THINK TOGETHER.
Does your church have missionaries? Can you name any of them?
READ TOGETHER.
Acts 13:1-4. 1Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” 3So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. 4So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13 starts about by describing the leaders in the Church of Antioch, a city in Syria (north of Jerusalem). Acts names five of the teachers in this church: Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul. These five men were worshiping God, praying, and fasting when the Holy Spirit told them to appoint Barnabas and Saul (you might know him as Paul) to be missionaries.
This is a really big moment in church history. Barnabas and Saul/Paul will be the very first missionaries ever sent out by a church to go far away to tell others about Jesus.
That’s what a missionary is. The word missionary means “someone who is sent.” Missionaries are sent by a church from one place to a new place in order to spread the good news. Barnabas and Paul will be missionaries that go to the country of Turkey (can you find Turkey on a map?).
What missionaries does your church send out? Do you think the Holy Spirit still appoints and sends out missionaries like Barnabas and Paul? I do too. In fact, I think the whole idea of missionaries and sharing the good news of Jesus is one of the Holy Spirit’s greatest ideas ever.
You can be a missionary too. Jesus told all Christians to go make disciples, that includes us. Everyone who has the Holy Spirit living inside their heart has been sent out by him to share the good news of Jesus right where they are.
And who knows, maybe someday you will even be appointed by the Holy Spirt and sent out by your church to go to a faraway place to tell others about Jesus.
Because of the Holy Spirit churches can send missionaries out to tell others about Jesus.
With the Holy Spirit we can all tell others about Jesus.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Find out about the missionaries that your church supports. Spend some time praying for them and getting to know them better.
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, by the Spirit you have sent us out to tell others about your son, Jesus. Help me to be a missionary right where I am, and help me to care about the missionaries that are serving you in faraway places too. Amen.
TLICfamily 