6.11.23 Acts 11:19–30, 13:1-3 (EHV)
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that took place at the time of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and also began to speak to the Greeks, preaching the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 A report about this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go on to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw God’s grace, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts. 24 He was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a large number of people were added to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. 27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there was going to be a severe famine all over the known world. This took place during the time of Claudius. 29 Each of the disciples, according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. 30 They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul. . . . 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas; Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch; and Saul. 2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.
I occasionally like to watch MMA and boxing, and one of the favorite things I enjoy is the nicknames that they choose for themselves. Wanderlei Silva called himself “the Axe Murderer.” There is also “Rampage, The American Psycho, The Iceman, Ruthless and Showtime.” One of my favorites was, “The Upgrade.” Indians used to give themselves nicknames usually associated with animals like “Sitting Bull and Soaring Eagle.”
Different names were given in the Bible as well. Jacob was named Israel after getting in a wrestling match with God, and that’s what Israel means, “One who wrestles with God and overcomes.” Abram was renamed Abraham, which meant “father of many nations.” Simon was called Peter because of his confession of Christ. Peter means “rock.” James and John were called “the sons of thunder,” we assume because of their fiery personalities.
So it is with Barnabas, our center of attention for today. His original name was Joseph. He was a Levite, a Jew, from the island of Cyprus. But he was renamed Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”
Find Encouragement in Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement
Acts 4 introduces us to Barnabas and says that he “sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.” After Paul was converted the Christians were still afraid of him. They didn’t believe he really was a disciple, because he was well known for persecuting the church. But Acts 4 says that “Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He described to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.” So Barnabas had an integral part in bringing Paul into the Christian fold.
In today’s text, Barnabas was chosen to investigate what was going on in Antioch, for news of a great awakening had come to them in Jerusalem. The believers trusted Barnabas to be able to go and evaluate whether there was a legitimate thing going on or not. So he went, maybe about 300 miles north. Luke writes, When he arrived and saw God’s grace, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts. Just a neat little side note, I love the way that Luke describes this. He says that Barnabas went and “saw God’s grace.” Barnabas didn’t think that this awakening was because some of these men who witnessed to them were greater evangelists than others, or that the people of Antioch were more spiritual or more desirous of coming to the faith. It just had to do with the grace of God. He could see God’s grace. Credit goes where credit is deserved, to God.
Then what did Barnabas do? He was glad. It seems like such a simple thing, but think about it. The Lord converted these people. He saved them and made them a part of the church. That made him happy. Do you rejoice over those who are baptized and join our church? Do you make a point of welcoming them to our congregation? Do you introduce yourself and say to them, “Great to have you here!” Think about it. God brought them from the darkness into the light. He saved them from hell. He made them your brothers and sisters. What a blessing! Don’t treat them like the older brother who is jealous of the younger sibling being born and fearful that he or she will get all the attention. Don’t ignore them either. If you were adopted into a new family, and none of your siblings ever even bothered to talk to you, how would you feel? Treat them as a fellow warrior, a new friend, a brother in Christ. Be happy for them. Rejoice with them. Get to know them.
And then what did he do? He encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts. Envision Barnabas being honest with these fresh Christians. “This isn’t going to be easy. Stephen has recently been stoned. The Sadducees and Pharisees have been arresting the apostles. Christians have been imprisoned too and had their property confiscated. But Paul, who used to persecute the church, was recently converted! The Lord is working miracles through Peter and the apostles too. Sick people are being healed. Dead people are being raised. Jesus is ruling over the heavens and the earth. Whatever happens, it will be for HIS glory. You have heaven all prepared for you, free of charge! Don’t give up! Don’t waver!”
Isn’t this what we ought to do with the fresh confirmands? If you think about it, confirmation is the easy part. Your parents brought you here. They encouraged you to learn your catechetical lessons. You had it all spoon fed to you. Most of you were in a Christian environment with Christian parents. That’s easy. Now’s the tough part. You’re going to meet lesbians and gays at school who are genuinely nice people. You’ll say to yourself, “They aren’t so bad. Why do we condemn them just for being same sex attracted?” You’ll hear your teachers tell you how the earth is obviously millions of years old, and you’ll wonder if the Bible is really true. You’ll be tempted to sexual relations outside of marriage. It will seem like the natural thing to do. And you’ll wonder, “How can something that feels so good be so wrong?” The devil will want you to question everything you’ve been taught. Your sinful nature will want to come along.
How do we encourage them? Think about a child learning how to drive. They don’t just need someone pointing their finger at them in panic like a mother in the passenger’s seat. “Look out. Slow down! You’re going to get in an accident! You’ll never pass your test! You’re a terrible driver.” You have to be patient with them, taking them out to drive and gently instructing them in simple situations, telling them to take it slow. Then you ride with them in more complex situations. Trying to speak gently and encouraging them. When Landon took his driver’s test up north this year, the guy who administered his test was very comforting and encouraging. He wasn’t there to flunk Landon. He was there to help him pass. He spoke in a soft and comforting voice throughout the test, thoroughly and methodically explaining what he was supposed to do. It was a unique approach, and it worked! Maybe a part of the reason our youth are falling away is because we aren’t ENCOURAGING them ENOUGH?
Don’t our younglings in the faith need some of this encouragement, with the Word of God? A genuine smile. A hand on the shoulder with a word, “God is still here. Jesus is still risen. His Word is still powerful. We are praying for you! We are here for you! Isn’t it exciting? Now you can receive the Lord’s Supper, the body and blood of the Lord for the forgiveness of your sins! This is a good thing. You’re on the right path. His pathways are right. You are His created child, designed His way as man and woman. This is the Way. Many have fallen away, but that doesn’t mean you have to. You can stay in the faith. God can get you through this. We are here for you.” This is what we all need.
Some are better at this than others. Barnabas had a special gift of encouragement. What was it that gave him such a spirit of encouragement? Luke writes, He was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. What a nice, simple, and yet beautiful description of the man. Wouldn’t you love to have that on your gravestone, written in the Bible about you?
Is it really that hard? Think about what the word says. Faith comes from hearing the message. So if I want to be a man of faith, a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, I ought to get into the Word and sacrament as much as I can, and give the Holy Spirit the means to work in me and make me who He wants me to be. I ought to listen to HIS encouragements to ME, His promises to me, to strengthen me, to work all things out for my good. In a strange sense, it sounds strange to our Lutheran ears, but we need to put some work into our faith. How can we trust in God if we aren’t taking the effort to listen to how He has worked with His people and listen to His promises? How can we be encouraging if we aren’t taking the time to let God encourage us?
It’s so easy to get down in this world. You hear all of the terrible news of things happening in this world. You struggle with your own marriage or your children or your parents. You want to give up. You want to quit. You get rage baited on the internet and some of your own friends tell you just to give up on a marriage or push you to fight back. “I FIGURED that would happen.” “I wouldn’t put up with that! You ought to . . .”
One of the big reasons to COME to church is so that we don’t give up on life, that we keep on fighting for the faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Isn’t it a better thing when you hear a fellow Christian say, “I’ll be praying for you. God be with you. God can get you through this. The same God who raised the dead can give you the strength to fight through this.” Words of encouragement intended to give strength. This is how God wants us to be with people – like modern day Barnabas. He wants us to be the ones who lift people up in times of trouble and sorrow.
Maybe you don’t have it in you. Maybe you just don’t have the energy to encourage someone because you are absolutely worn down by your own problems in life. That’s ok. Maybe you need a Barnabas to talk to you and strengthen you. That’s what can make marriage such a beautiful thing. You get home from work and you’re completely exhausted. Your spouse says to you, “Are you ok? Can I get you anything? I love you.” The same can ring true from fellow Christians, who can encourage us with similar words. My wife received a nice and simple card from a member after her shoulder surgery. It meant a lot to her. Another might bring you a little casserole of food after surgery. Little things can be great encouragements. They help!
So this small little church that had begun at Antioch, what happened to it? The people of Antioch didn’t dwindle into nothing. They didn’t remain small and they didn’t lose their faith. Luke wrote, “a large number of people were added to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people.” Barnabas recognized that this was a great opportunity that was being opened up in Antioch, so he sent for Saul, later known as Paul. He realized that the people of Antioch needed more than Barnabas could give. They needed lots of instruction. So God blessed his efforts to help grow the church in Antioch.
What happened with Barnabas? What else do we know of him?
? In the future he ended up going on mission trips with Paul. He was imprisoned with Paul. He was able to perform miracles. He was even mistaken for Zeus!
? Some think that he wrote the book of Hebrews.
? It wasn’t all sunshine for Barnabas. He accidentally sided with Peter and stopped eating with the Gentiles. Paul had to publicly rebuke them both. But Barnabas repented and realized the error of his ways.
? Later on, he and Paul had a different dustup. Paul didn’t want to bring Mark along on a mission trip because Mark had bugged out of an earlier trip. Barnabas was more generous with Mark, (who happened to be Barnabas’ cousin), and he wanted to give him a second chance. So they parted ways. Paul went with Silas, and Barnabas went on a mission trip to his home island of Cyprus along with Mark. Two sets of missionaries instead of one. God worked through that as well!
? In the end, legend says that he was tortured and stoned to death, and then privately buried by Mark. There’s also an apocryphal writing contributed to Barnabas as well. Kind of interesting.
If your family gave you a new name, or your church, what would it be? The Loving One. The Kind. Encouraging. Outgoing. Zealous. Strong. Faithful. Dependable. Or would it be Anonymous. Angry. Demanding. Impatient. Lazy. It’s something to think about. What is your overarching characteristic? What would you want your name to be?
The good news is that God doesn’t name us according to what we do. He names us according to what HE did, according to who HE IS. I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Your identity, through faith, is as a child of God, loved by God, forgiven in Christ, baptized into Christ, whether you are an encourager, strong, faithful, weak, demanding, impatient, or blunt. You are saved by grace alone, in Christ alone. This is how God identifies you.
Nonetheless, sometimes it is good to see the positive traits in other Christians, to see how God has blessed the former saints of old, and ask ourselves, “If God used Barnabas in such a beautiful way, then how could God use me as a blessing?” Barnabas wasn’t perfect, but by grace he was still a saint. He was blessed with the gift of encouragement. If God could do wonderful things through him, then God can do wonderful things through us too, and that is encouraging indeed. Find Encouragement in Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. Amen.
