Fbco Sunday Sermons

Barnabas and Saul had been told by the Holy Spirit to go out as missionaries. But they were not told where to start. They went from Antioch, the third biggest city in the Roman Empire, to the nearest seaport city, Seleucia, to catch a boat. They chose as their first mission field the island of Cyprus. This choice made sense for many reasons. First, Barnabas, according to Acts 4:36, was from Cyprus. Barnabas’ presence enabled them to overcome one of the great challenges of being a missionary to a foreign land: its culture. Not only should you know its language; you must grasp its entire culture so you won’t accidentally offend the people to whom you’re ministering. Cyprus was a prosperous island for several reasons. Its copper mines supplied the Roman Empire. Its climate was almost perfect. The island was nicknamed Makaria, the Greek word translated “blessed” in the Beatitudes. We might call it “Happy Island” today. The soil was perfect for a variety of crops. We know it was a peaceful island as well becaus