When we see orange barrels on the roadway, that’s usually a sign of work going on.

If we see a bag of flour, eggs, and measuring cups on the kitchen counter, that’s also a sign that someone is at work.

A car with its hood up and some tools scattered on the ground tell us the same thing.

These are all signs that someone is busy.

We can see that in our text today too. The Antioch church heard a word from the Holy Spirit telling them to send two of their leaders, Saul and Barnabas, to serve as missionaries. That called for an act of radical obedience, generosity, and faith. Can you imagine your church sending its pastors on a mission to go where the Spirit was leading them?

The response of the Antioch church was a sign that God was busy doing something beautiful in his broken world. God was transforming people into new creations, gathering them into new communities, and leading them into deep faithfulness. That, in turn, points to something even bigger: God’s new creation!

Of course, that new creation isn’t fully formed yet (we aren’t either!). It won’t be complete until Christ returns. In the meantime all who are in Christ continue to serve as signposts that God is busy with something big!