For Want of Faith

For Want of Faith 2021 07 18

Acts 11:27 – 30

When Jesus was asked how to pray by His disciples, one of the things He told them to ask for was their daily bread.  He didn’t tell them to ask for food for a week, or a month or more, nor did He instruct them to ask for fully stocked cupboards.  He instead asked them to pray for what they needed for the day.  He would not have told them to include that in their prayer if God would not provide it.

 

There are two things we can notice from this.

  1. All we need is what we need today. God will supply that.
  2. We should be praying in the morning upon rising.It makes little sense to ask this day for our daily bread, just before we go to sleep!

 

What, then, does it mean here in our rich land, when we have cupboards stocked with food for several days or more?  Remember, as we consider our passage, today, that as a child of God you have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, and all that you have is His. Perhaps what you have in your cupboard is how He is supplying your daily bread in these days, or perhaps He has another plan for it.  Let’s see what the disciples of Antioch did, some two thousand years ago…

 

Acts 11:27 – 30

 

God sent prophets from Jerusalem to the early church in Antioch while Paul and Barnabas were there.  One of them, named Agabus, told them by the power of the Holy Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout the known world.  Our text tells of the fulfillment of this prophecy, during the reign of Claudius Caesar.  Various historians from the time tell us of at least four famines in the Mediterranean area during the reign of Claudius Caesar.

“Even secular sources mention this multi-year famine which affected the entire Roman world and lasted from 44 AD to 48 AD during Claudius’ reign of 41 AD to 54 AD. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that the famine was so great even in Rome that mobs abused Claudius Caesar – “When there was a scarcity of grain because of long-continued droughts, he was once stopped in the middle of the Forum by a mob and so pelted with abuse and at the same time with pieces of bread, that he was barely able to make his escape to the Palace by a back door; and after this experience he resorted to every possible means to bring grain to Rome, even in the winter season.” (The Life of Claudius, Chapter 18)”

Together, they covered most of the known civilized world. One of the communities hardest hit were the Christians of Judea.

 

I  The Disciples Determined

  1. The disciples in Antioch determined, or made up their minds, to send relief to the brethren in Judea. They would have felt a very special love for their brethren in Judea, because they, being Jews, brought the gospel to these gentiles in Antioch, opening up to them the Kingdom of Heaven.

           

II  They Pledged What They Could

  1. The disciples in Antioch determined to give whatever they could, every man according to his particular ability to give.
  2. The natural question is, why would the “brethren dwelling in Judea” need more help during this famine than the brethren in Antioch?
    1. At this time, the persecutionof Christians was primarily by the Jewish authorities against those within their reach in Judea, who had probably lost their fields, property, and homes. The Roman persecution of Christians didn’t start until 66 AD, so the church in Antioch at this time had more resources to share with their suffering Christian brothers and sisters in Judea.

III  They Pledged by Faith

  1. You might protest, “But it says each gave according to his ability…”
    1. That IS what it says. But a very big part of ability is faith.  A poor man with great faith may give much more than a rich man with little faith, because he understands that Jesus said to ask God for what you need for this day, because God will supply it!
    2. You don’t need any of the things you have stored in your cupboards at home, today!
    3. You don’t even know if tomorrow is going to come.What you need for today, God has already supplied.
    4. Therefore, these people pledged what they could, according to their ability, according to their faith. When you have what you need, and you have something someone else needs besides, you have the ability to give!  Listen to Jesus’ words from Luke 3:11: “He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.” 
      1. You have the ability to give more than you think when you give by faith.
    5. The history of the early churches shows that those who had the least sometimes were the ones who gave the most. 2Corinthians 8:1 – 4 “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

 

IV They Followed Through

  1. The disciples determined to send relief, they pledged what they could, they pledged by faith, and they followed through.They gathered what they could for the saints in Judea & sent it by Barnabas and Saul to the elders of the churches in Judea.
  2. This love that was shown from the church at Antioch became the standard for true churches everywhere, to help one another in time of need.
    1. Romans 15:25 – 27 “But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.”
    2. 1 Corinthians 16:1 – 3 “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.  And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.”
    3. 2 Corinthins 9:1,2 “For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.”
    4. Galatians 2:10“Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”
  3. If only the churches of Canada, the USA, and Western Europe were like the church at Antioch! Imagine what could be accomplished!  Imagine how much suffering could be alleviated among our brethren in the rest of the world who don’t always have the money for their next meal, never mind what colour they should paint their million-dollar sanctuary!

 

V  What is God Asking You?

Is there something that God has been asking you to do or give, but you’ve been holding back?  Is it for want of ability, or for want of faith?  When God calls you to do or to give, the only thing that CAN hold you back is want of faith.  God will never lay a burden on you that is beyond His ability to supply.  Jesus said, Matthew 6:33, “…seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Do what God says, walk by faith, and trust Him to supply your daily bread.  He has promised to and therefore, He will.  Amen