The Impact Of A Barnanbas

11/22/2009

The Impact of a Barnabas

Acts 5:29-39

Introduction:

Turn to Acts 5:29-39

I would like us to look at what a Barnabas church would look like.

I realize that I will have to give you some background of Barnabas, so you can decide if that is how you who you want to be modeled after.

Acts chapter 4,5,6...we see the Lord doing a lot of moving and shaking in the lives of the disciples, and in the life of the newly formed believers called the church.

We see Peter and John confronted about their faith, the Sanhedrin questioning by what power and what name they do these things.

1. Peter full of the Holy Spirit says that by the name of Jesus Christ, the one you crucified , but God raised from the dead.

2. Standing if front of a group of religious leaders.

you decide what is right for you to do, but we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and what we have heard.

3. It becomes personal

What they have seen, what they heard, how they feel.

They prayed under persecution.

4:29

Now Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miracles, signs, wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly

After that prayer, the church began to make an impact.

Believers stopped only thinking about themselves and began to look out for people in need.

One of the ones that looked out and saw that people had need was Barnabas.

Barnabas sold his house and gave all the money to the disciples to distribute to those in need.

After that Ananias and Sapphira want to do the same thing. There is one problem. They liked the attention of people knowing that they gave it all, but they held back some money and lied about it.

No where is it written that they had to give all.

they could of given any amount, up to not even giving any of it.

They both died because they lied to the Holy Spirit and because they tested the Spirit of the Lord.

The Bible tells us that great fear seized the church after they heard of this event.

Here’s the foundation this morning.

God’s people praying, the place where they are meeting will be shaken

God will move upon people to step out of their comfort zone (not all)

The church under God’s anointing will be shaking. People will be either running toward it or away from it.

A church that is dead will have neither.

Back to Barnabas for a minute.

Barnabas birth name was Joe. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means son of encouragement.

Barnabas would be the kind of person you would be attracted to.

Friendly greeter

The one with encouragement, not draining the life out of you.

Person you could count on/ put your trust in.

Has a positive reputation.

Someone who loves just about everyone, even the ones that probably didn’t like him.

I would like to go as far to say Barnabas probably would inspire those he is around, that they would want to like him.

The DNA of Barnabas is a giver not a taker. His hand is open and not tightfisted to fight.

Barnabas saw potential in people. He saw what they could be, maybe not what they are right at the moment

Barnabas was a independent thinker. He didn’t base what he does on what others do or what they think. It was dependent on what God says and what God thinks about it.

So here the church is, shaking things up, making an impact, watching people come to Christ.

That’s what Barnabas’s do

That’s what Barnabas church’s do

They shake things up, they make an impact, they don’t settle for less than what God wants done.

They are persecuted Not everyone agrees with them They are not everyone’s friend

They don’t get invited to every party

They are put in jail. The Lord immediately gets them out.

God says:

5:20 “Go stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life”

There it is ... God doesn’t say easy. He says Go

They are dragged in front of the Sanhedrin again.

5:28

We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.

That also is what Barnabas’s do. They keep bringing Jesus before the unsaved and give them an opportunity to know Him as their savior.