Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Today we’re continuing our “Authentic Character” Sermon series.

Each week we are looking at a biblical character that embodies a “Mark” of a true disciple.

We’ve looked at the Bereans’ Mind for Truth, David’s heart for God, and today we look at Barnabas’ mouth for encouragement.

Before we dive into God’s word, let go to God in prayer.

Pray.

I love award speeches.

Whether it’s the oscars or the Heismann, it’s always cool to see who they thank.

There is the normal people.

But many times there are those people maybe not first on the list, but are the ones that encouraged them to follow their dreams work hard or simply do their best.

Sometimes it’s a parent, or a teacher or a mentor.

Those people who believe in you and are willing to invest in you.

As we consider what it means to have a mouth for encouraging I want to start off by stating that encouragement is not saying nice positive things to someone.

Encouragement is not telling someone they did a good job when clearly they didn’t.

Encouragement can even be constructively critical.

Sometimes it has to be.

Encouragement is a mentality and it’s always relational.

Encouragement is only encouragement when it’s personal.

So often we feel like we have to choose between erring on the side of encouragement or pointing out someone’s mistakes.

First build a relationship and you will never go wrong by erring on the side of encouragement.

As a Christian we are called to cultivate a mouth for encouragement and build people up.

Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 9:20-28.

This passage comes on the heals of an incredible story of transformational where a man named Saul who was persecuting the church to the point of having Christians killed for the Gospel, but after experiencing the presence of Jesus, is transformed by God into a Christian.

Saul immediately began preaching the Gospel.

But when Saul tries to go to church one Sunday in Jerusalem, he was rejected.

No one would dare welcome him until a man named Barnabas is willing to vouch for him.

Barnabas is an example for us even today.

Let us...

Introduce:

Authentic Principle: Build people up like Barnabas.

Read:

Authentic Principle: Build people up like Barnabas.

In order for us to build people up, we need to get past some of the barriers that get in the way.

First and perhaps hardest....

1. Don’t let someone’s past get in the way of the part you may play in their future.

(Acts 9:20-25)

Explanation: Admittedly Saul had a pretty checkered past.

And many of us could probably be sympathetic to those who were skeptical of his transformation.

What if he really was just trying to infiltrate the church trojan horse style?

For many it may seem to be too risky to trust a man that only a few weeks prior was trying to kill them.

But Saul’s transformation was truly remarkable.

So much so that everyone who saw the transformation had a hard time accepting that this could even be the same person.

But they couldn’t deny that it was.

They are reminded that very recently Saul made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on the name of Jesus.

And that same Saul is now proclaiming that same name.

And what’s amazing is Saul makes incredible growth almost immediately.

He increases all the more in strength and confounded the Jews by Proving that Jesus is the Christ.

Paul who was a Jewish Rabbi already looks to have already begun gathering disciples himself who work to protect him form those who see to kill him.

And naturally Paul is an effective communicator that the Jews realize that this man who was once their greatest hope for destroying the church, has now become one of it’s best defenders.

What would the Jews do with this?

Kill him, of course!

At least they tried.

but his disciples sent him away at night.

But when He comes to Jerusalem, he is rejected by the church.

Why couldn’t they get past Saul’s past?

We have to remember that Saul likely had “wreaked havoc” against their friends and family members not long ago.

Stephen was dead, and Acts tells us that Saul approved of it.

Let’s not split hairs here.

Many of us today would have responded to Saul in the same way.

But can we overcome past hurts to forgive?

Illustration: I remember a story of a woman whose family was slaughtered in the Rowandan genecide.

When she found out that her family’s killer was imprisoned, she went to see him.

She wanted to look him in the eye, because as a Christian she knew she was supposed to offer forgiveness.

But something happened when she got there.

Prisons in Rowanda were not set up to handle the amount of people who were imprisoned for their crimes during that time.

They were understaffed and underfunded.

The prisons were so unsanitary that most of the prisoners died from disentary and starvation.

Many might say, well that’s what they deserved right?

They did awful things and deserve and awful punishment.

This woman saw the conditions of the man who killed her family and took a different Path.

She offered not only forgiveness, but got him out of prison and invited him to live with her and adopted him as her son.

To some that may seem ridiculous, but that is the power of the Gospel of Jesus.

Application: We can’t allow someone’s past to get in the way of the part we may play in their future.

Now a few things.

Saul had already demonstrated evidence of His transformation.

But they refused to see what was right in front of them.

It’s one thing to doubt people can talk a good talk, but Paul was already putting his life on the line for the sake of Christ.

Jews were already trying to kill him.

Common sense would tell you that this was a miraculous change that could only be explained by God.

Be wise, but be open to what God can do through someone who isn’t perfect.

We’ll find that they are in good company with people like Saul in the Bible.

2. Let go of preconceived notions and prejudices.

(Acts 9:26)

Explanation: When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he and the Christians there would have to overcome some preconceived notions and prejudices.

On the one hand Saul had earned people’s skeptical reaction to him.

This wasn’t a matter of a simple misunderstanding.

Saul had done the things that he was accused of.

He had made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called on the name of Jesus.

He had gone to Damascus for the purpose of bringing Christians bound to Jerusalem.

He had watched approvingly as Stephen was stoned and looked after their coats.

And it wasn’t even that long ago.

So what preconceived notions and prejudices did they have to overcome?

First, there is the preconceived notion that people don’t change.

Second, there is the preconceived notion that you are always defined by the worst thing you’ve ever done.

Notice how their preconceived notions and prejudices led to fear.

They were afraid of Saul.

And because of their fear they did not believe that he was a disciple even with all the evidence to the contrary.

Fear can make us make some bad decisions.

Illustration: Many of us have preconceived notions about a lot of things.

My kids will look at food they’ve never had and say they don’t like it.

And even when we ask them to try it, they have already made up in their minds that they won’t like it…so they don’t even give it a chance.