WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.160 Now we're going to look this morning for a little while, it's a standalone sermon and 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.480 we're going to look at the life of Barnabas. 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:17.440 So we are going to be in Acts but it's not part of the series that we've just finished. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:22.820 But it's quite good because we're still in Acts so there's a link to what we've been 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:24.960 studying over the last number of months. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:31.140 And it kind of dovetails well with Cody's sermon last Sunday night on friendship, which 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:35.399 he preached from Proverbs and we've been looking at Proverbs in the evening. 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.939 So there's quite a nice dovetailing between the two. 00:00:38.939 --> 00:00:41.460 Sorry if you weren't here last Sunday evening. 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:48.579 But there is a link between the kind of friendship that Proverbs speaks about and also the encouragement 00:00:48.579 --> 00:00:53.659 that is personified in the life of Barnabas. 00:00:53.659 --> 00:00:58.219 And I hope that we can think about the theme of encouragement this morning for a little 00:00:58.219 --> 00:00:59.219 while. 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:00.299 It's a gift of God. 00:01:00.299 --> 00:01:05.099 Romans 8 to 12 speaks about the different gifts and if you are encourager then be someone 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:06.899 who encourages. 00:01:06.899 --> 00:01:09.500 And we know that it's interesting. 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:15.060 Acts speaks a lot about the importance of encouragement, a gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:21.099 I think it's a gift that is specially recognized in some people. 00:01:21.099 --> 00:01:25.219 In other words, some people are really special encouragers. 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:30.979 It's also a gift of common grace so that anyone, whether they're Christians or not, 00:01:30.979 --> 00:01:33.579 can be encourager. 00:01:33.579 --> 00:01:40.019 But it is something that for all of us as Christians and with Christ we can develop 00:01:40.019 --> 00:01:47.060 example, mimic and pray more for in our Christian lives. 00:01:47.060 --> 00:01:50.979 I think we need it. 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:55.540 It's mentioned often in the Book of Acts and it's seen in different ways. 00:01:55.540 --> 00:02:03.260 I think in Romans chapter 1, 11 and 12 we have a reference as long as I see it that 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:09.180 it's in part to some spiritual gift to strengthen you that we may be mutually encouraged by 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:11.860 each other's faith both yours and mine. 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:18.860 So there's this sense there and also in Romans 15, you know what I was written in the former 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:23.660 days was written for our instruction that through the endurance and through the encouragement 00:02:23.660 --> 00:02:29.020 of the scriptures we might have hope, may the God of endurance and encouragement give 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:33.940 you life, give you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Jesus Christ. 00:02:33.940 --> 00:02:38.140 So there's this great sense in which the New Testament church in Acts was one where the 00:02:38.140 --> 00:02:43.700 leaders sought to encourage the people and likewise they encouraged one another. 00:02:43.700 --> 00:02:47.900 Also that we should be encouraged in response to the truth so you shouldn't really come 00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:50.860 to church and go away feeling miserable and wretched. 00:02:50.860 --> 00:02:55.140 You should be encouraged under the challenge, yes. 00:02:55.140 --> 00:02:56.140 You shouldn't fall asleep. 00:02:56.140 --> 00:02:57.700 It shouldn't be so horrific. 00:02:57.700 --> 00:03:01.620 It shouldn't just send you off into a days of sleep. 00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:08.460 It should be spiritually encouraging and as we see the character of God we recognize 00:03:08.460 --> 00:03:09.900 that that's His work. 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.860 His work is to encourage us in our Christian faith. 00:03:12.860 --> 00:03:18.500 So the challenge this morning for us I hope is to look into our own hearts, into our own 00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:26.540 relationships, marriage, Christian relationships with your boss, work, whatever it might be, 00:03:26.540 --> 00:03:31.820 your own relationships, your relationships with other Christians. 00:03:31.820 --> 00:03:39.980 And think about your life and think about how easy it is today for you to be discouraged 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:44.979 and how easy it is actually to be discouraging. 00:03:44.979 --> 00:03:46.259 We can do both in other words. 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:52.500 We can discourage and we can be discouraged in our lives. 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:57.139 We face in our Christian lives a huge internal battle, don't we? 00:03:57.139 --> 00:04:04.299 We know grace and we know God and we know forgiveness but we do face a huge ongoing battle against 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:11.660 selfishness, negativity and discouragement. 00:04:11.660 --> 00:04:14.380 That comes much easier to us. 00:04:14.380 --> 00:04:21.139 We naturally are discouragers and we are naturally discouraged. 00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:28.460 But the great thing about grace is a beautiful mark of not just common grace but saving grace 00:04:28.460 --> 00:04:31.540 that Christ motivated to be an encourager. 00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:36.580 And I just want to—oh, I'm going to use this word a lot today—encourage you to be 00:04:36.580 --> 00:04:38.580 encouragers, okay? 00:04:38.580 --> 00:04:40.100 And we encourage one another. 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:42.780 Life is short. 00:04:42.780 --> 00:04:46.060 We struggle in battle with lots of different things. 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:53.939 And Jesus placed Barnabas, God placed Barnabas right at the heart of leadership in the New 00:04:53.939 --> 00:04:56.660 Testament church. 00:04:56.660 --> 00:04:58.460 Was he a big shot? 00:04:58.460 --> 00:05:00.460 Was he a great academic? 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:02.819 Was he a man of outstanding faith? 00:05:02.819 --> 00:05:04.500 He may have been all these things. 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:08.779 But what he's remembered for and what God placed him in the church for as a leader was 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.699 to be an encourager alongside Paul. 00:05:11.699 --> 00:05:14.180 Encourager, very important. 00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:20.779 That fledgling early young church saw the need, God saw the need that they were encouraged. 00:05:20.779 --> 00:05:26.859 And we see what happens when they, at different points, are discouraged and how deflating and 00:05:26.859 --> 00:05:28.539 difficult it was for them. 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:32.980 So I want to look at Barnabas and look at his character this morning. 00:05:32.980 --> 00:05:35.740 There's five particular passages in Acts. 00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:41.180 We're not going to look at them in any detail, but they just give us a little bit of a perspective. 00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:45.140 Build up a character picture of Barnabas for us. 00:05:45.140 --> 00:05:52.060 And in Acts chapter 4 and verse 36, we're told that Joseph, who was also called by the 00:05:52.060 --> 00:05:58.500 apostles Barnabas, which means sons of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, he was a prophet. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:01.139 He was part of that early church. 00:06:01.139 --> 00:06:05.660 And therefore, he was a Cypriot Jew. 00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:12.620 He would have, at the diaspora, when people all left Judea and Jerusalem, he would have 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:15.180 settled in Cyprus. 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:21.259 And so he was Jewish by culture and by religion, but he had been brought up in Cyprus. 00:06:21.259 --> 00:06:27.420 So he was someone who knew a different culture and he knew a different language and would 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:33.020 have known a different perspective on life, which I think is interesting. 00:06:33.020 --> 00:06:35.220 And he was given a nickname. 00:06:35.220 --> 00:06:37.900 He was given a nickname by the disciples. 00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:41.700 He was called Barnabas, son of encouragement. 00:06:41.700 --> 00:06:46.939 And that is because they knew him and they knew his character. 00:06:46.939 --> 00:06:50.180 I think nicknames are great sometimes. 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:53.780 I wonder what my nickname is from ULOT. 00:06:53.780 --> 00:06:56.580 And you ought to see the nicknames I have for ULOT. 00:06:56.579 --> 00:06:57.740 They're great. 00:06:57.740 --> 00:06:59.620 But this was good nickname, wasn't it? 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:04.620 This was a by-name that he was given because it reflected his character. 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:06.180 He was known by the early church. 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:09.459 His reputation, his gift was clear and known. 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:14.979 He was an encourager, son of encouragement, very positive. 00:07:14.979 --> 00:07:20.139 And the other other references we have in Acts give us a reflect on what that looked 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:23.139 like for him as a Christian leader. 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:27.579 And one of the first things was that he was generous. 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:34.379 We are told that he, in the next verse to the one we read, that he had a piece of land 00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:40.899 in Cyprus and he sold it and brought the money to the feet of the disciples in Jerusalem. 00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:41.899 He was generous. 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:43.259 He owned land. 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:47.060 He recognized the gospel need and he gave the money. 00:07:47.060 --> 00:07:50.579 And not only was he generous in that way, but he encouraged it in other times. 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:54.979 We read in the passage we read in Acts chapter 11, it talked about the great famine that 00:07:54.979 --> 00:07:56.339 was going to come. 00:07:56.339 --> 00:08:02.579 And so he encouraged the church in Antioch to raise money, to bring it back to the disciples 00:08:02.579 --> 00:08:04.259 in Jerusalem. 00:08:04.259 --> 00:08:10.579 And he was someone who enthused and encouraged others to be generous. 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:17.779 And also we learn later on in his life, or in Acts rather, that he was one of the few 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:24.339 apostles who didn't take any salary or any wage for being an apostle. 00:08:24.339 --> 00:08:30.459 He worked himself and supported himself rather than taking money from the young church. 00:08:30.459 --> 00:08:38.019 So he was generous and he had this generous spirit which encouraged other people. 00:08:38.019 --> 00:08:40.699 But he also was someone who took risks on other people. 00:08:40.699 --> 00:08:46.100 His generosity was reflected, not just financially or as encouragement, it wasn't just financial, 00:08:46.100 --> 00:08:52.540 but it was also the way he was generous in the way he responded to other people. 00:08:52.540 --> 00:09:01.139 In Acts chapter 9, we have verses 26 and 27. 00:09:01.139 --> 00:09:08.860 He was the first person really to take Saul seriously as a disciple. 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:12.620 And when they'd come to Jerusalem, they attempted to join the disciples, that is Saul. 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:16.500 And they were afraid of him, for they did not believe he was a disciple. 00:09:16.500 --> 00:09:21.139 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:25.620 he had been seen by the Lord, who spoke to him and how at Damascus he had preached boldly 00:09:25.620 --> 00:09:26.860 in the name of Jesus. 00:09:26.860 --> 00:09:32.100 So he was willing there very early on to have a generous attitude towards Paul, where the 00:09:32.100 --> 00:09:34.899 other disciples were kind of dodgy and afraid. 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:42.060 He trusted in the forgiveness and in the testimony and in the conversion of Saul. 00:09:42.059 --> 00:09:44.899 He was willing to go out on a limb for him. 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:49.419 As he was for John Mark in Acts chapter 15, there's an account I'll mention this later, 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:54.699 of a great, great big fallout in the leadership between Paul and Barnabas. 00:09:54.699 --> 00:10:01.219 And it's over John Mark who had previously deserted them in their first missionary journey. 00:10:01.219 --> 00:10:05.379 But Barnabas was willing to take John Mark again on the second journey and forgive him 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:08.739 and give him a fresh start. 00:10:08.739 --> 00:10:11.500 He was positive about allowing John Mark. 00:10:11.500 --> 00:10:12.940 Now we might say a little bit more about that. 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:16.620 There might be a little bit more to that that is not so good. 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:20.379 But anyway, we'll maybe mention that later if we have time. 00:10:20.379 --> 00:10:25.340 And in the account we read here, he's sent by the church in Jerusalem to Antioch. 00:10:25.340 --> 00:10:29.740 He's a son of encouragement and he's going to see this young church and the report back 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:31.299 as an ambassador of the church. 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:35.220 And he's positive that these Gentiles are coming to faith. 00:10:35.220 --> 00:10:36.899 This is a new movement. 00:10:36.899 --> 00:10:39.460 God is working in the Gentiles just as much as the Jews. 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:43.820 And he's willing to accept that and return back with that message. 00:10:43.820 --> 00:10:44.820 So he's generous. 00:10:44.820 --> 00:10:51.620 He took risks for others and his encouragement also developed in the way that he was a team 00:10:51.620 --> 00:10:52.620 leader. 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:57.379 We see that in his work with Paul and his work with John Mark. 00:10:57.379 --> 00:11:04.300 But also in his willingness here to seek out trainee and gifted leaders, the church in 00:11:04.300 --> 00:11:06.940 Antioch, he sees the need of the church. 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:09.620 And so he sends for, who's he sent for? 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:10.620 He sends for Saul. 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:14.100 This man who's been converted, he's got great teaching gifts. 00:11:14.100 --> 00:11:18.340 And he says, Saul, you come back and you come back and work with me here and we'll teach 00:11:18.340 --> 00:11:19.500 this young church. 00:11:19.500 --> 00:11:26.700 Now, what's interesting about that, and it's a great mark of good leadership, great encouragement, 00:11:26.700 --> 00:11:32.220 is that when Paul comes or Saul comes and they work together, and in the chapter we 00:11:32.220 --> 00:11:40.540 read it's Barnabas and Paul, but as time goes on, we see that Luke changes things and it 00:11:40.540 --> 00:11:44.620 becomes Paul and Barnabas. 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:46.220 Paul becomes the main man. 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:49.340 He's younger, he's your Christian. 00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:53.580 Barnabas is an older, mature Christian, but he sees the gifts that Paul has and he's willing 00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:55.060 to take a back seat. 00:11:55.060 --> 00:11:56.940 He's willing to encourage him. 00:11:56.940 --> 00:12:03.460 He's willing him to be the most significant player and we see that even Luke recognizes 00:12:03.460 --> 00:12:10.220 that the weight of responsibility changes from Barnabas and Paul together to Paul and 00:12:10.220 --> 00:12:11.220 Barnabas in. 00:12:11.220 --> 00:12:17.140 And that's a great encouraging mark in leadership and a great encouraging mark that he shows 00:12:17.140 --> 00:12:18.140 here. 00:12:18.140 --> 00:12:25.460 So he's someone who, Sipriyadru, he's got a great nickname as an encourager and that 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:29.420 is reflected in his, the account we have. 00:12:29.420 --> 00:12:34.540 And we recognize as we read here that he is a spirit filled Christian. 00:12:34.540 --> 00:12:40.300 We recognize and see in verse 24 that he was a man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, 00:12:40.300 --> 00:12:41.300 a good man. 00:12:41.300 --> 00:12:42.300 Okay? 00:12:42.300 --> 00:12:44.780 It's Barnabas' son of encouragement. 00:12:44.780 --> 00:12:48.180 He understood grace. 00:12:48.180 --> 00:12:55.019 He understood his need for and dependence on God and that attract, that made him attractive 00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:57.139 and it molded his character. 00:12:57.139 --> 00:13:03.379 He didn't have grace in a box that he took out on a Sunday and put on. 00:13:03.379 --> 00:13:09.620 He didn't have grace for an emergency that he used only as the fourth emergency service. 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:16.100 He was someone who lived grace and who put that grace into practice as a son of encouragement. 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:22.379 A good man full of the Holy Spirit and a central leader in the early church. 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:26.019 He was a great teacher, he was a great evangelist. 00:13:26.019 --> 00:13:28.899 Lots of people came to faith through his teaching. 00:13:28.899 --> 00:13:35.700 He was an encourager of young Christians to remain true to the faith. 00:13:35.700 --> 00:13:42.700 We see that in verse 23 where he exhorted them and encouraged them, this young Christian 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:48.059 church in Antioch, to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purposes. 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:53.099 So we see that some of these are some of the characteristics that are spoken of by Barnabas. 00:13:53.099 --> 00:13:57.739 But we also do recognise, in case you think this is flowery and sweet and that he had 00:13:57.739 --> 00:14:02.979 a great life of ease as he went around and patted everyone in the back and was a great 00:14:02.979 --> 00:14:06.779 encourager, his life was also not plain sailing. 00:14:06.779 --> 00:14:14.659 And that for us, I hope, is an encouragement, is that his life wasn't plain sailing. 00:14:14.659 --> 00:14:19.659 It's not that we look at Barnabas and see some unattainable Christian giant who was 00:14:19.659 --> 00:14:23.299 just brilliant towards everyone. 00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:25.860 He wasn't perfect, he's not Jesus. 00:14:25.860 --> 00:14:28.659 He makes mistakes. 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:33.139 He lives in an imperfect church with imperfect leaders. 00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:35.459 And he's an imperfect leader. 00:14:35.459 --> 00:14:38.699 And he lives in a world which is broken and difficult. 00:14:38.699 --> 00:14:41.339 And so it's not all plain sailing for him. 00:14:41.339 --> 00:14:44.379 Just a couple of things that I've already mentioned. 00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:51.259 The first is at one point we see that he lost sight of grace himself. 00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:57.659 We're told in Galatians 2 and verse 13, where Paul's speaking about the problems of legalism 00:14:57.659 --> 00:15:02.740 in the church and he says, the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him so 00:15:02.740 --> 00:15:09.580 that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:11.580 Can you imagine that? 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:13.580 Barnabas the son of encouragement. 00:15:13.580 --> 00:15:18.379 Barnabas the one who went to Antioch and who said, yes, let's recognize the great work 00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:19.379 that Jews are doing. 00:15:19.379 --> 00:15:26.060 He is led astray by the legalists who come up from Jerusalem and say, no, the Gentile 00:15:26.060 --> 00:15:30.100 Christians must be circumcised and they must obey the law of Moses. 00:15:30.100 --> 00:15:33.100 They're only half-baked Christians. 00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:35.700 They're not real Christians. 00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:37.740 They're only sort of Christians. 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:48.259 They haven't grown up through our tradition and he falls into that legalism in Antioch 00:15:48.259 --> 00:15:51.419 and Paul roasts them for that. 00:15:51.419 --> 00:15:54.100 Paul blasts them for their legalism. 00:15:54.100 --> 00:15:59.340 Right at the core, at the early point of the church, it's vital to get rid of the cancer 00:15:59.340 --> 00:16:06.379 of moralistic legalism in the church and he roasts them for being so hypocritical and 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:09.220 legalistic. 00:16:09.220 --> 00:16:17.259 The great thing is that Barnabas clearly responds to that and he then later, of course, defends 00:16:17.259 --> 00:16:24.379 the church in Antioch to the leaders in Jerusalem and forgiveness for him therefore was wrought 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:27.539 in the fires of failure. 00:16:27.539 --> 00:16:30.179 That's important, isn't it? 00:16:30.179 --> 00:16:35.259 We recognize our own failure and his willingness and his encouragement to forgive others came 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:40.419 from his own experience of being forgiven both by Paul and by the Lord Jesus for his 00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:41.419 legalistic attitude. 00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:44.500 So at one point he lost sight of grace and that's recorded. 00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:51.819 But also he has this huge disagreement, as I mentioned earlier with Paul in Acts 15 verses 00:16:51.819 --> 00:16:53.460 37 to 39. 00:16:53.460 --> 00:16:58.100 Barnabas wanted to take with him on their missionary journey, John called Mark. 00:16:58.100 --> 00:17:02.860 But Paul thought best not to take him with him, one who had withdrawn from them in Pampholite 00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:04.740 and had not gone with them to the work. 00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:08.980 There was a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other. 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:12.420 Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:13.420 Sails away. 00:17:13.420 --> 00:17:21.740 The great thing is that as Paul goes with Timothy, Othytus and Barnabas goes with John 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:25.500 Mark they kind of double up the work. 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:30.900 But we're not given much insight into what happened there. 00:17:30.900 --> 00:17:37.259 Was it that deep down that he struggled a little bit with Paul's dominance, Paul's 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:45.340 rise to significance, or was it he struggled with Paul's belligerence and his lack of forgiveness 00:17:45.340 --> 00:17:49.820 of John Mark, lack of giving him a second chance? 00:17:49.820 --> 00:17:52.700 John Mark was a relation of Barnabas's. 00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:58.780 So there may have been a little bit of blood being thicker than grace, I guess, that he 00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:05.460 might have just sided with his own cousin or relation rather than with Paul, we don't 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:06.660 know. 00:18:06.660 --> 00:18:11.740 But the interesting thing is they agreed to disagree and went their separate ways and 00:18:11.740 --> 00:18:14.420 served the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:19.700 And it seemed that they still, we don't hear much about them, but did seem to get on and 00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:22.940 continue with the work together. 00:18:22.940 --> 00:18:25.579 But it's not always easy to work with others, we know that. 00:18:25.579 --> 00:18:27.180 We all know that as leaders in the church. 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:30.820 We all know that within the church. 00:18:30.820 --> 00:18:35.860 But one of, probably one of the temptations of being an encourager, negative temptation 00:18:35.860 --> 00:18:40.140 to being an encourager, is being a people pleaser. 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:48.340 Maybe on this occasion Barnabas was just desperate to please John Mark and keep everyone, try 00:18:48.340 --> 00:18:51.019 and keep everyone happy. 00:18:51.019 --> 00:18:53.700 And that is possible, it never works. 00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:57.740 It never works to be a people pleaser. 00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:05.019 But we can see the difference between encouragement and people pleasing in the life of Barnabas. 00:19:05.019 --> 00:19:11.299 So the gift of encouragement, we've seen his life, we've seen what the Bible teaches at 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:14.380 least at some level. 00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:21.580 What lessons can we take from Barnabas and from the teaching of the Bible about encouragement 00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:29.579 in our own Christian community, in your own family, in your workplace, where you're studying, 00:19:29.579 --> 00:19:31.259 whatever it might be. 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:36.259 How can we develop, maybe you have a special gift of encouragement that God has given you 00:19:36.259 --> 00:19:39.619 by the Holy Spirit, how can you develop and nurture that? 00:19:39.619 --> 00:19:46.179 Maybe by nature you're a pessimist and a discourager, the glass is always half empty. 00:19:46.179 --> 00:19:48.419 In Scotland we're all like that. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:54.420 It's just part of our culture and our background is Calvinistic, Presbyterian, Reign Dwellers. 00:19:54.420 --> 00:19:57.180 We tend to be that way sometimes. 00:19:57.180 --> 00:20:06.300 But how can we take generosity and recognise it as a hugely significant biblical characteristic? 00:20:06.300 --> 00:20:07.700 And what does it mean? 00:20:07.700 --> 00:20:12.580 Does it just mean slapping someone in the back and telling them to carry on going? 00:20:12.580 --> 00:20:13.580 Not so. 00:20:13.580 --> 00:20:17.060 I think the first thing, and I've just mentioned three things. 00:20:17.059 --> 00:20:20.700 The first thing is rooted in grace and truth. 00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:22.619 That's hugely significant. 00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:23.619 We see that in Barnabas. 00:20:23.619 --> 00:20:29.500 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and that's recorded as being significant. 00:20:29.500 --> 00:20:32.099 It's grounded in the truth of the Gospel. 00:20:32.099 --> 00:20:38.419 He knew all about himself and that enabled him to be redeemed, forgiven and encourager 00:20:38.419 --> 00:20:40.019 to others. 00:20:40.019 --> 00:20:44.019 He was a teacher of what he had received. 00:20:44.019 --> 00:20:46.980 And it wasn't for him just a natural character. 00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:50.420 It wasn't just the kind of guy he was. 00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:56.220 But it was because he was a good man in Christ, full of the Holy Spirit that he became an 00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:58.220 encourager. 00:20:58.220 --> 00:21:04.420 That gives encouragement, a deep hue, a deep colour in our lives, because it means we're 00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:12.900 mimicking the time in our day-to-day lives to look at Jesus Christ, eyeball to eyeball, 00:21:12.900 --> 00:21:18.740 and see His character, and how He should be reflected in our lives. 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:21.060 What it is, is mimicking the nature of God. 00:21:21.060 --> 00:21:22.060 That's what it is. 00:21:22.060 --> 00:21:24.019 That's what encouragement is. 00:21:24.019 --> 00:21:27.500 The God who is the encourager. 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:34.700 In our style of leadership, in our style of membership, in our style of recognising Christian 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:44.460 community, we are seeking that reflection of God in our encouragement. 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:49.819 In one of the passages we read in the speech about God encouraging unity through that, 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:52.100 that's glorifying to God. 00:21:52.100 --> 00:21:53.980 And encouragement is a great way towards that. 00:21:53.980 --> 00:21:55.500 You know that, don't you? 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:58.860 You know today in your Christian life the road is very steep for you and the battles 00:21:58.859 --> 00:22:05.699 are very real in your Christian life, and you know that it's so easy to be knocked down 00:22:05.699 --> 00:22:09.059 and that so many people knock us down. 00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:15.099 And you know that there's so many tears when people discourage us and expose our failings 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:20.779 and faults and our impotence and our ignorance and our uselessness. 00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:22.059 Why does that discourage us? 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:24.379 Because we know it anyway. 00:22:24.379 --> 00:22:25.579 We know it. 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:29.819 We don't really need it to be trumpeted by everybody else. 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:33.899 We know our own failures and we don't need discouragement. 00:22:33.899 --> 00:22:35.699 Yes, we need accountability. 00:22:35.699 --> 00:22:42.179 Yes, we need to be told the truth and love, but we don't need to be given quick words 00:22:42.179 --> 00:22:49.379 of discouragement as we walk on our road. 00:22:49.379 --> 00:22:53.339 It's like a marathon in the Christian life, isn't it? 00:22:53.339 --> 00:22:57.659 We need endurance, and in this Christian life we are amateurs. 00:22:57.659 --> 00:23:03.779 There's only one professional and that's the Lord Jesus Christ, and we need His help 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:10.779 and His greatness and His promises and His power and His friendship. 00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:12.339 And we need the encouragement of one another. 00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:16.459 Do you remember what Corey was saying last Sunday evening about friendship from the book 00:23:16.459 --> 00:23:17.459 of Proverbs? 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:25.900 It's that love that is shoulder to shoulder with people, but becomes eye to eye. 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:30.059 It's the importance of having people that will walk shoulder to shoulder with you and 00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:35.579 the encouragement of that, but that it deepens into becoming something where we are eye 00:23:35.579 --> 00:23:40.100 to eye spiritual encouragers. 00:23:40.100 --> 00:23:46.460 I don't want St. Columbus to be full of matesy mates, good old friends that are just friendly 00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:53.460 now and again or friendly in a superficial, shallow, meaningless way, but encouragers, 00:23:53.460 --> 00:24:01.460 deep seated, deeply rooted encouragers in Jesus Christ in the way that Barnabas was. 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:05.579 Now that is really tough. 00:24:05.579 --> 00:24:11.700 That is far tougher than being legalistic, for example, and far tougher than being judgmental, 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:18.940 and far tougher than being discouraging, and a perfectionist. 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:25.019 So it's rooted in grace and truth, and therefore the second characteristic of it is generosity. 00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:29.100 We see that wholeheartedly with Barnabas, doesn't it? 00:24:29.100 --> 00:24:35.580 And so we'll be encouragers if we are generous with all the resources God has given to us 00:24:35.580 --> 00:24:40.100 and with our spirit, with our very being. 00:24:40.099 --> 00:24:46.179 So if you'll find that parallels in Scripture, you'll find discouragement is often paralleled 00:24:46.179 --> 00:24:54.619 with meanness, meanness of the use of our resources, of our time, of our gifts that God has poured 00:24:54.619 --> 00:25:02.299 out and probably most significantly mean spirited towards other people. 00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:09.299 That's where discouragement finds its root, in meanness, in being willing to always think 00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:15.539 the worst about people, to be willing to be quick to condemn and criticise whether it's 00:25:15.539 --> 00:25:23.579 in church leadership or any kind of leadership across several situations recently, not personal, 00:25:23.579 --> 00:25:30.019 not here, generally, but in lots of different walks of life. 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:35.940 Leaders are accountable, of course, in the workplace and the home and in the church and 00:25:35.940 --> 00:25:48.100 elsewhere and politics, but it's an easy shot to always be critical of those in these positions 00:25:48.100 --> 00:25:53.779 and to be a discourager and always to know better than what they're seeking to do. 00:25:53.779 --> 00:25:58.940 And the Christian gospel is set up in such a way where submission is important. 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:06.420 All of us as leaders and as people together are submissive under Christ and encourageers 00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:09.700 for Him. 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:19.100 Being discouraging often is about making ourselves important and significant, but the opposite 00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:24.620 encouragement is so transformational, so radical and so uplifting. 00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:29.779 It's something I know you crave and I know I crave, we all crave in current rightful 00:26:29.779 --> 00:26:36.659 grace and truth filled encouragement that we need to strive for here, in our families, 00:26:36.659 --> 00:26:39.379 in our marriages, in our workplaces. 00:26:39.379 --> 00:26:45.539 And we have seen at many different levels huge amounts of generosity in St. Columba's, 00:26:45.539 --> 00:26:46.939 at a personal level. 00:26:46.939 --> 00:26:51.739 We've seen it financially in the way God's provided for us, particularly in our church 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:54.980 plants and in so many different ways. 00:26:54.980 --> 00:27:02.220 God pouring out His Spirit upon us in our ability to develop staffing and helping in 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:08.579 Nepal and in mission situations and it's a great encouragement and your resources, your 00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:13.700 time, what you give, how you're willing to open your homes and your hearts, it's such 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:19.500 an encouragement and you know it is great to receive that. 00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:25.019 So generosity rooted in grace and truth and lastly and very briefly, also it's self-forgetful. 00:27:25.019 --> 00:27:26.900 You see that with Barnabas, don't you? 00:27:26.900 --> 00:27:34.019 He's self-forgetful in his willingness for God to have the glory for Paul to take first 00:27:34.019 --> 00:27:40.059 place in leadership and to forgive and work with John Mark and others. 00:27:40.059 --> 00:27:46.259 He's willing to train others, invest in them, spend time with them. 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:50.819 As an older, mature believer, he's willing to spend time with Paul and let him take that 00:27:50.819 --> 00:27:55.460 position and he's willing to encourage young Christians in Antioch and it's a great thing 00:27:55.460 --> 00:27:59.900 here also, self-forgetfulness. 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:07.259 Self-forgetfulness can be a great mark of an encourager, someone who is willing to forgive, 00:28:07.259 --> 00:28:10.900 willing to nurture, willing to give the second chance. 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:17.980 Now we have the privilege of over this last probably eight year to 18 months to have welcomed 00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:20.580 a number of older members into the congregation. 00:28:20.580 --> 00:28:30.700 A great deficit that we had previously and an astonishing blessing to have them and they 00:28:30.700 --> 00:28:38.060 have the privilege of being able to share from their lives with this very young in many 00:28:38.059 --> 00:28:41.299 ways congregation. 00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:48.940 And as older Christians we remember what we were like, we ought to and as we do so it 00:28:48.940 --> 00:28:56.139 helps us to be encouragers of others, of young Christians in particular and self-forget, 00:28:56.139 --> 00:29:01.220 we're willing for others to take the credit, we're willing for others to take the limelight, 00:29:01.220 --> 00:29:06.779 we're willing to take risks with people, we ought to be willing to stand aside and let 00:29:06.779 --> 00:29:15.259 others flourish and put the glory of God before ourselves, before our noses being out of joint, 00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:20.859 before our traditions, before our power, before our importance. 00:29:20.859 --> 00:29:27.859 We can encourage as we have the freedom of grace and the perspective of belonging to 00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:34.139 Jesus and our identity being in Him, we can encourage others even if it means we are always 00:29:34.140 --> 00:29:40.900 in the background, if it means that, well, we move on quickly, don't we, from the scene 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:48.380 of time, we're only here for a while and we will soon be forgotten. 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:54.860 Generosity and self-forgetfulness in Christ gives us a generous serving spirit as we recognize 00:29:54.860 --> 00:30:01.220 our frailty and the forgiveness that we've had and the encouragement we've received. 00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:05.579 You remember, don't you, the people that encouraged you in your fledgling Christian 00:30:05.579 --> 00:30:11.140 faith, you remember the older people that took you aside and spoke to you lovingly about 00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:17.779 Jesus, you remember the people when you made mistakes, forgave you and corrected you in 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:23.539 love, you remember the encouragers because they were so important and probably because 00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:29.779 they were so rare because we also remember the discouragers and those who broke our 00:30:29.779 --> 00:30:33.740 spirit and those who made us want to give up the Christian faith. 00:30:33.740 --> 00:30:36.460 It's interesting, isn't it? 00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.460 Why do we preach? 00:30:37.460 --> 00:30:42.139 We preach the living word because we hope it encourages. 00:30:42.139 --> 00:30:46.220 We hope it lifts us to a place where we want to be. 00:30:46.220 --> 00:30:53.259 We hope it makes us fall on our knees pleading for the forgiveness that we seek and that 00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:54.500 we want to offer others. 00:30:54.500 --> 00:31:00.180 We hope it enables us at least sometimes to soar on wings like eagles on the current 00:31:00.180 --> 00:31:07.220 of grace that has transformed our own lives and fallen on our knees also to pray for change. 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:15.299 A community of encouragers, wouldn't that be a great epitaph for this congregation? 00:31:15.299 --> 00:31:20.660 Not that I think it will ever die, but just in case we did, that we would be a community 00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:30.500 of encouragers, good people full of the Holy Spirit like God, and it comes from knowing 00:31:30.500 --> 00:31:39.700 grace in our own hearts and the importance of praying for that grace in ourselves and 00:31:39.700 --> 00:31:40.700 in others. 00:31:40.700 --> 00:31:46.019 And if you don't know that grace, you may have the common grace of encouragement that 00:31:46.019 --> 00:31:52.779 God gave you when you were born, but there's a much deeper, much more significant encouragement 00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:58.379 that you will only know as you come to faith in Jesus Christ yourself and the encouragement 00:31:58.379 --> 00:31:59.980 of salvation that He offers. 00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:02.619 Let's bow our heads and pray. 00:32:02.619 --> 00:32:06.379 Father God, we pray that you would apply your word to us. 00:32:06.379 --> 00:32:14.180 We know we need your word to be lifted from its pages by the Holy Spirit and breathed 00:32:14.180 --> 00:32:16.100 into our lives. 00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:23.220 And we ask that we would, before we speak today, before we respond or react, before we go to 00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:31.660 work maybe tomorrow, before we live our lives, that we would think about what we say and 00:32:31.660 --> 00:32:36.500 what we do and how we live to see whether we are encouragers. 00:32:36.500 --> 00:32:40.539 And we know that doesn't mean that we're not going to be honest or we're not going to 00:32:40.539 --> 00:32:49.220 be accountable or mentoring or leading others, but to do so in love and to do so with grace 00:32:49.220 --> 00:32:52.379 and to do so recognizing our own hearts. 00:32:52.379 --> 00:32:55.379 Help us, we pray, in all of these things. 00:32:55.379 --> 00:33:00.619 And we ask that we would be encouraged ourselves and encouragers as people in this day and 00:33:00.619 --> 00:33:08.019 generation where there does seem, maybe particularly in places like social media, so much abuse 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:17.180 and discouragement and negativity and brokenness that can sometimes just tear our hearts apart. 00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:24.059 So we ask for your help and for your grace and for your goodness and for your love to 00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:28.859 reveal itself in our hearts and in our lives for Jesus' sake. 00:33:28.859 --> 00:33:38.859 Amen.