What is God Up To? (2)

Acts 13:1-3; 16:6-10

All summer and now into the fall Charles and I have been making the case that God is up to something. We’ve been exploring some of the passages in Acts that help underline how God has been at work. Now, and through the month of October we will be asking you to join God in what He is doing in you, around you, and through you.

There will be opportunities to respond in some very specific ways to what God is doing in, around, and through us. (More on that later)

Two key passages in Acts are the foundation for what we see as God’s call and work in, around, and through us:

Acts 1:8 HCSB

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The second verse, though sounding a little odd is :

Acts 11:19–21 HCSB

Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen [Acts 8:1 “On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.”] made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

There are two specific illustrations that can help direct us that occur in the gathering called the church in Antioch:

Acts 13:1–3 HCSB

In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

Acts 16:6–10 HCSB

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

These Itwo passages - Acts 13 at the beginning of what scholars call ‘The First Missionary Journey’ and Acts 16 just after Paul, Silas, and Timothy began what is called ‘ The Second Missionary Journey’ illustrate some key principles that can assist you and I in discovering what God is up to in, around, and through us:

ALL ARE CALLED

Believers, and the churches in which they gather today, continue to make a serious mistake that is costly but easily avoidable.

Henry Blackaby (and his son Richard along with Claude King) explain it like this:

…many people are taking an unbiblical approach to spiritual gifts…a spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit working in people’s lives enabling them to obey what God asks them to do. Biblically, God always gives the assignment first. Then God equips the person by the Holy Spirit to accomplish what He assigns.

(Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded, Henry & Richard Blackaby, Claude King [Nashville, TN.: B&H Publishing Group, 2008], 71-72.

Notice in both passages what God’s people are doing:

Acts 13:2 “As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting…

Acts 16:9–10 “During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.”

Just prior to this ‘vision’ in Acts 16 we read that Paul, Silas, and Timothy had been hindered by the Holy Spirit from going north and east. Strategically it made sense for them to travel north and east.

I like how Jim Cymbala describes these passages:

These men were not sitting in a board room making strategic charts on a whiteboard. They were not huddled around their computers working on spreadsheets. Instead they were having a time of worship, praise, and prayer, all intensified by fasting.

Fresh Power: Experiencing the Vast Resources of the Spirit of God, Jim Cymbala with Dean Merrill [Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 2001] 141-142.

You are likely weary of Charles and I calling on you to attend prayer and worship as consistently as possible. The reason is simple:

AS WE GATHER FOR PRAYER AND WORSHIP WE MULTIPLY THE AVENUES THROUGH WHICH GOD SPEAKS!

Don’t miss this:

Acts 13:3 “Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.”

The pronoun ‘they’ in this sentence means ‘the entire body of believers.’ Only Barnabas and Saul were ‘set apart.’ But ALL the members of the body had a role in the calling of these men.

Some stayed behind to pray. Some stayed to provide financial gifts and resources. Some stayed to continue the work of spreading the gospel in and around Antioch.

When Paul later writes a letter to one of the churches he assisted in the city of Corinth he reminded them of a crucial truth:

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 HCSB

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial: to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another, performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of languages, to another, interpretation of languages. But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

A SPIRIT DRIVEN ASSIGNMENT

From the beginning of Acts there can be no mistake that any plans, any strategies, any designs for ministry must come from God as He makes Himself known through His Holy Spirit. Any plans, strategies, designs are aimed at one purpose only:

TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL

Acts 13:1–5 HCSB

In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed God’s message in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 16:10 HCSB

After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

The words of Jesus, spoken to Cleopas and his travelling companion remind us of the primary task:

Luke 24:27 HCSB

Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Luke 24:44 HCSB

Then He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

As bluntly as I can say this:

If it’s not all about Jesus and the Kingdom of God it is not worth our effort and energy.

Reflect and Respond

Each of you will be handed a response card. You may want to take this home and bring it back next Sunday or you may be ready to hear God’s call today.

The following initiatives are not all that we will be engaged in but they do capture what see God doing among us:

We need your help:

We have several initiatives:

YoungLife

Snacks

Hangout

PrayForMe

Praying for WMS Students

Pray for one another

Good News Club

Snacks

Volunteers to attend

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Volunteers to assist with packing parties

Volunteers to assist with Collection Week: Nov 16-23

There may be a ministry area where God is calling you that isn’t listed on the card.

PRAY