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Sermon Notes February 6, 2011
Acts 11:26; 15:35
Intro: As 20 year old Youth Minister, All Night party… “Lock Out”
- Youth Group of 40, hoped for 80…300+ showed up!
- Disaster…
“You’ve got‘em here. What are you going to do with‘em?”
t/s – Difference between building a crowd & building a Church
Review: Antioch…Gathering….Spend Time Together
n Encourage – Worshipping, praying, affirming…
Arm around shoulder & hand in Back!
Today, Let’s pursue further How Antioch spent Gathered Time Spent Time Together ….Equipping…. Training Center!
Acts 11: 22-26
Equip people by Teaching them. A TEACHING Church
Tell Story of Barnabas. Arrived in Antioch to discover:
1. These Gentiles are Really Saved!
2. There are a Lot of them! (Numbers repeated)
Conclusion: I Need some Help Teaching them.
Assumption: Obligation to Teach New Christians
ILL – Like finding a new baby on porch
Nurture (encourage)
Feed (equip/Teach)
Acts 15:35
We Gather Together and TEACH!
We Teach People the Word of the Lord (15:35)
Exp – Audacious Authority Claim in this phrase…The Word of Lord
- OT; Sayings of Jesus; Gospel…Apostles
- Today….Bible! We Teach People the Bible!
Note: Recent Emphasis on Worship and Service —Supply the WHY!
Service (focus); Evangelism (force); Worship (depth); Fellowship (stability) …. Supply the Why
ILL – Remember “Air Raid Drills” in Classroom… Urgency!
- These children Really need to know this…Lives depend!
App – Do we Teach People the Bible with Urgency/Priority?
- Confused, Deceived, Weak, Unproductive, Vulnerable
- Are we spending our Time Together Teaching/Learning
T/S – We are a Church, not a School, … More than Knowledge
We Teach People the Way of the Lord.
Exp – We understand from the beginning of Barnabas’s work that
the goal of all this teaching was more than Bible Scholars
Acts 11: 23-24
- Barnabas’s Character Emphasized…Mentor/Model!
Paul, “Pay careful attention to Yourself & your teaching!”
The Goal of all our Teaching is to see people..
Walking With Jesus.
Exp – “Walk” is a NT word to describe Way of Life…Lifestyle
Acts 11:23 – Luke uses a Jesus Word… Abide..John 15
“remain” == stay with, continue…
Live Connected to the Lord
- Prayer, Bible Study, personal walk with Jesus…
n “The Way” == preferred self-description
App – Teach people How to Walk with Jesus (basic discipleship)
- Training for New Christians
Walking AS Jesus Walked
Exp – There is an emphasis on Christian Character here & in NT
- Barnabas’s Example
- 11:26 – “Christians” == Outsiders used to describe
their Odd Morality (sexual, family, business)
- Eph 4-6 – Walk in a manner worthy of your calling
n Holiness; honesty; kindness; purity; words; Family; Workplace….
Ill – Young man saved… Softball… threw bat in Anger!
- After game, by his truck… correct outburst of anger.
Tell him about the fruit of the Spirit..self-control
- I was Teaching him.
App – One of the differences between a Church and a Crowd,
We want to teach people to live in Holiness of Life! Different!
Conclusion: We are called to Gather and Equip by Teaching
- Who are you Teaching?
- What are you Learning?
Antioch was a Teaching Church.
- Trusted Jesus to Build His Church
- Passion for Lost People…Speaking of Jesus
- Gathered, Spending Time….Encouraging
- Equipping by Teaching
Balance is Beautiful. (art, architecture, ballet, sport)
Antioch displays the Beauty & Stability of Balance
n Numbers & Depth
n Evangelism & Discipleship
n Encouragement & Outreach
