Seven Values of Newlife Church

Goal:

To summarize the values of Newlife Church
using the church of Antioch as a model
and learn how we can respond

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,
for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
And a great many people were added to the Lord.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

Barnabas fetched Paul (Saul was his Hebrew name) because he knew he was the very best teacher
- He knew that if this was going to be the sending base for the Gentile world, it had to have a very strong foundation.
- They needed to be, because this was going to be the sending base for all the churches around the Mediterranean, including Rome.
Can you imagine a whole year of Bible training from the Apostle Paul!
- Paul didn’t just teach with his words, but his whole life preached to them, and he invested in people by taking them on his team
- Timothy was one of the people Paul invested in
- People invested in me—student group. 18 years old, about to speak
  Locked myself in the bathroom, almost feeling like throwing up, but I survived,
  
  and people kept on pushing me out of my comfort zone, and then supporting me.

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

The Kingdom of God must be demonstrated as well as taught
- Of course not just physical needs
- But that is a picture of what the kingdom does spiritually
- Yet if we ignore physical needs James condemns us!
We are very interested in this as a church.
- We began a program called “Christians against Poverty”, which is very good, but not exactly the best fit for us
- It this city of so many social needs, we must respond
I am currently in discussion with YSM who work with homeless youth —I hope something can come out of it that you can be involved with
- But this does not always have to be organized—lots of personal needs
Interlude in ch 12 where Herod persecutes the church
- follow Barnabas and Paul down the coast to Jerusalem, then the camera follows them back
- focus at this point shifts to Antioch
- (finally Rome)
  - Acts ends, not with Paul dying, but with in an upward and outward direction

The need for a plan when you are building
Seven values from the church in Antioch
1. New Life—Evangelism and Growth by God’s grace and favour
2. A high value on developing people and bringing them to maturity
3. Strong in all the spiritual gifts
4. Love one another sacrificially and respond to social needs
Our response

A church that has missions at it’s heart and is a strong sending and resourcing base

(cont’d) …the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.