Acts 4:36-37

HOW TO BE AN ENCOURAGER

Intro: Ill. One of the great tragedies of our time is that there are so
few kind people around. There are plenty of mean-spirited, hateful
people, but there are very 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, Eph. 4:32; Eph. 4:2; 1 Cor. 16:14! Let’s be honest, many
people are opinionated, self-centered, rude and sometimes, just
plain mean in our dealings with others. This ought not to be,
especially among saved people! I believe that the Lord would have
us to practice a ministry of encouragement as we pass through this
world.

In these verses, we are introduced to a man named Joses. He

is better known by the name Barnabas. When this man appeared
on the scene in the early days of the church, he stepped out of
obscurity doing good, and when he stepped off the stage a few
years later; he exited doing good as well. In fact, the Bible’s record
of this man’s life and ministry reveals him as a man who had a heart
to do good to all those with whom he came into contact.

Today, I would like to take a quick look at the life of Barnabas,

and share with you why he earned the name “Son of
Consolation.” By the way, this name is very special. The word for
“consolation” comes from the same word that is translated
“Comforter”, and which refers to the Holy Ghost, John 14:26. It
refers to one who comes alongside of another to offer help and
encouragement. Apparently, Barnabas had earned the reputation
among the Disciples of Christ, as one who was a helper and
encourager of others..

For these few minutes that we have together, let’s take some
time to examine the life of Barnabas and see why he was called
“the Son of Consolation.” As we do, I want us to examine
ourselves and see whether or not we too might be classified as
encouragers this evening. I would like to preach for a few minutes
on the thought: How To Be An Encourager.
I. YOU MUST LEARN TO REACH OUT

A. Acts 9:26-27 Encourage The Desperate - Ill. The glorious

conversion of Saul of Tarsus. After Saul was converted, he
tried to unite himself with the other disciples who were
in Jerusalem, but out of fear and prejudice about his past,
they were afraid to allow him into their group. However,
Barnabas came to Saul’s side and stood up for Him and told
the others about this man’s amazing conversion. He stood
up for one who desperately needed a friend.

(Ill. There is still a need for this kind of ministry today! We

need to make the 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 to this
place feel as if they belong here and are accepted just as
they are. Every person who darkens these doors should
feel like they have returned home after a long absence! We
need to love them, welcome them and accept them into our
services! Pumunta sila sa church with the intention to learn
the right thing, and how will they know it if we don’t reach
out and let them be alone? Wag nating isara yung ating
pinto sa mga kaclose na natin.

Does this describe your life and practice? We ought to

find ourselves actively engaged in this kind of activity. Look
around you! There are plenty of lonely, outcast
people. Find them and be a friend to someone who needs
a friend. That is what Jesus did! It is what He expects of
us.)

B. Acts 11:22-23 Encourage The Disciples - When the

church in Jerusalem heard that there was a new group of
believers in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to them to help
them along. The Bible tells us that when he arrived, he
“exhorted” them. This means that he “offered them
encouragement!” He was excited about what God was
 doing and how these new converts were serving the Lord
and he did his best to encourage them to carry on the God.

(Ill. Again, there is a lesson here for us today. We ought to

do everything in our power to encourage other believers in
their walk with the Lord. We need to praise others when
they labor for Jesus and gently rebuke our brothers when
they stray. Our duty to our fellow believer is to help them to
grow in the Lord and to be an encouragement to
them, Rom. 14:19, 1 Thes. 5:11.)

(Ill. There are basically 2 types of people in every

church. One type seeks to find all the fault with others and
the work of the church they can and then they do their best
to tear others down. The other type seeks to build up their
church and fellow believers and they seek to help them to
grow in the Lord. Which description best fits your life and
your dealings with others?)

C. Acts 15:36-40 Encourage The Discouraged - (Ill. The

events of this story. Apparently, Paul, Barnabas and John
Mark were together on a missionary journey. For some
reason, John Mark left them and returned
to Jerusalem, Acts 13:13. Now, Paul and Barnabas are
ready to go out again and Barnabas wants to take John
Mark along to give him a second chance. Paul disagrees
and he and Barnabas part company, Acts 15:36-40. Paul
takes Silas and goes out with him, while Barnabas takes
John Mark and disappears from the biblical account.
 While Barnabas is never heard from again, his ministry
to John Mark had far reaching consequences! Because
Barnabas gave this discouraged and defeated young man a
second chance, his life as a servant of God was
salvaged. In fact, before Paul died in Rome, he requested
that Mark be sent to him, 2 Tim. 4:11. Even more important
is the fact that because Barnabas took the time to
encourage a discouraged brother, Mark was used of the
Lord to pen the Gospel of Mark which gives us an exciting
account of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.)

(Ill. What a truth for you and me! How many times have we
seen fellow believers fall by the wayside? Our natural
tendency is to wash our hands of them and go on. God’s
plan, however, is far different! We are not to kick our brother
when he is down, but we are to reach out to him in a spirit
of love and humility and help him be restored to the place of
fellowship and service. We are to display the grace of the
Good Samaritan by stopping, binding up their wounds and
by helping them to recover. Yet, we find it so much easier
to gossip about them, to find fault with time and to hold their
shortcomings against them for as long as we can. Aren’t
you glad that the Lord isn’t a thing like us? Aren’t you glad
that He is the God of second chances, Jonah 3:1? Why
can’t we do the same for those around us? We can if we
will be an encourager!)

II. YOU MUST LEARN TO REACH UP

(Ill. The encourager has an upward ministry. His work doesn’t

merely reach out to those around him, but it also reaches up as
he carries out the work God has given him to do in this life.)

A. The Encourager Furthers The Work Of God – The

encourager uses his spiritual gifts and love for the Lord and the
Lord’s people to see that the work of the Lord is carried out in
this world.
1. Acts 4:36-37 He Promotes The Work Of God - The
first impression we are given of Barnabas is that he is a
man who gave of himself freely. He gave of his goods
to see that the church and its work went on. He used
the things at his disposal to enhance the work of the
Lord.

(Ill. This describes how we ought to be as well. We

ought to all strive to give of our time, our tithes and our
talents so that the church can prosper and that the
burden of ministry doesn’t rest upon the shoulders of
one or two. When we give of ourselves and our stuff as
we should, others are then encouraged to do the same.)

2. Acts 11:23-26 He Praises The Work Of God - When

Barnabas had seen all that the Lord was doing
in Antioch, he set out to find Paul and to share the news
with him. Barnabas refused to keep the good blessings
of God quiet!

(Ill. There is a need for this kind of attitude in the

modern church. There are far too many who want to
bad mouth the church and church folks. When things
don’t go as someone thinks they should, they will get
mad and run the church down. They will threaten to
withhold “their” tithes. God give us some people who
will go out into the world and brag on what Jesus is
doing! God give us some who will tell of the testimony
service, of that good prayer meeting, of that soul being
saved, of that backslider getting things right with God,
etc. There are enough whiners and bellyachers; we
need some who will exalt the work of God!)

(Ill. Beware that you are never guilty of badmouthing

the church or the people of God. Just as sure as you do
this in front of a lost person, you stand a good chance of
condemning their soul to Hell! You might as well be the
one who puts them there. If all they hear from you is
how bad things are down at the House of God, then why
should they want to go and be part of that mess? On
 the other hand, when we tell the lost how great things
are. When we tell them that we have been meeting with
the Lord, they will be curious and they will come to see
what is going on at church. Determine in your heart that
you will be an encourager, one who exalts the work of
God.)

3. Acts 13:1-3 He Participates In The Work Of God -

Barnabas was chosen by the Holy Ghost to be actively
involved in the Lord’s work. This decision changed the
course of his life forever. From that moment on, every
where Barnabas went, he was a servant of the Lord.

(Ill. The lesson for us is obvious! No matter where

we go in this world, we are the servants of the
Lord. Whether we are at home, at work, in town, on
vacation, etc, we are God’s servants and we are to live
and act accordingly. When we do, we serve as an
encouragement to others to do the same. When we
serve the Lord with enthusiasm and zeal, we stand as
an encouragement to others. Therefore, when it comes
time to go to church and do your job for God, arrive early,
arrive alert, arrive prepared and arrive excited and ready
to serve God. Show people how much you enjoy what
you are doing and if you don’t enjoy it, ask the Lord to
restore your joy, or simply find another job through which
you can serve Him!)

B. Acts 12:25 An Encourager Finishes The Work Of God -

This verse tells us that Paul and Barnabas fulfilled their
ministry. That is, they stayed with the work until the work
was finished. As such, they stood as an encouragement to
those around them!
 (Ill. If you want you life to be an encouragement to those
who watch you serving the Lord, then never leave a job
unfinished. Be faithful to the task God has called you to and
stick by God until He calls you to a new job, or until He calls
you home! There is no room for quitting in the work of the
Lord. It is an encouragement to me to see people sticking
with the Lord through all the times of their life. It is a
blessing and gives me a deeper desire to press on as well!)

III. YOU MUST LEARN TO REACH IN

(The encourager possesses an internal ministry, a ministry to

self. It is from this ministry to his own spiritual needs that the
encourager is able to demonstrate the reality of Jesus Christ to
those around him. While one’s personal ministry cannot be
seen by others, the evidence is plain for all to behold. This was
true in the life of Barnabas and it will be true in your life and
mine as well.)

A. Acts 11:24 An Encourager Demonstrates Christ By His

Life - This verse indicates that Barnabas was a genuine
man of God. He possessed all the characteristics that
marked him as being sold out and on fire for the Lord. His
life served as an encouragement to holiness by being holy
and blameless.

(Ill. Our lives should stand as an encouragement to lead

others deeper into their walk with the Lord. We do this by
getting ourselves as close to God as can. When others see
the Lord working in and through our lives, they will be
challenged and encouraged to seek the Lord for themselves
and to become more like Him.)

(How does one go about getting close to the Lord? Only

through very hard work! The only way this is possible is for
the believer to immerse himself in the word, spend time in
prayer and to turn his back on the world. Is it
possible? Yes! It is easy? No! Is it worth it? Yes! God’s
promise to us is that when we strive to get closer to Him, He
will come closer to us - James 4:8.)
 B. Acts 13:49-52 An Encourager Displays Contentment In
His Life - Barnabas, along with Paul, was preaching the
Word of God and as a result, persecution arose against
them and they were forced to leave town. Instead of being
discouraged and quitting as many others would have done,
they shook the dust from their feet and went on their way
rejoicing. That stands as an encouragement to others who
are going through battles in life!

(Ill. We show the true depth of our faith when we are in

the valley! We show how real our faith in God is by how we
react to difficulty and hardship. We should always seek to
react to adversity by expressing joy and faith in the
Lord, Ill. Job 1:20-21. When we do, we will tend to be an
encouragement to those around us. Our faith and joy will
help them when they too face their dark day.

However, many of us like to wallow in self-pity and in the

pity of others. We like it when people are sad that we are
sad. We like it when we hurt if others can hurt too. This is
a wrong spirit and does not encourage others in the
Lord. Let us learn to exhibit joy in trials and thereby be an
encourager to those around us!)

Conc: I look at Barnabas and realize just how far I have to go to

reach his level. How about you? But, if I know my heart this
evening, I know that I really want to be an encourager! Wouldn’t you
like for your life to be remembered as that of an encourager? If so,
then it will require that you learn to rethink the priorities of your
life. God is going to have to come first. Others will have to come
second and you will have to come last, if at all. Where is the benefit
in that, you may ask? The benefit lies in the truth that when we
make the changes necessary to become an encourager, God will
be glorified, others will be edified and we will be rewarded when we
arrive home in glory. Are you an encourager this evening?