New Wineskins
Who is God telling you not to give up on? Come on, you know there’s somebody. There’s somebody in your circle of influence that seems beyond redemption. They’re too far gone, they’ve made too many mistakes, they’re too resistant to the gospel. But hasn’t given up on them, and neither should you. The reason you’re reading this, the reason you’re even a believer, is most likely because a first-century Christian named Barnabas didn’t give up on a friend of his.
22 News of this [the church in Antioch] reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, 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. Acts 11:22-26
You know Saul by his Christian name, the apostle Paul. After his conversion in Acts 9, no one knew what to do with this former Christian killer, so he was in a sense exiled back to his home town. His past was too heinous for people to even fathom redemption. But Barnabas didn’t give up on him. When the time was right, Barnabas went to search for Paul (Saul), brought him to Antioch, gave him a leadership position, and the rest is literally history. Churches planted throughout the Roman world, half the New Testament written, a spiritual legacy that includes you and me, all because Barnabas didn’t give up on Saul.
Who is God telling you not to give up on?
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