Acts 11:19-26<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God\u2019s Children Make<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God\u2019s Grace Visible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord\u2019s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (NIV1984)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dear fellow worshipers of our living Lord and Savior,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is risen! He is risen indeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHappy. 1. Favored by circumstances; lucky; fortunate 2. Having, showing, or causing a feeling of great pleasure, contentment, joy, etc.\u201d Does Webster\u2019s definition of \u201chappy\u201d bring a smile to your face? Does it make you feel \u201chappy\u201d? Does it help you to visualize what it means to be \u201chappy\u201d? How about this: \u201cIf you\u2019re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you\u2019re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you\u2019re happy and you know, Then your face will surely show it. If you\u2019re happy and you know it, Clap your hands.\u201d If you have ever seen little children sing that nursery rhyme, then you have seen <\/strong>what it means to be happy! In fact, watching little children sing that nursery rhyme not only makes \u201chappy\u201d visible\u2014 but it makes you want to sing along!<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how accurately we might define certain concepts\u2014 such as \u201chappy\u201d\u2014 it is so much more powerful when someone makes that concept visible! We find a very good example of that truth here in our sermon text for today. Our goal today is to see how these inspired words of our God give us a very beautiful example of how: God\u2019s Children Make God\u2019s Grace Visible!<\/em><\/strong> There are three things we want to see today. First, let\u2019s see how God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by sharing the Good News about Jesus. Then, let\u2019s see how God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by encouraging each other to remain true to the Lord. Finally, let\u2019s see how God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by partnering with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke begins our text by showing us how God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by sharing the Good News about Jesus with others. He writes, \u201cNow those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord\u2019s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n One might think that the children of God who were forced to leave Jerusalem because they were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus would \u201clay low\u201d and try to \u201cfly under the radar\u201d\u2014 at least for a little while. God\u2019s grace, however, would not let them do that! God\u2019s children saw this oppression as an opportunity\u2014 and opportunity to make God\u2019s grace visible to others! At first God\u2019s children made God\u2019s grace visible by \u201ctelling the message only to Jews.\u201d<\/em> They wanted their fellow Jews to see and to understand, to believe and to trust that the long-awaited Promised Messiah had come! His name is Jesus of Nazareth! What \u201cmessage\u201d<\/em> did they share? They undoubtedly shared with their fellow Jews the \u201cmessage\u201d<\/em> about Jesus\u2019 life\u2014 the miracles He performed and the message He proclaimed. They undoubtedly shared with their fellow Jews the \u201cmessage\u201d<\/em> about Jesus\u2019 death\u2014 how the people of Jerusalem handed Jesus over to the Roman governor and demanded that He be crucified. And, they undoubtedly shared with their fellow Jews the \u201cmessage\u201d<\/em> about Jesus\u2019 resurrection\u2014 how He kept His promise to physically rise from the dead on the third day and how for 40 days Jesus met with His disciples to prove <\/strong>to them that He had indeed risen from the dead! And if any of their fellow Jews had any doubts about the power of the \u201cmessage\u201d<\/em> they were proclaiming to them, they were able to point to themselves and say, \u201cI am visible proof <\/strong>of God\u2019s grace! What the God of our fathers had done for me\u2014 He has also done for you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the children of God who were forced to leave Jerusalem because they were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus, men from the Gentile areas of Cyprus and Cyrene, decided to go to the city of Antioch and \u201cbegan to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.\u201d<\/em> To us this seems like a \u201cno-brainer.\u201d Not only does Scripture very clearly proclaim that the Son of God came into this world to live, to die, and to rise again for all <\/strong>people (See John 3:16; 1 John 2:2), but we<\/strong> are living visible proof<\/strong> of God\u2019s grace! In the days of Luke, however, the spiritual wall that divided the Jews and the Gentiles had not yet been torn down\u2014 at least not completely. And so when Jews from Cyprus and Cyrene, Jews who had been forced to leave Jerusalem because of persecution, when these Jews began to \u201cspeak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about Jesus\u201d<\/em> they were indeed making God\u2019s grace visible in a very powerful way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by sharing the Good News about Jesus with others\u2014 even with those whom some people may consider to be \u201cunworthy\u201d of God\u2019s grace! What was true for God\u2019s children here in our text is just as true for us, God\u2019s children today. We live in a very mobile society. While it may not be persecution that forces us to flee from one place to another, there are many other factors that can cause us to move\u2014 our job, our health, our family, our retirement plans, etc. Wherever we go and whyever we move we need to see it as an opportunity to make God\u2019s grace visible to others! We need to see it as an opportunity to talk to our new neighbors, our new co-workers, our new acquaintances and tell them \u201cthe good news about the Lord Jesus.\u201d<\/em> Since we also live in a very diverse society, we need to ignore the racial rhetoric that is causing so much hurt and division in our country and remember that since Jesus loved everyone so much that He was willing to die for them (Pointing to the cross) we need to make God\u2019s grace visible by reflecting that same love and that same concern as clearly, as sincerely and as powerfully as we can!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The application of this truth to the fact that today is Mother\u2019s Day is not difficult to make. As a child of God herself a Christian Mom plays a significant role in making God\u2019s grace visible to others\u2014 especially her children. Why? How? I can easily think of an answer to both of those questions. First, there is a special unique bond between a mother and her child. A mother\u2019s love for her child motivates her to want to protect her child and provide for her child to the very best of her ability. This love encompasses not only her child\u2019s physical needs, but also her child\u2019s spiritual needs. She knows that when her child was baptized in the Name of the Triune God, the heavenly Father adopted her child to be His own dearly beloved child. For that reason a Christian Mom will strive to make God\u2019s grace visible to her child in a variety of ways. That leads to the second question of how Moms strive to make God\u2019s grace visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moms spend a great deal of one-on-one personal time with their children. This gives then a tremendous opportunity to make God grace visible to them! Singing to them, praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, setting a godly example for them to follow\u2014 Moms are indeed in a unique position to use all of this as an opportunity make God\u2019s grace visible to her children. And when a Mom becomes a Grandma, it starts all over again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible. Once we understand how important it is to make God\u2019s grace visible by sharing with others who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for them (Pointing to the cross), then it will be easy for us to understand that as God\u2019s children we make God\u2019s grace visible by encouraging each other to remain true to the Lord. Luke brings this out here in our text when he writes, \u201cNews of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Barnabas was originally from the island of Cyprus. He was a Levite whose given name was Joseph. It was the apostles who gave him the name Barnabas\u2014 which means, \u201cSon of Encouragement\u201d<\/em> (Acts 4:36). Since Barnabas had the God-given ability and the heartfelt desire to \u201cencourage\u201d<\/em> his brothers and sisters in the faith, the church in Jerusalem considered him the natural person to send to Antioch. When he got to Antioch and \u201csaw the evidence of God\u2019s grace,\u201d<\/em> this not only made his heart \u201cglad,\u201d<\/em> but it also motivated him to \u201cencourage\u201d<\/em> these new brothers and sisters to \u201cremain true to the Lord with all their heart.\u201d<\/em> Since Barnabas had also endured \u201cthe persecution in connection with Stephen\u201d<\/em> he knew how difficult it might get for these new Christians. So Barnabas did what Barnabas was noted for\u2014 he made God\u2019s grace visible by \u201cencouraging\u201d<\/em> them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all need to be like Barnabas. We all need to do everything we can to encourage each other to \u201cremain true to the Lord with all <\/em>(our) hearts\u201d<\/em>\u2014 especially those who are new to the Christian faith, especially our children and our grandchildren. This also ties in very well with the fact that today is Mother\u2019s Day. Moms and Grandmas have a unique opportunity to make God\u2019s grace visible by encouraging their children and their grandchildren to \u201cremain true to the Lord with all their hearts.\u201d<\/em> My Mom used to tell me that as long as she was alive, she was my Mom. As my Mom she had the right to tell me whatever she felt I needed to hear. It didn\u2019t make any difference how old I was. It didn\u2019t make any difference what I did for a living. She was my Mom. If you are a Mom or if you are a Grandma, you know the spiritual dangers that your children and your grandchildren face in this world. You know how devious the devil is. You know how powerful Satan\u2019s temptations are. Make God\u2019s grace as visible as you can and remember the unique position God as given to you in the lives of your children and your grandchildren. Strive to be someone who is known for being \u201cfull of the Holy Spirit and faith\u201d<\/em> so that when it becomes necessary for you \u201cencourage\u201d<\/em> your children or your grandchildren to remain \u201ctrue to the Lord\u201d<\/em> they will indeed listen to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible by sharing the message of Jesus and by encouraging others to remain true to the Lord. Since there are so many people who need to hear about Jesus, and since there are so many Christians who need to be encouraged\u2014 we quickly realize that we can\u2019t do this all by ourselves! That\u2019s why Luke reminds us that as God\u2019s children we make God\u2019s grace visible by partnering with others. He writes, \u201cThen Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n These words are simple, straightforward and easy to apply to ourselves. As an individual child of God we do everything we can to make God\u2019s grace visible to the people around us. But since we can\u2019t do it alone, in our desire to make God\u2019s grace visible to as many people as possible we partner with others\u2014 specifically, our congregation and our Synod. With the help of our spiritual partners we can make God\u2019s grace visible to the people in our community. With the help of our spiritual partners we can make God\u2019s grace visible to people all across the world! Therefore, my friends, let\u2019s make sure that we continue to support both our congregation and our Synod so that by working together we can make God\u2019s grace visible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s children make God\u2019s grace visible. How <\/strong>do we do this? By sharing the Good News about Jesus with others. By encouraging each other to remain true to the Lord. And, by partnering with others to carry out the work God has given to us to do. Why <\/strong>do we do this? We do this to keep the focus on Christ (Pointing to the cross) and to reflect Christ\u2019s love to others. Both the How<\/strong> and the Why<\/strong> are summed up nicely in the closing words of our text, \u201cThe disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.\u201d<\/em> May God grant that these words will always be an accurate description of us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Acts 11:19-26 God\u2019s Children Make God\u2019s Grace Visible! Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","category-worship-service-podcast"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1496"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1498,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1496\/revisions\/1498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}