Encourage One Another

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:59

The title of my sermon is encourage one another. Let's read First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 11, from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing. Encouragement is vital in an often discouraging world, and our churches should be places of encouragement. Today we're going to look at three main points, and then we will pray together at the end of my talk. So, point number one. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 29 from the New Living Translation says, Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Words are powerful. They can either build somebody up or they can tear them down. And as followers of Christ, we must use our words to encourage and uplift others. The Bible says there's power of life and death in our tongues. We should speak life-giving words over others in our sphere of influence. We have the power in our words to build somebody up or to tear them down. What are you characterized by? By speaking life-giving positive words or negative, discouraging words. Let's be those who speak words of life and blessing over those whom God has entrusted us with. Number two, Barnabas in the Bible was an example of an encourager. In fact, he's called the Son of Encouragement. That was not his original name. He was one who encouraged others so much that the leaders of the church called him Barnabas, the son of encouragement. He was a key figure in the early church, and we're introduced to him in Acts chapter 4, Acts chapter 9, and Acts chapter 11. And as we read about Barnabas together from these passages of scripture, I want to encourage you to emulate his example and be intentional in encouraging others. We're first introduced to him in Acts chapter 4 and verse 36. Reading from the English Standard Version, it says, Thus Joseph, so that was his real name. But he was then renamed or given a nickname that stuck because he was characterized by being an encourager. Back to the verse. It says, Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus. We then read about him in Acts chapter 9, verse 26 to 27. It says, When Paul had been converted on the Damascus Road, he came to Jerusalem and he attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. Can you blame them? They probably thought he was trying to trick them so that he could put them in prison and persecute them. But Barnabas, it says, took him, Paul, 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 at Damascus he preached boldly in the name of Jesus. As a son of encouragement, Barnabas came alongside Paul, a new convert, and one who had a radical conversion, from being a persecutor of the church to a propagator of the gospel, he uh he came alongside and he encouraged him. We then see in Acts chapter 11, verse 22 to 26, that when the church began to grow and uh and things were happening as they went from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth, they they started to see other churches planted. And news came to the church in Jerusalem. So they sent Barnabas to go and encourage them. Let's read about it in Acts chapter 11, verse 22 to 26. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. And when he came, he saw the grace of God, and he was glad, and he exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. It then describes what kind of man he was. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And as a result of his ministry in that early church, a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus and took Saul, who became Paul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. I love the way this verse describes his ministry. They sent him to encourage them. And when he came, he saw evidence of God's grace. He caught them doing something right. One version says he saw the goodness of God. And we need to be those who see God's grace and God's goodness at work in others, and encouraged them to continue growing in their relationship with God. Like it says a Barnabas, he encouraged them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. He also invested in them. And for a whole year, together with Saul, or who became Paul, the writer of 14 books of the 27 New Testament books, they invested in that church. So much so that the people there were called Little Christs or Christ followers. They invested in a group of people, and that became a very significant church in the New Testament. Let's be like Barnabas. Let's be those who are encouragers. Let's be sons and daughters of encouragement. Number three. When we meet as a church family, we do so to encourage one another. Let's read Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 and 25. And I'm reading from the New Living Translation. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return, the Lord's return, is drawing near. As we gather together, we should encourage one another. My deep desire is that our meetings and groups are a place of encouragement. And we need to remember that this is not one person's responsibility, but our mutual responsibility to one another. We shouldn't come just to be encouraged, we should come to encourage others. Who can you encourage? How can we all actively contribute to creating an atmosphere of encouragement? So, a call to action for this week. This week, I encourage you to intentionally speak words of encouragement over family, friends, and others in the church fellowship. Let's follow the example of Barnabas, the son of encouragement. Let's catch people doing things right. Let's encourage people to remain steadfast and faithful to the Lord. And every time we meet together, come with a word of encouragement for someone else. So, let's pray. And as we do, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to do as a result of what we've heard in today's sermon. Father God, thank you. For Barnabas, a great example for us in the New Testament, who was called the Son of Encouragement, and we pray that we would become sons and daughters of encouragement. Help us to speak words of life and blessing over others. Help us to find ways to intentionally encourage others, to go on with the Lord, to be faithful to the Lord. Holy Spirit, speak to us and show us how you want us to encourage others. It doesn't have to cost us much other than kind words and thoughtful actions. And we ask this now in Jesus' precious name. Amen.