A MISSIONS-MINDED CHURCH By PASTOR JAMES LOKE

Being part of a church-planting movement, it is interesting to learn how various churches in the Bible were successful in planting churches. The church in Antioch was one of those successful missions-minded church: in the book of Acts Jerusalem stood out as the church in missions to the Jews and Antioch was the key church in missions to the Gentiles.

There must have been many other great characteristics for such a church as Antioch to walk in God’s will but generosity is definitely one such characteristic. She gave liberally of her resources.

Establishment of church at Antioch 

Antioch was a church established in revival amidst persecution. “The hand of the Lord was with the Christians” (Acts 11:21) as they evangelized in Antioch. “The grace of God” (Acts 11:23) was apparent. Barnabas was sent by the apostles to establish the church. We learn in Acts 4, that Barnabas was a generous man with his money. He participated in “koinonia” (Greek κοινωνία meaning having in common) which characterized the early Jerusalem Christians. Barnabas sold a piece of land he owned and gave the proceeds to the apostles to be shared among the needy. After the church at Antioch started, Barnabas is sent there and teaches the new Christians gathered in fellowship for a year. In the process, the disciples are known as Christians, or “little Christs”. Something was transmitted to the disciples and they reminded others of Jesus Christ though it is not specifically stated which characteristic of Christ they reminded the people of.

The church at Antioch gives money freely (Acts 11:27-30) 

The generosity of Christ and Barnabas is clearly seen in the Antioch Christians when prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch and prophesied of an impending great famine over ALL the world. All would include Antioch. A natural response would be to thank God about the forewarning and seek to see how they and their families could minimize the coming hardship. But the Antioch brethren amazingly took a generous offering to send relief to brothers in Judea.

The church at Antioch gives people freely (Acts 13:1-3) 

The next mention of the church of Antioch concerns a presbytery meeting with its five leaders, people who have developed to be prophets and teachers. The church at Antioch had grown to be an exciting church. The five leaders represent a diverse mix of ethnicity, and people from different echelons in society. It was also a church where both the move of the Holy Spirit (as exemplified by the ministry of the prophets) and clear teaching of the Word (by the teachers) functioned together. It looked like an exciting dynamic church with diversity melded together in unity.

In this meeting, a significant thing happens as Barnabas and Saul are sent out to be missionaries to the Gentile world under divine direction. The Antioch church releases two of her five top leaders as they receive their marching orders in a prayer meeting!

Antioch shows us that a missions-minded church is generous with its resources, including human and financial.

 Pastor James Loke