Do we really know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us? “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said; “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2). There are three essential elements in this phrase that I want us to note:
1. These believers clearly knew when the Holy Spirit was speaking. There is no mention of any emotional hype that forced them to hear the Spirit. Their minds were clearly on worship and fasting, but they were not so preoccupied with what they were doing that they were not also consciously listening for God to speak. 2. The proof of (1) is in Antioch’s immediate obedience! “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off” (13:3). There was no mission board meeting to approve their sending. There was no requirement that these two missionaries go out and get support before heading to the field. There was perfect unity in mind and heart with the Holy Spirit’s voice and instructions. 3. The Holy Spirit set these men apart “for the work to which I (Holy Spirit) have called them” (13:2). I come back to this verse because I believe it is the most misunderstood part of this instruction. Because the work of missions is the message of God, sent by God, and empowered by God to reach the nations for the glory of God, it cannot be controlled by man or by man’s organizations. We must believe that the Holy Spirit is God and what He does is perfect. These are essential for “effective missions”! So I ask you the question; are you and is your church spiritually prepared for God to move in this way? If not, why not? Would there be a willingness to obey immediately without any prerequisites? Do you really trust what God will do through persons sent out by the Holy Spirit? Think carefully before you answer that question. How you answer will tell a lot about your trust in God’s work.
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A Spirit-filled walk with Christ makes us ready for the moment when He speaks to us. There is no indication that “worshiping the Lord and fasting” was anything unusual for the church at Antioch. Even before the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, prayer was a natural habit for believers in Christ. These habits were the effective tools that gave the Holy Spirit freedom to speak directly to this church with clear instructions for the next missions outreach.
There are dangers that cause our mission efforts to be ineffective: 1. We do not expect the Holy Spirit to speak clearly to us. 2. We subconsciously think every time we pray, the outcome is going to be the same as last time. 3. We really don’t want change in our churches and therefore we quench the Holy Spirit. 4. We want to retain good people in our churches rather than expecting God to send them out. We need to expect God to do something different that will make our missions more effective and beyond what is familiar to us. God's command is GO! Where? He will direct after we become willing to be sent. We often hurry over verses (I have) and fail to take time to understand their importance. As Luke names the “prophets and teachers” at Antioch, he includes one called “Manaen a life-long friend (foster brother) of Herod the tetrarch, and (friend) of Saul” (Acts 13:1). How different was the life of Herod who lived in debauchery and hatred for Christ and His people, and this foster brother Manaen who became a devoted follower of Jesus and leader in the church. When Luke says that he was a friend of Saul, it makes me wonder what influence Saul had on him. Before Saul’s conversion, he mingled among the rulers of the Jews and no doubt had affiliations with the Roman court. Did Saul know Manaen before his conversion and went back to him to explain what God had done on the Damascus road?
What influence have we had on individuals who may have gone a very different direction were it not that God placed them in our path? This relative of Herod became an effective leader in Antioch who listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit (see verse2) so that Barnabas and Saul could be set apart for His work. God makes the “people connections”. It is our responsibility to be ready for them so our mission work is effective. Robert Morrison (1782 to 1834) was the first Christian missionary to China. When Morrison was asked shortly after his arrival in China if he expected to have any spiritual impact on the Chinese, he answered, “No sir, but I expect God will!”
How do you see your impact on this world? Are you expecting God to do great things so HE ALONE IS GLORIFIED? Before I get back to Barnabas and Saul, Luke records the severe persecution of the church and death of James, the imprisonment of Peter and his release by the “angel of the Lord”. God steps in when Herod fails to “give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last” (Acts 12:23). Please note: In spite of all these events, “the word of God increased and multiplied” (12:24). Nothing can stop His plan and purpose.
Getting back to Barnabas and Saul, they “returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose name was Mark” (12:25). In every effective mission assignment, we should know when his/her assignment in a place is finished. Paul never stayed in one place very long and the most was three years (Ephesus – Acts 20:31). True, it was only delivering a gift for the elders to use for those in need, but Jerusalem may have been tempted to keep them there for some reason. God had a plan that John Mark should join them for the next assignment. If they had stayed in Jerusalem, the advancement of the gospel into other regions of Asia and Europe may have been hindered. How do you see the Holy Spirit guiding your ministry so that we can accelerate the gospel to the unengaged and unreached? Let God make you more effective for His glory! Natural disasters are often used by God to put His servants in the right place at the right time so that the next chapter in effective missions can be written. “A great famine over all the world…took place in the days of Claudius (a self-centered, wicked ruler)” (Acts 11:28). God moved the hearts of the disciples at Antioch to “send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul” (11:29-30).
Please note two things in this decision. First, Antioch did not try to retain these men for themselves. I am certain there was strong attachment after one year of teaching and experiencing Christ being formed in them. This was a time of amazing spiritual growth and strengthening. Yet, Antioch was willing to release their best for the simple task of helping brothers in need. Second, Barnabas and Saul did not fear that leaving would cause these Antioch disciples to fail. They were totally confident in the Holy Spirit work in them. In the next blog, we will see another page in the divine plan for this trip to Jerusalem. But before you leave today’s posting, ask if you and your church have confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit in new believers? If you have a feeling of fear that failure will take place if you leave and God sends you somewhere else, then you should examine how effective your teaching is. |
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