Acts 4:36-37; 11:23-26
On the path of life, do you tend to be a stumbling block or a stepping stone person? Are you living for Christ in such a connected and convincing fashion that you pick people up instead of tripping them up? Does your winsome witness help others step up to faith in Christ, or does your ad for the heavenly Dad trip people who are enroute to discovering the Christian way?
Let’s examine a portrait of one of God’s hall of fame members. His name was Barnabas, and he was a consummate stepping stone person. The following characteristics create the composite of a stepping stone person.
A stepping stone person is generous. Acts 4:36-37
After the formation of the early church at Pentecost, the early Christians needed some financial fuel. Generous Barnabas sold a field to invest this temporal resource into God’s eternal purpose.
Times have not changed. Christ’s church is still built on three books: The Bible, the hymnbook and the checkbook! George Truett added it up like this, "How a person relates to his possessions tells you a great deal about that person."
For instance, a young farmer was wanting to get married, so he advertised for a wife in the "Farmer’s Journal." The ad read: "Marrying age young farmer needs wife with tractor. Please send picture of tractor."
Many people sell their souls for stuff. Barnabas sold his stuff for souls.
He had a kingdom vision. A balcony perspective. Are you a generous person? Have you fashioned from your resources of time, talent and treasure stepping stones that will have an eternal impact for God’s glory? R. G. Lee observed, "Everything in this world will pass. Only what’s done for Christ will last."
Dr. Bill Thorne, a former president of Dallas Baptist University is now retired.
But he still remains one of my favorite speakers. He has an incredible sense of humor and reflects what the writer of Proverbs tells us, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." After he retired, he began speaking quite extensively and was the guest speaker at a seminar I attended.
One story he told was about growing up in a parsonage. He said his Dad was a pastor and they always lived in church provided housing. He said, “You know what a parsonage is? It’s just a lean-to…something to stand under to keep you out of the rain. The parsonage was always the worst house in town. People would drive blocks out of their way to avoid taking visitors past the parsonage for the Baptist Church. One day, one of the deacons who worked for the highway department decided to paint the house. He got several gallons of the yellow paint that they used to stripe the highways. After the painting was completed, fire trucks came from seven counties to try to put out the fire.”
He began by talking about the fact that Jesus said, "Where a man’s treasure is, there will his heart be also." His theme was "One foot in heaven." He stated he was a senior adult and he had one foot in heaven. But he indicated that was not altogether bad, because he had a pretty substantial investment in heaven. He had invested his earthly treasure and his earthly ministry attempting to provide riches in heaven. But his focus was not totally on the things of heaven. He also spoke of leaving "One foot on earth." He told how he and Mrs. Thorne had given money to projects that would last beyond his life on this earth. "One foot in heaven. One foot on earth." Not a bad legacy for any one to leave.
Like Barnabas, we need to become sharing, giving, generous persons whose resources are transformed into eternal stepping stones.
A stepping stone person is encouraging. Acts 4:36
Etched in Barnabas’ name was a portrait of his central characteristic. Although he was tabbed by his parents as Joseph, like Simon and Saul, his name was changed to reflect character development.
Maybe you have a nickname that reflects a characteristic. Everyone knows a redhead named Rusty. Or a left-handed person named Lefty. I ate at a restaurant out by the lake and the Manager was a large man around 6’ 6” tall. He went by the name of “Tiny.” Yet, on a spiritual level, if Jesus renamed you according to a central theme within your personality, what would he re-tag you?
My folks had a card game that they loved to play. It was called “Nasty Neighbor.” They played it as often as they could with my aunts and uncles.
My Dad’s sister and her husband lived in Topeka Kansas, and as I grew up, I never remember my grandmother calling my uncle’s name without adding an expletive to it. His name was that !@*&^^? Frank.
Uncle Frank, called my mother “the wicked witch of the south.” Several years ago at a family reunion, my sister had the wise idea of having two trophies made. One was a witch riding a broomstick which was presented to my mother for her vicious playing of their card game. The other was presented to uncle Frank and it was the north bound end of a south bound horse.
What characteristic of your personality would Jesus hang on you? Evidently, Barnabas’ life flavor was so encouraging that the apostles were compelled to re-title him "Son of Encouragement." Perhaps his rebirth could be traced to the encouragement of Jesus. Whatever the circumstance, this one born from encouragement continued to reproduce encouragement for others.
The invaluable concept of encouragement bursts into full flower as you discover the biblical meaning of the word. "To encourage" is linked to the name Jesus gave for the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26). The word "paraclete" is a compound word meaning "to come alongside that which is downcast." Consequently, the encourager is one who finds someone who is hurt and limping along the road of life and they come beside them to pick them up. Indeed, encouragement is Miraclegro for the soul. We need to start telling people to come to church to get picked up. For those of you who are single, it may take a while to purify that concept. But nevertheless, the quest of God’s people should be encouragement.
My Dad always seemed to me to be one of those people who was always encouraging people. To this day, my legacy is such that my dad always encouraged us to bite off a little bit more than we could chew and find out for ourselves that more can be accomplished by getting out of our comfort zone.
Do you encourage people? Do you help others believe in themselves? Or, have you mastered the ability to discourage them through acidic criticism? A wise man observed, "A kick in the pants is only 18 inches away from a pat on the back, but they are miles apart in the results!" Are you a back patter or a pants kicker? My Dad, Jesus and Barnabas were experts in the art of "back patting." We all need encouragement.
Abraham Lincoln was a man of iron will but he needed encouraging. On the second floor of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. is an amazing display case. It contains the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated. On that fateful evening he was carrying with him, two pair of reading glasses. His wallet held not only federal currency, but also confederate currency. Tucked deep down in the recess of his wallet were four positive editorials about his presidency. This moral giant of an American hero needed four encouragement vitamins for his emotional system.
Aren’t we all in need of affirmation? Mark Twain said, "I can run for a month on one good compliment." We all need the back pat ... the positive complement ... a pull up when we are knocked down.
The ultimate encouragement example is Jesus. Jesus had the marvelous ability to see saints when he looked at sinners. Jesus could have renamed wishy-washy Simon, "Silly Putty." Instead, Jesus projects, "Blessed are you Simon .. you are Peter, you are a rock." Indeed, Silly Putty Simon became that powerful preacher of Pentecost because Jesus encouragingly called Simon to step up to the possibilities of becoming God’s person.
James and John were in the same boat. They were called the "Sons of Thunder." There is a “Christian” motorcycle gang in our town by that name! Can’t you just see "Sons of Thunder" emblazoned on a leather robe with speedy camels with funky racing stripes down the sides! However, the encouragement of Jesus, transformed John from a "Son of Thunder" into the Apostle of Love. Jesus still sees the potential and possibility in each yielded life.
Have you mastered the Christ-like characteristic of encouraging by seeing the possibilities in others?
An elderly but spry lady moved to a retirement community. On her first day she set outside the dining room and across the way she noticed a very distinguished-looking gentleman. She began to stare a hole in him. Finally, he approached her and said, "Ma’am, I see you are new here, and I also noticed that you are staring at me." She said with a coy smile, "Yes, you look like my third husband." He inquired, "How many times have you been married?" She said, "Twice!"
Like Jesus, develop the art of seeing the possibilities and then encourage people to step up to who they can become in Christ.
A stepping stone person is a forgiver. Acts 15:37-41
On the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas included John Mark in the adventure. Unfortunately, young John Mark missed his mom, or got upset at Paul and hit the eject button. He went back home.
In due time, Paul and Barnabas returned and quickly prepared for an encore performance. As they planned their missionary journey, the ever encouraging Barnabas suggested that Mark needed another shot at vocational Christian service. Barnabas said in effect, "Let’s put him back on the horse and invite him to try again." Hard-nosed Paul refused. So Barnabas and John Mark formed a new team while Paul picked Silas and pointed the boat toward Syria.
And now the rest of the story. As a result of Barnabas’ forgiveness, we have the Gospel of Mark. Redemption triumphed as a fallen young man was picked up by an encouraging forgiver.
The code of our day seems to be "Don’t get mad, just get even." Eastwood, Stallone, Segal, Schwartznegger and the gang give us countless celluloid renditions of crushing the one who hurts you. Our natural pull is to nurse the grudge. Plot revenge. Hurt the offender.
Maybe you can relate to the lady who was bitten by a rabid dog. They took her to the hospital. Her doctor noticed that Myrtle was writing names down on a legal pad. The doctor asked, "Myrtle, are you making your will?" She replied, "Oh no, Doc, I’m making a list of people I plan to bite!"
In contrast to a revenge ethic, Barnabas personified the forgiving love of the original second-chance giver Himself ... Jesus. What about you?
A stepping stone person is full of the Holy Spirit. Acts 11:24
No one is naturally a stepping stone person. This lifestyle required supernatural assistance. The Bible explains Barnabas’ power source. "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith and considerable numbers were brought to the Lord through Barnabas."
A synonym for being "full of the Holy Spirit" is being Christ-controlled.
Barnabas was thoroughly controlled by Jesus and he conveyed to others that encouraging quality which came straight from the Lord’s Spirit. That is our daily struggle. Who will be in control? The drill of the Christian life is to move Christ from resident within our lives to president of our lives. Jesus wants to be our CEO.
Dr. Landrum Leavell, retired president of NOBTS once remarked, "We have so many half-filled churches because we have so many half-filled Christians."
Give God permission to be the president of your life and supply you the resources for doing the unnatural task of becoming a stepping stone person.
Conclusion
We could well carve the epitaph on Barnabas’ stepping stone life from the last phrase of Acts 11:24. "Considerable numbers were brought to the Lord" through Barnabas. What will be carved on your tombstone? One man requested his stone to read, "I told you I was sick."
Our lives would be well expended if we could emulate the stepping stone character of Barnabas and assist considerable numbers to come to the Lord. I invite you to join me in the lofty quest of moving beyond the low road of being a stumbling block to the high and humble path of being a stepping stone.
