Newburg Christian Church

09-21-2008 Sermon

More than Just Another Joe

Acts 11:19-24

How many men named Joseph, or Joe, do you know today? Including our own Joe Froman; I am personally acquainted with three Joes. The name Joseph or Joe is not an unusual name. Our soldiers used to be called G.I. Joes, and there was an action figure by that name when I was a young. We know the names Joe DiMaggio, Joe Piscapo, Joe Paterno, Joe Montana, Joe Biden, there’s Joe’s Crab Shack, Joe Jackson, Joe Cocker, Joe Jonas, we even call a cup of coffee a cup of “joe.”

There are definitely many Joes around today. How many Joes are there in the Bible? There is Joseph (Mary’s husband), Joseph the son of Jacob, Joseph of Arimathea, and if you’ve looked really close…Jesus has a great, great, great, great, great grandfather named Joseph in his genealogy recorded in the Gospel of Luke. But there is at least one more Joe. This man, who went by Joseph, was a member of the church in Jerusalem. He was very active in his church, so active that the apostles in the church gave him a new name, Barnabas (Acts 4:36).

That’s one thing I like when I read scripture; people are given new names that reflect a new calling or a new identity in God’s kingdom. Peter’s name was Cephas. Jesus gave him the new name because he would be the “rock” on which the new church would be built. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham which means “father of many nations.” Jacob wrestled all night with an angel and his name was changed to Israel which mean “he struggles with God.” There are others, some name changes are explained, others are not. In our scripture today, it is explained. Joseph’s name was changed to Barnabas because his new name was a description of how he served his church; he was named “son of encouragement.”

In Acts 4 we read about the church. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had…And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.” This passage gives us some insight into how this first church operated. The church is described in Acts 2, but these are additional details of how church life was lived out. In the midst of all this was a man named Joe. But not just any Joe, this Joe was no ordinary Joe. This Joe was a driving force in his church because encouragement was his gift in ministry.

The first thing we learn about Joe, now known as Barnabas, is that he sold a field and brought all the money from that sale and gave it to the apostles. Notice, it doesn’t say he gave the money to the church but that he laid it at the apostle’s feet. He humbled himself and gave everything to the kingdom that was being built by this small group of committed leaders. The next time we encounter Barnabas is when he brings Saul, now known as Paul, to the church in Jerusalem and testified on Paul’s behalf. The church just couldn’t believe that someone who persecuted Christians could now be “preaching fearlessly in the name of Jesus.” Only a man whom they trusted could have turned the church’s opinion of Paul from fear to support.

Then we see Barnabas mentioned in Acts 11. In an appearance before the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, which includes the surviving apostles and James the brother of Jesus, Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” Because of Barnabas a great number of Gentiles were brought to faith in Jesus and were welcomed into the church. Barnabas does much more. He helps heal a broken relationship between Paul and John Mark (the writer of the Gospel of Mark). Both Paul and John Mark were headed toward failure because they were butting heads. But now because of the work of Barnabas two ministries were birthed and the two men would eventually write the majority of our New Testament.

This was no ordinary Joe. And his entire ministry was built upon one single gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of encouragement. This gift of encouragement goes far beyond a simple pat on the back; it is a gift that builds people up when the world has torn them down. This gift of encouragement brings hope where there was no hope. This gift of encouragement points to the light instead of the dark. Encouragement was the foundation of his ministry and was a significant part of the foundation of the first church.

What made this Joe a Barnabas? What was it about this man that gave the church in Jerusalem the idea of changing his name to “son of encouragement?” I’m sure he wasn’t the only one in his church that encouraged people, just as we have many people here today who are encouragers…but something set him apart…something about him made him more than just another Joe. Luke tells us, “he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” That’s what made the difference, that’s what made this everyday Joe a Barnabas.

Encouragement is one of the most effective ways to help people and help your church. One of the real blessings I get every couple of weeks is a surprise phone call from Mattie. All she wants is to lift my spirits, no matter if they are high or low when she calls. Her calls are always positive even when we talk about difficult things. Mattie is a no ordinary Joe, she is a Barnabas. We need a Barnabas in every pew. Barnabas is the one who lifts us up when we are down. Barnabas keeps us moving forward when our life gets hard and we want to slip back to an easier path. Barnabas is the one who always makes us feel better simply because we were around them. Do you have a Barnabas in your life; are you a Barnabas in someone else’s life?

Something special happens in a church when there’s a Barnabas in every pew. Sooner or later the people in the church begin to develop a very real trust for and with each other. It’s a trust that leads to deeper obedience to the call of God in their lives and in the life of the church. As we move into true obedience to God’s call the church starts taking the risks that God calls them to take. God’s call is never into something safe and secure; God only calls us into ministries that require us to depend on Him. You can’t walk on water without God’s help. If you’re staying safe in the boat, you don’t need his help. Encouragement leads to trust in God and each other. It is only then a church can take the risks God calls it to take.

When encouragement floods a church the flood spills over into the lives of its people. Here’s how that’s lived out. When we live lives of encouragement we always see someone who needs a measure of encouragement. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, if there is another human being involved there is almost always an opportunity to encourage someone. Encouragement may be as simple as a compliment on the top someone else is wearing or the shine on their car. Encouragement may be as complex as listening to someone who needs to talk then offering to pray with them right then.

Encouragement can be given to your husband or wife or children…it can also be given to the checkout person at Wal Mart. Every day there are opportunities to encourage someone else. I’m going to challenge each of you today to make it a point to encourage three people every day. Not just Monday through Friday, but seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. No holidays, no days off. Imagine what could happen.

If there are 50 of us here today and each of us encourages three people that’s 150 people who have been encouraged. In a week that means 1,050 people would have been encouraged. In a year’s time, the number reaches nearly 55,000 people. One small church in south-central Louisville could intentionally have an impact on 55,000 people. Obviously, you may encourage the same person more than once, that’s just fine. There are enough negative things that are said and done to people every day, we do not have to stand in that line. We can choose to stand in the line where people are built up and not torn down.

The point is we can choose if we are going to be an ordinary Joe kind of people, an ordinary Joe kind of church, that doesn’t offer the world anything special. Or, we can allow the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and guide us into fulfillment of our purpose, “As we are lead by the Holy Spirit we will serve the physical and spiritual needs of others.” Barnabas lives that purpose every day. You can choose to be Barnabas, sons and daughters of encouragement; an encourager to people, an encourager for the kingdom.

It’s your choice. You can choose, you can choose, you must choose. What will you choose?

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