Hear and Respond

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HEAR AND RESPOND

Acts 13:1-5

13:1 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 worshiping 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, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

NIV

There surely is a story about those six prophets and teachers in Antioch, but the one that applies to our lives concerns the work of the Holy Spirit. The first question is, how did the Holy Spirit speak? We are told he made a statement, telling them to set apart for him Barnabas and Saul for the work he had called them to. Did the Spirit speak audibly, or was it more like an overwhelming sense among all of them, as they were one in the Spirit, one in the Lord, and unity was there, not just one day unity will be restored. After laying hands on those two, they sent them on their way by the Holy Spirit. Here is where we come into this story, or where we apply the work of the Spirit within the church and our lives. First, because they were all fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit made himself and his plans known to them. They were one in the Spirit. Have we missed out on that kind of unity? Have we forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit, with all his gifts and fruit? Have we lost the ability or the sensitivity of his voice within? Maybe we have become too busy with our own lives, even our church lives, being concerned about doing the right things, being religious, following our traditions rather than following Jesus, or listening to the Holy Spirit. First, we should note that some of us may be called upon to be set apart to the work he has called us to. The question then would be: how do we know who is called or set apart for a specific work? There should be a consensus among the church, as it was in Antioch. When Barnabas and Saul responded to the call of the Holy Spirit, the church confirmed that call by placing their hands on them and sending them on their way by the Holy Spirit. This is the second truth. The Holy Spirit is the sender; that is, he is the one who sends people where they are supposed to be. The caveat to that is we need to be listening to the Holy Spirit. Again, if we become too busy doing church in traditional ways or in the same old patterns we always use, maybe we have dampened the Spirit's fire. It is true that most churches support missionaries, who are supposed to be proclaiming the word of God somewhere; however, we did not hear their call, nor did we lay hands on them and send them out by the Spirit. Someone at the denominational headquarters sent them out after they met all the requirements, raised their own support funds, perhaps learned a language, and whatever else was required. That is a major difference between the church in Antioch and the church today. Has the church become too much of a form of business, or does it function with too many rules and regulations, rather than praying and hearing the Holy Spirit as to who has been set apart for his purpose? There are some who know, who have heard, who have gone where the Spirit has led, but there could be others who have yet to hear and respond. Should we not all be praying in unity to hear the Spirit's voice? When we hear, we should respond.