Before the holidays, we saw that for the first time the Gospel had finally come to the Gentiles. We saw two men (Peter a Jew and Cornelius a Gentile) each experiencing a vision that occurred at just the right time in preparation for what God was going to do. God showed Peter that He was not a respecter of persons, and that he could associate with and eat from the table of Gentiles. And, of course, we saw that Cornelius, along with his entire household, was converted and received the Holy Spirit and was baptized in the name of Jesus.

God was preparing to do something new, that is, to begin a new missionary effort to bring the gospel to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. But there were three things that needed to happen before they could launch what has been called the First Missionary Journey:

1) The Church body in Jerusalem had to hear and approve of what God had done in the Gentile household of Cornelius. After leaving Caesarea, Peter went to Jerusalem to share the complete story of his encounter with Cornelius and the subsequent conversion of his household, along with their reception of the Holy Spirit. Here is how Peter concluded his testimony:

If God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I should stand in God’s way (Acts 11:17)?

So, how would the apostles and other leaders of the church in Jerusalem respond? Here is what Luke recorded:

And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).

Approval from the Jerusalem church was crucial for the advancement of the Gospel into uncharted Gentile territory. But there is more that needed to happen before the First Missionary Journey could begin.

2) A new center for global outreach needed to be opened. And as it turned out, the church in Antioch was just the place. After the death of Stephen, many Jews left for other parts of the Empire, and many of them landed in Antioch. Although the church in Antioch was composed entirely of Jews, Greek-speaking followers of Jesus came from the Island of Cyprus and from Cyrene in north Africa and joined the church, and they proceeded to lead many Greek-speaking Jews to faith in Christ. News of what God was doing in Antioch reached the church in Jerusalem, and they proceeded to send Barnabas to check out what was going on. Here is what Luke recorded:

Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord (Acts 11:23).

Luke adds the fact that Barnabas was:

…a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and considerable numbers were brought to the faith (Acts 11:24).

If you recall, Barnabas was present in the early church in Jerusalem. He was from the Island of Cyprus, a Levite (a priest), and sold a tract of land and gave the money to the Apostles for the needs of the new community (Acts 4:36-37). And then remember that after Saul’s conversion, the church was still afraid of him, and after Saul came to Jerusalem, it was Barnabas who:

…took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27).

As Saul kept preaching in Jerusalem, many Greek-speaking Jews were trying to put him to death but after the disciples heard of the plot:

…they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus (Acts 9:30).

3) Saul was the one called by God to advance the Gospel into unreached Gentile territory. If you remember, the last we heard of Saul was 5 years prior to this time when he was sent back to Tarsus, the place of his birth, in order to avoid persecution in Jerusalem. What was he doing during those years? Luke doesn’t tell us, but we can be certain that he was spending time with God, learning what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and sharing his new faith with those who would hear. And now it was time for Barnabas to reach out to Saul once again, and so he left for Tarsus to look for him. And then Luke records:

And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Act 11:26).

For an entire year, Paul and Barnabas, along with other members of the church, forged a friendship and an unyielding bond between them. And furthermore, followers of Jesus in this church began to be known as “Christians.”  

And so, we see that God’s ultimate plan was to take the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, beginning with Jews in local synagogues and later reaching out specifically to Gentiles. But before Saul could go to the Gentiles, three things needed to happen: 1) The Church in Jerusalem needed to hear Peter’s testimony of Gentiles coming to faith; 2) A “mission-launching” church needed to be established and strengthened; and 3) The one whom Jesus told would be “sent to the Gentiles” needed to be retrieved and established in this new church.

How about for you and me? If God has a plan that He intends to work out through our lives (which He does), then He needs to set in place certain events and specific people to prepare the way for us to accomplish the work that God intends to do through us. In whatever circumstance you currently find yourself, remember that God has a plan for you, a plan to accomplish His work and to bless others in the process. Saul must have been discouraged at times hanging out in Tarsus wondering what door God would open next, and that door was opened with Barnabas showed up at his doorstep. Let’s believe and wait in anticipation for God to show us the next step that He has for us.

Blessings to each of you today.