Doing Ministry – Acts 13:1-3

I receive three religious periodicals.

I have subscribed to two of them and one is sent free.

One comes every month and the other two are published four times a year.

I read about half the articles, totally rejecting about a third of them, and being blessed by 10 percent.

A couple of them have good cartoons, so I keep them to put in the bulletin for you.

One of the things that these magazines reveal to me are some of the trends in neo-evangelicalism.

And one of those trends has been an irritating change in the use of the word “ministry.”

“Ministry” is a good Biblical word.

We have reference to it here in this scripture.

“As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted,

The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

I believe that the Lord has called ME into the ministry, and I have been trying to do the work of the ministry for most of my life.

But for some inexplicable reason the leaders of modern religion have started saying that they are “doing ministry.”

They aren’t “IN the ministry, doing the work of the Lord.”

They aren’t “ministering to the Lord” and to others,

They say that they are “DOING ministry.”

This way of speaking scrapes across my brain like a fingernail across the blackboard.

I’m not exactly sure how it is incorrect,

But since I’m an expert grammarian, I’m sure that it must be.

Verse two refers to three things that I’d like to spend a few minutes on this evening.

First, let me say a couple more words about “FASTING.”

Sunday night, when I said that I read every scripture which spoke about fasting, I was being sincere.

When some of you brought a couple of other references to my attention, I was sincerely embarrassed.

At first I was confused as to why I hadn’t studied them.

But upon a little reflection I realized that there were two reasons.

First, two of the events that you suggested didn’t contain the word “fast” or “fasting.”

And then on the third, I didn’t consider that to be the king of “fasting” as it is used here in Acts.

But they are worth considering.

First there was Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34:27.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words:

For after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.

And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

The second reference is found in I Kings 19.

“And when he [Elijah] saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

There are obvious similarities between these and Acts 13, but there are some differences too.

Even though the abstinence that these men endured enabled them to concentrate on the Lord,

Their fasts were not deliberate; they didn’t PLAN to fast in order to better minister to God.

So their fasts were not religious ordinances or activities as it appears was the case in Antioch.

And then secondly, their fasts were not natural or human endeavors.

In both cases, Moses and Elijah were miraculously sustained.

Their fasts were caused by the Lord and blessed by Him.

We can’t hold these up before the church and say, “Go thou and do likewise.”

These will probably never be duplicated.

However there was one other occasion when nearly the same thing occurred.

The third reference is in regard to our Lord’s temptation:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

The reason that I didn’t include this occasion in our study on Sunday was because of its divine nature.

Again, no human being, apart from some sort of miraculous gift could ever duplicate this.

Jesus’ fast was not an example to us; it was not a church ordinance.

The Lord Jesus never commanded or encouraged anyone to try to duplicate it.

Or in other words, His forty-day fast is not directly related to what we have here in Acts 13.

These three examples of fasting haven’t changed my conclusions about fasting.

Fasting can be a means of bringing saints closer to the Lord,

But it can also become a thing of pride and therefore a stumbling block.

Be slow to fast.

The second thing revealed in these three verses teaches us something about THE CALL OF GOD.

I referred to this a couple of weeks ago, so this is just a point of added emphasis.

The ministry is not a JOB; it is a “calling.”

The ministry is not just something that a young man may think would be a good way to spend his life.

There have been thousands of good, zealous men who have sincerely wanted to serve the Lord, who tried their hand at preaching or even pastoring, but who found out that it was not the Lord’s will.

Talents, skills and abilities are not the criteria for determining whether or not the Lord wants a man in the ministry.

There are thousands of people with all the skills necessary to become great pastors, who should never become pastors, because it is not the will of God.

Generally, I love my computer dictionary.

If I keep the CD running all the time, that dictionary even talks to me.

For example when I ask it to look up the word spelled S-A-I-T-H it says “seth.”

Despite my use of that dictionary that doesn’t mean that I like everything that it ever tells me.

For example, its definition of the word “calling” is:

First, an inner urge or strong impulse; and secondly, an occupation, profession or career.

But wait a minute, what is the history of that word, the etymology of that word?

Some vocations are called “callings” because people are called and invited to become a part of that vocation.

I would not be the least bit surprised to learn that some ancient linguist used this verse in Acts to create the word “calling” and its definition.

The Holy Spirit CALLED Barnabas and Saul into the work of missions.

I believe that prior to that the Holy Spirit called them to the pastorate.

The gospel ministry is not a profession or a job, it is a Holy Spirit calling.

It may be that the some man may want to become a minister of Christ; there is nothing wrong with that.

And if that desire is in his heart, he should try to strengthen the gifts & skills that the Lord has given him.

But more important than further education or training, should be a great deal of prayer.

“Lord, open doors for me into the ministry, if it is your will.

Lord, take this desire from my heart, if this isn’t your will.

Lord, if this is your will, give your church the same direction that you are giving me.”

The ministry is a calling; the calling of God; not a job.

The third thing that I’d like you to notice tonight is THE MINISTRY itself.

It’s not the ministry of missions, but the ministry of the Lord.

And once again, I point out how often we read the scriptures without hearing them.

Please notice to Whom it was that these ministers were ministering.

There is no doubt that Bible talks about ministering the Word of God to the lost, or ministering to the saints.

Romans 15:14-16 – “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.”

Romans 15:24-25 – “Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.”

Colossians 1 – “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God.”

These and a dozen other New Testament verses use the word “diakonos” (de-ak’-on-os) – “servant.”

But there are other verses including Acts 13:2 which use another Greek word.

Two Sunday’s ago I preached from Luke 4:16-22.

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, & recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

When Luke says that the Lord Jesus gave the scriptures back to the synagogue minister, he used a word related to “ministered” in Acts 13:2.

Speaking of the Lord Jesus, Paul said in Hebrews 8:1-2 –

“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Philippians 2:24-25 – “But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

Romans 13:1-6 – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.”

Hebrews 1:4-7 – “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. & of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, & his ministers a flame of fire.”

When I began studying this I learned something which I had never seen before.

The Greek word here is “leitourgeo” ( li-toorg-eh’-o ) – “liturgy.”

Religion has corrupted the word “liturgy” to mean a proscribed form of worship – ceremonialism.

What Acts 13:2 says is that these people were worshiping and ministering to the Lord, not to men.

There is a ministry which is spent toward people – saints and/or sinners.

But there is a ministry with is given toward the Lord alone.

Perhaps Acts 6:4 summarizes these two sides of the gospel ministry:

“Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, AND to the ministry of the word.”

When the liturgical side of the ministry is what it ought to be, the deaconing side will follow.