Son of Encouragement

Well, good morning. If you're here for the first

time, a warm welcome, It's great to have you.

I've been on holiday for a couple weeks.

It's nice to be back. Chris Venant was the man.

We were meeting together in a flat on the other side of the

Amgani River in in Durban and there were ten of us sitting in

a room together and the spirit of God came upon him.

Afrikaans man grew up in Afrikaans family with a blue

collar working dad and he got radically saved.

I think he was one of the first in his family to get a

university degree and he literally under the power of God

said we need to plant churches gentlemen.

And he literally went around our circle of friends and he said to

Ashley Bell, where you going to go?

And Ashley said I'll go to Pretoria and he said to Leon

Bowles where you going to go? He said I'll go to Brisbane, He

said to Loyster Frio. Where you going to go?

He said I will go to Toronto. He said to Terry Krueger.

Where you going to go? He said I'm going to go to in

Pungenian. He said Rory, where you going to

go? I said I'm going to remain here

and from that. Group of friends.

We've planted 80 churches around the world and and one of the

reasons why I invite you is because we're all still friends,

that we don't have a hierarchical structure.

We have not dominated each other.

We've financed other people's plants.

We are not holding our resources.

We are sending them out to help other people.

We're not trying to enrich ourselves.

Our salaries are under peak and so they're under control.

So that our expenditure is not too high.

And we when we use our finances to extend the Kingdom of God and

you part of that family and some of you don't even know why you

part of that family. But so tonight you will find out

with this passion inside of his heart for freedom.

And we used to in worship. We used to stage dive.

Now I know some of you at the back row that I can see you we

but there was. Such a radical expression of

worship because the church had got stuck into its rhythms and

its and its expectations that one day we were in the Glenwood

High School Hall with this massive stage and I just saw

these guys run up and race and just dive into the crowd and for

about. Six months.

We just used to see people stage dive as they express themselves

in the freedom that Christ had brought to them.

I know if we did that here, some of you would leave the church.

So. So we're not doing it yet, but

anything could happen. Yeah, yeah, you have to.

Qualify you. You have to have an Afrikaans

name, you have to be over 60 and we'll make.

Sure, that the people. Catching you are very strong,

but we. Invited a whole lot of our

friends to join us tonight. They're coming from Cape Town,

they're coming from Durban, they're coming from Joburg.

And then tomorrow morning I just find one of my friends, Nico

Funimova, who's a very dear friend of us who spoke at the

call conference. He's not just built an amazing

business, but he built an amazing school called Edduplex.

So school for the deaf. And I just said to my friends,

would you like to come and see how a man built the school on

his daily devotions? That every single person I

invited, 38, said they would love to come.

So tomorrow we're going through because God has added new

friends to us with new stories of God.

And we're going to go through tomorrow with Nico and my mates

and Durban and Zoberg and Cape Town are going to see how this

group of people is being used by God to extend the Kingdom.

Amen. So.

So it's a it's a happy time and then tomorrow nights is the

church that we came from is Glen Ridge.

All their elders are driving up and we are throwing a party for

them just to celebrate their 40 years.

So there's lots happening in the church.

Trust God. You're not just walking into a a

new group of people in a cool building, and it is a cool

building, but it's actually, it's a 40 year history of

sacrifice and of servant heartedness, and of of just

living together and serving each other and giving meals to each

other and looking after people. And yesterday I was in jail

visiting a member. Of this church and and you

realize you just built the Kingdom one person at a time 1

broken person at a time many times you know and the court

case you've being seen as going on in New Zealand.

The father of those children sitting in this auditorium today

and the brother of the lady on trial is sitting in this

auditorium. And so we we trust in God, and

we seeing miracles, and we seeing growth, and we seeing all

these things but inside of the hearts of many people here is

deep. Brokenness and We are coming

together to worship God, and we keep declaring Jesus over you

and we keep declaring his goodness over you.

And we trust that if we stick together, God will eventually

win and have his way in your life.

Amen. So that's who we are.

Welcome to three CI. It's good to have you.

We we're going to preach on a guy called Barnabas.

I've actually, funny enough, I've preached through the book

of Acts many times. I've never preached on Barnabas

before. You've heard one or two things

about him. But if you can, turn with me to

X11. Clint always calls me Barnabas,

but we'll see if I'm more like Barnabas or like Paul.

Paul is the the driven guy. He's on a mission.

He wants to get the gospel to the ends of the world.

And the question I always ask our staff is what is your

contribution to the Ford momentum of the Apostolic

inheritance in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond?

If you think that was by chance, I can say it again.

What is your contribution to the Ford momentum or the Apostolic

inheritance in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond?

And Conrad just normally looks at me, says, can I make you

lunch? So, Conrad, I'm looking.

For something spiritual I'm going to get up and raise the

dead or preach on Jesus or see healings and miracles and and

all the girls in the office like look at me and.

Think we don't know what? You're saying, I'm saying, how

do we get this gospel out there? We read the book of Acts, but

then we come across Barnabas. I met a guy today in the foyer,

Simon Brace. The last time I met him was as a

Baxlidden. Man in England 20 years ago

coming back to. Christ in the little church in

England. I met him then we've got talking

and I said about Matthew chapter.

One, how God takes broken people and makes them better.

And I met him in the foyer today.

He's friends with one of the members of our church.

He's married with five children. I preached on.

Go forth and multiply. He took me seriously.

He's got. Two master's degrees in theology

and apologetics. He's about.

To crypt my sermon. I'm terrified.

But friends, what what? What will happen today?

In in in 20 years time, where will you be?

Where will you be every time when you come tonight and you

realize that actually? God can use you and he can He

can ordain you and he can put his spirit upon you and he can

send people all over the world. Amen.

So let's have a look X 11, verse 19.

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution and

connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and

Antioch telling the message. Only to Jews.

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyreni, went to

Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks.

Also, so you Greek oaks laka, most of the Greek oaks in our

church married porous. It's better for business.

I can call them all out here for you.

Every Greek oak's got a poorer wife.

It's like, hey China, it's. For love and business, You know

what I'm saying? You get a wife.

And a business all thrown into one.

You know what? I'm saying you think I'm joking.

Hey, George. Hey, George.

And Nikko, what is your wife's name?

They went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks, also telling

them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people

believed and turned to the Lord. Just some of them went.

Just just some of them, Say some of them not.

Not Rory. Not Chris Venant.

Not Leon Bowles. Not just some of them, Just some

of them. Went not guys who were elders in

the church. Not guys who spent 30 years

serving. Jesus, just some of them, went

you, Sir, you man, you sitting in the second.

To back row you. Simon Brace, who's got a double

theology degree and masters. And working into 8 campuses in

South Africa, just some of them went trusted God.

So this church starts to grow news of this.

Reached the ears of the church at Antioch.

That was the base church, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

This incredible scripture. This church is starting to grow.

It's full of Greeks and they decided, who should we send?

We've got Peter. We've, we, we we've got John,

We've got Matthew, we've got Steven, we've got all these.

Guys that are qualified. Who should we send?

Which guy should we send there? We're going to send Barnabas.

Why? Why does a church need Barnabas?

Well, let's look about look at Let's look at Barnabas X chapter

4. Let's have a look at X chapter 4

and verse 36 and 37. It says Joseph and Levi from

Cyprus whom the. Apostles called say it.

Which means, son of encouragement.

Say that with me. Son of encouragement, About six

weeks ago we had the Headmaster of Meritsburg.

College, sitting here and every. Time my son played rugby last

year. I used to write to the

headmasters of the schools hosting us, and I'd say thank

you so much for hosting us this. Is what I loved about your

school. This is where I saw the grace of

God working, and through that letter that I wrote to me,

became my friend. He invited me to preach in his

school. And then he stayed back one day

after they played office. And he.

Came to church here. He got up and greeted us.

He sent me a picture from Queens College.

Queens College is in Queenstown. It is the.

Most transformed school in South Africa, it is the most.

Successful reform school in South Africa.

You'll see articles on Queens. College You'll see Queens

College rugby team. It is the IT is a Model C church

school that has become. Black, fully black, integrated

and highly successful and the headmaster.

Of Marysburg College sent me a photograph with himself in it,

and behind there, the donors and the founder donor.

The main founder donor of that school was Ian Dyer, my dad.

Was a Queens college old boy. And he said that I've never

missed my dad so much as I did on Friday.

I eventually. Had to leave the.

And I went home and I just sobbed and I thought, I am the

son of Ian Dyer, who was the original seed planter into a.

School that is transforming this nation.

The son of Ian. But when they needed somebody to

go to the church, they called. They've called for the son of

Say It encouragement. My, my dad was the greatest.

I don't want to just be known as the son of Ian.

I want to be known as the son of encouragement that when the man

whose children were killed in New Zealand comes to our church,

and sometimes. Sits in the shadows.

Of the back row of this church because he doesn't want anybody

to see him. I want him to come here and

receive. Not not.

A Not a personality of a. Preacher who's excited The fact

that Jesus Christ died for him and in his deepest pain, as

Jesus was squeezed, as the Father squeezed him, that the

pain of the squeezing of Christ. Is greater than the pain that

he's going through right now. And somewhere that courage of

the blood of Christ will start to run into his veins.

I've got friends here that right now on medication for burnout.

They have had nervous breakdowns.

They're sitting here on mental health medication, and they've

got to sit under the word to know that Jesus will encourage

them, Jesus will stand with them.

Jesus will eventually heal them. They don't have to give up and

they don't have to kick out and they don't have to run away.

And I lost my best Afrikaans friend in a Combine Harvest

accident. And there's a man here today.

He is. He was friends and I was friends

and him and I have never been friends.

We just never connect. We just.

Have no child, but he's here this morning because we share a

common friend. And if anything, I just hope

today Karate get encouraged. Just to keep going.

I miss my friends sometimes. We used to go to a restaurant,

sort of. Two or three times a year and

have a stay together. I'll go there by myself

sometime. I just sit there, just think of

my mate. My Afrikaans made it, put his

arm around me and said come Engels man.

Once come fit today. Yes, the fat.

What do you need friends you lacking?

Today you don't know what to do. You're in the right place.

It's fine to have Paul on the mission who's going to go and

change the world, but sometimes we just need to stop and say

hey. It's going to be OK.

It's going to be all right, your kids.

Are going to be OK. It's going to be OK.

I've got. Stories about gay children.

I've got stories about drugs and Alcoholics.

I've got stories about divorced people getting healed.

Just keep coming. We'll preach Jesus now.

Whatever it is, you'll eventually find enough courage.

Stand. There's a church in Antioch.

It's starting. To grow, who should we send?

Let's send the guy who's going to encourage them.

It's going to build them up. Amen.

And it says he sold the field he owned and bought the money and

put it at the Apostles feet. He didn't say where the money

should go. He just bought the he sold the

field and he just put it at the Apostles feet.

And he said, you leaders decide where this money goes because

this piece of land is spare. Love is generous, love is just

generous and anything extra that we that we we we don't have to

say for our grandchildren's, grandchildren's, grandchildren.

We've got people in the church that are needy and and we just

need. People to sometimes dispose of

their assets and bring it to the apostles and say, will you

distribute this amongst the church?

That's the kind of people that look after the church, just

generous people. Man was sitting here the other

day, Robert Owen with a puffer jacket on.

And the lady walked up to him and said, can you open your

jacket? And he said, why?

She said, I just want to open the jacket.

You know the store, you opened the jacket and she put one and a

half million rands worth of gold coins in, did the jacket up.

And she said that's to help you with this thing.

You know what this thing is? This thing is people that are

have lost their children. This thing is people that have

lost their jobs. This thing is people that have

lost their families. This thing is people that have.

Thank you. Thank you.

Ex Captain, are you with me? Welcome.

It's nice to see you. Yo, I'd love.

To be known as a son of encouragement anytime anybody

comes into my presence that they would leave with something and

so not, not, not, not positivity, not positivity.

It's going to be OK. It's going to be OK.

Paul gets saved. He's a radical anti church guy

anti Jesus guys breathing out threats and the verse 26 of X

Chapter 9 and says this. When he came to Jerusalem he

tried to join the disciples but they were all afraid of him not

believing that he really was a disciple but say it.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.

He told them how soul on his journey had seen the Lord and

that the Lord had spoken to him and how in Damascus he had

preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

Sometimes we just need somebody to introduce us to somebody, so

we need. Or somebody to take a chance

with us? Why am I inviting you tonight?

Because I love Chris Venut. I don't.

Hear I worship him, I don't glorify.

But I do honor him because he's the man.

That looked at me and said you. God's called you to preach and I

had a business lined up and my dad was going to put me into his

business and he owns 7 petrol stations and I was.

Going to grow the family business.

And Chris Venut looked at me. Said God's.

Called you to preach, young man. And I said, but I've never read

the Bible. He says this Sunday you're

preaching. You could have done this.

And I preached my first sermon, and he said well.

You could have done that. Three weeks later I preached

another sermon and he said. That was so good.

You're preaching again tonight. I said, Chris, I've got nothing

to say, he said. Then you better find something

and. In those days we used to still

have those telephones. I phoned them and I said I've

got 10 minutes. That's all I've got, he said

Then. And I preached for 10 minutes.

Make it the best 10 minutes you've got.

And I stood up in a congregation of 1000.

That's all I had. And I stepped down and he got up

and he said, you know what, I. Loved about Rory's.

Preach these three. And he took 30 minutes to build

a sermon around my 10 minutes. You know I want you to come

tonight. Because Barnabas was reflected

in Chris Venant's life. That affected my life.

That is affecting your life. That is affecting Steven's life.

And when Steven preaches that we preach together for 10 years.

I don't think in 10 years I've ever corrected.

And have I, Steven? I don't think so every single

Tuesday. Steven, this is what I loved

about your preach. This is what I loved about your

preparation. This is what I loved about the

stories you told. We've got to have somebody who

can take you to the next step while everybody else is dodging

you. Amen.

So let's have a look at X11. Few more stories.

I hope you're with me. Verse 22.

News of this reached the ears of the Church of Jerusalem, and

they sent Barnabas to Antioch when he.

Arrived and he saw. The evidence of the grace of God

Say that he saw the evidence of the grace of God.

He was glad and he encouraged them.

Of course he encouraged them, so he.

Ever did. He encouraged people, he was

glad and he encouraged. Them all to remain true to the

Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man.

Full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of.

People were brought to the Lord. That has probably been the most

influential scripture in my ministry life.

When he arrived, he saw the grace of God.

You know, friends. We are trained to find the

fault, every one of us. If you're an engineer, you will

go through a structure and you'll find with the weaknesses

and you'll make sure that the weakness gets fixed.

If you're an eye doctor and there are.

Doctors here. I had some problems with my eyes

and I went to the eye doctor. He's sitting here and he looked

at my eyes, he said. Actually, you've got a.

Rash on the top of your things that they they off, that you're

trained to find the fault. But I don't know if you know

that that eye doctor. Also makes salt pepper grinder,

so when we did the salt series, I'll get these beautiful salt

grinders. Made by the eye.

And I think the eye guy is just an.

Eye guy, but he's actually a Carpenter too.

The evidence of God's. Grace is everywhere and and and.

And if you're a teacher, you'll go through your students and

you'll write a report about not just what they've done well, but

what they've done wrong. When Barnabas arrived there, he.

Just expressed the. Evidence of God's grace.

And and you and our friends are fault finders.

You can come here. You say the worships too loud,

the worships too long. The preachings to this Rory's to

that. You can come and find the fault.

I've got plenty faults. Or you can come and think, flip

God, can you use an English guy who grew up in the.

Free State went to. School in Natal to come to

Pretoria to preach the gospel. When I was a schoolboy, my dad

bought a We went to nail spread Worst school, Rob Ferreira.

We played against them. You know the story.

We went into nail spread worst school dining room and the whole

school burst out laughing and a little boy came across.

He said Vista kapta and I said eckers de Kapta.

And he said Oskaaptain Will Viet Hukumela, Stitanissa machela

yet? Van Dahni, why are your props

not eating with you? They were eating.

They were just small. Actually, it's safe for Yo

Captain Yostatar Khan Bayasoir Clay Funder Fund owns Young

Lighty, Engelsmann Khanyala OP Thunder.

But my dad bought a timeshare unit at Sabie River Bungalows in

1988, and they've been going there ever since.

And I went there this week. And we were driving to Cruscorp

and I saw a little sign that says Church Unlimited.

And you know from that rugby tournament that we planted a

church in White River, God told me I must plant a church in

White River. We planted a church in White

River. That church from White River has

now planted a church in Hazy View.

This time last Sunday, I walked into the church in Hazy view

that was planted from the church that we planted from my

schoolboy rugby tour. And I'm staying at the bungalow

that my dad bought in 1988. And I walk into this church and

I'm studying Barnabus and I'm thinking.

I don't want to know if the hall is clean or dirty.

I don't want to know. I just want to see the evidence

of God's grace. And I.

Walked in there and there was a guy sitting down.

He's a big oak sitting around and he said Velcrom Maymart say

donkey, Maymart says your ears. The kid.

I say yeah. And I walked in and I sat in the

back row and then then I could see this sort of rustle.

Maybe they recognize me or something.

Somebody came and said hi. I said hi.

I said how are you? I said I'm fine.

I said where you from? I said where do you think I said

you're from Pretoria. I said I might be.

I said, could you be? I said yes.

I said welcome Rory. I said thank you, and I sat

through the worship. Of this 2829 year old girl and I

would have thought. Somewhere, when she was six or

seven, her parents would have sent her to guitar lessons

because they would have known somehow that one day, in a

little church in Hazy view, they're going to need.

A worship leader. And so I didn't ask was she in

key or not in key. I just sat.

And I just worshiped, and the presence of God touched me and

filled me. I just sat in the background.

I just sobbed and I just felt this girl, this.

Young girl, 28 years old on a guitar.

Just leading worship. Believing every single.

Word that she said. Because the.

Evidence of the grace of God was present in a little.

Church in hazy view. That guy's out of.

This guy's don't. Worry about that.

And the man got up to preach and.

His name is Marius. And his daughter plays in our

band. She's the.

Violinist and his son comes to this church.

And I thought I want to know how.

And and I just sat there. And I had my notebook out, which

was actually given to me by Nico.

And I was taking notes, and I was agreeing.

With him and he. Believed everything he said.

And as he held the Bible, I just loved the way I love it when

people. Preach on the Bible.

It doesn't. Mean you have to preach on the

Bible. But just the way.

He handled the Bible. Was just I saw the evidence of

God's grace. And then they offered me coffee.

And I had an amazing and when I left there, I got into my car.

I thought the presence of God is there.

I want to send people and we used.

We got trained to go into. Churches and tell them what was

wrong. The guy.

At the door. Is not friendly enough.

The worship guards are not engaged.

In it and we tell people what now I.

Just go into church and I say. These are the 10 things where I

saw. God working, you arrived one

Sunday with your. Family couple weeks after we

came, you sat in the 2nd row. You, you, you have been through

highs and lows in your business. You have never missed a service.

When you in town. Never.

You have. Never.

Stopped loving your wife. Your children are all serving

God. Your.

Grandparenting is of another level.

Your life of prayer and faith and your business has been

unbelievable. You have a superb gift.

Of encouragement over people's. Lives and with through your

difficult times. You have helped people through

many many. Difficult times.

You are a good man. You are a righteous.

Man, you are full of the holy. Spirit and is a.

Privilege to serve God with you. You see why they sent Barnabas

just a good arc. Then there's an amazing thing.

If you look at X13, if you can just put the scriptures up

quickly, one after the next. While they were worshipping the

Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit set aside for me, say

Barnabas and Saul next Scripture.

Barnabas and Saul. Say Barnabas and Saul next

Scripture. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Next 10. Oh, oh, the motion, The motion.

Rory and Stephen. Rory and Stephen.

Rory and Stephen. Rory and Stephen.

And then we're going to do series is going to be Stephen

and Rory and then how do? You feel Rory?

How do you feel when Stephen starts preaching better than

you? Because that's what happened.

Barnabas was the main guy and Paul was the 2nd and then it

went Paul and Barnabas. And then a little bit later,

goes Barnabas and Paul again. And then goes Paul and Barnabas

you see in the world. That's a demotion in the church.

That doesn't matter. Yeah, X15, we'll finish with

this. There's a whole lot more, but

let's have a look. X15 and verse 36.

Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, let us go back and

visit the brothers and all the towns where we preach the word

of the Lord and see how they're doing.

Barnabas wanted to take John, or so-called Mark with them, but

Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted

them in Pamphilia. See, pulls on a roll.

Now we're going to get to the ends of the earth and Barnas is

saying hey, but there's some oaks you're taking strange and

we've got no worry about that. We got to get to the end of the

world. But but Paul did not think it

wise to take him because he had deserted in Perfilia.

And had not continued with them in the work.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted

company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed

for Cyprus, the Greek Oaks, but Paul chose Silas and left.

Commended by the brothers to the Grace.

Of the Lord Friends, you can actually have sharp.

Disagreements in the church, we can actually disagree.

Hopefully we don't part company, but we.

Can part company. You are not committed to three

CR for the rest of your life. That's the good news.

There might be some things about me that you don't like and we

will part. Company and you will not lose

your inheritance. Your inheritance is not linked

to three CR. Your inheritance is linked to

Jesus. And say if we have a sharp

disagreement and you come and you say to me, really I don't

like this. And God double s up his mission

on a disagreement. I say, but I do like this, but I

don't like this, but I do like this, I cannot say to you, if

you leave here, you're going to lose your inheritance.

That's what some churches say, you can't lose your inheritance.

Your inheritance is linked to Jesus.

So if there are things that you don't like about us and we end

up partying company, what God usually says is Paul right or is

Barnabas right, you actually realize they were both.

And so that's just the life and and actually you see more and

more about Paul and less and less about Barnabas.

But let's have a look at Colossus chapter.

Four and we see. Why did Barnabas act like this,

my fellow prisoner Aristoke? Sends you his greetings, as does

Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. Then you think, whoa, my cousin,

he's my cousin. That's how the Greek oaks

operate. Why you look after him?

We've got the mission. He says.

No, it's my cousin. So how's he your cousin?

Well, my grandmother and his aunt were together at school.

Is my cousin. So why's the Greeks?

The chin is my cousin. You chin.

How they they can't tell you how, but my cousin.

And then the poras have got another whole lot of cousins.

So they marry in and they're like, now you've got like a

Greek pora cousin operation. And there are a lot of them in

the church. We got to be careful.

But these oaks haven't met the croplis all cousins problem as

dog cousins. That's another whole movement of

cousins, but look what it says. You have received instructions.

About him. If he comes to you, welcome him.

So they've. Split, Barnabas has looked.

After Mark, who's given up the. He's invested in him.

And all of a. Sudden mark has.

Changed and he's actually. Coming right to Timothy chapter

4. If only Luke is with me.

Get Mark. And bring him with you, because

he is helpful to me. In Who's speaking?

Paul. He's helpful.

To me and my. Ministry Look at one Peter

Chapter 5 She who is in Babylon. That means Rome chose.

This is Peter. Writing chosen together with you

sends you her greetings, and so does my son.

There's a guy who wrote the epistle of.

He wrote the Gospel of Mark. He's like a write.

Off it's like. Get rid of him.

We are. On a mission we're.

Going to change the world. We're going to plant churches.

In in Pungeni. And in in in butt plass.

And we're going to plant churches in hazy view and we're

going to plant churches in Toronto.

But hey. We've got a couple of guys that

are battling Okay. We need some people in the

church that will encourage them, that will take them in, that

will stop the mission, that will love them, we'll look after

them, that will care for them. And many people think I'm more

like Paul. I am much more like Barnabas

than Paul. I will stop the mission for any

one person in the life of the church, and it's been one of the

greatest pains of my life because this thing's got a

leadership that's. Needed a leadership but.

The individual need. Of people is deeply.

Important to me. How do we build the church?

With Paul, the Upfront 8 type personality who wants to change

the world and with Barnabas. A gentle hearted, compassionate

encourager who's prepared to stop the mission to make sure

that he can maybe bring one guy through who will end up writing

the gospel of Mark with Peter. Who's right?

Paul or Barnabas. They both right.

And we can disagree, and we can actually both be right.

And that's how we build the healthy community.

God bless you.