A tadpole is nothing without its legs. It can never leave its birth pond until it sprouts those four muscular limbs. The growth of legs for a tadpole becomes a defining moment that changes every moment that comes afterward for the rest of its life.
Just as for that tadpole, there are those defining moments in our lives when everything changes. Our family becomes different; our jobs, our circumstances, even our commitments to the ideals we hold most dear change forever, and nothing is the same.
That first paycheck is one. We’ve always depended on someone else’s money, and this is our own. We earned it, and we get to spend it the way we want. A whole new world of possibilities is opened up for us.
Our first real love is another. Life takes on a new depth, and we wonder how we survived before. We feel this is what gives life purpose. This is the greatest thing that could happen to anyone anywhere.
Historical milestones affect us forever. If we experienced live Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon, the Challenger explosion, the World Trade Center attack, or Hurricane Sandy taking down the city of New York, the images are etched in our minds for all time.
So, what is our Antioch Moment? What could have happened there, at that point in history, that could still affect us today?
Acts 11:26 tells us:
“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
The disciples were first called Christians, and it happened at Antioch. That’s what our Antioch Moment is all about. It is the beginning of 2,000 years of history based on the teachings of Christ. It is a change in the world that cannot be undone because it is etched forever into the world’s collective psyche. It is a moment that takes a world heading in one direction, and it shifts the ground under everyone’s feet, and suddenly they find they are headed in a completely different direction.
1 John 4:1 instructs us:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
When a defining moment is etched in our minds, nothing can change the emotional impact that consumed us at that moment. We measure every other moment that comes our way in the light of that one event.
Acts 2:38 gives us a plan to ensure we never forget or turn away from our defining moment:
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ”
The Holy Spirit will renew our Antioch Moment in our thoughts and emotions, keeping it fresh day to day. With the Spirit at our side, we will never waver or fail to follow after God.
Finally, Hebrews 11:6 gives us the truth that comes from our Antioch Moment:
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Our Antioch Moment gives us faith, and without that faith, we are no more than unformed tadpoles that will dry up in the heat of the afternoon sun. It is when we grow strong legs in the Lord that we can leap for the security of his protecting arms. It is our Antioch Moment that sparks the maturity that helps us grow into a vibrant and complete life with God.
When we first find God, we experience a moment that changes us forever.
Amen.
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Code: FGO.J.06.14.vp