Saul and Barnabas are called by the Holy Spirit to a ministry that would literally reshape the world. What put them in a position to receive this calling from God is the same thing we're all told to do in church. They were available to do the menial tasks just as faithfully as those more noticed and celebrated. They were focusing on prayer and fasting in a biblical sense. And they were ready to obey as soon as what they were told was verified to be from the Lord.

1. Until God calls you to something new, be faithful with what He's already told you to do.

2. Church isn't about what we can get, but what God can give to those around us.

3. Fasting is replacing time spent in other activities with pursuit of God through His Word and Prayer.

Tyre is used as a cautionary tale for other nations in history that follow its example. Through the illustration of a perfectly constructed and beautifully designed ship, it came to nothing when an east wind blew it to pieces in a moment. The lesson is that poverty or wealth in Heaven is what will ultimately matter.

1. Someone who has everything but God will ultimately have nothing.

2. Wealth promises everything, especially what it can't deliver.

3. Use things and love people, not the other way around.

The accusation that there is a disparity between the God of the Old and New Testament is based on three false assumptions. First, that the description of violence in history implies a prescription for Christians to do the same. Second, that the kind of violence described in the Old Testament was unjust for God to prescribe. And third, that there is a change in God's nature from the Old to the New Testament from Wrath to Love.

1. Historical descriptions of violence only prove honest history.

2. Every time God ordered violence to take place, it always was preceded by centuries of warnings and opportunities to be spared.

3. The concepts of God's love described in the New Testament are based on quotations from the Old.

The early church demonstrates that there are no new problems when it comes to the issues people have in their relationship with God. Prayer isn't treating God like Santa Claus. Prayer isn't talking to God for its own sake. Prayer is the purposeful pursuit of fellowship with God in order to align our hearts and desires with His. He is going to do what He's going to do. Whether or not we share in the blessing of seeing that promise fulfilled is a choice we make through prayer.

1. The purpose of prayer is aligning your heart with God's.

2. If you need a miracle, you'll get one.

3. God always acts according to His Word.

Ezekiel's prophecies move from Israel to the nations surrounding her. As they celebrated the fact that God was judging His people, this ended up costing them more than it bought. The final judgments of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia are announced. And in each of the reasons given for God judging them, we will learn how to avoid making the same mistakes.

1. Bitterness never accomplishes what it promises.

2. Anger has a purpose. It is when we misuse that purpose that harm happens.

3. Only God can love our enemies through us.

Following the unjust execution of the Apostle James, Herod Agrippa I tries to do the same to the Apostle Peter. As the church uses this time of crisis to passionately pray for him, God works a miracle by sending an angel to get him out of prison. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't even necessarily a gentle experience. However, it was the way God always does things. Even when people and circumstances are bad, He remains good. Peter understood this whether he was going to be released or not.

1. The purpose of prayer is to align your desires with God's.

2. A heart that trusts God knows Him.

3. If we need a miracle, we'll get one.

Ezekiel's ministry was a powerful one, but also one that cost him incredibly. From seeing his nation's capital destroyed to having to say goodbye to his beloved wife, it was a ministry that was only worthwhile because God saw him through everything he was called to do and say. Our ministry should be nothing less regardless of where or when we're called.

1. The most effective evangelist talks to people the way they would want to have been shared with before they knew the Lord.

2. God's Word is the only thing we're promised will always accomplish what it was meant to.

3. God is the only one that changes hearts. Our job is to be an asset rather than an obstacle to that process.

Despite the cultural controversies of Hebrew and Greek culture clashing, God's word was still going out. How? Men like the people of Antioch were eager and willing to begin every day as an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus and act like Him where they could. Men like Paul and Barnabas were willing to go through the necessary preparation of mind and character to be used by God effectively where and when He intended. And those who followed Jesus expressed His character with their physical resources as much as their emotional investment.

1. A saved life will become a changed life.

2. Preparation is just as important as ministry.

3. God is more interested in your heart than your checkbook.

Ezekiel is inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal just how serious Israel's sin was. He uses language and terms that are not suitable for all audiences. However, God in intentional in how He talks to His people because it is just that serious. If they wouldn't be restored, they would be judged. But like judgment in our own lives, it won't be because God didn't warn them or plead with them to return every step they took away from Him.

1. Confession requires us to understand how incapable we are of dealing with the issues of our hearts on our own.

2. Restoration is always available to anyone still willing to receive it.

3. The motivation for Godly living is being in awe of the Cross.