Acts 4:32-11:25
Be A Barnabas
Introduction
A. I’m sure you all remember my Roommate Barnabas
B. I had so much fun getting to know him while we shared an apartment
C. One night we were talking about his name
D. Actually he has about 20 names.
E. I asked him one night to tell me all his names It was amazing
F. I never knew that you could have that many names
G. I am not sure when he picked up Barnabas
H. When he got the name Barnabas he did not know what it meant
I. He then started to study the Bible
J. He found out that Barnabas meant Son of Encouragement
K. He liked his name so much more after that
L. Why did he like his name?
M. We are going to look at Barnabas of the Bible today
N. WE are going to see why My Barnabas liked that name
O. WE are going to look at Barnabas’s
a. Open Pockets
b. Open Acceptance
c. And Open Speech
I. Open Pocket (Acts 4:32-37)
A. Explanation
1. Read 4:32-37
2. Notice what is going on here
3. There functioning in a way that had never happened before of since then
4. The church is acting as a unified group
5. There was not a division; they were all working toward the same goal.
6. Now notice in hear there is a man named Joseph
7. Now the Apostles Got board of calling him Joseph and gave him a more appropriate name
8. Barnabas which means son of encouragement
9. Look what Barnabas does
10. He sells his land and give the money to the apostles
11. Wow! I am sure that the apostles were encouraged with this rather large gift.
B. Application
1. So what can we learn from this?
2. Pastor Dan are you telling me to sell my house and give all the money to the church?
3. Are you telling me to give all that I owe to the church?
4. Lets see hear, it said he sold a field, I imagine his home was not on the field it was an extra piece of land he owned
5. But, this gift is a sacrificial gift
6. We do not like to talk about sacrificial anything
7. We do not like that word sacrificial
8. God never commands you to give up everything and become homeless, you have to have some common sense
C. Illustration
1. WE have a girl working at the Lighthouse right now who loves to give sacrificially. The first time that I heard about her she was living in a tent. She was doing this not because she could not afford a house it was simply a way to try and live cheep. What she does with that money that she saves she gives it away.
2. We serve a God who promises to supply all our needs
3. It takes a big step to give sacrificially
4. Give it a try, you might find out that you like it
5. Follow Barnabas’s example be an open pocket person
II. Open Acceptance
A. Explanation
1. Now lets review some of our Bible History, In Particular, Paul or Saul
2. Now Saul as we remember hated that Christians hated them so much in fact that he killed many of them. Remember two weeks ago Stephen, Saul was part of that
3. Well Saul experiences this what has came to be known as Damascus Road Experience
4. Let pick up the story from there (Read Acts 9:19-31)
5. Lets key in the part about coming to the apostles.
6. Now the apostles did not trust him, hey give them a break a couple weeks ago he was trying to kill them, would you trust that guy?
7. But there was Barnabas. Barnabas the encourager
8. He convinced the apostles to let Paul join them
9. So Paul got to tell them his story and gain acceptance
10. If it were not for Barnabas, think about how the history of this world would be different. If the apostles would not have gotten to know Him, wow, He changed the world
B. Application
1. How can we apply this to our lives?
2. We need to be Barnabas’s
3. Nobody wanted to trust Saul
4. Nobody wanted anything to do with Saul
5. However, Barnabas was willing to risk his reputation
6. Willing to just give this guy a chance
7. We are to judgmental
8. WE tend to think, why should we deal with this person, he isn’t a good person
9. You know what people change
10. God changes people
11. Do not stand in the way of a changed life, do not discourage them
12. Be an Encourager
13. Be a Barnabas.
C. Illustration
1. Think for a minute the number of people you have meant that recently found Christ. Think about how excited they are. Imagine if someone tells them they are not good enough for the church. What do you think will happen? They will get turned off and stop going to church slip back into their old ways and you will end up loosing them for the rest of their lives.
2. Be willing to accept people
3. Remember, God changes people, and no one is perfect
4. Follow Barnabas’s Example
5. Be a Barnabas
III. Open Speech (11:19-25)
A. Explanation
1. Lets see where we are in the book of acts
2. Peter just went to Cornelius House
3. Remember Cornelius was a gentile, not a Jew, so for Peter to go there was a major deal
4. Well he came back and told the apostles what happen
5. Finally in one of the most encouraging statements in the whole Bible (Acts 11:18) was made
6. With that statement they were able to reach more people then they ever had been able
7. (Read 11:19-25)
8. Barnabas took full advantage of the situation
9. He went to Antioch, once he found out what they were doing he was so happy
10. They were doing great
11. So he did what should be natural, he spoke words of encouragement
B. Application
1. How can we apply this to our lives
2. Words of encouragement are so few and far between
3. When is the last time that someone has offered any encouragement to you?
4. The real question is though when is the last time you offered encouragement to someone else?
5. Look not everybody is doing bad, offer the ones that are doing good encouragement
6. Go up to so one and tell them that they are doing good
7. Tell someone thanks for everything
C. Illustration
1. After the service is over I usually am exhausted. Preaching takes a lot out of me. When I first started preaching after I was done I wanted to curl up in a little ball and hide. While I knew that wasn’t right. So I forced myself to talk to people afterwards. I really enjoyed the encouragement that I received. It meant a lot
2. Be people of encouragement
3. Be open in your speech and encourage people
4. Who here could use less encouragement?
5. Be like Barnabas, be an encourager
Conclusion
A. Barnabas Barnabas Barnabas
B. Last week I told you not to become like Jonah
C. This week, I am telling your to become like Barnabas
D. Barnabas Modeled a great life
E. It is an example we all can follow
F. What about You?
G. Are you an open pocket person?
a. Are you giving sacrificially?
H. Are you a person of open acceptance
a. Are you willing to trust someone who life has been changed? Are you willing to go out on a limb like that?
I. Are you a person of open speech?
a. Are you encouraging people or are you putting them down?
J. Be a Barnabas
K. Be willing to give, be will to accept another person who my have some faults, and be willing to encourage people
L. Be a Barnabas
