"Becoming Men of Steel"

A sermon preached on Father’s Day, June 16, 2013, at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain

It was a case of mistaken identity. Paul and Barnabas were sharing the Gospel, the message of Jesus and God was showing up and doing miraculous things, things like healing a crippled man. The people were so impressed by the healing of this man that they said, “The gods have come down upon us in human form” (Acts 14:11). They believed that the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes had visited them, Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes. In Greek mythology, Zeus is the “Father of Gods and men” who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family. He is the god of sky and thunder. So he’s Superman and Thor all wrapped up in one! Hermes is the son of Zeus. He was the messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife.

They thought that this miracle could only be attributed to “supermen,” but Barnabas and Paul, mere mortals, were quick to say, “We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them” (14:15).

The qualities that made these Greeks take note of Barnabas and Paul as “supermen” were actually qualities that God worked in their lives. It was Jesus alive and working in them. Today, men (especially Christian men), fathers, are expected to be supermen, men of steel, gods in human form. But we’re just men, we struggle as other men. And yet, God is developing our character, he desires to make us into men of steel, not in the sense of hardened men able to deflect bullets, cold or unfeeling, but men of steel, men of character.

Barnabas was that kind of man, he wasn’t Zeus or Superman, but he was a man with “God-like” qualities, he was a man of steel. His life was one of character, it was a life that was committed to God.

The first time we see Barnabas is in Acts 4:36-37 where Luke tells us of his generous gift to his fellow believers. Barnabas sold a field that he owned to help the poor believers in Jerusalem. There were no strings attached to his gift. He simply laid it at the apostle’s feet for them to use it anyway that they saw fit to help others in need. His name means “Son of Encouragement” and what an encouragement to the early church to have a man like Barnabas who had sympathy for the condition of others and gave generously. Barnabas was a man of sympathy and generosity. He could not stand by when others were in need and he had the power to help. That is a man of character. A man of action. A man of steel. He’s sympathetic to those in need and generous in meeting needs.

The next time we find Barnabas is in chapter 9:26-27. Saul has just been dramatically converted to Christ. And now Saul has begun preaching the Gospel with great power. After escaping Damascus by being let through an opening in the wall, Saul “tried to join the disciples” in Jerusalem (9:26). Problem is, Saul has a past and it’s not too godly or too friendly towards Christians. The disciples don’t want any part of Saul. “They were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple” (9:26).

That’s when Barnabas steps in (9:27). He befriends Saul, and he vouches for him before the disciples telling them of his conversion and bold preaching of the Gospel. Barnabas knows the hand of God is upon Saul and he introduces him to the disciples. He puts aside his fear and befriends Saul. Barnabas is open to accepting new believers, even believers who have a dark past. He’s willing to believe in grace, grace that makes it possible for a man to change, to do a 180 turn. That is a man of character. A man who can see what God sees in others. He believes in a big God, a God who can do anything. Barnabas is a man of great faith, great confidence in the ability of God. He’s a man of steel.

The next time we find Barnabas is in Acts 11:19-26 where we find him helping the new and growing church at Antioch. He was sent to Antioch by the Jerusalem church. At Antioch he (1) encouraged the believers to be true to the Lord, (2) he brought others to personal faith in Christ, and (3) he brought Paul to Antioch to help teach the new believers. Barnabas had an effective ministry at Antioch and Luke shows us a side to Barnabas that is very telling about his character. Barnabas was a man who knew who he was in Christ and he was not insecure in his ministry. He invited Paul to join him, to help him. A man of steel, a man of character understands that he’s really not a “superman” in the sense that it’s all on him, he has to do it all by himself. He knows that other men have gifts too that can be used by God to help others. Obviously, it was wise to get Paul to come and help. And Barnabas was a big enough man to see that and make it happen.

Finally, we find Barnabas in Acts 15:36-41 where he and Paul are discussing their trip of visiting the believers in the places that they had previously established churches. But there was a sharp disagreement concerning who would go on this mission trip. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark, but Paul did not think it was wise to do so because Mark had deserted them on a previous trip (15:38). Barnabas was willing to give Mark a second chance, Paul was not. So they parted company and Barnabas took Mark and Paul chose Silas to go with him. In that moment, Barnabas saw the possibilities in Mark that Paul did not. Barnabas mentored Mark, he came alongside him to get him back in the work, he restored him, and later on Paul himself would count Mark among his trusted friends and associates in the work of God (Col. 4:10).

Qualities that God Wants to Develop in Men
There’s much that I could focus on concerning the character of Barnabas, but I want to mention two “steely qualities” that he had that God wants to develop in men.

1. Generosity: In every area of his life, Barnabas was generous, not simply with his finances, but his time, his gifts. Barnabas invested himself in the work of Christ, to people in need, he invested his life into the believers at Antioch. He gave godly counsel. He taught God’s truths. He introduced others to Christ. He mentored and restored Mark. Barnabas generously invested in the lives of others with his finances, time, and gifts.

How will you be generous with your self? Will you love generously your family? Your wife (if married)? Your children need the investment of your time, your love, and your energy especially as they are growing in those formative years. And what about the work of Christ? Of sharing the Gospel? I’m thankful for the men who generously gave of themselves to help me spiritually. I’m grateful for godly men who counseled me, who taught me in words and actions the character of God, who mentored me, who prayed for me. What kind of investment are you making in the kingdom of God? Men, you have a lot to give but you have to learn to be generous. Because we find so much of our identity in our work, it’s easy to burn up all of our energy in our work and leave little for the people we love. You will have to be intentional with sharing yourself. Make sure you’re carving out time for your family. Discover what you’re passionate about in life and let that be used generously for God.

2. Grace-Filled: God’s grace overflowed in Barnabas’s life and allowed him to see the needs around him with sympathy. He saw firsthand the poor believers, he sympathized with them. And when God gets your heart, everything else becomes easier. Grace-filled people are people who know that they are forgiven and that God is big enough, sovereign enough to change anyone. There is nothing that God cannot do. Barnabas knew this and was able to befriend Paul when no one else would. Barnabas was not afraid of grace. His heart is wide open. He has a great faith because he knows God is a great God.

We also see his grace-filled sympathy at Antioch where there are many new believers and he knows that they need help, help that he can provide. As a result he’s willing to plant his life at Antioch for a time to teach the new believers. And we see his grace-filled life at work with the way that he takes in Mark and gives him a second chance. Barnabas is a friend to the friendless, but he’s also a friend to those who fall short, who have failed.

Barnabas looks a whole lot like Jesus! And no wonder, it is Jesus who has made him who he is, a man of steel, a man of godly character. It’s knowing Jesus and following Him that will make you a man of steel, a man of character. I’m grateful for the godly examples that we have of men in our own fellowship, men who are generous, men who are grace-filled, men of encouragement. That’s the kind of man that I want to be, a man of steel, a man of character. For God’s glory!