Live Free with Josh Howerton - The Power of Persevering Encouragement // Acts 15:36-41

Episode Date: December 11, 2024

Have you ever felt like giving up on someone who let you down? Today, we explore how Barnabas, the “Son of Encouragement,” refused to write off John Mark, even after he abandoned their first missionary journey. While Paul saw him as unreliable, Barnabas chose to believe in Mark’s potential and took him under his wing. This act of perseverance led to Mark’s future as a key figure in spreading the Gospel and as the author of the second book of the New Testament. Barnabas’s commitment to lifting others up, even in failure, challenges us to look beyond mistakes and see the growth that God is working in others.   For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's Word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, thanks for joining us on the Daily Drive today. My name is Bro, and we spend a few minutes here each weekday, just trying to get to know God better. And we've been walking through his word, trying to stick some hope and truth and wisdom from his heart into our heart. And we've been walking through the book of Acts for a while. And for the last few days, we've been looking at a guy named Barnabas. Now, his real name is Joseph, but he was given a nickname, and that nickname stuck. The nickname means the son of encouragement, because that's what he was known for. It describes. It describes, and he was given. It described. He was given. He was given. He was given. He was given. He was a nickname. It described. He was. He was. He was describes him simply as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong and faith.

And God used this humble, generous guy to make a huge difference in the world. We talked a few days ago how Barnabas believed in Saul when nobody else would. Everybody else was afraid of this treacherous, murderous dude, but not Barnabas. He tells everybody that Saul had met, indeed, the resurrected Jesus, and had quite the encounter with him,

that he had repented of his sins, he'd been baptized, that God had chosen him to preach the good news. When everybody else held Saul at arm's length, Barnabas embraced him, included him, mentored him, coached him, loved him, invested in him, and as a result, Saul would become the Apostle Paul, who God used to spread the good news all the way to us. And, gang, that's the power of encouragement,

seeing potential and just believing the best in other people. And these two guys would become very close, have formed this awesome team, just preaching the good news to places that nobody else would go. Now, there is a bump in the road in the relationship between Paul and Barnabas. But even that centers around the way Barnabas just always tried to believe the best in people and was able to see their potential and invest in them. On the very first missionary trip together, they take Barnabas' younger cousin John Mark as their assistant, probably more like an intern.

And it says this in chapter 15, verse 36, after some time, Paul said to Barnabas, Hey, let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord to see how all the new believers are doing. Well, Barnabas agreed, and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphelia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated.

Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care. then he traveled throughout Syria and Silesia, strengthening the churches there. Now, we don't know why this young guy John Mark left. Maybe it's because he's just really young. He's from Jerusalem. Hadn't travel very far in his life. Maybe he got a little homesick.

Wanted to go home. Scholars believe also that Peter was kind of John Mark's mentor. So perhaps he looked at Paul, spent some time with Paul, thought, you know what, you're not like Peter at all. So we quit. We're not sure. We're not sure what went on. but the kid went home.

And Paul, he writes him off. He said he's a slacker. He's not cut out for this. There is no way we're taking him. But Barnabas, the son of encouragement, he saw a potential in Mark. He says, okay, I'll just take him with me, and we'll go this direction.

And I'm just guessing that down deep he might have wanted to add, Paul, I saw potential in you when nobody else did, didn't I? And look what God is doing with your life. I see potential in me. Mark too. So I'll take him with me. You see, encouragers don't easily give up on people. They see what could be. And I am so grateful that Barnabas did not give up on Mark, who ends up

writing the Second Gospel of the New Testament introducing Jesus to the world through the eyewitness testimony of Peter. And just as a footnote here, we don't hear any more in the Book of Acts about Barnabas. He just continued preaching wherever the Holy Spirit sent him. But check out what Paul writes in the closing remarks of a letter called Colossians. He says, My fellow prisoner, Aristica, sends you his greetings, as does Mark,

the cousin of Barnabas. You have received instructions about him. If he comes to you, welcome him. In other words, Paul's writing, Barnabas was right about him. I shouldn't have given up on him. Mark has turned into a really great guy, and now I want to vouch for him

like Barnabas vouched for me. Man, I want to live a life like him. What a world it would be if we had more Barnabuses in it. Just good men and women, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith, overflowing with grace and exuding goodness and light. What do you say we go be those people today? I'll see you back here tomorrow. Have a great day.

Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about all the digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.compt. Church slash daily drive. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out.