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. Acts 13:2
In the past few years, a great honour has been bestowed on our Assembly, that of commending two young men, at different times, to the work of the Lord, one to labour in the Gospel in our Maritime Provinces and the other to be a missionary in Mexico. As each of these young men met with the Assembly oversight to discuss their exercise, we were impressed with a number of things. As we talked with them, we wanted to know why they felt that God was calling them to His service. In each case, these young men had no question in their minds as to the Lord’s leading them to take this huge and very important step. They described the portions of Scripture that had made God’s leading very plain to them, and recounted experiences in their lives that had confirmed that leading. It is good to know that God still leads as he led in the days of the apostles.
Our text identifies two important steps in the calling of Barnabas and Saul: ministering to the Lord and fasting. These two men were very involved in the activities of the vibrant Assembly in Antioch. Their whole purpose in life was to minister to the Lord, whether in Gospel work or in the building up of the Lord’s people. The motivation for all that they did was to serve the Lord. They had applied themselves to learning as well as to teaching. They had preached powerfully and faithfully, and had seen God’s blessing on their efforts. They had proven themselves to be able and diligent instruments of the Lord’s using, and the elders in Antioch had full confidence in them. Because they had applied themselves to ministering to the Lord in Antioch, they could be trusted to apply themselves to the work elsewhere. This principle applies to more than the commending of full-time workers. It applies to anything that the Lord leads us to do for him. God will have work for us to do, only if we have already proven a willingness and ability to work for him.
We do not know the nature of the fasting referred to in our text. But we do know that it meant a time of very serious reflection and prayer. The decision of Barnabas and Saul to go, and the decision of the Assembly to send them, was not made lightly or without serious contemplation. For each of these men, no obstacles could remain in place to their whole hearted commitment to the work. Nor could any reservations exist in the minds of the elders. It is the same with us, if we are to be effective in God’s work. We need to prayerfully and carefully consider what God is calling us to.
The Holy Spirit will make His leading plain to us, if we are prepared to serve the Lord. -Jim MacIntosh