Introduction
• This morning I want to preach a short sermon that I didn’t write… well, I re-wrote it with the help of the Holy Spirit… but this is a sermon that I have heard a couple times before from Pastor Jeremy Seaward of Victory Family Centre Singapore, our mother church. I think I even heard this sermon before that from Pastor Rick Seaward.
• This sermon has a few different names, but I have named it “Antioch in Cedar Rapids”.
• You see before Amanda and I were sent with a team of missionaries from Singapore to plant CLC, we were asked to live in Singapore for about a year to be apart of Victory Family Centre, to be a part of VFC Singapore… and we were told why.
• They wanted us to get the DNA of VFC… they wanted us to become VFC in spirit… you see every church has it’s own unique DNA, how the run things, how they see things, what their vision is… and God uses a varitie of different churches with a varitied of different DNA’s to see His will done and His Kingdom come on earth…
• But VFC wanted us to have their DNA, because they were going to send us to America to plant a VFC church… to plant a church with the same DNA as Victory Family Cetntre Singapore…
• So the church we planted, Christian Life Church, is a church with the same DNA, the same visison, the same calling, the same anointing… as VFC Singapore…
• Now I share that with you because it is vital to understanding this sermon and what I am going to talk about today.
• Pastor Rick Seaward started VFC in 1977 and just a couple years later God gave Pastor Rick a word for VFC… God said “VFC is going to be an Antioch church.” God told them “I am going to use VFC to make Singapore the Antioch of Asia”.
• Now, if VFC was called to be the Antioch of Asia… and we have the same DNA as VFC… then it stands to reason that God is calling us to be the Antioch of North America…
• That God is calling us, CLC, to be an Antioch here in Cedar Rapids…
• So if I have never said it before, I think I have, but if I haven’t let it be known today that WE WILL BE an Antioch here in Cedar Rapids.
• Well what does that mean pastor? What is an Antioch church? Isn’t that just a big church off of 151 in Marion…
• Well yes, there is a big church in Marion with campuses in Cedar Rapids named Antioch… but we are not talking about being a church NAMED Antioch… we are talking about being a church with the same spirit and global influence as the church in the city of Antioch that is described in the book of Acts… turn to Acts 11:19 with me.
Acts 11:19–26 NKJV Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
• So what has happened? At this point in history Jesus as been crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, leaving with us the great commission to go into all the world to make disciples.
• The Holy Spirit was then poured out in Jerusalem at Pentecost, the church was growing leaps and bounds… but then persecution started happen… Stephen, one of the first ever deacons in a church… he was martyred, stoned to death or preaching Christ…
• This persecution was so fierce that many Christians scattered around the region.
• So as they scattered to these different nations they began preaching… and at this point most believers were Jews… Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews after all… but something happened in Antioch… some of these Jewish believers, full of the Holy Spirit… began preaching to gentiles… and so many gentiles got saved that this revival broke out in this city called Antioch…
• The revival was so big that the believers in Jerusalem heard about it and were like “We have to do something about this, let’s send out some leaders to take a look” so they sent Barnabas and Paul and for a year Barnabas and Paul taught in the church of Antioch and it says “A great many people” gathered in that church… and this is where the term “Christian” originated…
• Okay, that’s the back story to the church of Antioch… revival amongst gentiles… Paul and Barnabas go and start teaching… even more growth and revival… people start calling these believers “Christians”… got it? Okay, praise God.
• Now for the next few years this church grows and grows, it has SO MUCH influence in the Christian world that the center of Christianity even moves from Jerusalem to Antioch…
• And Antioch begins to send out other churches like it… it becomes a church that plants churches… it starts sending out churches in other nations and regions, and those churches inherit the DNA of Antioch and so they too start planting other churches in other nations.
• Many of the most influential church fathers came out of Antioch as well, or at least were trained up and sent out from Antioch… ignatius, Theophilus, Lucian, John Chrysostom… even Biblical church leaders… of course there is Paul and Barnabas, but also Silas and Titus…
• And these leaders would get trained up and sent out of Antioch to plant other churches… then they would come back to Antioch to get refreshed… then they would go out and plant more churches… then they would come back to Antioch…
• Because Antioch had the resources, it had the finances, it had the expertise and the training… it probably had anointed worship and powerful teaching… it was a resource center for the global church.
• And listen… the church in Antioch was so influential that the City of Antioch became almost entirely Christian… Antioch the city became known as a Christian City.
• And what God has really layed on my heart… He has given me this DNA through VFC… but God has really laid on my heart “WHY NOT US? WHY NOT NOW?”
• Why can’t we have that kind of influence in Cedar Rapids? Why can’t we have that kind of impact on global missions.
• I tend to think our worship is anointing, and the preaching is powerful here… I think miracles happen here, and power form on high is given here… I think the Holy Spirit moves here…
• Why not us? Why can’t we be THAT kind of church. A church that plants churchs that plants churchs?
• A resource center that trains up and sends out leaders?
• You know God has called us through prophetic words to be “The Mission Arm” of Cedar Rapids… I invission us being so influential in global missions for Christ that when people think of “Missions” in Cedar Rapids, they can’t help but think of Christian Life Church.
• Why not us, why not now? We have already begun sending long term missionaries, we are already having a global impact in Japan and other nations… but this is just the start… I believe God has called us to be an Antioch Chuch…
• And one more thing… I have often times made fun of young pastors who say “I am going to win the city for Christ” and I would scoff and say “Thats what we all think… that is just not grounded in reality…” but you know what? WHY NOT? Why can’t we win this city for Christ? It is certainly God’s will that all fo Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha and Marion be converted to Chrsit… so why not us?
• Why Can’t We Be an Antioch Church here in Cedar Rapids? I happen to believe that God is calling us to it and I have the faith to believe that He is going to see us through.
• Now before we take up Mission Faith Pledges I am going to give you five traits of an Antioch Church so you can put into faith what I believe God has called us to be… we will go quick, then we will take up mission faith pledges and be done… let’s start with trait one of an Antioch Church
Trait One – A Church with a Vision
Acts 11:27–30 NKJV And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
• So this prophet named Agabus says “There is going to be a global famine” and then it says that the disciples DETERMINED… someone say “Determined”… it says the disciples DETERMINED to send relief…
• You see when I say “Vision” I am not just talking about what the prophet saw… because without DETERMINATION that is just a dream…
• When I say vision I am talking about “I know what is happening, God has shown me He plan, and I am DETERMINED to be a part of it”.
• Vision is not “God is going to save Cedar Rapids” vision is “God is going to save Cedar Rapids and I am going to be a part of it”.
• Vision is not “God is going to save people from every tribe, every tongue, every nation”… vision is “God is going to save people from every tribe, every tongue, every nation… and I am going to be a part of it! I am DETERMINED to do something about it.
• I want you to envision a Cedar Rapids that is on fire for Christ… envision us as a city that sends out church planters… hundreds… no thousands of church planters from all over this city.… envision a world that has churches in every nation because of what God is doing, in part, through Cedar Rapids… envision a great movement of God through this place… and then envision yourself as a part of it… BE DETERMINED TO BE A PART OF IT!”
• An Antioch Church is a church with a Vision, and CLC will be a church with that kind of Vision… we are going to talk more about vision in the near future so let’s move on to trait two…
Trait Two – A Church with a Process
Acts 11:25–26 NKJV Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
• Barnabas and Paul went to the church in Antioch… and begin to teach them and disciple them…
• They had a process of teaching, a process of discipleship that produced mature believers… but not just mature believers, but believers with the same DNA, the same way of thinking, the same vision and determination…
• These believers were all began to look alike, and they all began to look like Christ because of this process… in fact they looked so much like Christ that people started calling the people of Antioch “Little Christs”… it might have even been an insult “Little Christs” that is what Christian means… they all began to look like Christ through this process…
• Church we have a process, and we are going to start working even more on these process… if you are going to be a part of the vision, then you need to be a part of the process… go through membership class, get discipled, make disciples…
• So when I inevitably send you, or maybe you don’t go but you help train, or maybe you don’t train but you help disciple, and pray, and support these missionaries…
• Be a part of the process so that you have the same DNA, so that the missionaries have the same DNA, so that the church plant has the same DNA…
• The church plant in Japan is AMAZING and I praise God for it… but I am not calling it a full success until IT starts planting churches and making disciples…
• It is in this way, that we in little Cedar Rapids Iowa, can have a global impact for Christ… planting churches that plant churches that plant churches…
• But to do that, to have that impact, there is a process… be a part of the process… Now that brings me to Trait Three:
Trait Three – A Church with Leaders
Acts 13:1 NKJV Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
• Antioch was a church full of leaders… leaders with giftings of teaching, and discipling, and prophecy, and evangilism…
• Think about this… THEY SENT PAUL AND BARNABAS AWAY.
• Paul would go on to write more than HALF of the New Testament… he was one of the most powerful and important leaders of the Christian church and they SENT HIM OUT…
• I don’t want to send that guy out, I want to keep him HERE… but they sent him out… why? Because they had so many other leaders to take his place… they were a church full of leaders… leaders who went through the process, who were determined to be a part of the vision.
• Listen, I don’t particularly want to send Ryan and Grace out to Japan… they are CRUSHING it leading the youth group… Ryan clearly has an anointing for leadership…
• But I can, and I don’t have to fret… because God has already given us leaders like Tyler and Rachael to take over the youth group… if Ryan was our only leader, I would be much more hesitant to send him…
• So guys we need to be a church full of leaders, look at your neighbor and say “you look like a leader”.
• Let’s move on to the fourth trait now…
Trait Four – A Church Full of the Holy Spirit
Acts 13:2–3 NKJV As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
• As they fasted and ministered the Holy Spirit spoke! And this was not unusual to them, this was not out of the ordinary… this was a place where the Holy Spirit moved… where prophecy happened… where miracles happened…
• The Holy Spirit spoke and look, the immediately responded.
• God said “I want Barnabas and Paul, who is called Saul” and they said “Ok, lets fast and pray… yup this is God speaking… so they laid hands on them”.
• When God asked for Ryan and Grace, we prayed, we confirmed it… then I texted Ryan we need to speak… an hour later I was meeting with him and Grace on their lunch break and telling them that we are sending them to Japan.
• If we are going to be an Antioch style church we need to be a church full of the Holy Spirit… full of prayer and fasting and miracles and prophecy… because it is not by our strength or by our might that any of this will happen but by the Spirit of the Lord!
• Okay finally, Trait Five, and I will close with this if someone wants to come and play.
Trait Five – A Church Engaged in the Great Commission.
Acts 11:20–21 NKJV But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
• Listen, the great commission is what Jesus commanded us to do before He ascended into heaven, I know most of you know it… Jesus said “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching to obey all I that I have commanded you”.
• The church in Antioch was a church engaged in the great commission, they preached Christ, people got saved, they got baptized, they got discipled, the got filled with the Holy Spirit, they became leaders and they got sent out… and the whole process starts with salvation.
Join us this Sunday at either 8:30AM or 10:30AM for worship followed by this message from the Word of God.
Christian Life Church of Cedar Rapids
2808 Schaeffer DR SW,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
www.CedarRapidsChurch.com
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