What is a Christian? Should you be able to know one when you see one? If you were setting up a job description for a Christian, what would be on it? What is a Christian to be? What is a Christian supposed to do? On this Labor Day Sunday, let a man named Barnabas speak to us.
Write down some key descriptive words to see if they will help us in our Christian walk.
Barnabas was involved in his church. He belonged to 1st Church of Jerusalem, and later 1st Church of Antioch. He did whatever he could to help it grow. If a church is going to grow, it takes faithfulness, dedication, and hard work from the members of the church.
We read about Barnabas in Acts 4:36 all the way through 15:39. He was involved in his church in Jerusalem because he was chosen to check out the new work in Antioch.
Barnabas’ church at Antioch expanded its ministries, started other churches, supported many ministries, and sent out missionaries.
Barnabas knew that none of that could happen if all the work of ministry was left up to the pastors.
A church will not grow numerically and spiritually until the members are excited about the possibilities and involved in the ministries of that church. Here are three examples of how Barnabas was involved:
Acts 4:36-37. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostle’s feet.
Barnabas looked at what God was doing through the church and he asked himself what could he do, how could he be a part of the excitement? So he sold a field he owned and gave the proceeds to the church.
Notice that he didn’t sell everything. Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor because the young man loved his stuff more than God. God wasn’t first in his heart.
Barnabas had already given his heart to God. God already had all of him. If He asked Barnabas to sell everything and give to the church, he would have.
God seldom asks us to do like the rich young ruler. But He does want us to demonstrate that our stuff—money, possessions, job and whatever—doesn’t come before Him, God is like that. He insists on being first. Our tithes and offerings is just one of the ways we put Him first.
It wasn’t enough to just give his money. People knew he followed Jesus. What he did was because he was a Christian. So he told people about Jesus He encouraged people to come to Christ. Look at Acts 11:24.
Acts 11:24. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Because of persecution, many Christians were driven out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-3). Some of these faithful Christians started a church in Antioch. The church fathers in Jerusalem were unsure about this non-Jewish church. So they sent Barnabas to check it out.
The church was real, it was genuine and it became his church. He encouraged the Antiochans to be faithful in their witness. And he was faithful in his witness.
Barnabas was an encourager to the people in the church in Antioch. They, in turn recognized his gifts and commitment. So they commissioned him to accompany Paul on the first missionary journey.
Acts 13:1 - 3 1In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
God recognized Barnabas’ servant spirit and willingness, and, through the H.S., so did the church at Antioch. Barnabas is now ready to make his life-work as a missionary. Both he and Paul “proclaimed the Word of God” (13:5).
If we learn anything from Barnabas, let it be that God expects us to be involved in our church in any way we possibly can. God is not interested in a church full of pew potatoes and spectators.
Leon McBeth, church historian at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, told a committee studying the effectiveness of Texas Baptists, that Baptists were hiring staff members to pray for them.
If the staff does the work, the church will stagnate. It’s a general rule of thumb that 80% of all work in any organization is done by 20% of the people. In the church all the work should be done by 100% of the people.
Don’t ever limit yourself to just giving money instead of yourself – and never give just yourself and not your money. Follow the example of Barnabas and give your all to Jesus and His church.
How can we encourage others? Well, Barnabas shows us several ways.
The passages we’ve just looked at show us the kind of person Barnabas was (Acts 4:36-37; 11:24; 13:3). He set the example by giving his money, his time, his life.
John Mark abandoned the others during the first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). We don’t know why, but Paul was upset. He refused to consider taking John Mark on the next journey. In fact, he and Barnabas agreed to disagree about it.
For whatever reason John Mark prematurely left the first journey, Barnabas forgave him—he gave Mark a second chance. If not for Barnabas’ forgiving him, we wouldn’t have the Gospel of Mark, and Mark would not have been a source of comfort to Paul in prison.
Barnabas knew there was something good to John Mark . . . and he was willing to take another chance on him.
He took John Mark under his wing and helped him mature in the faith. Aren’t we glad he did? John Mark became a leader in the church . . . valuable to Paul, and author of the book of Mark.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. As Barnabas was helping the new church at Antioch, he realized his own limitations. He went and found Saul, and was willing to follow Saul’s leadership.
After Saul became a Christian, he tried to join other believers, but they were afraid because of his persecution of Christians.
But Barnabas understood the potential in Saul, and enlisted him in the ministry. When this was questioned by church leadership, he defended him before the whole church leadership.
When we look at these things we understand why Barnabas was called “Son of Encouragement.” He probably didn’t even realize that he was an encourager. Yet, he spent his life building others up, showing them he cared.
Barnabas knew that the best thing to do behind another person’s back was to pat it. When things are not going well it helps them to hear you say, “I believe in you. Thank you for what you are doing. I care about you.”
Barnabas believed in others, and he cared enough to show that he believed in them. Who has God put in you life that you can be an encourager to? The answer ought to be very easy. Every person in this church.
Three things here (we’ve already looked at some of the verses):
The leaders of the mother church in Jerusalem were so confident in him they sent him to Antioch to determine if the Gentile church was truly a work of God (Acts 11:22).
Barnabas’ abilities were recognized by the church in Antioch, and he was sent on the first missionary journey with Paul (Acts 13:1-3).
Barnabas was so reliable he was trusted to take the gift of money to the Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30).
It is my prayer that every person in Del Norte Baptist church be a Barnabas. From everything we read about him, he was consistent in faithful service to the church. He was faithful even in times of adversity.
And he was respected for his consistency. He was a man of Christian principles. He would always stand up for the work of Christ through the church.
Too often we disappoint our fellow Christians. Too often we can’t be counted on. Too often our word is not always good.
We all know folks in who are gifted and talented Christians – but they only give partial support to Christ’s church. You can’t count on them to be there at crunch time.
But the church knew Barnabas’ track record. They knew he loved the Lord and the Lord’s church. He could be counted on.
I’m so thankful that God included Barnabas in the biblical account. He serves as a very reliable witness and encourager to us even today. If you are looking for an example of someone to model your life after, you can’t go wrong with Barnabas.
The life of Barnabas gives us a good “Job Description for a Christian.”
You, too, can be a Barnabas. His life is an example of a Job Description for a Christian. He was involved in his church; his words and actions were encouragement to others; he was reliable; and, above all else, Barnabas was faithful. And underlying everything else was his willingness to serve. He never offered an excuse for not serving. He never said, “Why me?” Or, “Can’t you find somebody more qualified?” Or, “You always ask me. Isn’t there anybody else in this church that can do anything?”