Sermons About Barnabas
Suffering for the Sake of the Gospel
Acts 14:1-28 A powerful example of what it means to suffer for the sake of the gospel was lived out during WWII by a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor and theologian who participated in the German Resistance movement against Nazism and was a founding member of the Confessing Church. His involvement in plans by members of the German Military Intelligence Office to assassinate Adolf Hitler resulted in his arrest in April 1943 and his subsequent execution by hanging in April 1945, shortly before the war's end. Bonhoeffer's willingness to die in the service of the Lord was exhibited by the peacefulness he extolled during his suffering in the concentration camps and his fervent and expectant prayer to God as he was taken to be executed. He died as a bold and brave servant to the Lord. This is a powerful example of discipleship, which is to joyfully suffer for the gospel of Christ. Like the story of Bonhoeffer, the passage in Acts 14:1-28 should encourage and motivate us to courageously share the gospel everywhere we go no matter what opposition, rejection, or persecution we may face. From the verses in this passage, we learn about four stopping points for Paul and Barnabas as they finished up their first missionary journey. They 1. Relied and Retreated from Iconium (vv. 1-7) 2. Were Revered and Rejected in Lystra (vv. 8-20) 3. Revisited and Refreshed the Churches (vv. 21-23) 4. Reported and Recuperated in Antioch (vv. 24-28) We have been called to suffer for Christ and to suffer for the gospel. If we are being faithful to share the gospel, it is not a question of "if", but "when" persecution will come. We may never be stoned for the gospel's sake as the apostle Paul was, but no matter what form our persecution comes in, the suffering will be worth it because we know that our lives are in the hands of a loving God, who promises His protection. We should take joy in the privilege and honor of serving our Lord. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about his suffering: "It is a badge of discipleship".
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The Vital and Victorious Connection: The First Church Council
One of the worst ways to do life is to do it alone. That applies to absolutely everybody, but it especially applies to Christians and churches. The truth is, Lone Rangers never win alone. Today in the Word, as we continue our study of Acts, we come to Luke’s account of the first church council in Jerusalem. As meetings go, this one wasn’t boring - great issues were at stake. In fact, the integrity of the gospel was at stake. And great lessons are to be learned by the early church. As we progress through the Book of Acts and think about the risen Lord, the life-giving Spirit, and the original emerging church, keep asking yourself, “Who are we now and what should we be like?”
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The Wider Christian Mission: Encountering Estranged New Worlds
The book of Acts is a missionary book. Like the rest of Scripture it is about God’s mission to redeem a broken world. The missionary God sent is His one and only Son. He sent him into an estranged world so that rebels can be restored. The missionary Son sends His 12 disciples into the world to spread the good news (gospel) of God’s saving love. The Father and Son sent the missionary Holy Spirit to effectively call people to Himself. And in each place “all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” (13.48) Today in the Word we look at Acts 13 and 14. It chronicles the first missionary journey of the church through Paul and Barnabas. Here we see the wider Christian mission - beyond Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria - into all kinds of strange and estranged new worlds. But in each place, the gospel is supremely relevant to the needs of all kinds of people. This was their mission, but it is our mission as well. A look backwards, will help us go forward as we encounter other strange new worlds the gospel must enter.
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People Making a Difference / Saving the Streets of Syracuse
The Barnabas Center and Booth House are two shelters run by the Salvation Army in Syracuse for troubles teens who are homeless or have run away from home. The Army work towards repairing their family relationships, getting them through school and helping them find (and keep) jobs.
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Called and Sent
As Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey, who is it that commissions them? The church, the Holy Spirit, or both?
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Barnabas: Finding a Good Man
Goodness is more than just a preferred quality. It is evidence of God's activity in your life.
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Hypocrisy In The Church
In Acts 4:32 - 5:37, Luke paints a vivid contrast between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira showing the church at its very best and worst. In the same church there were examples of Godly behavior and sinful behavior. The scripture points us to examples of people within the church who demonstrated both extremes. Luke introduces Barnabas as a role model from among those who donated property proceeds so that the needs of fellow church members could be met. Ananias and Sapphira are noted as two examples of hypocrisy among Christians who faked their spirituality to impress others. The consequences of their sin demonstrates that God will hold us to account for testing Him by living in hypocrisy with His church. More importantly, these passages teach that we cannot experience the joy of forgiveness if we refuse to acknowledge and confess our sin.
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