BE AN ENCOURAGER
Keith O’Connor
Woodland Church
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
(2 Corinthians 1:2-5) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
(John 16:33, ESV) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
(Acts 4:36-37, NLT) “For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”
(Acts 9:26-27, NLT) “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.”
(Acts 9:31, NLT) “The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.”
(Acts 11:22-24, NLT) “When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.”
1. Barnabas was filled with joy
(Acts 11:23b, NLT) “He was filled with joy.”
(Romans 15:13, NLT) “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Psalm 122:1, ESV) “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
(Matthew 11:28, NLT) “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
2. Barnabas encouraged them
(Acts 11:23b, NLT) “He encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.”
(Romans 12:6-8, NLT) “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT) “Encourage each other and build each other up.”
“A Barnabas is … someone to hold up those tired and weary arms; someone to add a hand when you rarely or barely hear the sound of one hand clapping; someone who gives you permission to fail, permission to write a bad first draft; someone who can remind you that God gives us a portion adequate for us to make it through the day; … someone who, when life takes your breath away and you hold it in, will slap your back and “inspire” you with the enlivening Spirit that makes you want to breathe again; someone who will lift you up when you’re road-whipped, world-weary, bone-tired, blood-thin, when you feel buttonholed and browbeaten; someone who will encourage you when you’re tempted to think that the only difference between yogurt and the church you’re a part of is that yogurt has active, living culture.” –Leonard Sweet, 11
3. Barnabas had purpose
(Acts 11:24, NLT) “Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.”
(Ephesians 5:18, NLT) “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
(Hebrews 11:6, NLT) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
(Hebrews 3:13, HCSB) “But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.”
Growthwork
1. Pray that God will make you an encourager
2. Study the life of Barnabas and asl God to make you like him
3. Pray that God will show you who to encourage
4. Just Get Started!!!