Who are those guys? Well, that's great. Brother Farrell is going to come and encourage your hearts tonight. I know he will. Dr. Tom Farrell is a greatly used evangelist across this country, and as I said this morning, really around the world. Preaches in foreign countries frequently, speaks 25 different languages, and everywhere he goes he's just always in that language. Where'd he go to? There he is. I thought, man, I got talking like that, he left. But I thank God for him and thank God for the presentation of the gospel this morning. Presenting the need and the answer to the need, I thank God for that. I am going to have to ask you to excuse me tonight. I simply have too much energy and I've just rested too much. And so what I'm going to do is Aaron and I are going to drive through the night tonight to go to North Carolina for a pastor's funeral tomorrow, Pastor Mark Walters. And so we'll ride up a road and listen to you as you preach here, Tom. And I want you to understand that I'm not just slipping out. I want you to know what I'm doing and where I'm going and what we're doing. We're going to go as far as we can tonight. and then crash for a little while and get up and go the rest of the way in the morning. And then we'll be back tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, well tomorrow night, I guess about midnight we'll get back tomorrow night. And so, you know, we're trying to, we're trying to get a good honest tired in, is what we're trying to do. But I thank God for Brother Farrell and his dear wife Regina being here with us, what a delight to have them, that they would take time to come here and be with us for just this one day. And we're honored to have them. Somebody said, whenever you introduced and talked about Tom Farrell, why didn't you say he was Tom Farrell from the wilds? I didn't know the Wiles had to be attached to your name, but this is Tom Farrell from the Wiles. And many of you know of that ministry, know it's his ministry there. And I thank God for him and thank God for what he does and for what he has been used to the Lord to do here today. Dr. Farrell, come preach to us tonight. God bless you, my friend. Thank you so much, Pastor Axe. Chapter 11 tonight, if you'll turn there. It has been a delight for my wife and I to be with you in this brief time that we've been at Volusia County Baptist Church. We're excited about the past, present, and wonderful future that you have from four families to hundreds in the congregation. and from a small storefront building all the way to the multiple acres and beautiful places that God has given you here, we rejoice in that. If you're glad that God brought Pastor John Reynolds and his wife to come and be the pastor of this church, would you say amen? It's been our joy to know him through the years in multiple ministries, and we count it a great privilege to have been here today. I trust that you'll pray for Brother Byron Fox and also for his wife. It's Renee, am I correct? Renee has heart problems, and she's unable to travel with him very much. And when I travel by myself, I've got to tell you, I don't like it. And so I trust that you'll pray for Mrs. Fox, and I trust that you'll pray for Brother Byron. I told him when he did the God Bless America crusade in Charlotte, North Carolina, I know that God alone is omnipresent, but I think he's ubiquitous. I've never seen anybody that can move so many places and get so much done, and I'm glad that he's come and being a part of this ministry. It's good to see Brother and Mrs. Mark Sears again. It's been some time since I'd seen them. Hope came up last night and brought me a bottle of water, and she said, Now, I want to remind you that in 1985, I was a teenager. and came to the wilds and heard you preach. And I thought to myself, yeah, she was 15 and I was 16, right? Amen. And so it's good to see them again. And I'm glad for all the ways that God is using you, dear folks, here. As God brings our name to your mind, you pray for us. where I preach about 450, 500 times a year somewhere in this old world. I realize you're tired tonight, and I hope I can be an encouragement to you. Thought about preaching a Christmas message. I believe I'll leave that to your pastor next Sunday. I want to bring you a message of encouragement tonight. Would you stand, please, with your Bibles open to Acts chapter number 11, Acts chapter number 11 and verse number 19. Now, they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenician, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they had come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord." Would you look this way, please? Aren't you glad that not just in the first century, but here again in the 21st century, a great number in the last five days have come to the Lord. Can I get an amen? God is still alive and the gospel still works. Then tidings of these things came into the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all with purpose of heart that they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and faith, and much people was added unto the Lord." I want to bring you an interesting message tonight entitled, Let's Be a Barney. Now, for some of you my age, I'm not talking about the fellow with Andy Griffith and one bullet. For some of you younger ones, I'm not talking about that purple dinosaur. I'm talking tonight about a Bible character I believe when I get to heaven I will not have to have introduced to me. I've studied a lot about him. His name's Barnabas, and my prayer is that his kind will be reproduced in independent Baptist churches across the land. Thank you very much. You may be seated. Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you've done, all that you are. People have been saved. In this fine ministry now, please help me to be help to our friends and an encouragement in the next few moments, and you'll get the praise, honor, and glory. In Jesus' name, amen. In the book of Acts, there's an inspiring story about an intriguing character who built his reputation on the ministry of encouragement. When he was born, his parents named him Joseph, but when he was born again, his peers nicknamed him Barnabas, son of consolation or Mr. Encouragement. He had a dynamic ability of lifting others and helping them take spiritual steps. Dr. Luke in the book of Acts gives us many snapshots of this fine character, but probably no more concise, clear shot of his character itself than Acts 11, verse 24. Notice the text, for he was a good man. You know, I've heard people say, that man's a good man, but he's not saved yet. Did you know that's not technically true? There's none good but one, that's God. But when you become God's man, you become a good man, and that's been taking place on these facilities over the last few days. Have you been born again? My good friend, if you'll understand, you're a sinner separated from God. Jesus, not a Savior, but the only Savior. If you'll say no to your sin and yes to God's Son, receive that free gift, you can have happen to you what happened to Barnabas. It's believed by many that he was saved during the day of Pentecost, a man from the island of Cyprus. He was an honorable man. But the Bible goes on and says, follow the Holy Ghost. He was not only an honorable man, but he was a holy man. The Holy Spirit came to make us holy people. Ephesians 5, 18 says, ìBe not drunk with wine or success, but be filled with the Spirit.î Not only am I asking you tonight, have you been saved by the grace of God, but are you under the control of the Spirit of the living God? The Bible goes on and says he was full of faith and He was full of the Holy Ghost and faith, so he was faithful. He was not only an honorable man, not only a holy man, but he was a hopeful man, not one of these. But one of these, he had total confidence in God. Mark 11, 24 says, have faith in God. God honors faith because faith honors God. And then he was a helpful man. The Bible says, much people was added to the Lord. He comes to Antioch where God is moving among the pagans and they're getting saved. He stays for a solid year and helps them in soul winning and discipleship. Let me encourage you with all those that have come to Christ this week, do everything you possibly can to help them get unto the sound of the Word of God, to help them be baptized, help them to be discipled and walk with Almighty God. Many of you had friends and loved ones this week say, do everything you can to get them in church next Sunday morning, the Sunday before Christmas, to hear your good pastor preach the Word of God. Here's a man who's an honorable man, a holy man, a hopeful man, and a helpful man, and that's his character. Now, let's see his conduct. What is it that made him an encouragement? Come back in your Bibles, please, to the book of Acts, and go with me to chapter number 4. The book of Acts, chapter number 4. Someone said, more people fail for lack of encouragement than any other reason. How many of you men tonight have a set of jumper cables in your car? Would you raise your hand? All right, there's two reasons for that. Number one is the kind of car you drive. Number two is because you know if you have some friend or loved one or somebody gets stuck in Walmart, you can pop your hood with a good die-hard battery, hook up those jumper cables, and put it into the two terminals of the car that's in bad shape. May I tell you, across this country, there's a lot of discouraged independent Baptists. And if there's anything I think you could do tonight, it's be an encouragement and set that jumper cables from a heart that's alive for God to those that are just about to pass away spiritually. Now, notice in Acts chapter 4, please, and verse 36. The Bible says, "...and Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which being interpreted the son of Constellation Levi, of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." Interesting. The first picture of Barnabas is giving financially. Ladies and gentlemen, you and I can be a blessing, a help, an encouragement by way of contribution. How many of you in this building have ever had anybody give you something financially that encouraged you? Would you raise your hand? This is the time of year you could do that for folks all over this county. Now, and this is the part of the early church, and there's people that don't have much. Evidently, Barnabas was pretty wealthy from a high-dollar island. He took a piece of property, and rather than putting his proceeds in the First National Bank of Cyprus, he put them in the First Baptist Church of Jerusalem to get eternal benefits. You may have a hard time knowing what's going on in the stock market, but I can tell you where you'll put your money, and it'll never go down. It'll always go up, and that's in the local church, in the ministry that God has given here. The Bible says in Luke 6, 38, Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give to your bosoms. Are you a person who encourages others by way of contribution? Brother Fox and I are in evangelism. We live totally by faith. A number of years ago when we were turning our ministry 501c3 nonprofit, I had just preached at a major conference. The wall had come down in Russia. I got burdened to go to Russia. Brother Fox, you'll identify with this. I told God I was willing to go, made plans, and it dawned on me on the way to the car, I did not have enough money to go to Raleigh, North Carolina, much less Russia. And I said, well, if God guides, He'll provide. I went to where I thought my lawyer's office was, but he had moved. And when I walked in, I said, the attorney so-and-so's not here. No, this is a real estate office. I said, okay, would you tell me, please, where attorney so-and-so is? He said, oh, he's a few doors down. I heard my name from inside the real estate office. Out comes walking a man I had not seen in years. He said, well, Pharaoh, what in the world are you doing here? I said, I'm going to go turn to our ministry nonprofit. I'm looking for attorney so-and-so. He said, have you got a few minutes? I said, sure. He said, let's have a cup of coffee. He said, what are you doing with your ministry? What's God leading you to do? And I told him. And then he said something like this, he said, God is speaking in my heart, I'll be right back. Don't you love when that takes place? And so he went back in the inner office, came back and gave me a handshake and there was something in the hand. It was a check. Now let me tell you, if you're in full-time Christian service, you do not open the check in front of people, no sir. You find the first bathroom you can find and open that check. That's what you did. And I found the little boy's room, and it was a check for $200, and I gave a wave offering and shouted, glory, hallelujah. God whispered to my soul, that's a down payment, and I'm going to take care of every need. I never raised a single dollar. I never sent out a letter. I never sent out anything on the radio. I simply talked to God, and in the next couple of months, God sent me $10,000. You say, Preacher, what did you do with it? Well, don't be a cesspool and let it stock up. Be a channel and let it go out. I was able to take that $10,000, go to Russia, and help them build some local churches for the glory of God. It's high time we learn that if we're going to be an encouragement, then we can be an encouragement by way of contribution. When I was in Bible college, I had a professor, and he walked in one day, and he said, flying five. Said a second time, flying five. I thought the man has lost his mind. He said, let me explain what I'm saying. He said, there's students on this campus, and they need some encouragement. Give them a $5 bill. Put a $5 bill in an envelope, slide it under their dormitory door. Put it in their post office box. Put it in the back of their Bible. See if they're ever having their devotions. Flying five. Flying five. We started doing that, and $5 bills were going all across the campus. You say, preacher, that's a great idea. Well, with inflation, tonight we need twirling 20s. Say amen. You could be a help and a blessing to somebody tonight before you ever leave this building. You could be a Barney. Take your Bible, please. Go to the book of Acts chapter number 9. Acts chapter number 9, not only by way of contribution, but notice we'll see him again in verse number 26 of Acts 9. The Bible says, Barnabas took him. That's Paul, and brought him to the apostles and declared, verse 27. Let me go back to verse 26. When Paul was come to Jerusalem, he has said to join himself to the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. And believe it or not, he was a disciple. In that day, the very word Saul put fear in the life of the first church. He was a terrorist of that day, hated the things of the Christian church. Verse 27, but Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, declared unto him how he'd seen the Lord in the way, how he'd spoken to him, and how he'd preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. One, by contribution. Two, by commendation. Paul or Saul was the most resisted man, but Barnabas was the most respected man. Nobody wanted to be anywhere around Saul. They were not convinced he was converted, but Barnabas was. From a human standpoint, Barney became the campaign manager for one of the greatest apostles to ever wear shoe leather, and God used him. May I ask you a question? Do you let words encourage others as they come out of your mouth? Let me ask again, how many of you in this building have ever had anybody say something to you that encouraged you? Would you raise your hand? Words are important. Job 16.5, I'll strengthen you with the words of my mouth. Ephesians 4.29, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good for the use of edifying. Sir, do you pull your wife up or put her down with your words? Do you help your children take spiritual steps or do you defeat them by the way you speak to them? His name was David. He thought he was called to preach. The first time he had a chance to preach, it was terrible. He knew it was bad. The pastor knew it was bad. The congregation knew it was bad. David actually quit preaching and sat down totally defeated. The pastor, not knowing what to do, just dismissed the service. People began to leave. He sat on the front thinking to himself, maybe God has not called me to preach. Suddenly, David, a young man, felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked up. There was a veteran missionary named Robert Muffet. He looked down at young David and said, son, you have the potential of being a great missionary for Jesus Christ. David Livingston stood up on his feet and determined he was called to preach, opened the interior of Africa for the glory of God. May I say to you, words can help a man take another step that might allow him to win thousands to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Your words can be a blessing. Your words can be a curse. Take your Bible, go back to Acts chapter 11. We're seeing tonight how everybody in this building can be a barney. Now, until this point, basically the Jews had been being reached for Christ. But now the pagans, the heathen, the ungodly are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. They're going to send Barnabas from Jerusalem, because he's so highly respected, to check and see that this is the real deal. Today, Brother Fox, we would call them the FBI, Fundamental Baptist Investigators. They're always checking up to make sure everybody's doing it the same way. Nonetheless, here comes Barney. Now, the Bible says, please, in verse number 22, then tidings of these things came to the ears of the church, chapter 11, verse 22, which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who? When he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad. Would you look this way? You know, grace is invisible. It's God riches at Christ's expense. It's infused love and mercy and power of God that transforms a man's life. You can't see it, but I'll tell you this. If it's real grace, you can see the results of it. And when a man says, I've been born again by the Spirit of God, and he lives just like he did before he made a profession of faith, somebody ought to wonder if he's ever gotten in the family. When you get in, God will change your life. God Almighty does the changing. You don't change to get saved. You get saved, and God changes you. Now, when Barnabas came, and saw how the heathen and the pagans had been not only in testimony, but in transformation, brand new people, the Bible said he was glad. It's an interesting term. He was cheerful, happy, and rejoicing. One, you can be a Barney by way of contribution. Two, by way of commendation. And three, by way of celebration. When Barnabas saw this, he said, God has visited the Gentiles, and I'll rejoice. May I ask you tonight, when God blesses your brother or sister, friend or loved one, when you come to the parking lot and see a new car and you almost have to roll yours to get it started, are you joyous or jealous? If God gives a man in this church a pay raise or a new job, if God blesses them in some spiritual or financial way, what is your response? When you see someone who's talented and can sing or play the piano, what is your response? Are you joyous or jealous? Romans 12, 15, the Bible says to us, Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep. I've come to this conclusion. One of the reasons a lot of people do not rejoice with other believers is because they've never wept with another believer. If you go through a tough time with a friend, and that friend gets an award, an accolade, or is promoted in some way, you'll be just as excited as if it happened to you. A number of years ago, an evangelist and I were in India. And while we were there, the first three days, I noticed he was not himself. Now the first couple of days, you're in a coma from all the flying that you have to do anyway. But about the third day, I said, my brother, something's wrong. He looked and said, my wife, and her name was Terry, when I left had a growth. And I wonder if it's cancer. I said, that's serious. We got out and prayed. There was a revolution that broke out. We actually were never in any jeopardy whatsoever. But the missionaries and American Airlines felt it was best for us to go back to America. This is the day before cell phones, or at least before I had one. I went to Kansas City. He went to Denver. I'd been at Walmart, came back. My wife said, Steve called. I said, what does he want? She says, I don't know, but it sounds serious. I called him back. I said, Steve, this is Tom. What's going on? And I heard him say what some of you have heard. Terry, his wife, Terry has, and the word was cancer. He began to weep. I began to weep with him. I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for a man that can't cry and hurt with somebody else. I said, Steve, we're going to stay with you. We're going to pray with you. We're going to rejoice when everything that God does. Glad to tell you that God brought her through that cancer and has given her a measure of health and restoration in that area. During that time, Steve called me and he said, you're not going to believe this, but there are three Bible colleges that have called me in the last few weeks. In the coming May, they all want to give me an honorary doctorate. Let me explain. In the Christian circle, if an institution of higher learning would like to give a preacher an honorary doctorate, it is a high honor. And I said, Brother Steve, that is tremendous. God bless you. He said, You didn't hear what I said. I didn't say one institution. I said three want to do that. I said, Wonderful. The next time I see you, I'll call you Dr., Dr., Dr. Steve. Amen. And I said, if you get a hundred of them, I'll just say, Steve, amen. Now look, when you cry on the phone because a man's wife is at death's door, you do not get jealous when God honors that person. May I say to you tonight, if you want to be a Barney in church and in your family, stop looking with a jaundiced eye and look for opportunities to rejoice with them that rejoice. But I want us to see in the fourth place something that I think is very unique. Go down to verse number 25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first. in Antioch. One, by contribution. Two, commendation. Three, celebration. And four, cooperation. Now, blessed is the man who knows what he doesn't know. Here's Barnabas. He's looking at all the converts. He sees all the work in front of him. And some of the pastoral staff is saying, you know, we're not finished. With Journey Through Christmas, we've actually just gotten started. And there's so many things, Brother Sears, I'm sure that are going through your mind and the rest of the staff for the follow-up. Barnabas said, I need help. So he makes a journey to Tarsus. You can see him as he knocks on the door, and the door is open. There stands Paul. Now, Paul's not booked up in meetings, my friend. No, sir, people are not sure they want him or not. And so he sees him, and he says, Barney, what are you doing here? He said, have you heard what's going on in Antioch? No, sir, what's taking place? I'm telling you the Gentiles are coming to Christ by the barn loads, and I need your help. Go get an extra toga and another set of sandals, and let's go, my friend. We've got work to do. Now, the Bible doesn't say this, but I hear the conversation somehow in my mind. I hear Paul say to Barnabas, well, would you like me to be in the council room? That'd be good. Well, would it be okay if I sing a solo? Fine. How about a testimony? Fine. I have been working on a sermon. That'd be good. But what Paul did not know, that you'll find Acts verifies, is that Barnabas was going to work himself out of a job and go back in the background and push Paul up to the front. He was going to be a man of cooperation because he was a man of condescension. We'd call that being a servant. Luke 22, 27, Jesus said, I'm among you as he that serves. Mark 10, 43, whoever will be the greatest among you, let him be your servant. What's a servant? A servant sacrifices himself. for the success of someone else. Let me say it again. A servant sacrifices himself for the success of someone else. Is your wife succeeding, sir, because you sacrificed and invested in her? Are your children walking closer to God because you sacrificed and invested in them? That person that you led to Christ, are they walking closer to God because you've given time, energy, and effort to pour yourself into them? Philippians 2, 3, "...let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than himself." Now let me tell you how this church can march on and continue to impact this community for Jesus Christ. God help you, dear people, to get rid of any type of competition in this ministry and get a ministry that is totally in cooperation. Let me pause and commend you for what my wife and I saw. We stepped on this property last night, and it was a hive of honeybees. Man, there were people out there who were parking our car. There were folks who were welcoming us as we walked in. I saw all kinds of cookies and hot chocolate. I saw people in their garb. There were folks who were running lights. And what made this fantastic presentation impact some 1,200 plus people was cooperation. The greatest team on planet earth is not in the NBA or the NFL. It's called Team Church. Can I get an amen? You say, Who owns Team Church? His name is Jesus Christ. He paid for it with his red royal blood. Now let me say this local team, Volusia County Baptist Team Church, can really even go farther than what you've ever dreamed if there's tremendous cooperation. Never compete with somebody for a position. Don't worry about a position. Just worry about the privilege of investing your life. Don't try to be somebody. Seek to serve somebody. Give everything you have. How many of you are Sunday school teachers? Would you raise your hand, please? God bless you. Now, listen. If you did not raise your hand, but you go to one of those Sunday school classes, do you realize how many things you can do to make that class go? Number one on Saturday night, you can be the person who calls every member of the class and reminds them what time Sunday school is. Number two, you can be at the door recruiting and welcoming everybody in the class. Number three, You could be the person who brings some good coffee. Now, my wife happens to like Starbucks. I'm a Dunkin' Donuts fan, I must confess. And if you'll go get some Dunkin' Donuts, your Sunday school attendance will increase, I assure you. I happen to like donuts. How many of you like Krispy Kreme donuts? Could I see your hands? I call that glazed manna. They will have them in heaven. The definition of a balanced diet is a Krispy Kreme in both hands. Now, good friend, if you'll start encouraging people, loving on people, and doing everything you can, don't worry that you may not be able to sing as good as somebody else. Don't be concerned that you can't play the same way somebody else can play. Everybody in this ministry, my friend, is important. Look to serve somebody to promote them. Do you realize there's a lot of people who can stand on stage, but there's only a few people willing to pull the curtain? And it's time we get a bunch of Baptist curtain pullers not worried about what all is going to happen to them. but getting concerned about God getting the glory. My wife and I were out at the Lancaster Leadership Conference, and my friend Tim Rasmussen took me to the Ronald Reagan Library. If you ever have a chance, I hope you'll go. On one of the places where you will go, there is a sign that reads, lots can be accomplished if you don't care who gets the credit. Someone has changed that and said a lot can be accomplished in the church if you don't care who gets the credit as long as God gets the glory. Can I get an amen? It's important that we be a body. Now take your Bible finally and go to Acts chapter number 15. Acts chapter number 15, and I want to pick up my reading please down in verse number 36. Acts 15, 36, and some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, let's go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with him John, whose surname was Mark, but Paul thought it not good to take him with them who departed from them from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, and they departed to asunder one from the other. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, and Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended to the brethren under the grace of God. One, by contribution. Two, commendation. Three, celebration. Four, cooperation. And five, by compassion. Let me tell you what's going on. Notice in this passage of Scripture who is instructing who. Until about chapter 13, you'll always read Barnabas and Saul or Barnabas and Paul. But the latter part of chapter 13, it flips, and it's Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Barnabas. So Paul says, Barney, I tell you what let's do. Let's go back and check on the converts. Let's see how they're doing. And Barney says, great, let's take my nephew John Mark. Paul said, nothing doing. We're not taking that young man with us. He jumped ship on us, and he took off back at Pamphylia. We're not going to take him. He's a loser. I hear Barnabas say, no, sir, he's not a loser. He's a learner. Let's take him with us, and they have contention. Now, it got so sharp that Paul decides Silas is going with him, but Barnabas is a man with compassion, forgiveness, and he's going to give a great gift. Let me tell you what it is. It's called the gift of a second chance. How many of you in this building have ever blown it and somebody gave you another chance? Raise your hand real high. If you're glad for that, say amen. I'll tell you what, it's a wonderful, wonderful time. I said to a man not long ago, if God only uses perfect people, he's out of business because all of us at one time or another have failed. Now, I couldn't understand why Paul was so dogmatic until you study the word departed. It borderlines the word apostasy. He didn't just get homesick and go home. It looks like he was about to abandon the faith. But Uncle Barney had some confidence. I can hear Paul say, don't you know, Barney, that confidence in an unfaithful man's like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint? And I hear part of us say to Paul, yes, and don't you know that the merciful man does good to his own soul? And might have said to Paul, where do you think you'd be if we hadn't had a little mercy on you? And I'd like to ask you tonight, where would you be if somebody hadn't had mercy on you? Has somebody failed you? You have a son or a daughter that's broken your heart, and you're estranged from them. Did you realize you could pray, settle whatever's wrong on your part, and have a different Christmas this year? You could get them to come home. Has some pastor failed you, some church failed you? Has somebody hurt you and hurt you deeply? You say, yeah, preacher, you got to understand. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Would you like to tell me where in the Bible that's found? Ladies and gentlemen, that is not taught anywhere. The Bible says, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. I used to live in Kansas City, was there for 16 years. We had people who'd been in ministry for one reason or another that it had to step out. Now, we would never take a man who disqualified himself biblically from ministry and put him back in, but you better believe we helped him get back with his wife and children and everything that we could. If that bothers you, you do not understand the mercy of God. But there are some who disqualified themselves, Brother Sears, from a ministry, but not all ministry. and so they stayed with us for a while. We encouraged them, and some of them today are assistant pastors, some are pastors, and some are serving the Lord Jesus across this country. May I say to you, don't be so quick to look down at a person who has failed as if it could never happen to you. Galatians 6, 1, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. considering yourself, lest you also be overtaken with that same temptation." Now, good friend, whatever has happened to somebody you know, in the wrong circumstance, without the power of God, could happen to you and could happen to me. You say, preacher, who was right in this situation? God doesn't leave it to our imagination. If you study 2 Timothy chapter 4 and Paul's swan song, Paul says to Timothy, bring John Mark, same guy, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Here's Barney that stuck his neck out. Here's Barnabas that said, we'll give him a second chance. Here's Barnabas that said, I'm going to give mercy because I've received mercy, and John Mark is back in ministry serving God, and as far as we know, wrote the book of Mark, and God Almighty used him. May I say to you good folks in this building tonight, don't you give up on somebody. You say, preacher, my son's been away from the Lord for 20 years. As long as there's breath in his lungs and a God in heaven and your prayer life, it's very possible that he could come home before Christmas Day if there was mercy that you are willing to administer. Never forget when the prodigal son ran away and got in the hog lot. His dad stalled and kept fattening the calf, believing he was coming home. And when he came home, he said, Father, I have sinned against heaven, could not finish the rest. His father forgave him, and they threw a party. I believe it's time in independent Baptist churches that though we have high standards, we believe in holiness, we believe in walking with God, we also believe, please listen to me, in the mercy of God and forgiveness for our brethren. And so I'd like to ask you tonight, could anybody call you a Barnabas? If I walked up to your wife and I said, you know, tonight I preached on Barnabas, is your husband a Barney? Does he encourage you? What would she say if I walked up to your husband? And I said, is your wife an encourager? What would he say? If I walked up to your children and I said, are your parents encouraging you? What would they say if I went to your pastor? And I said, Brother Reynolds, thanks so much for the privilege to preach. I call him on the phone. He's on the way to North Carolina. I said, Pastor, I met so-and-so. Would you call them one of your encouragers? If I used your name, what would he say? You know, everybody in this building can be an encouragement. There's a lot of things you'll never be. Some of you'll never be musicians. You'll never be pastors. You will never be teachers. Some of you will never be high-tech people, but there is not a person in this room, not a young person, not a mom or dad, not a senior citizen that cannot be a modern-day Barnabas for the cause of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for letting us come and be a part of your ministry today. I close with this. A number of years ago, a friend of mine was running a camp. Three children out of a family of nine children worked there in the summer. I knew their daddy. His name was Dennis. Dennis was what I would call a modern-day Barnabas. He was in the business world for a while, and he would give financially, always writing notes, sending kind e-mails, encouraging people to take spiritual steps. He went into what we call full-time Christian service, but he continued the same thing he'd done when he was in secular work. At the end of that summer, Dennis and his wife took the other six children up to the camp, and they were going to family camp, and then they were going to take the three who'd worked there home. During that week, Dennis began to witness to a man and his wife. The man was a police officer, and he and his wife were not safe. Somebody had paid for them to come to a Christian camp. Dennis gave the gospel. The police officer was very interested. That day, when he first arrived, Dennis passed a car, noticed the tires were almost bald, went to the office and said, who belongs to that car? They said, counselor, so and so. He reached in his pocket, got out some money and said, tell that young man to get some tires. I want him to live a long time. That's the kind of guy that Dennis was. It's what he did on a regular daily basis. If you ever saw him, he was always with a good word. If you were ever down, you wanted to hang around Dennis because he would help pick you up. On Thursday of that week, Dennis' son, who'd been at camp all summer, said, Dad, we're playing a pickup basketball game. Can you play with us about 2 o'clock? He said, I'd love to. About 2 o'clock, they went. Dennis and the police officer, because they had so many playing ball, were standing on the sidelines waiting their turn to get in. Once again, he was witnessing, encouraging the man to come to Christ. The whistle's blown, they went in, and within moments after he gets in, the ball's thrown to him. It looked like he tripped and fell, but what exactly happened was an aneurysm popped in his head, and he dropped dead at 50 years of age right in front of his son. Of course, they were trying to give him CPR, but they were blowing air into a man's lifeless body. They straightened out every curve, took him to the hospital, but he was dead on arrival. The camp director called me, and he said, you know, I've got to fly to South Carolina, and I've got to do a funeral for Brother Dennis. If you were preaching it, what would you say? I said, well, don't laugh, but I think I'd preach a message entitled, What a Way to Go. He said, what are you talking about? I said, well, let me ask you a question. Though Dennis did not live long, didn't he live well? He said, oh, he sure did. There's a lot of people who live long, but they don't live well. Other people don't live long, but they live well because they touch people's lives, and they're known as a Barnabas. Well, I could not go to that funeral. My friend priested on the day of the funeral. I called and talked to the secretary. I said, Would you please tell the family how much we love them, and I'm sorry that we cannot be there. She said, Dr. Farrell, I'm not so sure, but I think this funeral has probably made history. I said, In what way? She said, Last night, the line did not cease going by his casket until 2 a.m. in the morning. She said, we're not sure exactly how many people came by, but the last count we have, there was at least 1,400 people who walked by the casket of Dennis. Let me tell you why. Dennis walked by the lives of those people. He always had time to stop. He was always a modern-day part of us, and when he passed in this life, people came by to say thank you for being my encouragement. My friend, Are you being a Barney? Let's stand together and bow our heads.