BARNABAS, A MUCH NEEDED FRIEND
Acts 9:23-31
While reading last month about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin Germany, there is a story about a friendship that was birthed between Jesse Owens a Black man and Luz Long a German. Both men were competing in the long jump, Jesse Owens was the early pick to win the event. You see the year before he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches setting a new world record that would stand for 25 years. As he walked to the long-jump pit, however, Owens noticed a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range. Owens naturally felt nervous. He was acutely aware of the Nazis’ desire to prove “Indo-European superiority,” especially over blacks.
At this point, the tall German introduced himself as Luz Long. He said to Owens “You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!” referring to his two jumps.
And for the next few moments the black son of a sharecropper and the Indo-European model of Nazi manhood chatted. Then Long made a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance was only 23 feet, 5 1/2 inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens took his advice and qualified easily.
In the finals Owens set an Olympic record and earned the second of four gold medals. The first person to congratulate him was Luz Long in full view of Adolf Hitler.
As the story ends Owens never again saw Long, who was killed in World War II. Later he wrote of his friend, “You could melt down all the medals and cups I have, and they wouldn’t be a spot on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long.” Now that is what I call friendship.
At this point Saul is probably feeling the same way about Barnabas. It was Barnabas who brought Saul before the Apostle and attested to his sincerity. And through out the ministry of Paul you would find Barnabas at his side.
In our last lesson we talked about Ananias’ winning results because of his obedience. We noted how he had cast down his fears and put his faith in Jesus to work. It started with him going to Judas’ house as instructed to lay hands on Saul that he might receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He also baptized Saul and after Saul had eaten he was found preaching in Damascus that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
In this lesson we will find the start of a long lasting friendship. Saul had been away in Arabia for three years between verse 22 and 23 and he again is found in Damascus. But upon his return the Jews that he had encountered in Damascus took counsel to kill him. In verse 22 it said that they were confounded because he proved to them that Jesus was the very Christ. So when he returned to Damascus, the Jews had the permission of the governor and the High Priest to kill him. They had convince the authorities that Saul was a traitor, a rabble rouser and one that could cause trouble if allowed to continue. So they waited on his return but their lying in wait was known by Saul and they watch both day and night at the gate to kill him. That is when the disciples took him by night according to verse 25 and let him down by the wall in a large basket. But that was not the end of Saul troubles. He went down to Jerusalem and upon arriving there he tried to joined himself to the other disciples, but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was actually converted. It was in verse 27 when Barnabas took him to the apostles and stated to them that he met Jesus on the Damascus road and is preaching Christ.
So, come with me as we see the friendship of Saul and Barnabas jell into something special.
First of all in verse 27...
1. WE SEE BARNABAS PUTTING HIS REPUTATION ON THE LINE FOR SAUL. (v.27)
“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to Him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
In the text we see Barnabas putting his reputation on the line for Saul. Now Barnabas’ name meant “Son of encouragement” and it proved to be just it meant for Saul. You see Saul found a friend while in Damascus in Ananias, and in Jerusalem he found Barnabas to be a friend there. The reason is because some of the disciples did not believe that Saul had been converted much less he being a disciple of Jesus Christ, whom for a time he sorted to destroy His name. We should note that in verse 26 in the KJV said that Saul assayed to join himself to the disciples. The word assayed in the Greek means to try repeatedly. It appeared the more Saul tried to join them, the more they refused him. That is when Barnabas stepped forward and took him to the apostles. Now what Barnabas was telling the apostles was strictly what he heard Saul testifying about. He too could have doubted Saul, but it is something about the Spirit of the Lord that will make you believe when you don’t want to. So Barnabas willingly repeated what he heard, not only did he repeat it , but he declared it to be so. Now that is the making of a friend. You know you can tell a true friend simply by how they standup for you in front of those that oppose you, especially when they stands up in front of their friends. There are some that will go along to get along and it does not matter who they hurt. They will just stand by their friends. But Barnabas regardless of the position that his colleagues took, the Holy Spirit in him and Saul agreed, thus allowing him to declare that what happened to Saul was true. We can learn something from Barnabas about brotherly friendships. Barnabas did not value the friendships that he had more than he valued what the Spirit was saying to him. He could have join the majority but he chose to walk alone with what the Spirit had revealed to him. I wonder sometimes, are we ready to follow the crowd or are we ready to allow the Spirit to guide us? So, he was willing to put his reputation on the line for Saul.
Secondly, in verse 28...
2. WE SEE THE EVIDENCE OF BARNABAS’ WORDS CONVINCING THE APOSTLES. (v.28)
“And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.”
It is evident that Barnabas’ words convinced Peter and James that Saul was sincere. The text allows us to see Saul moving about with them in Jerusalem. The NIV suggested to us that Saul stayed with them and moved freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. Now we must note that Barnabas shared three things with Peter and James about Saul.
▸ First, he shared Saul’s conversion, and the truth that Saul had seen the Lord.
▸ Secondly, the Lord had spoken to him.
▸ Finally, That Saul preached boldly in Damascus in the name of the Lord.
In hearing these things Peter invited Saul to stay with them and he spend 15 days fellow-shipping with the man name Peter whom the Lord himself had chosen to be their first leader after His death. From the words that Barnabas shared they were fully convinced that Saul the terrible of the law is now Saul the disciple of Christ. His primary purpose for coming to Jerusalem was to see Peter. This was important, for it meant he had not only gone there for the purpose of ministering, but to learn about Jesus from the leader of the apostolic band. Note also that while he was there, Saul was not sitting around reveling in the fellowship of Peter and James. He continued to minister and bare witness of the saving grace of Jesus. He simply went out and preached boldly in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And not only that but he disputed against the Grecians, and in return they sort to kill him.
Finally, verse 30 shows us...
3. HOW THE FRIENDSHIP OF SAUL AND BARNABAS HAD IMPACT ON THE REST OF THE BRETHREN. (v.30)
“Which, when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him to Tarsus.”
The friendship of Saul and Barnabas had a positive effect on those who were believers. They probably heard how Barnabas with passion talked to the apostles about his conviction of Saul being a believer. They probably also observed as Saul put his neck on the line by preaching in public even though he knew that if apprehended he would be killed. Not only did he preach in public but he debated with the Grecian Jews as well. They probably noticed how bold he was for the sake of Jesus and those of the Way, and the once cantankerous defender of the law is now a bold defender for the kingdom. What ever they observed about Saul, they knew that they now had a champion on their side. When they heard that there was a bounty on Saul’s head they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. But verse 31 pushes this moment in time over the top. Now because of the Barnabas’ discerning Spirit that allowed him to believe Saul, verse 31 let’s us see a sense of peace throughout the church and because of this peace the church was strengthen and encouraged by the Holy Spirit and the church grew in numbers. I tell you that the Church should always look towards peaceful times, because our Christ would be glorified, our people would be edified, and our Church would be multiplied, when there is peace in the midst.
I’m reminded of a dear friend here at Salem. She always remind me that she is engulfed in peace now that she is out of the politics of church. You can see it in the way she talks and walks, and in her desire to help where ever she can. I tell you we need to learn to find and then walk in peace.
CONCLUSION
In closing, we find Saul with a new friend named Barnabas and we see that the brethren also had found Saul to be a friend. But out of all the friends that Saul had met. There is none like the One he met on the Damascus Road.
There’s a song we sing from time to time, that we learned in the old church and Sunday School. You know I thank God for the saints of the old church church, because they taught us the songs of the church regardless of some of their bad theology. But this song said;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus-
No not one! No not one!
None else could heal all our soul’s diseases- No not one! No not one!
Jesus knows all about our struggles, He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus- No not one! No not one!
But there is a verse that we very rarely sung and that is verse 3 when it said
There’s not an hour that He is not near us- No not one! No not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us- No not one! No not one!
Jesus....
