Father, with all that's going around, with all that's
happening, even in the service, we want to just pause and
acknowledge you. You are the living God.
You are the powerful, unmatched, all knowing God and Lord at this
time. We have come to rejoice in Your
Word. We've rejoiced in these
testimonies. We've celebrated in this
ordinance, but now we come to the force of it all, the power
behind everything that we experience here, the living Word
of God. And we do pray that whether we
understand it all or not, whether we feel like we are
mature in the faith or we're just beginning, that you would
speak so loud and clear that you would Thunder your voice in our
hearts, and that we would understand Your word for us as a
church. We pray that you would even
bless the visitors here who may not call this place home, that
they would benefit from this word, and that they would leave
here knowing that God was surely in that place.
Lord, we give you glory and thanks in advance for what you
have to say to us in Jesus name, Amen.
I want to speak to you briefly today about one of the most
important and needed ministries in the church.
And that claim is not a matter of personal opinion or even
personal experience. It is a spiritual exercise that
is practiced over and over again and even modeled throughout the
Scriptures and it is even a command that appears several
times in our New Testament. The ministry that I speak of in
your presence today is the ministry of encouragement, the
ministry of encouragement. And I want us to just look at a
simple verse as a start off to just see how vital and how
crucial this mutual investment is to the life and the longevity
of Christians. And so I hope you do have a
Bible in your hands because we're going to 1st Thessalonians
chapter 5. And I want us to look here at
verse 11. Paul is speaking to this group
of believers known as the Thessalonians, and he makes this
brief exhortation in First Thessalonians 511.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just
as you are doing now. Since this verse begins with the
Word, therefore we know that Paul desired this group of
Christians to encourage one another with the things that he
had just finished explaining and teaching in this section of
Scripture. Truths that pertain to the
return of the Lord choose that speak about the hope that we
have in Christ, even in death, and the way that we as
Christians should live in light of those glorious promises.
And so therefore is there for that.
But I want you to notice how Paul ends this verse after
saying, Look, you, you need to encourage one another.
You need to build one another up.
He he approvingly observes the following just as you are doing
meaning what that this community of Christians were already
cultivating a culture of harmony, of care, of
consolation. Now, strikingly, although Paul
recognized that, that they have this wonderful kind of
atmosphere that they have nurtured, he wants them to
protect it. He desires for them to pursue it
even more diligently. He does not want them to lose
it. And so with a pastoral heart,
yes, this is an Apostolic leader.
He understands what mutual and shared encouragement can do
among members in one church. And so he does his part by
providing fresh truths that will strengthen.
There's support for one another. And I want to follow in Paul's
steps today. I want to just take the next few
minutes here to fuel the encouragement that people know
and give in this place. I believe that many people here
at NBC reflect the spirit of the Thessalonians.
And that being said, I want us to mature in it.
And maybe for those who don't see the value of the ministry of
encouragement, that you wouldn't just be a recipient of it, but
you would sign up to say Lord, whatever it takes to be an
encourager, so be it. Teach me and show me what it
takes. I heard someone once share how
Satan one day was auctioning off his tools and some of the things
that he had for sale were vices like hatred, greed, lust,
bitterness, jealousy. But there was something that was
marked off, not for sale. And somebody asked as he saw
this instrument hanging there like a worn out trophy, what is
that? And without hesitation, Satan
said, oh, you're talking about discouragement.
Oh, you have to understand, I can't afford to give that up.
You see, I have used this tool over the centuries in the
millennials to pry open the hearts of people.
And when they don't challenge the discouragement, when they
don't resist it by the truth, I want to let you know something.
I can make that man or woman who is discouraged to do almost
anything. And if you think that
illustration is an exaggeration, I want to encourage you and your
old time to look up one of our studies in First Samuel,
specifically chapter 27. Because that chapter deals with
just how far David went in his disobedience because of 1 main
thing. Unresolved discouragement.
When he kept focusing on something that caused him to be
hopeless and dejected, and he couldn't shake free from it.
It's an amazing case study to see just how dangerous
discouragement can be. Discouragement is one of Satan's
favorite weapons against God's most faithful servants.
And if you can't get a Christian to disqualify him or herself
from ministry because of scandal or character flaws or
immorality, know this. He will harass them with
discouragement until they give up on their own.
And that's why we need to take this ministry as a church
seriously. It can't just come from leaders.
It can't just come from sermons. It must be an ever flowing
stream in this family. And the way we're going to do
this is by looking at one of the clearest examples of a person
who modelled what encouragement is and what it can do.
In fact, this individual who is a follower of Christ so embodied
consolation and an uplifting spirit that they actually change
his name to reflect it. They actually began to call this
man in the early church son of encouragement in the Hebrew.
It's Barnabas. Can you imagine what that was
like for the early Christians in that time?
That whenever Barnabas walked into a room, they said, oh,
encouragement is here. Or perhaps before they made any
decision, they would say, let's let us seek the son of
encouragement and see what he has to say about this before we
conclude on it. Imagine having such a reputation
that the apostles themselves thought, look, your name, we
understand it's Joseph, but we want to call you now, son of
encouragement. You can imagine that he has so
much to offer us in his example, but because of our limited time,
let's look at three ways, three ways that each of us can grow
and mature in the ministry of encouragement.
And I believe there's no better place to start than when we are
introduced to this man, Barnabas.
And so meet me in Acts chapter 4.
And let's look together here at the end of that chapter where we
are introduced to Barnabas, Acts 4, beginning in verse 36.
Thus Joseph, who is called by the apostles Barnabas, which
means son of encouragement, A Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold
a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at
the apostles feet. I find it absolutely fascinating
that the very place where we are introduced to the man who is
encouragement Incarnate, there is not a single word mentioned.
The very first time the word encouragement appears in the
book of Acts, there is no recorded speech.
What do we have here? Instead, we have a man who lived
in a certain way. We have a man who, by his
example, inspired other Christians without saying
anything. We limit encouragement to what
you say. Yeah, we'll get there in a
moment. But that's not how it shows up
with this man. It shows up with action.
It shows up by point #1 living wholeheartedly for Christ.
You want to be an encouragement to the church?
Then write this down. You must, by the power and grace
of God, endeavour to live radically for the Lord Jesus.
What's happening here with this man Barnabas?
Well, he contributed to a need in the early church and he made
the choice here to be very generous.
And what makes this so special? And the reason why I believe the
Holy Spirit highlights his donation, though many other
people donated, is because of his lineage.
Why aren't we told that Joseph was a Levite?
Because according to the law, Levites were prohibited from
owning any land in Israel. According to Deuteronomy 10/9,
Levi was set apart to perform temple duties, and because of
that the Lord himself was their inheritance.
They didn't have any tribal allotment.
They just lived in cities within the borders of other tribes.
So how do we explain this Levite owning land?
Well, I think the following thought helps us.
He was a native of Cyprus, and so he was born and raised
outside of the borders of Israel.
And so this could mean that like many of the laws, especially
after the Babylonian exile, a lot of these things that we're
not as binding, we're not as seriously taken.
Or it could mean that because of the dispersion of the Jews over
the centuries, a man like Joseph had more liberty to own land in
different regions. We're not explicitly told, but
what is clear here is that you can imagine how challenging it
must have been for somebody like Joseph, who came from a heritage
that never owned property, that could never pass down real
estate, and yet willingly gives it up.
And yet when he realizes that there's an opportunity here to
contribute to the mission and the message of Christ, he
joyfully and willingly surrenders.
This is how we are introduced to the Son of encouragement.
And here's what it means for us that you and I, if we want to
grow in this ministry, don't need to worry about our words
just yet. We need to be focused on our
convictions. You know, careless words most
definitely can wound fellow believers.
But you know what else can? Carnal faith.
That can be just as detrimental and discouraging to other
believers. But the way that we can actually
bless others is shown here by determining that you will truly
live for Christ and believing that the Lord can use that to
work wonders in the spiritual disciplines and devotions of
other Christians. When I think back to some of the
people who have encouraged my faith the most, I can honestly
say that most of them didn't say anything to me directly.
It was just by watching them at a distance, observing how they
love their wives and their husbands, witnessing how we can
and week out. Nothing can shake them away from
their ministry that they've committed to as a member of a
local church, that over the months and years you look at
their Bibles that they carry in it.
It's it's becoming more weathered and used and
highlighted. I remember being a believer
early on in my walk with Christ and being part of a local church
for a short time. And clearly this made an
impression on me because it came to mind as I was preparing these
thoughts, an elderly man there who could barely walk up
straight. But whenever this man prayed out
loud, not because of his confidence, not because of his
eloquence, not because he could quote Scripture by memory, just
because when he prayed, you knew that it was coming from the
depths of his heart, every time that man was asked to pray in
that meeting, he would stand up, barely able to, in his own
strength, put his hands on the Pew in front of him, and he
would cry out to God. And I would think to myself, I
want what he has. And I don't ever remember
telling him that. And maybe in my infancy,
spiritual infancy, I hesitated to approach him, to let him know
how much of an encouragement he has been to me.
So he doesn't know how much that has motivated me in my own
prayer life. Barnabas didn't say anything, at
least here in record, but he did something.
And that's where we realized that he was a source of
encouragement. And I think of Paul's words, in
case you think that this is limited to this man, in the
beginning of his letter to the Philippians, he tells him in
114. And most of the brothers, having
become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more
bold to speak the word without fear.
Think about that. He reflects on the price that he
paid for the gospel, that he is imprisoned for his testimony.
And the Lord in his grace allowed him to see the fruit of
his commitment to the cause of Christ.
And he says here that the brothers have become more
confident in the Lord. Why?
Because of his counseling sessions, because of his
sermons, because of his letters. Yes, we can say that he has
blessed them in those ways. But in this case, he instilled
greater boldness. And other brothers, because of
his imprisonment, how he responded to suffering, how he
remains steadfast, how he was willing to go all the way, even
unto death for this cause and this message.
And in the same way, brothers and sisters, if if you just so
entrenched yourself and so focus on the Lord and allow him to
just ravage every part of you, one of the fruits of that is
that others who want the same, others who have just come into
the faith, they will sense the the joy and the possibility in
Christ and they will be built up.
They will be moved. And maybe like me, I never
shared it with the old man and you may never hear it, but don't
doubt the significance of your sanctification.
Immerse yourself in Christ. Let your roots go deep.
Take your faith seriously. Allow Him to fill you and to
transform you. Yes, for his pleasure, but also
for for the glory of His name and other believers who,
especially in this age, desperately need seasoned Saints
to show that it's possible to cling to Christ for years and
years to come. There's a lot of I want to speak
to the seasoned Saints in this place.
This generation is absolutely confused and there are 1000
voices coming their way. And I just want to let you know
that people are watching your marriages and they are watching
your children and they are watching your social media
posts. And they can either stir them to
say it's possible to advance in life and to have all this
busyness but still prioritize the church and still honor God
and not get swayed or distracted by the things that are always
pulling at you and calling for you.
Don't dismiss how your silent testimony can do miracles in
other people. Don't dismiss that there is an
indirect encouragement that we all offer whether we realize it
or not. Barnabas was such a man, but
that's not the only thing he teaches us.
The very next time the name Barnabas appears in the book of
Acts teaches us a second thing about how we can be matured in
the ministry of encouragement. Let's go to Acts 9.
Now notice this in verse 26, Acts 926.
This chapter records the conversion of the foremost
persecutor of Christians, Saul of Tarsus, whom we know as Paul.
Let's read now what happens after Paul was converted in Acts
926. And when he had come to
Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, and they were all
afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and
declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord who spoke
to him, and how had Damascus He had preached boldly in the name
of Jesus. So he went in and out among them
at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
So Paul here is saved miraculously.
You're talking about a terrorist who now is transformed by the
power of the gospel. And naturally he wants to
fellowship because when you become a Christian, you're drawn
to other Christians. And so he arrives in Jerusalem
and he, he wants to try to plug in.
And it's no surprise to us that his attempt was met with great
resistance from the believers in Jerusalem.
So they push them away. It was so hard for them to
fathom how such a fierce, maybe the fiercest opponent.
Against the gospel is somehow now wanting to actually be in
our midst and to count himself as one of the redeemed.
Now you have to understand this isn't the day after Paul
converted. If you look back at Acts 923,
notice what is mentioned there. When many days had passed, the
Jews plotted to kill him, him being Paul.
So up to this point, Paul had been preaching Christ in
synagogues. Paul had been threatened and
chased. Paul was almost killed in
Damascus. This man had proven over time
that he's really saved. He is so obviously changed that
even the Jews believed that he was a Christian while the church
didn't. I think that's actually
something worth pausing and meditating on.
Imagine how that made Paul feel. He wasn't a robot.
I know he seemed to be superhuman, but he was a man
with emotions. All you have to read is his
letters to get that clear. How would some have acted if
they had come to the front steps of a church in Jerusalem?
Imagine knocking on the door of every church in Jerusalem and
they shut the door in your face. I thought you guys are all about
grace and forgiveness and redemption.
I almost lost my life for this gospel.
And this is how you Christians act.
Imagine he turned away from the faith.
Imagine he aborted his calling. What kind of disaster would that
be? And I want to speak to those who
might be suffering from what we call church hurt.
I am not trying to minimize the pain that can be caused by
Christians and even Christian leaders, but look at Paul as
your example. He did not give up on Christ,
nor did he give up on the Church of Christ simply because in a
certain circumstance some of Christ's representatives did not
reflect the nature of their Master.
I want to look at this at a different angle.
This also shows us how one single Christian can change the
experience of a person like Paul who was hurt by the church.
Look back here at our text. Notice what happens in verse 27.
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.
Why? Because Barnabas was able to see
what most could not immediately perceive.
And it's not that Barnabas was like some who are naturally
optimistic, maybe dangerously optimistic, where they kind of
dismiss all the red flags and say, well, it's OK, let's just
give him a chance. Barnabas is working with
evidence. Notice that he defends Paul.
He goes, no, no, this is his testimony.
He heard Christ. Look what he endured for Christ.
And I think here that there is a principle that encourages are
those who can recognize progress, they can identify
growth, they can catch glimpses of God's grace at work in
somebody's life, and they support it, they nurture it,
they celebrate it, they give God glory for it, and they want to
strengthen it. See, Barnabas is defending Paul
here, and we understand that Paul was called by God, but from
a human level, do you understand how significant this is that
Paul's ministry would go to a brand new level because of
Barnabas's encouragement? And I don't doubt for a moment
that somebody's encouragement can can cause ministries to
begin and ministries to remain and ministries to go on.
If we don't believe that, then we're going to fall into great
trust because Satan understands the power of discouragement.
And I want to prove this to you further, how Barnabas was able
to see what many others, even good Christian leaders, could
not immediately register. I want you to see a phrase in
Acts 11. Go to Acts 11 in verse 22.
This is when a move of the Spirit was beginning in a place
called Antioch. And in Antioch the report of
conversions came to the leaders. And so who do they send,
Barnabas? Who better to send than the Son
of encouragement? And so read here.
In Acts 1122, the report of this came to the ears of the church
in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
When he came, here's the phrase, and saw the grace of God, he was
glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord
with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy
Spirit and of faith, and a great many people were added to the
Lord. Notice that again he saw the
grace of God at work, and it made him glad, and it encouraged
him to encourage the believers. Human nature is excellent at
fault fighting even Christians. It doesn't take much skill or
effort to point out the things that we don't like in others.
And with that, many people don't hesitate to express their
displeasure of people's shortcomings.
But those who are ministers of encouragement, like Barnabas,
they genuinely can perceive and identify God's grace at work.
And that causes them to rejoice. And whatever snippets they do
see in someone, they're magnetized towards it to build
them up and for that to excel in their lives.
And I sat back last night thinking to myself, I wonder
what Barnabas would have said or acted like in different
situations. And one that came to mind was
what would Barnabas do if, let's say, a dejected soul who is
struggling with their faith approach them?
Well, I see something here. He was able to see the grace of
God and things. And I can imagine Barnabas
saying something along the lines of, brother, I know your
skepticism frightens you, but I want you to be encouraged
genuinely because you are clearly concerned about your
walk with Christ. You're clearly disturbed by the
fact that you might be hurting him and hurting your testimony
because you're now kind of wrestling with these things.
Is that not evidence that you are sincere?
Is that not something that shows you that down deep inside you
love the Lord and you can attest to the power of the Word of God?
Use this as fuel in your life to investigate further and trust
that God and His grace will bring you through and you'll be
more confident and more strong in your faith than ever.
Do you see that? He saw the grace of God, He was
able to see the good, and he's able to offer encouragement from
that place. Now, I'm not saying here that
that means we can't ever rebuke anybody.
We can't correct anybody. We can't take sin in people's
lives seriously. I'm talking about Barnabas here.
But there's somebody who's more encouraging than him, and that's
Christ. And even at times with his own
students, he rebuked them for their unbelief.
Look, you've been in class here for almost three years and
you're still not getting it. And that's just as much loving
as what we see here with this man.
What I am saying, though, is that it's not our disposition to
encourage. And yet this man shows us that
it's possible. May the Holy Spirit help us
always be able to see the grace of God at work, even if others
can't right away. Is there another way that we can
grow as ministers of encouragement?
Yes, and this is my final thought.
You need to know the Word of God.
Let's go to our final text, perhaps in Acts 14 and verse 20.
At this point, Barnabas and Saul, who is now known as Paul,
have been working together as a missionary team, and I want you
to see what happens at this juncture.
Acts 14, verse 20. But when the disciples gathered
about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the
next day he went on with Barnabas to Derby.
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made
many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to
Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging
them to continue in the faith and saying that through many
tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.
What was the substance of Barnabas encouragement?
What, what was the fuel to his consolation?
What did he use as material? Well, every time you see
encouragement brought up in the Scriptures, the goal was always
to strengthen people's faith for them to continue to believe
Christ and serve Christ and honor the Christ.
Now you can't do that unless you know God's Word, what He asks of
us, what He promises us, how He has moved in the past, how He
has not changed. Remember, we learned that
Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit.
Then we read that in Acts 11. It's impossible to be, to be
filled with the Holy Spirit and not be filled with God's Word.
So this, this fellow leader and missionary partner was oozing
the truths of God. And if anybody, and I've seen
it, if anybody endeavors to be a minister of encouragement, void
of the word of Christ, dwelling in them richly, they are just as
helpful as and as insightful as a fortune cookie.
Doesn't go anywhere, just general statements and maxim's.
There's no weight to it. There's no power, there's no
anchor. And so you see this throughout
Scripture. I even remember what Paul said
to the same group of believers that we addressed at the
beginning of this message. The Thessalonians, he said
before our main text of First Thessalonians 418, therefore
encourage one another with these words.
What words? His words.
And Paul understood that he was led by the Spirit.
He understood that he was inspired by the Spirit to
provide divine revelation. So you Thessalonians, you need
the words that I give to you that are ultimately the Word of
God to be able to even know true and lasting encouragement.
I was reminded of a pastor's testimony in this area.
He was young in ministry. He was just starting out and at
one point he received a phone call to his surprise of one of
the members of his church who had an accident and was quickly
dying. He had no time to go home.
This was before iPhones and Bible apps.
He didn't have the chance to go and grab his pocket Bible or his
preaching Bible. He had to go to the hospital
immediately. And when he entered into that
room as a 30 something year old pastor, here is this member who
is surrounded by loved ones and they are mourning and they are
broken. And the scene was silent.
The only noise that was there was just the sniffles of of
those who were trying to process this.
Finally, somebody looked over at the pastor and said, pastor,
give us a word. You know, what most of us might
do in that moment is OK, and there's nothing wrong with that.
But he didn't have that tool at his disposal and he could not
think of anything. No Scripture, no Psalm.
He tried to reach back. Even for him, I believe nothing.
So he prayed, just a broken prayer, weak, just so despondent
by the fact that he was not prepared for this moment.
And he walked out of that hospital vowing to himself, I
will never let that happen again.
And that began his quest of memorizing Scripture so that if
he was put on the spot, he could give something to build the
people up. And that was a challenge to me.
What Psalms do I know? Not complete Psalms.
Just maybe 2 verses, maybe even one verse that's at the tip of
my tongue that if I get a phone call and I'm out somewhere, I
can say let's pray and I can quote that Psalm.
What promises do I know in God's word by heart that can help
somebody who needs hope? Am I familiar enough with the
testimonies of God's work and history, narratives and stories
that I can relate to people's situations?
If not, I have nothing to offer in terms of encouragement.
I may have my personal experiences.
That helps, but ultimately, as you know, this is where it comes
from. Barnabas knew the word.
And so for me, from time to time, though my memorization is
not the greatest strength, I try to look for verses, not just for
my own soul to quote in the midst of temptation or my own
trials and battles, but to be able to share it to somebody
else, deal with the offer to somebody else.
Just wonderful promises that can cover so many things.
Know the word well. I said this was the last text,
but I think I can offer something else.
I want us to look at something here in Acts 13 and verse one.
This is when the Holy Spirit created a very important
ministry in a very special setting.
Look at this in Acts 13, one now they were in the church at
Antioch, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was also
called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manny and a lifelong friend of
Harry the Tetrarch and Saul. While they were worshipping the
Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I've called them.
Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them
and sent them off. Now, knowing what I know about
Saul, who would become Paul in the same chapter, I can see why
the Holy Spirit might have selected him, though
undeservingly. He had a colossal intellect.
He was very courageous. He worked so hard even as an
unbeliever. His zeal is now transferred over
to the truth, but it was almost just ingrained in him.
But Barnabas, What did Barnabas have to offer in this?
Exactly what we've been speaking about, encouragement.
In the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, he selects Saul and he
says, oh, this man is going to need some encouragement.
Barnabas, go with him. If Paul needed it, what about
you? If Paul needed it, what about
me? There is no such thing as a
Christian who can walk this life solo without being visited by
the weight and the gravity of discouragement.
So you might look at us, a Saul, a Paul, a mighty theologian, an
apologist, an evangelist, A missionary, and we can praise
that and give God glory to that. But the Holy Spirit also
selected Barnabas because the minister of an encouragement is
so needed. And if you have no motivation to
see how beautiful and how much we should actually seek this,
let me give you a final thought. Do you know that one of God's
names, you can say one of God's titles more precisely is that
according to Romans 15, five, he is known as the God of endurance
and encouragement. God is a God of encouragement.
I want to be like my God. Lord, we thank you for this
short reminder of a profound truth.
Help us each to live more wholeheartedly for Christ to
give of ourselves in a way that would inspire onlookers and
fellow believers. Help us be able to see the grace
of God at work in the lives of others.
And finally, may we invest in greater ways the Word of God in
our hearts so that it can be ready on our lips to infuse
another people, the truths that have carried us.
May this church, like the Thessalonians, encourage and
build one other up just as we are doing.
May we never lose that momentum. By your grace, in Jesus name we
pray. Amen.
As a praise team comes, let's
stand and give God glory for all that He's done on this Lord's
Day service.