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 missions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label missions. Show all posts
Thursday, April 5, 2012
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
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