The Church Of Antioch

Is Christ still building His church today?
When we read the book of Acts, it's apparent that He was at work during those times. What about today?
Given what we know about the work of the Lord and His promise that He "will build His church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it", we have hope.
Antioch was not a small city nor the church of Antioch a small church. It started with nameless and faithful Christians, and grew and flourished. Could it happen again today?
Why it worked then? What is needed to establish and grow and flourish a church?
1. Hand of the Lord to be with it
It is through the Hand of the Lord being with them that those ordinary people were able to do the extraordinary. The reason? For God to get all the glory.
It is impossible to plant/grow a church, convert a soul, through men's skills and intellect. But "what is impossible to men is possible with God". Only God can quicken the "dry bones".
2. Son of encouragement
The blessings (hand) of the Lord come through means e.g. ministers. This is what Barnabas was to the early church in Antioch. He lived up to his new name which means "son of encouragement". He exhorted people to remain faithful in the Lord with steadfast purpose.
We often exercise our gift of discernment in the church nowadays, but how often do we exercise our gift of encouragement?
Hebrews 10:25 Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
3. Ongoing ministry of the Word
We see myriad of commands in the Bible that justify our need to be taught in the Word.
Also, there are two consequence after a year of Bible discipleship in the Church of Antioch
1. Earn for themselves a name - Christians
They were distinguishable as followers of Christ, seen as lovers and followers of Jesus by spending time with the Bible and living up to it
2. Their generosity in the times of hardship
They were so well-discipled that their first instinct upon hearing a calamity was to think of others first than their own selves. A church that has known the love of the Lord is a lover of people.
Lord, let us be like that church.