What inspires you to take big steps, to make a risky move, to jump into a new adventure? Is it your confidence, the opportunity that’s dangling before you or the fact that you’re backed into a corner and have no choice but to take a leap of faith? Whatever the case may be, life is filled with moments in our lives that require us to GO somewhere new or DO something different.
Acts 13 is the beginning of what becomes a common theme in the New Testament, and really what God’s Old Testament people (Israel) were all about – going to places where God called, led and provided for. If you’re on a journey of what it means to follow Jesus, you will be presented with decisions that lead you into God’s new future for you. Those adventures may include long trips across town(s) or simply walking across the street, but whatever the case may be, next steps in God’s future lead us to making our world better by sharing God’s story or better yet, living out his story.
Paul and Barnabas are sent on a mission – to share a story and a person that has so enthralled this early and growing church community. We see over and over in Acts that the church is always going places, and a byproduct is that they are also growing. Going & Growing. Amidst struggle, pain, prison, persecution, rejection – they keep on gaining ground.
What gives Paul & Barnabas the confidence to leave? Two things actually: the Holy Spirit and the support of their community. Luke tells us that before anybody went anywhere, they prayed and fasted. They took time as a community to see what the Holy Spirit was saying and where God was leading. After that, the church community in Antioch felt comfortable to send two of their leaders out on mission. To know what happened on these first few missions, read the rest of Acts 13.
The question is this, do you ever get the sense that God is giving you a green light to GO?
Do you see more red lights then green?
If you’re early in your journey, can you recognize God’s leading in your life?
If you’ve been at this for a lot longer, can you look back at times when God led you? Did you respond or turn away in fear?
What obstacles do you face after you go?
If you read Acts 13 in full, you’ll see that when ever we go out to do good and share God’s story, there’s a great chance that we’ll encounter some tension, hit some walls or enter into a power struggle. But what you’ll also see is that God shows up – God comes through – God sends you to those who are waiting to hear what you’ve got to say. You’ll also see that not everyone will embrace God’s story. In those cases, we are called to walk away in peace and keep peace. We do what we’re called to do and let God do what only he can do.
What do say…let’s be green light people!
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small(er) group questions:
Do you ever get the sense that God is giving you a green light to GO? To Do? To Risk?
If you’re early in your journey, have you recognized any of God’s leading in your life?
If you’ve been at this for a lot longer, can you look back at times when God led you? Did you respond or turn away in fear?
Have you experienced more Red lights than Green?
What obstacles do you face after you go or after you’ve gone? (look back to Paul’s encounter of the magician in Acts 13)
We see in the first bit of Acts 13 that the church fasted & prayed…with a purpose?
Also worth noting is that missionaries didn’t go out on their own, but under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the favour of the community. What do you think about that?
After being turned down by the Jewish contingent (while still seeing favour from Gentiles) the apostles shook the dust of their feet and kept going? What does that mean to you? (cf. Matthew 10:14)
What does all this look like for us in 2014?