Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-24 ESV
While Peter was spreading the word to the Romans in Caesarea, some of the Jerusalem crowd fled persecution and ended up in Antioch, further north in Syria. Their work there resulted in one of the great churches in Christian history. It was in Antioch that people first started calling believers “Christians.” The church became a hub for world outreach. It’s a pretty solid model for revival anywhere. Note:
- They were happy to spread their message to folks who weren’t like them.
- Their message was pretty clear: Jesus is Lord.
- The hand of the Lord was with them.
- Barnabas saw the grace of God on Gentiles and he was glad. I wonder what he saw. At any rate, there was something strikingly different about these people.
- Barnabas’s message was that they should remain faithful and steadfast in following the Lord.
- Barnabas had three main qualifications: He was a good man, he was full of the Holy Spirit, and he was full of faith.
Hey, let’s give this model a shot. It’s the Lord’s day. Let’s be open to talking to people we don’t know. Try just preaching and teaching about following the Lord Jesus. People need an introduction, not an indoctrination. Pray that the Lord’s hand be with us in our service. Without it, we’re all just spinning our wheels. We need to be decent people, filled with the Spirit and full of faith. We’re supposed to stand out from the crowd. Maybe it’s time.
pastorvirgil.com 