Barnabas, A Person of Compassion
Acts 11:22-24
Barnabas: An Overview
- Barnabas's Christlike lifestyle and his distinctive qualities
- Comparison with more prominent figures like Paul and Peter
- Aim to examine Barnabas's remarkable life
Examining Barnabas’s Life
- Barnabas’s compassion for the people of God
- Acts 11
The Success in Antioch
- The Gospel’s success in Antioch and its penetration among Greeks
- Potential split in the early church and the selection of Barnabas
Barnabas’s Qualities
- Barnabas's selection due to his interpersonal skills
- The secret of his life being filled with the Holy Spirit and faith
- Exploring the impact of the Holy Spirit in Barnabas's life
Acts 4:31-37: The Early Christian Community
- Early believers filled with the Holy Spirit
- Unity and generosity among early Christians
- Barnabas’s example of selling his property and giving to the apostles
Contrast with Ananias and Sapphira
- Introduction of Ananias and Sapphira’s deceit
- The contrast between Barnabas’s generosity and their greed
- The impact of being filled with the Holy Spirit versus being influenced by Satan
Mark 12:41-44: The Widow’s Offering
- Jesus watching offerings and highlighting the widow’s small but significant gift
- The attitude in giving rather than the amount
Genuine Religion: James 1:27
- Definition of genuine religion by caring for orphans and widows
- The importance of giving without expecting anything in return
Personal Anecdotes and Illustrations
- Various anecdotes about genuine giving and generosity
- Importance of seeing giving as an eternal investment
The Mark of Acceptance
- Barnabas’s acceptance of Saul (Paul) despite others’ fear
- The need for Christians to accept new converts and show grace
Acceptance in the Church
- Challenges in integrating new believers into the church
- Importance of accepting individuals as they are, not as we wish they were
The Grace of Discernment
- Barnabas’s discernment in supporting John Mark despite his earlier failure
- The need for spiritual discernment to see people’s potential
Encouragement for Personal Ministry
- Encouragement to invest in and support others in the church
- Personal stories of individuals who benefited from someone believing in them
Conclusion and Final Prayer
- A prayer for the message to take root in the hearts of the listeners
- Gratitude for the opportunity to hear and obey God’s Word
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
