Choosing Christ-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World
Brushing your teeth has become what we call second nature to you—it's an action so often repeated that it now exists in the realm of muscle memory.
In Christ, Christians are given a completely different new nature, with new desires, new tastes, and a new lifestyle. As we continue to grow in Christ, we develop consistent patterns of thinking, believing, and acting that become so ingrained in us that we scarcely even think about them.
We are studying the lives of seven biblical characters, that will show some of those patterns that grow out of our belief in the gospel. And we should be challenged to actively develop these patterns until they become second nature to us, like brushing our teeth.
We have examined the faith of Caleb, the wisdom of Solomon, the commitment of Ruth, and this week we'll look at the Encouragement of Barnabas - do you know him?
Teacher Notes
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
No one views a skyscraper in its early stages and marvels at the extensive nature of its rebar. We don’t want to see what makes it stable. We want to see what makes it pretty.
No one views a skyscraper in its early stages and marvels at the extensive nature of its rebar. We don’t want to see what makes it stable. We want to see what makes it pretty.
Even though rebar isn’t pretty, it’s incredibly necessary. It’s what gives a building its stability and strength. It’s what holds everything together below the surface.
In a similar way, we’ve all had people who propped us up at different points in our lives. These people have supported us in our faith even when it felt like the whole world was being turned upside down. And though these people might never receive the applause, they play an essential role of support in our lives.
It takes incredible strength of character to be this kind of support for another. It’s easier to drift down the road of criticism. The Christian, though, must resist that temptation. We must choose to build up instead of tear down. In this session, we’ll look at a man whose own nickname reflected his consistent encouragement of others—and we’ll see in his life an example worth following.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Acts 4:36-37
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is
translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at
the apostles’ feet.
The first few chapters of the Book of Acts provide a beautiful glimpse into the early days of the church.
These followers of Jesus, who had earlier scattered in fear during His crucifixion, had been filled with the
power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They emerged from that experience no longer timid, but boldly
confident in the authority of Jesus as the rightful Lord of the universe. They gladly shared the good news
of forgiveness in Christ, and thousands more believed.
Thus, the church was born—this new community of people who, apart from their shared faith, had no
reason to associate together. Old divisions of creed, economic status, and educational level disappeared,
and the new church found great joy in growing closer to God and closer together. They freely shared
what they had and encouraged one another daily. (See Acts 4:32-34.)
Among those new believers was a man named Joseph. He earned a nickname, Barnabas, that literally
means “Son of Encouragement.” It seems that Barnabas was a man of means who lived up to his
nickname, and who went so far as to sell one of the fields he owned and bring the money to the apostles
for the mutual good of God’s people.
Like Barnabas, we too have been given resources—talents, time, finances—and we have to choose what
to do with them. We can either use these resources to encourage others, or we can hang onto them for
our own security, comfort, and convenience. For us, as it was with Barnabas, our willingness to use what
we have for others will be driven by our faith.
What makes generosity a
source of encouragement?
Acts 9:26-27
26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples,
but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he
was a disciple. 27 Barnabas, however, took him and brought
him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen
the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and
how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
You may have heard about the apostle Paul’s dramatic conversion
on the road to Damascus. Originally known as Saul, he was a key
leader in the Jewish persecution of the early church. In fact, Saul was
known for his zealous campaigns to root out pockets of Christians,
throw them in jail, and in some cases even put them to death.
All that changed when, on a particular mission of persecution, Saul
was knocked off his high horse and came face-to-face with the risen
Jesus. (See Acts 9:1-9.) As a result, he was dramatically and irreversibly
changed. The great persecutor became the great missionary. The
hater of Christianity became its most ardent defender. The oppressor
of the church became the defender of her doctrine.
But consider how history might have been different if not for the
encouraging spirit of Barnabas.
The early church leaders knew about Saul; they’d seen what he did
to their brothers and sisters. They lived in fear of the day when he
might come for them. Then, suddenly, a rumor circulated that Saul
had completely changed course; he was now with them instead of
against them. We can understand their hesitation. Surely there were
more than a few who thought this supposed conversion was just
another scheme to infiltrate their ranks.
But Barnabas, the encourager, was willing to take a chance on this
new convert. Barnabas was confident enough in the power of the
gospel, having experienced the saving power of Jesus himself,
to believe this miraculous conversion could be real.
What risks do we take
when we stand up for
others?
There are few things more powerful than someone willing to stand
up for someone else—especially when that person has done
nothing to deserve it. Think about how encouraging it is to hear,
just when you’re at your loneliest and most vulnerable position, that
someone is speaking on your behalf.
Those moments can change a person’s life.
Acts 11:19-26
19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution
that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But
there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came
to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the
good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them,
and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 News about
them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas
to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of
God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the
Lord with devoted hearts, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy
Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the
Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he
found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with
the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called
Christians at Antioch.
As we’ve seen, Barnabas encouraged others through his generosity,
and the early church flourished. Then, by encouraging and
supporting Paul, Barnabas helped the other apostles to accept his
ministry in its early days. And, as we see in this passage, Barnabas
encouraged the spread of the gospel in unlikely places among
unlikely people.
Who has encouraged
your
spiritual growth
over the years?
It was always God’s intent that the gospel spread beyond Jerusalem
and the Jewish population there; it has always been in His heart that
the church be made up of people from every tribe, tongue, nation
and people. (See Matt. 28:19.) Yet when the gospel began to be
preached to the Greeks, a group of people the Jews considered out
of bounds, many Jewish believers were skeptical. So they sent their
trusted emissary, Barnabas, to check out the situation.
Having seen the grace of God at work in these new Gentile believers,
Barnabas turned to what was second nature to him: encouragement.
Specifically, he encouraged these new believers to grow spiritually.
How do we encourage spiritual growth in someone else? The example
of Barnabas gives us some keys:
- Encourage with joy. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he saw what God was doing and “he was glad.” Our greatest joy should come from seeing the work of God in other lives. To see someone be born again, and then to play a role in encouraging them to grow in Christ, are wonderful opportunities of eternal consequence.
- Encourage with faith. Barnabas encouraged these new believers “to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.” Through the Spirit, he sought to help them discover what the Holy Spirit could do in and through them as they lived out their faith.
- Encourage with perseverance. Barnabas brought in Saul, and together they persevered in discipling the believers in their walk with Christ. We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking encouragement is a one-time thing. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process that calls for perseverance on our part. After all, that’s the way God deals with us. (See Phil. 1:6.)
How can you use
your
resources, gifts,
skills, or talents
to
encourage others?
LIVE IT OUT
What will you do to offer support and encouragement to others in
the days to come? Consider these options:
- Encourage friends. Think of the people who are closest to you right now. What is one specific sentence you can say to each of them to encourage them?
- Encourage your pastor. Your pastor might be someone you don’t consider when you think of encouraging someone. Take time this week to do so with a note or a conversation.
- Encourage others in your community. Part of encouragement is being willing to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. As a group, identify those people in your community and plan some actions you can do to stand up for them.
You are who you are because someone was willing to encourage
you. That person, along with many others, form the “rebar” of your
life—the support and structure that makes you stable. Now go and
do likewise in the lives of others.
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Teacher Notes
Choosing Christ-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World
SECOND NATURE
Play Video: Validation - Christ-centered living chooses encouragement, not criticism.
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Our lesson says that it takes incredible strength of character to be an encourager. It’s much easier to drift down the road of criticism. Do you agree with that and why would that be?
Why is criticism easier to do than to encourage?
The quickest way to expose your insecurities is to be hypercritical of others. When you spend your time criticizing others, it says a lot more about you than the one that you are criticizing. Those who spend their lives finding fault in others are most critical of themselves. People feeling content with who they are, do not feel the need to put others down. The fault finder, full of self-contempt and often lacking self-awareness, criticizes others in order to boost a fragile ego.
Encourage rather than criticize. Empathize rather than judge. Become self-aware. Before flinging insults, take the time to look in the mirror and work on your own self-growth. Life is too short to be spent dwelling on the faults of others. Instead, try to find something positive about everyone that you meet. If there is a person in your life who habitually puts you down, remember that the problem may reside within them, not you.
In this lesson, we’ll look at a man whose own nickname reflected his consistent encouragement of others—and we’ll see that it was a character trait that was SECOND NATURE to him.
I. We can encourage by giving. Acts 4:36-37
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
It seems that Barnabas was a man of means who lived up to his nickname, and who went so far as to sell one of the fields he owned and bring the money to the apostles for the mutual good of God’s people. Like Barnabas, we too have been given resources—talents, time, finances—and we have to choose what to do with them. We can either use these resources to encourage others, or we can hang onto them for our own security, comfort, and convenience. For us, as it was with Barnabas, our willingness to use what we have for others will be driven by our faith.
Many have the means and the resources to use their blessings to encourage others. A gift—monetary or otherwise—can lift the spirits of a struggling person or family.
What makes generosity a source of encouragement?
- Does it make you feel good that you can make a difference in other people’s lives?
- You can model generosity by being generous to your children. This can take the form of spending extra time with them, saying kind things to them, doing little extra things for them. For example, you can make them hot chocolate on a cold winter day or buy them a small toy that they really want but did not expect to receive. These kind acts on your part can fill up your child’s “feeling good reservoir” so that he can more graciously give to someone else.
Point: Use what you have to encourage others. A spirit of concern for the needs of others ought to permeate a believer.
II. We can encourage by befriending. Acts 9:26-27
26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. 27 Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
In Acts 9, Paul, who was formerly known as Saul—the persecutor of the church, was seeking entry into the church at Jerusalem. The church folks, as you can imagine, were suspicious and reluctant to give Paul a place. But Barnabas came to the rescue and put his relationship with the other apostles on the line by befriending Paul. Barnabas took Paul by the hand and led him before the apostles to affirm his beliefs in his conversion and new life in Christ. Barnabas came alongside Paul to give him needed support.
What risks do we take when we stand up for others?
There are few things more powerful than someone willing to stand up for someone else—especially when that person has done nothing to deserve it. Think about how encouraging it is to hear, just when you’re at your loneliest and most vulnerable position, that someone is speaking on your behalf.
Those moments can change a person’s life.
Point: Encourage others by standing with them and being their advocate.
- New believers who reach out for fellowship need to be warmly embraced.
- The foundation for a relationship among believers is that each has had a personal encounter with the Lord who makes them one.
- Believers are to encourage new followers of Christ and help them find their place of service.
III. We can encourage by discipling. Acts 11:19-26
19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
As we’ve seen, Barnabas encouraged others through his generosity, and the early church flourished. Then, by encouraging and supporting Paul, Barnabas helped the other apostles to accept his ministry in its early days. And, as we see in this passage, Barnabas encouraged the spread of the gospel in unlikely places among unlikely people. Having seen the grace of God at work in these new Gentile believers, Barnabas turned to what was second nature to him: encouragement. Specifically, he encouraged these new believers to grow spiritually.
How do we encourage spiritual growth in someone else? (Barnabas gives us some keys)
- Encourage with joy. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he saw what God was doing and “he was glad.” Our greatest joy should come from seeing the work of God in other lives. To see someone be born again, and then to play a role in encouraging them to grow in Christ, are wonderful opportunities of eternal consequence.
- Encourage with faith. Barnabas encouraged these new believers “to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts.” Through the Spirit, he sought to help them discover what the Holy Spirit could do in and through them as they lived out their faith.
- Encourage with perseverance. Barnabas brought in Saul, and together they persevered in discipling the believers in their walk with Christ. We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking encouragement is a one-time thing. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process that calls for perseverance on our part. After all, that’s the way God deals with us. (See Phil. 1:6.)
Point: Encourage others by helping them grow spiritually. We can contribute to a climate for spiritual growth by having attitudes shaped by our faith and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
I see at least three ways Barnabas earned this nickname:
1. He encouraged anyone and everyone to follow Christ (Acts 11:19-21).
2. He encouraged others to grow in their walk with Christ (vv. 22-24).
3. He encouraged Paul to serve Christ (vv. 25-26).
Conclusion: Barnabas’ story reminds us that anyone can encourage It requires no advanced degrees, or special abilities, or finely-honed sills, just a willingness to give of oneself. He gave of himself to the church in Jerusalem, to Paul, and to the church at Antioch.
Why can’t we?
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
