Barnabas exemplifies a true pastor through his character and actions, demonstrating that a Christian life should be a perpetual Sabbath. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, qualities that God uses to assign ministry. Barnabas's willingness to adjust his life to God's Word, as seen when he sold his land despite being a Levite, highlights the importance of aligning one's life with divine purposes. His pastoral heart is further evident in his mentorship of Saul (Paul), whom he introduced to the apostles, and in his recognition of the need for teaching in the Antioch church, leading him to seek out Paul to expound the Word of God.
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Good Sabbath morning everybody. Now I know you think I'm wrong. You think that I don't know how to distinguish between the seventh day of the week and the first day of the week. But these opening hymns and a few earlier thoughts took my mind to Hebrews chapter four. There's a text there that I enjoy. I hope you do too. And that text says there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Do you know what it means? I mean literally means.
Let me give you a rather literal translation, maybe a paraphrasing. Perpetually there goes on a keeping of sabbatical rest to the people of God. You know, the Christian shouldn't have a Sabbath once in a week. He should have a Sabbath every day. It goes on that day by day, as long as the Lord leaves us here, we may enjoy a Sabbath. This is a very enjoyable Sabbath today, I think.
I couldn't help but think of the difference between today and where I was a week ago today. The calm, quiet, slow pace of Park of the Palm. Where I was a week ago, we jumped into the car, tore out of an underground garage. up to the corner, round the corner, stopped at the signal light. Went a few blocks and stopped again at another light. Another few blocks and another light. Another few blocks around the corner to the right, and there's the chapel.
And we complimented ourselves that we had made it in eight minutes. That's the pace of the big city. I repeat, it's a bit difficult to keep a Sabbath every day under those circumstances, but here, this is delightful. Now, shall we turn to the Word of God? Last night we made mention of the fact that we were going to look at some biographical sketches in the morning, and we were going to confine our ministry in the evening to the eighth chapter of the epistles of the Romans. So turn with me to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter four. Shall we read from verse thirty-six?
who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted, the son of consolation, a Levite and of the country of Cyprus, having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Now, just a verse or two in chapter eleven. and verse twenty-two. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
For he was a good man. and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul. When he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. The man mentioned in both of these passages, and we might have read many, many passages, had we been just looking for his name, this man was what we would call a Hellenistic Jew.
That means that he was either born outside Palestine or, if born in Palestine, he had moved outside and was well acquainted with the Greek language. Just when he was saved, we don't know. Just when he was converted to the Lord, we don't know. I assume that he heard the gospel at the Feast of Pentecost on that remarkable day when the Spirit of God was poured out upon the church. He had come from his island home, Cyprus, visiting in Jerusalem because of the great Pentecostal feast.
There he heard the gospel. There he believed the gospel. There he became a new creature in Christ Jesus. Oh, thank God for the gospel of divine grace. He won many, many souls away back in those apostolic days, and it is still winning souls to Christ. There are so many, and they have heard the word, they believe the word, they rejoice in the word this morning. I suppose this would be true of the majority of us here. We look back over the years to that time when we accepted the Savior. It may be that there are some here present with us this morning who have never committed their lives to our blessed, adorable Lord Jesus.
They are still self-centered and probably hoping for the best through their own efforts. Thank God I repeat again for the gospel of divine grace. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried and was raised again the third day according to the scriptures. And if we confess with our mouths Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead, then we are saved. without any hesitancy on the part of God.
He fulfills His Word the moment we comply with His conditions. And what are the conditions? Well, very, very simple. The condition is that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. God so loved us. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I can tell you when I first heard that text. I don't remember. I suppose it was whispered into my baby ears. But I can tell you something.
About sixty-five years ago, I not only believed that text, But I believed in the person who is presented in that text. It's a long, long time ago, you see. Yes, it is a long time ago, but it has worn very well, I would say. I remember standing beside my beloved stepmother. I never knew my own mother. But this lady became my real mother. my spiritual mother, my mother in the faith. And I can remember her as a young teen, I remember standing beside her as a young teenager as she took that verse and broke it down little by little.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. that whosoever, my boy, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. But have everlasting life, and I repeat it, has worn well. Sixty-four years have come and gone. Since that day when I stood beside her and I accepted the Savior, she's been in glory many, many years. But you know, I become a little bit nostalgic from time to time.
You wouldn't believe that in a preacher that's traveled so much, would you? But I do. I get so homesick sometimes. I wish I could go homesick. At any rate, I get so nostalgic at times. I kind of daydream a bit. And I think of meeting Mother in Heaven. and are going for a walk and talking over those early experiences of my Christian life. Oh, thank God for the gospel. Now, just when Barnabas believed the gospel, as I have said, we don't know. We assume that it was one of the three thousand converts on the day of Pentecost.
But I want to tell you something, dear friend. He became a new creature in Christ Jesus. That is why I turn to the eleventh chapter of the book of Acts. There are some things said of him there that are worth considering, and of course many things elsewhere said about him, but it says, first of all, that he was a good man. Oh, what a commendation. He was a good man. There are many, beloved brethren of whom this might well be said. I think of our brother, Don Taylor.
Throughout many years, I enjoyed intimate fellowship with him. I can remember the years when, or the years when he came to Camp Maria. And we used to saunter up and down that rugged camp. talking about the things of God, exchanging our ideas relative to the Word of God and the interpretation of the Word of God. He stimulated thinking. And I can truthfully say, from what I knew of Brother Don Taylor, he was a good man, morally good, a gracious man.
And I repeat, there are many, and they might well bear this testimony. We can say of many right here, as we have known them throughout the years, is a good man, is a good brother, morally good. But then the Word of God goes on and says that he was full of the Holy Spirit. Now, I think the case of Barnabas In fact, so many of the cases in the book of Acts, they sort of rebuke some of our thinking, and maybe some of our teaching. I don't know whether this is taught or not, but at any rate, many of God's people apprehended in this way.
They think that the Lord calls a man to some specific service, that the Lord gives him a special assignment and then he fills him with the Holy Spirit in order that he accomplish that assignment. Now that is wrong. That is what we would say putting the horse before the cart or putting the cart rather before the horse. God takes the man who is full of the Holy Spirit. I repeat, God takes the man who is full of the Holy Spirit, and to that man he gives assignment.
To that man he gives special ministry. And I believe it was just that way in the case of Barnabas. A wonderful work of grace began in Antioch under rather unusual circumstances. It certainly wasn't in the traditional fashion, not by any means. It was something altogether different, something new. But it was a wonderful work of grace. And the apostles up on Jerusalem, they heard about it. Now, I don't know whether they were curious or whether they were suspicious.
I find it a little bit difficult to decide. but they were either curious as to what was going on or they were suspicious as to what was going on. And so they made choice of a Hellenistic Jew to send him down in order that he investigate this work among the Hellenists. And he went, his good man went, And he went because he was full of the Holy Spirit. Before he ever reached Antioch, before he was ever given the assignment by the church, he was full of the Holy Spirit.
Do you know what happened when you first trusted the Lord? Now, that may have been yesterday. It may have been today. It may even have been since this meeting started. I don't know. It may have been fifty years ago. It doesn't matter. But the moment you trusted the Lord Jesus, you received the Spirit of God. An old-fashioned hymn. I haven't heard it for many a long day. I think it really is one of the old-fashioned hymns. It has one stands in it that goes like this. When I, my all have ventured on the atoning block, The Holy Spirit entered and I was born of God.
On believing, says the apostle, in writing to the Ephesians, on believing you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Now, we have had the Holy Spirit within us, the indweller, ever since conversion. But then there is an infilling of the Spirit According to Ephesians chapter five, be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. We read Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit. Oh, just to be so filled by the Spirit of God that He dominates our lives, that He dominates all that we ever attempt to do for the Lord.
And then there is something more added to this wonderful description of Barnabas. He was full of faith. He was full of faith. He had implicit confidence in God. He trusted the Lord that he would bless and make successful his visit to Antioch. He was looking to the Lord confidently that the church in Antioch be really developed as a mighty testimony for God. And it really was.
You know, I hear men speaking about the pattern of the church in Acts II. I don't believe we have a pattern of the church anywhere. I think the Lord has given us principles. We follow principles, not a pattern. The pattern demands uniformity in all respects, but principles God has entrusted to elder brethren the wisdom to execute matters in regard to the divine principles that he has set out before us. And so Barnabas was deeply interested in the execution of this work.
And so he looked to God alone. He was a man who was a good man morally. He was full of the Spirit of God and there lay the secret of his power. And he was full of faith. He had no confidence in himself. He relied implicitly upon the Word of God. Now, what should a young believer do when he first really learns to enjoy the things of God, when he knows something of that rest of which we were singing, when he has a Sabbath, a keeping of the Sabbath in his soul, what should he do?
Well, I want to look at this young believer for a moment or two, and that is why I had you read from Acts four. And I'm going to call your attention to something that is very important. It says distinctly that he was a Levite. A Levite. And then more, he was a Levite that was digging in real estate. He owned property. Turn with me to the eighteenth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, please.
The fifth book in the Bible, the book of Deuteronomy. Verse one, the priest, the Levites, And all the tribe of Levi shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire and his inheritance. Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren. The Lord is their inheritance, as he says.
In another passage, in another portion we read, Only unto the tribe of Levi, Joshua did not distribute any property. He gave them none inheritance. The sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he had said unto them. A Levite-owning restate? When the Word of God distinctly says he shouldn't, when the Word of God makes it specifically clear that he should be maintained from the sacrifices of the Lord his God, but that he should have none inheritance among his brethren.
That is, no property. I don't know what the Levi would do in this marriage. materialistic age, but at any rate he had acquired some property. But now he's a Christian. He's a young Christian. He's an inexperienced Christian. Because what we read in Acts four, of course, precedes what we read in Acts eleven, although the two passages describe the same man. But here this young Christian discovers that he is living and enjoying material things, quite contrary to what God originally purposed.
As a Levite, he was to have no inheritance. He was not to deal in really state, and he wasn't to leave anything materialistic to others. His whole life was bound up in that wonderful ministry of sacrifice, the offering up to God, that which delighted his heart, and out of those offerings he was to be maintained. And here he is, and he finds himself just doing the very opposite to what was in the Word of God. But he's a young Christian now. And what is he going to do?
He's going to bring his life into perfect adjustment with the Word of God. And if there are young believers here present with us this morning, not Levites in the literal sense of the Word, but nevertheless spiritual Levites, let me say that this is really the beginning of Christian experience. It's bringing your life into perfect harmony with the Word of God. I knew a brother, and he had purchased a suit of clothing, especially made for himself.
But somehow or another, he inveigled a great deal, and he got by, by paying only about half. I just don't remember all the intricacies in the case, but God reached and saved him. And you know the first thing that he did as a Christian was to go down to the tailor and tell him how God saved him and give the tailor the rest of the money plus some interest. in that amount which he really had forfeited, had stolen to be naked truth.
In the trial of paper just a few days ago, I read of a man who, looking back over the years, he felt that he had not paid up his income tax properly and that he owed the Canadian government some money against that income tax of the years by. Now, he didn't say he had been saved, but he gave you the impression that he'd become religious. And of course, that's how the world looks upon a young Christian. He's got religion. Well, it must have been the real thing, because you know what that man did? He sent a check to the Canadian government for one thousand dollars.
I would assume in excess of what he originally could have paid had he been honest. But you see, this is what the Word of God does. This is what the Spirit of God does. When we trust the Savior, the Spirit of God and the Word of God would have us align our life with all the divine purposes. What does the Lord say? This is what he says, then I must do. And this is true in the life of Barnabas. No wonder he was a good man. No wonder he is full of the Holy Spirit.
No wonder he had implicit confidence in God. He was very anxious And from the very beginning of his spiritual experiences, that his life be in perfect accord with the Word of God, may God make each one of us just as perfectly exercised about these things. He was a remarkable man. I will assume that he was the first real friend, Christian friend, that Saul of Tarsus had. Barnabas was a remarkable shepherd among the sheep of Christ's pasture.
He grew up, he developed until a very special ministry was his. And I repeat, he showed the qualities and the qualifications of a real pastor. One day a young man came to the church in Jerusalem. They were rather surprised when he came. In fact, I think some of them were really shocked that this particular young man should appear in their church. His name was Saul of Tarsus. And, of course, they shunned him.
They despised him. They didn't extend to him at that time the right hand of fellowship, not by any means. They were literally afraid of him. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was a member of the Jewish government. You know, every time a Christian was being tried and it came to a vote, he voted against that Christian. He always voted against the Christian. He never had one good thought toward the Christians. And here is in the church. Well, I am sure the brethren they discussed the matter.
This implacable enemy in our assembly, sitting in our congregation. Oh, I can imagine some wise brothers saying, now, Lord, be careful. This is just another phase of his strategy. He's in here to find out who we all are. Barnabas said, Come here, Saul. I want to have a little talk with you. Just let us go over here in the corner and we'll talk things over. Here's a man, a good man, a man full of the Holy Spirit. And he sits down with another young believer, probably recalling some of his own early experiences.
And he learned three things from that young believer. And had we time to read the passage of Scripture, we're not going to take time so to do. We would have found out what those three things really were, because they're all very, very interesting. The first one, he had seen the Lord in the way. The second one, the Lord had spoken of to him. And the outcome of these, he preached boldly the gospel in Damascus. First of all, he had seen the Lord in the way.
What a revelation of glory to Saul of Tarsus. It is just no wonder that he fell in the dust of that Damascus road. Oh, think of the glory, the unsolid glory of the risen Christ. And that majesty and supremacy, they were such. Saul fell to the road. What a revelation. Now, I don't want to complicate things for some of those who are young in Christ. But let me say this, and I think you'll understand, conversion to God is really the outcome of a revelation.
The Lord makes himself known to you. Oh, you don't have a dream, you don't get a vision. I don't mean that at all. That's why I made those preliminary remarks. But the Spirit of God makes you to understand through the Word of God those things that are true concerning Christ. The Spirit of God enlightens the page, illuminates the page, so to speak. And you have in heart just an unveiling of Christ. And then you start to read the Bible, what?
Oh, the Lord speaks to you, of course, that's what. As you read this sacred page, the Lord speaks to your heart. He does it. So to all of us. You speak to some of these old, old Christians around you. You ask them, if they ever hear the voice of the Lord, if they ever hear the word from God, they'll tell you. And then, having this revelation from heaven, having heard the Word of God, Paul preached boldly in Damascus.
And so when he went to Jerusalem, they knew nothing about this, and they never would have. None of the rest took any trouble. to interview Saul of Tarsus, at least from the record, so it seems. But there's a man with a shepherd heart, a real true pastor, and he takes young Saul of Tarsus aside. Tell me about your experience. What do you know of the Lord Jesus? What are you doing here in our midst? Saul of Tarsus tells him the whole story. speaks of his conversion. Come with me, says Barnabas.
And he takes him over to the elder brethren who are in a huddle over the matter. Meet Saul of Tarsus, a young convert. The Lord has revealed himself to him. The Lord has spoken to him. And up in Damascus he was bearing testimony, a bright testimony to the saving grace of God. Surely, surely, he merits a place in our fellowship. Barnabas, the first friend of Saul of Tarsus. And he was the man, as we have already noticed, that was sent by the church in Jerusalem to investigate this rather spectacular work that was going on among Helonistic Jews, and finally, beyond that, to the Gentiles.
And Barnabas, this man of the shepherd heart went to see this work. You know, I think it's good for all of us from time to time to make an assessment of our own abilities. We ought to know what we can do best. And shall I say it? We ought to know what we can't do best. I think we all quite naturally know what best we can do. But we're not always willing in making an assessment to say, well, that I cannot do.
I just don't have that ability. Well, Brother so-and-so, he has. It's his responsibility. I just don't have that ability. It's well to make a personality inventory from time to time. And you know, I believe that this wonderful man Barnabas did that very thing. And I think he did it maybe for the first time in Antioch. There were all these young Christians just thrilling and throbbing with divine life. Father was with his true shepherd, heart exhorted them, stay together, pray together, meet together.
But as he made an assessment of the situation, he realized there was a grave deficiency. Oh, they knew the gospel. They knew the gospel and knew it well. They had felt the love and the warmth of a shepherd. But Barnabas decided that he couldn't meet the deficiency in that church. There was a lack of teaching. There was a lack of expository ministry. There was a grave lack in the lives of the young Christians because they didn't know, they didn't understand.
There was no one there to expound the Word of God. But not only did Barnabas make an assessment of his own abilities and disabilities, but he knew where to find help. So he leaves Antioch and he goes away down into Cilicia. There's a young man preaching the gospel there and he has formed several churches down there. He's had ten years of experience in evangelism and in teaching, very particularly in teaching. And so when Barnabas returned to Antioch, He had young Saul of Tarsus with him, now called Paul, a man so capable in the ministry of the word.
And these, brethren, we read these remarkable things concerning them, that they assemble themselves with the church and taught. Oh, that's a new word. That's a new word. We read of those who first went into Antioch that they gossip the gospel. They talked the gospel. They presented the gospel. Then Barnabas arrived and he exhorted them. But now Paul has arrived and he teaches them.
Three very interesting verbs in this passage. And so they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were, and I believe this to be quite correct, Brennan, oracularly called Christians. What a man this... Remarkable man Barnabas was. Well, we'll have to leave any further reference to his history to a little later date. There's so much said about this remarkable man. But let me just emphasize the beginning of his experience through the Gospels.
And then the making of the adjustment to bring his life into perfect accord with the whole Word of God. And that should be our responsibility as well. Shall we pray? Father, we thank thee for the example of men of like passions as we are. We do not idolize them, nor would we unnecessarily eulogize them. Now He's given us these records, in my word, in order that we emulate them, that we follow them even as they follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
We thank before this particularly good man this morning. and what we have read of him and my blessed word. And we would pray thy blessing upon us now. Remember us, for this day and very particularly this evening, as once more we meet for the ministry of the word of God. Do receive our thanks for the Lord Jesus. Thou hast given us in him all things richly to enjoy. So do receive our thanks in his hallowed and precious name. Amen.