SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. MAY 27, 2018 TOPIC: Be an Encourager (Barnabas)

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. MAY  27, 2018

TOPIC: Be an Encourager (Barnabas)

MEMORY VERSE: Romans 14:19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another (KJV).

LESSON TEXT: Acts 4:32-37; 9:26-28;11:19-30;13:1-5;14:128; 15:36-40; 1Timothy 6:17-19.

CENTRAL TRUTH:  Christians should build up one another in Christ.

FOCUS: To investigate and imitate how Barnabas encouraged others.

OUTLINE:

1.     A Generous Man

A.   Respond to others’ needs

B.   Understand Basis for Generosity

2.     A Compassionate Mentor

A.   Be a term Builder

B.   Don’t Give up on Others

3.     An Effective Missionary

A.   Led by the Spirit

B.   Churches Planted and Nurtured

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students will be better equipped to

1.     Recognise that generosity is an important expression of their faith in God

2.     Choose to invest themselves in the lives of others

3.     Strive to serve God faithfully in advancing the gospel.

INTRODUCING THE LESSON
Open with this question “who has influenced you the most during your lifetime?”  As you discuss, note that examples often include people who believed in them, saw potential in them, and encouraged them to keep trying.
  In today’s lesson we investigate a man who was known for being an encourager. By imitating his examples, we will discover ways we can build up others in Christ.

1.     A Generous Man

A.   Respond to others’ Needs. – Acts 4:32-37

    When the early church faced opposition, the believers drew together to support one another (Acts 4:32). This unity included a willingness to freely share their material possessions in response to the needs of others. Their unity of faith and purpose translated into powerful ministry as the message of the resurrected Christ continued to be proclaimed by the apostles (verse 33) God. These early believers experienced the favor of both God and people as the witness of the Church was conveyed through good works and powerful proclamation.
 QUESTION: Why can the combination of good works and powerful proclamation lead to Christians finding favor with God and people?
     Jesus said the world would recognize His followers by the love they show to each other (John 13:32). The sharing described in Acts 4:32 fulfills this command of love. Loving actions create a favorable impression as believers spend time and resources for the well-being of others.
     Such love was evident as Christians responded to one another’s needs. Many sold property and gave the proceeds to the Church to be distributed as needed (Acts 4:34-35). One outstanding example of this generosity was a man named Joseph, a Levites from the Island of Cyprus (verses 36-37). He sold land and contributed the money for the needs of other believers. His actions caught the attention of the apostles, who changed his name to Barnabas. Barnabas means “Son of consolation”(KJV) or “Son of encouragement”(NIV).
     Generosity is usually defined as financial giving, but there are other ways generosity can be expressed as well.
QUESTION: What are some ways Christians can demonstrate generosity?
     Generosity can be expressed in many ways beyond money. For some the gift of time is most valuable. Setting out time to talk with someone can be a great source of encouragement. To other helping hand is a wondrous blessing. Generous people will enjoy God’s blessings as well as the favor of others.

B.   Understand Basis for Generosity. – 1Timothy 6:17-19

     Generosity begins with a proper understanding of wealth. Everything we possess is a gift from God. He gives the ability to produce wealth, so our trust must be in Him, not in our possessions (1Timothy 6:17).
    QUESTION: How does the Bible define Stewardship?
  A biblical understanding of stewardship recognizes that God is the source and owner of all things. He enables people to work hard, equips them to make wise choices, and allows them to prosper from their efforts. In turn, God blesses people so they can use what He provides to bless others in addition to meeting their own needs.
  Christians are called to practice generosity, using what God provides to do good by sharing with those in need (verse 18). Banevolence toward unbelievers provides practical expressions of Christ’s love to them that can open their hearts to the gospel.
QUESTION: What do you think 1 Timothy 6:19 means when it says that by acting generously, Christians store up treasures for the coming age?
    This passage, reminiscent of Matthew 6:19-21, affirms that true riches are eternal. By being generous, we act in obedience to God rather than follow our own desires, which ultimately leads to destruction. We also provide a testimony to the world that can result in lasting fruit. In verse 19, Paul was describing the eternal nature of a life marked by Christian generosity, in contrast with a corruptible life of selfishness.

2.     A Compassionate Mentor.

A.   Be a Team Builder- Acts 9:26-27; 11:19-30

    Before his conversion, Saul (Paul) was a leading opponent of the Early Church. After he became a follower of Jesus, he began to boldly proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. As a result, he was persecuted and had to flee Damascus 9Acts 9:1-25). When Saul returned to Jerusalem, the believers doubted the sincerity of his conversion (verse 26).
    Barnabas served as a bridge builder between Saul and the disciples (verse 27), vouching for Saul’s conversion, and Saul was accepted as a fellow believer. Through his interaction with Saul, Barnabas became a mentor to him, a relationship that would bear spiritual fruit in the days to come.
     Sometime later the church in Jerusalem heard that a great number of Jews and Greeks had become Christians. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to check out the report and assist these new believers (Acts 11:19-23). Barnabas’ background, along with his ability to bring people together and encourage people to grow in their faith made him an excellent choice for this assignment.
QUESTION: How does Luke’s description of Barnabas in Acts 11:24 help us understand Barnabas’ joy over the events in Antioch?
    Luke, the writer of Acts, described Barnabas as being “a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith” (verse 24,KJV) Barnabas was spiritually mature and able to discern God’s will in this situation. The gospel was being received by the Gentiles. Barnabas was able to rejoice without any of the prejudice that sometime could be seen between Jews and Gentiles.
    God’s work went forward in Antioch as more and more people came to faith in Christ. Barnabas stayed on to assist this church. As the number of converts grew he went to Tarsue to recruit Saul to become part of the ministry team in Antioch (verse 25-26).
     The influence of Barnabas as a mentor was seen again in Antioch church’s response when they became aware of the need among their fellow believers in Judea (verse 27-30). The Spirit spoke through the prophet Agabus of a coming famine. So the Antioch believers contributed to a relief fund and sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the money to Judea.

B.   Don’t Give Up on Others - Acts 15:36-40

     After returning to the church in Antioch and reporting the decision of the Jerusalem Council, Paul and Barnabas ministered in that city. Then Paul proposed that he and Barnabas revisit the churches they had planted on their previous missionary journey (Acts 15:36-38). Barnabas agreed and suggested taking John Mark with them. Barnabas, being the compassionate mentor that he was determine to John Mark another opportunity to grow as a servant of the Lord. He wasn’t willing to give up on someone who could learn from past experiences.
    Paul had his reservations about John Mark, evidently concerned that he would abandon the mission as he had done before. The disagreement became so sharp that Paul and Barnabas decided to split up (verse 39). Barnabas took John Mark and headed to Cyprus while Paul chose Silas to be part of his team (verse 40)
QUESTION: Who do you think was right and who was wrong in the split between Paul and Barnabas?
 It is interesting to examine Paul’s position in the incident, as he would later mentor many others who later mentor many others who became ministers, such as Timothy and Titus. We do not know Paul’s reasoning, but we do he later came to see John Mark as a valuable servant of the Lord (see Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11). Despite a sad turn of events in Acts 15, the ministry of the gospel continued forward.

3.     An Effective Missionary

A.   Led by the Spirit – Acts 13:1-5; 14:1-7.

      During a time of seeking God, the Holy Spirit spoke to the church instructing the believers to release Barnabas and Saul to pursue the work the Holy Spirit called the to do (Acts 13:1-4). In obedience the believers in Antioch fasted, prayed, and commissioned these two men and sent them on their way. Luke’s statement that they were “sent forth by the Holy Ghost” (KJV) in verse 4 reemphasises the work of the Spirit and the cooperation of the believers in this missionary endeavor.
QUESTION: Why is it important that missionaries are both called by the Lord and commissioned by the Church?
     No ministry can be truly effective if it is not led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. To undertake ministry on one’s own without the Spirit’s help can lead to discouragement, burnout, and ultimately failure. Commissioning showns that the church recognizes God’s calling of individuals to His service, and it affirms the church’s responsibility to provide support to those sent. Barnabas and Saul travelled from Antioch to Salamis, a port on the island of Cyprus, and proclaimed the gospel to the Jews who gathered to worship God in the synagogues there. God-fearing Gentiles often attended the synagogues and would also have known something of the Scriptures. Those would receive the salvation Jesus provided by His death and resurrection.  
    Barnabas and Paul eventually arrived at the city of Iconium (Acts 14:1). Preaching in the synagogue there resulted in a “great multitude” (KJV) coming to faith in Christ. But opposition arose (verse 2). Unbelieving Jews poisoned the minds of the Gentiles in the city against these followers of Jesus. Barnabas and Saul were not driven away by this persecution, however, and continued to boldly proclaim the gospel (verse 3).