Barnabas Son of Encouragement

Transcription

1 Acts 4:36 37, Acts 9: 26 27, Acts 11:19 26 I m sure a number of you have travelled to Lancaster to see the production of Bible stories at Sight and Sound. They have presented some very powerful and moving messages of biblical characters from Moses to Ruth, from Jonah to Daniel. Recently we saw Samson which described the moral failures of this man and its tremendous effect upon him. Probably one of our favorites which I think put Sight and Sound on the map was the story of Noah. Of course, it had its share of live animals, and one of the great things about this show is that in the second half, it is as though you in the audience are inside the ark, with Noah, his family, and all of God s creatures around you. But more important than the stage production was the story itself, a story of a man devoted to God, perservering with God s plan in the midst of a world of evil and corruption. It was a day filled with violence, hatred, and self indulgence. The Scripture says that many had forgotten the name of the Lord God Jehovah. A time of violence, hatred and self indulgence. Sounds like a description of our own day. The news we hear every day confirms it. Attacks, bombings, violence, crime, bullying often describes our world s behavior. The recent massacre in Orlando and the bombing in Istanbuhl clearly pictures for us that spirit of hatred, and violence. And as Pastor Hey Young so powerfully shared with us last week, the message that should be coming from the church is never one of hate, but how much God loves us all of us, every child of God. As we state in our United Methodist Discipline we affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God And so the call that becomes our imperative is that despite our differences within the church, differences of opinions and differences in theological viewpoints, different understandings on human sexuality, and the way people interpret Scriptures, despite all that, others will know we are Christians by our love. That s what becomes the distinguishing characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ. You look at the world around us and we know we so often live in a world filled with troubling events and bad news. And so it is refreshing to turn to the gospels and to the Word of God and hear some good news. Really that is what the word gospel means, right? Good News. God s word to us is a positive one in the midst of a sinful and broken world. God s message to us is uplifting rather than a message Page 1 of 6

2 that knocks people down. It is a message filled with hope and not despair. And so that word comes to you and me. Good news, words of hope, words of encouragement. It is our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ that becomes our source of hope this morning. It is our source of hope and joy for living. God s word to you and me that can bring peace and encouragement to our hearts. Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all peace and joy as you trust in him. Well, we all need to hear that when we face so many troubles and stresses in life. When we can t understand many things in this life, when we have a hard time coping, when we can t understand why, that s when we are blessed and encouraged by the One who knows us, the one who understands us, the one who knows our every need. The story is told about a man shopping in the supermarket who was being closely followed by his five year old son. The little boy was carrying one of those shopping baskets and into the basket the father was loading one item after another. Some canned good, sugar, meat, vegetables. Another customer in the store was watching all of this and was feeling sorry for the little boy. Quietly he said to him: That sure is a heavy load for a little boy to carry. The boy seemed surprised and then he replied to the man: Oh, don t worry, my dad know just how much I can carry. I know we struggle sometimes wondering how much we can carry. How much we can handle. But the God who made us knows us. This God who loves us and who knows what we can face and carry in this life. And to me that is a word of encouragement. One of the things that impressed me when we saw the production of the story of Noah was some of the personal feelings that Noah and his family would be feeling inside the ark. I mean they had spent all this time preparing to go into the ark following God s instructions and now day after day, they would spend their time inside the ark and God was silent. How long was this going to last? And all of these animals to take care of. Can you imagine the food supply needed. And did they have enough kitty litter! Well, in this speculative production, the tensions among the family members were beginning to mount. And then you have this scene where Noah is getting very discouraged.feeling down wondering how God was going to get them through this, and wondering if God would ever speak again. And then Mrs. Noah, they called her Ermona in the play, comes to him and reminds him of God s care and faithfulness and the need to Page 2 of 6

3 trust and depend upon this God who had been with them. She is the one who brings a word of faith and encouragement in a very trying time. I think that is a big part of what faith is all about. Trusting in the care of God, even when we can t see our way out, even when we don t know how we re going to make it. In those times when life seems especially overwhelming, in those times when the future is uncertain especially in those times when we get discouraged. To know God holds my today and tomorrow that no matter what comes against us we are secured and safe in God s hands. And so I look to the Lord who lifts my spirit and I seek the support of those who can be an encouragement with their prayers and their love. That s a ministry we can all be part of as well. People around you who are affected by the attitude of your heart. People who are touched by your positive spirit, your confidence in the living Lord. We are people who are lifted up by the good news of the gospel in a world of trouble and despair. And we are called to be a good news proclaimer, a good news bearer. One who lives with a spirit of encouragement. There is a person in the Bible who is a great example of encouragement. One who became such a positive witness of the Gospel. His name is Barnabas. Actually his name means Son of consolation or son of encouragement. Of course, Barnabas is not as well known to us as the apostle Paul, but his ministry is very significant in the life of the early church. I want us to look briefly at 3 passages that speak about him. The first one I want us to look at is Acts 9: When he had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. It was Barnabas who gave a positive witness about Paul when all the others were fearful and skeptical of this former persecutor of Christians. I mean, when the news came that Paul had become a Christian, think of how those early believers must have felt. Is Paul really one of us, or is this all a trick? And it was Barnabas, with Page 3 of 6

4 boldness and courage who saw the sincerity of Paul s faith and helped the disciples come to accept this man who would become such a powerful missionary of the gospel. And it says to you and me, how can I be an encouragement to someone who is a new believer or to someone who is troubled, to someone who is discouraged, to someone in great need. We become the open door for people to find God s love and acceptance. I guess we all have to examine our hearts and ask how has our life been a positive witness for Jesus, how have we been in this ministry of encouragement. It was Barnabas who went to Antioch to see the marvelous ways God was working in that place. A great number of believers had come to the Lord. Look at his presence there. Acts 11: News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Barnabas goes to Antioch and he encourages the Christians there. Here were new Christians who needed support in their new found faith. I think that is such a vital ministry for all of us. That we look for those opportunities to be a support and encouragement to those who are seeking for faith or who are new in the faith. I think about our recent confirmation class and how important it is for us to be that positive witness and support for these young people in the faith. How do new Christians see your faith? Are we uplifting, or does our spirit hinder other s growth because of our negativity or our spirit of criticism and judgment. The result of Barnabas work was that more people became followers of Jesus. Your faith and attitude can be contagious. How essntial for us within this body of Christ called First United Methodist Church be those people who love and encourage with our words and behavior. I want to share a word of witness from one of our church members who recently shared this experience that she had and how she is seeking to be that person who brings God s good news. These are her words: I feel God is using me to spread His message right now. The new work schedule that I have has brought me into contact with many people from all over. People I would otherwise never cross. Last week, right after the shootings in the Orlando night club, I took a taxi from Page 4 of 6

5 San Mateo, CA to the San Francisco airport. My driver was a Muslim. It was early in the morning (4:30AM) and immediately when I got in the car, he began a disclaimer that as a Muslim American, he does not hate anyone. He was very intent on getting the message to me that his religion does not teach him to hate. I did not argue with him. Instead, I listened to what he had to say. We had a discussion and he understood that I am a Christian and perhaps I should have been frightened by him. A Christian woman alone in a taxi in the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't afraid. I felt God's presence and I wasn't afraid...the thought never crossed my mind. I answered some of his questions regarding my faith and some of the differences between other denominations and what my Methodist faith teaches me. He listened to me. Now, I don't know what he did with our conversation but he thanked me for listening and hopefully, we both came out of it with some understanding and respect. Where ever I go, people have been drawn to speaking to me...to telling me their stories. Then she goes on to say: I feel something is happening and I know that God has a purpose for me. I have faith that God is working in and through me and I hope that I am honoring Him. Isn t that a wonderful word of witness? Looking for those opportunities to bring a word of hope our faith gives us, to share the good news. That is truly a Barnabas ministry. There s one other thing I noticed about Barnabas. He was not only encouraging with his words, but also in his actions. Acts 4: There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means son of encouragement. He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet. Christians were sharing their possessions to help one another. There was poverty and suffering. And Barnabas wanted to share what he had so he sold a piece of property and brought all the money and gave it for the ministry of the church. Just think of the encouragement it was to the others. Not only would it lift the spirits of persons, but it would encourage them to make similar sacrifices. No wonder the apostles gave him the name Barnabas, son of encouragement. God s word to us is truly a word of encouragement to our souls. The gospel is a very positive word in a negative world, a world of trouble and distress. And so we cling to that word that points to a Savior who can give us hope in life, even in our lowest moments, in our times of Page 5 of 6

6 deepest despair. This morning if you are feeling discouraged, wondering how you are going to manage what is in front of you, Jesus comes to you and says do not be troubled, my child. I know your heart, and I know what you can carry, And I will be with you all along the way. And I pray that each of us will see that we all have a ministry of encouragement. That we will learn from the example of Barnabas and that we will be a source of encouragement and love to others. That as the good news of God s love and compassion fills your heart, we will allow that good news to flow through us and impact someone else s life. That we will find ways to be a Barnabas and bring the uplifting, lifegiving word of Jesus to those around us. Page 6 of 6