Is God looking for us (always begins with Him) and are we looking for Him? Acts 13
Acts 11:19-21, persecution scattered the believers in Jerusalem to distant places and gentile peoples with the Gospel.
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and BEGAN TO SPEAK TO THE GREEKS ALSO, TELLING THEM THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE LORD JESUS. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem (the Church in Jerusalem felt a responsibility for the distant work) and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
God blessed the preaching of the Word among the Greeks and many turned and put their trust in Him. Antioch would in turn become ‘a Gentile Sending Church’, perhaps it’s founders deposited something in the character of the Church.
13 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 WHILE THEY WERE WORSHIPPING THE LORD AND FASTING, THE HOLY SPIRIT SAID, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ 3 SO AFTER THEY HAD FASTED AND PRAYED, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, …
By the time we get to Acts 13 the believers in Antioch are recognised as a Church, they had people in positions of leadership within the Body; specifically prophets and teachers are named.
This Church worshipped the Lord with fasting and Acts 13 begins with the Holy Spirit calling for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for the work He had for them. They were commissioned after more prayer and fasting and sent out on the first recorded missions trip of the Church.
How can this relate to us as individuals and groups in our own lives? Jesus said, ‘the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few’. There’s always a need for more people to help bring in the harvest and many people believe we are standing on the verge of the greatest harvest the Church has ever seen. God wants and needs people who are willing to serve Him in this day. The believers in Antioch began by worshipping the Lord and fasting, not with the plans of men.
God has called each of us to do something for His Kingdom and it’s uniquely suited to us. It may involve struggles and challenges but God is with us, Emmanuel. What is God calling us to in our day? True fulfilment lies in finding out and doing it.
24 ‘“‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face towards you
and give you peace.’”
27 ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ Numbers 6