AN EVANGELIZING CHURCH - ANTIOCH

INTRODUCTION

ILLUS: Big news week: weather, Olympics, Trial in Allison.

We are studying the 1st century churches in Acts to learn how to do ministry in the 21st century. They are the prototypes, the examples.

QUOTE: From Decision Magazine January 2010 “The early church went out and in one short generation shook the Roman Empire to its very foundation. It was a pagan, selfish, rotten empire, and yet in one short generation, that early church had shaken that Roman Empire from center to circumference, and kindled a Gospel light in every part of the vast domain. And they did it by the personal method. The men and women and the children who loved Christ went out everywhere and talked for Christ in the hearing of those who knew Him not. Every Christian, no matter how humble, can win somebody to Christ.” (George Truett Quest for Souls)

SLIDES - The Purpose of First Baptist Church. Star Illustration

Intro Text: Mark 1:1. GK noun “gospel” is “evangel.” The Good news.

Used in N.T. 124+ x’s. Evangelize, evangelism, evangelical.

“To evangelize” = “to present the good news of Jesus Christ to sinful people that through the power of the Holy Spirit they may repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.” We shall study a church in Acts that was noted for evangelism. TEXT: Acts 11:19ff

The City of Antioch: Capital of Syria, third great city of Roman Empire. 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Beautiful, perfect weather, in a valley, commercial/political, multi-cultural: Jews, Romans, Greeks. Pop. 500,000. A 4 and 1/2 mile granite main-street, roof covered. Street lights and public fountains at the corners, plaza in middle of city. But besides luxury/ease, also was a city of immorality. Yet by its open culture, it was wide open for Gospel.

The Church of Antioch: became a very strategic church for reaching the world: “At Antioch the gospel threw open the door to the ends of the earth.”

In studying this church we can learn the marks of an evangelizing church?

1. The Church Grows out of Evangelism 11:19-21

• Records the beginning of the Antioch Church. It began as a result of the persecution scattering from Jerusalem. No formal beginning, but unnamed men came “preaching” = (verb) - “evangelize”.


• In their church DNA was evangelism. How a church starts helps determine where it will go. Church Health believe how a church starts determines direction. Disgruntled? Church Politics split? Evangelistic?


• God works where His evangel is evangelizing. Church Growth by salvation is the best form of growth. Much of church growth is by transfers or births, PTL. YET, we ALSO need to be soul winning.
ILLUS: How did FBC start? Evangelistic church plant of Baptist Convention. We are 125 years old. PTL the gospel/evangelism is in our DNA.

2. The Church Possesses Encouraging Leadership 11:22-26

• Barnabas was a great first leader - encourager. People person, native of Cyprus, a good man v. 24, entered the work heartily.


• Saul (of Tarsus) brought in to help teach. Theologian par excellence.


• These men were excellent godly men. They had a heart for people.
ILLUS: Imago Christi - Cedar Rapids - Richard and Donanvan.

3. The Church is Recognized as Christian 11:26

• Critical to evangelism is what others think - we must tied to Christ.
ILLUS: Labels Fundamentalist, Welcoming and Affirming, Emerging. Or Alliance, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptists, etc.


• Best label is “Christian”, term coined by Greeks, Jews would not have coined the term for it conceded the Messiahship of Jesus. A new name, maybe out of contempt, yet it showed who they were.


• They were followers of Christ. QUOTE: “It was the Christ they spoke, of the Christ they sang, for the Christ they lived.” (Morgan, 15-16).

4. The Church Shared a deep Concern for Others 11:27-30

• This was a material concern, in Christianity, the line between material and spiritual needs is thinly drawn, we help both. James 2:15-17


• Shows a church of compassion - do whatever is necessary to care.
ILLUS: Greatest Humanitarian organizations should be Christian.

5. The Church was Motivated to Send Missionaries 13:1-3

• All three of Paul’s Missionaries trips began in Antioch, two end there.


• Spiritual passions of fasting, prayer, laying on of hands lead to sending away. Had such a fellowship with God, they could follow God’s prompting obediently, quickly, excitedly.
ILLUS: How many missionaries, pastors from FBC? Is God working still? Gladys, JoAnn, Dawn, Tim, Danny, Shawna too.

6. The Church rejoices in the Work of the Lord 14:26-28

• The Missionaries came home to an excited church that listened to the stories of God’s workings. Can we rejoice in God’s work elsewhere?


• “God had done with them”, God opened the doors of faith.

MORE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A. Methods of Evangelism

(Vision America, 116-117) 6 means, which ones can you do?

1. Confrontational - debate; cold calling door to door, street evangelism


2. Intellectual - apologetic, doctrines, creation evangelism, giving them a Bible


3. Testimonial - your personal testimony


4. Relational - build bridges, coffee, watch for teachable moments, home Bible study


5. Invitational - church, concert, to Christian radio/movie, Bible Camp, Awana


6. Doing service - helping meet material needs, when sick, new baby, new neighbor

B. Urgency of Evangelism

We need to have an intentional pursuit of lost people. We are no longer a churched or Christian culture. Most non-Christians don’t know our terminology, our traditions are meaningless. Post-Christian culture. Christians are marginalized, we are the minority view, and the world is not as tolerant.

From book by Tom Clegg/Warren Bird, Lost in America, Group, 2001, p. 84

“Church consultant Kennon Callahan warned...‘the day of the churched culture is over. The day of the mission field has come.’”

“As Christians, we need to change our mindset:

• from parishioners to participants,
• from consumers to contributors,
• from my congregation to our community,
• from ‘bring them in’ to ‘be among them.’

A mission outpost view of the local church turns a landmark into a lighthouse. It increases the church’s ability to offer acceptance and hope to our unchurched family members, neighbors, and friends.

“If Christians begin to think like missionaries, our churches will have to behave in new ways. It starts with a willingness to put on our waders and walk into the stream of society, showing the world the relevancy of Jesus Christ.”

C. What does “Evangelism - Witnessing God’s Salvation” look like if we actually did it at FBC?

• We each have a personal testimony we willingly share with others.


• We “Go and tell” by looking for open doors to share Christ with other people.


• We invite people to “Come and see” what God is doing at our church.


• We pray for people that they may know Christ as their Savior.


• We personally witness to others in our spheres of influence through lifestyle evangelism and teachable moments.


• We create environments for people to hear the gospel and respond.


• We present the gospel in all our services and events offering clear invitations for people to respond.


• We use AWANA as an evangelism tool for the children and their parents.


• We regularly have people making decisions for Christ. (Salvation, baptism, dedication, life changes)


• We celebrate when people make life changing decisions for Christ.


• We regularly have baptism and communion services.


• We graciously welcome people into our church fellowship and membership.


• We disciple new believers through personal relationships and our teaching ministries.


• We faithfully support missionaries and missions both as a church and as individuals.


• We sponsor evangelistic events and promote evangelistic activities.


• We weekly publish an evangelistic idea in our 2010 Church Bulletins from 101 Ways to change Your World.

CONCLUSION

Remember we have the good news, the gospel. We need to present the good news of Jesus Christ to sinful people that through the power of the Holy Spirit they may repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. Focuses on the Cross of Christ.

Different methods: (Slides) ABC’s, and Roman’s Road (Insert)

INVITATION

Do you need to make a decision for Christ? Salvation, baptism, dedication

Today, do you need to walk the Roman Road?