Title: The Church Born in Tribulation
Contents
The Church Born in Tribulation / Acts 11:19-30 (Deuteronomy 207)
The wilderness is where the self is broken. This is where pride and self-righteousness melt away. It is a place where people are falsely framed and attacked, and it is a place where they are exhausted in an endless wandering. A place where people don't recognize me at all, a place where my plans fail and my thoughts don't work at all. It is an infinitely lonely place, an infinitely sad place, and a difficult place.
From the moment we are born, we go through many painful processes as we grow up. A young child goes through the pain process that comes from the womb and the ordeal of falling to walk. As you grow, you continue to pass through countless painful processes. If we reject this suffering, no further growth can be expected. Why is the suffering we encounter in our lives a blessing rather than a curse?
1. What happens after Stephen's martyrdom? How do people behave because of this? (verse 19)
After Stephen's martyrdom, the people were scattered in tribulation. The scattered people spread the gospel to Phoenicians, Cyprus, and Antioch. Even though they were scattered to various places to escape from tribulation, they did not neglect the witness of the gospel. God accomplished the progress of the gospel through them. There are times when we too go through tribulation. However, if you believe in God's sovereignty during tribulation and do your best to carry out your mission, you can experience God's miracles. Christians grow in pain and suffering. The gospel is preached and expanded in suffering and adversity. The church grows and revives through these sufferings.
2. Who did the Jerusalem church send when they heard the news of Antioch? (verses 22-24)
The church in Jerusalem hears about Antioch and sends Barnabas out. Barnabas is a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. The church grows through people of faith who have personality and spirituality like Barnabas.
3. What did the believers in Antioch do when they heard the prophecy of the prophet Agabus about the famine? (verses 27-30)
The members of Antioch Church, who heard the prophecy of drought, help the Jerusalem Church by collecting donations according to their own circumstances.
People pay attention to themselves and problems when going through difficult times. However, the way to overcome a crisis is to look to God instead of looking at the problem.
4. What kind of confession of faith am I living in the midst of tribulation?
The tribulation we encounter can be an event of God's blessing, not a curse. It is not giving up confidence in God's vision no matter how difficult it is. I can't do it, but God can.
5. Like the Antioch saints, do I have the heart to care for those around me in difficult times?
Everyone is in a difficult situation, but find out who is more difficult than me around.
*** It is not the right idea to live in a world full of sin and pursue a life free from suffering. God teaches, guides, and transforms us into a glorious people, especially through suffering. The best life is a life that is used as a tool God wants by overcoming hardships with the strength God gives them.***