“The Ministry of an Encourager.”
Acts 4:32-37
One of the great tragedies of our time is that there are so few kind people around. There are plenty of mean spirited, critical, cynical people, but there are few who just take the time to be kind as a lifestyle. Yet, I believe that this is how every child of God ought to be. Let’s be honest, all of us are at times opinionated, self-centered, rude and sometimes just plain mean in our dealings with other people. This ought not to be! I believe that the Lord would have us to practice a ministry of encouragement as we pass through this world.
You will remember that when left our intrepid disciples, Peter and John they had been hauled before the Sanhedrin and warned never to speak again in the name of Jesus. After they had been further threatened they were released. Peter and John immediately returned to be with the church and tell them all that had transpired. An impromptu prayer meeting broke out in which the church lay all the threats of the enemy before the Lord and ask that he would grant them increased boldness that they might be able to meet this challenge. Now we see how the Lord continued to work in the lives of the believers, and we are introduced to a man who will by his ministry of encouragement have profound effect on the early church.
“Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. (33) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (34) Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, (35) and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. (36) And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, (37) having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Acts 4:32-37 (NKJV)
I. The Importance of Encouragement?
I believe that we have a basic misunderstanding of the
meaning of encouragement. The Greek word for "encourage" may be translated as “comfort, console, entreat, beg, implore, counsel, urge, challenge.” We see from this definition that encouragement has a two-fold emphasis: to comfort or reassure, and to challenge or admonish. To encourage someone is to comfort or challenge them with the Word of God in such a way that the person is motivated to lead the Christian life and continue in the Lord’s service.
To encourage is to be an instrument of grace. It works out of compassion and love and care for the other person, not judgment and condemnation and accusation.
II. The Incentive for Encouragement?
A. OUR GOD IS A GOD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
In the Greek we find the word “encouragement” or its noun form “encourager” used for all three persons of the trinity.
1. God the Father
More than once we see the Greek word for "encourage" used for God the Father:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort”... (2Cor 1:3)
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, (17) encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2Th 2:16-17)
2. The Son
The Greek word for "encourage" is also used as a
title for Jesus: “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 Jn, 2: 1 NKJV
Jesus is called “the Advocate,” or as other translations put it, "our defense" or “our Intercessor.” The word used is here is the Greek for "encourager" and it literally means “one called alongside to help.” The Lord Jesus has been called to our side to represent us before the Father.
3. The Holy Spirit
Not surprisingly, the Greek word for "encourage" is also applied to the Holy Spirit: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever…” — John 14:16 (NKJV)
The Holy Spirit in the original language is called the Paraclete here translated as the Comforter, or as the other translations put it, the Holy Spirit is the Counselor. The word used is "encourager" and it also means “one called alongside to help.” The Holy Spirit has been called to our side to assist us.
When applied to the Trinity, what does the word "encourage" tell us? It tells us that God is the great encourager, the One from Who we receive support and love.
B. CHRISTIAN’S ARE CALLED TO ENCOURAGE ONE
ANOTHER.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, (4) who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV) Five times in these two verses Paul uses the word "comfort." Paul tells us God comforts us, not simply to relieve our distress but also so that we may be able to comfort others.
This means we are all called to encourage one another. I think of what the Paul says in 1 Thessalonians: " Therefore comfort (encourage) each other (one another) and “edify (build up) one another up…" 1 Thess. 5: 11 (NKJV)
“Bruce Larson, in his book, Wind and Fire, points out some interesting facts about sand-hill cranes: "These large birds, who fly great distances across continents in a "V" formation like geese, have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time. Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence. And third, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation." This is not a bad model for the church: we all should be honking encouragement to each other.
The writer of Hebrews links mutual encouragement to worship attendance: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb 10:25)
Who is not here this morning? We all have a duty to admonish or encourage them to attend. Who is here this morning that rarely comes to the evening service? You need to encourage him or her to come this evening as well.
You may be saying, “But I thought encouragement was one of the spiritual gifts?” In Romans 12:8 we see that "encouragement" is one of the gifts of the Spirit to the church. Some believers among us have this gift. But just because God has especially gifted some believers as encouragers it does not exempt the rest of the church from this ministry. Encouragement, in other words, is something we all must do.
III. The Illustration of Encouragement
There were many encouragers in the New Testament Church, however one character stands out. Every time he appears in the Bible he is encouraging someone. That man is named Joses or Joseph. You probably don’t recognize him by that name. Because he helped and encouraged people so much he was given a new name by the apostles, that name was Barnabas which means "Son of Encouragement."
A survey of his life and ministry illustrates how he was an encourager and will reveal to us four things that an encourager does.
First, ENCOURAGERS LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP WITH THOSE WITH PHYSICAL NEEDS. The early Jerusalem church had many poor people. Some of the poor were widows. Some were working men who could not secure or hold employment after confessing Christ. Others were pilgrims from other nations who were converted on Pentecost and stayed there for fellowship and teaching. Local believers had to help these poor. Barnabas responded by selling property, probably on his native island of Cyprus, and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to be used for the poor (Acts 4:37). He not only talked encouragement but he also did concrete encouraging acts.
Second, ENCOURAGERS WELCOME NEW PEOPLE INTO THE CHURCH. Picture, if you will, the reaction to Paul’s conversion. Paul’s former friends in the Sanhedrin thought of him as a renegade and rejected him. The Christians were suspicious of his motives because Paul had recently persecuted them. Even the disciples were leery.
The situation was touchy. Paul was rejected by all and accepted by none. What could he do? How could he gain the confidence of the church and carry out the Lord’s mission to the Gentiles?
It was Barnabas who cleared the way. “But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.” Acts 9:27 (NKJV) Barnabas was so successful in promoting Paul that Paul "stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem" (Acts 9:28).
Not only did Barnabas reach out to Paul but we also see this in how Barnabas was among the first to accept the new Gentile believers. Some believers, scattered by persecution, witnessed to Gentiles in Antioch. The Lord blessed this witness, and a large number of Gentiles believed. The Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas to investigate. “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. (24) For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord” Acts 11:23-24 (NKJV). Barnabas threw all his energies into the work, staying over a year. This church has special significance in that it was here that believers were first called Christians. It was also the church at Antioch, which first sent missionaries to Europe.
Third, ENCOURAGERS INVOLVE OTHERS IN THE WORK OF THE LORD. We see this in how Barnabas enlisted Paul in his work. The growing work at Antioch needed teachers and preachers. Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:25). It was because of Barnabas that Paul finally began the great missionary work the Lord had called him to do.
Fourth, ENCOURAGERS WORK TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH. When Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey they took John Mark with them as their helper (Acts 12:25; 13:5). For whatever reason, Mark defected before the journey was half over (Acts 13:13). Perhaps he was homesick, afraid, or ill.
When the time came to start the next missionary tour, strong disagreement arose between Paul and Barnabas over taking John Mark with them. Paul didn’t want to take John Mark because he had deserted them once before; Barnabas wanted to give John Mark another chance because he wanted to encourage the young man. The disagreement became so sharp that Paul and Barnabas parted ways. Paul later recognized the error of his ways when he wrote to Timothy: (2 Tim 4:11) Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
IV. THE INVESTMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Think, for a moment, of how much of an investment Barnabas made in others and how much it paid in dividends. Because Barnabas was an encourager, Paul was able to go out and preach to the Gentiles and write 13 letters. Because of Barnabas Paul himself became an encourager. After starting several new churches on his first missionary journey, Paul retraced his steps and returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith" (Acts 14:21-22). These new believers, left alone like orphans for several weeks or months, needed this encouragement lest they falter in the faith.
Also, through Barnabas’ encouragement of Mark we gained the second Gospel. Here is something remarkable. Barnabas never wrote a book that found its way into the Bible, but he encouraged two men who wrote over half of the New Testament.
If we are honest, we have to admit there are times we all need encouragement. There have been many times someone here has encouraged me about the work when I was tired or questioning the benefit of what I am doing. A timely word of how the Lord spoke them or how the Lord was working in their lives is enough to give me the strength to continue.
All Christians at one time or another need encouragement. But the Scriptures identify at least four different groups of people within the church who especially need our encouragement and support.
THE DISTRESSED NEED COMFORT. There are many kinds of distress we can respond to with encouragement: sickness, death of loved ones, family problems, breakup of a marriage, financial hardship, the discouragement and depression that can strike any of us. We need to make an effort and take the time to reach out to those around us who seem to be lonely or who have been rejected by others. This is especially true at church. We should do our best to make everyone who comes into this place feel as if they belonged here and are accepted just as they are. Teens I need to talk to you here a moment. Do you realize that there are teens who have come here in the past but are not here now because you failed in this area? What a shame!
We can have the finest facilities in the city, the best music and programs, but if anyone leave this place feeling not welcome we have failed.!
THE DEDICATED WORKERS NEED COMPLIMENTS. A second group of people in need of encouragement is those who contribute their time and abilities to the ministries of the church. How long has it been since you have said a word of thanks to the deacons, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, those who serve in the Awana ministry, those in the music ministry (the choir director, the song leader, those who play the instruments, choir members), nursery attendants, library workers, – they all need encouragement at one time or another. This helps to renew their dedication and spurs them on to greater endeavors for the Lord. Many factors can contribute to burnout in these people. One key factor, however, is a lack of encouragement from other members of the body.
NEW BELIEVERS NEED CARE. That’s why Paul often returned to the new churches he had established (Acts 14:22). Without our encouragement, believers who enter the church through the front door may quietly slip away through the back door.
THE UNINVOLVED NEED PRODDING . We do you know that has talents and abilities that are not being used? Then you need to encourage them. Who do you know that is inconsistent in their church attendance? Then you need to encourage them.
Each of these groups need encouragement. The distressed need comfort, workers need compliments, new believers need care, and the uninvolved need prodding. The question is “Who is waiting on a word from you?”
Conclusion
When I look at the life of Barnabas I realize just how far I have to go to reach his level as an encourager. How about you? Wouldn’t you like for your life to be remembered as an encourager? If so, then it will require that you learn to rethink the priorities in your life.
Ignatius, one of the early church fathers, once wrote of the church that was in Rome, “It was a church worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of congratulation, worthy of success, worthy in purity, preeminent in love, walking in the law of Christ and bearing the Father’s name.” But what about the church of today? We build great buildings, but do we build great people.
As I already said, we are all called to give encouragement. And, there are times when we all need encouragement.
We all need to get involved in encouraging one another to live the Christian life and continue in the Lord’s service.
[Deep indebted to material drawn from a sermon by Adrian Dielemen, “Encourage One Another.” (www.trinitycrc.org/sermons/ac04v36. html)
