Speaker: Pastor Austen Ukachi
Key Passage: Acts 13: 1-12;
“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
6 Now when they had gone through the island[a] to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
The leaders of the church in Antioch led worship. It follows the leaders should set the pace in worshipping God. Every leader must relate to God intimately in worship. In Antioch, the Lord visited them during worship, and commissioned them for his work.
It is important for people of God to receive clear direction from God, specific to their lives. This comes in the place of worship. Every church worker must learn to receive word from God. It is possible.
Genesis 28: 12 says
“Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder wasset up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
Jacob was asleep, resting during his flight from home and his brother Esau. God had a purpose for him. We read that “a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven.” Why would God set up a ladder for a fugitive, a cheat, a supplanter? God had a message for him. The angels ‘ascended and descended’. This means they carried messages back and forth.
God then spoke to Jacob in Genesis 28: 13- 15;
“And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
May we all experience God, and may that experience linger. May we hear God. Note: a worshipper will hear God.
Acts 13:2-3: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.”
Fasting is a part of worship. We all have specific tasks in the house of God. God has an assignment for you. May you understand your work and fulfil it. Acts 13: 36 says “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption.”
The Apostles were empowered for their work after a period of fasting and worship. May we receive power during this worker’s retreat. In Acts 13: 6 the power that manifested in the life of Paul began after the Holy Spirit spoke:
“Now when they had gone through the island[a] to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
The church no longer hears from God. This is a problem. May we hear from God! May you never take a decision without hearing from God. It is important to be led by the spirit, to be certain that God has spoken. Romans 8: 14 says “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
1 Corinthians 3: 9: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”
2 Corinthians 6: 1: “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
Prayers:
- Help me Lord to labour in the place of prayer. May I not fail in the place of prayer.
- Lord grant me power for prayer
- Our effectiveness in the work of God is a function of our prayer lives- Bless me with a fervent prayer life
- I will not be found asleep, when I ought to watch
- Lord, help me this year to continue until the end.
- Lord change me this year. Strengthen me in the place of prayer;
“Fear not, you worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the Lord
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 41:14)
- Lord I give myself to you. Make me the answer. Use me to bring about transformation in prayer
- Our calling is that of a prayer ministry. May we fulfill our task as a praying church this year
- Isaiah 41:15 says “Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.” - Colossians 4:12 says “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God“. We will fulfill our ministries and tasks. We will stand perfect in all the will of God.
Worship encompasses the totality of life!
