(Read Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-27, 11:22-24, Acts 13:2-3, 13:42-52, Acts 14:3,21-23, Acts 15:36-39)
1.Firstly, the name Barnabas means “son of encouragement”. (Acts 4:36)
In Acts 11:22-23 we see that Barnabas was a man of ENCOURAGEMENT who encouraged others to stand firm and remain true to Jesus!! The word encouragement is the Greek word “paraklesis” which can mean to encourage, console, comfort, exhort/correct, refresh!! DO WE ENCOURAGE, CORRECT AND COMFORT OTHERS IN THE LORD, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US? (Hebrews 10:25)
2.Secondly, we see from Acts 4:37 that what characterised Barnabas was that he lived a life of GENEROSITY! He was willing to sell a field he owned and give the money to help the needs of the early church!! (1 Timothy 6:17-18, Philippians 4:15-18, Galatians 6:10, Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:34-40) Even though he was a Levite, he was compassionate unlike the Levite in the Good Samaritan parable!!
ARE WE BEING GENEROUS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS WITH WHAT JESUS HAS BLESSED US WITH?
3.Thirdly, we see in Acts 9:26-27, that Barnabas DIDN’T JUDGE PEOPLE, but instead CHOSE TO SEE THE BEST IN THEM!! When all the other Christian’s were suspicious of Saul because of his past of persecuting Christians, Barnabas saw the best in him and was willing to bring Saul to the Apostles and share of how Jesus had impacted and changed Saul’s life (Acts 9:27)! Barnabas DID NOT JUDGE SAUL BASED ON HIS PAST! In Acts 11:25-26, he was willing to look for Saul and empower Him to use his gifting!! He was also willing to give Mark a second chance (Acts 15:37-39) in ministry when Paul initially wasn’t. Later on however, we find that Paul confirmed Barnabas’ decision to be correct, as he endorsed Mark as being “helpful to to me in my ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11)
DO WE CHOSE TO SEE THE BEST IN PEOPLE AND ENCOURAGE THEM INTO THEIR MINISTRY? OR DO WE TEND TO JUDGE THEM BASED ON THEIR PAST?
4.Fourthly, we see from Acts 11:24, that Barnabas was a GOOD MAN, FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT and FAITH who brought MANY TO THE LORD!
a) The word “good” can mean to be of good nature, upright, honourable, pleasant, happy and joyful! (The same word is used in Matthew 25:21 of the good and faithful servant!)
b) We also see that Barnabas was FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! Ephesians 5:18 tells us not to get drunk on wine but instead to “BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT”! This word “be filled” suggests a daily filling with The Holy Spirit rather than a once off!
(Acts 2:4, Acts 4:31, Luke 4:1) ARE WE BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT DAILY?
c) Barnabas was FULL OF FAITH! The word faith (pistis) can mean to have a moral conviction, belief, or assurance of the truth in Jesus!! For Barnabas to be “full” of faith, this also means there was no room for “doubt”! DO WE FULLY BELIEVE AND TRUST IN JESUS AND LEAVE NO ROOM FOR DOUBT?
d) He brought MANY TO THE LORD!! Barnabas was therefore EVANGELISING and willing to spend considerable time bringing people to the Lord by sharing the gospel and was even willing to be PERSECUTED for doing this (Acts 13:50, Acts 14:3)!
Are we evangelising to the lost and bringing people to Jesus despite the persecution? (Acts 13:2-3, Acts 13:7, Acts 13:42-52, Acts 14:3-7)
5.Barnabas DISCIPLED and TAUGHT the believers in Antioch!! (Acts 11:22-26) Notice, Barnabas didn’t just end with evangelism, but he stayed back in Antioch with Paul to disciple and further teach the believers to help mature them in their faith in Jesus!! We also find in Acts 14:23 that when Barnabas and Paul set up the church in an area, they prayerfully appointed elders in each church to further disciple and look after the congregation in that area!!
ARE WE WILLING TO FOLLOW UP ON AND DISCIPLE OTHERS IN THEIR FAITH IN JESUS? (Matthew 28:18-20)
6.And finally, we see in Acts 15:39 that Barnabas recognised there was a bigger purpose to his HERITAGE and BACKGROUND/BIRTHPLACE! Barnabas was willing to go back to his home country of CYPRUS (Acts 4:36) and share the gospel there, thus recognising there was a bigger reason and purpose for him being born there!! The apostle Paul was a ROMAN CITIZEN (Acts 16:37, Acts 22:25-28) and ultimately God planned for him to preach the gospel in Rome to Caesar!! (Acts 23:11, 25:11-12)
In Mark 5:19-20, the formerly demonised man who had previously lived among the tombs and had been set free by Jesus, wanted to go with Jesus and follow Him! Jesus instead told him that the way he could follow, was to “GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILY AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU AND HOW HE HAS HAD MERCY ON YOU.” (Mark 5:19)
So this man went into the decapolis and shared how much Jesus had done for him!!
DO WE RECOGNISE THAT THERE IS A BIGGER PURPOSE AS TO WHERE WE WERE BORN AND OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE?
May we learn to be able to live and serve our saviour Jesus like Barnabas did, by The power of The Holy Spirit in us!!
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