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Introduction
What is the fundamental mission of the church? This is a burning question, and there are many theories regarding the mission of Christ. We have to affirm that Christ is front and center of Christianity. If Christ is not raised from the dead, then there is no Christianity because Christ’s work is not complete. Christian ethics starts in Christ, is lived out in Christ, and continues to go forth in Christ. As believers, we share in Christ’s life by the Spirit and faith. As the gospel and kingdom go forth in the church, we are called to share one another’s burdens. We are called to show Christ’s compassion as fruit of the gospel. When the work of Christ is pushed to the margins, then we lose sight of the deeper problem of sin. Sin is not eradicated in a few good things that we do or by finding the right system to implement. Christ had to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and be raised to life. This had to happen to take away our sin and empower us to live for Christ. So, we cannot have a Christless Christianity that only goes forth to care for the poor. However, as Christ goes forward, it shows the gospel’s compassion. Acts reminds us that the church is called to share one another’s burdens without forsaking Christ as the centerpiece.
The Gospel Spreads
Despite persecution and the scattering of believers following Stephen's death, the gospel continued to advance beyond Jerusalem. The Lord said that the gospel would proceed from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
The persecution led to the believers scattering (Acts 8:1). Eventually, Saul himself had to leave for Tarsus because of increasing persecution (Acts 9:30). As believers traveled, some began proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ to those beyond the Jewish community, and by God’s grace many believed. We see the ordinary means through which God builds His church: the gospel is proclaimed, people come to faith, and congregations are established. The advance of the gospel reminds us that Christ is gathering His people from the nations. Persecution will not halt the kingdom going forward through the gospel and manifested in planting churches.
Encouraging and Building Up the Disciples
As news of the gospel's advance reached Jerusalem, the Christians needed to learn about these mission works. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to encourage and strengthen the growing community of believers.
Barnabas is a good man, a man full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and simply a man who encourages people in their faith. This description means that Barnabas is a mature Christian, a generous person, and someone who encourages Christians in the faith.
Barnabas calls the saints to continue to be faithful to Christ. He finds Saul in Tarsus, and they team up to build up the believers. Barnabas and Saul show that normal Christian growth is nurtured through the church.
Christ’s promise that the gospel will go to the nations is bearing fruit. We pause and note that in Acts the church is comprised of many ages, different socioeconomic groups, and nationalities. All these people come together, but they are all grounded in the one Christ. People help one another. The older encourage the younger generation to persevere and stand as pillars in the faith. The wealthy seek to care for the poor in the church community. Overall, the community seeks to build one another up in the faith. It is the same gospel that brings together the peoples into the one church.
The Practice of Christian Mercy
Luke reports to us that Agabus, a New Testament prophet, came to Antioch and shared a prophecy. He prophesied of an approaching famine over the whole world.
The disciples, including Saul the Apostle, discerned by submitting to the word what was the best course of action. The apostle Saul, later to become Paul, not only tells us to discern what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), but he himself has to discern the Lord’s will as an apostle who receives revelation.
Saul, the apostle, discerns with the disciples that they are going to send relief to Judea. The bearing of one another’s burdens is not just in the congregation, but in the church universal. We see that as the gospel goes forth, so does Christ’s compassion.
Agabus, Saul, and the church are not serving the church to put themselves on a pedestal. They simply discern what is pleasing to the Lord, and they do it for the Lord’s glory. Hence, we see the service.
Conclusion
The church is called to be a gospel-centered community in which Christ is proclaimed, believers are strengthened in faith, and a spiritual community that shares one another’s burdens. The Spirit moves, and we show Christ’s compassion by caring for physical needs. We are called to resist reducing the mission of the church to social reform, while never minimizing the importance of Christian mercy. God has placed His people in different circumstances and provided for them in different ways so that they may serve one another for His glory. A faithful Christian testimony is not just a dramatic conversion, but also being raised as a covenant child and continuing in the faith. These testimonies confirm the Lord’s care for his people.
Let us therefore find our confidence in Christ, our joy in His provision, and our purpose in serving Him and His church, always giving the glory to our Lord, our Savior, and our Redeemer.