5-Minute Sermon

Barnabbas – Epitome of Encouragement
Preached by Sam Long at CHCC on August 26th, 2007

You can always tell who is going to be a hero can’t you? Heroes are often obvious. They are bold, daring, outspoken, and gifted leaders. They stand out and refuse to be looked upon as normal. They are go-getters. But are these the only heroes? Do you have to face immense persecution or be a talented speaker to be a hero of the faith? I think not. In fact, I believe the church is built not upon charismatic leaders, but upon the quiet workers who live out their faiths in simple, but very meaningful ways. And few people mentioned in the New Testament embody this sort of lifestyle more than Barnabas.

Barnabas was not one of the 12 apostles. He is not mentioned until we get to Acts. He may have hung out with Jesus. Tradition holds that he was one of the 70 sent out by Jesus, but we just don’t know much about what he did before the church began. But we do know what he did afterwards. Though his name was Joseph, the other apostles gave him a new name that was more fitting of his character. They gave him the nickname “Barnabas,” the name by which we know him better as. Luke interprets this word to mean “Son of Encouragement.” The word used here for “encouragement” is the same word Jesus used in John when he said, I will leave you a comforter. From this point on Joseph was known as Barnabas. And by his actions he lives up to the name and epitomizes the lifestyle of an encourager.

We start with Acts 4 verses 32-37. Luke describes the state of the early church and the amount of sharing that went on. He focuses especially on the sharing of money and wealth. And then he highlights Barnabas in verses 36 and 37:
“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

The first thing we notice about Barnabas is that he was sacrificial. No doubt others were as well, but perhaps Barnabas was highlighted because of the extent of his sacrifice. At first read, perhaps selling a field may not be that big of a deal to us. But property in that time was often a symbol of family heritage. Property was passed down from generation to generation. And in the country of Israel land was a sign of the covenant with God. Thus by selling his property, Barnabas was making a clear statement that his church family was more important that his family heritage. Clearly, Barnabas was willing to make sacrifices to help his brothers and sisters in Christ.

The nature of Christianity has always been sacrificial. After all, if we are going to emulate the example of Christ how can we help but give up things for one another. Though there are plenty of financial needs that must be met, certainly there are others as well. There are those among us who because of their health are confined to their homes and are in desperate need of communication and fellowship. There are others who are longing to find a place of acceptance and love. There are still others that require help with their homes, their cars, their kids, or any number of needs that arise. And it doesn’t take a super hero to meet those needs. It just takes people who are willing to be sacrificial of their time and energy. If you want to encourage someone, do something tangible and sacrificial for them.

Well that is not the only story we find about Barnabas. They next major one can be found in 9:26-27. This story reveals a man who was accepting. It reads:
“When he (Saul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”

When the converted Saul arrived in Jerusalem he was greeted with suspicion and doubt. After all, this was the same guy who had persecuted Christians, dragged them out of their homes, perhaps even participated in their murders. It would be easy to assume that he was a spy, looking for more information to use against Christians. But it was Barnabas who introduced him to the ‘pillar’ apostles and convinced them of his conversion and sincerity. Barnabas put his own reputation on the line when he told the apostles that Saul was okay. He vouched for Saul and received him when no one else would, and in so doing allowed God to use Saul and have a lasting impact upon so many lives. Just by simply saying, “This guy is okay. It’s time to forgive and forget.” Encouragers have a wonderful ability to let the past be the past and to start fresh right where you are. What an example for us today. How often do we let silly, petty things keep us from accepting one another? How often do we let miscommunication and misunderstandings hinder our fellowship? How often do we refuse to forgive and in so doing lose out on God using us or someone else?

Finally, Luke describes Barnabas in such a way that lets the reader know the source of all his actions. This last snippet is found in 11:22-25. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to see about these new believers. Upon arrival he found the grace of God and was excited to see their progress. Then Luke sums up Barnabas in a simple sentence: “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith…”

The last quality that made Barnabas a hero was that he was Godly. We might call him a man after God’s own heart since he was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He had the vision that God had. He saw the world for what it could be not for what it currently was. More than that he acted upon this vision. It was Barnabas who represented the apostles at Antioch when, for the first time, Gentiles had been evangelized in significant numbers. He saw the movement as a work of God—and as a fitting place for the forgotten Saul, whom he brought to share his labors. On their visiting Jerusalem with famine-relief, their call to Gentile missionary work was recognized. This may not seem like a lot, but it opened the door for God to work mightily through Paul. The journey with Paul found in Acts 13–14 resulted in a chain of Gentile churches far into Asia Minor. For the church and for Barnabas it was a milestone. All because Barnabas was a godly man who could see through the lenses of faith that are produced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

God takes what we have and what we are willing to offer and through the power of the Holy Spirit multiplies it to make it effective. Do we see with lenses of faith? Do we see what God is doing and encourage the work by joining in? Or are we nay Sayers, citing all the reasons something won’t work? Because the church doesn’t need more cynicism and detraction. The church needs encouragers. The church needs more people like Barnabas. People who are Sacrificial, Accepting, and Godly. Where would the early church have been without Barnabas? We may not have even known the name “Paul.” Christianity may have remained just an offshoot of Judaism, never taking hold among the Gentiles. Who knows? But because of the lifestyle of Barnabas we as Christians and as the church are so much richer. Think about how that sort of lifestyle could transform this church, this area, and this world.