Barnabus

I'd like to touch this afternoon as quickly as possible but carefully as possible the life of Barnabas. The things are written are for written for our learning and we read in the Word of God whose faith follows. So I'm going to just trace through the book of Acts some of the lessons perhaps we can learn from the man Barnabas.

Acts chapter 4 please and I'll break in with verse 34. The 34th verse on the fourth chapter of the book of Acts. And while you're turning to it we realize that Barnabas was martyred at 61 AD.

He's called the son of encouragement or the son of exhortation, both names. So begin reading at verse 34. Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold.

And they laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joseph who by the Apostles was surnamed Barnabas which is being interpreted son of consolation a Levite of the country of Cyprus having lands sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet. I'll just read each little section as I touch a few little points on them but that was the day when they had all things in common.

It's not carried on today but I find as I look at the life of Barnabas he was not a mere materialistic man. I find that his heart was touched with a concern and a care for others. He was one that was generous and we read in the Word of God that they first gave themselves to the Lord.

We find some divine principles in the Word of God. Them that honor me I will honor. Honor the Lord with thy substance with the firstfruits and so shall thy barns be be filled.

And then the Word of God remind us in Hebrews but to do good and communicate not for with such sacrifices the Lord is well pleased. And so Barnabas was a man here that wasn't just interested in himself wasn't an interested in more gain or what he's going to make on the market selling it 20 years later 30 years later how we want to develop it not to say there's anything wrong with that but Barnabas saw a need and he saw that there was a financial need there was a dearth there there was a problem and he realized I could I could meet this need and so it took preparation to sell it put it on the market and it was distributed and so I'd like to challenge us. You know where our heart is is where our feet are going to be and if we love the Lord we're going to want to please him and he's asking us to lay down our lives our lives are not to be for our own pleasure but there to be for his pleasure and I probably told you before one other time maybe about a sister by the name of granny and the Saints talked to her and says the younger ones granny we want to ask you a question yeah you're at all the meetings but we don't go to all the meetings and we watch you've got aches and pains and we don't have any how what is this she says it's a very simple thing wherever your heart is your feet will follow and that's a very simple thing in any one of our lives whether you're the youngest one here or the oldest one here where your heart is your feet will follow if God gives you the health and strength to be able to do so that's why we enjoy coming to the meetings that's why it's a thrill to sit around themselves on the Lord's Day morning and remember him in a simple godly manner in the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup check Acts chapter 9 now I'm just gonna thumb through some of the examples or lessons you could make of Barnabas and pray that God might instill in us a desire whose faith to follow Barnabas was a man of faith Barnabas was a man that was known to be an encourager and could I suggest every one of us in some little way shape or form could probably develop a little better speaker included how can I encourage somebody else how can I come along with a younger one and encourage them how can I spend time with them that they would know they are cared for where I was saved we had a coat room and it was cold country and you know before I got out of that coat room I knew the elders loved me and they cared for me by the questions they ask and the care and the time they spent with me and where they took me I realized that these men cared for me you could be an encourager to one another you could be an encourager to your peers chapter 9 verse 17 and Ananias went his way and entered to the house and putting his hands on him brother saw the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto the other way as thou camest has sent me that thou might receive thy sight filled with the Holy Ghost conversion story of Saul of Tarsus of Paul immediately there fell from his eyes that have been scale and he received a sight forthwith arose and was baptized if there's anyone in the gathering here today and you're saved by his matchless grace the greatest step of outward obedience is baptism what does it mean Sidney Maxwell used to teach us and I appreciate it we've died to the world it's once and its wishes and I've died to myself have you it's easy you possibly could have been baptized and never really had a grip or a grasp what does it mean I have died to the world it's once and its wishes and I've died to myself baptism is not a casual step baptism is not just a step for young ones that don't really understand what it means but there needs to be a depth and a conviction of what this means and what it entails not only just saved by his matchless grace but a depth of understanding what it means to die to the world it's once and its wishes it's one of your first outward steps of obedience of hoisting the flag for the Lord Jesus Christ he received me verse 20 he preached Christ he was telling others of the Lord Jesus I'd like to ask a little question and you're not to have you answer me you know but are you telling others of the Lord Jesus we say I'm a secret disciple the neighbor the classmate what a tragedy it is that you and I know him whom to know is life eternal and we don't open our mouths and tell him about himself there's a little poem I won't take time to read it my friend and the summation of is how can I call you my friend when I at this end ended up in the awful place we know where our neighbor is going to be we know where our workmate is going to be we know where our classmate is going to be we know where our family member is going to be and I asked people have you ever talked to him don't know I I didn't want to break our relationship we have an obligation that our hearts might be touched not worried about what people are going to think about me but worry about them because he preached unto them Christ it doesn't mean it has to be done on the platform more preaching is done away from the platform than on the platform but we have an obligation not just to come Sunday morning Sunday night and preach the gospel or a gospel series wonderful to do but to tell the neighbor and the work meet and this one on that one so what I just ask you how are you doing on personal witnessing personally one-on-one taking their pulse giving them the gospel it's essential that's what Christianity is so when a gospel series comes you and I should have ones we've been working with for a half a year or a year that we have gained confidence in and they are happy to come with us to hear the gospel of the grace of God that's usually the ones that come and usually get saved not all the time thankfully of people that God has allowed us to know places we go to make contact with people or something and that they might come to know him whom to know as life eternal Saul increased in strength first 22 it's not physical strength but growth and development in the things of God and it says after many days after many days when you come to chapter 21 you're gonna find the same expression after many days after many days after many days waiting on God waiting on God seeing God open or seeing God close the doors first 25 and the disciples took him by night and let him down the wall in a basket that must have been an exciting time I'm one that's a little bit claustrophobic and so I decided that I would always walk and they'd take an elevator in the Children's Hospital in Phoenix they were very thrilled with me because I said I want to take the elevator they says well we've got to get somebody to go up with you and it was quite a lot of flights of stairs but then the other time I was at the doctor's office and I said this is ridiculous I'm gonna take the elevator and you know what happened I got stuck in it I pushed the button and I'm stuck and I said Lord I'm gonna need a lot of help and then I won't look and read the signs what to do and you talk to this thing or whatever it is and eventually the thing started going again well this basket you weren't going to get stuck in you get to get a express ride right down like working in a crane right down to the ground and Saul was come to Jerusalem you say to join himself with the disciples you wanted to come in the assembly you know the Word of God never teaches we receive somebody in a minute they come along and if somebody comes with a letter you wouldn't even have to receive them you would want to understand the doctrinal principles that they're on because our fellowship our our reception from assembly to assembly is based on our doctrinal principles and if to be not agreed how can you how can you get along together and so if I if one believes in an open table and another one believes in a closed reception there is no way that you can meet the two together and move in fellowship as a band for the honor and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ that's just a simple little example here so Saul was known and they were fearful of him this is the man that that's had the killed killed killed the Christians we don't want him around maybe he's gonna do a sneak attack or maybe he's a terrorist in our mix I don't know what they thought but notice Barnabas he had a nose of discernment and Barnabas comes along and the escapee he's wanting to help him and he tells them how he'd seen the Lord how he'd spoken of him how he preached boldly in Damascus it was the thought here that he attempted and he attempted and he attempted to join himself to the local assembly it's not that you're just introduced by somebody and because of that one you receive that's not found in the Word of God in this passage here he was already known by them and they were leery of him and Barnabas came along and helped introduce him and in time he was with them coming in and going out fellowship he was consistent there was a nose of discernment we can help him a nose of discernment that I can take him under my wing and encourage him in the things of God Barnabas was a man of self-denial he was a man that had peace in his own soul he was a man that was a man of purpose and Barnabas had a desire in his mind in his heart and his soul that he might be used of God to bless others every one of us can do that in individual ways different personalities we have different talents we have but we can come along in our lives and be a blessing to the people of God can you imagine that if I'm too busy with myself too busy with my own things I will miss blessing we left Alaska many years ago because my mother wasn't well my father came to the job site I was on and said I brought your mother to the hospital Yonkers New York went back to the hometown brought her to the hospital I never forgot the lesson I called up an elder on a Saturday night I said my mother is in the hospital you think you can visit her he says I have a house full of company tonight oh I says come Monday night he says John company can come to my house any night we will go tonight to the hospital to see your mother went over John 14 and 6 went over the gospel prayed with her the breaking of bread Sunday morning the phone rang and the note on the paper was your mother has just died I learned as a young man in the early 20s do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today because tomorrow might not come there are souls that you and I know that are weighed in the balances found wanting and I'll never make heaven and God may allow us just to be that little mouthpiece that little instrument you might say to bring the last words of a gospel to a soul that's leaving this scene Acts chapter 11 please verse 19 19th verse 11th chapter now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phineas and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only and some of them were men of Cyprus and serene when they were there come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord notice what was taking place the hand of the Lord was with them that's what we need when we open the Word of God that's what we need when we preach publicly or privately we need the hand of God with us because you accept the Lord build the house with labor and vain and we read in the Word of God it's not by might or by power it's not by enticing words of man's wisdom it takes God to work when the Word of God is read or the road of God is proclaimed and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord then tidings of these things came to the ears of the church was with Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch that sounds good it is good and it is interesting did you ever analyze how many miles he traveled 300 on foot camel donkey Express no motel six or super eight motel water is crucial in the desert eight pounds a gallon you need almost you out two gallons a day to survive these men realized no matter what the hardship is 300 miles it's not too much for God he was a man of moderation verse 23 and when they came they'd seen the grace of God they were glad and exhorted though a purpose of heart that they should cleave unto the Lord then departed Barnabas to Sarsis for to seek Saul this is an 83 mile journey it wasn't just an easy journey it was a land of desert it was a land of fertile plains it was considered to be a land where the bandits were in the way and water and food were scarce considered to be 16 miles a day perhaps if they were walking a four or five day journey these men were dedicated to the things of God and dedicated to reaching out to others and helping others would you drive 300 miles to see me if I was sick in the hospital I don't know if I could take 30 minutes John my day is so busy shoe-leather Christianity is others an offering that's touched the heart of every repentant sinner to make an acrostic we should not be concerned about ourselves but we should be concerned could I put it in the terms of others because of what the Lord Jesus has done for us you know the happiest Christians I find and I'm not talking about a funny laughing happy are those that are occupied with others and those that are occupied with attempting to help others whether it be a mother with the children whether it be one that's sick whether it be one that's studying their homework or whatever it is something that is being done for the honor and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ that God brings across our path will help us to be happy campers did you ever think of visiting the widows and the widowers it beings with mr. Bill Bingham only one time enjoyed it very much he says we're gonna visit so-and-so okay he asked her question mrs. so-and-so when was the last time you had an elder in this house to visit you she wouldn't talk he says it again she didn't have hearing aids I knew she could hear when was the last time you had an elder in this house to you she hung her head down when my husband died many years ago and there's never been anyone in this house since beloved that ought not to be and don't just leave it to the elders you have health and strength you young ones God bless you use it for the Lord's honor and glory don't waste your days you could visit someone and you'd probably find they cheer you up more than you'll cheer them up they're 81 miles chapter 13 there's a call of God use it oftentimes we're asked to speak at a meeting of an assembly when one's going to be commended or one's going to be sent to the regions beyond chapter 13 verse 1 now they're at the church there was at Antioch certain of us prophets and teachers called Barnabas and Simeon called Niger and Lucis and Serene and May on which have been brought up in the turret her at the Tate Garden Saul and they ministered to the Lord and fasted and the Christians told them no and the workers told them no and the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work weren't I have called them it's a divine call when when is called for the work of the Lord the fields are white on to harvest but the laborers are few some have said oh they had a meeting and somebody got saved maybe they should go out in the work that is no indication at all when the Word of God is spoken we look for people to be saved every Lord's Day evening in every meeting this is a call for a full-time service for the Lord and the reason is to have more time for the things of God than you had time working with your tools or in the office or whatever it was that eventually the schedule got so intense you could no longer do it anymore the worker has the call it comes from God everyone I've ever seen or gotten to know that could give me a verse of why they stepped out in the work or why they were going to a foreign field I've seen stay in the field and everyone that never had the call that I'm aware of in my little journey has come back or come back shipwrecked Murray McCandless told us at the Heightsville conference in the recent years there were 12 that were in the work recently and are no more I didn't check the statistics one of the qualifications of the worker is the qualifications of a deacon because I'm doing deacon work here tonight this afternoon it's not only the individual knows the call but the assembly understands the call elders don't just write a letter on a piece of paper and hand it the assembly commends so the assembly would have it announced to them we are thinking of commending this brother or sister when one is received into the assembly it is announced they're going to be received to the privileges and responsibilities and the joys and the sorrows that assembly the assembly receives it's not just as I see it's from the assembly the assembly commends not the elderhood commends and so they would have confidence themselves and then if one is coming from another assembly and in assembly for a short period of time mr. Sona had this happen in his life I remember they wrote the other assemblies where he was from to find out what they thought about whether it would be all right to commend them or there was anything that would have been a hindrance for commending at that time far better to move in caution than hinder that brother or sister far better to move in caution and wait on God you do not need a letter to do the work of God and you do not need a letter to have the supply from heaven to have your needs met we have the same God who has the same streams and rivers to supply our needs exactly and just as clearly and just as bountifully the fields are white unto harvest we're not commending preachers or commending laborers who have proved God seen souls saved seen them grow in the things of God it would be normal in the home assembly to have people sitting back that you have seen come to know him whom to know his life eternal it would not be abnormal to have the privilege to plant an assembly before you've ever had a letter commending to the work of the Lord we are living in a day-to-day where I read a missionary book and man that's just what I'm gonna do and next thing you know they're going off to Timbuktu and they've never had a series of meetings and they've never had a soul saved when you have this call it's not just the preach there is a burden of souls if you're called to be an evangelist and the man on the street and the woman at the doctor and this one and that one it's an all-day seven day a week occasion for me to bring people the gospel of the grace of God the 60 minutes of the meetings a small time but it's on the streets and it's in the home and it's in this restaurant or I go to the senior meal I don't go there for the meal it's a good bargain but I go there for all the people there to rub shoulders with them if you do not have a burden for souls you have not been called of God for the work of the evangelist commendation is for gift not talent spiritual gift we don't commend mechanics we don't commend our airplane pilots not found in the Word of God that's talent I had talent with my hands and talent as an aircraft mechanic you're not commended for that you're commended for a spiritual gift as we find in the book of Ephesians and so it's good to remember the perimeters that are here it's a divine call it's revealed to others it's a personal call from God and your wife is going to have to be right with it with you it's never gonna work your heirs of life together it would be a life perhaps like a an eagle flying alone in some ways others may I can't you know I really like hunting I haven't got the time for it anymore than the man in the moon I love the mountains I haven't got the time for it anymore than the man on the moons I'm called for something different up in the old crow this year RCMP says are you doing any fishing no I says I don't do any fishing I says I never stand still long enough but he was fishing to see if I had a fishing license you know what I was there for I wasn't there for the big fish I wasn't there for the moose or the caribou I was fishing for souls and when God calls you for the work you're gonna be fishing for souls and you're gonna have a burden for it and if it's teaching it's to build up and bind and encourage the people of God and to help them it's the love of Christ that constrains so might God raise up young men and women older men and women that not love to preach but have a call from God for the work of God for your whole period of life the work may change the spear may change with age but the call will remain the same this is not a job it's not a part-time job I remember one is at the commendation and I says he's gonna be coming home Linda this is a trial run she says why is that he's storing everything at his parents house in the barn I said it doesn't work back he's coming back he was back in two years it wasn't a call from God I asked John Fairfield I said what what happened here he says he read too many missionary storybooks but he never had a call from God this is something that would be a burden for days weeks months and even years that the individual would know chapter 14 please I'll be down in just a couple minutes verse 7 and they preached the gospel and there came a certain man of lesser impotent in the feet being crippled with from his mother's womb who had never walked and Paul was there and we found out that he was healed and you know what they wanted to give honor to Paul he says we are just men you know what was chapter 15 just to move on it's a sad episode but it ends in a good story 15 verse 36 and after some days you find that expression days in the book of Acts Paul said unto Barnabas let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of Lord see how they do remember we had gospel meetings have you visited them too many fall through the cracks because they come for a series of meetings and nobody puts any time in them and nobody opens the Word of God and breaks it down to them people say they had no interest we have a responsibility to open the Word of God to them to follow up without follow-up most series do not pan out too successful for people coming in the assembly but when there is follow-up and cottage means develop hey you want it's a far more fruitful occasion preached in every city Barnabas decided to take with him John his surname was Mark nice Paul thought it's not good to take him with him who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work you know God's the God of second chances and the contention was so sharp between of that they departed us under one from the other so Barnabas took mark and sailed into Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and departed be recommended by the brethren to the grace of God can you forgive one another can you work with one another it's often been said it's not the difference of view that makes the disunity amongst us but the attitude I have towards the one who has a different view 2nd Timothy 4 and 11 and I'll be sitting down 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and verse 11 a thrilling verse considering there was a conflict considering there was a contention the Spirit of God does not tell us how they got it settled how they made the apologies but one thing it teaches is very much reconciliation took place and where there was friction at one time there's no more friction only Luke is with me take mark bring him with thee for he is profitable for the ministry isn't that thrilling to see the one that he didn't want with him and the one he had ought against he says not only bring him but he is profitable for the ministry that shows that if there ever arises a difficulty ought not to be but if it does between brother and brother worker and worker whatever it is reconciliation should always take place it should always be strived for and let me make it even a little more personal when we come on the Lord's Day morning chapter 11 I developed it quite well at the time that he had let a man examine himself and so let him partake can I properly break bread with my brethren if I have ought against one another I don't really feel I can and so we find between the lines of these two beloved servants of God the friction was healed the difficulty was healed the apologies were made he's profitable for the work and so the few little lessons on Barnabas might God help us to emulate him in our own lives you will notice as you leave alone first there was Barnabas and Paul and as it proceeded further on it was Paul and then Barnabas Paul was taking a backward role more Barnabas was taking a more backward role and Paul was giving a more forward place the older man was allowing the younger man in a little way to take the lead so I trust the few little lessons on the lives of these will help us that God by his grace might help us to be an encourager and we might have interest in others for his name's sake