In the 14th chapter of Acts, we find Paul and Barnabas at Iconium, in yet another synagogue telling others about the person and work of Christ. The text notes that they “spoke in such a way” that people were stirred up, either to affection for Christ or to bitterness and resentment towards God. These initial verses of chapter 14 demonstrate the power of the practice of preaching. While many have considered preaching an outdated, ineffective means of communicating the gospel, Paul held its practice in high regard (2 Timothy 4:1-2), and it is to this day one of the essential means by which the church is grown, fed, and stirred towards deeper adoration of their Savior.

The next stop on Barnabas and Paul’s missionary journey takes them to Antioch in Pisidia. Here they join a worship gathering on the Sabbath where they are asked to provide a word of encouragement to the people gathered together. The encouragement Paul provides them is the same encouragement we need today, the gospel. True encouragement comes from fearing the Lord. The gospel of Jesus Christ encourages us to be a great people, promises a future inheritance, exceeds all of our worldly expectations and is a free gift from God to all those He calls His children to encourage them in every aspect of their lives.

Focusing again on the church of Antioch at the beginning of chapter 13, we find Saul and Barnabas beginning their first missionary journey, stopping first at the island of Cyprus. Here Saul and Barnabas preach the gospel, confront false teaching, and lead people to the Lord. Just as Saul (now called Paul) was radically changed by the power of God, we too are given a holy calling, a holy identity, and renewed, holy passions as we join the Lord in his work to make all things new.

Why is pride so bad? Scripture is clear that God hates pride, it is the source of all sin, and it always destroys. Pride puts us in opposition to God and in the end it will destroy us. We must daily practice humility to fight the sin of pride that can easily entrap all of us. Practicing humility helps accomplish three things: humility orientate us towards Jesus, not others; humility gives glory and not attention; and humility focuses on self-awareness, not self-image.

We, the Church, are to proceed in community, under the guidance of God’s Spirit, according to our new nature. The result is a people who model love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. However, each of us has latent, residual inclinations to people and events that, unchecked, have the capacity for great corporate harm. The contrasting result is a community whose conduct is more akin to wild animals. Galatians 5 warns us that this feedback loop of biting and devouring can and will consume the entirety of the community, which is exampled to us in Numbers 11. We are most vulnerable, as a church, when our misfortunes are too big, our cravings are too strong and our leaders are too burdened. Thankfully, we are offered some clear, biblical instruction to help get back in-step with the Holy Spirit and avert the church’s consumption.

Fresh out of jail, having just been miraculously freed by God, Peter goes to the house of John Mark’s mother, where there are a number of people praying for him. These people are encouraged by Peter’s story, and he asks them to spread the story to even more apostles and disciples. The power of testimony is great, and as we share the work Christ has done and continues to do in and through us, we build one another up in the gospel, offering encouragement, hope, and confidence in the Lord.

Through Peter’s imprisonment and miraculous escape from prison, we see the power of prayer and the power of God on full display - no matter the opposition, God’s purposes will not be thwarted. We are also reminded of our own spiritual imprisonment - without Christ, we dwelt in darkness and sin. We are freed, however, by grace through faith in Christ himself. It is God who loosens our chains, forgives our sin, and leads us into freedom, that we may enjoy and rejoice in God and join him in liberating others with the news of the gospel.

As the church in the city of Antioch is established, a prophet visits with a word from God: a famine is coming, and the brothers and sisters in Judea will be in need of assistance during this time. The generous response of the Antioch church teaches us valuable lessons in how to share and bless others with the resources we have been given. As we grow personally in our generosity by the power of the Holy Spirit, we become a community that more fully embodies the sacrificial love and giving of Christ himself.

As the news of Christ’s life and work continued to spread beyond the walls of Jerusalem, many people from many regions began to grow in knowledge of grace and truth. One of the cities reached with the gospel was Antioch, where seeds were sown by eager disciples and where Barnabas and Saul worked together to build up and establish a church. From the work and example of these followers we learn some healthy hallmarks of a growing and thriving body of faith. The gospel preached, embodied, and established together with others sets powerful foundations for a dynamic community of God.

As Peter is sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his family and friends, the Spirit descends, salvation occurs, and new members are brought into the family of God. How are we to welcome those who are “outside” into the church, into communion with believers and with the Lord? The text recounts a powerful story of redemption and salvation, and we learn that those on the outside need to hear the gospel, need witnesses to their growth and change, and need a loving and present community, devoted to the Lord in every sense.