Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3 – Five marks of a missional church (sermon notes)

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Text: Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3

1. Suffering, 11:19

The gospel reached Antioch as a result of the persecution that arose in connection with the stoning of Stephen.

We might suppose that premature death of Stephen was a waste.  So also with other notable Christians who died at an early age: David Brainerd, Robert Murray McCheyne, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Nabeel Qureshi.

Remember: for the Christian, no suffering is ever pointless or wasted.

2. Telling, v19-21

Well-known words attributed to St.…

Matthew 2:13-18 – ‘Out of Egypt’

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Matthew 2:13 After [the magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod died.…

Matthew 2:16 – The Slaughter of the Innocents

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Mt 2:16 – ‘When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.’

Critics such as Ehrman (Jesus, Interrupted) cast doubt on the historicity of this cruel incident because it lacks clear independent support from contemporary historical accounts.…

The nativity: a sceptic’s doubts

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In the interest of paying attention to what those on the ‘other side’ think about the narratives of Jesus’ birth as found in Matthew and Luke, I note the following from Jonathan Pearce.  Some of the objections are trivial.  Others merit more careful consideration.

The only general point that needs to be made here is that no-one is required to be able to answer all possible objections before an event can be considered historical.

Anyway, here’s what Jonathan Pearce writes:

‘In order for the Christian who believes that both accounts are factually true to uphold that faithful decree, the following steps must take place.…

The Holy Spirit creates evangelistic opportunities

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Tim Chester writes:

‘I remember hearing the story of a Christian couple in Iran. They were making a long journey, so they committed to share the gospel with someone each day. Towards the end of one day they went to buy petrol, and at the petrol station there was a man with a full beard and a gun, a sign that he was a radical Muslim. The wife said, ‘I think you should tell that man the gospel.’

…

Ten symptoms of legalism

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Peter Mead suggests that a spirit of legalism manifest itself in a number of ways:

  1. Negative attitude toward pleasing God – it is duty rather than delight (I feel like a slave not a son)
  2. Competitive attitude toward others – they don’t live up to my standard (biting and devouring one another)
  3. Prideful attitude towards self – it may be self-despising at times when I fail, but it is a self-evaluation that registers somewhere on the pride scale.
…

John 14:28 – “The Father is greater than I am”

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John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 14:28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.…

Luke 23:43 – “Today you will be with me in paradise”

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Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”…

Mt 25:46 – Must eternal punishment be as unending as eternal life?

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Mt 25:44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”…

What the gospel is, and is not

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Michael Horton:

‘There is nothing wrong with law, but law isn’t gospel. The gospel isn’t “Follow Jesus’ example” or “Transform your life” or “How to raise good children.” The gospel is: Jesus Christ came to save sinners—even bad parents, even lousy followers of Jesus, which we all are on our best days. All of the emphasis falls on “What would Jesus do?” rather than “What has Jesus done?”‘

Christianity Today, November 19th, 2009…