Teachers: Solidifying Growth
Barnabas was an encourager and a pioneer. Our passage for today shows how he got the church in Antioch on its feet. And it was a vibrant church! There was evidence of God's grace, there was numerical growth and they were a community ready to "remain true to the Lord with all their hearts."This was the crest of the wave!! We'd expect Barnabas to ride it for as long as possible, but while Barnabas was a good Apostle/Pioneer, he was enough of a Pastor to know that the church needed a good Teacher...
Good Teachers help God's people understand God's word and apply it to their lives. Good teachers inform and equip God's people to live thoughtfully and meaningfully in a way that is consistent with their faith. Teachers lay foundations that people can build lives of service on. They interpret the Bible in a way that helps others to read it for themselves. Good teachers make us eager to learn more about God and about His Word.
Barnabas realised he'd reached his "leadership lid" - he'd taken the church as far as he could. He needed help and so he recruited Saul/Paul to teach the church.
This was a risky move: Paul could have been wolf in sheep's clothing or Barnabas could be "ousted" or "outclassed" by the charismatic Paul.
But this was a risk worth taking - and it bore great fruit:
- They became a community enthusiastically committed to learning and growing together over a long period of time.
- They became so Christ-focussed and Christ-centered that they were called Christians ("little Christs") and, while some see the name as a form of mockery from the pagans, others suggest the name meant "you look very much like the One you talk about."
- This congregation became the mission sending home base that provided support and backup for all of Paul's missionary journeys
Teachers can be preachers but not all preachers are good teachers... Preaching a sermon that people enjoy listening to is not the same as helping people to understand and apply the Bible to their lives.
We need Teachers in our Sunday Schools, Bible Study groups, Sunday Sermons and other places where people are looking for the answers to life's most important questions. We, like the Antioch members, should also be ready (and humble enough) to learn as much as we can... as often as we can...
| ...they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts11:22-26) |
