Acts 11:25-30

Antioch has the unique distinction of being the place where believers were first called Christians. Barnabas went to look for Saul of Tarsus and brought him back to Antioch, where the two spent a year teaching these new disciples the ways of the Lord.

We see here that the gifts of the Spirit and the offices of Jesus—Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher—were still in full operation, as the Scriptures say that “prophets” came from Jerusalem. Agabus, in particular, prophesied about a severe famine that was coming upon the land. As a true community of believers should, when they heard this, they sent a monetary gift with Paul and Barnabas to be delivered to the elders in Jerusalem in order to bless and help those in need.

When you think about the purpose of the church and what we are here for, it is to be a blessing to our communities. The other day, I was listening to someone speak about Veteran services, and he emphatically stated that the focus of Veteran services should be—tada—the veterans. Veterans come first. Yet, how often do these nonprofits lose focus and become about something else? It is called mission drift.

This got me thinking about the church and its function. The focus of the church should be the lost, yet somehow it is very easy for the message to get lost in building projects, fundraising, and supporting the machine instead of supporting the Kingdom. It is always good to ask ourselves, “How are we making an impact for the Kingdom of God?”

Consider Ephesians 4:11-12:

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”

The office gifts are meant to teach and train the church—everyday believers—to go out and do the work of the ministry. Church is an equipping station, yet often it seems that believers feel that if they support ministries financially, they are off the hook from actually doing the work of the Kingdom. They give to the church to support someone else doing the work, and then we wonder why the Gospel is not having a larger impact in our communities.

We all have a part to play. Every day we should look for opportunities to let people see Jesus in us by the things we do.

As Psalm 84:5-6 AMP states:

“¶Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; Each of them appears before God in Zion.”

In every place we walk, we should make it better.


The church was never meant to be a spectator sport. We are not simply called to attend services, but to carry the presence of Christ into our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. Wherever believers go, there should be evidence of the Kingdom—hope replacing despair, generosity overcoming selfishness, and love transforming lives. When the church stays focused on its true mission, the world cannot help but notice Jesus.