Nameless Proclaimers
Acts11:19-21
In this passage that we are going to look at this morning, we are seeing a great event in the early church. The preaching of the Gospel to a completely heathen and pagan group that has no background at all in the knowledge of the one true God. These unknown preachers who went to Antioch and boldly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these godless Gentiles and witnessed first hand the awesome saving power of God. This was the first fully Gentile church body and they have the honor and challenge of teaching and discipling these new Gentile believers in Antioch.
I. Faithful Witnesses (vv.19-20) – these two verses show us two differing witnesses of the Gospel message.
A. The Jewish Christians(v. 19)- they were still locked into the evangelism of Jews because there was no precedent for Gentile evangelism. They would go into the different towns and find the Greek speaking (and influenced) Jews and share the gospel with them. The first time that Gentiles were led to Christ was Peter going to the household of Cornelius and even then God had to reveal it to Peter that it was ok to do this. And Peter was questioned by the Jerusalem church as to why he went to the house of a Gentile. Just like Peter, God had to break them out of their religiosity and prejudice when it came to proclaiming the gospel message. The church at Antioch began about seven years after the beginning of the church at Jerusalem.
B. The Unnamed Proclaimers (v. 21)- At around the same time that Peter was preaching to the household of Cornelius, we have these ‘men of Cyprus and Cyrene’ preaching the Lord Jesus to the pagans of Antioch. These men had the gift of preaching and obviously saved and the founders of the first Gentile church. But there is something missing about these men in this passage. The passage doesn’t give their names. Their names were omitted but it was a positive omission by the Spirit of God. It shows that these men, who were Jews (probably Hellenistic Jews) that were more concerned that people (all people) find out about the name and message of Jesus Christ. This group of Christian men (Jewish Christians) was not held back by Jewish prejudices. They had a better understanding about the Gospel message and the Jesus’ command in the Great Commission to go, baptize, and teach all nations (means all people) better than the original twelve. They didn’t have to be given a vision to tell all people. These were remarkable men of God that preached Jesus to all people without prejudice because all people are lost and need Jesus (Rom. 3:23-For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God), that means that white people, black people, oriental people, middle eastern people, Jewish people, Hispanic people, Indian people, Eskimo people, Samoan people, and even people from west Tennessee are lost in their sins and need Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We don’t know their name or what they looked like; just their commitment to tell the lost and dying sinner there is a Savior. And verse 20 says that there message was they “preached the Lord Jesus”. There is no other message you can give to the lost. Notice that they didn’t preach Christ, which is the Greek word for Messiah. Remember, to the Jew it had great meaning and part of the theology and prophecies and promises of God in the Old Testament but to the pagan Gentiles it didn’t mean anything. So they preached to them ‘the Lord Jesus’ that He was Savior and Lord. The Gospel message is a universal message that can be understood and taught to all people and culture. How do we know this, because it has gone to almost all people and the Word of God translated into many different languages. The gospel message is clear, the sinless Son of God suffered and died on the cross bearing our sins and on the third day He physically rose from the grave bearing our eternal life in Himself.
II. The Results of the Gospel Message (v.21- And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.) – What does it take to lead people to Jesus? The pure gospel message, a Christian who is willing to be used of God, and the Spirit of God who convicts the heart and draws the sinner to the cleansing crimson stream of Calvary.
A. The Message- Rom. 10:9-13 – “9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - That universal message of the mercy, love, and grace of God in Jesus Christ communicated to sinners is what gives them the understanding that they are sinners in need of salvation from eternal judgment in hell and the only One that can save them from their sins and the judgment of sin is by faith receiving Jesus as their personal savior and Lord. The pagans in Antioch heard the message of the Gospel and believed and most importantly turned to the Lord. There are probably many who believe in Jesus but haven’t turned to the Lord to be saved. As it says in these verses in Romans, we must believe in our hearts and put our faith in Jesus for our salvation. Verses 12 and 13 says it best ‘whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’, irregardless of our background, race, color, or social standing for ‘the same Lord over all is rich (rich in grace) unto all that call upon him’. Any who has heard the message of the Gospel, repents and believes He is the only Lord and Savior and puts their faith in Him alone will be saved. The object of the Gospel message is that Jesus alone saves and simple faith in His salvation that He purchased for us through the suffering and death on the cross. Salvation that only comes through faith in Jesus (Eph. 2:8,9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast). The pure message of the Gospel is faith in Jesus Christ alone; nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else. It is not faith plus good works, nor faith plus baptism, anything added to the gospel message perverts the message. Faith in anything else besides Jesus will not save.
B. The Gospel must be communicated – God has called all of His children to share the Gospel message. The message is ineffective if we don’t tell the lost about our Lord Jesus. Romans 10:14 – “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? ”. This sinful world will never learn of the love of Jesus if they don’t hear the message and won’t believe if they have never heard. The word ‘preacher’ doesn’t mean only a pastor or missionary or an evangelist is the only one who can tell someone about Jesus, it means all of us. All of us have been called and sent by Christ Himself in Mt28:19 and Acts 1:8 to be witness of Jesus and to proclaim the Gospel message to this lost world around us. We share the message of Jesus Christ because we love our Lord Jesus. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel or use some excuse not to tell someone about Jesus. (Rom. 1:16- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes). God uses us to share the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ and He works in the heart of the sinner. It is not by our power of persuasion that a heart of a sinner is saved but by the Spirit of God. We are the messengers but we should be willing messengers of this powerful Gospel that has also changed our lives.
C. The Power Behind the Powerful Message – (Romans 10:17- So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.)
The saving faith that is needed to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior comes by hearing the Gospel message and the conviction and drawing of the sinner to faith in Christ by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power behind the gospel message and the Father will draw those whose hearts are ready to believe and receive Christ (John 6:44-No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him). A person who thinks that they can live like the devil all their life and reject the Spirit of God and His convicting power and the offer of the free gift of salvation and try to make a death bed confession might be surprised. That person who rejects God time and time again might find himself rejected of God. We see the wonder working power of God’s grace at work because it says of these pagans that many believed in Jesus Christ and they started the Gentile church body right there in Antioch.
These nameless proclaimers of Christ, first of all was willing to be used of God and with the love of Christ shared Jesus with those who needed salvation and that was all people. They understood that the Gospel crosses all barriers: color, race, social classes. It crosses all boundaries and nations shining forth the Light of the World to those who are lost in the spiritual darkness of this world. They understood whatever limitations they had that the Spirit of God overcame them and effected salvation in the hearts of the people. Are we willing to be used of God like these nameless servants of Jesus Christ?
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