TOPIC:“The Man We Need to Be Like”
“For he was a righteous man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith;
and many people were added to the Lord.” (Acts 11:24)
Barnabas, one of the early Jewish converts, is first mentioned in Acts 4:37 where we read these words about him: “Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the Apostle's feet.” From these words we know that Barnabas was a GENEROUS man. He had a Christian view of one's possessions. He had a stewardship rather than an ownership view of one's property. He voluntarily shared his property and possessions with others.
But let me tell you something else that characterized this man Barnabas. He was a GRACIOUS man. When Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, found himself friendless after his conversion to Christ, he sought fellowship with the believers at Jerusalem. We read in Acts chapter 9 verse 26 these words: “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.” But notice how Barnabas befriended and commended him to those believers. We read in the very next verse: “Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Paul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus, what the Lord had said to him, and all about his powerful preaching in the name of Jesus”(v. 27, TLB). Then we read those exciting words: “And they accepted him” (v. 28, TLB).
No wonder Barnabas is called “the son of consolation” or still better, “the son of encouragement.” Now every church needs an encourager like Barnabas. We have many DISCOURAGERS in the church, but we need more church members who are ENCOURAGERS. No greater thing can be said of any of us than this. We may not be GREAT, but we can be GRACIOUS. Now such graciousness and kindness is only possible because of the salvation we have in Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Let us take a closer look at this man Barnabas and behold why he is described as a gracious man.