Barnabas- A Good Man

Intro.

A. A University football coach each year would talk to d new player at the beginning of football season. He told him “I’m very impressed with your ability. If you work really hard this year, I think you’re good enough to make it to the National Football League.” He told this to every player on the team! You know what happened? He had the highest percentage of players of any University to make it into professional football.

B. Barnabas was such a person - his birth-certificate said “Joses/Joseph” - the apostles nick-named him - Barnabas “son of encouragement/exhortation” (4:36)..

C. Only three men in the N.T. are specifically called “good” - Joseph of Arimathea (Lk. 23:50), Barnabas (Acts 11:24) and Jesus (Mt. 19:16,17; 20:15).

D. Study five passages that show his character - son of exhortation, consolation.

Body:

A. Generous with his material possessions (Acts 4:36,37)

1. His generosity is contrasted with the selfishness of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).

2. He was selected to go with Paul to carry aid to brethren in Judea (Acts 11:27-30).

3. Others had done this (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34,35).

4. It is a fruit of love (1 Jn. 3:16-18).

B. Assisted Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:26-28).

1. A discourager sees the worst in people - Barnabas saw the best. (He encouraged Paul - who wrote half of the N.T.; and Mark who wrote one book; Barnabas wrote none!)

2. Helped Saul overcome a bad image...Two things: desire to belong and willingness to receive (Acts 9:26-28;18:27,28).

3. Note: the words of Barnabas were not Saul’s membership, nor the letter from Ephesus the membership of Apollos (Acts 18:24-28).

C. Encouraging those in Antioch (Acts 11:20-26).

1. Cornelius had obeyed in Caesarea (23 miles south of Mt. Carmel - “Caesarea by the Sea”) (Acts 10).

2. Believers were scattered to Antioch of Syria - spoke to the Hellennists (11:19,20; 15:23 -refers to Gentiles; may refer to Greek speaking Jews, Acts 6).

3.  He encouraged them by his joy that the grace of God had been received (v. 23). (A Levite happy that Gentiles had believed!)

4. He was not perfect - led astray by Peter (Gal. 2:11-14).

5. He was full of the Holy Spirit - miraculous gifts? (8:18), or spiritual mindedness (Gal. 5:22,23; Eph. 5:18; cp. Judas filled with the devil, Lk. 22:3).

6. Full of faith - strong confidence in God and his fellow men.

7. A part of the work where disciples first called Christians (11:26).

D. Specially chosen, with Paul, to make first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-4).

1.Notice their sermon in Antioch (13:14): affirmed Christ (vs. 22,23) - proved by work of John (vs. 24-26), prophecy (vs. 27-29), the resurrection (vs. 30-39).

2. The next Sabbath (13:44-50; “as many as had been appointed” - disposed - contrast v. 46).

3.  Barnabas called an apostle (14:14) - of the church (13:1-3).

E. His strong character  (Acts 15)

1. Participated in Jerusalem conference (15:1,2,22-26).

2. Defended Mark had turned back at Perga (13:13).

a. He was the nephew of Barnabas (Col. 4:10 - Barnabas’ sister’s son)

b. He paid a heavy price for his commitment to Mark - could have shared with Paul (in the limelight on missionary journeys).

4. This was a difference of personal opinion - not a matter of Divine revelation..

5  Adam Clarke: “John Mark had been tried in trying circumstances, and he failed. Paul, therefore, would not trust him again. The affection of Barnabas led him to hope the best, and was therefore desirous to give him another trial. Barnabas would not give up: Paul would not agree.”

(Gary Smalley (The Blessing) - told about his problem with Math; had to repeat Geometry his senior year, about to fail again. The teacher reinforced the sense of failure by putting the bad students on the back wall. One Monday - a substitute teacher came in (the other one was transferred)...He said if anyone failed his class, he had failed as a teacher. He provided a clear picture of an active commitment - made the commitment to do whatever necessary to help them pass the course...Everyone passed and “I received an A” and ended up minoring in mathematics in college!)

6. Are we like Barnabas - others saw a bloody tyrant (Saul) and a coward (Mark) - he looked to the future and saw what they could be!

7. Barnabas turned out to be right (2 Tim. 4:11), and Mark wrote one of the gospel accounts!

Concl.

Tradition says Barnabas died as a martyr on the island of Cyprus. We do not know that for sure - but we know that he lived as an encourager. He was free from petty narrowness and suspicion that looked for the worst in people and saw spiritual potential in them

 If the Spirit revealed a history of my life - how would it read? Give us more like Barnabas!