Acts 4:32-37   “Sons & Daughters of Encouragement.”

I read an illustration this week under the heading “Gifts of Discernment, Gifts of Encouragement.”

It seems there was a barber in a small local town who had been the only barber in town for years. Everyone went to this barber to get their hair cut. Then, one day a big hair salon franchise came to town and opened up shop. They advertised, “All Haircuts for $3.00”

Slowly, the old barber’s business began to dwindle. He just couldn’t compete. So, in a last ditch effort to save his business, he hired a business consultant. The consultant spent a day pouring over the barber’s books asking many questions. At the end of the day the barber asked the consultant, “So what do you think ? Should I close up shop ?” The consultant said, “Not yet. I’ll be back tomorrow.” The next day the consultant showed up with a huge banner that he hung out front that saved the barber shop. The banner read, “We Fix $3.00 Haircuts!”

Scripture: Acts 4:32-37   “Sons & Daughters of Encouragement.”

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

36 And Joses, (Also translated Joseph) who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement.)

What a wonderful nickname to be given by others.

The same Greek word translated encourage is also translated comfort.  To comfort is to cheer and encourage.  To console.

In the family of God we should all be “Sons & Daughters of Encouragement.” For, as Christians, we should encourage one another through our words and actions.

We don’t want to be like a lady who was so upset that the preacher was leaving her church… And at his farewell dinner, he tried to encourage her by saying, “Don’t be so sad. Why, the next preacher will probably be a whole lot better than me.” She said no, “That’s what they said before you came but it just keeps getting worse.”

Not very encouraging or comforting was it. In the challenging times of life we all need encouragement.

It was on June 18, 1956, that a accident happened on a lake in New York. A speeding motorboat bounced on a wave and shot two of its passengers into the water, a 50-year old man and a little girl. To keep her from drowning, the man held her head above water while the driver of the boat circled back. They rescued the girl. But just as they got the little girl the man sank and drowned.

The man was Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators, an international discipleship ministry.    A quote in Time Magazine said, “He lived to save others. And his death was just the way he would have planned it. In his obituary someone wrote that he died just the way he lived, always lifting someone up.

What a legacy. To be known as someone who always lifted others up. Someone who was always encouraging others.

In our passage today, the church was young. Beginning in Jerusalem, and all of the church was in one accord the scriptures tell us. The apostles were preaching and teaching every day and more and more believed that Jesus was their long awaited Messiah and they were placing their faith in Him and what He had done on the cross for them.

One of those was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas. Names had meaning back in Jesus’ day and his nickname meant “Son of Encouragement” or encourager.

Barnabas’ character as an encourager was so well known that it actually changed his name. His nickname became who he was.

Almost every time we read of Barnabas we find encouragement going on.

Even when the apostle Paul was angry with John Mark and didn’t want him to be part of his ministry team anymore Barnabas chose to take John Mark along with him.

Paul didn’t want John Mark with them because he saw him as a quitter. One who wouldn’t follow through on his commitments. Barnabas saw a young man who needed encouragement.

And this young man we call John Mark is the writer of the Gospel as recorded by Mark.

This word encouragement in its original form means “to call to one’s side, to comfort, to console, to strengthen.”

When we encourage each other it means that we walk beside one another to share support and strength.

To do what we can to strengthen instead of tear down.

A Pastor said he learned a great illustration once when their church made the decision to do a major renovation on their sanctuary. The first step was to put together a crew of people to do internal demolition. He said around forty people showed up to take care of this task.

Dust was everywhere as we ripped up carpet, knocked out walls, tore down ceilings, and dismantled the platform. There were people of all shapes, sizes, and ages. He said it was a wonderful project for people like him because absolutely no skill was needed because it doesn’t take much training to destroy something.

When this phase was completed, the remodeling began. This was the part that required skilled and trained people—those who knew how to construct, build, and refurbish. Their task was much more difficult and it took much longer than the demolition.

He said he learned that it doesn’t take a genius to destroy something, but it does take some know-how to construct something of value. The unskilled can quickly take apart that which takes the skilled a lot of time to put together.

In the lives of others, do you demolish or construct? Tear down or build up? Were back to the word Edify again.  Encouragers will always leave people better than they found them.

We all need words of encouragement. Words that will build us up, words that will help us in times of despair and trouble. Words that will help us stay the course when times get tough.

And sometimes, when life knocks you down in the middle of the ring… the thing God uses to make you get up is someone in your corner yelling, “Get Up!”

And the words we choose to use are so important. We need to think and speak slowly.

For The Scripture says…Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak… James 1:19

Ann Landers once said, "The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet."

 

Eph 4:29  Tells us… Let no unwholesome (rotten) word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification  according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

We are not to use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Our society today has a new phenomenon that wasn’t present in the early church. We have social networking. We have twitter and facebook don’t we. And this is the way so many communicate in our world today. And it sure doesn’t seem like many are using Eph 4:29 as a guideline.

It’s  great technology and should be used to encourage and build people up, not to tear people down and discourage them.

I’m sure that you’ve all heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words”. While that may be true in some cases, in the context of encouragement, they go hand in hand with each other.

We encourage people with our actions as well as our words.

Let’s look at another example of Barnabas to see encouragement in action.

In Acts 9:26-27:  When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!

Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Paul was still going by the name Saul at this time. He had been saved on the road to Damascus and had answered god’s call to preach and teach others about Jesus.

The trouble was that he was known as a persecutor of Christians. Not a follower of Jesus. The Christians in Jerusalem were afraid of him. They thought, maybe this was a trap of Saul..

But Barnabas took Paul to the Apostles and stood up for him. He told them of Paul’s conversion and how he personally had heard Paul preach the Gospel of Jesus.

The actions of Barnabas encouraged and strengthened Paul in his faith and his reputation.

I want to encourage you today to be an encourager.

To lift each other up. Encourage your friends and neighbors.You never know how God uses our encouragements to bring people into a relationship with Him.

 

When I was an Evangelist many years ago our evangelistic ministry was called …

 

“Encouragemen   Ministries” with the T in encouragement being a large cross.

Symbolizing our desire to Encourage Men to the Cross! Because Jesus, the crucified and risen Christ is what mankind needs more than anything else. To believe on Jesus, to call upon His name… we Encourage them to do so.