The Barnabas Effect

Sis Melinda Song

I love stories so let me begin by telling you a story that I heard many, many years ago that has stayed ever fresh in my mind.

Once upon a time it was announced that the devil was going out of business and would sell all his equipment to those who were willing to pay the price. On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively displayed. There was Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and other implements of evil on display.

Each of the tools was marked with its own price tag. Over in the corner by itself was a harmless-looking, wedge-shaped tool very much worn down, but still it bore a higher price than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was, and he answered, "That is Discouragement."  The next question came quickly: "And why is it priced so high even though it is plain to see that it is more worn than these others?"

"Because," replied the devil, "it is more useful to me than all these others. I can pry open and get into a man's heart with that when I cannot get near him with any other tool. Once I get inside, I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is worn well because I use it on everybody I can, and few people even know it belongs to me."

This tool was priced so high that no one could buy it, and to this day it has never been sold. It still belongs to the devil, and he still uses it on mankind. (Author Unknown)

Everyone of us, at one time or another have encountered discouragement. Dr Armin Gesswein, Prayer Coordinator of many Billy Graham crusades, called discouragement “one of the strangest, strongest, subtlest, sneakiest of sins.” It is a sort of gnawing, gradual, simmering, growing, insidious, low-grade spiritual fever. As it builds up you slow down. You get weary and you give up. So what do you do when discouragement comes a-calling? Apply the best antidote for discouragement: encouragement.

en - "make, put in" + corage "courage, heart” = “to put courage into someone”

Like Popeye and his spinach!

“Encourage” means to give courage to; to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; to raise, or to increase, the confidence of; to animate; enhearten; to incite; to help forward; the opposite of discourage.

If you have ever been to any sporting event you will realise that the spectators play a very important role in encouraging the players. We also need people to cheer us on in life. Encouragement, correctly understood, is the language of the New Testament. The word "to encourage" is used more than a hundred times in the New Testament and the church can be and should be one of the most encouraging places in the world

Today we are going to look at one of the great characters in the Bible–the patron saint of all encouragers. His name is Barnabas, and we find him mostly in the Book of Acts.

The first mention of Barnabas was in Acts 4:36-37

36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

Barnabas was not his real name. Verse 36 is the first and last time that Barnabas is referred to by his real name, Joseph. The Bible tells us that Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 11:24) but the outstanding quality for which he will always be remembered more than any other, was his ability to encourage others. That spiritual gift was so outstanding in his life that the early church decided to give him a new name, Barnabas meaning “Son of Encouragement”.

Point to ponder: What nickname would someone give you? Or me? Stubborn, Sunshine, Happy, Grumpy or dopey? Hmmm, doesn’t that make you think of the seven dwarves?

What a fitting name it was! There is no better model of encouragement in the New Testament than Barnabas. Every appearance of Barnabas in Scripture finds him encouraging others in faith, developing leaders and building up the church. Imagine how full of vitality and vigour our church would be if everyone is a Barnabas. As we look into the life of Barnabas let us learn how together we can create a Barnabas effect in our church.

Undoubtedly, encouraging was Barnabas’s spiritual gift. Romans 12:8 says “if it is encouraging, let him encourage.” The spiritual gift of encouragement is defined as the special ability God gives to certain members of the body of Christ which enables them to come alongside another person to give encouragement, challenge, counsel or earnest advice as needed in such a way that the person is helped.

The person who does that is called a paraclete. That’s the Greek word used in John 14:16 for the Holy Spirit (translated “comforter” or “counselor”) and in I John 2:1 for the Lord Jesus Christ. In the first case, the word means that the Holy Spirit comes alongside to give us strength to live the Christian life. In the latter case, it means that the Lord Jesus is our Advocate who speaks up in our defense.

So this gift could be called exhortation or comfort or consolation or advocacy or encouragement. It is the divine ability to lift the load from a brother or sister and help them along the way.

Does that mean if I don’t have the gift of encouraging others I can’t be an encourager? No, it does not mean that at all! ALL of us can be and should be encouragers. There are at least two places in the New Testament where all Christians are commanded to encourage each other.

I Thess. 5:11 “Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.”

Heb. 3:13 “But encourage one another day after day.”

This work of load-lifting is something all of us are to perform for each other as we see the need and have the opportunity.

Coming back to Barnabas. In Acts chapters 4 through 15, we see BARNABAS model for us 4 characteristics of an encourager.

1.         An Encourager Gives Generously Of Himself (Acts 4:36-37)

Why did Barnabas sell his land? There were many poor people in the early church, and often when people come to Christ they would lose their jobs. Furthermore, a great revival had broken out on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, and many people from other places  who came to know the Lord  stayed behind because they wanted to receive instruction, to be in fellowship with other believers and grow in the Lord. Barnabas, who was a landowner, saw that the financial need was great and of his own free will he sold his land and donated proceeds for the care of the poor (Acts 4:36-37).

Barnabas served wherever there was a need for his services. He went wherever the apostles deployed him. And like Paul, he worked to support himself as a missionary (1 Cor. 9:6). Barnabas gave sacrificially of his time, talent and treasure to the Lord.

When an encourager sees a need, he says, “I will give what I can, and I will do what I can, to meet that need.” Giving need not be in terms of money. You may not be rich in money, but every one of us has so much we can give to others as a gift of encouragement.

- Sick people don't need money; they need a word of concern.

- Lonely people don't need money; they just need a few minutes of time.

- Hurting people don't need money; they just need a touch on the shoulder.

- Discouraged people don't need money; they just need a sentence of hope.

The song says “like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.” Are we ready to lay ourselves down for another person? Sometimes it could be as simple as sending a caring message to someone who is burdened as Janet did last Sunday after she saw me coming up to be prayed for.

1.         An Encourager Gives Generously Of Himself

2.         An Encourager Sees The Grace Of God In An Imperfect Church (Acts 11:19-23)

Acts 11:19-23

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 

Antioch is quite a distance north of Israel, in northern Syria. The persecuted Christians from Jerusalem who fled to Antioch, witnessed of their faith in Christ all along the way. Soon a church was born in Antioch, and the Apostles back in Jerusalem felt responsible for their pastoral care and instruction in Christian doctrine. And Barnabas was the man for the job.

Why were the leaders in Jerusalem concerned?

a.    The new converts were ignorant. They came from a pagan, heathen, idolatrous background. They don’t know anything of Old Testament. They don’t know the language, the right terms.

b.    They are unpolished. They don’t know how to behave in church. We have been in church so long that we do not realise that we do so many things that seem strange to non-believers. In our services, we stand up, sit down and stand up again. They come to church in shorts and find that everyone is dressed in their Sunday best. If they happen to come when we serve the Lord’s Supper, they don’t know what to do with the wafer and cup.

c.    They may have offensive habits. They smoke and they drink and sometimes they swear right in public. They aren’t always the easiest people to deal with because their lives are so messed up but that’s precisely why they need Christ.

Barnabas did not see all these flaws. He only saw what God has done, is doing and will do in the lives of these people. Instead of judging, he rejoiced that they are saved and encouraged them. One of the best things we can do is to encourage someone to grow in the Lord.

How do we treat new comers to our church? How do we treat the despised and the unlovely? How do we treat divorcees? What is our response if an AIDS victim or homosexual were to walk in?

One Sunday a preacher preached a message on spiritual gifts. At the door he was greeted by a woman who said, “Preacher, I think I have a special gift that’s not mentioned in the Bible.” Hesitantly the preacher asked, “And just what might that special gift be?”

The woman said, “I have the Gift of Criticism.” She went on to explain…“A lot of people are fooled by the hypocrisy of others, but not me! I have a special gift to discern the faults and shortcomings in people and I tell them what I think!”

The preacher said, “Do you remember that person in Jesus’ parable who had just one talent? Do you recall what he did with it?”

The woman said, “Yeah, he went out and buried it.”

The preacher said, “I suggest that thou go and do likewise!”

There are basically 2 types of people in every church.  One type seeks to find all the fault with others and the work of the church they can and then they do their best to tear others down.  The other type seeks to build up their church and fellow believers and they seek to help them to grow in the Lord. Which type are you?

As overseer of 4 cells I have always found encouragement in the cell and I want to encourage everyone to attend a cell. I believe that is where most encourage ment takes.

“Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam

Where the deer and the antelope play

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day”

1.         An Encourager Gives Generously Of Himself

2.         An Encourager Sees The Grace Of God In An Imperfect Church

3.         An Encourager Looks For And Seeks Out The Best In Others

Acts 9:26-27
26 When he [Paul] came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 

That old adage about a leopard not being able to change his spots must have entered the apostles’ minds when Saul showed up claiming to be a Christian. Naturally, they didn't trust him, thinking that he was trying to infiltrate their ranks.

Unsurprisingly it was Barnabas who befriended Saul. Barnabas defended Paul and gave him the benefit of the doubt. Imagine what a loss it would have been to the church if Barnabas had not extended a hand of friendship to Saul.

Think about it. There could be a PAUL or a PAULA here in our body—someone whom God has gifted to help us take the Gospel in places it has never gone before…and all he or she needs is a Christian to nudge them toward that God-given potential. Is there someone in your life who you should encourage in this way? A son or daughter? A college student…someone in the background here at TOP who is not using their giftedness…someone who should be teaching Sunday School…someone who should serve as a deacon…someone who would be great at working with teens?

Here is a true story about a boy who grew up about 100 years ago. When he was a child, Walter loved to draw, though his parents did not really praise him for this. But Walter’s aunt encouraged him by buying him drawing pads and pencils. Walter also had a neighbor, “Doc” Sherwood, who encouraged his talent. The neighbor “hired” Walter to draw pictures of his horse when Walter was only 7 years old. Doc Sherwood and his wife told Walter how wonderful his drawings were. That boy was Walt Disney. He grew up to bring us Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and a host of other characters, theme parks, and lots of fun. He won 26 Academy Awards for his beloved Disney cartoons and movie productions. So you see, little encouragement can go a long way!

Later on we find that Barnabas strikes again in Acts 15.

Acts 15:36-40

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

In Acts 15:36-40 we read of the split between Saul and Barnabas. Barnabas and Paul disagreed over whether young John Mark would accompany them on this trip. Paul was so upset with John Mark returning home in the middle of their first journey that he didn't want him to come on this trip. Barnabas insisted that they should take Mark. With this matter standing between them, they went separate ways.

In spite of John Mark’s failure, Barnabas did not give up on him and gave him a second chance. Barnabas was not only “Son of Encouragement,” he was also “Apostle of the Second Chance.” With God’s help we can start over.

Apparently Barnabas did a pretty good job in training Mark because we know from Paul's later letters that he eventually changed his opinion about John Mark and counts him among his fellow worker.

Colossians 4:10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him). 

At the end of his life, Paul acknowledged that John Mark was "useful" to him for ministry

2 Timothy 4:9-11 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica; Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

There is a difference between the way encouragers see people and the way discouragers see people. Discouragers can’t see beyond a person’s past. They can’t see beyond a person’s failures, their mistakes, and their shortcomings. Discouragers tend to write people off quickly and for good.

Encouragers on the other hand can see beyond a person’s past. They can see beyond a person’s failures, mistakes and shortcomings. An encourager sees a person not as they are now but as they can become. And it’s the way Barnabas saw young John Mark. He saw the potential in John Mark, believed the best of him and did not hold his past against him. May each and everyone of us determine to see the best in each other. LET’S ALL BE ENCOURAGERS!

I am thankful for teachers who saw the potential in me. My two worst subjects in primary school were Mathematics and English. When I was in Lower Secondary I was fortunate to have teachers who helped me to understand and excel in these two subjects until they ended up being my strongest subjects. I did it because someone believed in me.

What we can learn from Barnabas is to be patient and encouraging with those who have failed, or who may for one reason or other be unable or unwilling to continue in what they have to do. Jesus did not give up on His disciples who had failed Him. Peter had denied Him, yet Jesus lovingly restored Peter.

Even when we fail Him, Christ is still willing to receive us, renew us, and reuse us for His service. Barnabas reflected Him Who is the supreme Son of Encouragement, our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us strive to be such sons and daughters of encouragement as well.

1.         An Encourager Gives Generously Of Himself

2.         An Encourager Sees The Grace Of God In An Imperfect Church

3.         An Encourager Looks For And Seeks Out The Best In Others

4.         An Encourager Helps Others To Succeed Unselfishly

Acts 11:24-26

24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. 27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

When Barnabas needed an assistant and he knew exactly where to find one. Barnabas sought out Saul and became Saul's mentor. He applied his life to the fulfilment of Saul's ministry.

Whose ministry are you bringing forth into fulfilment? It maybe someone you are praying for, mentoring, or even a child you are bringing up.

Acts 15:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 

By the end of the chapter in verses 42 and 50, it was Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas was superseded by Paul but there is no evidence of Barnabas reacting adversely to Paul’s new prominence. He was quite happy with it for there is no record of him expressing any

bitterness or jealousy at all.

That is why Barnabas is the only person mentioned in the book of Acts as a “good man.” He was able to help Paul succeed and not begrudge Paul for overtaking him in prominence because he was a man “full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”

We live in a fault-finding, selfish and uncaring world where people find it easier to criticise than to recognize the good; to tear down than to build up.

• What can you and I do today to express faith/confidence in others?
• How can you give people courage to do their best?
• What specific actions can we take to recognize people for who they are and what they can achieve?

If you look around and find that there are no encouragers to be found, there can be but one reason, the missing encourager is you. Be bold, step up and lend a hand to lift up a fellow brother or sister in Christ.

What did Barnabas achieve? He was responsible for over half the New Testament even though, as far as we know, he never wrote a word of Scripture. The two people he influenced the most were Paul and John Mark. Paul wrote 13 books of the New Testament and John Mark was the author of the gospel which bears his name. That is 14 out of 27 books. Not a bad record for a man most people would consider a “minor” Bible character

We need more of his kind today. Modern-day Barnabases who could encourage the forgotten, overlooked, unloved and unlovely among us. The Barnabas effect is far-reaching and it begins with you and me. 

We need many Barnabas-es in our church, many sons and daughters of encouragement. Rejoice that God has given you a precious ministry - the ministry of encouragement- and you are sharing in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray that we too will become bold and brave encouragers like Barnabas … for God’s glory and for the eternal good of others. If all of us do our part as sons and daughters of encouragement, the world around us will soon feel the Barnabas effect.