Together Step by Step
Together Step by Step
The Boston Marathon is among the world's best-known races. One of the most infamous portions of the 26-mile, 385-yard course is "Heartbreak Hill." It's there, along that hill, that thousands of spectators gather. They stand and cheer as they see weary runners about to collapse. During one race a young man was near total exhaustion as he approached the foot of Heartbreak Hill. It was doubtful he could go a step farther. About halfway up the hill an older man, who was obviously in better shape, came alongside the younger man, put his arm around him, and spoke quietly to him. Together, step by step, they painstakingly made their way up Heartbreak Hill.
The older man, do you know what he was doing? He was encouraging the younger man.
Encouragement
The dictionary defines encouragement as the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, renewed spirit, or renewed hope.
In the New Testament, the word most often translated as “encouragement” is parakalein. This term comes from two Greek words: para, meaning “alongside of,” and kaleo, meaning “to call.” When people come alongside us during difficult times to give us renewed courage, a renewed spirit, renewed hope—that’s encouragement
Biblical Examples of Encouragement
1. The Bible gives us example after example of people who encouraged their fellow believers. One of the first encouragers we meet is Jonathan, the son of Saul and the friend of David.
David, if you remember, was fleeing from King Saul. The king had been pursuing David ever since the young man's victory over Goliath and the resulting surge in his popularity with the people. Saul was intent on killing David, who was forced to journey with his men from place to place to prevent Saul's soldiers from discovering his whereabouts. His family and friends were far away. We can only imagine his fatigue, his fear, his bouts of depression.
One day David received a surprise visit from his close friend Jonathan. The king's son had made a special trip to be at David's side in his time of need. The Bible tells us, (1Sam 23:16) Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.
What an encouragement Jonathan's presence and words must have been to David!
2. There is no doubt that the Apostle Paul was an encourager as well. After starting several new churches on his first missionary journey, Paul retraced his steps and returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith" (Acts 14:21-22). These new believers, left alone like orphans for several weeks or months, needed this encouragement lest they falter in the faith.
Paul often was encouraging as he said good-bye to the churches. As he left Philippi, he comforted the new Christians there. Don't forget, Philippi is where Paul was whipped and imprisoned. You would think the believers there should have been consoling him. But the Bible records that it was Paul who did the comforting before he left (Acts 16:40).
The same thing happened in Ephesus. A riot broke out when the servants of Artemis or Diana felt their business threatened by the Christian faith. Paul's life was in danger. Yet, when the uproar ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, "after encouraging them," said good-bye and set out for Macedonia (Acts 20:1).
3. There were many encouragers in the New Testament Church: not just Jesus and Paul, but also Judas & Silas (Acts 15:31-32), Peter (Luke 22:32), and others too. There is, however, one character that stands out. That person is Joseph. Every time he appears in the Bible he is encouraging someone. He helped and encouraged people so much he was given a new name by the apostles. He was given the name Barnabas which means "Son of Encouragement."
A survey of his life and ministry illustrates how he was an encourager.
1st, Barnabas helped needy saints. The early Jerusalem church had many poor people. Some were widows. Some were working men who could not secure or hold employment after confessing Christ. Others were pilgrims from other nations who were converted on Pentecost and stayed there for fellowship and teaching. Local believers had to help these poor. Barnabas responded by selling property, probably on his native island of Cyprus, and bringing the proceeds to the apostles to be used for the poor (Acts 4:37). His act went beyond encouragement to showing mercy. Barnabas, in other words, practiced what he preached. He not only talked encouragement but he also did concrete encouraging acts.
2nd, Barnabas endorsed an unwelcome convert. Picture, if you will, the reaction to Paul's conversion. Paul's former friends in the Sanhedrin thought of him as a renegade and rejected him. The Christians were suspicious of his motives because Paul had recently persecuted them. Even the disciples were leery.
The situation was touchy. Paul was rejected by all and accepted by none. What could he do? How could he gain the confidence of the church and carry out the Lord's mission to the Gentiles?
It was Barnabas who cleared the way. Barnabas took Paul and brought him to the apostles and explained that Paul had seen the Lord, that the Lord had spoken to Paul, and that in Damascus Paul had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27). Barnabas was so successful in promoting Paul that Paul "stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem" (Acts 9:28).
3rd, Barnabas accepted Gentile believers. Some believers, scattered by persecution, witnessed to Gentiles in Antioch. The Lord blessed this witness, and a large number of Gentiles believed. The Jerusalem Church sent Barnabas to investigate.
(Acts 11:23-24) When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. (24) He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
Barnabas threw all his energies into the work, staying over a year. It was here that believers were first called Christians. It was also the Antioch Church which first sent missionaries to Europe.
4th, Barnabas enlisted Paul in his work. The growing work at Antioch needed teachers and preachers. Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch (Acts 11:25). It was because of Barnabas that Paul finally began the great missionary work the Lord had called him to do.
5th, Barnabas restored a youthful deserter. When Barnabas and Paul set out on their first missionary journey they took John Mark with them as their helper (Acts 12:25; 13:5). For whatever reason, Mark defected before the journey was half over (Acts 13:13). Perhaps he was homesick, afraid, or ill.
When the time came to start the next missionary tour, strong disagreement arose between Paul and Barnabas over taking John Mark with them. Paul didn't want to take John Mark because he had deserted them once before; Barnabas wanted to give John Mark another chance because he wanted to encourage the young man. The disagreement became so sharp that Paul and Barnabas parted ways.
Paul later recognized the error of his ways when he wrote to Timothy: (2 Tim 4:11) Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Think, for a moment, of how much the church owes to Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. Because Barnabas was an encourager, Paul was able to go out and preach to the Gentiles and write 13 letters. Also, through Barnabas' encouragement of Mark we gained the second Gospel. Here is something remarkable. Barnabas never wrote a book that found its way into the Bible, but he encouraged two men who wrote over half of the New Testament.
There are at least four reasons why we need to take our responsibility as encouragers very seriously.
Let me tell you a few things I know about encouragement:
1. Everybody needs it.
“So encourage each other and build each other up…” I Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
2. Encouragement pleases God.
“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6 NLT
3. Encouragement builds up the discouraged.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
4. Encouragement builds up the encourager.
“…he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 NIV
Give and it Will be given, forgive and be forgiven, etc.
5. Everybody can do it.
“Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for us, come and give it.” Acts 13:15 NLT
How do we encourage?
1. We encourage with our prayers for each other.
“And you are helping us by praying for us.” 2 Corinthians 1:11 NLT
2. We encourage by getting involved personally.
“Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset.” Exodus 17:12 NLT
3. We encourage by speaking kind words into someone.
“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”
Proverbs 16:24 NLT
4. We encourage by writing kind words.
“Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.” Galatians 6:11 NLT
Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will never forget you.
--William Arthur Ward
Three Key Qualities
As we survey the life of Barnabas, we find three transferable qualities that we can build into our own lives.
Encouragers are Performers, not pretenders
Encouragers see potential where others see problems
Encouragers care for People, not prominence
Conclusion:
Barnabas the “Son of Encouragement.” His name was not really Barnabas, it was Joseph. But there was a fragrance about his life.
He was an upbuilder.
He was an uplifter.
He was a renewer.
He was a refresher.
When he moved through an area, people would look at each other and say, “Wasn’t it good to have him around!” So his friends said, “We’re not going to call you Joseph any more, but Barnabas—the Son of Encouragement.” That’s the kind of person God wants us to be. We may not have the limelight, but we can walk and work quietly in the shadows, uplifting and encouraging others.
