Back In the Ring For Another Round
Mark 4;36,37 - 9;27,43
4; 36And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
9; 27But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
32And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
36Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
43And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
If you’ve ever watched a boxing match, if you’ve ever been around a "Rocky" movie, then you know the scene. Boxer-Man has been punched and pounded and bruised for several rounds. The bell rings, he staggers to his corner, his attendants immediately start working on him. They give him something to drink, they help him get a quick breather, and they give him a big pep talk. I don’t know what they tell Boxer-Man, but I’m sure it’s good stuff. What I do know is whatever they tell him works. Even though he’s banged up, he gets back into the ring for another round!
We live in a world where everybody is taking their blows. People you know often feel beat up, punched around, and even ready to go down for the count. What may keep them from giving up is someone in their corner who’s giving them what they need to go for another round. I hope that someone is you.
We’ve got a stellar example of that in our word for today from the Word of God. In Acts 4:36, we’re introduced to "Joseph...whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement)." Something about this man made the early Christian leaders think "encouragement." I wonder if that’s what people think when they see you coming. "Here comes encouragement."
All through his appearances in the Book of Acts, Barnabas shows us what an encourager looks like. In Acts 9, for example, when none of the disciples wanted anything to do with Saul of Tarsus after he met Christ, (I mean, they were afraid he was still hunting Christians.) Barnabas was the one who brought him to them and vouched for him. A Barnabas believes in a person when no one else will. I hope that’s you.
In Acts 11, when God started working among the despised Gentiles, it says the church leaders in Jerusalem "sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord" (Acts 11:23-24). Here’s another face of the encourager. He looks for what God is doing in someone’s life and he fans the flame.
Now lest you think this mission of encouragement is just for a gifted elite like Barnabas, don’t forget that God says to all of us, "Encourage one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13). So how are you doing? Do you look for the things a person is doing right? Do you thank them for it? Do you make a person feel really important when they’re with you, or like they’re keeping you from something more important? Do you listen for their heart, not just their words? Do you look for what God seems to be doing in their life and then you affirm it to them? Do you look for their strong points and tell them what you see? By the way, this ministry of encouragement is one anyone can have and it may be just what you need to get you out of your own pit of self-focus and self-pity. And your ministry of encouragement begins first with your very own family. They need it the most, and you’re in a unique position to give it to them.
I love that word "encourage." When you do it, you literally put "courage in" to that person. Someone who may be more battered than you know, closer to going down or giving up than you could imagine. You never know when your encouragement might literally be the difference in that person’s life. When you’re bruised and when you’re hurting, the difference very well may be the person in your corner who gets back in the ring for another round.
Min. Johnathan Hester
