Acts 4:32-37 You Can Be the Church s Secret Weapon Sunday, July 31, 2016

Transcription

1 Acts 4:32-37 You Can Be the Church s Secret Weapon Sunday, July 31, 2016 Introduction: We re continuing our series on the Book of Acts. We re looking at the example of the early church to see what lessons we can learn to help us be the church God wants us to be. However, before we read our text for this morning I want to ask you this question: Of all the individuals mentioned in the New Testament which three would you say are the pillars of the early church? Most theologians would say that originally it was Peter, James and John and then later Paul. These men were definitely used of God in a significant way. However, there is someone else in the New Testament, a sort of unsung hero, who played a significant role that is easy to overlook. This individual is one of my favourite Bible characters for a couple of reasons firstly, I like the idea of an unsung hero; that person in the church who doesn t get a lot of recognition, but actually contributes quite a bit to the church s success. There is something about the behind the scenes aspect of it that impresses me. Second, unsung heroes remind us that there are many different ways to make an important contribution to the work of Christ. Not everyone will be an upfront leader, but everyone can make a difference. How would you like to fulfil a really meaningful role in the church? I want to share with you the story of someone in the New Testament church, whose example any of us can follow. My topic this morning is, You Can Be the Church s Secret Weapon. Pastor Darnell Starks Page 1

2 Interpretation: The person we're looking at today is a man whose real name was Joseph, but he was known as Barnabas. He was a Levite (assistant priest) from the island of Cyprus. Barnabas lived during the beginning of the Christian Church. He was one of the first Christians. Although he wasn't considered one of the core leaders like Peter, James and John, or write any of the epistles like Paul, yet he still played an important role in the establishment of the church. The primary reason was because of the type of person he was. In Acts 11:24 he is described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. In Acts 15 we learn that Barnabas had the spiritual gifts of exhortation and consolation. The gift of exhortation involves encouraging other Christians to be involved in and enthusiastic about the work of the Lord. This is done through preaching, teaching, and practical ministry. The gift of consolation involves giving comfort or coming alongside someone to give them support. Barnabas possessed both these spiritual gifts, which can really be summed up into one the gift of encouragement. That s why the apostles called him Barnabas. Barnabas has two meanings, son of prophesy and son of encouragement. Therefore, Barnabas was a preacher with a word of encouragement. Barnabas was such an encourager that he is never referred to as Joseph again in Scripture; he is always called Barnabas. Barnabas didn t just encourage those in one particular local church; his gift of encouragement benefited people in many different church and cities. Application: What are the lessons we can learn from Barnabas' example? (SLIDE) You can encourage the church through your generosity (Acts 4:32-36). We first read Pastor Darnell Starks Page 2

3 about Barnabas in Acts 4: He sold a field he owned and brought the proceeds to the apostles to be used to help support the poorer members of the fellowship. If God has blessed you financially your generosity can be a tremendous encouragement to others. You can encourage this fellowship with your generosity. Encouragement is just vocal, it s practical. It's good to pray for someone, but it's good to do something to help them as well. Generosity is not just about money; it s an attitude and a life-style. You can be generous in many different ways. You can be generous with your time, with your talents, and with your home. That s right; hospitality is a form of generosity. Romans 12:13 instructs us to practice hospitality. You can encourage those new to the congregation by welcoming them and making them feel a part of the church (Acts 9:26-28). The next time we read about him is in Acts 9: (READ) The Apostle Paul had been converted on the road to Damascus. After spending some time with the believers in Damascus, Paul left and went to Jerusalem to meet the believers there but they refused to meet with him because they were afraid. However, Barnabas took Paul to the apostles (leaders) and vouched for him, helping him to be accepted by the other believers. Barnabas helped Paul to feel welcomed in the new church. Too many churches are good at attracting new people, but poor at making them feel a part. New Christians and Christians new to the fellowship need special attention. You can encourage them by taking the time to get to know them and invest yourself in their spiritual development. See this as part of your Christian responsibility. Pastor Darnell Starks Page 3

4 You can encourage the church by serving as a mentor to a new Christian (Acts 11:19-23). When the church in Jerusalem heard about the Gentile converts in Antioch they sent Barnabas to investigate. When he got there he accepted them as brothers and sisters in Christ, and encouraged them to remain true to the Lord. He spent a whole year with them, helping to establish them in their new faith. Many people were saved through his ministry. If you have the gifts of preaching, teaching, or exhortation use them to encourage the people of God and build up the body of Christ. Hebrews 11:23-25 "...let us consider how we may spur (encourage/motivate) one another on toward love and good deeds let us not give up meeting together...but encourage one another " You can encourage someone by supporting them to pursue their God-given gifts of ministry (Acts 11:25-26). Barnabas served as Paul s mentor and gave his ministry a jump-start. This was to be the first of many missionary trips Paul would make. The church always needs new leaders and workers in ministry. You can encourage someone by helping to equip them for ministry and giving them an opportunity to serve. (Pastor Flewellen gave me my start; Minister Barrows prayer; Craighalbert pastorate). Who are you investing in? You can be an encourager by standing by someone who feels left out or left behind (Acts 15:36-41). I'm sure it was very encouraging to John Mark to have Barnabas stand up for him. Barnabas was proven right. John Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark and Paul even later wrote to Timothy telling him that Mark was useful to him. You can be an encourager by standing by someone Pastor Darnell Starks Page 4

5 others have given up on. You may even be the only one who thinks they re worth the effort. You never know what difference that could make in their life. Conclusion: There are few things that can hinder a person s walk with God like discouragement. Discouragement can have a poisonous effect on your life draining all the desire and motivation for God out of you. You won t want to come to church, you won t want to read your bible or get involved in the ministry of the church. It can even lead to sin. That s why the secret weapons of a church are so important. When you have a Barnabas in your life, someone who knows how to encourage you and give you hope, you have someone to help you through the difficult times. (SLIDE) Here s a statement I found about being an encourager Discouragement can also hinder a fellowship. It can create a kind of malaise, or apathy and rob the church of a sense of purpose or passion. But that s when the Barnabas are so important. They help everyone regain their sense of purpose and keep everyone pulling together. What can you do? Ask God to help you be one of the secret weapons of the church by finding ways to encourage others in the fellowship. Maybe it will be through your generosity or by spending time with those new to the church, or by mentoring someone, or encouraging and supporting someone to pursue a new area of ministry, or by standing by someone who others have given up one. These are just a few of the ways to be an Pastor Darnell Starks Page 5

6 encourager; there are many more. The point is decide today to fulfil, with God s help, this vital role in God s church. Pastor Darnell Starks Page 6