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Sermons PREACHED BY JOHN GAINES |
Encouraging Others
1. I appreciate the invitation to speak tonight.
2. We study tonight "The Challenge to Encourage Others." We're talking about the work of edification. The New Testament has a great deal to say about edification. Forms of the word "edify" are found 20 times in the NT (NKJV). We'll study some of those verses during the course of this study.
2. Let's begin with Acts 9:31 (NKJV): Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
I. EDIFYING THE CHURCH -- LESSONS FROM ACTS 9:31
A. Peace among the brethren is encouraging.
(1) God desires peace. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace [James 3:18].
(2) Peace is good and pleasant [Psalms 133:1 (NKJV) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!]
(3) Every living thing needs the right environment for healthy growth to take place. That is true for physical growth of plants, animals, and humans. It is likewise true for spiritual growth. Christians prosper and grow in the atmosphere described in Acts 9:31.
(4) Turmoil and trouble -- the absence of peace -- brings some of the most discouraging times any church can experience. Whenever churches have trouble, there are almost always souls that are lost to the Lord. Some "get mad" and move to another congregation. The greater tragedy is those who get discouraged and fall away completely. Be careful that you don't take peace and unity for granted. It is a characteristic to be highly prized.
B. Walking in the fear of the Lord is encouraging.
(1) There's no great virtue in being at peace with one another if the church is not also at peace with God. Many groups have bought into the philosophy that "all is well" as long as they feel good about themselves. If we're not right with God, we're wrong.
(2) However, being a part of a church that you know is serving the Lord faithfully is encouraging [1 John 2:3 (NKJV) Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.]
C. Living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit is encouraging.
(1) The Holy Spirit is the Comforter [John 14:26].
(2) The way in which He brought comfort to the apostles is different from the way He brings comfort to us today. We do not have the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit's presence today as they experienced.
(3) Today we still receive comfort from the Holy Spirit. If in no other way, we can know that we are living in harmony with the truth revealed by the Spirit to inspired Bible writers. The knowledge that God's Word is guiding our lives is a great encouragement to us.
D. Growth is encouraging. Acts 9:31 says that the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were multiplied. They were growing rapidly. It's an exciting time when Bible studies are constantly taking place and people are being baptized frequently. Many of us have experienced such "seasons of growth" and know the encouragement we felt when we saw the word growing mightily and prevailing in the lives of so many people [Acts 19:20 (NKJV) So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.]
II. BARNABAS IS A GREAT BIBLE EXAMPLE OF AN ENCOURAGER
A. The first part of Acts 9 tells of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. After he was baptized [v. 18], Saul began preaching Christ in the Jewish synagogues in Damascus.
1. Saul confounded his hearers who were perplexed at the change which had taken place in him [Acts 9:22 (NKJV) But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.]
2. Saul's conversion aroused such opposition that the Jews tried to kill him. He escaped through an opening in the wall and made his way back to Jerusalem.
3. In Jerusalem, Saul tried to join the other disciplies there. However, they were afraid of him.
a. Their anxiety is understandable. Saul had been a persecutor of the Lord's disciples.
(1) He had "ravaged" [NASB] the church [Acts 8:3]. He had entered every house and took men and women to prison.
(2) He had "persecuted this Way to the death" [Acts 22:4].
(3) Would you have been suspicious when this man claimed to have been converted?
b. It was Barnabas who came to Saul's defense [Acts 9:27 (NKJV) But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.]
(1) A friend is someone who walks in when everyone else is walking out.
(2) Barnabas "stood up for Saul" and persuaded the Jerusalem disciples to accept him [Acts 9:28 (NKJV) So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.] He was speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputing with the Grecian Jews. They tried to kill him so the Jerusalem brethren sent Saul back to his home in Tarsus.
B. Barnabas' behavior in defending Saul was characteristic of this man who had the ability to see the good in others when it was not evident to everyone else.
1. Barnabas was actually named Joses (or Joseph), but was called Barnabas by the apostles. The name means "Son of Encouragement" [Acts 4:36].
2. Barnabas had a knack for seeing the best in people. Another example of Barnabas giving the benefit of the doubt is seen when Barnabas defended John Mark after Paul refused to allow him to go along on the second missionary journey [Acts 15:37-40]. The contention between Barnabas and Paul over this matter was so sharp that they could not work together. Yet Barnabas' judgment proved accurate for Paul later recognized the usefulness of Mark [Colossians 4:10; Philemon v. 24; 2 Timothy 4:11].
C. The church today needs many more Barnabases. We need sons and daughters of encouragement who are able to see the potential good in others and help them develop those talents for the Lord's service.
D. Sin exists in the church and we can never close our eyes to iniquity. Error is being taught and the mouths of those false teachers must be stopped. But let us guard against developing a negative mentality that looks for the worst in others. 1 Timothy 6:4-5 warns us against the danger of evil suspicions and useless wranglings. If Satan can turn us against one another, he will surely succeed in keeping us from the work of saving souls.
III. PRACTICAL WAYS TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS.
A. The word "edification" comes from a Latin word for building up a house. Both Paul and Peter liked that image in their writings. The church is people, of course, rather than a physical building. But the apostles liked to compare the church to the construction of a building. For example, Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:20-21 (NKJV) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. This spiritual building is "fitly framed together" [KJV].
1. Building a house is not a single action. It is a process (sometimes a long one!) consisting of a series of many individual actions. Every nail the carpenter drives, every pipe the plumber sweats, every brick the mason lays, and every screw the electrician tightens all contribute to building up the house.
2. Likewise, the Christian work of edification is a continuing process. We all continue to need encouragement. It doesn't work to speak one word of encouragement to someone then think, "OK, that job is done. I have encouraged them and have no further responsibility to them." We have to keep on looking for ways to encourage one another and build one another up.
a. Romans 14:19 (NKJV) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
b. Romans 15:2 (NKJV) Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
c. 1 Corinthians 14:12 (NKJV) Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
d. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NKJV) [Speaking about the use of miraculous spiritual gifts like prophecy and speaking in tongues, Paul said, "Let all things be done for edification."]
e. Ephesians 4:12 (NKJV) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
f. Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
g. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
B. How do we build one another up?
1. Practice the golden rule [Matthew 7:12 (NKJV) "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.]
2. Treasure peace with others. Be peace-makers rather than peace-breakers [Matthew 5:9 (NKJV) Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.]
3. Find the good in others. Examine your expectations. You'll find what you're looking for in other people. Are you looking for something good or something bad?
4. Speak encouraging words. Criticism tears down, but positive reinforcement is a spur to motivate people onward and upward. [Hebrews 10:24 (NKJV) And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,]
5. Do everything you can to make the church where you are successful. Successful, working, growing churches are encouraging to all who love the Lord and care about its work. The busy Christian who feels useful and productive will naturally have a much more positive outlook about life.
6. Encourage others onward to greater service. Look again at Hebrews 10:25. Stimulate -- prod -- provoke -- encourage. Do what you can to get others busy serving the Lord. An ACTIVE PARTICIPANT will always be happier than a CRITICAL BYSTANDER.
7. Other ideas.
CONCLUSION
This message was presented at West Milton Church of Christ, Milton, FL on June 24, 2002
Copyright ©2002 by John Gaines. May be reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided this notice accompanies any use.
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LEONARD STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST |
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