Isaiah 43:16-25  (NIV)

¹⁶ This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, ¹⁷ who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: ¹⁸ “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  ¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  ²⁰ The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, ²¹ the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

²² “Yet you have not called on me, O Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, O Israel.  ²³ You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices.  I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense.  ²⁴ You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices.  But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.

²⁵ “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Today we will look at the Church in the city Antioch.

Acts 11:19-30 (NIV)

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to the Jews.  ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.  ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  ²³ When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.  The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

²⁷ During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.  (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)  ²⁹ The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.  ³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

The more urban the environment, the more dense the population, the more ethnicities involved, the more poverty and crime, the more Christianity flourished.  The more fruits of the Spirit were seen, the bigger the impact of the gospel because more people are doing spiritual 180’s when they meet Jesus.

The city of Antioch was a place where faith began to flourish for all sorts of folks.

The city will challenge someone’s faith in a way that a faith in the suburbs simply won’t.

More city, more God, in Antioch the gospel power was revealed in the transformation of people’s lives.  They first preached to the Jews, then moved to the Greeks and many converted.

People come to the city and are more open to new ideas and thoughts.

All people, whether in Antioch or Los Altos, need to invite Jesus to be part of their lives, to com into their hearts and rule over them.

The Bible comes to all sorts of people and even the people who are headed in the wrong direction.

When a non-religious person’s life hits bottom, they know they are apart from God, and they can get closer.

People who are religiously keeping all the rules they know about get mad when life doesn’t go the way they think it should, and that drives them away from God rather than toward Him.

I think God can use people more completely if we are a bit unsettled in where we are, because it makes us dependent on God rather than ourselves.

Wherever Christians find themselves, we are to make a difference there.  May not be where you want to be.  May be uncomfortable, less than you want or are used to, but God has a purpose for us in that place and time.  Whether it’s Antioch or Los Altos.

Serve people, love them, and live for Christ.  That builds the Kingdom, it is what the Church is called to do.

God bless, continue to use the skills and resources to build His Kingdom.