Be A Barnabas

Introduction

When we think of the heroes of faith in the Bible we often will think of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, Paul, Peter, Stephen, John, and James.

However, there is one man who is described as a man “full of faith” and a “good man,” his name is Barnabas -

From the moment we are introduced to him in the book of Acts, we see that he lives up to his name -

He lives up to his name -

His encouragement and help to other Christians establishes him as a critical leader in the early church. We need more people to act like Barnabas and lead like Barnabas.

Selfless: Shared His Possessions

Barnabas is an impressive example when Luke first introduces us to him. While the church was in its infancy and Christians were in Jerusalem, but were away from their jobs, families, and did not have all their needs provided, Barnabas stepped in and took action -

He owned land

He sold his land

He gave the proceeds from the sell and brought it to the apostles to oversee the distribution of those funds

Barnabas was among several that provided for fellow Christians so that no one was in need -

Others were interested in developing a name and reputation among the Christians for their generosity. Barnabas was not -

When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell his possessions. The man went away sorrowful - ,

Jesus did not say following Him would be easy -

Learning selflessness and looking out for the needs of others is a difficult lesson. But it is one that Barnabas excelled in!

Mediator: Defended Those Who Were Doubted And Questioned

After Saul of Tarsus became a follower of Jesus, he began to preach Jesus as the Messianic King. The former persecutor became the persecuted. He was run out of Damascus for preaching Jesus -

Then Paul came to Jerusalem and desired to be a member of the church in Jerusalem. He tried to associate with the disciples, but they were afraid of him -

Then Barnabas arrives and he serves as mediator and advocate for Saul -

He is able to offer a defense of the sincerity of Saul.

Sal had seen the resurrected Jesus -

Saul was preaching and defending Jesus - ,

As a result of Barnabas’ defense, the disciples in Jerusalem accepted Saul -

There will be times that people question our sincerity or our abilities to do a task. We need people to be a Barnabas and come to our defense, to stake their reputation on someone else’s defense.

Paul would later do this for slave Onesimus -

Serving as a mediator to bring brothers and sisters together is a necessary thing.

Encourager: Put People In A Place To Use Their Abilities

Barnabas was not afraid to work for the Lord. He left Jerusalem to go up to Antioch to help the church grow and become strong -

He encouraged them -

He wanted them to remain faithful, loyal, and true to the Lord -

However, he knew when he needed others to be involved to help him -

He went to Tarsus to get Saul. He wanted Saul to work with him and use his knowledge and abilities to work alongside him in Antioch.

Not only did Barnabas encourage the brethren in Antioch, he encouraged Saul to work for the Lord - cf.

When people ask you to teach a class, preach a lesson, lead singing, offer an invitation, or help out in some way, it is because they realize the work is bigger than any one person.

Part of the work of the church is developing people to be more involved -

This requires encouragement and giving people an opportunity to use their abilities.

Barnabas understood the importance of encouraging people to use their talents and abilities for the Lord.

Sometimes we think we don’t have talent. The lesson from the parable of the talents is that we may have few talents, but we are to work and gain more talents -

Forgiving: Gave Second Chances

Barnabas seemed like he was always wiling to let people get involved with serving the Lord. He was willing to defend Paul. He was willing to bring Paul to Antioch. On their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas took with them John Mark.

However, John Mark left them -

Background:

Sickness? Home sick? Not a good worker? Victim of theft? We are not told why John Mark did not continue on this trip.

When Paul and Barnabas begin to discuss going back to the churches they had once visited, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark -

While Paul objected to bringing John Mark, Barnabas did not.

Barnabas seemed quick to forgive and to give John Mark another opportunity to prove himself.

Even when people make mistakes, they might just need a second (or third or fourth) opportunity to prove themselves. We need to learn a spirit of forgiveness -

Paul’s attitude changed (maybe he saw the benefit of becoming like Barnabas) -

A difficult lesson for us to sometimes learn is that given an opportunity for a second chance, those people might come to be helpful to us.

Paul’s attitude changed (maybe he saw the benefit of becoming like Barnabas) -

Humble: Allowed Others To Take The Lead

Pride can corrupt leaders within the church. No one is impervious from the temptation to be proud and want the position of power, authority, and influence. Diotrophes was a man who wanted to be considered first within the local church -

Perhaps what best sums up Barnabas is his humility. Because of his humility he did not wrangle about who was more important or who was in charge.

For Luke, the order of words, names, and events is usually very important.

“Barnabas and Saul” -

Prior to their first missionary journey, you read about “Barnabas and Saul” -

“Paul and Barnabas” -

However, Paul begins to take the more prominent teaching role and it then becomes “Paul and Barnabas” -

People recognized Paul as the chief speaker between the two -

Baker New Testament Commentary: Acts 2. Response (14:11–13)

Hermes, whose task was to relay messages from the gods to men, was the son of Zeus and Maia. His name is reflected in the word hermeneutics, which derives from the Greek term hermēneutēs (interpreter).

We must learn to check our egos at the door and let others take the lead some times. Barnabas shows us that there may be people who surpass our talents in certain areas and that there are times for them to take the lead.

Conclusion

Barnabas is an incredible example of faith and goodness. While it is easy for us to overlook what it means to be a good person, Barnabas does not let us forget the importance of how to be good.

Be a Barnabas and you will be an encouragement and a hard-worker for the Lord and the local church.