Barnabas: Encouragement - Acts 11 and 12

At eighty-three it would be much easier for me to write about my pity-party than to do a dissertation on how to be encouraged or how one can encourage others. With three hip replacements, one knee replacement and three lower back operations that have failed to be successful—there, I already have seven major points about which I could write. In addition to health problems, my encouragement has been attacked by a few other problems; some of which were more devastating. Therefore I believe that I qualify as one that can tell you from experience that living and teaching others to live a life of hope and expectancy is a matter of mind over matter. The bible never says that this life will be without problems but it gives us hundreds of examples where over comers have grown spiritually as a direct result of the problems they faced with an open mind and a believing faith.

It does not matter how devastating your life has been, the problems you have faced, or how discouraged you have become, one of the greatest gifts that any man can offer you is a word of encouragement. When we feel low for whatever reason, a kind word of encouragement from someone we have faith in is a gift of pleasure, and solace that lifts our spirit. For any one of us to be a successful encourager requires an optimistic outlook on life, it is like the ability that some have who can see the end of a long tunnel that gleams with sunlight and hope. There is no room for pessimism in the heart of an encourager. For example, I truly believe that the dim tunnel of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may have reached the point by now that we will enjoy a success by avoiding a grave potential danger from both countries. This just has to result in order to at least partially justify those who have paid the supreme sacrifice for the cause of freedom. We must continue to pray that those who have fought for our freedom will not have done so in vain.

Discouragement in the life of Christians usually comes when their ability to witness has been blocked by some who would like to see the will of Christ obstructed. We are living in a period of time in America today when this very thing is happening. There seems to be a force of evil that has set as its goal the death of the growth of the Christ orientated doctoring. It has hit us in the areas that we prize most; the sacred place of the family unit, the Christian’s right to read and teach the scripture, and the sacred right to pray at any time and in any place that we feel a need.

The time of reference in today’s lesson deals with the Christians that were living, praying and promulgating the gospel in Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s death. Opponents of the young church in Jerusalem took advantage of this event and used their new gained strength to drive all new believers from the city and they [new believers] dispersed into Phoenicia, the island of Cyprus, and into Antioch. They were Jews, and they took their message to the Jews of these new areas. However, there were others from Cyprus and Cyrene that also went to Antioch and started preaching the message of Christ and his Grace to the Greek specifically and not just the Jews.

The true message of this incident is restrained or somewhat hidden to the normal reader but not to those of us who like to date our heritage back to Antioch where the gospel was deliberately preached to the Gentiles. We Gentiles were first called Christians at Antioch; so why should we not be proud? In one way it seems harsh for me to say that I am glad that those early Christians were forced to leave their homeland. However, their sacrifice has led to my freedom—the early church door opened to all Gentiles as a result. Just think about it; we would not have our freedom of religion today had they not paved the way. It was God’s plan to open the doors of His Church to all of us who are willing to believe and trust Him.

Now, for the first time, the gospel is preached to us Gentiles. The movement toward a religion based on the new covenant has been working for some time for Jews. The first step toward a change was when Philip preached to the Samaritans who were half Jewish and they began to form the bridge between the Jews and Gentiles. The second big step came when Peter was willing to accept Cornelius. He got the inspiration to do this from the sheet that was let down before him with all of the different kinds of animals that God instructed him to eat. Peter recognized this as God’s way of telling him that he should be willing to accept non-Jews as brethren in Christ.

I believe that at first the leaders in the Christian church did not seek Cornelius; the truth is that he sought the church—and finally the church did not turn him away. The third big step came at Antioch when the church started preaching directly to the Gentile people. It is amazing to me that the bible did not tell us specifically who these people from Cyprus and Cyrene were that started preaching directly to the Gentiles. However, and regardless of who these people were—Christianity is finally launched on its world-wide mission. We now see for the first time that the church is doing what Christ told them to do at Pentecost when He said; “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel and baptize all believers [Jews and Gentiles] as Christians. I think that these people were not named specifically simply because it does not matter who wins the lost…it only matters that someone cares enough to go and teach. The bible teaches that some plant the seed while others water and all share in the harvest. There are no names mentioned here…just SOME men. This means that you and I are supposed to be involved in this work, and not worry about who gets the credit. If you and I witness to the lost and our pastor preaches the gospel to them and they are saved…WE ALL WIN.

The writers of biblical history tell us that Antioch was the third greatest city in the world at that time—next to Rome and Alexandra. It was a city known for its fun life with chariot-racing and luxurious immorality—and the pursuit of pleasure continued day and night. The original inhabitants worshipped Daphne who was some kind of sex-goddess. These people were known for their loose living where morality was overlooked. I only mention this because it seems that God chooses peculiar places to start his work—probably because the change in life style becomes so obvious. Everyone must realize that a vast change in the lives of the people is taking place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to witness such a change take place today in Hollywood, New York and Chicago?

It is easy to realize that new Christians in this kind of setting will find it hard to make the change. They especially need someone strong in the faith to encourage them to hold on and hold out against the opposition they must have faced. This is where Barnabas enters the picture as the great encourager. Word of the new Christians in Antioch reached Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas up to investigate. The grace of God brought about their choice because they could have sent one of their people that was still holding on to the law and its teachings against the Gentiles. Barnabas must have had the heart of God willing to reach out to all people. Back in chapter nine we find that Barnabas had already stood by Paul when many were suspecting him and his changed life. Barnabas had already given proof in 4: 36-37 of his Christian love by his generosity shown to the needy.

Barnabas was the encouraging leader needed in Antioch. And he knew the man that was needed to come in and preach to these people, helping them to get a strong start as new Christians. Paul has been preaching back in his home town for the past nine years—and Barnabas sought him out and encouraged him to move to Antioch to help Christians grow in their new grace.

We have studied the OT enough to know that the Prophets held strategic positions and offered important guidance to the people. In verses 27-30, we find that Prophets played important roles in the new church. In the Church there were three different kinds of leaders. First, there were the Apostles, who exercised authority wherever the new Church was established—they were thought of as the successors of Jesus. Second, there were the Elders who served in the new churches wherever they were ordained or set apart. And third, there were the prophets of the new age. One called Agabus, went to Antioch and predicted that there would be a famine throughout the entire land of Judaea. One of the first examples of the church in one city taking up offerings for fellow Christians who are in trouble in another place is found here in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were the leaders that encouraged their members to give to those [especially in the mother church at Jerusalem] and an offering was collected. Paul and Barnabas were chosen to take the offering back to the mother church. This must have been a tough task, because we see here that Gentiles are actually donating their wealth to the church that had originally witnessed to Jews only; and had actually persecuted some of the ones that were now donating—some had been driven from their homes there in the Jerusalem area.

I believe this to be the first work of the prophets that received their power to fore-tell things to come and also fore-tell the will of God in Peoples lives. A short time later some of these prophets were the people that the Apostles called ‘false prophets’ who started taking advantage of people for personal gain. The NT warns us many times about the false prophets that would come as goats in sheep clothing that would use their abilities to mislead the people.

There is no doubt that we still have some of these false prophets around. Some of the worst have formed cults, setting themselves up as the supreme leader and many have gained great powers over the people that have joined them. One that is in the news today has just been imprisoned somewhere in Texas or Utah for taking advantage of people under the pretense of being a supreme being in the Mormon movement.

Only a few years ago, a compound in Texas became so corrupt that the Federal Forces had to move in and finally burned their building, in order to set free those that had been misled and were in some cases being held against their will. And then there was the group from California that wound up in a compound in South America so misguided that they took their own life by drinking poisoned cool aid.

The three mentioned above are extreme cases that have made headlines in the news media. Their numbers have generally been limited to a few hundred or even less. But [in my opinion] there are dozens of men and women that have set themselves up as leaders, pastors of “new movements” that are misleading vast numbers of new believers.

The ‘New Life’ group is a good example. And there are several of the “Big Time” preachers that have organized their own churches and selected a new name. Some have pulled away from other churches such as the Baptist and use every opportunity they have to disclaim any affiliation. Many of these are now known to be “Mega Churches” with thousands of members. They solicit funds from the gullible public and honor the givers by calling them partners. Those that give regularly are counted as members of their church. In fact, this is the reason some can claim to have several thousand members.

They may not be false witnesses, it is not my place to judge and I surely have no proof, but I can not help but wonder—if their church should fold…Who would own the buildings, buses and especially the jet planes they use to fly all over the world.

I do know one truth, all of the apostles, disciples, and deacons that were in the evangelical ministry of the young church that Christ established were united in one cause, and not one of them tried to establish his own church and start a new movement. They lived, worked and died for one cause…to save the lost and to glorify the one and only Lord of all. Jesus Christ was the Cornerstone of the church to which they belonged.