The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord (John 20:20)! On that Sunday evening, just two days after they had seen Jesus crucified dead and buried, Jesus appeared to his closest friends. Two days after the worst day they had ever experienced, his friends saw him alive and they were overjoyed.
(John 20:21) Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Absolutely convinced that God had resurrected Jesus, many of those disciples were later killed; several of them were crucified, for continuing to insist that Jesus did not stay dead; that Jesus was alive, and now at work in the world through his spirit.
It’s been said, and I agree, that ‘God does not have a mission for his church, but rather God has a church for his mission. God does not have a mission for his church, but rather God has a church for his mission.’
Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” It’s his mission. He does it (sometimes with us)!
So we come to the events of the early church, filled with the Holy Spirit; in other words filled with the spirit of Jesus, filled with the very character, attitudes, desires, and motivations of Jesus. You know, there are so many people in this world that would say they are not religious, but would agree that Jesus was the most amazing, caring, sympathetic, unselfish person the world has known. Most people agree that Jesus was and is the model human being. Perhaps that describes you this morning, but you’re not sure about this ‘resurrection from the dead’ thing that Christians have always insisted upon. Perhaps you wish you could be more loving, more joyful, and more peaceful; perhaps you wish you could be more patient, more kind and more self-controlled: The Good News is that the Holy Spirit of Jesus is available to each one of us, to help us become more like him. The Holy Spirit is available to each person that asks to be filled. The Holy Spirit helps us as individuals and as a church to be people and churches that reflect Jesus.
Do you want to reflect Jesus in your life? Do you want to reflect Jesus in this church? My prayer is that we will say, “Yes!”
The events of Acts 4: 32 to 37 come immediately after Peter and John have been arrested, questioned, ordered not to speak or teach about Jesus and then released (Acts 4: 17-21). The church have then prayed that despite ongoing threats of violence, they will have boldness to proclaim the Good News of Jesus (Acts 4: 29), and as they pray they are filled with the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit enables them to speak boldly about Jesus (Acts 4: 31).
Are you in a situation at the moment where you feel timid about the Good News of Jesus? Do you need to be bold in your conversation? Isn’t it great that it’s God’s mission, not mine. It’s God’s mission and not ours! That means he will do it through us by the power and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit in you and me. He gives us the words to say, and he gives us actions to perform to be Good News.
History tells us that the early church could not help themselves but tell of the resurrection of Jesus. I don’t know how many of you have seen the film ‘Liar, Liar’ starring Jim Carrey? The Film was made about 6 years ago and Jim Carrey plays a lawyer who tells lots of lies. He gets lots of results in court, but he has become an unreliable husband and an erratic, inconsistent father. However, in true fairytale (Hollywood) style, Jim Carrey is suddenly unable to lie. He speaks the truth about everything and in many ways it gets him in to trouble, but it does result in his family relationships being restored. The early Christians had to tell the truth about Jesus. He was alive and they could not lie; and although it got them into loads of trouble with the religious authorities, family relationships were restored and the church grew. The church was (and today should be) a radical Christ-centred community; and I cannot think of anything more wonderful, anything more attractive than to be a Christ-centred community.
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
This is not communism! This not sharing because we’ve been told to. This is not redistributing wealth as a result of a law, some act of parliament. This is a response from the heart, as a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The attitudes of Jesus fill our thinking and our motivations become his: it is a Jesus-response, and it is the response of God’s people.
In the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 15:4) we read this: “There should be no poor among you.” It is an attitude which comes from the very heart of God! And it is an attitude which shaped the life of a Cypriot named Joseph – the man whom the early church called Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement (Acts 4: 36). What an encouragement it must have been as needs were met by the church, as and when needs arose.
What needs are there in this church and in this community right now? God has provided the means by which those needs will be met.
I am thinking for a moment of a man named Martin who after working for his employer for 3 years recently discovered that they do not provide any ‘sick pay’. That’s pretty rare in the UK right now, but he was off sick for a week and at the end of March got 3 weeks pay instead of 4. However, he told me last Sunday that he has been giving thanks to God because he has received a food hamper worth £40 from one Christian friend, and cash from another.
And now I am thinking of a family who came to faith in Jesus about 2 years ago. They have 3 sons, one of whom has severe learning difficulties, and it was this son who recently was rushed to hospital having had a seizure. Meals were arranged by Christian friends, and by other Christians they did not know.
A rota of child-minders was arranged and the meals just kept coming! Both sets of grandparents have been amazed that the church would do such a thing, but it is an example of Christian believers sharing what they have with those in need.
The man Barnabas provides us with several Christ-like examples of what it means to become more like Jesus. In seeking to follow the ways of Jesus, Barnabas is worth imitating:
1. He had a ‘stewardship’ view of life: Everything he owned belonged to God, and was available for God’s purposes. Are we at that point with our ‘possessions’? Where did they come from? Who owns them? Are they on loan to us from God or not?
2. Acts 9: 27-28; Barnabas took risks for the sake of the gospel. For example, Paul had been imprisoning and murdering Christians prior to his conversion!
Perhaps understandably when Paul came to faith in Jesus there were many sceptical people in the church. However, Barnabas took a risk for Jesus’ sake and befriended Paul; and it’s often a similar situation with prisoners in this country who find faith in Jesus! Family and friends are often sceptical, but the church is often sceptical too. Barnabas took a risk for Jesus’ sake. What risks might we be called to take?
3. (Acts 11: 21) Barnabas encouraged new Christian believers to remain true to their faith in Jesus. Whatever stage of faith you are at, my prayer today is that each day you will get to know Jesus better, and that you will grow in your love for him and in your love for those who do not know him yet.
4. Barnabas stuck by John Mark (Acts 15: 36-41). Mark had previously let Paul and Barnabas down but Barnabas stuck with him. Thank God he did, because Mark later wrote one of the gospels!
People make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are massive, and they can shake us to the core. People let us down, and some of you will be thinking about particular situations as I speak, some of them from years ago, and some more recent, but people let us down, and we ourselves have let other people down. However, Barnabas did not let Mark’s previous failings get in the way. How about us? Are there people that God wants us to persevere with? Are there relationships God wants us to persevere with?
Of course, Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who owned 100 sheep. One wandered off and got lost, but Jesus said that the shepherd searched until he found that one lost sheep. Are there people that we should be ‘searching for’ as a sign that God still loves them and wants to continue to be in relationship with them?
Let’s pray.
