140615 Oh, to be a Barnabas

Once again we come to Father’s Day. I know, I didn’t preach on mothers or the role of women on Mother’s Day. I just didn’t feel lead in that direction and I struggled with today’s message to be sure it’s supposed to include the role of men. Well first I want to look at Barnabas and see how he lived his life and how It can affect how we, as men, should live our lives. Barnabas was a nickname for a brother named Joseph in the first century church. He was a compassionate person who went out of his way to help others. Because of his concern for others he was chosen by the church to serve as an organizer. Barnabas saw the value in others that was not always seen by other leaders. He was willing to take a stand when necessary.

Barnabas is introduced to us in Acts 4:32-37. Listen while I read. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. ³³ And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold ³⁵ and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, ³⁷ sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Obviously God was moving in that church in a gracious manner. There was a large number of believers from all walks of life. Quickly those who had property saw the needs around them and began the process of turning their material things into money so that they could meet the needs of others in the fellowship. So far as we know, Barnabas was the first to sell a piece of property and bringing the money to the apostles to meet the needs of others. From this action we know that…

Barnabas was generous. Barnabas was a Levite which meant that he came from the same family as Moses did. We do not know whether he had served as a priest but he might have. I am sure that he was very familiar with Scripture. One of the passages he would have known was Proverbs 19:17. Listen while I read. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Today, we live in an increasingly divided society. Some people are poor because they will not work. Some people are poor because of bad decisions they made, such as, drug addiction or a belief that their existence gives them the right to a certain level of material prosperity. Nonetheless, we have a responsibility — where possible — to help the poor.

One of the ways our church helps the poor is through the thrift store. CORE VALUES is an excellent way to provide a person with the necessary things in life and give them the respect of paying something for it. When there is a flood or a fire the family is given the necessities.

The second half of the verse says that God will repay the generous person. The living Bible translation gives us a stronger view. It goes like this, “When you help the poor you are lending to the Lord—and he pays wonderful interest on your loan!” Many of us think that we have never had the resources to be a lender. However the Bible says that giving to the poor with a generous heart is lending to the Lord. God always pays his debts and is always on time! On HIS time, not necessarily ours! Or, as someone said, “God is never late in meeting our needs. Seldom is he early, but he is never late.”

Through our church’s generosity we have established the thrift store and maintain a food pantry that helps out a number of families. Most of the people that we help are not Christians and therefore we have the opportunity to share the gospel with them.

Not only was Barnabas generous but also…

Barnabas was brave. Listen while I read Acts 9:26-27. This passage is talking about the time when Paul, then known as Saul of Tarsus, had come to Jerusalem after his salvation experience. The people in Jerusalem knew him as the man who held the coats of those who killed Stephen, the first martyr. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

When Saul was converted on the Damascus road he was told by Jesus to go into the city of Damascus and wait for instructions. Then a disciple of Jesus in Damascus was told, by Jesus, to go and find Saul and laid hands on him so that he could be healed. Ananias was hesitant because he knew the Saul had come there to arrest him, and others, and take them back to Jerusalem for probable execution. In the same manner the disciples in Jerusalem were afraid of Saul! I believe Barnabas was afraid as well but he was brave. A brave person has courage in the face of fear. We do not know exactly how Barnabas came in contact with Saul, or Paul, we do know what he did when the others were too fearful. Remember, those who were afraid included the Apostles. They ran away from Saul the same way they ran away from Judas and those who were with him on the night that Jesus was arrested. However, Barnabas, a generous man, and a brave man, sought him out and opened the door for him to begin his ministry in Jerusalem. Saul left Jerusalem and went back to his home town of Tarsus because his former friends turned against him because of his salvation experience.

Later, when questions arose about the churches that were being raised up outside Jerusalem someone had to go check the validity of them and…

Barnabas was trustworthy. Listen while I read Acts 11:19-30. This is a longer passage but I believe it is necessary to understand the background. Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. ²² The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, ²⁴ for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. ²⁵ So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

²⁷ Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). ²⁹ So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. ³⁰ And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

The leaders of the church in Jerusalem needed someone they could trust to know whether or not the new churches were sound in their doctrine. They immediately turned to Barnabas and sent him to Antioch. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch and saw the grace of God that was being manifest in this church he was glad.

However, Barnabas could see that the church was in need of good leadership. He knew exactly who needed to be there. He had not seen him for 12 years but he went immediately to Tarsus to find Saul, or Paul, and bring him back to become part of the leadership of the church in Antioch. The grace of God was so effective there that the people who were part of the church were being called “Christians”! It’s possible that the word “Christians” was a derogatory term but it quickly caught on and remains today the best descriptive word for followers of Jesus Christ.

Not only did the church in Antioch trust Barnabas as much as the church in Jerusalem did they showed it by letting him become one of their leaders and later trusting him with an offering that have been taken for the church in Jerusalem. Barnabas and Saul were the newcomers in the group but they were trusted to deliver the relief funds.

As time went by, Barnabas and Saul were included in the group of elders that led the church in Antioch. When it came time for them to branch out and become a missionary sending church the Holy Spirit designated these two men to be their missionaries and we see…

Barnabas accompanied Paul. Listen to the account in Acts 13:1-3. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping 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 after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The journey they began that day would forever be called, “Paul’s First Missionary Journey”. Somehow, the historians of the church missed the fact that it was Barnabas whose name was first. Now maybe Luke, the writer of Acts, just listed them alphabetically. I don’t know! But I do know that Barnabas was an important part of this journey.

The two of them were accompanied by John Mark who apparently was a relative of Barnabas. I assume (I know that’s dangerous) that this is the same John Mark who was with Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was taken. I believe he was the same man whose mother, Mary, allowed the church to meet in her house in Jerusalem. Nonetheless, John Mark came along with them on this first missionary trip.

First, they came to Cyprus where they proclaimed the word of God so effectively that they were invited by the Roman proconsul to preach the word to him! When they left Cyprus they sailed north to Pamphylia. We do not know why but John Mark left them there and went back to Jerusalem. Barnabas and Saul continued without him. They had a very successful ministry during which Saul of Tarsus began to be known as Paul the Apostle.

On this trip churches were planted throughout a region that covers much of modern day Turkey. Barnabas and Paul met with strong opposition to the point that Paul was stoned at Lystra and left for dead. I believe that Paul was dead and was brought back to life by the prayers of the church.

After that they returned to Antioch in Syria to report to the church and wait for directions from God. While they were waiting a great conflict arose over whether a person had to become a Jew before they could become a Christian. Paul and Barnabas argued against that idea. And they, along with the Judaizers, went to Jerusalem where they met with the church leaders and the Spirit of God convinced that council that the Gentiles were to be accepted as equals without having to first become a Jew.

They returned to Antioch from the Jerusalem Council, and after a period of time, Paul proposed that they go back to see the churches they had founded. Immediately Barnabas proposed that they take John Mark along with them and Paul absolutely refused. Apparently, Paul wasn’t into second chances, however…

Barnabas had a forgiving spirit. Let’s look at the account in Acts 15:36-41. And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Barnabas, remember his name means “Son of Encouragement”, wanted to give John Mark a second chance! Apparently the discussion started out mild and slowly escalated until they were in sharp disagreement. Paul would not let John Mark go with them because he had not finished the trip the last time. One strike and you’re out! It seems that Barnabas was a relative, possibly a cousin, of John Mark and he trusted him to have learned from his past experience and he wanted to encourage him.

We know nothing about Barnabas’ and John Mark’s journey. There were many Christians planting churches across the Roman Empire in those days and these were just two more. For the rest of the Book of Acts we have the story of Paul’s expanded ministry. This is obviously what the Holy Spirit wanted. Luke, the Beloved Physician, joined with Paul later in his travels and became the writer of the record. The Book of Acts is a history of the early expansion of the church and we only can learn from its illustrations of what happened.

As we look through the New Testament we see that…

Encouragement is the job of the church. I could have chosen several different passages but listen while I read 1 Thessalonians 5:13b-18. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This is quite a job description for the local church. Jesus had said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” and Paul begins this list with, “Be at peace”. “Peace” should characterize every local church. I remember an instance when there was some conflict rising in the church that I pastored many years ago. One of the men took me aside and said, “I get enough conflict out in the world. I don’t want to see it in the church.” I agreed with him and we worked together to calm the troubled waters. Paul goes on to say that we are to admonish the idle. In his second letter to the Thessalonians he said simply, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Admonish the idle is certainly one of the jobs of the church and we really are not set up for it.

We are to encourage the fainthearted. A lot of people are timid about a lot of things and they don’t need to be yelled at they need to be encouraged! We do this in many ways but not enough. When a brother or sister in the Lord is discouraged we need to hold them up in prayer and make contact with them. Sometimes a person just simply needs someone to sit with them a while. It might be that we consider a person to be weak in faith when they are discouraged. It might be that we simply do not understand the mood they are in.

We need to know the Bible because…

The Scriptures give encouragement. Listen while I read Romans 15:1-7. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

There is that obligation for the strong to bear up the weak and in fact to accept the weak rather than please ourselves. If we work together to help all those around us then our world will be a better place to live in. We need to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ did not please himself but rather accepted the will of the Father, took our sins into his own body, paid our sin debt on the cross so that if we will accept him as Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead we will be saved. Our God is a God of encouragement and he has given us the Bible as a source of encouragement. The church, all those who put their faith in Christ, needs to live in such an attitude of harmony that the grace of God will be seen in our actions. The whole purpose of our encouraging one another is so that we can glorify God and receive each other as Christ has received us.

The God of endurance and encouragement is the very God we serve! Men are to fill the role of “Encourager” in the church, in the families and in the world. Paul wrote to the Ephesians to explain to them that husbands are to love their wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Men, we are to pattern our lives after Christ. The husband is to love his wife as himself. We are to bring up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord and do it in such a manner that we do not make them feel anger. Remember, we come to Christ by grace through faith and we need to be gracious to our families.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.