For several weeks we have been following Luke’s account of the gospel going out to the ends of the earth. In Acts 9, we read about the salvation of an unlikely convert, Saul of Tarsus, the apostle to the Gentiles. In chapter 10, we saw the conversion of the household of Cornelius, the first Gentile believer. Last week we learned how the Jewish believers accepted the universality of God’s grace, even to uncircumcised Gentiles. There is one more important bit of information—the establishment of a church from which the missionary enterprise to the Gentiles would spring—the church at Antioch. By any standard, Antioch was a dynamic church. Today we see four factors that contributed to the global impact of this body of believers.
1. It was founded on aggressive evangelism, vv. 19-21.
2. It was fortified by encouraging leadership, vv. 22-24.
3. It was fed by competent teachers, vv. 25-26.
4. It was functioning to meet needs, vv. 27-30.
Which factor best describes you?
- Witness
- Encourager
- Teacher
- One who meets needs
