1. Engage In Kingdom Building
Acts 13 & 14
November 18, 2012
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Focal Passages:
 Go Where God Sends Acts 13:1-4
 Grow People Through Teaching Acts 14:21-22
 Connect to the Kingdom Acts 14:23-28
This Lesson Is About:
 The focused activities of transformational churches is to build the kingdom of
God by making disciples.

2.  This lesson will help to refocus your priorities on building the kingdom of God
through being a disciple and a disciple maker.
 In A.D. 405, a sixteen year old boy named Patrick was kidnapped from his well-
to-do home in Great Britain and transported to Ireland where he was sold to a
farmer and given the responsibility of taking care of the man’s sheep.
 As a shepherd, he encountered the Great Shepherd and purposed to follow
Him.
 After six years of slavery he escaped and returned home only to be called by
God to the priesthood & to an unlikely mission of returning to the land of his
servitude.
 But Patrick was a slave to Christ now, and the Lord gave him a sense of
compassion for the Irish.
 Patrick returned to pagan Ireland, determined to bring the Gospel to people
enslaved by superstition and Celtic religion.
 Traveling throughout the land, he baptized thousands of new converts,
discipled new believers, trained church leaders, ordained pastors, exerted
discipline on unrepentant church members, and commissioned more
evangelists.
 He started scores of churches and witnessed to kings and their courts, farmers
and peasants.

3.  He also forcefully protested injustices against the common people.
 By the time he died, about A.D. 461, he had started a church movement that
 transformed ancient Ireland.
 Saint Patrick only mimicked what had been done at the inception of the
Christian movement.
 The early church in Antioch launched the Christian faith outside its
geographical and cultural context, sending Barnabas and Paul on their first
missionary journey to Asia Minor to build God’s kingdom by making disciples
and establishing churches.
 It was a dangerous yet glorious time for the infant movement.
 They rode the winds of the Spirit to faraway places to build God’s kingdom.
Go Where God Sends
Acts 13:1-4 HCSB
1 In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas,
Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod
the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.”
3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they
sailed to Cyprus. Acts 13:1-4 HCSB
 These five men brought together a racial,
cultural, and ethnic diversity, evident in the
Antioch church.
 Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus.
 Simeon, whose complexion was apparently
darker than most Syrians hence the nickname
Niger [NIGH guhr] (Latin for black), probably
came from Cyrene or somewhere else in North
Africa (Libya).

4.  Tradition states that the sons of Simon, Rufus and Alexander,
became missionaries; the inclusion of their names in the Gospel of Mark
suggests that they were of some standing in the early Christian community at
Rome.
 It has even been suggested that the Rufus mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:13
is the son of Simon of Cyrene.
 Some also link Simon himself with the "men of Cyrene" who preached the
Gospel to the Greeks in Acts 11:20.
 Lucius [LYOO shuhs], mentioned here in our passage was also from Cyrene.
 He possibly was one of the founders of the Antioch church.
 Manaen [MAN uh en] (meaning comforter), a close friend of Herod the
tetrarch, apparently reared with this Herod.
 Herod the tetrarch ruled Galilee and Peraea from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39, and had
John the Baptist executed.
 Thus Manaen came from a high social status.
 Saul (his Jewish name) or Paul (his Latin or Roman name) was the converted
Pharisee from Tarsus in Cilicia.
 Raised in Greek culture, trained in rabbinic Judaism, but now passionate about
Jesus, Saul was listed last but would soon become first among the group.
 These five men comprised a world fellowship, initiating a world movement.
 Barnabas exemplified a man who lived in this world, but lived for another
kingdom.
 His encouraging model for a Christ-centered life serves as a pattern for us
today.
 Taken together, ministering to the Lord and fasting indicated a period of
focused, dedicated devotion to God, foregoing food or other needs or
comforts in order to hear from God and sense His direction.
 Sincere worship always involves listening.
 In fact, the heart is most sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in the worshiping
context.
 As we worship God, look for His direction.
 His calling and sending has not changed.
 He needs the likes of you and me to communicate His message to the world.

5.  This church was expectant, sensitive to the Spirit’s leadership.
 They were not strategizing or planning; they were seeking God’s direction.
 These words come from an old verb meaning to mark off by boundaries and
communicates that the church was to mark off or put a boundary around
Barnabas and Paul to serve elsewhere as led by the Holy Spirit.
 In this case, they would travel as missionaries to new frontiers to share the
Gospel story.
 Antioch provided the primitive church a Gentile political, cultural, and
economic center beyond Jerusalem to serve as headquarters for its expanding
work and has become a symbol of the development of the Christian
movement from a sect of Judaism to a universal faith.
 Both in Galatians and in Acts, the message is quite clear: the Gospel is for all
people; Jesus Christ is the Savior of all mankind!
 At Antioch, the mission to all the world began.
 For the church to expand and God’s kingdom to grow, Christianity had to
venture outside the walls of the church.
 We would not be evangelized if these men had not stepped out of their
comfort zones and embarked on a great missionary adventure.
 They dared to be obedient.
 Who in your world needs to know Jesus and is waiting on you to step out to tell
them about Him?
 Are you willing to step outside of your world and tell others about Christ and
build His kingdom?
 Are you making disciples?
Grow People Through Teaching
Acts 14:21-22
21 After they had evangelized that town
and made many disciples, they returned
to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,
22 strengthening the disciples by
encouraging them to continue in the faith
and by telling them, “It is necessary to
pass through many troubles on our way
into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:21-22
 Barnabas and Paul established churches by sharing the Good News and
making many disciples.

6.  The word disciple comes from the word meaning to learn, but means more
than just a pupil or a student.
 It means one who learns from the Master to the extent of becoming like the
Master, Jesus.
 They could have taken a shorter route and easier journey.
 Instead, they risked their lives to return to the churches they had established in
these towns.

7.  Paul was stoned and left to die in Lystra.
 There were plots to stone them in Iconium.
 They had been driven out of Antioch.
 Yet they repeatedly, courageously risked their lives to proclaim the Gospel in
an effort to win new converts and nurture those with new-found faith.
 In spite of Jewish hostility and painful experiences, they stayed at the task given
by Jesus to make disciples.
 They demonstrated that evangelism and discipleship go together.
 The last thing they wanted was unnurtured, untaught, and undeveloped
spiritual infants.

8. Hebrews 5:12
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach
you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Hebrews 5:12
 Their responsibility included not only leading new believers to faith, but growing
them in the faith.
 Sergius Paulus became Paul’s first named convert in Scripture. (Acts 13:4-12)
 What began as “Barnabas and Saul” became “Paul and his companions” by
the time they left the island. (Acts 13:13)
 Paul and Barnabas were recognized as visitors in the synagogue of Pisidian
Antioch and were invited to share a word with the people. (Acts 13:14-15)
 With an open invitation to preach, Paul’s first recorded sermon in Acts
emphasized the theme of God’s grace. (Acts 13:16-42)
 Paul had been left for dead but when he regained consciousness, he went
back into the city where he had almost been killed. (Acts 14:8-20)
 The missionaries were concerned as to the reception of the Gospel by the
people.
 If the last thing the people of Lystra saw of these itinerant preachers was one of
them being dragged out of town assumed dead, then that would have been
their final image of the Gospel.

9.  Paul seemingly wanted to show the people that he and the Gospel were still
alive!
 The next town on the road southeast of Derbe was Tarsus – Paul’s home.
 This would have been a possible choice fro the missionaries to bring an end to
their initial effort at taking the Gospel to the Mediterranean world.
 Earlier efforts in Antioch of Syria (the next city east of Tarsus) had been fruitful.
 How fruitful the efforts had been in those Galatian cities was debatable.

10.  In an understated fashion, Acts 14:21-22 indicated that Paul and Barnabas
decided to return to those three cities where they had experienced
persecutions.
 Paul’s exhortation that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom
of God” reflected his seriousness about the reality of the Gospel message in
one’s life.
 After discipling the new believers, the missionaries retraced their steps back to
Perga and then set sail to return again to the place of their departure, Antioch
of Syria.
 What has often been termed as “Paul’s first missionary journey” established the
paradigm for later missionary endeavors.
 Typically, ministry would begin in the synagogue on the Sabbath and then go
to the marketplace during the week.
 With this method the Gospel reached a large and diverse audience.
 The Acts 13-14 description of this “journey” portrayed a missionary team of
human and divine partners.
 Leading the missionary group was the Holy Spirit Who gave the words to speak,
protection, and guidance.
 Paul and Barnabas’ brilliance was in their committed obedience to the Holy
Spirit’s leadership.
 They accomplished their disciple-making through a threefold process.
 First, the believers were strengthened or instructed.
 Teaching God’s Word builds up believers.
 God’s Word through God’s Spirit shapes God’s children to become like God’s
Son.
 Second, the believers were encouraged (exhorted or urged) to remain true to
the faith.
 The faith here indicates the core collection of doctrine or beliefs central to
following Jesus.
 They knew that beginners not yet established in the faith could fall away.
 Conversion must pass on to continuation.
 Third, the believers were warned of persecution.
 They would pass through many troubles.

11.  The word troubles indicates the pressure that comes when one is painfully
squeezed.
 Barnabas and Paul’s hardships in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch served as
compelling examples of suffering and hardship, experienced at every turn on
their missionary journey.
 But, adversity and harassment because of their faith was the path into the
kingdom of God.
 Tribulations develop and strengthen the believers’ faith (John 16:33).
 We will encounter difficulties from worldly opposition as we engage in kingdom-
building work.
 Opposition is a normal part of the Christian
walk and witness.
 When we embark on kingdom-building
activity we are entering hostile territory.
 The world hates God’s work.
 And, when believers are snatched from
the Devil, it angers him all the more.
 But we must grow people through teaching them anyway.

12. Connect to the Kingdom
Acts 14:23-28
23 “When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they
committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 Then they passed through
Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they spoke the message in Perga, they went
down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been
entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 After they
arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done
with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent
a considerable time with the disciples.” Acts 14:23-28
 Not only did Paul and Barnabas establish new churches, they, also, organized
the churches with a leadership structure.
 They appointed elders.
 The word elder was often used for older persons, but here it referred to mature
believers, overseeing a congregation’s spiritual health.
 Elder, from a Jewish term, and bishop, from a Greek one, designate the same
office.
 No professional clergy existed at that time.
 Following the Jewish synagogue’s leadership pattern, these men were chosen
from within the congregation to provide oversight and leadership.
 They might not have been ideal candidates, but they were available and
willing.
 They would have known the people, the problems, and the environment.
 The plural elders suggested that this group shared in the task of leading the
church.
 The contemporary practice of “one pastor, one church” seems unknown in the
early church.
 The elders were appointed.
 The compound word means to stretch the hand, implying a voting process.
 Possibly Paul and Barnabas chose the elders and the congregation approved
the selection with a vote.

13.  The vote occurred in conjunction with the church praying with fasting.
 Fasting aided praying, as time and attention normally given to cooking and
eating was instead given to devotion and concentration on God’s leading.
 The elder’s appointment was a serious matter, requiring God’s direction,
accomplished in a public meeting.
 Clearly Paul and Barnabas concentrated on the major cities, challenging the
believers once discipled to present the gospel message to more remote areas.
 The estimated length of time of the the first missionary journey lasted anywhere
between one and two years.
 Assembled together, they gave God the credit for what He had done.
 We too acknowledge God’s role in seeing people move from spiritual death to
spiritual life.
 They reported, first, what God had done with them.
 God had held true to His promise.
 While He had not insulated them from hardship, He had walked with them
through His presence and His power.
 They reported, second, what God had done for kingdom expansion.
 The Antioch experiment of sending out missionaries proved a
tremendous success.
 Using the language of Jesus, Who
described Himself as “the door” to
salvation (John 10:9), God had
opened the door of faith to the
Gentiles.
 (This development would be the
subject of the Jerusalem Conference
recorded in Acts 15.)
 The pathway into the secular
world had opened.
 The people were receptive.
 Obedient disciples were needed
to step through the opened … door.
 The door still stands open to the whole world today.

14.  Believers should recognize that every human being should have an opportunity
to hear the Gospel.
 Willing and available disciples are still needed to step through the door,
venturing outside of comfort zones to engage a lost but receptive world with
the Gospel message.
 While in Antioch, however, word came to Paul of danger in southern Galatia—
Jewish believers more committed to the law than to grace had begun to
undermine Paul’s teaching, emphasizing instead the Jewish law.
 What we know as the Book of Galatians was Paul’s response, the first of his
contributions to Scripture.
 The study theme for this four-lesson study is “The Church: Transforming Lives in a
Changing Culture.”
 A church intent on transforming society will organize for effective ministry with
capable and godly leaders, will develop disciples to maturity in the faith, and
will deploy missionaries locally and globally so God’s kingdom expands.
 In what ways can you and your class focus or refocus on building the kingdom
of God through building disciples?
 How are the members of your class developing their faith?
 Let’s not wait for others to model the normal Christian life; you can be the
example in management, maturity, and missions.
 Consider today what personal steps you can take and what activities your
class can accomplish to engage in kingdom building.
Biblical Truths
 The Christian church today needs to reflect the early church: diversity of
cultures within and departure to communicate without.
 God’s call has always been missional—off one’s seat and into the street.
 A well-equipped disciple is a well-taught disciple, focused on the fundamentals
of the faith.
 Effective churches have leaders who focus on building the kingdom of God
and correspondingly have members who wish to be used in that building
process.
 When believers obey the Great Commission, they will have stories to tell of
God’s powerful activity.
 Ask God to help you focus (or refocus) your priorities on building the kingdom
of God through building disciples.

15. Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I
am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
Next week:
Hit the Streets
Acts 17:16-31