The central church/Acts 13:1~3
Content-centered church
- Acts 13:1~3 -
Today's text shows the scene where the Antioch Church rises at the center of history. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) are recording. Acts chapters 1-7 go from Jerusalem, chapters 8-12 go all the way to Judea and Samaria, and chapters 13-28 go out to the ends of the earth. In fact, the church in Jerusalem has exploded in popularity. What is the reason that Jerusalem, the center of Christianity, gradually retreated to the outskirts, and Antioch became the center?
1. Accommodated diverse leadership (1)
If you look at the names of the leaders of this church, they were Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, younger brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. Diverse groups of people are united in the name of Jesus Christ. No one took the lead in the spiritual power of that church. They were pure churches that moved under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit was the true leader of that church. The church should not let any particular person or group control everything. Nor should the works of the Holy Spirit of the Church be over-controlled in the name of tradition. Various people should be able to be used as they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. I had an exemplary life of faith.(2,3)
First, they served the Lord. The word “served” is the Greek word “leitur,” which is translated as “service” or “worship.” The word service is expressed as service in English, and this word is also used as a word for worship. Therefore, it means that worshiping God is the priority in the religious life of those who have received various gifts. And they fasted and prayed. (2,3) The faith of the Antioch Church took fasting and prayer for granted. Although they always prayed and lived as Jesus did, they regularly fasted and prayed for their godly faith. Fasting is praying by controlling our appetite, which is our most powerful physical desire.
3. I followed the instructions of the Holy Spirit.(2,4)
It was a church sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit kept Barnabas and Saul ready for a long time to fulfill His word. Among the many leaders of the church in Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were in fact central figures. But when we fasted and prayed, the Holy Spirit instructed us to separate Barnabas and Saul. They commanded them to be sent as missionaries. These two men were sent by the Holy Spirit to go on a mission. The Holy Spirit sent two workers like the pillars of the Antioch Church as missionaries for the most precious work.
Humility that recognizes and builds up cooperation, exemplary life of faith, self-effort to serve God through worship, fasting and prayer to pursue godliness, and concrete devotion to the mission of the best under the guidance of the Holy Spirit He made this Antioch church stand at the center of that era. Let us also devote ourselves to the work that pleases the Lord, wishing that we too become a spiritually central church of the Korean church.