WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.860
Day 309 or November the 5th. Keep a look out.

00:00:05.379 --> 00:00:08.199
Our thoughts today are rooted in Acts chapter

00:00:08.199 --> 00:00:12.140
13 verse 2. While they were worshipping the Lord

00:00:12.140 --> 00:00:15.800
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart

00:00:15.800 --> 00:00:18.620
for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which

00:00:18.620 --> 00:00:23.219
I have called them. And now the big picture surrounding

00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:27.219
this verse. With the church established amongst

00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:30.460
the Jews and the Samaritans, those half -Jew,

00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:34.039
half -Gentile people, the Gentiles are the next

00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:38.179
step. Peter has been told that Gentiles are acceptable,

00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:41.479
and then Paul is chosen to take the gospel into

00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:44.619
the Gentile world. The first missionary journey

00:00:44.619 --> 00:00:48.280
sees Barnabas and Saul heading for Cyprus, and

00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:51.439
then on to present -day Turkey. They quickly

00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:55.299
become known as Paul and Barnabas as god's chosen

00:00:55.299 --> 00:00:59.420
man for the gentiles heads up this vital outreach

00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:06.019
and now our action step for to -day midway through

00:01:06.019 --> 00:01:08.659
the book of acts a major step is taken to send

00:01:08.659 --> 00:01:11.120
the world's first official missionaries into

00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:13.790
the world Of course there had been witnesses

00:01:13.790 --> 00:01:16.750
from the very early days, but missionaries being

00:01:16.750 --> 00:01:19.829
sent out by the church was a new venture, and

00:01:19.829 --> 00:01:22.750
one for which we can now thank God, otherwise

00:01:22.750 --> 00:01:25.189
we may not have heard the good news ourselves.

00:01:26.049 --> 00:01:29.549
It's interesting that it was the church who instigated

00:01:29.549 --> 00:01:31.670
the action at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

00:01:31.890 --> 00:01:35.049
It seems to me that today it's the missionary

00:01:35.049 --> 00:01:38.230
who gets the call, and then asks the church to

00:01:38.230 --> 00:01:41.430
send them. I firmly believe the church should

00:01:41.430 --> 00:01:44.530
be doing the selecting, and it is our responsibility

00:01:44.530 --> 00:01:48.250
to keep an eye open and our spiritual antennae

00:01:48.250 --> 00:01:51.590
up to spot those who have been selected by God.

00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:55.450
I remember people telling me many years ago that

00:01:55.450 --> 00:01:59.150
I should consider full -time ministry, and it

00:01:59.150 --> 00:02:01.150
was these promptings that were the beginning

00:02:01.150 --> 00:02:03.989
of the road that led to the role God had for

00:02:03.989 --> 00:02:07.159
me. You don't have to be a leader to see God's

00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.500
hand in someone else's life. Whoever you are,

00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:14.159
simply tell others what you say. Your words could

00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:17.020
be a small but significant part in their Christian

00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:21.740
life. So keep watching and listening and speaking.