Missionary = “one who is sent” or “an emissary of God”

To this point, in the book of Acts, we’ve come across very little sending of people by the church; we’ve seen very little sending of missionaries as we would envision it. There has been little specific targeting of audiences or locations and the largest evangelistic push to this point in the book of Acts occurred as a result of persecution. From Acts 13 onward, there is less reference to the church in Jerusalem as Luke continues to describe the advance of Christianity through the church of Antioch. It is important to recognize that leadership for the early church was widely delegated with many “homegrown” individuals filling places of vital leadership.

“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 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.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” (Acts 13:1-3)

As we take a look at the church leaders of Antioch, we begin to see that this was a cosmopolitan group of leaders serving in what was a very cosmopolitan city. Simeon is also called Niger, a Latin word that means “shiny black”, revealing to us that he was a dark-skinned man from Africa. Lucius of Cyrene was among the group of Cyrenean Christians who first reached out to the Gentiles of Antioch in the name of Jesus. Manaen is called a “foster brother” of Herod Antipas and would have been a friend and confidante of the Jewish leader.

We learn that while these men are engaged in the worship of the Lord with their rapidly expanding community of followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit speaks into their midst. While fasting to put themselves in a position of greater reliance and dependence upon God, they hear from God – most likely this came as an inspired word from one of the church leaders. In common language, the message is that Barnabus and Saul ought to be released for gospel work elsewhere. Could it possibly be the case that God was taking from them the two most eminent and gifted leaders?

In a gesture of goodwill and support, the church leaders send both men off into the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit. Barnabus and Saul are the first assigned and sent missionaries officially commissioned by a church. “The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos.” (Acts 13:4-5)

From Antioch, Barnabus and Saul, along with John-Mark, headed off to Cyprus to preach about Jesus. While on Cyprus, the trio met up with an imposter promoting himself under the name Bar-Jesus. The Roman leader, Sergius Paullus, summoned Barnabus and Saul to present to him the word of God, and Bar-Jesus began refuting their claims. Filled with the Spirit, Saul proclaimed that because of his opposition to the gospel of Jesus, God would now show his opposition of Bar-Jesus, rendering him blind. In the end, the good news of Jesus won this Roman leader over.

“On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down “On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” (Acts 13:13-15) Responding to the invitation, Paul stood up and preached a beautiful sermon from the history of the people of Israel, showing how God had prepared the Israelite people for Christ’s arrival and how Jesus had fulfilled the prophecy of the coming Messiah.

Paul’s preaching is effective for we read in Acts 13:42 that “the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath”. On “the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord” (Acts 13:44). Jealous at their growing popularity, the leading Jews began to contradict and discredit the words Paul and Barnabus. Rejected by the Jews, Paul and Barnabus would now turn their efforts to preaching the good news of Jesus to Gentiles, which reaps immediate and grand results.

Unhappy with the preaching of Paul and Barnabus, yet unable to prevent Gentiles from coming to faith in Jesus, “the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city ... [and] expelled them from their region” (Acts 13:50). As our chapter ends, we find that Paul and Barnabus next went to Iconium, where they “were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52).

Our passage today reveals to us the global perspective or cosmopolitan nature that ought to be present in the church. Just as the church in Antioch was made up of people of different backgrounds, so ought our churches be made up of people of varying backgrounds and ethnicities. Are you concerned with building a church or with being a part of God’s building of His Church? Are we more concerned with keeping the doors open and the lights on in here than we are with the growth of Christ’s kingdom out there?

Our passage ought to encourage us to embody a “missionary” mindset in our lives. We each are “emissaries of God” in the world. What would our community look like if we each took up the call to be one sent into the world in the name of Jesus? Our passage today ought to cause us to question whether fulfilling the call to being God’s emissary in the world might enable you to lead a more joy and Spirit filled life?