Living Up To Your Name Series

Living Up to Your Name - Acts 5 - 2/19/17

Did you ever hear the story about the want ad for the lost dog? In the classifieds section of the paper someone had placed this notice: LOST: male dog, brown fur, some missing due to mange, blind in right eye, mangled left ear, going deaf, lame in back leg, crooked tail. Answers to the name, ‘Lucky’

Now there is a dog who does NOT live up to his name. Names are very important. When we named our girls, we were very intentional in the choice of their names - not just picking a name that sounded nice, but choosing their names based upon the meaning of the names. Ronda is just happy that we had girls, because if we had a boy, I would have wanted to name him Jedidiah - because it means “loved by the Lord.”

Today, we want to look at some members of the early church and see how they did or didn’t live up to their names. First, a man who did: Barnabas. We find his story in the end of the book of Acts, chapter 4. We see here in Acts a picture of the early church. Jesus has died, risen, and ascended back into heaven. The apostles are in charge of the early church. These are the twelve who had been taught by Jesus. They do signs, wonders, and miracles and many respond in faith. The church is growing like wildfire: thousands upon thousands are being saved. Yet, with many people, there are many needs. And the apostles cannot meet them all. So God uses Christians caring about one another to make sure the needs are met.

Look here in Acts 4:34-37 - Read & Pray

Here in Acts 4 we find the example of Barnabas. His real name is Joseph, but he goes by the nickname Barnabas, because it means “son of encouragement.” In the Jewish culture “son of” meant someone who truly was an example. So son of encouragement meant Joseph from Cyprus was the “poster child” for encouragement. If you wanted to know what encouragement looked like, just think about him. When you looked up encouragement in the dictionary, it had his picture.

He is a Levite - but remember in the OT that Levites were not known for owning a lot of land. When the tribes of Israel entered the promised land, the land was divided up between the other tribes, but the Levites were not given land, because they were to be devoted to the service of the Lord. Yet here is Barnabas, having some land - yet he is willing to give it up for the sake of the believers who were in need.

Barnabas was not from Jerusalem, rather from Cyprus, an island 300 miles away. Yet he makes himself one with these fellow believers. In Christ, you can go a thousand miles away, walk in to a church, and be one with people you have never met before in your life. Barnabas made himself one with the church in Jerusalem. He didn’t see himself as an outside observer, instead he cared enough about their needs to give up his property to bless and encourage them.

Barnabas continues using his gift of encouragement throughout the book of Acts. In Acts 9:23-28, we see Barnabas encouraging Paul. Remember Paul used to be called Saul, and had traveled around arresting and killing Christians before he met Christ. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He encourages the church to accept Paul.

In Acts 11:20-24 we see Barnabas being an encouragement to new Greek Christians. Missionaries from Cyprus went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

In Acts 11:25-26 we see Barnabas being an encouragement to Paul to be involved in ministry. Paul had shared his conversion with the apostles, but had gone back home to Tarsus. Now we see Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.

In Acts 11:28-30 we see Barnabas being an encourager to the church at Jerusalem. Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. Who do they turn to to send this offering to encourage the believers back in Jerusalem? Barnabas, the son of encouragement. Don’t you just love to have this guy come around! You always end up feeling a little better! We could all use a Barnabas or two in our lives.