The Church At Antioch + Tonight at Immanuel!
Good morning! The rich gospel heritage of the church in Antioch is ours to celebrate and emulate in Christ.
“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” (Acts 13:1)
God’s plan has always been to bring people of all backgrounds together as one united family in Christ for his glory. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of all nations coming together to worship the living God and share in the joy of Christ. This worship around the throne of God is where the universe is ultimately heading, and that is the reality we can experience today through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 13, we catch a glimpse of that beautiful reality coming to life.
The church of Antioch was a shining example of how the blood of Christ brought various ethnic groups together. The church of Antioch played a significant role in early Christianity. In fact, it was at Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.” At the time of the early church, it was the third largest city in the Roman empire in both size and importance, making it a strategic base of operation for Paul and Barnabas to begin their first missionary journey.
Luke tells us that among the church leaders in Antioch was a man named Simeon, who was known as Niger. Niger, in Latin, means “black.” John Stott believed that Simeon “was a black African, and possibly none other than Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross for Jesus” (Stott, The Message of Acts, 216). Luke’s inclusion of this detail about Simeon, “who was known as Niger,” is a powerful testament to the gospel’s power to create a new, multi-ethnic family in Christ. As Christianity spread across the world, God was using a group of unlikely partners, diverse in background but united by faith in the risen Jesus.
Let the church today follow in the footsteps of the saints before us and imitate their faith. Let us celebrate the rich gospel heritage of the church. Let us come together and rejoice in God’s wisdom, proclaim His gospel, and welcome one another for the glory of Christ.
February 7, 2023 - Immanuel At a Glance
Sunday Resources
Engage
WEDNESDAY NIGHT - Join us tonight as Pastor TJ continues our study time in Acts 9!
WOMEN’S RETREAT FAQ- The Immanuel Women’s Retreat is coming soon (March 3rd to 4th). We now have an FAQ with information about the agenda for those days. Learn more here.
ONLINE PRAYER - Every week, Jenn Ross, one of our Discipleship Groups leaders, facilitates two online prayer meetings that everyone is welcome to join. The Zoom meeting times and links are below:
Every Thursday afternoon from 12:00-12:45 pm
Every Sunday morning from 7:30-8:00 am
On the Radar: This Sunday
DISCOVER LUNCHEON - The next Discover Luncheon is on February 12. Please make sure to RSVP!
SUNDAY Q&R - This upcoming Sunday, we will host a Q&R in the cafe between the 9 am and 10:45 am services. This Q&R will be an opportunity to encourage Vince and ask questions about his call to pastoral ministry.
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