Antioch the example Church by Sergio Occhiochiuso (part 3)

If any assembly today wants to follow the Antioch example it needs to be “gutted out” from top to bottom from many conceptions and ideas and mediocre teaching that they have received. Their leadership needs to remove some of the “theology” implanted in them, and started to live and act in a way that up to now it would be foreign to them. Antioch was something that none of the Jerusalem church leadership could tackle, for the simple reason their background both national and religious could not grasp the depth of the Antioch church spiritual move. Antioch like many of its leaders was born in due time, to bring the revelation of Christ, any leaders in our modern times must become as one born in due time, it has to be a total turn around experience, and learn to be submissive to the Spirit of God and to others. Submissive to the Spirit of God means no clock limitation.

What makes Antioch a “lighthouse or a blueprint” for future generations, was the fact that the leadership took time out from their singular ministry to pray together. This coming together in prayer became the channel of God to speak to them. It was during one of these times of coming together that God let them know to separate two from their midst for missionary work. It is in this kind of atmosphere and attitude that leadership develops singleness of heart, therefore it becomes very difficult for division to appear, it is in this kind of attitude that the Spirit of the Lord is able to move and anoint and give ministry gifts, and it is in this

Kind of attitude that people are drawn too, and the end product is revival comes down from Heaven and souls are saved Jesus is lifted up.

We discover when leaders were chosen in the first century church it was not by what qualification they obtained, rather it was by what was in their hearts. Why? Because then they would have a servant heart. It is as it was in Jesus’ time. Jesus chose His disciples — even Judas (the one that betrayed Him) — He called them one by one and molded them in preparation of what was going to happen three and half years down the line. He knew their weaknesses, and He hoped that His words and Spirit would make them men of God. The principles are still here, what has changed is the leaders are not longer chosen through fasting and prayer and by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that chose, anoints and seals the leader. Nowadays a leader is chosen by the letters after its name or by denominational credits. Antioch chose to follow a pattern that in today’s

times it will be foreign. It is the Lord that prepares, it is the Holy Spirit that put His seal on a ministry and it is the Father that anoints. Man has nothing to do with it. God is the One that knows every heart.

When servants of the Lord have been chosen by the Holy Spirit, they will come across:

1) Opposition to the calling, from believers, even from within their own assembly;

2) Their anointing is questioned;

3) Their calling is challenged, by camps, believers and unbelievers

4) Past failures being pointed out;

 5) Adversity will become their middle name.

One thing is guaranteed God will stand by them. It will not be a easy life, at times it seems everything is stacked against God’s servant, but they will live in a place with God that many aspire and few will achieve, they will know their God through their own failures and through their own weaknesses, they will be open to him that has anointed them and chosen them, their experience is a walk of humility.

Antioch taught the reality of one’s calling. When Barnabas went and look for Saul it sealed his own calling, he was already known for his faith and as an encourager, now his calling was sealed. The Antioch church was blessed with Saul in their midst.

The enemy will always oppose anyone that will bring about the experience of the Antioch church. I believe the experience of the Antioch church will come about before or during persecution of the Church, this will separate those that are for Christ Jesus and those that are against.

There is much discontent amongst the believers; they see their church achieve nothing, losing ground to so many eastern beliefs and towards the New Age Movement, and to various cults. Why all of this is happening?

When Israel started to be involved in mixing and compromising with nations that God had forbidden them to have anything to do, Israel lost out with God, they made their choice not to listen and obey. Many factions of the Church have compromised and they are losing out in the blessing of God. When there is no more fear of the Lord, when there is no more the same willingness to serve the Lord with humility then we leave ourselves open to be invaded by troublesome teaching and preaching, when we dismiss the prophetic word and vision of the Lord then the Church has no longer restrain and will have new idols and gods. How then can we expect the blessing of God in the Church?