The Ministry of Encouragement

If you have your Bibles, I'd like for you to go with me to the book of Acts this morning.

The book of Acts, chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And in Acts chapter 4, we'll begin reading in verse number 36.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 4, verse number 36.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And we're going to read four passages of scripture here this morning in the book of Acts.

And Acts chapter 4 and verse number 36.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And we'll read two verses here.

Acts chapter 4 and verse number 36.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

The Bible says, and Joseph, who had, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of consolation, a Levi, and of the country of Cyprus.

Having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Now go with me to chapter 9.

Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Look at verse number 26.

It's a few pages over there, Acts chapter 9.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Verse number 26, the Bible says, And when Saul, of course, would be later, Paul, and when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples, but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple.

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.

Now go with me to the book of excuse me, uh, chapter eleven.

Acts chapter eleven will be in verse number twenty-two.

Acts chapter eleven, verse number twenty-two.

The Bible says, Then tidings of these things came into the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came, he had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord.

Then departed Barnabas to Tarshus for to seek Saul.

And we had found him, he brought him unto 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 go with me to chapter fifteen.

Chapter fifteen, look at verse number thirty-six.

Acts chapter fifteen, verse number thirty-six, the Bible says, And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they do.

And Barnabas determined to take with him John, whose surname was Mark.

And Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from uh Pamphyla Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

And the contention was so sharp between them, and they parted asunder one from the other, and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus.

And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by their brethren unto the grace of God.

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

I think you've noticed that we're going to talk about a certain man today.

And somebody tell me what that certain man's name is.

Barnabas.

As we talk about Barnabas, though, I want to speak to you tonight or tonight, this morning, on this thought, the ministry of encouragement.

The ministry of encouragement.

Barnabas is really one of the most remarkable men, men in the New Testament.

Not because he was always out front, but because of the effect he had on everyone around him.

When most people think of great men in the book of Acts, people think of maybe Peter, that preacher who was at Pentecost.

Maybe they think of Paul, the fearless missionary to the Gentiles.

Some may think of Stephen, that faithful martyr, or Philip the evangelist who carried the gospel into new places.

But Barnabas is often passed over not because he was unimportant, but because he was the kind of man who did much of his greatest work without demanding attention for it.

He was not always the one preaching the sermon, but he helped make great preachers possible.

He was not always the one standing in the spotlight, but he was often the one standing beside the man in the spotlight, strengthening him, defending him, and helping him continue.

Barnabas was not the kind of man who needed center stage.

He was content to serve wherever he could most help the cause of Christ.

Yet when you read the book of Acts carefully, you begin to realize that his fingerprints are really on some of the most important developments in the early church.

Barnabas was the kind of man who made others better.

He had a gift that is rare really in any generation.

The ability to see potential where other people saw problems.

The ability to offer hope where others offered hesitation, and the ability to invest in people when others had already written them off.

He could strengthen weak hands, he could steady uncertain hearts, and he could help struggling believers grow into useful servants for the Lord Jesus Christ.

He knew how to come alongside people, not merely with words, but with genuine love and practical help and spiritual wisdom and steadfast loyalty.

In a world where many people want prominence, Barnabas teaches us to value, to use the value of usefulness.

In a day where many people want to be known, Barnabas shows us the beauty of helping others succeed.

He was not driven by ego.

He was not controlled by jealousy.

He was not consumed with making a name for himself.

His burden was not, how can I get ahead, but rather how can I help the work of God go forward and how can I help the people of God grow stronger.

His given name, we read in Acts chapter 4, his given name was Joseph.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

But the apostles surnamed him Barnabas, which means the son of consolation or the son of encouragement.

What a testimony that is.

Out of all the things that a man could be known for, Barnabas was known for being an encourager.

His life so consistently strengthened others that encouragement became a part of his very identity.

Imagine that, being known as an encourager.

His reputation, it wasn't built on brilliance alone, or on talent alone, or public prominence alone, but on the fact that people were helped, they were healed, they were strengthened and established because he came into their lives.

Would to God that our churches had more barnabas today.

We thank God for the gifted singers and the teachers and the faithful organizers and the diligent workers, and all of those are wonderful things to have in the church, and I'm thankful for them.

But every church needs laborers in every area.

But beyond all of that, the church desperately needs men and women whose very presence brings grace and strength and stability.

We need believers who are known to help the fallen and to lift up the fallen, to receive the hesitant, to defend the misunderstood and invest in the unpolished.

We need Christians who are more concerned with building people than with branding themselves.

Barnabas reminds us that some of the greatest Christians are not always the loudest Christians.

Some of the most valuable servants of God are not the ones who draw the most attention, but the ones who quietly pour into others, pray for others, stand by others, and help others and help shape lives that God will later use in mighty ways.

Many people can impress a crowd for a moment, but barnabas type believers leave a mark on lives for years to come.

The truth is a church may survive without flashy personalities, but it cannot truly thrive without Barnabas type believers.

Churches move forward when there are people who know how to encourage.

Families are strengthened when there is somebody who knows how to steady their hearts.

Young believers keep going forward when somebody takes them, takes time to believe in them, and great works for God are often built on the unseen ministry of those who quietly hold up the hand of others.

Barnabas is a reminder that encouragement is not a small ministry, it is a very powerful ministry.

Helping people is not secondary work, it's kingdom work.

Investing in others is not wasted effort.

It is one of the greatest contributions a believer can make.

And when we study the life of Barnabas, when we look at him, we are reminded that God greatly uses those who are willing to strengthen others, to stand in the gap for others, and to spend their lives helping others become what God wants them to be.

Today, as we look at the life of Barnabas, we are not merely studying an interesting Bible character, though he is.

We are looking at the pattern of a Christian usefulness.

We are looking at a man whose generosity, his graciousness, his discernment and encouragement made a lasting difference in the church.

And as we do, may God challenge each and every one of us to ask this question Am I the kind of Christian who makes others stronger?

See, I want to share with you several thoughts here this morning.

Number one, Barnabas was compassionate.

Barnabas was compassionate.

Barnabas had a heart for people.

He was not cold or detached or self-absorbed.

He noticed needs, he felt burdens, and he responded in a helpful way.

Can I tell you this morning that real Christianity always moves us toward people, not away from them?

Barnabas was the kind of man who did not just see what was wrong, he looked for a well, a way to help make it right.

I want to share with you that he cared for the need of others.

Barnabas cared for the needs of others in uh chapter 4, verses 36 and 37.

The Bible says that he sold his land and he brought the money and he laid it at the apostles' feet.

Listen, this was not done for attention.

This was not done for everyone to look at him and to say, Look what I have done.

No, this was to help meet the need of God's people.

He saw a burden and he chose to do something about it.

Barnabas did not just speak comforting words, though he did, he put action behind his concern.

Many people feel sorry for others, and we should.

We should feel sorry for people, but it not but sometimes we're never moved beyond feelings.

Barnabas was different.

His compassion, it had hands and it had feet.

There is a great difference between being moved and being useful.

Many are emotionally stirred, but Barnabas became practically involved.

Compassion is not merely feeling a burden, it is bearing a burden.

Sometimes we say, Well, I hate that they're going through that.

But Barnabas would ask, What can I do to help?

He reminds us that Christianity is not abstract.

It reaches into our wallets and our schedules and our burdens in our daily lives.

You think of the good Samaritan story.

The priest and the Levite and the parable, what'd they do?

They passed by the man, didn't they?

But the Samaritan stopped, he stooped, he treated, he lifted, he carried, and he paid.

Barnabas had that kind of spirit.

He was not content just to notice a wound.

He wanted to help heal it.

But also he comforted the people of God.

His very name became linked with consolation.

Barnabas was the kind of man who knew how to come alongside the hurting, the struggling, or uncertain believers.

He knew how to strengthen hearts and to steady lives.

And some people walk into a room and they create tension, don't they?

But others walk into a room and they bring peace.

And that's what Barnabas was.

Barnabas was a peacemaker, he was a burden lifter, he was a strength giver.

There are believers who always seem to add weight to the room.

They criticize, they analyze, they discourage, but Barnabas made people feel helped.

He was not shallow or flattering, but he was strengthening.

He did not just make people feel better, he helped them keep going spiritually.

Can I tell you that the ministry of encouragement is often underestimated?

We celebrate the dramatic and we overlook the steady, yet many believers stay faithful because somewhere along the way, a barnabas spoke a word needed, showed a needed kindness, or stood by them in the dark hour.

Listen, ladies and gentlemen, we need more barnabas today.

You know, a crutch is not flashy, but when someone is injured, it's precious, isn't it?

Encouragers are like that.

They help keep people moving until strength returns.

But he also encouraged spiritual growth.

In chapter 11, verse number 23, we read it.

It says that when Barnabas came to Antioch and saw the grace of God, the Bible says he was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

That's one of the greatest marks of a godly encouragement.

It is not merely emotional uplift, it is a spiritual strengthening.

Listen, Barnabas just not, he didn't just tell them, oh, you're doing great, you're doing a wonderful job.

He didn't just pat them on the back.

No, he urged them to stay with God.

He wanted them to be steadfast, he wanted them to be rooted, he wanted them to be faithful, and his encouragement had direction.

He was helping them continue with the Lord.

A lot of what passes for encouragement today is just emotional soothing.

Well, everything will be alright.

Everything will be okay.

But can I tell you that biblical encouragement points people to Christ?

It points them back to obedience, it points them back to steadfastness.

And Barnabas was not trying to merely make people feel better, though I'm sure he did.

He was trying to help them do better and to stay faithful.

Imagine Barnabas say, Listen, I know you're going through a storm.

I know you're going through a trial.

I know you're going through a difficult circumstance right now, but be keep your eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

And you know what I love that we have the full word of God today, and we can point him back.

I love what the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number two.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Can I encourage you this morning?

Let me be an encouragement to you, okay?

Here we go.

Whatever you're going through, look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whatever's going on in your life, look to Jesus.

So many times we want to put people on a pedestal.

And it's hard to do something, it's hard not to do sometimes.

But you know who we can put on a pedestal?

Christ.

Because He'll never leave us, He'll never forsake us.

He's always there for us, He'll never stop loving us, He'll never stop being unfaithful.

His mercies are new every morning.

Look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Can I tell you the best encouragement you can give someone is not always everything will work out.

Sometimes it's stay with God.

Keep praying, keep obeying, cleave unto the Lord.

Barnabas teaches us that true compassion is not weak or shallow.

It gives, it comforts, and it strengthens others in their walk with God.

Number two, I want to share with you this.

Barnabas was courageous.

Barnabas was courageous.

Listen, encouragement is not weakness.

Encouragement is not weakness.

It takes courage to strengthen others.

There's a lot of introverts, aren't there?

I'm going to be honest.

For an introvert, it's going to take a lot of courage to help somebody and to encourage somebody.

Now for extroverts, they have no problem.

But it takes strength, it takes courage to help somebody.

It takes bravery to stand where others are hesitant, to step forward and when others step back and to believe in what God can do when everybody else is doubtful.

Listen, Barnabas was not care uh was not courageous in a loud, reckless, or self-promoting way, but in a steady, discerning, godly way.

He had that kind of courage that it helps people and it protects people and it and invests in people when others are unsure.

I want you to notice that he stood with Saul when others doubted him.

He stood with Saul, of course, who would become Paul when others doubted him.

In Acts chapter 9, of course, we see the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9 · chapter mention

And the Lord Jesus says, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And I believe that was the moment that when Saul, of course, Paul, would give his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and he would become, I believe, in my opinion, the greatest Christian to ever live.

He would write over half the New Testament.

But what did uh Barnabas do?

He encouraged Saul, he helped Saul.

He saw the disciples that were afraid of him, that did not believe that he was truly one of them.

And of course, they had every right to do so because he was persecuting the church.

He had just had Stephen Stone, he watched Stephen be martyred.

Of course, they had every right to be nervous, had every right to be kind of scared of him, but what did Barnabas do?

He stepped in and he said, No, I've seen God's grace in his life.

I've seen the fruit of him giving his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And when others doubted him, Barnabas stood with Saul and he encouraged him.

Barnabas took him in.

What a powerful, what a powerful example of encouragement.

Barnabas stepped in when others stepped back.

He listened to Saul's testimony.

He believed the evidence of grace and he brought him to the apostles and he says, No, this guy, God has changed his life.

God has done a great work.

He stood with Saul when others doubted him.

Anybody can stand with a proven man, can't they?

But it takes courage to stand with a newly changed man.

Anybody can applaud a polished Christian, but it takes courage to receive a raw convert.

Barnabas saw beyond Saul's history and to his potential in the hands of God.

Everybody enjoys the fruit of a tree, don't they?

But somebody had to protect a sapling when it was small and fragile.

Barnabas was protecting what would later become a mighty tree in the work of God.

And you think of the impact of that decision.

What if Barnabas had never stood with Saul?

You don't know what would have happened.

But because he did, God used that situation, and then God would use Paul to do some of the greatest work in the history of the world.

But what else?

He also stepped into difficult places.

Barnabas was courageous.

He stood with Saul when others doubted him, but he stepped into difficult places.

When the truth of the church at Jerusalem, they had heard what God was doing among the Gentiles and Antioch, and they sent Barnabas there, and we read that in Acts chapter 11, verse number 22.

Acts 11 · chapter mention

This was no small task.

This was new territory, this was new people and a growing work that likely raised many questions.

There were cultural differences and spiritual questions and all the uncertainty that comes when God begins working in unexpected ways.

But Barnabas was willing to go.

Listen, courageous believers do not run from need.

They do not avoid difficulty.

They do not wait around for easy assignments.

Barnabas went there.

Barnabas went where the work was unfolding and where help was needed.

He did not need guarantees or comfort or convenience.

It was enough for him to know that there was a need and that God was at work.

There are some Christians who are only available for convenient service.

They were willing if the load is right, if the path is easy and the outcome is certain.

But Barnabas was available for costly service.

He did not ask, well, will this be easy?

Will this be a walk in the park?

No, he asked, in effect, is this where I'm needed?

Is this where God wants me to be?

And that is the kind of courage that we still need today.

Listen, the work of God often requires people who will step up into uncertain situations, into difficult ministries, into troubled churches, into struggling families, and in needy places with the simple faith in the Lord.

And we need to ask ourselves, God, is this what you want me to do?

Because if this is what you want me to do, I will step up by faith and I will be courageous and I will do what God wants me to do.

The brave Christian is not always the one doing the most visible thing, but often the one who is simply willing to go where others are reluctant to go.

But he also believed God could use unlikely people.

You know why Barnabas was such an encourager?

Because he believed God could use unlikely people.

Barnabas repeatedly showed the ability to see grace at work in people others might have written off.

He saw it in Saul.

Later he saw it in John Mark.

We read in chapter 15.

Barnabas had spiritual eyesight.

He looked beyond what someone was at that moment and saw what God can make of them by his grace.

That takes courage.

Because investing in unfinished people is always risky, isn't it?

You have no idea what's going to happen.

You have no idea how their life's going to turn out.

But it takes courage to step up and to be an encouragement to someone like that.

They may fail, they may disappoint, they may be slow to grow, they may not become what you hoped as quickly as you hoped.

Yet Barnabas understood that all of us are trophies of God's grace and progress.

None of us started, none of us started finished.

And by the way, you never finish a Christian life until you finally see Jesus face to face.

None of us began as the final version of what God intended us to become.

We're all still works of God's grace.

But great encouragers are not blind to flaws, they are just not ruled by them.

They can see weakness without giving up on a person.

They can acknowledge immaturity without disregarding someone's future.

They believe the grace of God can change a life or develop a servant and restore usefulness.

A sculptor can look at a rough block of marble and see a figure nobody else sees.

Others see only a rock.

The sculptor sees possibility.

Barnabas had that kind of spiritual vision.

He teaches us that courage is not only seen in confronting enemies or facing danger, and that does take courage.

But sometimes courage is seen in believing in people, standing beside them and giving God room to work in their lives.

Barnabas was courageous because he was willing to risk, he was willing to go, and he was willing to believe that God's grace could do what others thought was impossible.

Number three, Barnabas was committed.

Barnabas was committed.

Barnabas was not a shallow passing influence.

He was not the kind of man who appeared for a moment, he made an oppression, and then he disappeared when things got difficult.

He was not a fair weather servant.

He stayed with the work of God.

He was steady, he was dependable, and he invested.

Listen, churches and ministries are helped greatly by people who are not just gifted, but are grounded and committed.

In every generation, there are people who are enthusiastic at the beginning, but they're absent by the middle.

They're stirred easily, but they do not stay long.

And Barnabas was different.

He had steadying power.

He was not just excited about the work of God.

No, he was committed to it.

He did not merely admire ministry from a distance.

No, he gave himself to it in a consistent and faithful way.

You know, I was reading a statistic.

This is not in my notes, but I want to read this to you.

Let me see if I can find it.

I want to read this to you.

Talking about being faithful and staying where God has called somebody.

I don't ever do anything like this, but I want to read this to you.

Watch this.

Let me find it.

Here we go.

I'm almost there.

Give me just a second.

Watch this.

Listen to this.

The average pastor stays at a church for two years.

The average youth pastor lasts about six months.

And we wonder why strong churches and a healthy culture are instable.

You can't build depth with temporary leadership.

You can't disciple people when everyone is passing through.

Nothing meaningful grows in six months and nothing lasting is built in two years.

We need people that are going to stay.

People that are committed to the work of God.

Barnabas was committed, but who was he committed to?

Well, he was committed to the church.

Barnabas was deeply connected to the people of God.

He did not live like a spiritual freelancer drifting in and out without accountability, attachment, or investment.

No, he worked with and through and for the strengthening body of Christ.

He understood that the church was not a side issue in the plan of God.

No, it mattered deeply.

Of course, it mattered so much that the Lord Jesus Christ died for the church.

We know that.

But his gift in Acts chapter 4 was given through the apostles for ministry to the church.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

His labor in Antioch strengthened a local assembly.

And repeatedly, Barnabas is seen serving in ways that built up the people of God.

He was not detached from the church.

He was devoted to it.

He was grounded in it.

He was willing to give his life for it and to it.

Today, many want ministry without accountability, influence without submission, and service without rootedness.

They want the platform without the responsibility, the opportunity without the oversight, and the usefulness without the commitment.

And Barnabas shows us a better way.

He was committed to the church because Christ is committed to the church.

Can I say this this morning?

I almost said what Pastor said.

Can I go on record and say, oh boy.

Can I tell you this this morning?

You know this.

But this church is God's church.

And God is committed to this church.

And he's committed to his church around the world.

So if God's committed to his church, then we probably should be committed to his church as well.

God uses believers who love his people enough to stay involved, stay invested, and stay faithful.

And it's listen, the church is still God's ordained place for fellowship, for growth, for service and spiritual strengthening.

Barnabas understood that and he gave himself to it.

He was committed to the church.

But he was also committed to discipleship.

When Barnabas saw the work of Antioch, he recognized that more teaching was needed.

So he went to Tarsus to seek Saul in Acts chapter 11, verses 25 and 26.

Acts 11:25

That says a great deal about Barnabas.

He saw a growing work, but he also saw that the people needed to be taught and be established.

Right now I have the opportunity.

This last Sunday, I started uh discipleship with a man named Scott Higgins.

Scott Higgins was baptized several weeks ago.

Uh he is attending our church.

He was in the new members' class a few weeks ago, and I have started discipleship with him on uh this last Sunday, and we're going to be doing it on Sunday mornings during connection hour because he needs to be taught.

He needs to be established.

Listen, he did not need to be the only teacher in the room, Barnabas, that is.

He did not need to have control over the ministry.

He was willing to bring other people, other gifted men to the work for the good of the people.

Listen, that's rare maturity because smaller men want to hoard ministry.

They want bigger hearted men want to share ministry if it helps the work of God.

Barnabas understood that believers needed more than excitement.

They needed to be grounded.

They needed doctrine.

They needed discipleship.

They needed someone to help them grow into usefulness and stability.

He was never content with people making a profession if they were never helped forward in their faith.

For a whole year, we read it in chapter 15, or excuse me, chapter 11, Barnabas and Saul assembled themselves with the church and taught much people.

In fact, they were there for a year, the Bible says.

And that's when the Bible says they were first called Christians in Antioch.

This is important.

Barnabas was invested in long-term growth, not quick impressions.

He was willing to give time, to give effort and consistency to slow the work of God, or excuse me, to slow the work of building lives.

Can I tell you that real ministry is not just gathering crowds, it is building Christians.

Can I tell you that every single person in this room can have the ministry of building up other Christians?

It's not just for the pastor, it's not just for the evangelist, it's not just for the missionary, it's for every single Christian.

You can build up other Christians.

A lot of people, we want a ministry that is visible, dramatic, and immediate.

But discipleship is it's often quiet, patient, and repetitive.

It requires teaching and correcting and encouraging and staying with people as they grow.

Barnabas was committed to that type of work.

But he was also committed to the work of God.

Barnabas labored on missionary journeys.

He endured hardships, oppositions, travel, and conflict.

He did not just show up for the easy days of ministry.

No, he was there when the path was demanding and when the work required sacrifice.

Even when discouragement arose in chapter 15, him and Paul went at it.

Barnabas didn't quit serving God.

Listen, can I tell you today that if even if you have a disagreement with somebody, you don't have to stop serving God?

Let me say that again.

Just because you have a disagreement with somebody doesn't mean you have to stop serving God.

I've seen a lot of people, they get mad at somebody in the church and they leave.

Is the church about you or is it about the work of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Barnabas was committed.

Number four, will we finish here this morning?

Barnabas was a builder of others.

Barnabas was a builder of others.

Perhaps this is Barnabas' greatest legacy.

He was not merely just a worker, but he was a builder of lives.

He helped disciple people, he helped encourage people.

He did not just accomplish tasks, he helped shape people.

He did not merely fill a role, he invested in souls.

Some people use people to get a job done, then move on.

But Barnabas developed people.

He saw individuals.

Not just for what they could do in the moment, but for what they could become by the grace of God.

Barnabas understood that one of the greatest ways to serve God is to help other people become what God wants them to be.

He was a builder of confidence, a builder of consistency, and a builder of future usefulness.

Barnabas did not dominate the spotlight.

He could have easily.

He did not dominate the spotlight.

He left a tremendous mark.

He teaches us that a believer does not have to be famous to be fruitful.

You do not have to be the main preacher or the most visible leader or the most celebrated servant to have profound spiritual impact.

Barnabas changed lives because he strengthened others.

He lifted burdens, he opened doors, he steadied young believers, he saw grace in rough places, he invested in people when others hesitated.

He believed that God can make something out of someone.

And because he did, Saul became more fully received.

Antioch became more deeply grounded.

John Mark was not abandoned to failure.

The kingdom of God moved forward because one man chose to be an encourager.

We live in a time when many people know how to criticize, but few know how to strengthen.

Many know how to expose weakness, but few know how to cultivate growth.

Many know how to talk, but few know how to invest.

The church still needs Barnabases.

Every single person, every single person in this room can be a Barnabas.

It needs believers who will need who will see a need and help.

It needs believers who will see a failure and end with wisdom and grace and help restore him.

It needs believers who are more interested in building people than broadcasting themselves.

So the question is not merely, do I know who Barnabas was?

The question is, am I anything like Barnabas?

Am I compassionate enough to help?

Am I courageous enough to stand with others?

Am I committed enough to stay with the work?

Am I invested enough to build lives that maybe one day, that may one day outgrow my own influences?

A Barnabas may never be the loudest name in the room, but heaven knows his value.

The ministry of encouragement.

Every single one of us in this room can have that ministry.

I pray that God helps me to better that ministry in my lives.

I just don't want to feel bad for people.

I want to encourage them.

I want to help them.

I want to strengthen them, and I want to ultimately point them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want Calvary Baptist Church to be a church that when people walk through those doors, they walk out of those doors and they say, Man, I was encouraged today.

Somebody encouraged.

The ministry of encouragement.

Let's be a Barnabas.

Let's help others point them to Christ.

Father, we thank you for your word.