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The Birth of the Church in Antioch
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Good evening, everyone. I'm Gus, and it's my privilege to kick off our new sermon series this evening called A Tale of Four Cities.
When you hear the word "mission," what comes to mind? Perhaps international work serving the poor and telling people about Jesus. Maybe evangelism on the streets or church planting here in the UK. Or perhaps everything you do every day, living for Jesus.
In this series, we're going to look at four episodes in the book of Acts, focusing on four metropolitan cities: Antioch, Philippi, Athens, and Corinth. These bustling, multicultural centers of commerce were all visited by the apostles as they spread the good news about Jesus. We're going to use these ancient stories as a stimulus for our mission in Nottingham, 2,000 years later.
What is God calling us to as a church here and now? My prayer is that this series will shape what we think about mission and inspire each of us in our discipleship as we step out on an adventure with him.
Acts is all about mission. It's the spread of the gospel through the apostles. It's the birth of the church. It's the message of Jesus going viral—starting in Jerusalem and reaching to the ends of the earth.
Acts follows Luke's gospel as a kind of part two. In both, there's the coming of the Spirit, teaching and miracles, and trial scenes. The message is simple: the church in the power of the Spirit reenacts the ministry of Jesus. Acts is about the birth of the church and the gospel going viral, but the main actor is always Jesus. He is the risen and exalted King, at work in the world through his people in the power of the Spirit.
I want to encourage you this month: why not read the entire book of Acts? It's only 28 chapters and will take you just over an hour. You could easily read a couple of chapters a day over this month and get far more out of this series.
By Acts 11, the gospel has spread to modern-day southern Turkey and the city of Antioch—the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria.
I speak with reverence about this passage because of its significance for our church. Back in 2002, when Grace Church was planted here in Nottingham, a church leader named Guy Miller prophesied that Grace Church would be an Antioch base—not only reaching Nottingham with the gospel, but sending leaders further afield to plant churches and replicate our thriving community around the UK to reach more people with the good news of Jesus.
My prayer this evening is that as we look at this story, we'll receive God's prophetic provocation to us as a church.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, speaking the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them. And a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem. And they sent Barnabas to Antioch. And when he came, he saw the grace of God and was glad. And he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, and one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the earth. This took place in the days of Claudius. So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
What is happening in this passage is absolutely monumental. It's a first, and I don't want you to miss it.
Up to this point, the gospel had only been preached to Jews. Thousands of Jews had heard the good news of Jesus, recognized him as their Messiah, and started to follow him and make disciples. Then persecution scattered them beyond Jerusalem and Judea into different places. Some settled in Antioch.
Imagine these disciples in this new city, settling into a different culture, rubbing shoulders with Greek-speaking non-Jews for the first time. They've been going to the market, buying fruit and vegetables. They've been renting houses and speaking to landlords. They've been setting up businesses.
The apostles had been evangelistic, but they'd only been speaking about Jesus to one demographic: Jews. Then one day, perhaps after worshiping in the synagogue, they came out into the market square, buzzing about Jesus, their eyes lifted to him. One of them turned to his mate and said, "Should we go and tell them about Jesus? They need him as well." It just bubbled out of them. They couldn't stop themselves.
They started speaking to non-Jews—pagans, Gentiles—for the very first time in history. They chatted to their landlord that evening. The next day they were buying a shirt and chatted with the merchant about Jesus and what he'd done in transforming their lives.
Suddenly, the hand of God was at work. The power of God came, and Gentiles started to put their trust in Jesus. The gospel went to the nations.
Sometimes we go through life missing the opportunity to speak to the person right in front of us about Jesus. We think they're not interested. Maybe we think they're too far from God. Maybe we think, "Oh, they wouldn't fit in at church."
About a month ago, an electrician was here doing electrical work. In the morning, I showed him to his work and then promptly went upstairs to pray and think about a series on evangelism. When he'd finished, I checked his work and showed him out. What I didn't realize is he was actually quite interested in what was going on in this building. He was interested in Jesus. While he was here, he saw a poster for our Good Friday for families event, signed himself and his daughter up, and they came. On Good Friday, they heard that Jesus died for them and rose again.
He was ready to hear the good news, but I didn't even think to share it with him. I lead our evangelism ministry. Oops.
There are people we interact with every day that we miss sharing Jesus with. They pass us by. Maybe you're at the hairdresser's. Maybe you're at the school gate. Maybe you're at the till in the supermarket or studying in the library.
But Jesus is now for everyone. Jesus has transformed our lives. He's given us life and life to the full. He's given us hope in the most hopeless situations. Anyone can know him. No one is too far from God.
It's the most powerful message. It's the most universal message there is. Jesus is the savior of the whole world. He's the Lord of all the universe. That means anyone, anywhere, in whatever situation, whatever culture, however different they are from you and me—anyone can receive this good news that Jesus loved them and gave himself for them.
Notice that in our passage, there aren't any named apostles. The church in Antioch isn't started by church leaders with a grand strategy or the best preachers in the world. These people maybe wouldn't have even said they had the gift of evangelism.
The church is started by normal people just gossiping the gospel.
Do you discount yourself from evangelism? When you hear that word, does it put a bit of fear in you? You think it's just for the really bold Christians, the real keynotes, the loud Christians, or the really weird Christians. It's easy to think those things.
As Archbishop William Temple said, "The church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members."
My encouragement for you today: don't discount yourself. Evangelism is for the normal Christian. Jesus is inviting us all on an adventure with him. He says, "Come follow me. Come be fishers of men. Come sew the seed of the gospel. Come serve the poor. Come heal the sick. Come feed my sheep. And see where I'm going to take you." He invites us all on this adventure.
These disciples were scattered. You see, they met Jesus in Jerusalem. Their lives were transformed. But then things changed. In the place they called home, they started getting harassed for their faith. They were persecuted and suddenly on the move—refugees fleeing trouble.
God's people are often scattered. They're often dispersed. They often end up far from home, from comfort, from safety, among people not like them.
I wonder if the disciples were asking, "Well, God was with me in Jerusalem. Is he with me in Antioch? Does God still hear my cries here? How do I know that my experience then is still possible now?"
In some ways, we can all put ourselves in this story. Maybe some experience recently has knocked you off kilter. Maybe a good or bad change has left you feeling disoriented or discouraged. Maybe Nottingham feels far from home. Maybe it's not your culture, not your people. Maybe relationships are just hard at the moment.
I want to say: there is always a home in the people of God. There is always a place where you are accepted first and foremost by a God who loves you and died for you. No matter who you are, what you've been through, the pain in your life—you're welcomed by him and into a family.
But here's the thing: in this story, while the disciples were making an impact in Jerusalem, God had a bigger plan. God was calling them to bigger things. If they had stayed in Jerusalem, they would never have fulfilled God's call on their lives to make disciples of all nations and take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
And now the ends of the earth are not necessarily geographical barriers anymore. They're cultural barriers. The ends of the earth are right here on our doorstep in Nottingham. The nations are here. Wherever you're at right now, don't miss God's call on your life to those around you. Whether you feel at home or far from home, he wants to use you right where you are.
The disciples were fleeing persecution. Our passage references Stephen, who was stoned in chapter 7 and became the first Christian martyr. The disciples are under real pressure. And in the midst of this pressure, the gospel expands.
This is a bit like rhubarb being forced. When you want an earlier and larger crop of rhubarb, you force it by putting a clay jar over the root just after Christmas, blocking out all the light. You'd think that blocking out the light would stop growth, but actually it forces earlier and bigger growth. It grows faster under pressure.
The kingdom of God always grows when God's people are under pressure—when they're persecuted, when they're suffering, when they really have to rely on him.
In central and northern India, under persecution from Hindu extremists, the church is multiplying at a wonderful rate. A volunteer here named Stanley shares stats from a church planting network called Ignite. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, they saw nearly 19,000 people come to know Jesus, 7,890 baptisms, and 2,451 church house churches planted. But in that same message, Stanley shared pictures and stories of church members beaten, chased out of villages, and threatened with death if they returned.
When the church is under pressure, the gospel explodes out.
There is no attack of the enemy, trial, or challenge that can stop the spread of the good news of Jesus. This message will reach the ends of the earth. The world will hear of a Savior who loved them and gave himself for them. God will use his people no matter their circumstances, no matter the pressure they're under. God's purposes in the world will be worked out in the end.
What is the message they're preaching? Verse 20: they're preaching Jesus as Lord.
Up until this point, as you scan through Acts, the gospel was going to Jews, and the message was "Jesus is the Christ"—the Messiah, the long-awaited rescuing King of God's people.
But now the message goes to Gentiles, and the language shifts. It shifts to "Lord." Jesus is Lord. And "Lord" is a category people in the Roman Empire recognized. Roman emperors demanded their citizens' allegiance. Citizens were expected to say "Caesar is Lord."
But the confession of the Christian in the face of that is: "Jesus is Lord." He's the ruler of all the universe. He's the one who truly rules and reigns. He's the only just and sovereign King. Give your allegiance to him alone—not to Caesar, not to anything else in this world. Only to Jesus.
In our house, we support Manchester United. I've managed to train our three-year-old Ezra to chant "United, United" and do a little cute fist bump. I love it.
But I watched the FA Cup semi-final last Sunday. Man City was dismantling Forest. Amid all the celebrations, players soaking up the atmosphere, fans encouraging their team, Taiwani—one of the Forest players—took off his Forest top and was left wearing a vest that said "I belong to Jesus."
In the midst of all these people declaring their allegiance to their team, he knew where his allegiance really lay. He belonged to Jesus.
I want to encourage you today: he's the only one who deserves your allegiance. Worship him alone. Love him first. Devote yourself to him. Align yourself with his ways. Dwell in his word. Let nothing get in the way of obedience to him.
As the disciples preached, verse 21 says: "the hand of the Lord was with them." This is an Old Testament way of saying the Holy Spirit was at work—the dynamic power of God.
You see, their preaching and hard work would have meant nothing if God's power wasn't with them. But God is living and active in the world. He is the risen and exalted Lord who is working through his people in the power of the Spirit—often in ways we don't see, often not in ways we'd like him to, but always working to bring about the kingdom on earth.
When I go out and do street evangelism, most of the time my words feel very weak and feeble. It feels like they have no power whatsoever. People pass by, ignore you, say "No, thank you," or sometimes are even pretty rude. But when someone stops and you start chatting, getting to know their story and talking about Jesus and what he's done in your life, you suddenly realize your words have immense power.
You get this kind of edgy feeling because you start to realize: wow, this has eternal consequences. What you're saying holds the key to eternal life.
As was prayed in our worship time, the word always achieves the plan for which God purposes it. God is always with us as we preach and speak his word. As Paul puts it, we can plant, but it's God who gives the growth.
And what was the response? Verse 21: "A great number believed and turned to the Lord."
It's so wonderfully simple. The picture here runs throughout the Bible: people walking their own way, walking in one direction away from God. And they turn. They just turn around and put their trust in Jesus. It's that simple.
The Bible calls it repentance and trust, repentance and belief. Before we know Jesus, we're walking one way, and then we turn to him and call him Lord.
I was asked this question at my baptism: "Have you turned from your sin and turned to the Lord Jesus?"
You see, our own way of doing things is the way of sin that ultimately leads to death, being cut off from God. But when we turn to him, it brings life. When I was 16, I answered yes to that question. It's the best decision I've ever made in my life. I'll never go back.
And if this evening your answer to that question is no, it's so wonderfully simple. You can turn from your own way of doing things this evening and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. When you do that, not only will your eternal destiny be changed forever, but he'll give you purpose in your life. He'll give you things to do that have eternal significance. He'll call you to make a difference in the here and now.
I don't have time to go through the rest of the passage, but you can read it over the bank holiday. Verses 22-26 are about the growth of the church, and verses 27-30 are about the fruit of their maturity.
If there's one thing I can draw out, it's this: This needs everyone. God is calling his whole church. Different people with different giftings, bringing different perspectives, doing things in slightly different ways—all with the same aim: to reach the world with the good news about Jesus.
As we come to worship, think on these questions:
Think on these things, and then we'll worship together.
