Thursday, August 26, 2010
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
The word encouragement means to call alongside, to help. So an encouraging person is someone who walks beside you and helps you along as you live life. I think the greatest example of an encourager in the Bible is Barnabus.
We first learn about Barnabus in Acts 4:36, which tells us that his nickname was Son of Encouragement. His given name was Joseph but his character was such that his friends called him an encourager. What a name! We learn that Barnabus sold a tract of land and demonstrated that he was living for others by bringing the proceeds to this band of new believers (Acts 4:32-37). So he encouraged others through giving.
In Acts 11, Barnabus is being and encourager again. The Body of Christ is growing and the Word is spreading like a wild fire. It's too big for the leaders to handle. The Church needs help; gifted help. What does Barnabus do? He searches for and finds a guy named Saul of Tarsus (v.25) who was an outcast because of his former life. But Barnabus was not afraid to stick his neck out for this new believer. He brought him to Antioch and expressed his confidence in Saul before the assembly. Without a shred of jealousy, he later allowed Saul to take the leadership and set the pace for the first missionary journey. It's interesting to note that the names switched from Barnabus and Saul to Saul and Barnabus. So Barnabus encouraged Saul by recognizing his God-given abilities to lead and allowed him to take the lead.
In Acts 15, the Apostle Paul is about to embark on missionary journey #2. Paul and Barnabus discuss the possibility of taking along a young man named John Mark (this is the guy that eventually wrote the Gospel according to Mark). Paul adamantly refused to take this young man because he failed on the first journey. Barnabus insisted that John Mark should be given another shot. The outcome? Barnabus took John Mark and Paul took Silas (Acts 15:36-39). So Barnabus encouraged John Mark in spite of his past failure.
What a ministry Barnabus provided for the Church! His financial encouragement was eternal. His recognition of Paul's giftedness was eternal. His second chance encouragement with John Mark was eternal.
We should all aspire to be like Barnabus. To be an encourager. The ministry of encouragement has an eternal effect.
Pastor Tim
The word encouragement means to call alongside, to help. So an encouraging person is someone who walks beside you and helps you along as you live life. I think the greatest example of an encourager in the Bible is Barnabus.
We first learn about Barnabus in Acts 4:36, which tells us that his nickname was Son of Encouragement. His given name was Joseph but his character was such that his friends called him an encourager. What a name! We learn that Barnabus sold a tract of land and demonstrated that he was living for others by bringing the proceeds to this band of new believers (Acts 4:32-37). So he encouraged others through giving.
In Acts 11, Barnabus is being and encourager again. The Body of Christ is growing and the Word is spreading like a wild fire. It's too big for the leaders to handle. The Church needs help; gifted help. What does Barnabus do? He searches for and finds a guy named Saul of Tarsus (v.25) who was an outcast because of his former life. But Barnabus was not afraid to stick his neck out for this new believer. He brought him to Antioch and expressed his confidence in Saul before the assembly. Without a shred of jealousy, he later allowed Saul to take the leadership and set the pace for the first missionary journey. It's interesting to note that the names switched from Barnabus and Saul to Saul and Barnabus. So Barnabus encouraged Saul by recognizing his God-given abilities to lead and allowed him to take the lead.
In Acts 15, the Apostle Paul is about to embark on missionary journey #2. Paul and Barnabus discuss the possibility of taking along a young man named John Mark (this is the guy that eventually wrote the Gospel according to Mark). Paul adamantly refused to take this young man because he failed on the first journey. Barnabus insisted that John Mark should be given another shot. The outcome? Barnabus took John Mark and Paul took Silas (Acts 15:36-39). So Barnabus encouraged John Mark in spite of his past failure.
What a ministry Barnabus provided for the Church! His financial encouragement was eternal. His recognition of Paul's giftedness was eternal. His second chance encouragement with John Mark was eternal.
We should all aspire to be like Barnabus. To be an encourager. The ministry of encouragement has an eternal effect.
Pastor Tim
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