“How can I know God’s will?” By listening to Him! In Acts 13, we see an example. The Holy Spirit said… and God’s people responded!
Scripture:
Leviticus, chapters 1-3; Acts, chapter 13
Acts 13:1-13 (NASB):
Now there were prophets and teachers at Antioch, in the church that was there: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of Intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him, and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord. Now Paul and his companions but out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
Observations: “The Holy Spirit Said”
Up to this point, the story of the book of Acts has focused most of its attention on the mission to the Jewish people. Peter and the others preached at Pentecost, and God blessed the church in Jerusalem. People regularly heard and believed the gospel, and the church grew. Of course, that brought persecution: the arrest and stoning of Stephen led to the dispersion of the believers away from Jerusalem.
In the midst of that dispersion, a new character comes on the scene: Saul of Tarsus. We first meet him at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58 – 8:1). As the church continues to spread, Saul becomes more active in persecuting believers. Famously, as he traveled to Damascus, he has an encounter with the risen Jesus (Acts 9:3-6). After an initial period of ministry and connection with the church leaders, he went away for a time. Meanwhile, the church began making inroads with Gentiles – first through Peter’s encounter with Cornelius, then through the work of the church in Antioch. The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to investigate; once he observed what has occurring there, he went to Tarsus to get Saul and bring him to Antioch to help with the work.
That’s why, at the beginning of chapter 13, Barnabas and Saul are in Antioch along with other leaders of that church. Acts 13:1 identifies these five men – Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul – as prophets and teachers. And one day, as they were fasting and worshiping, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.” The response was prompt: When they had fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Barnabas and Saul Preach to the Proconsul
Interestingly, the first part of the passage does not tell us what “the work to which I have called them” was. We find out, though, when they sail to Cyprus. They travel throughout the island, preaching in Jewish synagogues, and finally arrive in Paphos. They meet the proconsul – a Roman government official named Sergius Paulus. He summons Barnabas and Saul to hear what they have been preaching throughout the island. However, they also meet an adversary: a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He opposes Barnabas and Saul, although the narrative does not tell us how. We do learn his goal: he was seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” Clearly, Paul recognized that this false prophet’s posed a grave danger to their work. He was both a false prophet and a sorcerer, which meant that he had turned away from the God of Israel as well as rejecting the gospel.
But Paul did not stop with just denouncing Bar-Jesus. “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And that’s exactly what happened – not because Paul said so, but because the hand of the Lord did it. Did Bar-Jesus repent? We don’t know – but the proconsul did! Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.
Application: “The Holy Spirit Said”
That’s the reason the Holy Spirit set Barnabas and Saul apart. That’s why they went to Cyprus. Not just for the proconsul to believe, but for them to proclaim the word of God. But we cannot miss that the demonstration of power – Bar-Jesus being blinded – was not the key to the story. The proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord. If the teaching was powerless, the impact of the miracle would have faded away. And the teaching had power was because the Holy Spirit empowered them.
Barnabas and Paul regularly heard what the Holy Spirit said. They spent time in fasting, prayer, and worship, and the Spirit met with them and spoke to them. That was a regular occurrence in the early Church. The book of Acts does not treat the Holy Spirit speaking to believers as some unusual event; God spoke to His people regularly, in many different ways and settings.
And the Holy Spirit still speaks to God’s people today! The question is, are we listening? When the Spirit spoke to the gathered believers, they responded. They fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on them, [and] sent them away. No committee meetings or feasibility studies, and no budgeting or fund-raising goals. The Holy Spirit said, and His people responded! And they continued to respond to His leading. When the proconsul believed, Barnabas and Paul didn’t stay there to bask in the moment. Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia… It was as though the Spirit said, “Okay, your work here is done. Move on!”
What Is the Holy Spirit Saying Today?
I wonder if we hear the Spirit’s voice as often, and as clearly, as the early believers did. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m certain that the Spirit speaks to us individually. When we sense His leading, I hope we respond. But do we hear Him speak to us collectively? Do we even expect Him to? Or have we become so convinced that “we know” what God wants that we don’t take the time to listen?
I’m afraid that a lot of what churches do these days is based on “what we’ve always done” rather than what the Holy Spirit says. We make plans, set goals, and get to work – but what if the Spirit is leading in a different direction? The church in Antioch was growing; why not just “keep the team together” and keep riding that wave? Because the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Aul apart for Me for the work to which I have called them.”
What is the Holy Spirit calling the Church to do today? What is He calling you to do?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for reminding us that You still speak through Your Spirit today. As we open Your word, You speak to us. Your Spirit leads us in the truth and reminds us of what You have already taught us. Help us to recognize Your leading, and to respond in obedience to Your call. Amen.
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