Live Free with Josh Howerton - The Son of Encouragement // Acts 4:32-37

Episode Date: November 13, 2024

The early church in Jerusalem was led by the Holy Spirit and shared what they had with each other. Luke, the author of Acts, singled out one generous individual named Joseph, aka Barnabas, who sold a field and brought it to the church to help those in need. This is not the only place Barnabas shows up in Acts. He also plays a key role in the life of a certain apostle named Saul, aka Paul.   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. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. What is up, everybody? Thanks for joining us on the Daily Drive. I'm Mike Bro, and we have been walking through a book in the Bible called The Book of Acts.

It's kind of like a documentary of the early church written by historian named Luke and starring the Holy Spirit of God. We left off yesterday toward the end of chapter 4, so let's pick it up in verse 32. This is kind of an update on how things were going in this new community called the church. It says all the believers were united in heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own. So they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the

apostles to give to those in need. Like we saw back in chapter two, they're still unified, one heart, one mind. Taking care of each other and those who were in need, they shared their stuff, pooled their resources to get this movement off the ground so that everybody could hear the good news of God's love through Jesus. Well, one particular guy gets singled out as an example at the very end of the chapter. And when you get to know this guy, you will realize he probably wasn't super happy about Luke drawing attention like this to him. But God wanted to point him out, because he was an extremely humble and generous guy who was always lifting people up. Let me read the last few verses. Then I want to talk about him just for a few minutes.

right after Luke talks about how everybody shared, he introduces us to this exceptional guy. He says, for instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas, which means son of encouragement. He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. Back in October, I got to preach a message on this guy, and as I read all about him, it made me realize why Luke singles him out. Because this guy doesn't get as much ink as guys like Peter and John and Paul, but he was so instrumental in the good news, getting all the way to us.

His birth name was Joseph, but his nickname was Barnabas, and everybody, except maybe his mama, called him Barnabas, which means the son of encouragement. Well, come to think of it, since he was the son of encouragement, she might have kind of like that nickname. Over in Acts 11, verse 24, he's described this way. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. Let me read that again.

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and strong in faith. To be described like that, to have a nickname like that, just made me want to be more like him. There are several qualities we see in him that we see in most encouragers, and the first one is generosity that we just read about. So you got this infant church trying to get off the ground. They got a very limited budget. they're not yet a 501c3 or anything like that. There's a bunch of people trying to pool their resources to help other people. And Barnabas starts to think, you know what?

Man, I have been so blessed. And this world isn't my home anyway, and God owns it all. Nothing matters as much as getting the good news out there. You know what? I think I'll sell this piece of property and see if that might help us get rolling and perhaps help some other people too. You see, encouragers are always outwardly focused. They live lives of gratitude, and as a result, they're generous with

their time, their energy, their words, their prayers, their money, their stuff, always thinking, how can I help somebody else? You know, so many of us are discovering that when Jesus said, give and it'll be given to you, and then he followed it up with, in fact, it's so much better to give than it is to get. And when Jesus said all that, he wasn't like unpacking a sermon about tithing, he was just stating a fundamental law of life, that even secular studies back up that say generously living beyond yourself is simply the best way to live. Barnabas lived like that because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. I also love the way Barnabas was able to see potential in other people.

You might remember the story, this really bad dude named Saul, who was persecuting the followers of Jesus, dragging him off the prison, even applauding their executions. And we'll read about his conversion when we get to Acts chapter 9, where he meets the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, and God forgives his sins, and he's baptized, and the Holy Spirit begins to transform his life and change. his heart and he calls him to preach the good news. However, people aren't so sure that this guy named Saul has actually changed his ways. They were very suspicious. I mean, the last time they saw him, he was holding the coats of the people who were throwing rocks at Stephen until he was dead. But check this out. Acts chapter 9, verse 26. When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with

the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer. Then, God of us. Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul has seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

Man, you got to love that. Barnabas goes to bat for Saul. He introduces him. He vouches for his story. He tells the apostles that anybody who will listen, hey, this guy is the real deal. And he takes him all around town. Then he takes him under his wing and begins to mentor him.

Barnabas, the son of encouragement, believed in Saul when nobody else would. Y'all got anybody like that in your life? Are you like that for somebody else? Maybe you're that teacher who sees in that student what nobody else sees. Are you a coach that sees in that player what nobody else sees? Are you an employer or a friend or a parent who just dreams with people? people, and you're able to see the great God-given potential in them. Barnabas was like that.

He believes in Saul, invites him to be his partner in ministry, and it would begin a friendship that would literally bless the entire world. The two of them are sent out by the Holy Spirit to preach the good news of God's love to all those places Jesus once described as the ends of the earth, sharing with those who were considered outsiders, that God wanted them to come home to. And this is kind of between the lines, but I love how Barnabas starts out mentoring Saul, who has a name change to Paul. And in Scripture, when it comes to listing a pair of people, they list the leader's name first.

So early on, they're listed as Barnabas and Saul. And then it just subtly switches from Barnabas and Saul to Paul and Barnabas. It seems like to me he deferred to Paul as the leader and just fades into the background. And I love this. Barnabas believes in him. He invites him in. He invest in him. coaches him up and says, you know what, you're ready.

You have grown so much. It's evident that God is at work in your life. He has gifted you, Paul. He has called you. Man, you are such a good leader. Why don't you lead? And I'll come alongside of you and support you, and we'll do this together. And, man, whatever you need, I got your back.

What a gift to have an encourager like that as your partner. I sure hope you have some Barnabas in your life. I got a bunch, including some of you. I'm so grateful for the way God has put people in my life along the way. So many men and women who have been like Barnabas to me. So what do you say we live like him today? Humbly lifting others up, seeing potential in other people, courageously moving out of our comfort zone, taking risk, breaking down barriers,

sharing the good news, being a mentor, deferring leadership, giving generously, and just content to serve in the shadows without any applause or recognition. Let's be sons and daughters of encouragement today. Just good people, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. I'll see you back here tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays and Sundays.

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