Five Ways You Can Encourage Others | Part 1

We could all use a little encouragement today. Listen closely to Adrian Rogers. Some people put their deck chairs this way so they can see where they are. How do you do it, Charlie Brown?

He said, I can't get mine unfolded. There are a lot of Charlie Browns in this world, and they need to be encouraged. I want to give you today five ways that you can be an encourager. The book of Acts tells the story of a man called Barnabas, which translates to son of consolation. Barnabas' gift for encouragement was a notable contribution to the early church and an example for each of us to follow.

If you have your Bible, turn now to the book of Acts, chapter 4 will begin in verse 36, as Adrian Rogers reveals five ways you can encourage others. If I could just model and mold a church member, I mean the church member of my dreams, what would he be like? Well, he would be like the man that we're going to read about today, a man named Barnabas. Here was a man who had a gift, and his gift was the gift of encouragement. He was an encourager. The Bible calls him here the son of consolation.

Look at it. Verse 36, and Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas. When it says by the apostles, he was surnamed Barnabas, that means that's a name that his parents did not give him, but the apostles looked at him and said, look, look how he encourages other people. We're going to give him the nickname Barnabas, which is by interpretation the son of consolation. Now, the word consolation is a word we don't use very much today, but it actually means encouragement.

So here's Barney, who is the son of encouragement. He was a Levite and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Now, the word encouragement or consolation is the Greek word that we get, our word parakletos, or the word for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the comforter. He is called the paraklet, the Greek word parakletos.

It's the same word. And so here's a man who is doing for other people what the Holy Spirit does for the child of God, who comes inside us, alongside us, to encourage us, to give us comfort, to give us hope, to give us help, to get us on our way. And I've come to live long enough to see that there is not a mother's child in this world that does not need encouragement.

You know that is true. I love to be encouraged. I need encouragement.

I'm so grateful for people who encourage me. And I tell you, I don't like to be around discouraging people. Now, sometimes we have to. It comes with the territory.

The fleas come with the dog. I don't like to be around discouraging people. Some people I know are like a drink of water to a drowning man. I mean, they're just, they're discouragers.

Now, here was a man, thank God, who could lift your spirit. You know why discouragement is so bad? Discouragement opens the door for all other kinds of sins and failures.

Somebody said discouragement is a dark room where the negatives of failure are developed. Did you know in the Bible, the Bible calls God the God of all encouragement? Let me give you a verse before we get into our text. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort. That's the same word. It's the same word that is used here for consolation. And the word comfort, the word consolation actually means encouragement. God is the God of all encouragement. That means that God has cornered the market on encouragement.

He's the God of all of it. Now, if God is the God of all encouragement, the devil is the sinister minister of discouragement. Discouragement comes from the devil.

Let me tell you, discouragement is a major cause of failure. Bill Glass, who's a pro football player, I watched him when he played for Baylor University. Bill Glass, a mighty man of God, has a prison ministry. Bill Glass was preaching to 1,000 inmates and he said, I want to ask you a question. How many of you, those of you who are here in prison, how many of you had a father who told you, one of these days you're going to end up in prison?

Almost every one of them lifted his hand. Think of that. One of these days, you are going to end up in prison.

And that's exactly what they did. Discouragement is such a cause of failure. I love people who believe it can be done. I want to be surrounded by people who believe it can be done. In the Football Hall of Fame, there's a man, Bobby Lane.

And underneath the picture, it said, Bobby Lane never lost a football game, just ran out of time. I like that. I believe that we need to encourage one another. There's a scripture, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 14, now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. Now, I want to take a phrase out of that, comfort the feeble-minded. When you think of a person who's feeble-minded, what do you think of? Someone who's senile?

You think of somebody who is mentally handicapped? That's not what the word here means. The word here, feeble-minded, actually means someone with a small soul, somebody who is small-souled. It means somebody who is discouraged. And what he is saying here is encourage the discouraged. That is a command from Almighty God.

And there's so many people who need to be encouraged, some in your own family. You ever read Peanuts and the comic strips? Lucy's talking to Charlie Brown. She said, Charlie Brown, people put their deck chairs on the cruise ship in different ways. Some people put their deck chairs so they can see where they're going, and so they face it this way. Other people put their deck chairs so they can see where they have been, and they face it this way. Some people put their deck chairs this way so they can see where they are. How do you do it, Charlie Brown?

He said, I can't get mine unfolded. There are a lot of Charlie Browns in this world, and they need to be encouraged. I want to give you today five ways that you can be an encourager. And if you will take these five ways and do these five things, you will be, precious friend, the church member of my dreams. Five ways that you can be a Barnabas. Five ways that you can encourage people in your family, in your neighborhood, in your school, on your team, and wherever you go. And we're going to find those five things that Barnabas did. I'm going to take from the book of Acts five places where Barnabas encouraged other people. All right, are you ready for these five things?

And I want you to put them in the first person. So here's point number one. I will encourage others by practicing stewardship. I will encourage others by practicing stewardship. Now, I've already read verses 36 and 37, but let's read it again. And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, that is of encouragement, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Now, here was a man who had much to give. There was persecution in Jerusalem, and there was poverty in Jerusalem, and there was a need. Barnabas, who was an encourager, saw a need, and he moved in to meet that need.

Now, Barnabas knew there was a difference, and I want you to listen to this carefully. There's a difference between ownership and stewardship. Now, many of us just made your own ownership, but what we're really doing is just managing the affairs of God. We don't really own anything.

And by the way, talking about that, I'm going out of town tomorrow. I need some money. I forgot to get any money. I really need a hundred dollars. Wally, you got a hundred bucks? Do you? Give it to me, will you, son?

You just carry around a hundred dollars like that? Thanks. Well, it's good to have church members like that. Now, let's see, where was I?

Barnabas saw a need, and he moved in to meet it. I know I'm not going to get anything else done until I explain that. You know why Wally gave me that hundred dollars? It's mine. I gave it to him for the service. I said, Wally, when I asked for it, give it back. He was just giving back to me that which is already mine.

Isn't that right? I gave it to him. I had every right to ask for it back, right? What do you have that God has not already first given you? Doesn't he have any right to ask for it if he placed it in your hands?

What do we have that we have not received? Here was a man to whom God had given much, and he saw a need, and he moved in. Now, I went to the mayor's prayer breakfast some years ago, and there was a man, a businessman, a godly businessman named Stanley Tam, and he said many wonderful things.

But he said one thing that I whipped out my pen, and I wrote it down in a hurry, lest I forget it. I want to put it in your mind right now, what Stanley Tam put in your mind. He said this, and listen to it, it is what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn. It is what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn.

Now, if Barnabas had kept this money, we would not be talking about him on this particular part right now. Well, you say, Pastor Rogers, I am not rich. I have nothing to sell, and therefore this doesn't apply to me.

Oh, yes, it does apply to you. There is more than money to give. You can give love. You can give help.

You can give time. You can give wisdom. I was reading over here in Acts chapter 3 verse 6, we read about some other apostles. They are not rich like Barnabas was. Read there in Acts chapter 3 verse 6, there was a man lying at the gate who needed help.

What did Peter and John say to him? Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I unto thee. God is not going to ask you to give what you don't have or you are willing to give what you do have. Love, time, help, prayer, ministry. You see, an encourager is a person who understands that he or she is a steward of that which God has placed in their hands, whatever it may be. We have a ministry here at Bellevue called car care. We have a group of men who are mechanics who set up shop and the widows in our church who don't know much about getting their automobiles assessed, the oil changed and all of these things, can bring their automobiles there and these men get their hands greasy, stick their head beneath the hoods of those automobiles in the name of Jesus to minister to these widows. Such as I have, give I unto thee. There are so many people in our world today that need to be encouraged. And so the Bible says in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 2, bear one another's burdens. Friend, just say, I will be an encourager by practicing stewardship.

Whatever I have when I see a need, I'm going to move in to meet that need. And you will encourage somebody. I know there's a neighbor next to you that needs some help. I know there's a person in your school that needs some help.

I know there's a friend that needs some help. Why don't you in the name of Jesus move alongside that person and say, such as I have, give I unto thee. If you do, you'll be acting like Barnabas. Now, here's the second principle.

I will encourage others, not only by practicing stewardship, but I will encourage others by extending friendship. Now, in the book of Acts, fast forward to chapter 9. And look, if you will, in verse 22. But Saul increased the morn strength and confounded the Jews which dwell at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. You understand that Saul had been an enemy of the church, and now he is a friend.

He's been saved, and he's preaching Jesus. And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him. But their lying await was known of Saul, and they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

They said, as soon as he comes out, we're going to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, that is, Saul, and let him down by the wall in a basket. Now, this had been the mighty Pharisee, this man with so much zeal to destroy the church of Christ.

And here's a man with so much authority, and now I see him humbling himself, sitting in a basket, and imperatively being let down over a wall at nighttime. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he is saved to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him.

Underscore that. Why shouldn't they be afraid of him? He'd been having them killed, thrown into prison, and everything else. And now he's between these people who want to kill him, on the one hand, and his own brothers and sisters in Christ who are now afraid of him. And the Bible says, and they were all afraid of him, and believe not, he was a disciple. But now look in verse 27, but Barnabas, underscore that, but Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Thank God for Barnabas. Now, what was Barnabas doing now? Barnabas is extending friendship. He is encouraging Paul by extending love and friendship.

Paul needed somebody to love him. Here he is. He's lost all of his old friends, and his new friends are suspicious of him.

So he's in between. Chuck Colson, a Watergate fan, called the Hatchet Man, gave his heart to Christ. Nobody would trust him. He said, well, it's just a political ploy. It's foxhole religion. There he was, his former president now in disgrace, his boss. But there were some friends that put their arms around Chuck Colson early, and I was one of them, met him early, and encouraged him in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I thank God that I had enough gumption and had the ability and the opportunity to do that. Here is Barnabas, who finds a new believer and makes a friend out of him. Somebody said a friend, a true friend, is somebody who comes in when everybody else goes out. You know what is wrong with many churches? We don't learn how to befriend the new believer. We think we're having fellowship.

But many of our churches are sacred societies for snubbing sinners. We need to practice friendship, and we need to take these new believers and encourage them. Barnabas said, look, you don't have to be afraid of Saul. He's been saved.

Welcome him now. And I can see old Simon Peter reaching out and giving to Paul a big old bear hug, saying, welcome, brother. Friend, that's what the church of the Lord Jesus Christ needs today. We need some Barnabases.

Paul was included by a man named Barnabas. Now, here's what he wrote. Now, the God of patience and consolation. That's encouragement.

Now, listen to it. Now, the God of patience and encouragement grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and with one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Paul knew what it was to be received.

He knew what it was to be encouraged. So you have more than money to give. You can give friendship.

Why don't you ask God, God, give me a new member in church that I might encourage. A newborn Christian. Newborn babies need love. John Stossel, ABC fame.

You watch him on television. I did a documentary on ABC's 20-20, and he talked about how psychiatrists are giving psychotherapy to newborn babies or to babies that are not yet a year old. And some of these babies are older than a year old, but they're being given psychotherapy. And these babies who are hurt or harmed emotionally are babies who have never, for whatever reason, received eye contact, who have not been touched, who have not been hugged, who have not been kissed, who have not been held close. And these babies were developing at a very early age, psychological problems. And they had statistic proof to show that those babies don't receive this love in the very first year of life, grow up to be cold and indifferent, and some of them brutal. And so they're actually giving psychotherapy to little babies.

Now, here's the kicker in the whole thing. That program said this, that it is virtually impossible to spoil a baby the first year of his or her life. You can't give one too much love. Now, you can spoil kids, but it is virtually impossible to spoil a baby the first year of its life.

All of the love, all of the attention, all of the hugging, all of the kissing, all of the coddling you want to do, just do it. And I want to say, correspondingly, it is virtually impossible to spoil a newborn Christian. Love him. They need to be loved.

They need to be included. May God give us a church full of Barnabas'. You want to be a Barnabas'? Friend, then you practice stewardship, and it goes beyond money. You want to be a Barnabas'? Then you practice friendship. You want to be a Barnabas'?

Here's the third thing I want you to say about yourself. I will encourage others by building partnerships, by building partnerships. We're talking about stewardship, friendship, now partnership. Look, if you will, in Acts chapter 11, beginning in verse 20 and reading about four verses here. Now, what has happened in the early churches, a revival has broken out in Antioch, and God is just doing incredible things in Antioch.

Now, watch 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. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. Then tidings of those things came unto the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem.

Now watch it. And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who when he came had seen the grace of God, and was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and faith, and much people was added unto the Lord.

Well, what has happened is this. Revival had broken out at Antioch. The headquarters of the Christian church at that particular time was in Jerusalem.

And the Word of God was going out from Jerusalem, beginning in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. And so they found out, who are these people there in Antioch? What do they believe? Are they right? Are they orthodox? Is this a cult?

Is this a breakaway movement? We need to send somebody down there to investigate, to see if they're really of us. Who should we send? Who do you think they chose? They chose Barney. Said, Barney, go down there and check that bunch out, will you? And old Barnabas goes down there, and he says he saw the grace of God.

Have you ever thought about that? How do you see the grace of God? What color is it? What size is it?

How much does it weigh? Friend, I tell you, when you get in a service where God is present, you'll see the grace of God. I don't know how to measure it, but I tell you, it is there. You can tell when God is on the congregation. He walked in there and said, good night, God is all over this place.

He saw the grace of God, and he went back and he reported and said, these are brothers and sisters, and we need to get with them. He was not a divider. He was not a wall builder. He was a bridge builder.

It's easier to build walls than bridges, by the way. But here was a man who got people together. He encouraged others by building partnerships. And coming up on Monday, we'll hear part two of this important and encouraging message. In the meantime, maybe you have a prayer request that you'd like to share. At Love Worth Finding, it's one of our great honors to come alongside you and pray with you and for you. If you can, go to our website, lwf.org slash radio, and scroll down to find our prayer wall.

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