

who walked on this earth,

and who demonstrated the power of God

in his miracles.

They would have spoken too

of Jesus' perfect obedience

to the Father's will,

to the Father's plan of salvation.

They would have spoken

to these new believers in Antioch

of the generous grace of God

in sending the Lord Jesus.

They would have spoken

about Jesus' love

for outsiders.

Jesus' love

for those that other people despised.

They would have spoken

about the compassion

of Jesus.

There was a time

when Jesus and his disciples

were super busy.

And Jesus said,

let's go to a quiet place

and find some rest.

When they go to the quiet place,

they find a crowd

of 5,000 people.

And the Gospel tells us

that Jesus had compassion on them.

They were like sheep

without a shepherd.

And so he did two things.

He taught them

and he fed them

with the miracle

of the 5,000.

So no doubt

Barnabas and Saul

spoke much of the life

of the Lord Jesus

to establish faith.

But they would have spoken too

of the death of Jesus.

His death as a sacrifice

that covers the sin

of his people.

the sacrifice of Jesus

that atones for sin

and guilt.

They would have spoken

of the cross

as a demonstration

of the justice of God.

Because the judgment

that we deserve

fell on the Lord Jesus.

There was a transfer.

And so justice was done.

But they would also

have spoken about

the cross

as the greatest

demonstration

of God's love

that has ever been seen.

Because there is Jesus

the perfect sinless

Son of God

dying in the place

of sinners like us.

So that simply

by trusting in him

we could be saved

and have eternal life.

They would have spoken too

of the resurrection

of the Lord Jesus.

That three days

after his death

he rose

in victory.

The powers

of evil

and darkness

could not hold

Jesus.

He was vindicated.

His Father

was pleased

with his finished work.

And so Jesus

risen to new life

now gives

new life

eternal life

to those

who trust him.

They would have spoken

to this young church

of the exaltation

of Jesus.

his return

to the glory

of heaven

to sit

at his Father's

right hand

that the Father

had given

Jesus a name

above every name.

Jesus is King

of Kings

Lord of Lords

every knee

should bow

every tongue

will confess

that Jesus

is Lord.

And from

this place

of glory

Jesus and the Father

they send

the Spirit

so he comes

to take up residence

in our hearts.

And they would have

spoken too

of the return

of Jesus.

That for these believers

this hope

was established

that Jesus

would one day

come again

that his victory

would be final

and complete

and eternal

that death

and sorrow

and sin

and sadness

would be

no more.

That this new creation

this perfectly

restored world

was coming.

And so these

young believers

were discipled

in the way

of Christ.

They taught

for growing

maturing

faith.

So these young

Christians

rescued

from

a pagan

way

of thinking

and worshipping

that they now

understand

the good news

of Jesus.

They now know

and worship

the one true

and living God

and they're

learning

to apply

the truth

of Jesus

to their

everyday lives.

Because the third

thing we see

about the church

as it grows

we see

leaders who

lead like Jesus

and we see

learning about

Jesus

but we also

see

loyalty

to Jesus.

Barnabas

is a great name.

It's a great

nickname

to be someone

who encourages

others.

It's a wonderful

thing.

It's also

wonderful

to recognize

end of verse

26

that the

disciples

were called

Christians

first

at Antioch.

They didn't

give themselves

that name.

People in the

city of Antioch

looking in

gave them

the nickname

Christians

and this is

an excellent

nickname.

So maybe

if you read

the gospels

you'll have

heard about

a group of

people called

the Herodians.

So the

Herodians

they were

Herod's

people.

They were

loyal to

Herod.

So when the

church quickly

becomes known

as Christians

it's a nickname

saying these

are Christ's

people.

Their loyalty

belongs

to Jesus.

So imagine

them for a

moment in the

city of Antioch.

How do you

get a nickname

like that?

Well surely

as a church

they're always

talking about

Jesus the

Christ.

Jesus God's

promised

saviour king.

They identify

themselves as

belonging to

Jesus.

They're not so

bothered about

being Roman

citizens.

That was super

important before.

Now what

defines their

identity is

I belong to

the Lord

Jesus.

Now we see

them living a

completely different

way of life.

They're not

going to the

pagan temples

and offering

sacrifice to

pagan gods.

They're not

participating in

pagan rituals.

They're living a

different way of

life.

They're living the

way of love.

And within

this city they've

established

themselves as a

new community.

Marked by their

love and

obedience to the

Lord Jesus and

their acts of

love and service

service towards

one another and

to the community.

The impact in

Antioch was

obviously huge

because they

become at least

in some parts

the talk of the

town.

The church is

bringing surprising

people together.

So we thought

about this last

week that the

great dividing

line in the

first century in

this part of the

world was between

Jews and non-Jews,

between Jews and

Greeks.

Well in this

church Jews and

Greeks are

worshipping together.

they're boldly

living out this

new faith.

When the whole

city, perhaps

under pressure, is

declaring Caesar

as our Lord, the

Christians are

saying, no, no,

Jesus is our

Lord.

When they used

to think that the

way of the Roman

religion was the

best way, Roman

religion which

said what you

need to do is you

need to sacrifice to

try and earn

favour from the

gods, now the

Christian church is

declaring Jesus

the Son of God

has sacrificed

himself so we

can freely enjoy

favour from the

one true and

living God.

A whole new way

of life.

The town sees it.

So the church

grows, Jesus'

mission continues

and God is

receiving glory

just as it should

be, the church

grows.

Now three lessons

for us to keep

thinking about this

before moving on.

First of all to

think about

leadership.

What are the

positive

encouragements that

you and I can

take from the

example of

Barnabas?

Think about

where perhaps you

exercise leadership.

That may be

within a family,

it may be within

an organisation or

a community, it

may be within

your workplace

or in church.

What does

Barnabas' wisdom

have to say to

us?

He would say to

us, in

whatever context,

practice humility.

Always act as a

servant leader.

Consider the needs

of others.

I think he would

also say to us,

remember that it's

good to involve

others, to

equip others, to

enable others to

use their gifts,

not to let

everything fall on

the shoulders of

one, and not in

our pride to take

it all on

ourselves.

We prayed for

our church leaders

this morning.

Perhaps this week

we might continue

especially to pray

for our church

leaders to be

humble servants

like Barnabas.

And we can pray

for one another,

for wisdom to

lead well in

whatever context

we find ourselves.

What can we

learn about

learning for

our own good?

Perhaps we've

heard the phrase

that nothing in

the world is

worth having

unless it means

effort.

Now we

understand that

boys and girls,

we understand

this I think.

If you want to

be good at

anything, you

want to be good

at sports, or

music, or

art, it

doesn't just

happen.

And it doesn't

happen overnight.

It takes effort.

It takes practice.

It takes training.

Sometimes we

forget that the

same is true

when it comes to

the Christian

faith.

Christianity is

a call to

commit time

and effort

to grow and

to mature in

our faith and

understanding.

It takes time

and effort to

commit to

spiritual

discipline.

to make

time each

day to

read God's

word, to

make time to

pray for

ourselves and

others.

And if we

are to be a

community that

learns about

the way of

Christ, then it

certainly involves

a commitment to

a local church,

this church or

another.

And we can

pray about that,

that we would

have the desire

to learn and

to let Jesus

shape us.

What about

our loyalty?

Have you ever

had that really

cringeworthy

experience, maybe

an icebreaker,

even worse than

an interview,

where someone

says, describe

yourself in

three words or

five words?

This is the

horrible on-the-spot

moment.

Well, imagine

the testimony of

these believers in

Antioch.

It was so clear

that they belonged

to Jesus.

That's where

their loyalty

lie.

It wasn't

easy for them

in Antioch.

Most people

were not

friendly to

the Christian

faith.

Of course, it's

not easy now

to be loyal

to Jesus.

As we consider

their life and

witness, perhaps

like me, you

feel a sense

of guilt, that

it can be so

easy to stay

quiet instead

of speaking up.

we can so

easily let our

love for the

Lord Jesus

grow cold.

Again, we can

pray for

ourselves and

for one another

that we would

stand firm in

our faith,

that we would

stand up for

the Lord Jesus,

and that for

the sake of

our city,

that we would

be a strong

and growing

family of

faith.

That by God's

grace and by

the Spirit,

we might have

an impact in

our city,

just as the

church did in

Antioch.

So we see that

God's church

grows.

Now let's see

that God's

church gives.

So this is the

next development

in the life of

the church in

Antioch.

We have a chance

to see more

evidence of how

the gospel is

at work,

changing their

heart, changing

their lives, and

it leads them to

good works and

to generosity.

So in verse

27 and verse

28, we're

told that some

prophets come from

Jerusalem to

Antioch, and

there's this man

Agabus, this

prophet, who

predicts a severe

famine over the

whole Roman

empire.

Under the reign

of Claudius,

history backs

this up, you

can look in your

history books,

you'll find under

the reign of

Claudius, there

were major

famines recorded

in Rome, in

Greece, in

Egypt, and in

Judea as well.

A reminder, the

Roman empire was

massive, but so

too, was the

problem of

famine.

Bad harvests

and famine were

frequent.

So what does

the church do?

Verse 29, the

disciples, as

each one was

able, decided to

provide help for

the brothers and

sisters living in

Judea.

This they did,

sending their

gift to the

elders by

Barnabas and

Saul.

The church

responds with

generosity.

They know,

because they've

been well taught,

that Jesus came

to build a global

church family.

And what

family does, is

family helps one

another.

When family works,

as family should.

So again, through

Barnabas and

through Antioch, I

think Jesus would

encourage us, which

of us, if we're

Christians, would

encourage us to

take our place in

the kingdom of

God.

To do what we

can, to give for

the sake of

mission, that he

would promote in

us open-hearted

generosity.

Let's think, first

of all, about their

missions mentality.

It was Saul Paul

who wrote in

1 Corinthians 12,

using the church

as a body image,

when one part

suffers, the

whole body

suffers.

So what we've

got here at the

end of chapter 11

is great need,

famine in Judea.

And for the

church in Antioch,

they feel that

becomes their

responsibility.

This is their

way to care for

their Christian

family.

They decide to

provide help for

their brothers

and sisters.

Family language.

Remember, they

have never met.

They are separated

by geography.

They are separated

by language.

They're separated

by culture.

They're separated

by religious

background.

But they are, in

reality, all one

in Christ Jesus.

And they show it

through genuine

sacrifice.

So think about

this.

What does Agabus

say?

Agabus doesn't

say, oh, by

the way, a

famine's coming

to Judea.

What does

Agabus say?

Agabus predicts

a famine over

the entire Roman

world.

So Antioch doesn't

know, is it going

to come to our

door next?

So they could have

stockpiled and said,

well, we need to be

prudent, but rather

they give freely and

sacrificially according

to their ability.

And we see this

wonderful picture and

pattern that faith

in Jesus unites

churches and

prompts love in

action.

Now we got to see

that as we built a

little bit of a

connection with the

church in Myanmar.

Our denomination

sent money to help

in Manipur, so we

can help globally,

but also locally as

well.

But there's that

missions mentality

that where there is

need, Christians in

other parts, as we

are able, should look

to help.

It's actually one of

the things I love

about being part of

a Presbyterian church.

If you're new to our

church, we are a

Presbyterian church, so

we are connected by

structures, which

means we have a

support network

around Scotland and

in our particular

Presbytery of

Edinburgh and

Perth.

Our resources are

spread.

Needs are shared

and prayers are

offered.

And it's a

wonderful little

pattern of a

missions mentality

in a local

context.

Let's think too

about their

missions partnership,

because you've got

this beautiful

two-way dynamic.

And we see it in

the journeys of

Barnabas in the

first place.

So Barnabas, I

know nothing about

geography,

but I'm going to

move, because that's

helpful, I think

sometimes.

So imagine

Barnabas, he comes

from Jerusalem to

Antioch, because he

wants to strengthen

the church, he

wants to share the

gospel with them.

But then a year and

a bit later, he's

going to encourage the

church in Jerusalem by

returning with a

financial gift from

these new brothers and

sisters formed in

Antioch.

What's happened in

Antioch is that

Barnabas and others

have come and

they've shared the

good news of the

Lord Jesus.

By the grace of God,

they come to

understand, if we have

Jesus, we are rich, we

have treasure.

And so as God's

grace came to

them, crossing

lines of culture and

language and

religion, so now

they want a

financial gift to do

the same.

And so they send

money back, as it

were, to the

mother church in

Jerusalem.

When we think about

missions partnership,

we need to understand

that it's not

narrow, it runs

wide.

It's not restricted

to the sending of

money, though that's

a good thing and a

necessary thing.

It's not restricted to

sending Bible teachers,

though that's a good

thing and a wonderful

thing.

Missions partnership

includes sharing

personnel, sharing

finances, but also

sharing ideas,

learning across

countries and

cultures.

It involves sharing

prayers across

languages, countries,

cultures.

It involves sharing

the gospel of

Jesus.

And because

partnership runs

wide, there is

good news for us.

Whoever we are,

whatever church we're

from, every

Christian can

partner in the

mission of God

in some way.

In some way we can

all be involved,

and we should be.

So perhaps again as

we think about how to

apply this, we can

pray.

Consider, how can I

be involved in the

mission of God?

Some ways here

locally, we have a

mission support fund

to help raise money

for a church plant in

Galashiels.

There also helps a

couple of

missionaries, the

Riannual family in

Colombia.

perhaps we could

also pray for

them.

Our junior church

raises money to

help the church in

different places.

We will meet on

Wednesday to

gather to pray for

the church here and

around the world.

Lots of ways we can

get, perhaps we can

also go, like our

Korean friends who

have come to

Scotland to bless

us by praying for

us.

We're really

thankful to you

for that.

Let's pray and

think, how can I

partner?

And let's think

too about their

missions giving.

What is it that

would have motivated

these Christians in

Turkey to support

another group of

Christians they'd

never met before,

even while the

threat of famine was

over their head

also?

Why did they

decide to give?

And not just to

give money.

Notice in verse

30 who the gift

is sent through.

They send their

gift to the elders

by Barnabas and

Saul.

So they send the

two main guys,

their two main

teachers are sent

from Antioch to

Jerusalem.

They're really

generous in their

giving.

Why is that?

It's not because

of the culture that

they were living in.

The culture of the

Roman Empire was

very much focused

on self-promotion.

let's look after

ourselves.

So what would

prompt them to

make that kind of

sacrifice?

And I think the

only answer,

the only power,

the only motivation

is the generosity

of God.

The generosity of

God in sending

the Lord Jesus

to be the

saviour for sinners,

to be the saviour

for the world,

to be their

saviour.

I think 1 Peter

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 can

help us in this.

Peter writes to

a new church of

largely folks who

became Christians

from a pagan

background,

non-Jewish

background, and

he says this to

them,

you know it was

not with perishable

things such as

silver or gold

that you were

redeemed from

your empty way

of life.

So you were

rescued from

following idols that

couldn't help,

couldn't save,

that couldn't help

you to know God,

but you were

redeemed with

the precious

blood of Christ,

a lamb without

blemish or

defect.

Now they have

come to know

this truth by

experience,

that they were

saved by Jesus

to belong to

the true and

the living God,

to receive

forgiveness from

God, to have

eternal life

now and

forever, to

know eternal

hope.

They have

come to know

that they were

saved at

great cost,

not silver or

gold, but in

God's own

Son, shedding

his blood so

that we might

be saved.

Salvation comes

freely to us,

but it cost

Jesus his life

on the cross.

So God's

rescue mission,

as it gripped

their hearts,

meant that money

lost its grip on

their hearts, so

they were glad

to give, and

to give generously

in response to

the goodness of

the gospel.

And that takes

us back to

where we began.

God's church

grows and God's

church gives.

They're connected.

I hope we've

seen the beauty

of the church in

Antioch.

We're not

finished, we'll

see some more of

the church in

Antioch later.

But it's

wonderful to see

a group of

Christians growing

in faith and

love, growing in

generous giving.

It's what God

wants for his

church.

Isn't that what we

want for our

local church, for

your local church

if you're not

part of

Bucklew?

How will that

happen?

How will we

become a part of

this amazing

story?

Well it's only

as the goodness

of the gospel

would grip our

hearts too.

Only as we'd

come to see and

to experience each

day how gracious

and generous God

has been to us

in Jesus.

Let's pray

together briefly

that we would

want to know

Jesus more

deeply, that we

might play our

part in his

kingdom and

mission.

Let's pray.

Lord God,

thank you for

your work in

the church in

Antioch, although

thousands of

years ago.

Thank you for

their growth in

faith and

obedience and

for the way

that they lived

out their

faith by

giving generously

and by their

concern for

your kingdom

and your

mission.

And Lord, we

pray that you

would apply

your word to

each of our

hearts, that you

would show us

areas where we

need to be

transformed and

renewed, that you

would show us

where we need to

learn to grow

in our faith or

to grow in our

generosity, that

you would show

us how we can

play our part in

your kingdom,

whoever we are,

whatever our

circumstances,

however you've

gifted us.

But most of

all, will you

show us Jesus?

Will you show us

our wonderful

Savior?

Will you show us

your great grace

towards us?

in that Jesus,

the sinless,

perfect Son of

God, and

became sin for

us so that in

him we might

become the

righteousness of

God.

And we pray in

Jesus' precious

name.

Amen.

Now we'll

close singing

praise with a

hymn, O for a

thousand tongues

to sing.

Just to say,

please stick

around after.

We'll get tea

and coffee

immediately after

the service.

We'd love to

get to know you

better.

Let's stand

and let's

sing as

we're able.