He would bludgeon his prey to death with blunt objects and was fond of raping and biting them. He was a clean-cut serial killer that confessed to 28 killings, but other estimates indicate that he brutally killed as many as 33 to 100 female victims during the 1970's. After numerous appeals, Bundy was electrocuted by the state of Florida in 1989.
I mention this serial killer only to let you know that when we hear the name of Ted Bundy, we think of a ruthless serial killer.
You do not have to say a lot about some people. You just mention their name and people KNOW who they are and what they have done! They have a reputation for being bad.
Illus: They remind me of the lady that walked by a pet shop each day on her way to work. When she walked by, the parrot would say, “Lady, you are the ugliest woman I have ever seen.” The lady would get mad and walk on to work!
The next day she walked by and the parrot said, “Lady, you are one ugly woman.” She got mad and walked on.
One day she decided to do something about the parrot, and she talked to the store manager.
The manager said, “I promise you I will do something about it.”
The next day, she walked by the pet shop and the parrot said, “Hey lady!” She stopped to listen and the parrot, “Hey lady…you know!”
When you hear the name of some people, YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE FROM ALL THE EVIL THEY HAVE DONE.
The Bible tells us that Jesus had a different kind of reputation, HE WAS KNOWN FOR GOING ABOUT DOING GOOD!
Look at Acts 10: 38, we read, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
What a contrast this is from the Ted Bundy’s of this world.
The Bible teaches that HE WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD. This is how every child of God is to live his life.
• Look at Eph. 4:32, we read, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
• Look at Eph. 4:2-3, we read, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• Look at 1 Cor. 16:14, we read, “Let all your things be done with charity.”
The Word of God teaches that we are to be KIND in our behavior ONE TO ANOTHER. But God’s Word not only commands us to do this, God gives us an example in the life of Barnabas to show us how to live such a life.
Today, I would like to take a quick look at the life of Barnabas, so we can see why he earned the name, “Son of Consolation.”
Apparently, Barnabas had earned the reputation among the disciples of Christ as one who helped and encouraged others.
We see that -
I. HE REACHED OUT
Barnabas was always reaching out to others:
A. HE REACHED OUT TO PAUL AFTER HE WAS CONVERTED
After Paul was converted, due to his past reputation everyone was afraid to give him a chance. Before his conversion, this was the fellow who was actively trying to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. NOW HE CLAIMED TO BE SAVED!
Many folks were not buying this. They were skeptical. You can see why with the reputation Paul had before he got saved. They had a hard time believing he was truly saved. And with the reputation he had for hating Christianity, we can understand.
There are some things hard to believe, and when the disciples heard that Paul had gotten saved they were not buying it. But Barnabas was the man that God used to REACH OUT TO PAUL when no one else would.
Look at Acts 9:26-27, we read, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 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.”
Barnabas came to Saul’s side and stood up for Him, and told the others about this man’s amazing conversion. He stood up for one who desperately needed a friend.
Illus: There is a television commercial that I really enjoy watching. A young boy is at his locker at school and a couple big bullies are walking down the hall. They knock his books out of his hand and walk away laughing. But a young man across the hall talking to a girl, sees this. He stops talking to her, walks over and helps him pick up his books and gives him a big smile. And the girl he was talking to looks at this young man who was talking to her with great admiration.
That commercial represents what a Christian should do in a situation like this. HE REACHED OUT! When no one would give Paul a break, Barnabas did.
B. HE REACHED OUT TO JOHN MARK WHO HAD FAILED THE LORD
Barnabas was always pulling for the underdog.
Look at Acts 15:36-41, we read, “And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.”
Apparently, Paul, Barnabas and John Mark were together on a missionary journey. For some reason, John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
Look at Acts 13:13, we read, “Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.”
We do not know why John Mark left the missionary team. We can speculate:
• Maybe he was frightened
• Maybe he was homesick
All we know is that he left the team.
Now, Paul and Barnabas are ready to go out again and Barnabas wants to take John Mark along to give him a second chance. Paul disagreed, and he and Barnabas parted company.
From that time on:
• Paul takes Silas and goes out with him
• Barnabas takes John Mark and goes out with him
Because Barnabas gave this discouraged and defeated young man, John Mark, a second chance, his life as a servant of God was salvaged. In fact, before Paul died in Rome, he requested that Mark be sent to him. Look at 2 Tim. 4:11, we read, “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” It is believed that he had realized he made a mistake about John Mark, because he now wants him beside him.
Barnabas was the SON OF CONSOLATION, always ready to REACH OUT TO THE UNDERDOG!
Even more important is the fact that because Barnabas took the time to encourage a discouraged brother, Mark, it is believed, was used of the Lord to pen the Gospel of Mark which gives us an exciting account of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need this kind of Christian in the church today. We should do our best to make everyone who comes into this church building feel as if they belong here, and are accepted just as they are.
WHY? God is a God of a SECOND CHANCE. Remember Jonah, and how he failed the Lord? God gave him a second chance.
Look at Jonah 3:1-3, we read, “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.”
Why can’t we do the same for those around us? WE MUST LEARN TO REACH OUT and give people a second chance. After all, look at all the chances God has given us.
We see that HE REACHED OUT and -
II. HE REACHED UP
Look at Acts 4:36-37, we read, “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
Notice, Barnabas loved people so much that he sold a piece of land and gave the money to the church to REACH OUT TO THE POOR.
In fact, his REACHING OUT seems to be what inspired Ananias and Sapphira to pretend to do the same thing to look good in the eyes of others. But here is the difference:
• Barnabas did what he did because he loved the Lord
• Ananias and Sapphira did what they did because they loved attention
(1) GOD HAS PROMISED TO BLESS US IF WE WILL REACH OUT TO OTHERS
The Lord said, in Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
(2) WHEN WE REACH OUT TO OTHERS WE ARE REACHING OUT TO GOD
Matt. 25:38-45, we read, “When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”
The Lord says when we do a good deed IN HIS NAME, it is the same as doing it to Him.
If you want to do something for the Lord, DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR OTHERS IN HIS NAME.
Illus: A man saw a man stranded on the side of the road. He had no car jack to change his tire. He stopped and assisted him. When he got through he said, “Mister, I really appreciate you helping me out, I do not have much money with me but I will be glad to give you what I have.”
The man said, “You do not owe me a thing, But I want to tell you something. If the Lord Jesus had not saved me and put a love in my heart for people, I would have passed you and never paid you any attention. So you owe the Lord, not me!”
There are some folks who will not do you a favor it they had to.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger say that he has heard a man say over and over again, when it comes to helping people, “YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME MONEY BEFORE I WOULD DO THAT!”
Listen, there are things we have to do to make a living and we cannot afford to give away our living, but there are also times we Christians do thing simply because we LOVE THE LORD AND WE LOVE PEOPLE!
Barnabas actually sold a piece of land and gave the money to the church to help others who had less. The church today needs more men like Barnabas.
We see that HE REACHED OUT, HE REACHED UP and -
III. HE REACHED IN
As Barnabas reached out to others and reached up to God, he was actually REACHING WITHIN HIMSELF.
He was building a reputation. Hundreds of years have come and gone and we are still talking about this man of God. Wouldn’t you like your life to be remembered as that of an “encourager?”
WHERE IS THE BENEFIT IN THAT, YOU MAY ASK? The benefit lies in the truth that when we make the changes necessary to become an “encourager,” -
• God will be glorified.
• Others will be edified
• We will be rewarded both in this life and when we arrive home in glory
When we DO GOOD TO OTHERS, we are building a reputation for being a “DO-GOODER!” When we leave this life, we will be greatly missed!
Illus: A funeral service was being held for a woman who had just passed away. At the end of the service the pall bearers were carrying the casket out, when they accidentally bumped into a wall, jarring the casket.
They heard a faint moan. They opened the casket and found that the woman was actually alive.
She lived for ten more years, and then died.
A ceremony was again held at the same place, and at the end of the ceremony, the pall bearers were again carrying out the casket.
As they are walking, the husband cries out, "Be careful! Don’t bump that wall!''
It is bad to die having a reputation for living a life of evil.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger said that in the mountains where he has a home to go to for rest on his days off, they have a fellow that lives up there that is known to be a trouble maker.
Someone said, “I bet when he dies, his wife will have to hire some pall bearers to carry his casket.” Another man who knew him well said, “No, when he dies there is going to be a long list of volunteers to carry his casket and bury him.”
It is bad for a person to live their life in such a way that when they die, people are glad they are no longer among the living.
Conclusion:
We have looked at the life of Barnabas.
I. HE REACHED OUT
II. HE REACHED UP
III. HE REACHED WITHIN
