“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.” — Acts 13:1-4
- The church recognized spiritual leadership.
- There were four prominent leaders here— vs. 1. These men were prophets and teachers, and most likely served over the congregation (or with the apostles). We’re not certain of all they did, but something made them stand out above the others. God’s servants should always stand out. Wise Christian leadership will notice when God’s hand is on someone, and give them opportunities to serve, and then lead in God’s work.
- The church sought God’s guidance on whom to send — vs. 2. They prayed and fasted, seeking God’s will for the situation. A church and an individual should always seek God’s guidance in order to make the best decisions.
- The church laid hands on Barnabas and Saul — vs. 3. This was not unusual, it was a sign of recognizing and passing leadership or blessing from one to another. We see this throughout the epistles, and it goes back as least as far as Moses and Joshua (Numbers 27:18-21; Deuteronomy 34:9-12).
- The church “sent them away” — vs. 3. Likely meaning they sent them with prayer, encouragement, passage money, support to live on, and promises to stay in contact and await their return.
- The Holy Spirit pointed out the leadership.
- It was the Holy Ghost that told the church which leaders whom to separate. God calls an individual, the church just recognizes and obeys God’s leading.
- It was the Holy Ghost who sent Barnabas and Saul. What a beautiful thing that we can partner with the Lord as He calls and sends forth laborers.
It is evident that the Holy Spirit and the church partner together to send out a missionary. The obvious conclusion is that if someone desires to serve God, the church should recognize this, and the Holy Spirit should make it obvious to both the individual and church. As with Barnabas and Saul, God chose men that were already serving and doing God’s work. What are you doing right now for God in ministry? You can’t expect God to send you if you are not currently serving Him. God uses Spirit-filled people that are busy about His business. God’s servants should be:
- Representing the Lord with a good testimony in the church
- Listening to the Lord
- Busy in ministry
- Respect church authority