The First Missionaries
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Acts 1:1 - 6:7
the birth of the church and it’s growth in Jerusalem
Peter & John before the Sanhedrin - commanded not to preach Jesus - we must obey God rather than men
first instance of church discipline: Ananias and Saphira put to death
appointment of the 7 to serve the widows
Acts 6:8 - 9:31
Stephen arrested and charged with blasphemy
Stephen’s defence and stoning
Saul attacks the Jerusalem church causing believers to leave and spread the gospel to Samaria
Saul’s miraculous conversion
Acts 9:32 - 12:24
the gospel goes to the Gentiles through God’s sovereign work in Peter and Cornelius
the establishment and growth of the church at Antioch
Herod’s attack on the church by killing James and attempting to do the same to its leader, Peter
Peter’s rescue and Herod’s humiliation
Herod’s execution by the angel
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
“and” - follows the “but”
tells us how the word continued to increase and multiply:
the Jew’s desire and Herod’s plan frustrated
Herod destroyed
persecution kept the church pure and focused
Jesus builds churches like this so that not even the gates of hell can prevail
the gospel spreads through persecution and now through the appointment of missionaries
The church grows by staying pure and focused. Jesus is committed to building churches like this. Not even the gates of hell can conquer them!
“completed their service”
Acts 11:27-30 - Barnabas and Saul had been commissioned by the Antioch church to send funds they had raised to the elders of the church in Jerusalem to meet the needs of those affected by the famine
A sign of a Spirit-filled church is sacrificial giving, love in action.
church had everything in common
church shares what they have with churches in need
having completed their task, Barnabas and Saul returned to their sending church, Antioch
brought John Mark with them
READ ACTS 13:1-5 & 13-14
The Three Missionaries
The Three Missionaries
the three Amigos, the three Muskateers - all for one and one for all
Barnabas
Barnabas
Acts 4:36
Barnabas’ real name was Joseph
apostles called him Barnabas = son of encouragement
The apostles called Joseph Barnabas because he was an encourager.
a priest - sold property and gave proceeds to Apostles to alleviate the needs of the poor
Acts 9:1-19
Saul’s miraculous conversion
from persecutor to preacher
Acts 9:27
when the Jerusalem church would not meet with Saul because they were afraid, Barnabas stepped in and spoke on his behalf
Acts 9:26-30
from persecutor to persecuted!
Acts 11:22
Barnabas sent by the Jerusalem church to investigate what was happening in Antioch
glad when he saw the grace of God (v.23), exhorted to remain faithful with steadfast purpose (v.23)
why was he like this?
24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
when Barnabas realized it was a genuine work of the HS he searched for Saul and brought him there to teach the church
Acts 11:30 - church at Antioch sent B&S to Jerusalem with the offering
Barnabas is mentioned first indicating that at the time he was esteemed by the church more than Saul
order of names in bible a very important indicator of their position, power or responsibility
Acts 12:25 - B&S return from Jerusalem
again Barnabas is mentioned before Saul
they return to Antioch with Barnabas cousin, John Mark (Col 4:10)
Acts 13:1 - Barnabas the “senior pastor” of the Antioch church
Barnabas is listed first among those who were prophets and teachers in the Antioch church
he was a leader in the church
Barnabas was considered the head of the Antioch church even though other leaders shared the responsibility of leading, preaching and teaching.
Acts 13:2 - HS commands the church
HS instructs the church to set apart Barnabas and Saul to become missionaries
preceded by worshipping and fasting and followed by fasting and praying
no fund raising!
Saul a tent maker
relied also on hospitality
Acts 13:7
Barnabas and Saul were summoned by Sergius Paulus
Barnabas teaches, Elymas opposes, Paul rebukes and strikes with blindness, Sergius believes
SP astonished not at the miracle but the word - a sign of true salvation!
Saul’s name was changed to Paul.
Hebrew and Roman names
remember that though he was a Jew he was born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28)
at that point it is likely that he was also given a Roman name
after this encounter with Elymas Paul is mentioned first
13:13 - reference to “Paul and his companions” … and John left them
did John leave because Paul had taken the position once held by Barnabas?
remember the argument of the disciples about which of them would be the greatest
contrast with example of John the Baptist when his ministry declined while Christ’s increased
one of the greatest problems on the mission field are the struggles between missionaries!
Paul became the chief speaker after this (Acts 14:12)
Barnabas called Zeus: sky and thunder god who rules as king of gods on Mt Olympus
though Paul is recognized by Luke as the leader the people looked on Barnabas
transition took some time
Paul called Hermes: god of heraldry among other things - emissary and messenger of gods
Acts 15:12 - B&S before the Jerusalem church council
when relating what God was doing among the Gentiles to the Jerusalem church Barnabas is listed first
though Paul has taken the lead Barnabas has the stronger relationship with the Apostles and the Jerusalem church and is trusted by them
Acts 15:25
Barnabas and Paul described by the Jerusalem church as “our beloved”
by this time they were both greatly loved and appreciated
Saul / Paul
Saul / Paul
persecutor of the church miraculously converted
Paul spent 3 years in Arabia being taught by Christ. (Gal 1:17)
through reading the OT and being taught by the HS
when Barnabas saw the great work of the HS in Antioch he sought out Paul in Tarsus, his home town, to help in the teaching of the church (Acts 11:25)
focus of Acts on Paul’s ministry from 15:36 to the end of the book
follows the outworking of Acts 1:8
Paul is the the writer of 1/3 of the New Testament.
responsible for writing down many of the key doctrines of the church and much of the practical instruction about how to live in every area of life as a Christian
contrast between Barnabas and Saul: where Barnabas was known for his gift of encouragement the apostle Paul was known for his commitment to the truth
it’s not that Barnabas didn’t know the truth for he was one of the leaders in the Antioch church
it’s not that Paul was unloving, he had much to say about how believers are to fulfill Christ’s commandment to love God and one another
this brings us to John Mark
John Mark
John Mark
Most bible scholars consider him to be the writer of the Gospel of Mark.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),
John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas.
one of the house churches in Jerusalem met in the home of his mother (Acts 12:12)
“many were gathered”
would have required a large house which indicates they were not poor
John Mark came from a well to do family in Jerusalem.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
having completed their assignment to deliver the funds collected for the Jerusalem church Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch
Barnabas named first and therefore the leader at that time
brought with them John Mark
had either travelled there for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread or was a member of the Jerusalem church
13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,
it is right after this that JM abandoned Paul and Barnabas
A Sidelined Disciple
A Sidelined Disciple
we really don’t know why JM abandoned Barnabas and Paul
some have suggested it was the hard ministry in Cyprus (13:4-12)
only the conversion of Sergius Paulus is recorded
if Elymas was symbolic of the demonic opposition they faced, it would have been a very difficult trip
however, if we look closely at the text as we may find another, more compelling reason for JM’s defection
we’ve already noted the change in leadership between his uncle Barnabas and Paul (13:9)
remember also that Saul had savagely persecuted the church in Jerusalem where John Mark and his mother lived
it is not unlikely that JM had christian brothers and sisters who had suffered and died under Saul’s reign of terror
though Saul had been converted it is possible that JM struggled to forgive him
Whatever the reason, John Mark did not finish the work, he abandoned the ministry.
he was willing to participate in missionary work as long as it was easy and comfortable
saying, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”
when the going got tough JM went home!
sadly JM’s example is not uncommon in missionary work today and it is not uncommon in the ministries of the local church
Many professing Christians in the church today are sitting on the sidelines.
some have joined the church never intending to serve
happy to be a part of the church as long as it is easy, as long as the sermons make them feel good, as long as relationships are fun, worship is entertaining, the music is inspiring
others like JM were serving but at some point but stopped
they stepped away from the work of the ministry
work was hard, little fruit for labour, not enough appreciation, perhaps criticized, not promoted, conflict with fellow labourers, suggestions not taken,
some have even left the church
I can think of many of my friends who are no longer walking with Christ
the love of world, things of world, cares of life, disappointments, losses lead them to walk away
Jesus spoke of this in the Parable of Soils
John Mark did not count the cost of discipleship. (Luke 14:26-33)
Lk 14:26-33
besides JM there was another sinful failure
Barnabas failed to confront John Mark’s sin and lost his position and effectiveness.
instead of confronting Mark concerning his sin Barnabas took him on a mission of his own and nothing came of it
Barnabas drops out of the story of Acts with no share in the future glory of Paul’s ministry
do you think Barnabas regretted his choice when he saw God glorify himself through Paul’s faithful ministry?
do you think that when he heard of Silas working with Paul he realized that could have been him?
it’s a fact that failure to confront sin and put it to death often results in regret
regret turns to bitterness: blaming circumstances or others instead of accepting responsibility and dealing with personal failure
sometimes even leads to bitterness toward God
3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.
dealing with sin, confronting it, confessing it, repenting of it is always the most blessed path
let’s look now to JM’s restoration
A Restored Servant
A Restored Servant
we are not told when or how JM dealt with his sin but we know he did
Paul’s example of dealing with sin in 1 Cor 5 and 2 Cor 2
Paul’s description of John Mark as he wrote from his prison cell: “a comfort to me”. (Colossians 4:10)
John Mark became one of Paul’s “fellow workers”. (Philemon 24)
3 are mentioned: JM, Demas & Luke
JM a runaway returned, Demas a runaway never returned, and Luke a faithful friend through thick and thin
John Mark became very useful to Paul for ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)
from runaway to useful co-worker
did not happen without failure!
don’t let failure (whether yours or someone else’s) keep you on the sidelines
failure can be more important than success
makes us stronger
makes us wiser
John Mark served with Peter as well who referred to to him as “my son”. (1 Peter 5:13)
sins can be overcome
our future does not have to be controlled by past failures
Sins which remain hidden have power over us. Sins which are confessed lose their power.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
sins which are confronted teach us humility, patience, dependence
sins which are forgiven unite us more intimately to Christ who paid for them and make us more zealous to serve Christ
also makes us gracious and kind with those who are struggling with sin
JM went from fleeing like a coward, sitting at home, sulking in his sins to becoming a faithful servant with Paul and Peter
became an effective evangelist
teaches us that God works with broken people who deal with their sin
Jesus will not break the bruised reed (Mt 12:20)
the process of restoration
in their dispute, Paul’s sternness is contrasted with Barnabas’ gentle forgiving spirit
while a gentle, forgiving spirit is commendable, there was no effort by Barnabas to confront JM’s failure
Paul was unwilling to put his trust in JM until he had dealt with his sin
God deals with us in the same way
God is ready, willing and infinitely able to forgive and restore but desires consciousness of sin, commitment to confront cowardice and selfishness and recommitment to the tasks at hand.
the process of recovery: consciousness of sin, confession to Master, consecration to renewed energy to serve
biblical example? David dealing with his sin in Ps 51 & Ps 32
the sinful, selfish heart must be broken and healed before the person is ready to be reinstated
8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
though God forgives he deals with sin
Paul’s example of dealing with sin in the Corinthian church
dealing with sin in 1 Cor 5:1-13 and then restoring in 2 Cor 2:5-11
principle: God rewards those who work hard for him with greater responsibility (Parable of Talents)
remember that one of the precious rewards God reserves for those who are faithful in little is to reward them with much more to be responsible for! (Parable of Talents)
this is also why some Christians remain sidelined
having refused opportunities to serve, God has given the tasks to others who have proven themselves
would you see God do great things in and through you? then work hard and faithfully for God!
William Carey: “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”
God used a humble shoemaker to start the modern missionary movement
Questions:
Read Matthew 24:45-51. If you are a spectator on the sidelines what are you going to do to get “in the game”?
Are you like Paul (truth) or Barnabas (love)? How can this bless or hinder your work for Christ?
God uses pure and available people. Are you someone God can use?
Is there anything you are doing which is hindering your usefulness to God? Who will you confess this to?