The Gift of Encouragement

The power of encouragement.

Listen to Adrian Rogers or talk to you today about encouragement Amanda had a gift and it was a gift of encouragement do you have a way of encouraging people everywhere that he when I so want to be like Barnabas, all encouragement comes from God real encouragement. Therefore, all discouragement comes from the devil to see their friend. Discouragement is such a terrible thing because it is the two that the devil uses to open the door to all other kinds of problems that come into your life will continue worth finding featuring profound truth. Simply stated by pastor and author Adrian Rogers. The book of acts tells the story of a man called Barnabas, which translates to son of encouragement. There are five characteristics of Barnabas's gift of encouragement that show us how to be encouragers for others today. If you have your Bible turned acts chapter 4 will begin in verse 34 as Adrian Rogers shares the gift of encouragement take God's word open it.

If you will please to the book of acts chapter 4 the moment we're going to study about a man named Barnabas and his name is very important. Names are important, the manner we going to study today has a nickname and it was Barnett.

I began reading and ask chapter 4 and verse 34.

Neither was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles feet and distribution was made to every man according as he had me and Joseph's now that's his real name, Genesis, I guess. Today we call them Joe, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas. Now surnamed just means that's what they called. That's his nickname, Barnabas I suppose if he were an American we called them Barney surnamed Barney which is being interpreted, the sun of consolation. Well, consolation is aware that we don't use very much today but let me take what it literally means it means encouragement.

He was the son of encouragement, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus who that is. Barney, having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet. I want to talk to you today about encouragement Amanda had a gift and it was a gift of encouragement. He just had a way this great heart and soul.

This one plan. He had a way of encouraging people everywhere that he when and I so want to be like Barnabas, you know there's some people who are encourages and the some people who are discourages me to discourage her like a drink of water to a drowning man they can brighten up a room by leaving it like people like that. I mean, they just discourage you and everything that you do and they themselves are the people who somehow leave you grain and press somebody has well said that discouragement is a darkroom where the negatives of fear and failure are developed, bill glasses, a southern Baptist evangelist Bill Glass one time was speaking in prison. The 1000 prisoners in asking this question, he said, how many of you were told by your parents that one day you would end up in prison.

Almost every one of them with disdain. Every one of those present almost to the man had parents who said one of these days you're going to end up in prison some encouragement that was the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Now the Bible tells us of God himself. In second Corinthians chapter 1 in verse three that he is the God of all consolation that is in God is the God of all encouragement. God is cornered the market on encouragement, all encouragement comes from God real encouragement. Therefore, all discouragement comes from the devil you see their friend.

Discouragement is such a terrible thing because it is the tool that the devil uses to open the door to all other kinds of problems that come into your life. I will get discouraged you ever get discouraged. I do you say pastor you don't show it but I think sometimes I may show when I get discouraged sometimes will get discouraged. You know somebody in your family. Perhaps today it was discovered maybe have a neighbor whose discourage the father mother brother sister child who's discouraged how the Bible tells us in first Thessalonians chapter 5 in verse 14. Now we exhort you, brethren warned them that are unruly, Fort the feeble minded what it literally literally means is a person who is small sold the person who is discourage all those kind of people. I mean, I want you today not to take notes on my sermon, but I want you to write down the names of five people that God will bring your mind as I preach. Just write down five things I want you to think of five people that I want you to encourage today and you will know the effect they're all around us.

I want to show you five instances in the life of Barnabas where he definitely encourage people and I want you to take those five instances and I want you my answer each one of those instances may be put in the margin of your Bible. Somebody that you need to encourage first of all, if you would be an encourager and have the gift of encouragement as Barnabas did, I want you to find a needy person and enrich him. That's what Barnabas did in the Scripture that we just rent there was a time of great persecution. These early Christians had the goods confiscated. Many of them were hiding in secret places in caves and they were afraid of the authorities and many of them were being put to death in that goods have been taken away in Barnabas was a wealthy man.

He was a landowner, but he took that land and he sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet and he said, listen, take this and help somebody who needs to be helped. He saw some people with a heavy load. He said I'll just move in to bear their burden.

Now there somebody that you know who's really struggling right now financially and you have some money that you could give to them. I want you to do to save a pastor if I give them what I have. I may not have enough left when I need it for myself and I will remind you it's not what you keep in the barn that multiplies is what you so that multiplies and God says give and it shall be given on the use someone as well, said that stewardship is that area of life where men make money. And God makes me Barnabas had when he realized that God had not given it to them just for his own personal aggrandizement. But God had given it to him to encourage others with any took the resources that God had given him, and use them to bless those who had need. Those who were hurting kindness. Barnabas was a man found in the he found needy people and he moved in to help and by doing that he encourage you say well pastor, I won't write a name down here because I don't have anything to give now wait a minute you give more than money that you can give love.

Perhaps you can give help, perhaps you can go and help your next-door neighbor just had a baby to do a longer you can give time. Perhaps you can help that boy was having such a difficult time with mathematics. Maybe you could become a student maybe his dad and his mom don't know how to do it. Maybe they didn't have the educational background that you have maybe you could do that. Maybe you could give wisdom. Maybe you are a retired executive and you live next door to little married couple lately know how to set up a budget, you could go there and and set up some ledges for them and show them how to balance a bankbook that so much that you have may not mean all that much for you to give it but I'll guarantee you will mean a lot to somebody who needs marriage is a man who loved encourage people so much that they called him Barney which means encourager son of consolation number two got a name for the first when you do have a thing just fine fine dear friend, a needy person and enriching God give you name. Secondly, find a lonely person and include him. Let's go on a look if you will accept my let me show you this man Barnabas.

Next time we find him here. Now I begin and accept the nine verse 23. This is an episode in the life of the apostle Paul who at this time has just been saved in nobody really trust them very much because he was a persecutor of the church. He was really a a violent man when it came to Christians and he was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. It was a ruler, a leader among the Jews and now we profess Christianity they didn't trust anything he been persecuting the Christians the Christians and trusting guy got saved in and his former crowd didn't trust him. And so look, if you will, in verse 23 and after that many days were fulfilled the Jews to counsel to kill him who Paul he's he's known as Saul.

At this time, but they are laying a weight was known of Saul and they watch the gates day and night detailing May 6 and later peacefully come out this date and regain the pouncing then the disciples took him that is Saul who later would become Paul by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. Can you imagine how humiliating this is.

I mean there he's here's here's this man has alerted man this triple PhD he's huddled up in a basket there. Lauren them over the wall in a basket there letting them down. They let them down by the wall in a basket and when Saul was come to Jerusalem. He is saying to join himself to the disciples but they were all afraid of and that something you see, I was caught in the middle here and believe not. He was of the cycle laden believe it was safe.

When I look at verse 27 love verse 27 but Barnabas. Oh thank God for that.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared under them, how he had seen the Lord in the way and how that he had spoken him and how that he had preached boldly at Damascus, in the name of Jesus behind us moved in this lonely man and is raised out those big arms and took Saul and I'm telling you, if you will think God will give you the name of some lonely person desperately needs your love desperately needs for you to include him. The apostle Paul never forgot what Barnabas did for him. He wrote this in Romans chapter 15 verses five through seven.

Now the God of patience and consolation. That's all were listen to it the God of comfort grant you to be like-minded one toward another. According to Christ Jesus.

He says God is a God of comfort and you will be that way to one another and then he says in verse seven wherefore receive the one Paul knew what it was to be received because he had known what it was to be rejected. Well we got a name good as gone out to my third name I want to write down not only do I want you to find somebody who has a needed move into media to not only block I want to find a lonely person to move out, including but I want you to find a misunderstood person and affirm him look if you will now in acts chapter 11. Would you please ask Chapter 11.

Now the gospel is spreading and revival fires breaking out everywhere and revival breaks out in Antioch look in verse 20 and some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus or look in verse 21 and the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed it turned to the Lord all that's what I will who God your hand and a great number of people save them tidings of these things came onto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem and I walked and they sent forth you maintain this great soul.

They settle on a encourager that he should go as far as Antioch who, when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that means he is the Molly chair the ball up that they would with purpose of heart. They would cleave unto the Lord for he Barnabas was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost in faith and much people was added to the Lord.

Here's a man who found some people who perhaps were misunderstood and affirm you see a revival had broken out in Antioch, but the center of Christianity at this time was Jerusalem. That's where the apostles work and of this revival. That warming is this really true fire wildfire.

How do we know their real believers. We don't want to deny the work of the Holy Ghost, but we don't want that attribute to Holy Ghost the work of Satan. Even when not quite certain that everything is right over there.

We just don't know. So Barnabas goes up to investigate and when he's up there. He just says guys this is right thing, for you by hand of God is upon you heal firemen I'm telling you folks, a lot of people are starting out for God who need your affirmation. There a lot of people who misunderstood who need your affirmation that a lot of people are not trusted to lead you to encourage them like Barney encourage these kind of people you know somebody right now who's about to start on something that needs your encouragement. I mean you know somebody now has an embryo idea.

Maybe they're starting on a Sunday school class. Maybe you're trying to write a book, maybe they're trying to get started in the business.

Maybe they are trying to have a baby. Maybe they want an adoption. Why don't you affirm. Why don't you just come along side of the charm around him and say hey I just believe in you more than that I believe in the grace of God that I see in you and through you. We got a name let's go on to the next one and tell you something else of Barnabas did look, if you will, in Chapter 11 now beginning in verse 25 and let me read verses 25 and 26 and tell you what they mean to me then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul and when he found him, he brought him onto Antioch and it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Now here's what happens.

Barnabas goes down there and he said he's okay this is of God. God is in the biggest so excited he says now we've got a lot of new wine here, but we need to get wineskin to put it in.

We need somebody who can teach these people. We need somebody with a good mind. You can develop them and help them to grow.

I know the guy is that guy soul. He's the guy I believe. I just believe that I am God's only man I believe God's calling them to the ministry, I believe that God will use to help these people. Antioch hi salsa hey buddy, listen, I bet I've been Antioch, you won't believe what's happening in any soul. I know you soul you been sleeping all that religion but you know the Old Testament inside and out, and now you seen Jesus Christ face-to-face and I've seen the power of God on your life. Saul God has his hand on you and God wants to use you. Now Saul you come down here. I will get you in this church over here. It's all I want you to help these brothers and Antioch. I want you to come and share your green.

I know that you're not developed, but I believe friend you got it in the warehouse and we go to put it in the showcase. You can only get to town here and go to work now what I want you to do here is the fourth name. I want you to find an undeveloped person and discipling. I want you to find an undiscovered person and developing now. Barnabas didn't just stay there and say well I'm only this whole thing myself. I mean, Barnabas was not interested in starting a cold call Barney's boys. He knew that the job was beyond him and so he found a young man named Saul with gifts and abilities. The same Saul that had fled from the wrath of his enemies and he saw that he had hidden talent and varied abilities, and he began to work and to develop this young man named Saul now even put himself first to put Saul first.

Now Barnabas so far as I know never wrote a book in the Bible is not in fact I know we didn't but half of the New Testament as we know it was written by Paul that Barnabas encouraged all and later own the great apostle Paul wrote a lesson.

I think he learned from Barnabas and Galatians chapter 6 and verse one brethren of a man be overtaken in the fall, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness cholesterol.

I want you to find a failing person and restore him to know somebody who's quit. Somebody was a failure.

Somebody was washed out in business scraps ruined his marriage somebody who is a disgrace somebody who it just feels like there is no hope for me, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness be a Barnabas to that person limitation why Barnabas was such a great man. I look at it.

Acts 11 verse 24 for he was a good man. You know why he was a good man all you say. Well, just as genes and chromosomes all owe you mess. He was a good man and all the Holy Ghost was God in him because you see, God is cornered the market on consolation. He's the God of all consolation.

Why was he a good man is full Holy Ghost we say why was he full of the Holy Ghost will continue to read. He was a good man in full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. It was good man because he is full of the Holy Ghost Denise for the Holy Ghost because he was a man of faith and that wonderful and friend that something that any of us can do today trust God to fill us with the Holy Spirit and give us the gift of encouragement and their five people were waiting on you. You got the names. I hope you do all the God I pray that you would help those who discourage today Lord that you help them through us and give to us the gift in the ministry of encouragement and give us the church full of Barnabas your holy name I pray, amen. What an insightful message today on love worth finding.

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