"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE CALLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Acts 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions and a prayer:
The background here, is that many leaders were gathered together in the city of Antiock, and they were ministering to the Lord, that is, they were worshipping the Lord, seeking Him, walking with Him, meeting for prayer and fellowship. And during that period of time, (in a way that is not told us) the Holy Spirit spoke to them, and called out Saul, or Paul, and Barnabas for a particular work.
The verses above give us a great amount of detail of how the Holy Spirit works, why He works, and what we can do to cooperate with His work and His calling in these last days.
1. Being focused on, and walking with the Lord puts us in a place where God can speak to us.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
The Bible says that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. (James 4) And, that is what happened here. These men were drawing near to God, and He indeed drew near to them, and spoke to them, and told them what He wanted them to do.
The same thing happens today. God has a plan for each of our lives, and if we will but seek Him, and be in a place where we can hear Him, we will hear Him. What a blessing that is. God is so interested in carrying on His work. He is looking for people who are looking for Him. And, once He finds them, He speaks to them.
2. Fasting, is not something we are very use to doing. However, it is a Biblical practice, and is very helpful in finding the will of God.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
A part of their ministry to the Lord at this time was fasting. Which means to abstain. We are not told just exactly what they were abstaining from, but, they were fasting. Fasting is helpful in this regard, that it can sharpen out attention to the Lord, and it's a sacrifice that seems to yield great results in the sense that it puts us more in tune with the Lord. We become more focused on Him, and He honors that. He sure did honor it in this case
3. The Holy Spirit spoke to these focused worshippers, and told them what He had in mind.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
You will notice what God said to these men. It was a call to separate to Him, these two men, for a work that He was calling them to. God has a work to do, and He does His work through people. He calls those people to the work. The calling is His decision, not ours. Ours is to respond to His calling, and to enter into the work that He has for us. God has a work for you to do also, and one for me to do. I pray that we are in a place where we can hear Him, and that we will respond to Him promptly and without delay. We are to redeem the time, because the days are evil.
4. The men who were spoken to, took the time to wait, pray, fast, and attempt to be sure they had heard the Lord.
Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
While it's clear the Lord spoke to them, it's also clear that the men wanted to be sure. They did not just rush off, but they waited, they fasted, they prayed, and once they were convinced it was the Lord, they moved forward.
They heard God, they waited and prayed to make sure they heard God, and then they followed what God had told them to do. What a great pattern to follow.
5. Once these men had the confirmation from God, they put God's plan into action.
Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
God not only speaks to us, but He will confirm to us that He has spoken to us. He will especially do this for people who are asking Him for confirmation. Just as He did in this incident.
It's so easy to just rush off without waiting for God to confirm something to us. A little waiting, a little praying, a little fasting will pay big dividends of confirmation and certainty.
6. God the Holy Spirit selects people for service, and then He sends them out into that service.
Acts 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Just like the Father sent the Son, and He came to the earth, God is still today, calling, selecting, sending etc. There is a great work of God to be done in the days we are living in, and God is looking for men and women He can use. He will use any person who is available and willing. It's not talent He is looking for, but rather availability.
Questions:
1. Isn't this an encouraging story?
2. Have you had the experience of God speaking to you and calling You to ministry of some type?
3. Do you know that there is no greater blessing in all of life than to be in the middle of God's will?
4. Do you have the desire to be used by God? Have You told Him of your desire?
5. If God is speaking to you, please seek confirmation, He will give it to you, and than move ahead.
A prayer:
Father, thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. And, now You are sending people all the time to tell others about Jesus. Thank You for the people or person who shared Christ with us.
They heard You, and they obeyed You, and we have benefitted from Your calling, and their obedience. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
