Barnabas: Encourager of Men

Introduction:

I read somewhere that a number of years ago, following a war, there was a soldier who was
court-martialed and sentenced to a year in prison. The charge was: he had been accused of
being a "discourager of men". He had not defected to the enemy. He had not sold valuable
military secrets. He did nothing more than go among his fellow soldiers with discouraging
words and with criticism for their cause. But, in so doing, he broke the spirit and the morale of
many, and he hindered the work of the army.

It’s possible to do the same thing in the Lord’s army. There are some Christians who don't
actually sell out to Satan. By that, I mean they don't completely leave the church. They simply
mingle with other Christians, constantly complaining about the work of the church, openly
criticizing the leaders, voicing skepticism concerning future plans and goals. They are, in a very
real sense, discouragers of men. They’re like the ten spies sent into the land of Canaan who
"discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has
given them" (Numbers 32:7).

In contrast to that, Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, "Therefore comfort each other
and edify each other, just as you are doing." (I Thessalonians 5:11). The Hebrew writer said,
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works..." (Hebrews 10:24).
We ought to be known as a people of encouragement.

But a lot of times, it's easier for us to understand a principle if we can see that principle
actually lived out in a person's life. I think it's for that reason that the Bible gives us the
biography of so many different people. It’s helps to read about of Abraham's faith, Moses'
meekness, Job's patience, Joseph's integrity, Peter's boldness, Paul's zeal. This morning, I
want us to center our thoughts on a Bible character, a man who is known in the scriptures for the
encouragement he provided others around him. The name that his parents gave him was Joseph.
But I'm not talking about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Nor am I referring to Joseph the
husband of Mary. I'm talking about Joseph in the book of Acts. I realize that we're not very
familiar with his name, but Joseph was a very prominent Christian in the early church.

However, we know him better by a nickname that was given to him by the apostles --
Barnabas (Acts 4:36). Barnabas literally means "son of encouragement". The Jews often called
a man the "son of" whatever he excelled in. Thus a "son of righteousness" excelled in
righteousness and a "son of perdition" excelled in wickedness. Barnabas was the son of
exhortation. He excelled in being an encouragement to other people. There are several different
passages that bring this out in the book of Acts. This morning, I want us to take a look into the
life of Barnabas and learn a bit about how to be an encouragement to others in our own lives.

I. Barnabas Shared
 "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did
anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.
And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great
grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were
possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses,
who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a
Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the
apostles' feet." (Acts 4:32-37).

The early church had a rather unusual problem. You recall that the Jews had gathered in
Jerusalem from all over the known world in order to worship God at the feast of Pentecost.
Thousands of these people were converted to Christianity hundreds of miles from their homes.
After Pentecost was over, most of these several thousand Christians stayed in Jerusalem. We
don't know whether they stayed of their own accord or whether they were influenced by the Lord
so that they could receive teaching and be able to establish churches in their home towns when
they returned. We're not told.

Regardless of why they stayed, the fact is that they did stay in Jerusalem. Before very
long, these Christians ran out of food and supplies. After all, they didn't come prepared to stay
that long. But they had to be fed. They had to be cared for. So the Jerusalem Christians
stepped in and did what they could.

But after a few months, the Christians began to have quite a problem. It was a tremendous
burden on them and they were running out of food and supplies. What were they to do, kick
everybody out and send them home? No, they were "of one heart and soul". When Aristotle
was asked the meaning of a friend, he said, "One soul dwelling in two bodies." And that's
exactly what we find here. The unity for which Jesus had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane
was being enjoyed by the church. They shared freely what they had. They even sold their land
to pay for food and other needs.

Honestly, can you imagine that? Can you picture yourself selling your car or your house to
help out a fellow Christian? And it wasn't a matter of coercion. God didn't tell them they had to
do this. Rather, they each gave freely out of a spirit of love. Imagine the impact that must have
had on the community. They saw Christians selling their houses and land to help each other out.
It couldn't help but have a great influence on the spreading of the gospel.

Luke tells us that Barnabas was one of those who gave. He stands out as a man of
generosity in selling his land and laying the money at the apostles' feet. He gave because he
wanted to give. He was a Christian and wanted to share with those less fortunate than he was.
And, in so doing, he sets for us a great example of unselfishness.

How sad that the great mass of humanity grasps at things as if nothing else matters. And
it's so easy, even for us as Christians, to fall under the spell of acquiring “things”. But Barnabas'
sacrificial action isn't surprising in a man who recognizes that he has a heavenly inheritance.

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Barnabas teaches us that encouraging others begins by putting other peoples' needs in front of
our wants.

II. Barnabas Accepted Paul

"And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the apostles; but they were all
afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought
him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that he
had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he
was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out." (Acts 9:26-29).

Most of us have a circle of close friends, and if we're not careful, we may end up leaving
others out. When I was in school, there were a lot of cliques. Some of the cliques I was "in"
and some I was "out". Well, at this time, Saul was definitely "out" of everybody's circle of
friends.

Saul was a most unlikely candidate for Christianity. I doubt if he was on anybody's soul-
winning list. Except God's. The reason is that you would have been locked up or killed before
you got through the first Jule Miller filmstrip. The words Saul and persecution were
synonymous.
So, Saul (or Paul, as we know him better) had a bit of a problem when he became a
Christian. Everybody was afraid to get close to him. The members of the Jerusalem church
thought that Paul was pulling a fast one, that he was only pretending to be a disciple (verse 26).

And after all, that would be a perfect plan, wouldn’t it? -- pretend to become a member of
the church, get the names of all of the members, call the Sanhedrin and then take the whole
bunch to prison. Sounds like a spy story, doesn't it? But, they weren't about to fall for that one!

But Barnabas accepted him. I don't know what it was that convinced him. Maybe he knew
Ananias and had talked with him. Maybe it was the reaction of the Jews that convinced him.
Maybe he had a private meeting with Paul himself. But, whatever it was, he was convinced.
And he didn't hold grudges. He accepted Paul because he was a fellow Christian.

A number of years ago, Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play professional
baseball. While breaking baseball's "color barrier", he faced jeering crowds in every stadium.
While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. His own fans
began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered.

Then the shortstop on his team, "Pee Wee" Reese, came over and stood next to him. He
put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later
said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

That’s such a great story! Because we've all been there at some point in our lives --
standing in need of someone to face our problems with us. We didn’t need any great words of
wisdom. We just needed someone to stand next to us, and put their arm around our shoulder.

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 Paul said, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one
another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1-2).

You know, every church needs a Barnabas. He accepted people, even Paul. Barnabas was
the kind of fellow who gave people another chance. He was willing to stick his neck out for
others. He was willing to believe in the power of Christ to change people’s lives. He truly
believed that Jesus could take the church's worst enemy and make him the church's best friend.

But Barnabas literally took his life in his hands. He staked his life and the lives of others
in the church on the fact that Paul was really converted. Though the Christians at Jerusalem were
afraid of Paul, they trusted Barnabas. We need more Christians who can be trusted and who are
willing to trust others.

There are a couple of things about Barnabas that I believe we need to imitate here. First of
all, he was a man who insisted on believing the best in others. When others suspected Paul of
being a spy, Barnabas insisted on believing he was genuine and real. The world is largely
divided into people who think the best of others and people who think the worst of others. As
Paul said, "Love thinks no evil...Love believes all things." (I Corinthians 13:5,7).

Barnabas was also a person who didn't hold a man's past against him. It happens so often
that whenever a man makes a mistake, he is forever condemned in our eyes. It is a wonderful
characteristic of God that he doesn't hold our past sins against us. We, too, should never
condemn a man just because he has failed in the past.

III. Barnabas Asked Saul to Help Him

"Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as
far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But
some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to
the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great
number believed and turned to the Lord. Then news of these things came to the ears of the
church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.

"When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that
with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the
Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas
departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it
was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And
the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." (Acts 11:19-26).

The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to check on the church at Antioch. Antioch was a
major ancient metropolis. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire, behind Rome and
Alexandria. Specifically, the Christians in Jerusalem wanted Barnabas to check on the

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conversion of some Gentiles. They had heard some stories about Gentiles being baptized.
There's no telling who they were letting in that church. So Barnabas was the one they sent, and
I'm glad they did. I can just picture the disastrous situation that would have arisen if they had
sent some Judaizer or somebody with a harsh, critical attitude. But that doesn't describe
Barnabas at all.

So when Barnabas got to Antioch, verse 20 says he encouraged them. He was thrilled that
Gentiles had found a faith in Jesus Christ. As Barnabas worked in Antioch, more and more
people became Christians. Barnabas was probably overwhelmed by the response. He knew he
needed someone to help him do the teaching. So who did he want helping him? He called for
Paul. Paul had the potential of being an excellent teacher. After all, as a young man he had
studied at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the finest teachers in the world at that time.

So, Barnabas and Paul worked for about a year together. There are a lot of people who
wouldn't want to share the limelight, but Barnabas wasn't a glory seeker. He didn't care who got
the praise, as long as the work of the Lord was accomplished.

We live in a society which says compete, compete, compete! We learn from the time we're
little kids that being first is all that matters. We remember only the most important. Fortunately,
Barnabas didn't look at the work of the church in that way. In fact, within a few verses, the team
of Barnabas and Paul is going to be henceforth known as Paul and Barnabas.

Barnabas is going to take a back seat to Paul. He's going to become what one writer has
called a "saint of the second fiddle". And I don't think he cared one bit, as long as God was
glorified. If there was ever any resentment, jealousy or bitterness toward Paul by Barnabas, the
word of God fails to show it. As long as God's kingdom stands, there will always be a desperate
need for men and women have a greater desire to be faithful than to be famous.

IV. Barnabas Gave Mark a Second Chance

"Then after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren
in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.' Now
Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they
should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone
with them to the work. Then the contention became so sharp that they departed from one
another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed,
being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia,
strengthening the churches." (Acts 15:36-41).

When Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary journey, John Mark went with
them to assist them. But, Mark left them after they reached Perga, which was one of their first
stops (Acts 13). We don't know why. Maybe he was homesick. Some scholars think they were
traveling a dangerous section of the country and Mark was afraid to continue the journey.
Others think that he preferred to return to Jerusalem and work with Peter, rather than to work
with Paul. I don't know. All I know is that he left.

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 When it came time to organize a second missionary journey, Barnabas suggested that
Mark go with them again. But Paul considered him to be a quitter, and he had no use for
quitters. The text indicates that Barnabas argued long and hard with him. Barnabas had good
scriptural reasons for taking Mark. Maybe he used Peter's denial of Christ as an example. And
Paul had good scriptural reasons for not wanting to take him. Maybe he made reference to
Jesus' words that "anyone having put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the
kingdom of God." But when all the words had been spoken, neither one of them changed his
mind.

I think Paul and Barnabas teach us all a lesson that good men don't always agree in matters
of judgment, but they can always be Christian in their attitude toward each other and in
settlement of their differences.

But, getting back to Barnabas, he had a decision to make. He could travel with Paul or
leave Paul to work with John Mark. There was a lot of prestige in traveling with Paul, but
Barnabas was more interested in giving people a second chance. Remember, he's the kind who
didn't hold people's pasts against them. Just as he had accepted Paul after his conversion, he
now stands ready to give John Mark another chance. So, Barnabas and Mark sail away to
Cyprus.

And look what happened because of Barnabas. One of our gospel writers was kept from
being discouraged and possibly falling away. There were two missionary teams instead of one.
And, in the long run, Paul admitted that he was right. As he sat in prison, writing his last letter,
he said, "Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry." (II Timothy
4:11).

Conclusion:

Now, all of this is not to say that Barnabas was perfect. He made his share of mistakes.
He even joined in with Peter in discriminating against Gentile Christians (Gal. 2). But he
followed Jesus with all his heart. And, in so doing, he gained a great reputation as an
encourager. Oh, how we need more people like Barnabas in the church today.

There are so many disappointments that come in living the Christian life, so many times
we have a tendency to get discouraged. As a result, we fail to be busy about the work we
should be doing, maybe we even think about quitting and giving up altogether. Oh, how we
need someone to encourage at times like that, someone to say to us, "Be of good courage. Be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

The Hebrew writer said, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily..." (Hebrews 3:12-13a).
A word of encouragement can go a long ways. A word of appreciation to the leaders of the
church, the song leader, Bible class teachers. A word of appreciation to that brother or sister that
means so much to you.

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 I read about a school teacher, Jane Lindstrom, who had gone through surgery followed by
a long period of recuperation. After being at home for quite a while, she began to feel lonely,
unimportant, forgotten by a world that apparently was doing just fine without her. Then the mail
came, bringing a note from a fellow teacher she passed every morning on her way to school.
The note said: "Dear Jane, My class is about to begin, but I must write these few words before
my students arrive. I missed your smile and your wave this morning, just as I have every day
since you've been ill. I pray you'll be well soon. You're probably surprised at receiving this
note, but the world for me is a less happy place without you. And how will you know unless I
tell you?"

How will they know unless we tell them? How can any of us know what is in the minds
and hearts of others -- unless we receive some word, some gesture? Let me take just a moment
to once again express my thanks to so many of you who encourage me constantly, whether it's
by notes that are written or words that are spoken or gifts from the heart, I can truly say that the
congregation here has done a great deal to encourage me in the years that I've been here.

I know that you do the same for each other, and I would leave with you the words from I
Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore comfort each other and edify each other, just as you are doing."

Each one of us has countless opportunities at work, at school, in the church, to speak out
and meet the needs of people to be noticed and be appreciated. In Hebrews 10:24, the Hebrew
writer says that's one of the reason why we come together to worship on the Lord's day. May
God take each of us and use us like Barnabas to encourage one another to settle for nothing than
our very best.

INVITATION

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