Sermon notes from Sunday 17 November 2019
Acts 4 verses 32 - 37
This pasage tells us about Joses or Joseph. He was given a name by the apostles inner circle as Barnabas. The interpretation of his name is the son of consolation or one who consoles. A man who encourages, always seems to have the word of exhortation. We live in an awful dark age and there is much discouragement and disappointment. When we look at Barnabas this was a man who was always there. It is good to have someone you can depend upon. He is not the one to shout about it, a man who is aways there. We see that highlighted in his life qualities. He is the man who stands out.
A distinguished man. Barnabas was a man of experience, a man of God who followed the Lord Jesus. Acts 11 verse 24 "he was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." He was not just good by nature alone but with faith. Many people were added to the church through him. The wise man Solomon said in Proverbs 22 verse 1 "a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." This man was simply an encourager. He stepped out when others stayed in the background. These were difficult times for the church. It was the first incident of persecution that had come against the church since Acts chapter 2. Maybe you are as far as you can possibly go, so discouraged, can hardly lift your head from the pillow, feel cannot go on another step, things have been turning against you. Somehow you feel you cannot go on. Take encouragement from this man. Maybe this morning you need a word of encouragement or consolation or maybe it is possible God wants to use you as that encourager. Is there someone you know who is going through difficult times and you could be there for them? Maybe you are the person to take that opportunity. Barnabas was that kind of man, he was a man whose glass was half full. He doesn`t listen to Murphy`s Law - if it can go wrong it will go wrong. This man got up and made himself useful. This was a distinguished man. He had a special quality - verse 32. He was one of them in the number. Are you in that number today? Would set this man apart. He was saved by God`s grace. Remember when Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost, he preached the gospel of saving grace. Isn`t it tremendous to see the work of salvation? It is through the preaching of the word of God that men should be saved. If we lose that preaching, the anointed preaching of God`s grace that we will see men and women saved. It is important to invite people in. The Lord could come at any moment in time. If that happened there would be many in our families lost and lost for eternity. We see here the preaching of Peter and God sent the Holy Spirit as a result. It is through the Holy Spirit that the word of God is applied to every heart. Remember when Jesus asked his disciples "whom do men say that I am?" Peter replied "thou art the Christ the son of the living God." Jesus replied "blessed are you for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you but my Father which is in heaven." Here on this day of Pentecost Peter preached the word of God and men and women cried out "what will we do?" The repy came back "repent and be saved." Barbanas was distinguished because he responded to God`s word. Elisha as he passed by the woman`s house, she saw him continualy coming. She knew that there was something different about him. She couldn`t ignore him. Remember Daniel carried into Babylon, used there to come in before the kings and interpret the dreams. Belshazzar threw a feast one day for all his princes when all of a sudden handwriting appeared on the wall. It brought everything to a standstill. We can be enjoying life to the fullest and all of a sudden there is the writing on the wall. None of the wise men could tell the king what this meant until the king`s grandmother came in. She remembered a time in Nebuchadnezzar`s life when he had a dream and one man distinguished himself. She told Belshazzar "there is a man in the kingdom in whom there is the spirit of the Holy Ghost." Barnabas was an encourager, a consoler. He brought comfort. He was a child of God. That is what distinguished him. We need to have experience of being brought into the kingdom of God. Verse 36 shows he was from the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, the order of the priesthood is given to this tribe. That family was to organise and help in the temple house of God. They owned no land of their own, they were not to buy land of their own. This man however owned land. He came from a good heritage but he still needed to be saved. Maybe we have a good background, perhaps even attending church every week. Saul was brought up in a strict religious home but he still needed to be saved. Am I one of the multitude today? He was a distinguished man.
He was also a dependable man. James describes such a man as "not unstable or double minded". A man of God and in the work of God. Barnabas will be be there every time, you could trust in him. Think of another couple whom Paul trusted so well - Priscilla and Aquilla. Acts 12 firstly they had to leave their home, they had to up sticks and move away because of persecution. In chapter 18 verse 2 we read "Paul found a certain Jew called Aquilla ... because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome." We then read "and because he was of the same craft he abode with them." Galatians 2 verse 9 speaks of James, Cephas or Peter and John who "seemed to be pillars." We need to be similar in the church. Joshua and Caleb were sent out into the land to investigate and bring back a report. They came back with a glowing report but all the rest of the spies were not happy. Caleb and Joshua stood up in front of everyone. We need people who want to get things done, are dependable. Verse 23 when the disciples were released "they went to their own company." Peter had been arrested by the Saduccees and were threatened but they came together to pray. Barnabas was dependable. It is good to be dependable. Someone you can trust. Samuel was a small boy when his mother took him up to the temple and gave him back to the Lord. He was a gift from God. Hannah told Eli "this is the child I prayed for and God has blessed me. Now I am giving him back to the Lord." Think of Samuel each day getting up and opeing the doors of the temple and then at night closing them again. He grew up to tbe the greatest prophet Israel ever had. He was always there. Dependable. To do the chores requested of him. Could God depend on you? Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher had the privilege of opening the boiler room to show those who were praying for him.
A man of discernment. Verse 34 and 37. The church had many needs at this time. He was discerning enough to see the need. He could see what was happening there. In chapter 11 he was sent down to Antioch to see the work of God. Barnabas went down. He realised what these people needed. He saw the people being saved, transformed and changed. Here was a need. This congregation needed something - chapter 11 verse 25.
A man of devotion. "having land he sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet." The discerning man sees what needs to be done, sees what is happening. The devoted man does something about it. Devoted to the one who save his soul. He had some land, took it and sold it and gave the money to the apostles to be used wherever it was needed. He didn`t say someone else can do it, he did what he could. The woman with the alabaster box of ointment had done all she could. God does not ask one more thing than is needed. Barnabas was willing to give to what people needed. Are we prepared to give what others need? We can give no less if saved by God`s grace. God doesn`t want the scraps or left overs He wants all we have today. This man took all he had. It cost Barnabas greatly to put everything he had into the work of God. Are we putting everything into the work of God, giving God all we have? Are we devoted today or just getting by in the Christian experience? Never really giving what it costs in terms of finance, time, abilities and gifts?
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