Bahan Alkitab: Acts 11:19-30
Tanggal: 08/08/2021
Ringkasan:
Lesson focus: God wants His children to tell others about Jesus and give to help others.
Because of the persecution, many followers of Jesus left Jerusalem and moved to other places. They had to leave everything behind and they knew that God was always with them and that everything they had or could have – was actually from God.
Some of them went to Antioch to stay there, but there was no one who believed in Jesus, and was no church, yet. So, the believers/Jesus followers would like to tell the people in Antioch (who were not Jewish or called Gentiles) – about Jesus, too.
The Good News of Jesus is for everyone! The Holy Spirit was with them and helped them to share the Gospel.
The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to go and learn about the believers in Antioch and to encourage them. Barnabas needed another leader to help him. He traveled to Tarsus to look for Paul. Barnabas brought Paul back to Antioch and both of them taught great numbers of people for a year. They taught them to love and serve God and to serve one another.
Antioch was the first place where people who followed Jesus were called “Christians”.
One day, a man called “Agabus” came to Antioch and said that soon there would be no more food to eat in all the Roman world, including Jerusalem. A famine would soon happen. A famine is a period of time when few crops grow and many people go hungry. That meant people in Jerusalem would go hungry.
The Christians in Antioch wanted to help so they gathered money and asked Barnabas and Paul to take it to the church leaders in Jerusalem. So, Paul and Barnabas brought the offering to the church in Jerusalem. They received with a thankful heart.
The Christians in Antioch were so glad that they could give to those who were hungry – they praised God that they could serve Him.
Lessons learned:
• Because of persecution (many Jesus followers were captured/jailed/killed) – they went to other places.
• They shared about Jesus not only to Jews or the same nations but shared to all people.
• The Holy Spirit helped the disciples and us – to tell others about Jesus and to serve God.
• We could serve God by giving help to others who are in need.
Ayat Hafalan:
James 5:16A
Pray for each other
