Week of May 9th
“God’s Mission and Sons and Daughters of Encouragement”
Sermon Noodles
Please read Acts 9:22-28; Acts 13:1-5; Acts 15:36-40 and 2 Timothy 4:11.
There once was a nurturing man by the name of Joseph. He was, as far as we can guess, a man of some means--first century real estate developer. He was such an encouraging personality that he sold some land and gave the proceeds to the apostles with no strings attached. No designated giving, just literally laid the large chunk of money at the disciples feet and said “Do with it wherever there is a need.”
He was such an inspiration and boldly loving person the early church gave him a nickname by which we know him—Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”
Barnabas was full of such generativity he was the first Christian from the church in Jerusalem to go and meet Saul, or as he would later be known as the Apostle Paul
Barnabas was the ambassador whom the Jerusalem church sent to Antioch to encourage the church. It was at Antioch where Followers of the Way were first called, “Christians.”
While in Antioch Barnabas persuade Paul to move from Tarsus and the two of them were preachers, teachers, and prophets in the church of Antioch for two years.
On the first missionary journey of Barnabas and Paul, the cousin of Barnabas, a man known as John Mark, went with them. John is an interesting character. John Mark’s mother lived in Jerusalem where a house church met in her home. Her name was Mary. Mary was such a force in the church in Jerusalem that not only did a church meet in her home, but she was the first person Peter wanted to see when he escaped from prison! What does that tell you about Mary’s character?
John Mark left Barnabas and Paul during the journey to return to Jerusalem. It was many years before Paul and John Mark were reconciled from that event.
A change takes place as you read the stories of the adventures of Barnabas and Over and over in Acts chapters 13 and 14 the scripture tells the story of Barnabas and Saul. It is always “Barnabas and Saul.” But then you notice a shift, and the scriptures mention Saul and Barnabas, then it is always “Paul and Barnabas.”
You can see our son of encouragement mentoring Saul who is also known as Paul. You can see Barnabas gently pushing Paul to the front, allowing his gifts to blossom, giving him more and more of a lead role. Good old Barnabas is giving birth to a new generation of leaders for the church.
One of the ways churches are at their best is when they are midwifing a new generation of leaders. This is always a challenge for a church—raising up and passing on leadership to a new generation. Over and over again you read in the book of Acts where the church gets stuck—the church stuck when we have mono-generational and mono-cultural leadership. (Notice in Acts 6 the story of where Deacons comes from)
As Paul and Barnabas prepared for their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul refused. The disagreement became so sharp the dynamic duo broke up. Paul took Silas, and Barnabas took John Mark and sailed for Cyprus. He also sailed right out of the New Testament and we never hear from Barnabas again.
Years later however, we do hear about John Mark. In the last chapter of the last letter Paul ever wrote, he asks his protégé Timothy something: 2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.
Remember John Mark was also known as Mark.
And what if Mark had a special gift and that is why Barnabas wanted to take him along on their first missionary journey. Paul new of this gift and later on in life they were reconciled, and Paul asked for Mark “for he is useful” and recognized his gift
We know Mark had a very influential mother in the church of Jerusalem and that John Mark was good friends with Peter.
Mark had the gift of remembering and writing things down, a scribe of sorts with quite possibly a photographic memory and a gift for composition.
What if Mark left Paul and Barnabas not because he was not up to the task but because he had a loyalty to Peter and felt he needed to return home
Because friends, this Mark, would invent an entirely new genre of literature, a never-before-seen epic, know to us as a gospel.
Yes friends, this Mark who is useful for Paul in his ministry, whose mother led a house church in Jerusalem and whom Peter trusted implicitly is the author of the Gospel According to Mark.
Devotional Guide
Barnabas is an important figure in the Book of Acts. His real name was Joseph (see Acts 4:36-37) and his nickname was Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement.” Who is the most encouraging, inspirational and nurturing person you know? What character traits make them so attractive to be around?
Read Acts 12:6-9. Mary was a cousin of Barnabas, the mother of John Mark, and a house church in Jerusalem met in her home. If the first place Peter wanted to go to after his escape from prison was Mary’s house, what does that tell us about the character and personality of Mary?
Sometimes we think we are being encouraging when we try to help solve a problem for someone, rescue them from something, or fix something for them. What does encouragement look like when you do neither of these? Often times people don’t want to be rescued, they don’t want a solution, and they don’t want to be fixed, or get advice. They just want to be listened to. Who is one person you could encourage this week?
Look to become a “daughter” or “son” of encouragement this week: may your words always build up and never tear down; may you offer a blessing rather than advice; may you seek to understand rather than to be understood. Remember the words of brother Hafiz, “Complaint is only possible while living in the suburbs of God.”