Acts 11:19-30, The Church in Antioch

19Some of the Lord's followers had been scattered because of the terrible trouble that started when Stephen was killed. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they told the message only to the Jews.


20Some of the followers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and started telling Gentiles the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's power was with them, and many people turned to the Lord and put their faith in him. 22News of what was happening reached the church in Jerusalem. Then they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When Barnabas got there and saw what God had been kind enough to do for them, he was very glad. So he begged them to remain faithful to the Lord with all their hearts. 24Barnabas was a good man of great faith, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many more people turned to the Lord.


25Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord's followers were first called Christians.


27During this time some prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch. 28One of them was Agabus. Then with the help of the Spirit, he told that there would be a terrible famine everywhere in the world. And it happened when Claudius was Emperor. 29The followers in Antioch decided to send whatever help they could to the followers in Judea. 30So they had Barnabas and Saul take their gifts to the church leaders in Jerusalem.


Maybe bearing the message of Christ is born out of adversity. Today's text reminds us that the primary reason his followers scattered was because of the stoning of Stephen.

Or, Maybe adversity is born out of bearing the message. We are reminded that Stephen was killed because of the message.

In either case...they seem to go together. Hoping it may be some other way is really a waste of energy.

This got me thinking. I haven't endured much adversity in a long time. Could that mean the message I bear has lost some of it's passion and power? I hope not...I pray not. So, I thought some more. Am I where I am today because adversity brought me here? Or...am I here because I chose to be.

What I see in today's lesson is God clearly orchestrating the lives of His followers. In the process they became know as Christ followers and many people were converted. Are we known as "Christ followers"? or are we simply admired for being devoutly religious in some vague way? Are people around us being genuinely converted by the power of the Holy Spirit? or are they simply content with a pleasant...and harmless gospel?

At any rate...we need to actually make a difference...

Live boldly out there today...