Born in persecution, the church at Antioch is often referenced as the first place the disciples were known as “Christians” (Acts 11:26). That immediately marks it as special and worthy of note, having members who were so clearly and distinctively disciples of Christ as to be named after him. But that’s not the only reason they were special. The Bible gives us other reasons to pay attention to this local church and its practices.
First, we should notice it was a Gentile church. Specifically, the Bible says it was a church of Grecians (Acts 11:20). Saved through the preaching of persecuted Jews from Cyprus and Cyrene, we read that a “great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” Here, we see something God would teach us through the church at Antioch. Understanding the message of Calvary to be for all men everywhere, they were able to overcome centuries of prejudice. Jews, orthodox, God-fearing, synagogue attending Jews did not associate much with Gentiles. Carrying over all the way from the entrance to Canaan, Jews believed all other races and nations to be inferior and cursed. The church at Antioch, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit of God, loved enough to reach beyond their prejudice and tradition.
Second, they were true disciples. Newly saved, they were so hungry for the Word of God that Barnabus had to go and get help to teach them. And what help! Paul, a converted Pharisee, linguist and preacher, came and helped teach the believers in Antioch. It was after a year of such teaching and obedience that they came to be called “Christians”.
Third, they were a giving church. Nowhere is the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the headship of Christ more readily apparent than in this matter of generosity. A Gentile church, previously persecuted by Jews, was led of the God to send financial assistance to the very ones who had earlier scorned them (Acts, 11:29; Romans 12:21).
Next, they were a praying church. In Acts 13, we find a list of church leaders along with the statement “as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted…”. Realizing their tremendous need for the Lord in everything they undertook, they regularly sought his face through times of prayer and fasting. They did not rely on their own wisdom, but cried out to God in humility and need, trusting Him to provide all things necessary for the success of His church.
Finally, we discover that the church at Antioch was chosen by God to be a sending church. Continuing in Acts 13, as they prayed and fasted, God spoke, directing them to separate Paul and Barnabus for a special misssion. The church at Antioch thus became the first missionary sending church.
Why did God choose the church at Antioch to be the sending agency for the first great missionary effort. It’s not hard to guess if you but look at their history. Here was a body of believers who loved the lost, followed hard after Jesus, was quick to give and quicker to pray. May God find us so.
Just a servant,
Bro. Tom
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Unsavory Salt
The recent decision by President Obama to instruct the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is only the latest salvo in the marginalization of the Church. This act, passed by Congress and signed by a previous president, is the law of the land. And yet, our president, who pledged in his oath of office to “preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States” has undermined that very document by refusing to acknowledge the right of Congress, the elected representatives of the people, to make laws. His stated reason was his belief that the law was unconstitutional. Such a statement, by the leader of the executive branch, is in and of itself a flagrant disregard of the constitutional balance of power, in which the judicial branch is responsible for making such a determination.
The fact is that the President, a long-time supporter of homosexual rights, has chosen to hold in contempt any and every person who stands in opposition to his personal views on homosexuality. With no regard for the people’s voices as expressed in the fall 2010 election, President Obama and his advisors have chosen to thumb their noses at Christians and any other group that stands in defense of marriage as it was intended to be.
That being the case, the question not being asked is, “Where is the outrage?” Where are the calls for impeachment, the demonstrations, the rallying of support for that which is morally and biblically correct? At what point is enough...enough?
In the wake of “Roe vs. Wade”, there arose from within the Christian community a movement that eventually became known as the Christian right. The Moral Majority was universally hated by the liberals and socialists, yet it stood for right and made its voice heard. You may not agree with the methods of Randall Terry, but he has consistently raised his voice and helped others do the same in defense of the innocent unborn.
And yet in the wake of President Obama’s order to the Justice Department, we hear nothing. Even when President Obama appointed two of the most liberal pro-death judges ever to the Supreme Court, we heard nothing. Back in the 70s, Christian philosopher and apologist Francis Shaeffer identified the two overriding interests of western society as “personal peace and affluence”. In simple terms, “leave me alone, and give me enough money to do what I want.” Given the silence of the God’s people in the face of vicious attacks on what should be fundamental convictions of our faith, it seems these values have permeated the church as well.
Church, we must wake up, stand up and be counted for righteousness. We must do it wherever we are; at home, at work, in the community and especially at governmental meetings on every level. Our failure to do so can only result in the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:15
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Trodden under foot of men… You know, if I listen carefully, I swear I can hear the sound of jackboots.
Just a servant,
Bro. Tom
The fact is that the President, a long-time supporter of homosexual rights, has chosen to hold in contempt any and every person who stands in opposition to his personal views on homosexuality. With no regard for the people’s voices as expressed in the fall 2010 election, President Obama and his advisors have chosen to thumb their noses at Christians and any other group that stands in defense of marriage as it was intended to be.
That being the case, the question not being asked is, “Where is the outrage?” Where are the calls for impeachment, the demonstrations, the rallying of support for that which is morally and biblically correct? At what point is enough...enough?
In the wake of “Roe vs. Wade”, there arose from within the Christian community a movement that eventually became known as the Christian right. The Moral Majority was universally hated by the liberals and socialists, yet it stood for right and made its voice heard. You may not agree with the methods of Randall Terry, but he has consistently raised his voice and helped others do the same in defense of the innocent unborn.
And yet in the wake of President Obama’s order to the Justice Department, we hear nothing. Even when President Obama appointed two of the most liberal pro-death judges ever to the Supreme Court, we heard nothing. Back in the 70s, Christian philosopher and apologist Francis Shaeffer identified the two overriding interests of western society as “personal peace and affluence”. In simple terms, “leave me alone, and give me enough money to do what I want.” Given the silence of the God’s people in the face of vicious attacks on what should be fundamental convictions of our faith, it seems these values have permeated the church as well.
Church, we must wake up, stand up and be counted for righteousness. We must do it wherever we are; at home, at work, in the community and especially at governmental meetings on every level. Our failure to do so can only result in the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:15
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Trodden under foot of men… You know, if I listen carefully, I swear I can hear the sound of jackboots.
Just a servant,
Bro. Tom
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Our Generation Summit
Every year for the past five I have had the privilege of taking a group of young people to the Our Generation Summit in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee during the holiday break. My first acquaintance with this group was at a summer camp at Fort Bluff, TN. There a group of college-aged young people had gathered together for the cause of world missions. My daughter was one of those young people, and I, as an interested father, went to the camp to check it out.
What I encountered there surprised and thrilled me. Here, under the banner of Baptists Committed to World Evangelism (BCWE) and the leadership of missionary-pastor Austin Gardner, was a small group of young people who sincerely believed they could evangelize the world in this generation. Not only did they believe it, they had plans to do it. Not only did they have plans, they had resources and manpower. Mostly, though, they had the enthusiasm and optimism of youth. And it was clearly contagious. A worker with youth at the time, I clearly saw the advantage of getting young people under the influence of this amazing group of missionaries. So began our trips to the Summit.
So what is a Summit, anyway? The Summit is a three-day meeting, beginning about noon on Thursday and ending at noon on Saturday. During that time, there are a number of sessions, more or less equally divided between joint sessions where everyone meets together and mini-sessions where the students are divided into small groups to study individual topics in more detail. For the 2009 meeting, such topics as Life on Life Discipleship, Media in Ministry, The Real Islam, Youth Directors and Missions, and Hudson Taylor were included in the mix. Joint sessions lasting up to three hours each were also conducted, and consisted of alternating periods of preaching, music (godly and inspirational; not carnal), and skits or videos produced by the Our Generation team.
The programs are well-prepared and effective, but it is not the programs that God uses to touch young hearts, it is the team. From the leader, Bro. Austin Gardner, all the way down to the newest student at the Our Generation Training Center, these are people who are passionate about world evangelism. They believe in a big God who is still doing big things, and they are not afraid to go out on a limb for Him or to encourage others to do so. There are no closed fields to this group, neither is there any vision too big. They dare to believe that when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He meant it for every Christian to go to every creature in every corner of the world.
The impact on young people is truly amazing. Challenged by straight talk and biblical teaching from men and women who are essentially their peers, our students respond. They begin to see that God not only can do something with their lives, His plan is far better than any they could devise themselves. IT LITERALLY CHANGES THEIR LIVES! F.B. Meyer could have been commenting on the Summit when he made this statement: “Fire the hearts of the young with all the beauty and blessedness of the service of Jesus, and they will not find it so hard to leave nets, and fishing boats, and friends, to forsake all and follow Him.”
The only sadness for me is that, even after five years, the meeting is not nearly as well-known or well-attended as it should be. The 2010 Our Generation Summit will be held again in Pigeon Forge from December 29, 2010 to January 1, 2011. Details will be available on their web site at ogsummit.info somewhere around the end of January, 2010. Pastor, Youth Pastor, Sunday school teacher, this year encourage your students to do something life-changing. Tell them, encourage them, plead with them, beg them if you must, but get them to the 2010 Summit. I guarantee a blessing waits.
Just a servant,
Bro. Tom
What I encountered there surprised and thrilled me. Here, under the banner of Baptists Committed to World Evangelism (BCWE) and the leadership of missionary-pastor Austin Gardner, was a small group of young people who sincerely believed they could evangelize the world in this generation. Not only did they believe it, they had plans to do it. Not only did they have plans, they had resources and manpower. Mostly, though, they had the enthusiasm and optimism of youth. And it was clearly contagious. A worker with youth at the time, I clearly saw the advantage of getting young people under the influence of this amazing group of missionaries. So began our trips to the Summit.
So what is a Summit, anyway? The Summit is a three-day meeting, beginning about noon on Thursday and ending at noon on Saturday. During that time, there are a number of sessions, more or less equally divided between joint sessions where everyone meets together and mini-sessions where the students are divided into small groups to study individual topics in more detail. For the 2009 meeting, such topics as Life on Life Discipleship, Media in Ministry, The Real Islam, Youth Directors and Missions, and Hudson Taylor were included in the mix. Joint sessions lasting up to three hours each were also conducted, and consisted of alternating periods of preaching, music (godly and inspirational; not carnal), and skits or videos produced by the Our Generation team.
The programs are well-prepared and effective, but it is not the programs that God uses to touch young hearts, it is the team. From the leader, Bro. Austin Gardner, all the way down to the newest student at the Our Generation Training Center, these are people who are passionate about world evangelism. They believe in a big God who is still doing big things, and they are not afraid to go out on a limb for Him or to encourage others to do so. There are no closed fields to this group, neither is there any vision too big. They dare to believe that when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He meant it for every Christian to go to every creature in every corner of the world.
The impact on young people is truly amazing. Challenged by straight talk and biblical teaching from men and women who are essentially their peers, our students respond. They begin to see that God not only can do something with their lives, His plan is far better than any they could devise themselves. IT LITERALLY CHANGES THEIR LIVES! F.B. Meyer could have been commenting on the Summit when he made this statement: “Fire the hearts of the young with all the beauty and blessedness of the service of Jesus, and they will not find it so hard to leave nets, and fishing boats, and friends, to forsake all and follow Him.”
The only sadness for me is that, even after five years, the meeting is not nearly as well-known or well-attended as it should be. The 2010 Our Generation Summit will be held again in Pigeon Forge from December 29, 2010 to January 1, 2011. Details will be available on their web site at ogsummit.info somewhere around the end of January, 2010. Pastor, Youth Pastor, Sunday school teacher, this year encourage your students to do something life-changing. Tell them, encourage them, plead with them, beg them if you must, but get them to the 2010 Summit. I guarantee a blessing waits.
Just a servant,
Bro. Tom
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Real Christmas Story
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:1-14
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2:1-14
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