Today's Word from Pastor Alex
August 31, 2026: A Word from Acts 11
Date: Aug 30, 2026
A Word from Acts 11
Who are the people among whom you'd be most surprised to see revival breakout? Would it be those whose lifestyles you disapprove of? Would it be folks whose race, or nationality, or even religion was different from yours? And if revival did break out among such people, how do you think you'd respond?
Well, today's word from Acts Chapter 11 features a story of revival. By now, the gospel had already crossed many barriers to impact the lives of unexpected people. However, most of this had happened under the watchful eye of the apostles and other key leaders in the Jerusalem church. And here, we find something different. Because here, a group of unnamed believers started sharing the gospel with Gentiles in Antioch, a city well-known for its moral compromise. And yet, a large number of Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
Naturally, the leaders in Jerusalem wanted to make sure that nothing inappropriate was going on. And so, they sent Barnabas, "the son of encouragement," to check things out. "And when he arrived and saw this evidence of God's blessing," (v. 23) the scripture says...what happened? Did he tell these new converts, "You're not like us; and so you can't belong"? Or did he go back to Jerusalem and say, "We need some policies to exclude folks like that"?
No, "he was filled with joy," the Bible says, "and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord." (v. 23)
Of course, he also wanted to make sure these new believers were taught well. And so, he went and got Saul, so they could teach these new converts what following Jesus was all about. And apparently, they got it right! Because as you might know, "It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians." (v. 26)
So, would we dare to pray for revival to break out in the most unlikely places? And might we even ask God to use us -- to share, to encourage, and to teach -- so that we, too, can know the joy of seeing new hearts turn to the Lord?
May revival come, even in surprising places. And may God use us to make it happen. Amen.