The Book of Acts ~ Study Forty

"Jesus is Enough"


Acts 11:19-30 (NLT) Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles[a] about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
   When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
   Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
   During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.


Remember when the Church in Jerusalem scattered after Stephen was stoned? Was it a good thing? Can God use bad things for His greater good?


How can the persecution of anyone be good? Well, God can and does use hard times to grow us and to bring glory to His Name. We have learned that "glory" in Hebrew is "kabod" and means "carries weight." So whether we face troubles or good times, God "carries weight" and we can trust Him. Look at what He did after the Believers were scattered. The Church has grown over the centuries because God uses all the things we come up against to further the advancement of the Good News.


1 Peter 1:6-8 (NIV) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.


How many people do you know who have suffered all kinds of trials? Are you one? How did the people you know that have gone through hard times handle the situation? How do you handle trials? Have you seen God work in the midst of them? Why or why not?


During this time of persecution a man named Saul was diligently seeking to usurp the cause of Christ. He was out to arrest every Believer. We learned that Jesus had another idea in mind. He appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and changed his mind. Saul became a fervent preacher for the Good News of Christ. He was so enthusiastic after coming to believe in Jesus that he stirred up a kinds of trouble. The Apostles knew that Saul needed to go back to Tarsus and wait on the Lord's direction. 


Gentiles were coming to Jesus as well as the Jews. Jesus had turned over all prejudices within His Church by uniting those who love Him. The growth of the Church was so rapid that  the Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas (a good man, full of the spirit and strong in faith) to Antioch to see what was happening among the Gentiles there. He decided to go to Tarsus and get Saul to go with him to Antioch. They spent the whole year preaching and teaching there. 


Antioch is in Syria. It was the capital and is nestled in a broad and fertile valley which was shielded by surrounding mountains. It was a bustling place of great commerce.God chose this city of Gentiles to further the advancement of the Good News found in Jesus. Many were coming to know Jesus and the Church grew.


The growing Church wasn't about the numbers of members in the Church. It was about the number of lives being changed by Jesus. Too often the Churches of today look to the number of people who attend their particular Church not about the lives being really changed. The Good News is made palatable for people. Comfort is a big issue. Some services become focused on the entertainment value and not for worship of our great King. Comfort doesn't bring true growth. Entertainment may keep people coming in but it doesn't change hearts. (Don't get me wrong, I'm a musician and an artist, I love a vibrant and talented worship as long as its directs people to worship Jesus, not the performance.) The preaching of what Christ Jesus has done for us does bring true growth in the Church. It causes lives to be changed and prepared for the eternal life received upon accepting Jesus as Lord.


What do you use to measure success in your Church? Do you see lives changed? Are you working to bring others to Jesus? After people come to know Jesus are there places for them to learn more about Him and grow in their faith?


Galatians 1:9-12 (MSG) I can't believe your fickleness—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. Let me be blunt: If one of us—even if an angel from heaven!—were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I'll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.
   Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn't bother being Christ's slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.

What are you hearing at your Church? Do you hear a message that seems apologetic and non-offensive? Are you scared that if the Good News were preached like Peter, Paul and the early Church leaders preached, no one would fill up the chairs or pews? 


We must focus on what Jesus called us to do, that is, to tell others the whole truth about Him. The Apostle Paul (earlier called Saul) said, "this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ."


We, the Church, the Bride of Christ, are called to preach the Good News about Jesus, not mere optimism. This is the Good News ~ Jesus came to earth, walked among us, taught us the right way to live our lives, died, was buried and rose again all in order for us to have a relationship with Jesus. There is no other Good News and we don't have to dress it up in order to make it appealing. Jesus is enough.


Does what you believe in "carry weight"? Is God's glory found in your church? It starts within each believer's heart. We all have to decide to tell it like it is and not worry about the palatable. Jesus is enough.