Acts 11:19-26 display core traits of faithful gospel ministry, which brings forth tremendous evidence of a very strong church in Antioch. Nevertheless, here’s what we need to understand: There could be indiscriminate evangelism and encouragement towards perseverance, along with a consistent practice of discipleship and yet there still be a crucial trait of faithful gospel ministry severely lacking. What is that trait?—sacrificial love.
In God’s wise ordination, we can know exactly what the Lord thinks about ministry that is void of this crucial trait of love. This certainty is found in Christ’s own assessment of the church in Ephesus in Rev. 2:2 I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
This is remarkable! A church persevering in their battle against sin and hatred of false teaching can still be found to be so lacking that Christ would remove all of his influence from their midst? Yes, because they had stopped loving one another, which means they could no longer prove that they loved their Lord and Savior first and foremost! Let us go on loving one another because he first loved us.