June 16, 2020
Never a Dull Moment: Spirit-Led Seekers, Obedience, Resisting, and New Life in Jesus
Acts 13:1-12
Andrea Rush
Central Truth
Acts 13:1-12 is the essence of a living faith in Jesus: prayer, worship, listening, stepping out in obedience, and resisting a very real enemy—all for the sake of salvation by a loving Savior—one person at a time.
Key Verse | Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13:1-12
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, 1 13:1 Niger is a Latin word meaning black, or dark Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Dive Deeper | Acts 13:1-12
Acts 13:1-12 is the essence of salvation and a living faith in a loving Savior. With this in mind, two things in this passage stand out to me:
1. Barnabas and Saul modeled obedience to follow Jesus. They set aside time to both speak and listen to the Lord. As a result, they knew where to go. As Jesus' followers, we are to be led, not driven. We are to pray and then DO what we are called to, even if we don't understand all the details or know the end. In God's economy of faith, one small step of obedience can have life-changing implications for others and us. In the present season, I am learning to obey Jesus one step at a time, not always knowing where that next foot will land. In so doing, I am finding freedom and healing from life-long patterns of survival and desperation beyond what I thought possible. I'm so grateful!
2. God defends His name and character. Barnabas and Saul encountered two people in Paphos: one (the proconsul) was seeking God, the other (Elymas) wanted to cause confusion and mislead the seeker. God took the latter man's heart of deception very seriously, and He stepped in. Through Paul, He thwarted the enemy's plan, using the occasion instead to increase the seeker's faith. So often, the enemy wants to cause destruction in our lives to misguide the seekers we love! God takes this malfeasance very seriously; and though the seeker may be misguided for a time, God will step in to protect those who search for Him. Fear not! We may have challenging relationships, and a very real enemy may be at work, but Jesus is a God of deliverance and truth. He gives us courage to boldly do what we are called to, for the benefit of unbelievers. His heart is that none should perish.
When we pray and follow, our faith is increased, the enemy is thwarted, and the seeker is saved. These are the promises of our Savior.
Discussion Questions
1. Can you think of a time when you said "yes" to Jesus even though you didn't understand why He was asking? Where did it lead? What did you learn?
2. Is the enemy seeking to confuse a loved one you know and lead him or her away from new life in Christ? What are the enemy's tactics?
3. How is the Lord calling you to represent Him in the life of your loved one? What Scripture speaks truth into the situation?
4. Take a moment to pray for these people in your life, both the confounders and the seekers. (Exodus 14:13-14)