Encouragement

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When we look at the people around us, what are their needs? I mean, except for hearing the gospel and the plan of salvation, what do most folks need? I think you would be hard pressed to find a more universal need, for everyone, than encouragement. An encourager can be thought of as someone called to someone’s side, to comfort, to console, to support, and to strengthen.

To exhort, or encourage, is to share in someone’s life, to strengthen them. An encourager will share words to help someone in times of distress, depression or trouble. He will encourage someone in trouble to stay the course, to not give up. An encourager will have words of affirmation for his or her friend.

So then, let us look this morning at someone who was really good at that. The one known as the Son of Encouragement, Barnabas. We first see Barnabas in Acts 4.

Acts 4:36-37 reads “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

Barnabas was a Levite from the island of Cyprus. After Paul’s Damascus Road experience, and preaching for a while in Damascus, Paul went to Jerusalem to work and worship with the disciples there. But they, knowing Paul’s reputation, wanted to have nothing to do with him. But Barnabas came along side Paul and told the Jerusalem Christians about Paul’s experience on the road, and about his preaching in Damascus, and convinced the Jerusalem believers that Paul had had a true conversion experience and wanted to share in the work.

But after Paul had preached powerfully in Jerusalem for a while, the Jews got jealous and plotted to kill Paul. But his friends helped him escape and to go to his home town of Tarsus.

After a bit, word reached the Jerusalem saints that the gospel was growing in Antioch. They then sent Barnabas up to check. One his way to Antioch, Barnabas stopped in Tarsus to pick up Paul to accompany him. Barnabas mentored and encouraged Paul in Antioch as they worked to build the church.

Then after a year, there was a famine in Jerusalem, so the Antioch church took up and offering and had Barnabas and Saul to take it down to Jerusalem. When it was time to return to Antioch, they took Barnabas’ teenage cousin, John Mark with them. Then soon after, the Holy Spirit told the Antioch church that He wanted to send Barnabas and Paul on their first mission journey. So the journey began, starting in Cyprus. And they took young John Mark with them as their helper.

So Barnabas vouched for Paul before the Jerusalem saints. If Barnabas had not stepped up for Paul, and just left him sitting on the sidelines, think of how much shorter the New Testament would be today. But thanks in part to Barnabas support and encouragement, we can now enjoy the thirteen books in the New Testament that Paul wrote.

And let us not forget John Mark. When Barnabas and Paul were getting ready for their second mission trip, Barnabas wanted to again take Mark with them, but Paul refused. During their first trip, young Mark deserted them and went back home. Barnabas, a couple of years later, sees Mark as someone more mature, who needs encouragement and strengthening, and who is no longer a quitter. The dispute grew so strong that Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways. Paul took Silas on their second mission trip, and Barnabas took Mark to preach in Cyprus.

Mark we know spent a lot of time working with Peter. And in Paul’s later letters, he talks about how he needs Mark, and how valuable he is to the ministry. The point is if Barnabas had not stood up for Mark in the beginning, his ministry would quite possibly not have happened and his book would not have been written.

We want to encourage those around us in the faith. We need to be like Barnabas. Sure Barnabas was a dedicated and successful worker in the Kingdom, but history indicates that his greatest accomplishments were in the people that he supported, encouraged and built up. We are told throughout the bible to encourage one another, and several times by Paul.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

And in Colossians 2:1-2, he writes

"I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and those in Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,"

Can’t you see the heart of Paul here? He does not want anyone of his people to be disheartened or discouraged.