Those God Uses for His Work – Acts 12:25-13:3

Those God Uses For His Work

Introduction:

• God is Raising up New Generations of
  • Preachers, Pastors, Teachers & Missionaries…
• But Who’re those Men/Women whom God will use 4 His Work?
• God Does not take Volunteers, but….
• God Chooses whom He uses.
• God is always Preparing His Workers
• God Saves them and God Calls them
• God Equips them and God Separates them and…
• God Commissions them into His Work and
• With that, God has only just begun…
• The very work that God calls and separates them-us to, is his greatest tool to shape that person more into Christ’s image
• Brother and Sister in Christ, will you be that man, that women whom God will use to do His Work?
• Here, in our text, we see for the 1st time a church sending missionaries away to another region to work
• Up until now geographical areas had been evangelised by roaming individual missionaries, but, here, from Antioch…
• the 1st especially commissioned men went out to preach: gospel
• It’s the first time a church had prayed, fasted & sought God’s wisdom to deliberately, purposefully send missionaries out.
• God’s Preparation Work results in several characteristics that help us identify who it is that God is raising up to do his work.

• So, What does our text tell us about the Character of the Men-Women, whom God Uses for His Work of ministry
• These text does not give us an exhaustive list, but there are some very key insights into those whom God uses for His Work.

1st: God Uses Those Who’re Saved by God’s Grace

• First, notice our text does not specifically address that….
• But, we know these two are clearly saved by God’s Grace
• Barnabas’ Salvation is not mentioned, he is simply introduced as a disciple of the Lord in 4:36-37
• But, the character and faithfulness and godly qualities we see in Barn are the fruit of his true state of his Conversion.
• And, Saul’s Salvation is clearly described for us in Acts 9…
• Some of you might respond, that surely this is a given… No
• 3x in my 50+ years I have had the sinking realisation that someone in the leadership, or the actual pastoral ministry of the church was likely not born again. – It happens!
• Jesus, Himself said: many will come on that last great day and say: Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy (preach) in your name?
• Sadly, some men will go thru lives of ministry, self-deceived into thinking they’re truly saved when they’re not.
• Sadly, church selection committees are sometimes more interested in the Competency of a man, than the deeper underlying Character of the man, they’re considering.
• Is he truly born again? Does he know the Lord?

• Paul challenged the Corinthians to Examine Themselves to see whether they… we are in the faith or not?
• Brother & Sister, Cry out to God to give you the reassurance of peace within your own heart that you truly belong to Him, that you’re truly born again.
• Work out your salvation with fear and trembling

2ndly: God Uses Those Who’re Faithful in Ministry

1) Barn. & Saul were faithful in the Word Ministry God gave them.

• 11:26, Barnabas & Saul Faithfully Taught the Antioch Church for an entire year,
• Sunday after Sunday in times of corporate worship, and from house to house, they Taught the church.
• Beyond that, we know it was a later pattern of Paul’s ministry:
• Acts 20:18b–21 “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you 1) publicly and from 2) house to house, ²¹ solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
• They were found faithful to the Ministry: God had given them
• Paul said it himself, in 1Cor. 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found

• Notice: 13:1, Thru Barn. & Saul’s Ministry, God produced Fruit
• In 11:23-30, there’re only two teachers involved: Barn & Saul.
• During the course of their ministry there, God raised up other mature, godly men: Simeon, Lucius, Manaen –
• We Don’t know too much about them
• We do know they’re the prophets & teachers who’re involved
  • Expositional Teaching of the Word, and…
  • The Exhortational Preaching of the Word (Prophecy)
• Church was being ministered to & built up, by God, thru them
• This In-church Discipleship was also: pattern of Paul’s ministry
• 2:2 The things which you’ve heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others… That’s what he was already doing
• Remember, it is God working thru their – thru our ministry:
• Romans 12:6-7, tell us God gives ministry & service gifts to the church according to the grace which he bestows on individuals
• 12:28-29, tells us God appoints prophets, teachers, and a host of other gifts for the ministry of the church
• God gives & appoints, He raises those men/women, as is appropriate, up thru the faithful ministry of teachers-preachers-elders-pastors of the church…

2) Barn & Saul were faithful in Practical Min. God gave them,

• Notice: 11:28-30, 12:25… Barnabas & Saul carried the Church’s Money – the Lord’s money to Jerusalem and discharged their responsibilities of giving it.
• When they had completed their task, they returned to the area of ministry that the Lord had called them to in Antioch.
• They’re found faithful & trustworthy w/ simple issue: money
• Their behaviour is an illustration of a Key Principle when it comes to commissioning men-women into the Lord’s Work
• Jesus, Himself said: Luke 16:10–11 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. ¹¹ “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
• Brother, sister in Christ, are you being faithful to do what the Lord has already given you to do?
• Do you and I want to be one whom God uses to do His Work,
• Be faithful, see what God has given you to do – do it.

3) Faithfulness in Ministry Requires Both Faith & Obedience.

• Barn & Saul were exercising Obedience to God’s revealed will for them in their lives…. Teaching the church at Antioch.
• Barn & Saul also exercised Faith in God as they preached, taught, ministered, and carried the funds to Jerusalem

Listen!

• Every Ministry Opportunity will require Faith and Obedience
• Ministry is the “Safest Risk” you will ever engage in:
• It Is a Risk, you step out in faith, without a certain knowledge of all the end results….
• Paul Faithfully ministered the Word in multiple places, with multiple persons, without knowing: future circumstances:
• He faithfully ministered in Corinth for 2 years,
• After he left, the Corinthian Church turned against him and he fought a battle to regain their trust, respect & confidence
• He ministered among a group of younger believers, only to see a certain Demas, turn back, having loved this present world
• Ministry is the investment of time, energy, sweat & tears,
• It’s sleepless nights spent in prayer… and sometimes it brings the sorrow of seeing churches & individuals turn away fr. God
• But, It is Also Absolutely Safe, so long as we Faithfully and…
  • from a Heart of Love for God & His People…
  • Live the Truth of God’s Word
  • Preach & Teach the Truth of God’s Word
  • Water it with much Prayer….
  • We can rest in: fact of God’s Faithfulness to His Word.
  • He, God alone, is responsible for the results
• We will not know, until the final day, what will be the true result and fruit of our labours
• But, We have this Great Promise of Scripture:
  • Isaiah 55:10–11¹⁰ “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; ¹¹ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Application:

• If your desire is to serve the Lord, don’t look and wait for the Great ministry, look for what needs 2 B done, get busy doing it
• Display to the church/God your faithfulness in the little things
• God uses the “little things” of church ministry as the training/proving ground, to test servants for greater things.
• God uses men & women who’re faithful already in ministry
• Will U be Faithful to the Lord, in the small things?
• Will U step out in Faith & Obedience to do what God has given?

3rdly: God Uses Those Who’re Active in Worship

• God uses those who make Worship of God, the First Priority
• Notice: 13:2a, Barnabas & Saul were ministering to the Lord
• The word means: worshipping the Lord, among the Lord’s people

• Beloved, there Must be a Priority of Worship Before Service.
• We too easily buy into a very man-centred idea that says:
• God Needs Us to do this, that and the other thing…. No…
• God Created, what is to us an infinite Universe,
  • Without our help,
  • In 7 days,
  • Taking the last day off, to rest!
• Christ Accomplished the Eternal Salvation of Sinners
  • Reconciled to God, by Himself, without our help….
• God does Not Need Us,
• But, God, Delights to Use us, like the wise & loving father who invites his little boy, who’s just big enough to walk, to “Help”
• God delights in our fellowship, and He is far more interested in what we are than what we can do…
• besides all that, when we serve the Lord, it is Him working thru us, not our doing something he can’t do!

• Now, some will quickly say, where is this “Priority” of Worship
• Why am I saying worship must come first? – Glad you asked.
• It is not specifically here in this text, but it is in Scripture….
• In Matthew 22:36-39, Jesus was asked
• “Teacher, which is the great (first) commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ “This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
• What is Worship?
• Worship is to Love: Lord our God, with all our heart, soul, mind

• Moses, at the end of His life, gathered the people of Israel together, and gave them an extended, several-hours-long, exposition of the Law of God, we have it recorded for us.
• In 10:12, he asked and answered a very important question: “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to 1) fear the Lord your God, to 2) walk in all His ways and 3) love Him, and 4) to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
  • 1) Fear, the reverent-awe, amazement & respect 4 God,
    • That’s Worship of the Lord.
    • To stand still, in awe-struck amazement of God and His Greatness, His Holiness, His Immensity powerfully reminds us of just who is doing the work, who is the Power of “our” ministry
  • 2) Walk (live) in his ways, – that’s a Godly lifestyle,
    • Godly Lifestyles flow out of Godly Worship
  • 3) Love (sacrificial) love for the Lord –
    • Giving the Lord our best, for His Glory
  • 4) Serve the Lord, – Action, Doing for the Lord,
• In Moses’ answer, Worship & Lifestyle comes 1st,
  • Service comes later…
• Is Service Unnecessary? Of course Not!
• Is Service Required of all of us? Yes, Of Course it is,
• Is there a danger to having the two out of priority? Yes!!

• So, I will say it again, Barn & Saul are actively involved in the Church’s Worship of the Lord their God…. the Lord our God.
• Brother & Sister, Worship of God, must be a priority for us.
• In this Instance, worship was a time for the people of God to assemble together, in one place, for:
  • the singing of the psalms, hymns, spiritual songs
  • the offering of various prayers to God
  • the reading, explaining and exhorting the people of God from the OT Scriptures, about Christ….and finally,
  • the celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Communion…
• As they were worshipping, the Spirit of God spoke to them

• God Uses those who make Worship their Highest Priority
• Worship has the profound ability to remind us of our absolute need of God & His great love, desire for our fellowship w/ Him.
• Worship has the profound benefit of helping us see the greatness of God and the littleness of ourselves.
• Worship reminds me, us, regularly of who God, is, the teaching-preaching part of worship pleases God’s heart and equips all believers (preacher included) to serve him better…

Notice: 13:2a, Barnabas & Saul & Church were Fasting & Praying

• Fasting & Prayer in the New Testament Church Indicated a sense of Expectancy and Openness to the Lord’s Leading
• The church in Antioch was praying, fasting, and seeking the Lord’s leading to know His mind about something.
• John Piper in his book on fasting & prayer describes fasting as:
  • a means of depriving oneself to expose to our own hearts our true fleshly desires,
  • and to ask in prayer for the removal of those desires,
  • to put those desires to death, that we might live lives that are more pleasing to God
• Piper further describes fasting as a way of saying:
  • “Lord, I crave to know your mind, your answer to my prayers, even more than food, drink, TV, sex, video games…. Whatever it is that you choose to fast from…

• Here the church in Antioch is fasting and praying, in the expectancy of knowing what the mind of the Lord is.
• Notice: the Immense Importance of the Prayer Life of those God uses… Paul & Barn. were actively involved in the Church’s Corporate Prayer Life – not merely their own private prayers
• Paul repeatedly describes his prayer-life in his own writings
• He was a man devoted to prayer, praying always, in all things

• Brother, Sister in Christ, Do you want to be one of those whom God greatly uses to do His Work?
  • 1) God uses those who’re born again
  • 2) God uses those who’re faithful in ministry, sm. things
  • 3) God uses those who’re active in Corp. Worship/Prayer

4thly: God Uses Those Who’re Separated by His Call-Command

• 13:2b, The Spirit called the church to separate Barn & Saul
• Notice: Spirit speaks to the church about Barnabas & Saul…
• The Spirit works in concert w/ His Church…
• A Genuine Call of God is something the church will recognise, confirm, encourage, support, pray for, and offer help to….
• Notice: the Spirit has already called them – He is speaking to the church to recognise and confirm his call.

So, How the Spirit speaking actually happen?

• The text simply says “the Spirit said”
• Similar statements are made by Luke within the book of Acts:
  • Acts 8:29 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
  • Acts 10:19 “While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him…
  • And same again in Acts 11:12 “The Spirit told me
• I would suggest, & agree with, most commentators:
• As one of those 5 men was leading the church in worship….
• …there was a strong sense by God’s Holy Spirit to identify Barnabas and Saul as those to be separated:
  • from the church,
  • to God, for a new area of work.
• As one spoke, the others, in their hearts had a similar sense of peace and approval, from the Lord, about the leading-directing of the Holy Spirit.

• Remembering that Acts is more Descriptive than Prescriptive…
• …how should we, as a church/individuals listen for: Spirit speak.
• Very Simply: the Bible is the written Word, of the Holy Spirit, as He Inspired it. thru Godly Men of old.
• Before we go looking to hear something new, we must be absolutely sure that we have discovered and mastered everything God has to say, within these 1200+ pages.
• If we, U & I, wish to know something in particular:
  • Pray much about it… Ask God for answer to your quest.
  • Fast, before the Lord, as You pray…
  • Search the Scriptures, seeking a clear answer from God
  • Sit down with older godly men-women, whom you trust, and ask them to pray with you, and give you their input.
  • God will confirm his answer and his leading
    • thru the scriptures
    • thru the church’s leadership,
  • That was essentially the process that Heath & I followed when we sought the Lord’s leading about both returning here to Aus. & later applying for the role as pastor here at NPEBC
  • Pray, Search the scriptures, Seek the prayerful advice of older godly, mature men-women,

God Uses those who’re separated by His Call-Command

• 1) The Spirit Separates His Servants from Other Work
  • They were being taken away from the Work in Antioch
  • God the Holy Spirit was already Inclining their hearts to the work to which he was calling them – Paul in later years expressed desire to make Christ known in areas and places where the gospel had never been heard
• 2) The Spirit Separates His Servants to Himself
  • Separated to the Lord Jesus Christ
  • Guided by Christ’s Spirit in His walk & work
  • With the purpose of Glorifying of Christ’s Father
  • Paul’s overriding desire in his life ministry (3:10-11)
    • That I may know Him & Power of His Resurrction
  • 3) The Spirit separates His Servants into Christ’s Work
    • The work is settled, The Spirit already knows where and How he will lead them and the costs they will both pay….
    • There is No Idleness in the Work of the Lord…
    • It is toward the fulfilment of Great Commission
    • We are fellow-labourers with Christ
    • We are shouldering his yoke, to bear his burden and finish that work in His strength.

Brother and Sister in Christ,

• Do U want to be one of those whom God Uses to do His Work?
• Are You Being Faithful in what God has given you to do?
• Are You Active in the Worship & Prayer life of Church?
• Are you Fasting, Praying, Seeking to know the Lord’s Mind about what He would have you to do, to clarify it?
• Are you Searching the scriptures to hear: Spirit’s voice
• Are you Willing to be Separated by God’s Call on your life?
  • Separated from all other work?
  • Separated to God, willing to be alone with God
  • Separated to a work, a difficult, tear-stained labour?
• Will you consecrate your life to serve God, in His Work?

Fifth: They’re Commissioned with the Church’s Confidence, 13:3,

• 1) The Fasted – Seeking the Lord’s Lead. (for where to begin)
  • Testing to see-determine the reality of God’s Call
  • It is not sinful to ask the Lord for clarification and re-assurance of a call – it is Wisdom!
  • The fasted further and prayed more to ensure, the prophetic utterance was true
• 2) They Prayed – Seeking the Lord’s Blessing and Help for the ministry and difficulties they may encounter….
• 3) They Laid Hands on them – Identifying and Commissioning them into the Work
• 4) They Sent them on their way – Barnabas & Saul, having already received a call from God,
  • yet were in submission to the church as a whole and
  • They were sent out as an extension of the church.
  • Ministry and mission must always happen in the context of Discipleship, under the authority of a local, sending church –
  • Note: 14:26-28, upon their return they gave an account, a report of their activities in mission.

Brother and Sister in Christ,

• Will U be One of those whom God Uses to do His Work?
• Will U Be Faithful in what God has given you to do?
• Will U Become Active in the Worship & Prayer life of Church?
• Will U Fast & Pray & Seek to know the Lord’s Mind about what He would have you to do, to clarify it to you… He will!
• Will You Search the scriptures to hear: Spirit’s voice
• Are you Willing to be Separated by God’s Call on your life?
  • Separated from all other work?
  • Separated to God, willing to be alone with God
  • Separated to a work, a difficult, tear-stained labour?
• Will you consecrate your life to serve God, in His Work?
• In case you hadn’t figured it out:
• the beginning to being used by God to do His Work, to serve the Lord, doesn’t happen:
  • when you’re inducted into a church as pastor
  • when you’re commissioned to go and serve overseas
  • when you’re inducted into eldership..
• It Begins when U See something that needs doing in Christ’s church, U Pray, seek God’s mind & U put your hand up to do it.
• It Begins with an attitude that says,
  • I will live in the fear of the Lord – Worshipping
  • I will walk in His ways – Godliness
  • I will Love Him with my heart, soul, mind…. And strength
  • I will serve the Lord, whether in the limelight or where nobody but God sees me…