Sermon notes from Sunday 17 November 2019
Acts 4 verses 32 - 37
This passage 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 always 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 continually 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 openng the doors of the temple and
then at night closing them again. He
grew up to be 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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