Thursday August 27, 2015

Read Acts 11:19-26

 It’s not always the team with the best players that wins the game but rather the team that works the best together. It’s the team that works together in partnership that often wins, even if it’s not made up of the best players.

Paul and Barnabas had this kind of great partnership happening. They worked together through thick and thick.

In Acts 9 the Pharisee Saul is on a mission to destroy the church. But upon meeting the Lord Jesus Christ he is brought to salvation. His name would soon be changed to Paul but for now he’s rejected by the church. Many think that it’s a ploy, a Trojan Horse to capture Christians and to have them jailed and possibly executed.

It’s here that we see Barnabas in action. Acts 11:24 describes him as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. He took the newly converted Saul to the Apostles and told of the conversion and the way Saul had fearlessly preached Christ Jesus in Damascus. It was primarily due to Barnabas’ testimony that Saul was accepted into the Jerusalem church.

When the church in Jerusalem heard that many disciples were being made in Antioch they sent Barnabas to that city. Barnabas spent some time in the city encouraging the believers.

However Barnabas soon found need to find his friend Saul and to bring him back to Antioch. Together this dynamic duo continued to teach great numbers of believers who were the first to be given the title ‘Christians’. We have to remember that the title was originally derogatory, unlike today.

It was here in Antioch that the Holy Spirit called Saul and Barnabas for a mission journey. In Acts 13 we read that as the church was fasting and worshipping the Lord, the Holy Spirit commanded that Saul and Barnabas be set apart and sent on a missionary journey.

In Acts 15 we see that Paul and Barnabas wrestled together against heresies. They stood side by side ready and willing to die for the truth.

Prayer:

Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for

Adoration:

Confession

Thanks

Supplication:

· Spend time praising God for other believers and your partnership with them in the gospel. See if you can praise God for 20 other believers with whom you are in gospel partnership.

· Pray that God would raise up many more gospel partnerships in your church and that this mentality would take root in many people's lives and that it would transform your church into a greater gospel focused, Jesus driven church.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. How would you describe the relationship between Paul and Barnabas?

2. Why should we seek to cultivate such relationships today?

3. How can you encourage and bless a believer who doesn’t want to be in deep committed relationship with others?