Prayer of the Antioch Church
Acts 13:1-4 (Based on a sermon by Jeff Strite)
A 5-yr-old said grace at family dinner one night. “Dear God, thank you for these pancakes.”
When he finished his prayer, his parents looked curiously at him and asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken.
He smiled and said, “I thought I’d see if He was paying attention tonight.”
There are many prayers recorded in Scripture. From Moses to David,
from Jehoshaphat to Daniel. Over and over we are exposed to powerful,
earth shaking prayers, prayers that show us that God DOES pay attention.
We have especially seen this as we have studied the book of Acts.
Prayer was an important part of the early church.
Over the past four weeks we saw some
interesting lesson from Acts chapter 12. We saw where James was
martyred. We talked about what to do when disaster strikes. We talked
about Peter who was arrested next, and how to sleep peacefully like he
did even though he thought he would be killed next. We talk about
reality of angels watching over and guarding us. And last week we
finished up the chapter and talked about King Herod and how
unprofitable it is to have an evil high and mighty attitude like he had.
But what was the church doing through all
this drama that took place? The writer, Dr. Luke lets us know that they
were earnestly praying in 12:5 and again he tells us they were praying
in 12:12.
We don’t know exactly what they prayed, but
Peter is rescued and goes free, the villain Herod is removed, and the
final verses in Chapter 12 let us know that the word of God continued to
increase and all was well in the church. In other words, the church
was growing!
And now as we begin Acts 13, we have another wonderful snapshot of the church and what is taking place there:
Read 13:1-3 “Now
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. While they were worshipping the Lord
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and
prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”
Here we read that we have several leaders
and they were worshipping, fasting, and I’m sure praying. I say that
because we already saw that this was a praying church. And so we see
that they got God’s attention. But, did you notice? What were these men
fasting and praying about?
I’ll give you the answer. It doesn’t tell us what they prayed?
Verse 3 does tell us that they fasted and
prayed and laid their hands on Barnabas and Paul before they sent them
off on their mission trip. But it doesn’t tell us what they were fasting
and praying about before the Spirit spoke to them. All we’re told is –
that in response to their worship, and fasting, the Holy Spirit told
them to set aside Barnabas and Paul for a work that He has for them. It
would be an adventure that would change the face of the world forever.
We don’t know what they fasted and prayed
about before hand, but it seems like it got God’s attention. I don’t
know about you but I would like to be able to pray like that. I want
you to notice a few things here:
*We may not know what was on their minds
before the Spirit spoke to them but we can see in this text what their
hearts were focused on; we are told that they were fasting and
worshipping the Lord.
Now, the church in Antioch was a relatively
new congregation, but it had experienced enormous growth. When the
leaders at Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to the church
to teach these new converts more about Christianity and then Barnabas
eventually went to get Paul to help him. For a whole year, Paul and
Barnabas taught a great number of people. AND… they were so successful
that they made a name for the church in area. Acts 11:26 tells us
believers were called Christians first at Antioch.
So, the church in Antioch is a growing
church with powerful teachers and all kinds of potential. So what could
they be fasting and praying about?
I believe that the leaders at Antioch felt a
great need to worship and glorify their beloved Lord. Granted, it was a
dynamic church. They had marvellous leaders and great potential. BUT, I
think they were beginning to suspect or realize that there could be
something more… something bigger that they could accomplish. But they
just didn’t know what it was.
I believe that part of the reason we’re not told what was on their minds was because they
had no idea what God had in mind for them next. But when these leaders
worshipped, prayed and fasted; they opened themselves up to being used
by God anyway He desired, and God responded in a BIG WAY.
Did you realize that when they allowed God’s Spirit to lead them, and they set apart Barnabas and Paul to be missionaries:
* The world literally was turned upside down
* Antioch became the jumping off point for a world wide mission effort
* Nearly a dozen new congregations were established throughout Asia
* Paul began a ministry of writing that resulted in the composition of a major
part of our NT.
* And Antioch was established as one of the central hubs of Christianity in the
ancient world.
… all because, these men humbled themselves before God and sought out His will
Maybe God has more in mind for us than we know how and what to pray for.
And just maybe it wouldn’t hurt us to worship and fast and pray like they did in Antioch. Not telling God what we want… but asking Him to use us, lead us, and help us to be more than we can even imagine.
Ephesians 3:20 tells us our God “is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE, according to his power that is at work within us.”
A fellow by the name of Carl Bates once wrote: “There came a time in my life when I earnestly prayed: “God, I want your power!” Time wore on and the power did not come. One day the burden was more than I could bear. I asked “God, why haven’t you answered that prayer?” God seemed to whisper back this simple reply: “With plans no bigger than yours, you don’t need my power.
Interesting
thought. Is it possible that we can not even imagine how much God can
actually use us? Is it possible that when we imagine things, we think
too small.
We may be praying about how to just get
through the day, how to pay a bill, or how to get a job, but God sees
our potential and what we can do to change the world with His help.
Just maybe we need to do what they did
there in Antioch. Maybe God preserved this story for us so that we can
learn something from it. Maybe He is showing us a way to get His
attention and lead us to even greater goals that we can’t even envision
on our own.
Look at what they did here. The text says
as they served Him, they worshipped, and they fasted and there is no
doubt in my mind that serious prayer was also included.
Over in over we read throughout scripture
that when individuals, or groups of individuals needed God’s help, this
is what we see them doing; fasting, praying in a serious state of worship.
We see this taking place throughout the
Bible for many reasons. People in the Bible fasted and prayed in times
of war, or at a threat of it; when loved ones were sick; when the sought
God’s forgiveness; when they faced with impending danger. And when they
were seeking God’s will.
Jesus even fasted and instructed His
disciples on how to fast. And this won’t be the last time we’ll read
about the disciples praying and fasting in the book of Acts.
Read Acts
14:19-23 “Then some Jews came
from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and
dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the
disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the
city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
They
preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.
Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the
disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go
through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and
Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and
fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
So here we read that after Paul and
Barnabas appointed elders they fasted and prayed committing them to the
Lord. Maybe that’s what we should do now that we have appointed elders
here.
From what I see there weren’t many required fast given by God in the
Bible. But when people did fast and prayed in a way that pleased Him,
and God seem to pay attention.
The kind of fast God seems pleased with is
one that humbles us in His presence. It is whole hearted and worshipful.
That’s is what we saw in Acts 13:1-3 when they just wanted to know
what God wanted and how to please Him.
Read Isaiah 58:1-11 something God said through Isaiah “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
I’m going to
challenge you this week; to pray throughout for the same thing I believe
they were fasting and praying about in Antioch when they wanted to
know what God wanted for them and how to please Him..
AND, if you feel led by
God – to fast at least some time during this week (maybe one meal/ one
day/ whatever) I’d like you to give this to the Lord. Don’t fast to try
to loose weight, fast to draw close to God.
If food means little to you, give up
something else that important to you. Give up television for a day or
two. Or maybe something else that means a lot to you. In 1 Corinthians
7:5 Paul also make reference to the fact that some even give up sex for a
time to devote themselves to the Lord in prayer. Whatever is important
to you.
Do it to draw close to the Lord. So that
every time you feel hungry, or the need for whatever you gave up, humble
yourself before God and pray that God will lead you where He wants you
to go, (like they did back there in Antioch). But then you also have to
be open and listen for a response.
And even if God does not give you an answer, I can’t help but believe He will be pleased with your love and devotion.