Text: Acts 9: 20 – 31, 11: 19 – 26, 15: 36 – 41
Memory Verse: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen”. Ephesians 4: 29
Welcome to June, the month of special blessings. As we begin the conclusion of the first half of this year, may God pour on you His special blessings such that there will not be enough room in your life to contain it. Amen!!
My wife and I have just returned from a visit to Nigeria; we thank God for granting us journey mercies and excellent experiences on our trip. The trip afforded us several opportunities. One of such opportunities is that of meeting up with very many old friends and colleagues, some of whom we had thought we had lost forever. How wonderful and exciting it was to meet them. We are grateful to God for the wonderful opportunity. There was one person in particular that we met that brought eternal joy into my heart. Over twenty years ago, this person was faced with a very difficult and challenging situation and was about to give up all hopes in despair. However, through the special grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit in me, I was able to minister encouragement to her. I must say that at the time, I did not think that what I was doing would make such a great difference to her life. I just simply said what I believed the Holy Spirit wanted me to say her then; there was no colouration or complication to it, neither was there any sensationalism or over spiritualization of what was said. They were simply said in sincerity and love. However, the result today is much greater beyond my expectation or imagination. This experience brought home to me what Barnabas ministry was all about and I will love for us to look deeper into it in this month’s homily.
Barnabas was the name the Apostles gave to one of the earliest Christian converts in Jerusalem. His real name was Joseph and he was a Levite from Cyprus. This new name Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement”, was given to Joseph, I believe, because of some sterling qualities the Apostles had observed in him. He was one of the earliest disciples to sell the land he possessed and gave all the proceeds to the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 4: 36 – 37) to bless and encourage the Church that was just getting off. Even though he was not present to witness the conversion of Saul who was also called Paul, he through the grace of God on him and the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit in his life, immediately recognized the qualities Paul possessed. And when the other disciples in Jerusalem would have unwittingly destroyed the destiny of the growing Church as they were reluctant and perhaps unwilling to accept Paul as one of the disciples, it was Barnabas who, through his helpful, gentle, wholesome and persuasive but bold talk and action, integrated Paul into the ranks and files of the Church from where and whence his (Paul’s) ministry first began. And when Paul, because of great oppositions and threats to his life, had a temporary hold on his ministry because he had to be sent back to his home town Tarsus, and at the time when Barnabas was sent to Antioch to be the first ‘General Superintendent’ of the new Movement, his strong believe in and love for Paul made him to go to Tarsus, searching for Paul to come and be a partner with him in the ministry (Act 11: 25 – 26). Although he was just simply living out his life, Barnabas was doing everything he could to make Paul fulfill his God-given purpose and destiny. It is therefore not surprising that when Paul began to gain more prominence than Barnabas in the ministry, we never read that this created any animosity or misunderstanding. In actual fact, the only disagreement between the pair of them recorded in the bible (Acts 15: 36 – 40) arose because Barnabas in his characteristic way of encouraging and building life (even in hopelessness), was more than prepared to give John Mark (who at the time was unprofitable to the ministry) another chance while Paul, a typical Evangelist, had no time for such unreliable person. It is gratifying however to note that in the end and because of Barnabas investment into his life, John Mark was later described by Paul as “helpful to me in my ministry” (2Timothy 4: 11). There are many more incidences of how Barnabas was really an encouragement to Paul and the early church than what my space will allow me to state.
Encouragement is defined as the act of inspiring someone with the courage or confidence to do something; supporting or stimulating them by approval or help. Without encouragement, many dreams would die, many projects would be uncompleted, many ambitions would be abandoned, many destinies would not be fulfilled, many goals would not be reached and many purposes would be unrealized. Anyone who gives encouragement is called an encourager. Encouragers have at least five qualities that stand them out. They are, generally speaking, simple, sincere, selfless, sacrificial and Spirit-filled. They do not complicate matters, they are truthful, and will go out of their ways to help others; they have no personal or hidden agenda to pursue, and because they are Spirit filled, they give wise and Godly counsels. Their work usually endures and glorifies God even if it does not benefit them directly. Are you willing to invest your life in others so that they can reach their potential in God while on this earth? Dare to be a Barnabas. Be an encourager in the true sense of the word. You will make the world a better place and you will greatly contribute to the expansion of God’s Kingdom. This is the word of the Lord for you this month.
Dr Abel Adegoke