Barnabas:
Son of Encouragement
Mike Mazzalongo
1
Now as to the times and the epochs,
brethren, you have no need of anything to
be written to you. 2 For you yourselves
know full well that the day of the Lord will
come just like a thief in the night. 3 While
they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then
destruction will come upon them suddenly
like labor pains upon a woman with child,
and they will not escape.
- I Thessalonians 5:1-3
4
But you, brethren, are not in
darkness, that the day would
overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are
all sons of light and sons of day. We
are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so
then let us not sleep as others do,
but let us be alert and sober.
- I Thessalonians 5:4-6
7
For those who sleep do their sleeping
at night, and those who get drunk get
drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the
day, let us be sober, having put on the
breastplate of faith and love, and as a
helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God
has not destined us for wrath, but for
obtaining salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ,
- I Thessalonians 5:7-9
10
who died for us, so that whether
we are awake or asleep, we will live
11
together with Him. Therefore
encourage one another and build up
one another, just as you also are
doing.
- I Thessalonians 5:10-11
Encouragement - Definition
O.T.
-NÂCHAM
-To breathe strongly, sigh
-Isa. 40:1-2
1“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
Encouragement - Definition
O.T.
-CHÂZAQ
-To fasten upon/give strength
-Deut. 3:28
28 But charge Joshua and encourage him and
strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of
this people, and he will give them as an inheritance
the land which you will see.’
Encouragement - Definition
N.T.
-PARA
-To be near
˘ˉ
-PARAKALEO
-To call near, invite
John 14:26 (comforter)
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He will teach you all things,
and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Rom. 1:12 (encourage)
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with
you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith,
both yours and mine.
II Cor. 9:5 (exhort)
5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that
they would go on ahead to you and arrange
beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift,
so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift
and not affected by covetousness.
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
1. He Encouraged Generosity.
36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also
called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means
Son of Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of
land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the
apostles’ feet.
-Acts 4:36-37
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
2. He Encouraged Ministry.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to
associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of
him, not believing that he was a disciple.
-Acts 9:26
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the
apostles and described to them how he had seen the
Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how
at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of
Jesus.
-Acts 9:27
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
3. He Encouraged Brotherly Love.
27 Now at this time some prophets came down from
Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus
stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there
would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And
this took place in the reign of Claudius.
-Acts 11:27-28
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had
means, each of them determined to send a contribution
for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. 30 And this
they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the
elders.
-Acts 11:29-30
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem
when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with
them John, who was also called Mark.
-Acts 12:25
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
4. He Encouraged Evangelism.
13 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was
there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon
who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen
who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul.
-Acts 13:1
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken
up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes
followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them,
were urging them to continue in the grace of God.
-Acts 13:43
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
5.
He Encouraged Unity.
1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the
brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of
Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had
great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined
that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to
Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
-Acts 15:1-2
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to
Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and
wonders God had done through them among the
Gentiles.
-Acts 15:12
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
6. He Encouraged Reconciliation.
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return
and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed
the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Barnabas
wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
-Acts 15:36-37
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his
greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom
you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome
him);
-Col. 4:10
Barnabas – An Example of Encouragement
7. He Encouraged Imitation.
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
-I Cor. 11:1
Barnabas: Character of Encourager
• He was Generous
-Land & Money
-Acts 4:36
-Reputation
-Acts 9:27
-Time
-Acts 11:30
-Ministry
-Acts 11:25
Barnabas: Character of Encourager
• He was Generous
• He was a Visionary
Barnabas: Character of Encourager
• He was Generous
• He was a Visionary
• He was Courageous
Let’s Not Take Each
Other For Granted
I Encourage You
To Respond To
Christ’s Invitation.