Ancient Church cut into the rock, Goreme, Turkey
This teaching is part 6 of Radio Antioch Podcast Episode 10.Click above to watch a short video of this teaching. The full video of Podcast 10 is available Here.
Sometimes entire churches are arrested by God and put on a different track.
Acts 13:1-3 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.
So here we have this great church in Antioch, with prophets and teachers ministering to build a strong local church. A church that has a five-fold teacher or prophet ministering in it is a powerful church. In the book of Acts, the church in Antioch is second only to the church in Jerusalem in its impact. In fact, some people feel it was even greater as they were such a key part in evangelizing the world.
Imagine these elders fasting and praying about their church: “Lord, help this brother, who is going astray”, or “Lord please supply the finances for all that we do”…You know, the kind of prayers many deacons and elders go through as part of running a ministry. Out of the blue the Holy Spirit arrests them, suddenly speaking into their prayer meeting! Imaging how that would stir up the church today, if during a prayer meeting the Holy Spirit suddenly commission two of the greatest pastors in the church to go off as missionaries! Think how that would mess up our capital Campaigns and Building Programs! In fact, their vision and plan that they had for their church just got turned upside down! Maybe they won’t be the most popular church in Antioch anymore because the apostle was sent away!
That group of elders could have held on to Barnabas and Paul. They could have let them go on only a short journey, or not at all. Instead, they gave their best back to God. They had to submit their vision to the kingdom purposes of God, and let go of their pastors. And the church in Antioch prospered, and Paul and Barnabas changed the world. Sometimes even our local churches have to be part of a bigger, kingdom vision.
There was nothing wrong with this church, faithfully building up the believers. But God arrested them, moving them away from their local vision to a kingdom mind-set that changed the world. This church became the launching point for the famous Missionary Journeys that brought Christianity to the World.
Perhaps some of you are wrestling with God about choices. The Lord wants to adjust your thinking, maybe about your walk with him, your church or your ministry. In these times we have to have the courage to go with God, instead of holding tightly to our vision and agenda.
