Acts 11:19

Now they, which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phineas, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto Jews only. Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they came to Antioch, spoke unto the Grecians, or the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

Then tidings, or news of these things, came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added unto the Lord.

Let's pray. Father, as we look now into Your word, we do ask that You would speak to us and teach us. Jesus, You said that You would send the Spirit of truth, who would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. Your word says that You wash us with the washing of the water of the word, that You renew our minds. So, Lord, we pray that You would continue to transform us as we study Your word this morning. Help us to apply it to our lives, for we ask it in Jesus' name. All God's people agreed, saying, "You may be seated."

Earlier in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 8, we saw that the church began to be persecuted, especially during the time of Saul of Tarsus. In Acts chapter 8, it said that they were all scattered, and these people began to move out. As we pick it back up here in 19 again, we read that they were scattered abroad upon the persecution that came about during the time that Stephen was put to death. They traveled as far as these three regions that are spoken of here: Phenis, which is Phoenicia. Phoenicia is that region on the coastal area, just north of the nation of Israel and just south of what we would call modern-day Turkey.

That whole coastal region along the Mediterranean Sea is significant. It says that not only were they sent up into the area of Phoenicia, but also to Cyprus. Cyprus is that island in the Mediterranean, about 60 miles off the coast of Phoenicia, and then up to the city of Antioch. We are told that these people, as they went, were preaching the word. If you would underline that in your neighbor's Bible this morning: preaching the word. They were preaching the word.

We saw the very same thing in Acts 8, verse 4. It states that because of persecution, those who were scattered went abroad everywhere, preaching the word. Not only that, we see in the Gospel of Mark, in Mark chapter 2, very early in Jesus' ministry, as He was in the region of Galilee, He came to the city of Capernaum. He began to minister there, healing the sick and casting demons out of people. It says in Mark chapter 2, verse 2, that straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, not even at the door. He was teaching and preaching in a house in Capernaum, and people were gathered around the house, listening to Him preach. At the end of Mark 2, verse 2, it states that He preached the word unto them.

However, that seems, in a sense, to be something of a generic term: to preach the word. The question arises, what exactly does it mean to preach the word? We are living in a day where there are so many different things being taught, preached, and delivered as truth. We live in a society that is geared towards relativism, where everybody has their own truth, their own worldview, and their own ideas.

Because of the internet, people have the ability to deliver the truth they espouse on a global scale, and in a very quick manner. News and information travel very quickly, especially now with people carrying around their cell phones. With their Twitter accounts, people can tweet their ideas and thoughts, and others subscribe to it, receiving constant news and information. This is changing the media and the way that news media works in our day, as people are getting their news much more from their cell phones than they ever did from the radio or TV. Consequently, there are many things espoused as truth.

A lot of things are preached and heralded as truth in our day. However, we are told that the early church and Jesus Himself preached the Word. So, what does that mean? As is our custom every time we gather together, we look to the Word of God to answer such questions.

In Mark chapter 10, we see something very interesting that I believe answers the question of what it means to preach the Word. In Acts chapter 10, verse 36, the Apostle Peter is in the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, in the city of Caesarea. He says, "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all."

That word, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, tells us how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all these things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hung on a tree.

Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly, not to all people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. He commanded us to teach or to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He who was ordained of God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

In answering the question of what it is that we are preaching when we preach the Word, Peter gives us ten things to consider here in Acts chapter 10. The first point in the preaching of the Word is that we preach peace by Jesus Christ. Notice that from the text in Acts chapter 10, verse 36: "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ."

When we preach the gospel, we are proclaiming that peace and life, life more abundantly, are only found in Christ. We are declaring that to a lost world. Jesus said,

I have come to give you life and that more abundantly. The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, spoke of Jesus as the Prince of Peace. In a world where people are seeking peace, whether on a national level or in their own individual hearts and minds, we are told that peace comes by Jesus Christ.

The second thing that Peter declares in Acts chapter 10 is that Jesus is Lord of all. Everything seen and unseen, Jesus is the Master. He is the King. He is over all things, and therefore, because of that, we are to yield to Him as Lord.

The third thing that Peter describes and explains in Acts chapter 10 is that Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus is the anointed Son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit and with power. The word "anointed" in Greek is "Christos," from which we get our word "Christ." Ultimately, Christ means the Anointed One. Jesus, as described in the Scriptures and when preached, is the Anointed One, the Messiah, the one who fulfills all the Old Testament Scriptures and prophecies.

Not only that, as Peter continues in his declaration while preaching the word, the fourth thing he reveals is that Jesus, being anointed of God with the Holy Spirit and with power, did good works. He healed the sick and the oppressed. As proof that Jesus is the Anointed One, as proof that He is the Christ, He performed good works that demonstrated this truth.

The fifth thing that Peter reveals in Acts chapter 10 is that God was with Him. How did people know that God was with Him? In John chapter 3, you may remember that a man named Nicodemus, a very religious man, came to Jesus by night. The first thing that Nicodemus said to Jesus that night was, "We know that you are a man sent from God." Why? Because no one could do these good works except God be with him.

So there, as Peter is preaching in Acts chapter 10, he emphasizes that the preaching of the word declares that peace comes by Jesus.

Jesus is the Lord of all. He is the anointed one who has the Holy Spirit and possesses power. He has done good works, healing the sick and raising the dead to prove that he is the anointed one. These good works demonstrate that God is with him.

The sixth point we see is that Jesus, the Lord and the anointed one, was crucified by the Jews in Jerusalem. He was put to death. However, the seventh point that Peter reveals is that he did not stay dead; he rose from the dead three days later.

To prove that Jesus rose from the dead, he was seen by witnesses, as Peter tells us. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in his letter to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. He states that Jesus was seen by Peter, then by the rest of the eleven, then by the women at the tomb, and then by 500 others. Finally, he was seen by Paul himself, an apostle born out of time. So, Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead, and was seen by witnesses.

The ninth point that Peter reveals is that after rising from the dead, Jesus commanded his followers to preach and testify about what they had seen and heard. He commissioned them to go into all the world, as stated in Matthew chapter 28. He instructed them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded. He assured them, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The tenth point revealed in Peter's preaching in Acts chapter 10 is that Jesus is ordained by God to judge the living and the dead. In John chapter 5, Jesus himself said that God the Father has committed to the hands of God the Son the authority to judge all mankind on the day of Christ Jesus. It is appointed unto all men to die once, and then comes judgment.

Thus, we notice what it means to preach the word in Acts chapter 10. A person who preaches the word is one who proclaims that Jesus is the God-ordained, Holy Spirit-anointed Lord of all. He is powerful to heal the sick and the oppressed, demonstrating that the power of God is with him.

He was crucified and hung upon a tree, and three days later, he rose from the dead. After his resurrection, he was seen by witnesses whom he commanded to preach and testify of what they had seen and heard. For he is ordained to be the judge of all, the living and the dead, and in him is found the only way to peace and life.

You see, there are a lot of people who say a lot of different things about Jesus, and perhaps they have a platform in our day. Maybe they have a pulpit to preach from. Perhaps they have a website from which they do a podcast or a blog, or whatever it may be. But there are many people in our society, in our world, saying things about Jesus. However, they are not preaching the word if they are not preaching this. If they are preaching anything else, it is vanity; it is empty and not able to save.

The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1, verse 16, said that the gospel of God is the power of God unto salvation. Some people say that Jesus was a good man. Others say that he was a good teacher. They might say that he was a healer, a miracle worker, or perhaps a prophet. But the Scriptures reveal that he is Lord of all. He was anointed by God and is the fulfillment of every messianic prophecy in the Old Testament. He has the power to save. He did good, healing the sick and raising the dead. God was with him. He was crucified for our sins and rose again on the third day. That is the preaching of the word, and no other thing. It is that which we are to teach and preach; it is that which we are to declare.

Those who say that he is just a good man do not know who he is. Those who say that he was just a healer or just a prophet have no clue who Jesus of Nazareth truly is. It is God's desire that this be preached unto all men, beginning at Jerusalem. He said this in Luke chapter 24, the very last chapter of the book of Luke. Jesus spoke to his disciples there. He said in verse 46, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day." Why? "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things."

This is the gospel that we have to declare, and it's important that we understand it. It's very clear and very simple.

But it needs to be declared. Why? Because it is the power of God unto salvation. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby men must be saved but that of Jesus Christ. There's no other foundation that men can build upon other than Jesus Christ. Anyone who denies these truths as revealed in the Scriptures does not know who Jesus Christ is. The Bible says they are of the spirit of Antichrist. Anyone who disagrees with these things, anyone who teaches other than these things, is of the spirit of Antichrist. I recognize it's about the most politically incorrect thing to say, but still, it's the truth. The truth has an uncanny way of being non-politically correct. Have you ever noticed that?

We notice here in Acts chapter 11 that these men who were initially preaching the word of God, it says in verse 19 that they preached the word of God to none but to Jews only. You see, early Christians were all converts from Judaism and were basically ethnocentric. They were focused upon their own group. Now thankfully, God is not ethnocentric. God desires that His word would go out to every tribe, every tongue, and every nation, to every person throughout the whole world. We know that that is God's ambition; that is God's plan, and we know that His endgame, because in Revelation chapter 5, we're told that there will be people worshipping Him around the throne in the last days from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people group.

Whereas we oftentimes focus on people who talk like us, walk like us, smell like us, shop at the same stores we shop at, and get gas at the same gas stations we get gas at, we are often so focused on that. Yet God says, "No, I want you to go to all nations and all people." Notice how our flesh desires to just stay in our comfort zone. What was it that caused them to get outside to go to other people? Verse 19 tells us that they were scattered abroad because of persecution. God has a very interesting way of removing our comforts to cause us to get out of our comfort zone.

Perhaps you are experiencing this right now. Maybe this is not a comfortable message for you. But God has a way of removing our comforts, and as we continue through the book of Acts, we will see one of the ways that He does that. There was persecution under Saul of Tarsus in Jerusalem, but ultimately, a famine would come to Jerusalem, leading to what appears to be an ancient recession that causes people to move outside of their comfort zones.

We are living in a very similar time. God is not a respecter of persons; He is not ethnocentric. He desires that we go and proclaim the gospel to every tribe, tongue, nation, and kindred under heaven. We are to preach to anybody that we can speak to.

In verse 20, we are told that some of those who went out were men of Cyprus, that island off the coast of Phoenicia in the Mediterranean Sea, and others were from Cyrene. When they arrived in Antioch, they spoke to the Grecians, or the Hellenists, or the Gentiles, the Greeks. They stepped outside their comfort zone and preached the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was upon them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

Men of Cyprus and Cyrene reveal that the extent of the gospel had spread pretty far early on in the early church. Cyrene was a city in North Africa, very far west of Jerusalem, located in modern-day Libya. The gospel had reached that place, as well as the island of Cyprus, which is north and west of Jerusalem in the Mediterranean Sea. This raises the question of who possibly took the gospel to these places.

Remember that in Jerusalem, in Acts chapter 2, there were Jews gathered from all the nations of the earth. It is also interesting to consider that this city, Cyrene, has been mentioned before in the New Testament. In Matthew chapter 27, Mark chapter 15, and Luke chapter 23, we read that as Jesus was carrying His cross to Golgotha, He fell at a certain point, and the Roman soldiers conscripted a certain man by the name of Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. It is very possible that Simon played a role in spreading the gospel.

It is plausible that this Simon came to faith and brought the gospel to his own people, to his own family there in Cyrene. Now, there were missionaries going out from Cyprus and from Cyrene, and they came to a place that was called Antioch.

Antioch is an interesting place in the ancient world; it was one of the three largest cities, in fact, the third largest city of the ancient world in the Roman Empire. There was first Rome, then Alexandria, and then Antioch. The Romans viewed Antioch as a little Rome; it was kind of the eastern Rome, a city of about 500,000 during this period of time. It was founded in the 4th century BC by a man who founded 15 other cities, all named Antioch. He really liked that name. His father's name was Antiochus, so he named them after his father.

This Antioch, located in what is modern-day southern Turkey, just on the Syrian-Turkish border, was called Antioch the Great. It was a well-organized city. The Greeks had a way of organizing these cities, and they had a grid plan that was taken straight from Alexandria. It was a very Hellenistic city, a city with a very Greek-oriented culture. The gospel was really going to take root among the Gentiles in this city.

In fact, if we jump down to verse 26 and notice what it says at the end of Acts chapter 11, we see that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Antioch is ultimately going to become the cradle of Gentile Christianity in the book of Acts, and many of us here today are very thankful for that. Amen? The work that God would do there in the church at Antioch was significant.

These people were preaching Jesus, and they were preaching Jesus to the Grecians, to the Hellenists, those Gentiles that were there. What were they speaking to these Hellenists about? Well, it says that they were preaching the Lord Jesus. We previously saw in verse 19 that they preached the word, but now here we see that...

They are preaching Christ Jesus. That word "preach" means to announce or to pronounce glad tidings and good news. They came bringing the good news, and it says in verse 21 that the hand of the Lord was upon them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. The hand of the Lord was upon them. This is very important for the preaching of God's Word to be effective, and that's why we often pray that God would anoint the preaching of His Word. The Lord was with them; the Lord's hand was upon them, and people believed and turned.

The proof that God's hand was upon them was that these people believed, received the Word of God, and turned. They responded in their hearts. The good news was proclaimed, the people heard it, received it, believed it, and it transformed who they were. The word "turned" here is the word "epistrophe" in Greek, and it means to turn to something, to turn away from one thing and turn to another.

So the question arises: what was it that they were turning away from in that Greek-dominated city? Very likely, they were turning away from their pagan philosophies. The Greeks worshipped many gods, and so the call was given to these people as men from Cyrene and Cyprus preached the gospel. They said to them, "Listen, Jesus is Lord of all. He is the Christ, the fulfillment of all the Old Testament Scriptures. He is anointed of God; He has the power to save, and you need to turn from your false gods, from your false religions, and turn to Him." The people in that city did, and to me, it speaks of the fact that it implies they preached repentance to these people.

They preached repentance. Now remember, last week we talked about repentance. The word "repent" means to turn or to change one's mind, a change of mind that results in a change of action. Here, these people changed their minds and changed their direction. The preaching of repentance is so very important to the gospel truth. John the Baptist preached repentance in Matthew chapter 3. Jesus preached repentance in Matthew chapter 4. Peter preached repentance in Acts chapter 2, and in Acts chapter 10, we will see that the Apostle Paul preaches repentance.

Why is it so very important? Well, because without repentance...

A lot of people continue in their false worship. They seek after their false gods and devote their lives to things that are vain. They add God and Jesus to the pantheon of their own making. There are many people in our day who have done just that. They have heard the gospel, received it, and thought, "Yeah, that sounds good." They might believe it in some form or some way, but they have taken Jesus and the gospel and placed them in the pantheon of all their gods.

They still worship drugs, alcohol, lust, gluttony, greed, and every other god you can imagine. Yet, they have Jesus there as well. It doesn't work; it will never work. You must turn away from those things and turn to God. This is what we see in this passage as well. Perhaps some of you sitting here today are in that very same place. You are not experiencing the joy of the Lord, the abundant life of the Lord, or the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

The reason you are not experiencing those things is that you have just added God to your false worship. You have added Jesus to your pantheon while still worshiping all these other peripheral gods. You think that having Jesus there will make everything okay, but it won't. We need to renounce the unfruitful works of darkness, as the Scriptures say. We must turn away from those things and turn to the Lord.

The Gentiles in the city of Antioch turned to the Lord, and it was such a great turn that news traveled fast. In verse 22, we read that the tidings, or the news, of these things came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. They didn't have Twitter back then; some guy didn't break out his iPhone and text that Gentiles were coming to Jesus up in Antioch. For news to travel 360 miles from Antioch down to Jerusalem, someone had to carry that news, and it probably took a little bit of time.

A lot of times, we think of the book of Acts as being perfectly chronological. We assume that Acts chapter 10 happened sometime before Acts chapter 11, but I have a hunch that at the time Peter was being ordained by God to go to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, God's word was already spreading among those believers.

Up there, those people in Antioch and the church at Jerusalem were already discussing whether or not the gospel should be brought to the Gentiles. At that time, word came from Antioch that Gentiles were getting saved. So, what did the church do? In verse 22, they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch.

We have seen Barnabas before, back in Acts chapter 4. Barnabas was a well-known Jewish believer within the body of Christ in Jerusalem. His name means "son of encouragement" or "son of consolation." He was the guy who sold a parcel of land in Acts chapter 4 and gave all the proceeds to the church. People were blessed by Barnabas. Acts chapter 4 also tells us that Barnabas was born on the island of Cyprus and that he came from the line of the Levites; he was of the tribe of Levi.

As a Jewish man born outside of Israel on the island of Cyprus, he was very likely raised in Cyprus as well, which means he had a Greek mindset culturally. He came from a Greek background, even though religiously and nationally he was Jewish. He had a cultural understanding of the Greeks. So, the church in Jerusalem said, "Well, we have to send somebody up there." They decided to send Barnabas because he understood those people.

It is very important, in our outreach to people in other nations, tribes, and tongues—whatever it may be, even in our own backyard right here in California—that we understand at least a little bit of their culture. You see, a lot of times we Americans, with our American culture, have a tendency to step on other people. You may not recognize this so much, especially if you've spent most of your life right here in Southern California. However, as soon as you step out of Southern California and go over to Europe or Asia, you find that we Americans have a reputation.

Maybe you don't know about this, but our reputation is that we are loud, obnoxious, and opinionated. We often step on people's cultures, offending them, and a lot of times that offense closes the door.

To the gospel, we have a very hard time sharing it with others. It is so very important that we at least seek to understand culture. One of the first things we tell any short-term missionary going out into the field, or even long-term missionaries, is that when they get there, they should just observe. They should be quiet and watch how people greet each other, how they interact, and how they talk with one another.

How many of you, within the last few weeks, have gone out to dinner? When you're at one of the restaurants here in town, let's say you're sitting there with some friends on a crowded Friday or Saturday evening. To talk with them, you have to yell because we Americans, when we sit down to eat, create such a loud environment. It can be hard to hear anyone. I guarantee you, if you stick a German from Germany right in the middle of that, it will drive them nuts. In Germany, when you go to a restaurant, you can talk just like this; the culture is very quiet.

The church selected Barnabas, I believe, and sent him to Antioch because he understood Greek culture, having grown up in it in Cyprus. They sent him there to go as far as Antioch. When he arrived, verse 23 tells us that he had seen the grace of God, and he was glad. This is interesting; he saw the grace of God, which causes us to wonder how he saw it. One way might be that he witnessed Gentiles, non-Jews, coming to faith in Jesus Christ and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. He saw that God is gracious and not a respecter of persons; He pours out the gift of God upon these Gentiles. Barnabas saw the grace of God, and he was glad.

Then he exhorted them. The word "exhort" there is the word "perikaleo," which means to preach. He preached to them that with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord. Underline that in verse 23: with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord. This was his exhortation; this was his message to them. These two things are interesting. First, with purpose of heart—why with purpose of heart? Well, to follow Christ in a Western world.

To follow Jesus in a world filled with so many different gods and various worldviews is a significant challenge. I mentioned last week that I believe we in America are experiencing a shift from a nation focused on Judeo-Christian values to a multicultural society. It resembles a first-century environment, a Greco-Roman setting filled with every worldview imaginable. In the midst of this, it takes purpose of heart to stand strong and follow the Lord.

Barnabas, when he spoke to the believers in Antioch, was challenging them to the deepest commitment to the Lord. This is very similar to what Paul would tell the church at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, where he says, "Having done all to stand, stand therefore." We have to make a determined stand; we must purpose in our hearts that we are going to stand in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation.

You may remember the story of Daniel in the book of Daniel. He was just a teenager when he was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies and brought back to Babylon. He was placed in what could be called Babylon University. They wanted to make him a good Babylonian. They wanted him to eat Babylonian foods, talk like a Babylonian, and they even gave him a Babylonian name—Belteshazzar. How would you like to sign that on a check?

However, it says in Daniel chapter 1, verse 8, that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's delicacies. He had to make a stand; he had to purpose in his heart that he was going to stand his ground. You and I need to do the same thing.

Barnabas told these new Christians in a Greco-Roman world, a culture that was so antithetical to Christianity, that they needed to purpose in their hearts. We are in the midst of a battle, church, and we need to purpose in our hearts to hold on to the Lord. We battle against three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world's philosophy is completely contrary to the teachings of Christ and the Scriptures.

Get while the getting is good. The world says, "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." The world encourages us to live it up, hang on to what we have, and get all we can. However, Jesus teaches that it is more blessed to give than to receive. He asks, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"

We are living in a world that promotes one thing, while God teaches another. This creates a battle not only with the world but also with the flesh. Paul the Apostle said that the flesh wars against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These two are contrary; they are against each other.

Your flesh may say, "Tell that person off; they have it coming to them," while the Spirit says, "Forgive them and let it go." The flesh might urge you to go in and demand your rights, but the Spirit encourages you to forget it and move on to higher things. The flesh may tempt you to try to make an impression on that attractive person, while the Spirit reminds you to remember your wife, your children, and to give love to your family and your God.

The flesh may say, "Hate them for what they've done to you," but the Spirit says, "Forgive them and love them, even if they are your enemy." The flesh may urge you to get even, while the Spirit calls you to show mercy. As we know, the Spirit is often willing, but the flesh is weak. These are the challenges that the Lord calls us to recognize.

We are in a battle against the world, a battle against the flesh, and thirdly, a battle against the devil. He is there to exploit the weaknesses of your flesh and desires to use the things of this world to take advantage of those weaknesses. Let me tell you something: Satan, our adversary, the devil, is not omniscient; that means he is not all-knowing. However, he knows you pretty well because he has been studying mankind for millennia. He knows where the chinks in the armor are, where the weak points in the wall are, and he knows every lure to use on you and me.

How many fishermen do we have here this morning? Any fishers? Raise your hand up nice and high. You fishermen or women know...

Certain fish are attracted to specific bait. For example, trout use different bait than bass, and bass use different bait than the smelly stuff for catfish. This principle applies to humanity as well; different individuals, probably every single one of you in this room, have a different lure that the enemy seeks to use on you, and it catches you every time.

We must fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are not unaware of his ways, as the Scriptures say, but he seeks to exploit the weaknesses of our flesh. He is constantly putting stumbling blocks in our paths. He goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. His goal is to distort the truth and deceive you so that you would believe a lie. Therefore, we need to purpose in our hearts to stand firm.

Barnabas also encouraged them to purpose to cleave unto the Lord. Many people have once been a part of this church or any church and have walked away. Some have turned away, while others have fallen away or drifted. There are individuals who were here two years ago but are no longer attending any church. No doubt, Barnabas had seen some people depart the faith and deny the Lord because of persecution and hard times. He urged the church to purpose in their hearts to cleave to the Lord and to hold on to Him.

The word "cleave" evokes the image of being in the midst of a great storm, on a small boat, holding fast for dear life to the mast of the ship so as not to be swept off the deck. In a world filled with tossing waves and winds of different doctrines and teachings, we, as a church, need to purpose in our hearts to hang on to the foot of the cross. There are opposing winds coming against us, and we must stand strong.

Barnabas, recognizing that this was a Greco-Roman world in Antioch, emphasized the need to purpose in our hearts to hang on to the Lord. Antioch was different from Jerusalem; Jerusalem was a religious city focused on the worship of the one true God.

Focused upon Him, it was a Judeo-Christian worldview. Now, the gospel is going out into Antioch and into the Greco-Roman world. We today have shifted from a Judeo-Christian worldview to a Greco-Roman worldview, and we need to recognize that we must hold fast to the Lord because the enemy wants to take you out. If he can, he will rob your joy and rob the life that you have in Christ.

Finally, we finish with verse 24, where we read that Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord. As I was reading and meditating through this passage this week, thinking on the verses in 19 through 24, verse 24 kept standing out to me and hung in my mind.

You see, a lot of times we think that for many people to come to the Lord, we need to be eloquent. We need to have all the answers to every question. We need to know how to defend the faith against atheists, Mormons, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, and all the other isms that are out there. We think that we've got to be well-polished and perfect. Yet, many came to the Lord based on what? Notice it says that Barnabas was a good man. Barney was just a good guy. The word "good" there means he had a pleasant nature; he was joyful and agreeable to be around.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "When you speak of the glories of heaven above, let your face shine with the glory of the Lord. But when you speak of hell, your everyday face will do." It is so important when we are declaring the gospel and sharing with people that we light up with the joy of the Lord so that people can see that we truly do have the joy of the Lord.

Many of you know Gail Irwin; he's come here and spoken many times over the years. One of the things I love about that guy is that he’s only about four foot ten or something. I don't know; he's so short, but he's got this face of grace everywhere he goes, just that big old smiling face. Pastor Chuck Smith, as well—every time you see him, he can be preaching the hardest sermon on the damnation of God, and he’s got a big smile on his face.

Good, good, good. The face of grace, Barnabas, was a good and agreeable man. He had a good nature, and he was full of the Holy Spirit. If you want to see people come to the Lord, ask the Lord to fill you to overflowing with His Spirit as you share the gospel with them.

Thirdly, he was full of faith. He was willing to step outside of his comfort zone, willing to go maybe somewhere where others would not go. While others might be afraid to reach out to that person, Barnabas was willing to step out by faith. As a result, many people came to the Lord; many people were added to the Lord. This was not because he was eloquent of speech. In fact, I believe that as you go through the Book of Acts, Paul was probably the one who was more eloquent, which is why Barnabas went to find him at the end of this chapter. Yet, he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith.

I see a great exhortation and application here for you and me. If you have a job or a position in this world where you're around unbelievers, is the testimony of your life that you are a good person? Do people look at you and say, "You know what? That's a Christian," because you have honesty, integrity, and self-control? Or do they look at you and think, "I wouldn't leave my wallet on the desk if he were around"?

He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith. He exhorted the church that with purpose of heart, they would hang on to the Lord because they were in the midst of a nation and a generation that was shifting. Yet, the gospel still stands, and we preach the Word. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for calling us even in the midst of a dark generation, a wicked and perverse generation. Lord, I pray that we would stand and shine brightly as lights as we go from here this morning. I ask, Lord, that You would pour out Your Spirit upon myself and my brothers and sisters here.

That we would step outside of these doors and into our mission field. Lord, I pray that you would fill us to overflowing with your Spirit, as you had filled Barnabas. I ask that you would give us the strength of faith to step out and speak with someone we might not normally approach.

May we see many come to know you in these last days, for we ask it in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. We pray, Amen.

Jesus, we pray that we would see many there. Thank you.