Encouragers do not let who you were yesterday limit who they believe you can become tomorrow. They are willing to take risks and believe in God’s power to transform broken lives. Seeing others through eyes of hope is a gift. Barnabas was able to see Paul the way God saw him.
As We Continue to Grow In Christ This Week
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For encouragement to be both authentic and effective, it must be based on truth. We do not want patronize or be superficial.
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Growth in Christian maturity requires that we live in authentic community with others. There are 23 “one another” passages in the NT and the Bible mentions encouragement almost 100 times.
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Sin becomes more attractive to people who are discouraged. Hebrews 3:13 says,
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Real encouragement comes from inside your heart. Most people can tell intuitively if you like them or not. Are you open toward others? Can you really focus on the other person or are you preoccupied with your own projects or insecurities? Do you listen to understand or are you formulating what you want to say next?
Steps to Grow as an Encourager
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Who has been a big encouragement to you? Thank God for this person. What can you learn from their example?
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Pick three people you can begin to encourage.
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Start praying for these people regularly. Ask God to bless them and give them a fruitful future. Ask God to help you notice things about them you have not seen before.
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Note the strengths and character qualities you begin to see In them. Encourage the good you see in them.
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Write one encouraging note to someone each week for a year! Start with your three adoptees but expand to others.
Giving it All
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it
is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s
deceitfulness.”
Because
We Have Nothing to Lose
The Book of Acts Part 12
“When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true
to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.” Acts 11: 23-24
Church In the Pines West Wareham, MA
If encouragement is so important,
what can we do to become more encouraging?
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34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. 36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to |
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the apostles. Acts 4:34-37 26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. Acts 6:26-28 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. 22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, |
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he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) Acts 11:21-25 |
1. Encouragers give freely of their resources.
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Barnabas first appears here giving what he has (4:37) to help others. He is the first recorded donor in this amazing community.
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Barnabas was from Cyprus, and was a Hellenistic Jew (having adopted Greek language and culture). Regardless, he demonstrates high trust in the church leaders in Jerusalem and gives his money with no strings attached.
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Words are an important form of encouragement, but so is doing something tangible. People with a kingdom mindset know that all that they have is really from God. We are stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
Encouragement (
Book of Acts we see Barnabas giving his resources, time, and
energy for the sake of the Gospel.
2. Encouragers see others through eyes of hope & grace.
When Saul converts, no one trusts him. Barnabas puts his reputation on the line and goes to bat for him. Saul is eventually accepted and goes on to write 1⁄2 of the New Testament.
παράκλησις) is about coming along side of
someone. It is about helping or giving: giving hope, help, or
encouraging words to someone who needs it.
Throughout the
Consulted and Quoted:
John Stott, Mike Woodruff, John Ortberg, Rodney Cooper, Doug Tubach
