Time to Shine 5 - Restoration through Relationship

The Revelation of who we are in Christ Encourages Us

1. In Christ, I am Loved (Colossians 3:12)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” — Colossians 3:12

2. In Christ, I am Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” — Ephesians 1:7

In Christ, I am Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” — 1 Peter 2:9

In Christ, I am a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

In Christ, I am Not Condemned (Romans 8:1)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” — Romans 8:1

In Christ, I am More than a Conquerer (Romans 8:37)

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” — Romans 8:37

In Christ, I am God’s Workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” — Ephesians 2:10

In Christ, I am a Work in Progress (Philippians 1:6)

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” — Philippians 1:6

In Christ, I am Provided For (Philippians 4:19)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19

In Christ, I am Victorious! (1 Corinthians 15:57)

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57

(Source: Who I Am in Christ: 10 Life-Changing Bible Verses | Equipping Godly Women)

The Revelation of Our Calling Compels Us

2 Corinthians 5:14–19 NKJV

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

RECONCILIATION Bringing together of two parties that are estranged or in dispute. Jesus Christ is the one who brings together God and man, with salvation as the result of the union. Reconciliation basically means “change” or “exchange.” The idea is of a change of relationship, an exchange of antagonism for goodwill, enmity for friendship. Attitudes are transformed and hostility ceases.

In the ancient world the initiative for reconciliation was usually made in one of two ways. A third party could seek reconciliation, or an alienated party could take the first step.

(Source: Norman, S. (2003). Reconciliation. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 1368). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.)

Encouragement is our Tool in the Ministry of Reconciliation

Philippians 2:1–3 NKJV

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Everyone Needs a Barnabas and Everyone need to be a Barnabas

As we look at the life of Paul, we must take a moment to turn our attention to Barnabas. Barnabas played a pivotal role in Paul’s early ministry. We first read of Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37:

There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

We learn a number of useful things in this short passage. We learn that Barnabas’s given name was Joseph. We learn that, like Paul, he was a Jew of the Diaspora (a Jew who lived outside the Holy Land), from the island of Cyprus. We learn that he was a Levite. Levites, from the Israelite tribe of Levi, were assigned different roles during the history of Israel, but all were linked in some way to the priesthood, to the Tabernacle and later the Temple, and to the religious laws. Some Levites were priests. Some were musicians. Some were teachers, judges, even accountants. Levites maintained the Temple and the holy things of God. In the Diaspora, Levites were called upon to assist or read Scripture in the synagogue, a practice that is still observed in some synagogues today.

Barnabas appears to have been a devout Jew who had come to faith in Christ while in Jerusalem, quite possibly having heard Jesus speak or having been a witness to the Resurrection. Perhaps he was among the three thousand who came to faith on the day of Pentecost in response to Peter’s preaching and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

We also learn in the passage from Acts 4 that Barnabas sold a field he owned and gave the proceeds to the apostles to be used to support their work and the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. He clearly was an extravagant giver.

Finally, we learn that the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, which Luke tells us means “son of encouragement,” a magnificent name that undoubtedly described his character.

We see his character, his habitual efforts at encouraging others, in Barnabas’s interaction with Paul. In Acts 9:27, Barnabas was the one leader in the Jerusalem church willing to take a chance on Paul when all others were afraid of him. Barnabas vouched for Paul and brought him to Peter and James. With Barnabas’s vouching for him, the other disciples were willing to take a chance on Paul.

Acts 9:26 NKJV

26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

Acts 9:27 NKJV

27 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.

Acts 9:28–31 NKJV

28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Barnabas was a Christian leader and preacher (Acts 15:35). On one occasion, he was sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch. Acts 11:23-24 describes his arrival,

Acts 11:23–25 NKJV

23 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. 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 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.

Sometimes encouragement is not recieved

Acts 15:36–41 NKJV

36 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.” 37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 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. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Jesus Gave Us Instruction on How to deal with Rejection

Matthew 10:11–14 NKJV

11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

Holding onto the dirt of rejection, affects the way you walk

Actor Walter Brenna limped onto the silver screen as a character named “Eddie” in the 1944 movie “To Have and Have Not” with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. He would use that same limp again as Amos McCoy in “The Real McCoys” series that ran seven seasons, from 1957-1963. Because of how real his limp looked in these two roles, some folks thought that the actor himself had a real-life limp. But he didn’t. You can see him with a normal gait in the role of the parson in the movie “Sergeant York” among others. While Walter Brennan was preparing for his role as Eddie, [the man with the limp in “To Have and Have Not,] his friend, sound effects technician Jack Foley, suggested to him that he put a rock in his shoe to create a limp. Brennan did so [which forced him to walk without putting all his weight down on the shoe with the rock in it] and that is how he learned his rather genuine-looking fake limp. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037382/trivia)

Walking with the gravel of rejection in your shoe, keeps you from being free to move on to your next God assignment.

Acts 15:39 NKJV

39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

2 Timothy 4:11 NKJV

11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark, a short, action-packed account of the life and mission of Jesus. He also helped Paul, Barnabas, and Peter in building and strengthening the early Christian church.

According to Coptic tradition, John Mark is the founder of the Church in Egypt. They believe Mark was tied to a horse and dragged to his death by a mob of pagans on Easter, 68 A.D becoming a martyr for Jesus Christ.

Maybe you have been rejected. Maybe you have been wounded by others. Perhaps you have been wounded by the church. But God loves you and does not reject you.

Isaiah 53:1–6 NKJV

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus went to the Cross to carry your grief. He was rejected to deliver you from rejection. He took stripes on His back to heal the wounds inflicted on you by the enemy and by others.

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9–10 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”