Pagans from the church at Antioch literally reached the world with the gospel, turned the world upside down, and coined the name “Christian” for all of time. Two of their life-changing principles are found in Acts 11. On these guiding principles, they based all their planning and goals and achieved great accomplishments. Theirs is a great model for us to follow as we approach a new year.

1.) Zeal for the Lord is better than privilege.  

Barnabas instructed these former pagans that “with purpose of heart they should cleave to the Lord.” (Acts 11:23). Painful pagan memories were overcome by a burning desire for the Lord.   Every aim was to reach the objective of winning Christ.

Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Eternal work many times doesn’t get accomplished by choir boys but rather by publicans and sinners. Why? Zeal for the Lord replaces privilege.

2.) Quality is better than Quantity.

The church at Antioch didn’t have the big name preacher apostles like the Church in Jerusalem. They did not have a godly heritage. They were little in stature, number, and credibility, but strong in the Lord. (“…were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:26).   They received the greatest compliment ever given. “You are like Christ!”

A multi-millionaire couple who shopped in the meat department I worked in asked me multiple times if I would like to drive some of the classic cars they had in their collection. I turned them down every time because I did not want to be responsible for a wrecked car worth the equivalent of a year’s salary. God has given us something far more valuable than a hot rod! How often we are flippant and hapless with the most precious things in the world: our family, our ministry, and, most importantly, our walk with the Lord. We are tempted to minimize what we have so we can be nonchalant with it.

Again, God is more impressed with quality than quantity. The best church in the book of Revelation was little but was Christ-like in their behavior.  Listen to the Lord’s commendation of the Philadelphian church in Revelation 3:8-12 “…for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, … I will write upon him the name of my God, … I will write upon him my new name.” Nehemiah’s enemies minimized his ministry and said of his building the wall, “What do these feeble Jews?” (Nehemiah 4:1-2) Nehemiah’s attitude toward what he was doing was, “I am doing a great work!” (Nehemiah 6:3).

When we die, we want to hear our Saviour say,

Luke 19:17b …Well done, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.