Leaving Home
Acts 13:1-4
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 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.
Now of these men, history is largely silent with little else said about them in Scripture. Yet there is one chilling detail to be seen. One, Maneen "had been brought up with Herod." Those of you familiar with the Herods will know they were not known for being very nice men. Obviously, he made the who's who list of murderers, thieves, and violent criminals turned church leaders shown here. You might be wondering how I can say such things when the text is explicitly silent about them. But my friends, see who heads up the list and ends it. I could speculate about the other two. It should be seen that one Simon the sorcerer is told of in Acts 8:9-25. He once tried to buy the Spirit for money. Another Simon the Cyrene of Matthew 27:32 was compelled to carry Jesus' cross. These may not be the same to us, yet to God they are everything. The overseer of the church is even Christ. Thus, it should be no surprise to any that he should pick such followers. My, he has called a good many misfits into ministers. It should be little wonder. He has been at this business for such a long time. They are called and chosen not for who they are, but rather because of what God had done. These men also led, taught, and prophesied unto the church there. See, the ministry, fasting, and the communion seem connected somehow. Sometimes God speaks best with man when we are found in his ways. Once, the man Ananias was given his way of the Lord. From this the rest of the church is blessed. Notice that they are found ministering unto the Lord. See, when you do ministry in Jesus name it is always unto the Lord. This is why as much done to the least of these his brethren is as unto Christ in Matthew 25:40. People often wonder what the voice of God sounds like. It can come in many forms; but we see clear directions given. Here Barnabas and Saul were set apart for a kingdom purpose.
And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
When God is getting ready to move, promote, or elevate you there cannot be a lot of nonsense in the house. You must be set apart for the higher calling of God. You might feel that where you are is your peak performance. It may be the top of your game. But how many know that God has called us to be seated in the Heavenly places of Ephesians 2:6 with himself. He expects more out of you than simply a ride up to glory; there he would give you a slip and slide into the kingdom of God. Some of you need to get away from all that nonsense. This is why there is separation, prayer, and fasting involved. Remember prior, this is to curb both the demonic and the flesh. See, some are fond of saying to 'check it before you wreck it.' Well, my friends, just allow God to do the checking. He is the best trip planner in the whole world and will have your back, front, and all your sides covered too. On this trip, they face dangers untold both from the ministry, the road, as well as themselves.
But when God is sending you from the house, you need not be worried. You ought to commit your way unto the Lord of Psalm 37:5; then will he not strengthen your paths. More than that, by inviting God into the trip as did the other believers, things will never be the same again. See, man might have sent you. But when you have got God behind, there will be great success. This is why I can look at neither MapQuest nor Google for this road trip. Here the directions are primarily spiritual. These same were also able to navigate the high seas because Saul had spent his waiting time in preparing himself. From Seleucia these two briefly sailed on. This would have been a major port of departure within the Antiochian city. See, Antioch was considered the place where all with some importance in that day gathered. It was even the capital of what once was ancient Assyria. These same descended from the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar himself. It is almost like the city of Los Angeles in California: a center for commerce, trading, and knowledge. So having Saul and Barnabas leave made about as much sense as a famous Hollywood star following Jesus in our day. Like a street hustler engaged in hard labor, Saul likely realized not what he had until it was gone from him. But this is why you must mind the things of God. Then those things of this world will hold little allure for us down here.