Skates, William: The Assembly At Antioch ~ LaCrosse Gospel Hall Ministry

Afternoon. Let's turn to the book of Acts, please, chapter eleven. Acts chapter eleven. I want to take a look at the assembly at Antioch. We'll read from verse number nineteen. Acts eleven, verse nineteen. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phanisi and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart. We were hearing of Daniel's purpose of heart this morning. With purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord, for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him on to Antioch, and it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch, and in these days came prophets from Jerusalem onto Antioch, and so on. Now, there was difficulty then in Judea. Verse twenty nine, the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea, which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Chapter twelve is a parenthetical section dealing with Peter being released from prison, and so on. Drop down to the end of that chapter, verse twenty five. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John, whose surname was Mark, chapter thirteen. Now there were in the church that is at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Simeon, which is called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene and Mananen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. When they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed onto Seleucia and from thence sailed onto Cyprus, and so on. Now, chapter fifteen, verse one. And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and so on. Now, down to verse thirty six, Chapter fifteen, verse thirty six. And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do. And then there follows the problem over John Mark. Now that's all we'll read, we trust with the, the Lord's blessing. When we come to the book of Acts, we're coming to the early days in history, in the history of the church. And as you know, the church was formed in Jerusalem, and when we read about the assembly at Antioch, this is the first assembly that is being formed outside of Jerusalem. So there will be principles linked with it and its formation that are very instructive for us even today. Besides that, we know that things that were written aforetime are written for our learning. So I want to take a look briefly at the formation of the assembly at Antioch. We want to notice as well the fellowship of the assembly. We'll notice that there is feeding of the assembly by ministry. We want to think as well of the furtherance of the gospel that went out from the assembly in Antioch, and finally, how the assembly at Antioch faced the problems that arose as time, time went by. Now, when we think of the formation of the assembly, following the martyrdom of Stephen, the saints were scattered. Christians were scattered abroad, and like seed that had been dispersed, as they went, they spread the gospel wherever they went, and souls were saved. And some went as far as Antioch, and they spoke the word of the gospel to all who heard. We read that the la- the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned onto the Lord. So here's the first principle that we pick up on, on the formation of the assembly there at Antioch, and that is that it was based upon the gospel. The gospel itself was the basis which led to the formation of the assembly testimony. It wasn't just the idea of men, but it was God at work in reaching out and saving souls, and souls were saved. Now, the men that took the gospel there, their names are not given. They were scattered abroad, and no doubt they had lost much so far as this world is concerned. They had been dispossessed of their lands, dispossessed of their homes and of material goods. They had lost much, but God knows who they were, and certainly the reward is great in heaven. When we come to verse twenty of chapter eleven, we, we notice the reference to the word of the Lord, mentioned five times. So there's great emphasis upon the Lord at work through his word, and not upon the men so much that are involved in the preaching. And so that is still a principle for today. It is not the men that stand before the people of God or stand forth in the gospel that are important, but rather it is the word of God which they carry and present that is. So what happened at Antioch was a work of God. We notice that it was not planned in Jerusalem, but it was planned in heaven. It was God at work. It wasn't merely human organization or human determination. That stands in contrast with what we have around us in the world today, the notion of church planting, where it's just decided by somebody or a group that we'll go here and we'll plant an assembly, we'll form a church in this locality, and then marketing strategies are employed to make that happen. That's not how it, how it happened in Antioch. God was sovereignly behind the scenes, moving men into that area, exercising their heart in the gospel. The word of God went out, souls were saved, the hand of the Lord was working with them, and, uh, eventually there was the formation of the assembly. It wasn't planned at Jerusalem or anywhere else. It was God at work. In verse nineteen, I notice that they are preaching the word to the Jews only. I would take it that was partial obedience so far as the Great Commission is concerned. But then you'll notice in verse twenty, it brings in full obedience because they extend that same gospel to the Grecians, and it is then that we read that the hand of the Lord was with them, verse twenty one. So full obedience was the key, and the hand of the Lord was then working with them. What a blessed experience it is for us as the people of God to be very conscious, like Ezra and Nehemiah in their day, of the hand of the Lord upon us. That's the way it was in the early days in Antioch, and it is still a blessed experience to be conscious of the hand of the Lord upon us, and it will be upon us if we as his people are fully obedient to his word and walking according to his will. Now, Jerusalem up until this point, of course, was the only assembly in the world. In the whole wide world, the only assembly in existence was the assembly at Jerusalem. But now they hear about a work that's going on in Antioch. God is already at work, uh, we see in this book among the Samaritans, chapter eight. And the gospel has been brought to the house of Cornelius, chapter ten, by Peter. And now we are one step beyond that. We're one step beyond Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. We're now reaching out, and the Spirit of God is bringing us as far as to Antioch of Syria, and there God is at work in the gospel. Church at Jerusalem hears about it, and so they send Barnabas, who was from Cyprus, to go and find out what's going on up there at Antioch. Interesting that the men that went there, some of them were from Cyprus, and Barnabas, who was also from Cyprus, he's sent there too. So immediately there would be a, a link between them, and they likely knew one another from their days in Jerusalem. So Barnabas goes, and it says that he saw the grace of God, and he was glad. Verse twenty four tells us that he was a good man. So we learn this, that a good man rejoices in what God is doing without becoming critical or cynical or sarcastic. Anybody can do that. Doesn't take spirituality to be critical, to be cynical, or to be sarcastic. But a good man rejoiced in what God was doing through men that are nameless in that area in Antioch. We read from the Lord's teaching in Matthew chapter twelve that a good man out of the, uh, out of the, uh, good treasure brings forth good things. Barnabas was a good man, and out of his treasure he brought forth good things. And we read that he exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord, with purpose of heart. So, uh, the effect of his ministry was directed towards instilling in the believers this fortitude, this purpose of heart to cleave onto the Lord. That they might be more Christ-like, who himself said, even from earliest days as a child of twelve, he said, I must be about my father's business. There's purpose of heart. Human life as it ought to be before God. So Barnabas brought this mi- this ministry, a ministry of exhortation. The word is parakaleo. It literally means to call near, to call near so as to give help, to encourage, to counsel, to comfort. He exhorted the saints. That's the work of a good man. He didn't distance himself from the saints. He wasn't lifting himself up above the people of God. He wasn't looking down his nose at them. He wasn't being hypercritical of their performance up until this point, but he drew alongside of them, and he encouraged them, and he comforted them, and he sought to build them up in their most holy faith. That was a pretty safe kind of ministry to give, wasn't that? A ministry that helped the people of God. A ministry that encouraged them. A ministry that would have been easy to take, because it was from a good man that rejoiced in the things of God. And to cleave onto the Lord, literally to remain in place with the Lord. Emphasis again upon the lordship of Christ, that he would be the Lord of their life in every detail of life, in every exercise of their souls, even as regards the gathering of the people of God, that they would cleave onto the Lord. I would take it that Barnabas, whose name means the son of consolation, I would take it that he had the confidence of the saints in Jerusalem, wouldn't you? Uh, because he had been sent, as it were, as an envoy, as a, as a messenger, uh, to, to the church, uh, or to the company, or to the people that were in Antioch at this point. He was free to observe Antioch. He was free to join in the work, and, uh, we notice that he goes to Tarsus to bring Paul to help out in the work. There's no record up to this point of him reporting back to Jerusalem at this point, although that's a principle that is certainly brought out in the following verses and in the context. So I would take it that during this time, perhaps he even sent letters, maybe, we don't, we're not told, but there is no emphasis upon him being micromanaged by Jerusalem. That's a, an important point that we'll, we'll take up, uh, maybe just later. So, the assembly at Jerusalem, we're noting, have an interest in the work in Antioch, but they do not have control issues. They have nothing to do with its planting. There's no envy, there's no rivalry, but there is a willingness to cooperate with what God is doing and to move in fellowship with it. That seems to be the extent of their involvement. So the fellowship is formed in Antioch. Verse twenty six, mhm Barnabas has gone to Cyprus. He's brought Paul back, Saul, back to Antioch. When he had found him, he brought him on to Antioch, and it came to pass that for a whole year, perhaps the year forty four AD, they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. For a whole year, they had a series of ministry meetings emphasizing the importance of ministry in building up the character of the people of God, in instilling character into them, into their hearts from the word of God, and virtue in their lives. And so there is the importance of ministry still today, because that is still very much a need amongst us, isn't it? I would notice in this fact that Barnabas went to bring Paul, that not only was Barnabas welcome to engage in the work by the men that were already there, but also Paul or Saul was also welcome to be engaged in it. So there was no monopolizing of that work. There was no one standing up and saying, well, this is my work, hands off everybody else. But he saw the need for teaching, even though he himself was a teacher and a prophet. But he recognized in Paul the ability to teach. And so Paul is brought to Antioch to help out in the ministry. I would think that oftentimes, brethren that are breaking new ground, as it were, they will see the need for other brethren to come in, to encourage and to teach the people of God. Sometimes a new work has floundered because, well, the men that were involved initially maybe did not have the goods, so to speak, of carrying it further. But for a whole year they taught much people. So the organic unity of the people of God that is formed by the indwelling of the Spirit of God in each believer's heart is further developed by the ministry that is given. The saints of God are taught, character is formed within them, and the fellowship which is being formed amongst them is given character as they are instructed in the apostles' doctrine. So the teaching that is given forms the character of that fellowship, and that fellowship began to function as a local assembly should, according to the apostles' doctrine. We were hearing today already, there are many places that would claim the presence of the Lord, and whether the Lord is there and known in, in measure is none of my business. But I do know this, that so far as we are concerned with an honest heart coming to the Word of God, seeking to learn how to function as a collective group, a, a people for God in a local assembly, we would learn this, that in our Bibles there is First Corinthians chapter eleven, for example, regarding the truth of headship and giving Christ the preeminent place amongst his people, manifestly so by physical head coverings for the sisters, no head coverings for the brethren. That's one example. The Apostles' doctrine would instruct and teach us about many things, the priesthood of all believers. So that every brother, exercised in heart, should be free to rise publicly on a Lord's Day morning to give God thanks for his son. Not confined to one man or a select group of men, but every brother a priest, every sister is a priest, but in the public gatherings, the sisters are to be silent. And so the importance of the apostles' doctrine. Now, chapter twelve, as we've indicated, is a parenthesis. That's evident from the, the reading. It is events that took place at Jerusalem, probably right here at this particular time. At the end of chapter eleven, Barnabas and Saul have that ministry of transporting a relief gift to the poor saints of Judea. And at the end of chapter twelve, Barnabas and Saul, they return from Jerusalem. So what's the point of this parenthesis now in chapter twelve? Well, you know, it opens with James being taken and killed by Herod, put to the sword. So that was one of the chief men among the brethren, so to speak, that were taken, that was taken and killed, seemingly out of hand. And then Peter is taken as well. And it seems like, if Herod has his way, Peter is going to be killed as well. But God intervenes. And as you know, in a miraculous way, Peter is delivered. So what do we learn from it? I would take it that back in chapter seven when Stephen was killed, that the nation of Israel sealed its a- its sealed its apostasy in a religious way by the martyrdom of Stephen. It was motivated by these religious men. But when we come to chapter twelve, it is not so much the religious people, but it is rather Herod, the political man that's involved. And so with the martyrdom of James, Israel politically is sealing its apostasy. So at this point, God is moving away from the nation, and there's a shift in focus from the Jewish nation to the Gentiles. And that is authenticated by the release of Peter from the prison. Because in the previous chapter to chapter eleven, chapter ten, Peter had gone into the house of Cornelius and had used, as it were, one of the keys of the kingdom to open the door of the gospel to the Gentiles. The Gentiles have been brought in. It seems like God is putting a stamp of approval upon it, and Peter is delivered from the prison. So two things. There's the seal upon the apostasy of the nation politically, and at the same time, God is putting his seal of approval upon the move toward the Gentiles in chapter ten. Peter is released from the, the prison, and from here on, the gospel to the Gentiles seems to take over in the book of Acts. So that opens the door now to the first mission, first, first missionary journey, uh, of the Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and it originates from the assembly at Antioch. That brings us to think of the furtherance of the gospel from the assembly at Antioch. But first I notice this, that the disciples are called Christians for the first time at Antioch. The word Christian is a transliteration from the, the Greek original Christianos, literally blood relatives of the Christ. How's that for a title? Blood relatives of the Christ. They were so linked with the Lord Jesus Christ in their gospel testimony that others took knowledge of it, and they called them Christians because of their testimony and their outreach. I just want to challenge our hearts at this point on an individual basis, like we were challenged this morning. And so far as those that know us in this world, people at work, people at school, people that we rub so- shoulders with from day to day, do they know us as a boy, as a girl, as a man or a woman who bears testimony in life to the person of Christ. When they think of us, do they immediately think Christian? Or do they think, well, he knows a thing or two about the ball games. He knows which characters perform in which movie? Or what do they think? The disciples were called Christians, first at Antioch. This assembly was born of the gospel, and now, as we swing into chapter thirteen, we find that the ass- the assembly is behind five brothers that are going to go forth with the gospel into other regions. It says that they were sent forth by the Holy Spirit. That is, each one of them, if you were to ask them, would be able to tell you of the exercise in in their hearts, begotten by the Spirit of God, of the power of the Spirit working in their lives, leading them on this course. They're sent forth by the Spirit of God. The assembly recognizes that. And in verse three, it says that the assembly sent them away. That word literally means it released them fully. Now notice, it released them fully. In the subject of marriage, that same word is used, divorced. So there's the sen- there's the sense. Released them fully. That they should go forth with the gospel, set free to serve God. Notice this, and I think this is important for us to notice in assembly testimony in this day in which we live. They were not directed by a centralized group. They were set free to serve God according to the leading of the Spirit of God. I take it that's how God still works today. Those are still principles for us to adhere to today. The challenge of examining that was highlighted perhaps this past summer, so far as the work in the Dakotas and Minnesota is concerned. You know that there was a great, uh, visitation in terms of passing out texts and invitations to gospel meetings in those states, along with exercising the gospel. But in some cases, there were questions as to who will speak. I would take it that the work of God is directed by the Spirit of God, exercising the hearts of spiritual men with ability in the gospel to set forth. They're not micromanaged. They're not mic- they're not managed by headquarters or by any centralized group. They function according to the work and the leading of the Spirit of God in their life. And so there begins Paul's first missionary journey with these other men as they reach out with the gospel. But the assembly also faced problems. And, uh, we noticed that the problems came from another source. There were false teachers that came up from Jerusalem, and these men were mixing law with grace. They were saying that it was necessary for the Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be saved. And that in turn was an attack upon the very foundations of the gospel and the sufficiency of the work of Christ alone and the security that, uh, faith had brought them into in Christ. So the work was being attacked, and the testimony was being attacked, and the very gospel that was a p- that was being preached was being attacked. The assembly resisted this, this false teaching up to a point. We see that in evidence in that they were exercised to send Paul and Barnabas back to Jerusalem to deal with the matter. Why did they go back to Jerusalem? Was it because Jerusalem was regarded as headquarters? No, not for a moment. They went back to where the problem originated to deal with it on the home territory, and also the fact was that there were still apostles in Jerusalem, and this matter had to be dealt with for all time at the apostolic level because it would undermine the very gospel that was being preached. So there's no sense in which we can draw upon the council in chapter fifteen as a precedent for today of some kind of centralized oversight or centralized headquarters, so far as testimony for God is concerned. The problem was being dealt with by the source, and it was been dealt with by apostolic authority. I guess you could take it as a precedent for today if you could find some apostles around, but I think they've all gone long ago. Peter himself became a part of the legalistic problem. He was a great man, but great men are only men at the best, and he was influenced, and what he did on this occasion was not right, perhaps a little later on. It was the fear of man that ensnared Peter in legalism, in turning back to this idea of being separate from the Gentiles because he was a Jew and couldn't touch the untouchables. The fear of man was what did it. It was a failure to be consistent. It was a failure on Peter's part to be consistent with the message that he had already preached and with the work that he had already been used of God to do. And it was inconsistent with the truth of the one body, and again, it was undermining the very word and the very nature of the salvation which God had brought the Gentiles into. So Paul had to rebuke him. We get a record of that in Galatians chapter one. Peter very graciously seems to have accepted it. There doesn't seem to be any words of contention, uh, so far as Peter is concerned regarding what Paul had done. It seems that he bows his, his soul in acknowledgment that he had indeed stepped out of bounds. But there was another problem that arose from Antioch in relation to Paul and Barnabas. Comes in at the end of chapter fifteen where the problem was John Mark, who had turned back in the first missionary journey, and as they're about to embark again upon another, uh, thrust into, uh, with the gospel into other areas, Barnabas wants to bring John Mark, and Paul says, no, he let us down before, we're not taking him again. And so there was a, there was a contention between them, and as a result, uh, they had to part company and go their separate ways. Sad, isn't it? Sad to see that. So I would take it that in this first century church and the first assembly planted outside of Jerusalem, these principles of first mention are for our learning because the devil and the enemy will still work with the same principles, same tactics, infiltration, men bringing a message that is not accurate, that is not scriptural, and where it takes hold, it it waters down the message, and it eventually corrupts the very message that is being preached. And ultimately, it would destroy the character of the assembly. And then there is as well the problem of brethren at variance one with another, and that brings its own set of problems that needs to be often addressed between the brethren themselves. So the enemy is still at work, isn't he? Even in the day in which we live. But we can come to the Word of God, we can come to the scriptures that were written aforetime, that were written for our learning, that we, through comfort and patience, might have hope, that we might learn and be instructed from it, and that we might be encouraged in our life and testimony for God down here. So may God help us strengthen our own souls, as we were hearing this morning, and strengthen the assemblies of which we form a part, that we might seek to be faithful to our Lord, and for his glory bear testimony until he comes. May God bless his word to our hearts.