God’s Voice Through Fellow Believers

In these final days I want to share with you one further way in which we may expect to receive confirmation that we’ve heard God’s voice, and that is through our fellow believers. I want to take an example, first of all, from the New Testament; the sending out of Barnabas and Saul for apostolic ministry from the church at Antioch. This is described in Acts 13:1-3.

“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul. [Five men are named: Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen and Saul, who, of course, later became Paul.] While these men were worshipping the Lord and fasting, [and remember what I said earlier about worship being the best preparation to hear the Lord’s voice. And they were fasting. They were really seeking God with all their heart.] While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” [“The Holy Spirit said,” notice that. I’ve pointed out already it’s the Holy Spirit who brings to us the voice of God.] So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

I want you to notice the words that the Holy Spirit used, because it’s important. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” The Holy Spirit had already called Barnabas and Saul. This was not the first time that they heard about this. But this was public confirmation, through their brothers in the assembly, that their call was from God. And that was very, very important. They needed that public confirmation.

We need to go back into the history of God’s dealings with Paul, and see that right from the time that Jesus first appeared to Paul, he knew that he was to be an apostle. This is what he says and he emphasizes this in various places in his writing, that his apostleship was not of men. He says, for instance, in Galatians 1:1:

“Paul, an apostle, sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead...”

Notice, he was sent not from man nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. So Paul’s apostolic calling came direct from God, not from men. Nevertheless, God confirmed it through men. And this happened in the church at Antioch where the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” They had already received their individual call, but this was public confirmation. This shows what importance God Himself attaches to confirmation, that we’ve rightly heard His voice.