The word of the Lord continued to grow...being sent out by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 12:24-13:15New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁴ But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

²⁵ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

First Missionary Journey

13 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. ⁶ When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, ⁷ who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. ⁸ But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, ¹⁰ and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? ¹¹ Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. ¹² Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

¹³ Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”

God's word was going forth, the gospel of the Kingdom of heaven was being preached in fulfillment of Christ's commission. The church was growing. In Acts 2:46-47 it says:   Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.   Acts 11:19-20    says: So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.…   In today's text:  But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. 

God says: So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.(Isaiah 55:11)  God the Father building and prospering the church through the preaching of the name of Jesus, God the Son, by the power and leading of God the Holy Spirit. There is no power that can stand against the will and the works of God. No human actions or persecution will be able to stop the light of Christ from shining in this dark world. 

The early church had none of the resources which are available to the church today. They simply yielded to the Holy Spirit, heard and saw the things the Father was doing and declared the goos news of the Kingdom of heaven,  salvation through the cross of Christ and His soon return. The church today has so much available to it to enable us to truly fulfill the commission of Christ.  In Matthew 28:18-20    “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   

In Mark 16:15-18    “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

In Acts 1:8     but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” 

All the resources and technology that is available to us today is of no value though if we are not following in the same way as the early church, God the Father building and prospering the church through the preaching of the name of Jesus, God the Son, by the power and leading of God the Holy Spirit.  Throughout church history and in the church today there have been and are some who try to do the work of God without acknowledging the Trinity of God, focusing on part rather than all of God.  Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is our Savior. It is at His name as it says in Philippians 2:10-11 :     that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

But it is, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus Himself said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing(John 5:19-20)   Jesus also said:  And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”(Luke 24:49)  That power from on high is of course the Holy Spirit, of whom Jesus also said: I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; ⁹ concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; ¹¹ and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.(John 16:7-11)

It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us and it is the Holy Spirit who convicts. It is all to the glory of God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son. 

God has indeed called us to live in a great time in history, His story. We have amazing resources and technology available to us to fulfill the call and commission to preach the gospel. Those resources include our ability to travel in hours, to places that God calls us, the early church required months and years. The resources include technology, the internet that enables us to speak the word around the world in seconds. All of it is of no value to the kingdom though if we are not yielded and submitted to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as the early church was. God doesn't need our strength or our riches and resources. He says:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”(2 Corinthians 12:9)

When we travel quickly from place to place we may miss the opportunities to reach people along the way as Paul and the early church did. They may have had a destination in mind but the shared the gospel along the way. When we focus on our plans and strategies using technology and social media to spread our message we may lose sight of the individuals who cross our paths daily.

God doesn't need anything we have to fulfill His purposes. But He has chosen to give us the privilege of joining Him in His work. I've said it several times the greatest ability we have to give to God is availability.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and precious Holy Spirit, thank You for all You have done in and for me. I yield to You, Father, Son and Spirit. I make myself available, today and everyday. I acknowledge that as You said Jesus, he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. Fill me Holy Spirit. Increase in me so that the world may see You, to the glory of the Father.   Amen.