Sending Out Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:1-3)

Sending Out Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:1-3)

In 1980, when my church pastor knew that I had a plan to go to the United States to study economics, he told me that he would have a special worship to install me and send me out as a layman missionary to do campus ministry in the United States.
As I took what my pastor told me very seriously, I was very afraid of being installed as a layman missionary and was not quite sure whether I could do campus ministry while I would study economics in a Ph.D. program.
So, I asked him to give me a time to pray about it. Then, I fasted for three days.
Yet, I was not sure whether I could do the job.
I asked my pastor to give me more time to pray about it. I fasted for seven more days. Yet, I was not confident whether I should be installed as a layman missionary.
Again, I asked my pastor to give me a little more time to pray about it.
Then, I fasted for ten more days to find God's will for me.
Finally, I could get God's answer that it was not me but God that would make it possible to do the work of campus ministry.

Jesus Christ is a good example of a missionary.
Jesus Christ was a missionary who was sent out by God the Father from the heavenly country down to the earthly country.
First of all, as a missionary who was dispatched down to the earthly country, Jesus took off his heavenly glorious clothes and wore the earthly clothes, that is, a human flesh. As a missionary Jesus wanted to be like one of the earthly people.
Apostle John describes this in his Gospel 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."
Yes, the Word, that is, God the Son became flesh to be like one of those people of the country where he was sent down. He lived among the people, ate with them.

There were some American missionaries who went to Korea about a hundred years ago, learned Korean, tried to eat hot and spicy Korean food, and lived among Korean people.
They became more efficient missionaries than those who did not want to be like Koreans while they claimed they were missionaries for Korean people.
Mr. and Mrs. Riter, try to be like one (or two) of those Chinese or Korean-Chinese people in China for whom you are going to spread the Gospel.
Please remember that when Jesus came down to earth, he became flesh to be like one of those earthly people.

Secondly, Jesus, as a true witness of the Kingdom of Heaven, was ready to die. The word "witness" in Greek is "μάρτρος" which is 'martyr' in English.
"μάρτρος" is a person who is ready or willing to die, witnessing the Gospel.
Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1:8, "You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth."
This may also be translated as, "You will be ready to be martyrs for me to the ends of the earth.

Jesus himself as a missionary was a "μάρτρος" who was willing to be killed and died on the hill of Golgotha.
Missionaries are usually witnesses in foreign countries who are ready to or willing to die for Christ.
It does not mean that you should die there but that you are willing to die there, that is, your determination for Christ. Each one of us as a Christian needs the spirit of "μάρτρος"-martyr.

Thirdly, Jesus as a missionary loved the people to whom he spread the Gospel very much. He loved them not only with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
He was willing to die on the cross for the people whom he loved very much to redeem their sins and trespasses, to save them, and to give them eternal life.
He demonstrated his genuine everlasting love for them unto death on the cross.

There were faithful prophets and teachers in the Church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul who was also called Paul.
The name of "the Church at Antioch" would be remembered forever as a church who sent out Barnabas and Paul as the first missionaries in the early Christian era.
Their sending out of Barnabas and Paul was not according to a human decision but according to the instruction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit instructed them to set apart Barnabas and Paul for the work to which God called them while they were worshiping God and fasting.
Then, they fasted more and prayed to be ready for the work.
When Barnabas and Paul were ready for the work to which God called them, the Holy Spirit let the prophets and teachers laid their hands on them, praying and sending them out for the work.
Laying-on-of-hands with prayer is an action of anointing a person to a certain office, asking God to bestow His power and gifts of the Spirit upon that person so that he or she may be able to make a good job.