The book of Acts in the New Testament tells the story of the way the Christian movement spread like wildfire from Jerusalem where Jesus lived and

rose again up to Sumeria,

out to Cesaria, then on up the coast to Andioc and Syria,

around to Asia Minor, to Greece and to Rome, and then beyond the Book of Acts,

to the rest of the world.

And we've been, for about a year and three months, tracking this movement of Christianity out from Jerusalem in the book of acts trying

to learn the way that God works today.

Because I assume that since he's the same yesterday, today, and forever, that if we could

discern the way the Christian movement spread in those early days, we will know something important about the way it spreads today.

Now, this morning we have come to Chapter 11,

verse 19 and a very decisive movement up the coast to Andeock is happening.

And I invite you, if you have a Bible and you want to read along with me to turn to

Act 11, verse 19, we'll read through verse 24, but let me set the stage so that you can see

what's really happening here and how important it is.

In chapter 8, the Christian movement burst the bonds of Judaism as it were and spilled over into Samaria

and the bridge was built across the chasm of hatred that existed between Samaritans and Jews, and the church extended and united those people.

And then in chapter 10, the same thing happened as the bonds were burst a little more widely

as the church penetrated down to Cesesarea to the Gentile world and another

chasm of alienation and distance was bridged by the gospel and by Jesus Christ and the Gentiles, Cornelius and his family were folded into the church.

Now, another step here in this text, chapter 11, verse 19, is happening, as the Christians, for a reason that's sort of surprising, leave

their homeland and penetrate all the way up into Syria and the church is planted in Antioch. Let's read about that now.

Verse 19 of Acts 11. Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over

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