ANOINTED AS ANTIOCH

The Gospel had come to the Gentiles. The power of the Holy Spirit led to breakthrough in the city of Antioch. In his book, “The Case for Antioch,” by Jeff Iorg, he presents the first characteristic of a transformational church as being spiritual power, using Antioch as the model, (pp. 42-59, Kindle edition). He points out that “three specific references to the Holy Spirit,” are stated in Acts 11:24, 28, and 13:2-4.  I would say that the Spirit’s work is summarized in Acts 11:21 with this: “the hand of the Lord was with them.”

The church was birthed at Pentecost by the coming of the Spirit in life-giving power. The book of Acts is not so much the Acts of the Apostles, as it is the Acts of the Holy Spirit (using the Apostles, of course). Then, as the church followed the Spirit’s direction and experienced the Spirit’s dynamic, we see a global move of God unleashed that has changed the course of history for eternity!

The reality is that, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down,” as the old hymn says—calling us to pray as the people of God for such a Divine encounter. If the hand of the Lord is not with us, then ZERO of eternal significance will be accomplished. Maybe we get kudos here and are recognized in the denominational press, but Jesus said, “for without  Me you can do NOTHING,” (John 15:5b, emphasis added).

Our world does not need what human hands can accomplish in the energy of the flesh. All that will transform lives is a church where the hand of the Lord is at work in the power of the Spirit!  Certainly, He will work through us—we are the Body of Christ—but it will not be by human ability, but heavenly anointing that life-giving and life-changing results are seen. Let us seek with all our heart that in our preaching of the Word, our assembling for worship, and our going out in witness to be anointed as Antioch.