INTRODUCTION
• Paul was wild, crazy, zealous, lost, brilliant, passionate and super focused.
• Last week we talked about how Paul was touched deeply inside and then how he was sent to the desert to be transformed and how he waited for his destiny to unfold, for thirteen years.
• And we talked about how Barnabas fronted for Paul with the other leaders in Jerusalem.
• The leaders had to ship Paul out to calm things down Acts 9:26-30
• Acts 11,13,15 today.
I. DESTINY CALLS
• Tradition tells us Barnabas was an old school friend of Paul’s. He was a Levite.
• God tied their destinies together.
• It was Barnabas who first stood in for Paul in Jerusalem.
• Barnabas took the risk.
• The church was growing but only with Jews, no gentiles or non-Jews.
• Until God moved on a city called Antioch in Syria. Third largest in Roman Empire, behind Rome, Alexandria Egypt, then Antioch - 300k. Paul spent ten to thirteen years preparing before he teamed up with Barnabas in Antioch, Syria.
Acts 11:20-26, “…some of the believers who went to Antioch…began preaching to the gentiles about the Lord Jesus. “…a large number of these…believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing…and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch.”
• Antioch was the most pivotal church in the New Testament.
• The church is born in Jerusalem, but it grew up in Antioch.
• It was in Antioch where the church began to realize that God moved outside of the temple and into the workplace.
• The growth of the church and the growth of Paul are similar in many ways.
• Antioch the city of 300,000 people who met at a crossroads, people throughout the world gather there. London at this time is merely a village.
• Still exists today as a small town in Turkey.
• It's about 300 miles north of Jerusalem and 100 miles away from the city named Tarsus.
II. THE OPENNESS OF ANTIOCH
Nine traits of the church of Antioch (Acts 11), and I believe God desires for our church.
1. Open to all peoples. Antioch was a cross-cultural church they were able to break out of racism.
• Acts 13:1, Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.”
• The names of the people listed, wealthy aristocrats, slaves, Africans, and others.
2. Open to reach people! Vss. 21, 24, 26 (a large number who believed, considerable numbers were brought to the Lord)
• This people allowed God to stretch them outside their comfort zones to embrace others around them.
• They were not small minded. They were so focused on their purpose, which was to reach and touch others. Human tendency is to serve our own. I'm staying small and self-focused.
• Some who say this thing is too big for me I hope you can adjust because heaven is going to be big.
3. Vs. 22 - Open to other leaders the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. (Sent from Jerusalem)
• The people are open to Barnabas coming. They sensed this was part of something bigger than themselves. Could've easily turned them back saying we have something new and fresh going on here and we don't need you.
• But they were humble and had submissive hearts.
4. Vs. 23 - Open to Spirit. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; the grace on them wasn't a position it was His power and fullness.”
5. Vss. 25-26 - Open to the release of ministry. Barnabas left to Tarsus to get Saul. “And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.”
• Not trying to control but let God move.
• The church exists to empower people to do ministry. Release has to do with people responding to call of the Lord on their lives.
• But anytime a church decides to release people you always run the risk of putting people into ministry that will hurt other people. This is the most painful part of being in church and in the body of Christ.
• Saul had certainly done this to others but Barnabas took the risk. To release. Antioch took that risk.
6. Verse 26 - First called Christians in Antioch. This was a derisive name used to make fun of them but what a blessing that people understood they were not like everybody else.
7. Verse 28 - Open to living words from God. (Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit)
8. Verse 29 - Open to generosity and in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. Giving church after they heard of the need, they gave.
9. Verse 30 - Open to release and sending. They sent Barnabas and Saul; sending it in the charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.)
That is Antioch and its leader Barnabas, open!
• God almost always uses other people to help us grow.
If you isolate yourself you lose this possibility.
• But there is a huge risk for those people like Barnabas to take. Their reputation can get killed when others fail.
• Here he goes after Paul to bring him to Antioch and opens doors for his destiny.
• Even after Paul failed in Jerusalem and argued with the Jews and stirred up trouble for the Christians.
III. EXPANDING THE KINGDOM
• To build the Kingdom of God the Holy Spirit is always looking for faithful people.
• People who will take risks and obey.
• Both Paul and Barnabas were those kinds of people.
• Acts 13:1 - Important to note in the Greek language emphasis is placed on position in a sentence. You want to be mentioned first, not last like Saul!
• Vss. 2-3 - Dedicate Barnabas and Saul.
• To be sent out. First real outreach team!
• Vss. 4-5 - So they were sent with a guy named John Mark. Don’t forget him he is important later.
• Vss. 9-12, 14:8 - they moved with great power but that almost always happens when you go.
• Why we encourage outreach so much at Water of Life.
IV. THE PROBLEM WORKING WITH HUMANS
• Conflict - It is always real no matter how much you love God. We are human.
• Humans make mistakes and hold positions that force Jesus to spend long hours bending our will to meet Him.
• No different with Paul.
• Acts 15:36-41 – The roles have changed; no longer is Barnabas the mentor/leader.
• Amazingly he has let Paul emerge as a leader.
• No small thing; that takes a very secure leader to allow this to take place.
• The point of conflict was the young guy John Mark. He carried their luggage, but he wimped out along the way and caught a plane home!
• His mother Mary was wealthy and used her house in Jerusalem for a meeting place for the church (Acts 12:12) and where Peter came when he was supernaturally released from prison.
• So three years later Barnabas wants to do what he does, build and encourage a young guy who failed, like he did Paul.
• But Paul won’t allow it, so they split up.
CLOSE
• Fortunately Paul grows and later embraces John Mark and reconciles with him.
• Colossians 4:10, “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’ cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him).”
• II Timothy 4:11, “Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.”
• John Mark is the author of the book of Mark, the gospel. Yes he was Barnabas’ cousin, but he was also a brother, though a weak one as a young guy in the Lord who God wanted to use.
• There are going to be conflicts along the journey. Don’t quit or give up or grow disheartened when they come.
• We are humans and amazingly God works with us to build us and His Kingdom at the same time!
