Adrian Rogers - Five Ways You Can Encourage Others
Take your Bibles, find the Book of Acts, A-C-T-S, right after the Gospels, and turn to the fourth chapter where we were last week. And we're going to read just two verses to get us started. In a moment, we're going to read verses 36 and 37. 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. Now Barnabas was not his real name. His name was Joses, but he had a nickname. Do you have a nickname? Nicknames have a way of sticking. This man's nickname was Barnabas.
If he lived today, doubtless we wouldn't call him Barnabas; we'd call him Barney. And, actually, the name Barnabas means encouragement. 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, Acts 4 verses 36 and 37, "And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas," when it says, "by the apostles he was surnamed Barnabas," that means that's the name that his parents did not give him. But the apostles looked at him and said, "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 paracletos or the word for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter. He is called the Paraclete; the Greek word paracletos; 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 alongside us to encourage us, to give us comfort, to give us hope, to give us health, 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. Say, "Amen".
You know that is true. I love to be encouraged. I need encouragement. I'm so grateful for people who encourage me. And I'll 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. But 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 discouragers. Now here was a man, thank God, who could lift your spirit. Do you know why discouragement is so bad? Discouragement opens the door for all other kind of sins and failures. Somebody said, "Discouragement is a dark room where the negatives of failure are developed".
Did you know the Bible calls God, the God of all encouragement? Let me give you a verse before we get into our text. Second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort". Now, it's the same word. It's the same word that is used here for consolation. And 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 was 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 Layne. Some of you are too young to remember Bobby Layne. But there's his helmet up there. And underneath the picture is said, "Bobby Layne 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, First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 14, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men".
Now I want to take a phrase out of that, "Comfort the feebleminded". When you think of a person who is feebleminded, what do you think of? Someone who is senile? You think of somebody who is mentally handicapped? That's not what the word here means. The word here feebleminded 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 are so many people who need to be encouraged, some in your own family. You ever read Peanuts in the comic strips?
Lucy is 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 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's a lot of Charlie Browns in this world and they need to be encouraged. I want to give you 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 in this particular church, and wherever you go. And we're going to find those five things; they're things that Barnabas did. I'm going to take, from the Book of Acts, five places where Barnabas encouraged other people. And Barnabas can be your patron saint today. Now, I don't believe in patron saints in the classic sense, but you understand what I'm talking about? He can be your guide, your model, your encourager to encourage others. 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. Here's what I want you to say to yourself, and I want you to write it down if you take notes. I will encourage others by practicing stewardship. Now, I've already read Acts 4 verses 36 and 37, but let's read is again. "And Joses, 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 major on 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 $100. "Wally, have you got $100? Do ya? Give it to me, would you, son? You just carry around $100 like that"? "All the time". "Thanks". "You're welcome".
Boy, it's good to have church members like that. Now, let's see, where was I? Barnabas saw a need and he moved into to meet it. I know I'm not going to get anything else done till I explain that. Do you know why Wally gave me that $100? It's mine! I gave it to him before the service. I said, "Wally, when I ask 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've 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 a men'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 my 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's 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're 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's not going to ask you to give what you don't have. Are you 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 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 these things, can bring their automobiles there and these man get their hands greasy, stick their heads beneath those 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'd be acting like Barnabas.
Now here's the second principle. I want you to write this down. I will encourage others not only by practicing stewardship, but I will encourage others by extending friendship. Now you're in the Book of Acts, fast forward to chapter 9 and look if you will in verse 22 through 27, "But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt 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. Now I see him humbling himself, sitting in a basket, preferably being let down over a wall at nighttime. "And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed 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 believed 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. 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 of Watergate fame, called the Hatchet Man, gave his heart to Christ and nobody would trust him. They said, "Well, it's just a political ploy, i's a machination, 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".
We need to 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 Barnabas'. Did you know that psychologists tell us that 70% of today's population, 70%, suffers from chronic loneliness? That didn't sink in, did it? 70%! 7 out of every 10 people that you see, according to some statistics, are suffering from loneliness, chronic loneliness. You know what Paul wrote later on?
Now remember, Paul was included by a man named Barnabas. Now here's what he wrote. Put down Romans chapter 15 verses 5 through 7, "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 likeminded 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 new born Christian".
Newborn babies need love. John Stossel, you watch him on television, 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, they've not been touched, they've not been hugged, who've not been kissed, who've 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 that 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 know, sometimes people say big churches are not friendly". Do you ever hear that? Sure. That's ridiculous. How did they get to be big churches, by being unfriendly? It's ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Big churches have a lot of love and a lot of love to give, and you need to be a part of it. That's what makes this church the church that it is. We are a family of friends. 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. Here's a third thing. 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. 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 church is 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 are 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'll 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'll tell you it is there. You can tell when God is on a 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. People have been a little suspicious of those others.
I'm so grateful for people who encourage us and who get people together rather than dividing people. You know, somebody asked me, said, "What is one of the major epics in your life as you look back on your life"? I said, "Asking the church to move from the old location to the new location". You don't understand what a monumental thing that was. And I've often told people, "An idea is one of the most fragile things in this world, and at the same time, one of the most powerful things". We were trying to build downtown. We could not buy the property. We could not get the space. There were all kinds of monumental problems, but we did not want to put a lid on the growth and stop the growing of this church. We said, "Oh, God, what shall we do? Where shall we go? What are we going to do"?
And we were still moving heaven and earth to build downtown. I was in Orlando with two other men of the church. We were in the airport; we'd been down there to look at some churches that were building worship centers. That night I spent a sleepless night, and I'm a sound sleeper. Joyce can tell you when my head hits the pillow, it's lights out. But I just wrestled with God all night. I've often said I had a rock for a pillow. And God seemed to be saying to me, "You need to go out and buy some acreage and move everything".
Now, folks, that may sound just, oh ya, sure, that's what we should have done. I want to tell you it was, it sounded about four thirds insanity. I said four thirds. I hope you get that after a while. To do it! But there was a little idea in my heart and in my mind! I met those guys in the airport, the Orlando Airport, and I said, "Gentlemen, I want to ask you a question," the next morning before we flew back. "What would happen, just put in parentheses and brackets everything we have and own right now, just put it out of your mind, just put that out of your mind so you can think freely, everything downtown, everything we've planned to do, all the money we spent planning and all of that, just put that out of your mind. What would happen if we moved out in the northeast part of our county on Interstate 40 and just bought some raw acreage and moved"?
Now, folks, it was not a conviction to me at that moment; it was only an idea. It became a conviction as we thought about it and prayed about it and wrestled with it. But it was an idea that was so fragile. And if those men that I respected so much, said, "Preacher, that's crazy," I would have probably said, "You're right. Forget it". I never will forget one man said, "Are you, are you serious"? I said, "I'm serious that I want us to think about it". He said, "I'll tell you one thing, Pastor, it would be easier to raise the money for it". He didn't discourage it. We all sat on the airplane. We almost got like school kids giggling, just thinking about it. I'm so grateful that they didn't step on that idea because it became a conviction.
And then, I'm as certain as I stand here that it was God's plan and God's will, and God has blessed it and multiplied it in such an incredible way! Did you know there are people who can be so negative they can't believe anything big? They can't understand a vision, something from God, or even give God a chance to give a vision. No, here was a man named Barnabas. You see, a Barnabas encourages others by building partnerships! There are three kinds of people in the world: there are those who are risk takers, there are those who are caretakers, and there are those who are undertakers. I'm so grateful for people who encourage.
One pastor was talking to another pastor, and he said, "How many committees do you have in your church"? He said, "Oh, we've got a committee for this, a committee for this, a committee for this". He said, "Do you have a cold water committee"? He said, "What's a cold water committee"? He said, "Well, the cold water committee, that's when anybody has a good idea, they come and pour cold water on it" The guy said, "Yes," he said, "I've got one of those in my church. As a matter of fact, I can tell you who the chairman is". Thank God for Barnabas' who don't go to see what's wrong and why it can't be done. Now, here's a fourth way. You want to be a Barnabas?
All right. Here's the fourth way. I will encourage others by developing leadership. Now, you're still in Acts chapter 11, look if you will in verses 25 and 26, "Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he 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 at Antioch". Now, Barnabas is in the middle of this again. Now he goes to look for Saul again. Why did he do this? Well, Barnabas, when he came down there, he said, "Look at all of this. Look what God is doing. They've got all this, they've got all this wine. They need some wineskins. They need somebody with an organizational mind. They need somebody with spiritual insight. They need somebody who is a leader.
Who can lead all of this? I know who it is. I know! It's that same man Saul. He's the man. We've got to get him down here to Antioch. Saul can lead this bunch"! And so he says, "Saul, get over here. I need you, son. There's a job to be done". And Barnabas did not do it. Barnabas was not a leader; he was an encourager. And he didn't try to build a bunch of folks called Barney's Boys. He had enough sense to know that he needed somebody else. And he saw this man with hidden talents. He saw this man with buried abilities. He knew that Saul had spiritual gifts that needed to be discovered and developed and put to work. And so, he sent for this man and developed a leader. You know, Paul never forgot that. Do you know what he wrote in Romans 12 verse 10? "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another".
Barnabas was content, content to let Saul take the leadership. Now he had been deputized. He had been sent down there, but he says, "No, not me! I'm not the one! Saul is the one"! And Barnabas stood on the sidelines as he helped find a leader, a godly leader. It takes more grace than I can tell to play second fiddle and play it well, but that's what this man did. He's not trying to build it around himself. He is developing leadership. And friend, we need to raise up some leaders, and they're all over, but we need to discover leadership and teach people to lead, find leaders, single them out, develop them and equip them, and send them out. Not everybody is a leader. Barnabas wasn't a leader; he was an encourager.
There are all kinds of people with buried abilities, and we need some Barnabas' who help ferret these people out. Did you know that Barnabas never wrote a book in the Bible, but there were two people that he encouraged, who wrote books in the Bible. For example, the apostle Paul wrote thirteen of the New Testament books. And we're going to learn later on that Barnabas encouraged a man named Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark. Pretty good, pretty good. From a human viewpoint, we may never have had the thirteen books that Paul wrote or the Gospel of Mark. Now I know God could overrule and get some other Barnabas; just understand what I'm saying. I'm saying that Barnabas was the man that God used to develop leadership. Do you see why I say that we need some Barnabas' in our church? All right. Now here's the fifth thing you will do.
I will encourage others by rebuilding relationships. Now go to Acts chapter 15. We're going to find Barnabas again. We're going to find him still encouraging people. Acts 15 verse 36 through verse 40, "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 God, to see how they do.'" That is, we're just going to go back and retrace our steps, our missionary journey. And, "Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark," or as we call him today, John Mark. "But Paul thought it not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was sharp between them".
Can you imagine Barnabas and Paul now having a contention? They did, and it was a sharp one. "And they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus: And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God". What's the background? Well, there was a young man whose name was Mark, John Mark, and he went with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. Mark, somewhere along that journey, got homesick, or afraid, or something, and he wanted to go home and hold mama's hand, and he said, "I don't want to be here anymore. Count me out". And at Pamphylia he said, "Goodbye, guys. I am going home".
Boy, it got all over Paul. Paul thought, "That quitter, that slacker, that shirker, that mama's boy, whatever he is". All right. So Paul and Barnabas just went on. Later on, they wanted to go back and retrace their steps. Barney says, "Okay. I'll get Mark". Paul says, "Don't get him". "No! Hey, he quit! He dropped out! You can't count on him! I don't want Mark"! Barnabas says, "Now look, Paul". He said, "Don't you now look me". Now, listen. Paul said, "I am not going to take him". Barney says, "Okay, okay, I'll take him. You go that way, I'll go this way".
Sometimes those things happen, don't they? Well, here's old Barnabas' heart. He knows this boy has failed, but he also knew that failure is not final, and so he wants to mend a broken relationship. And he takes old John Mark and he continues to nurture John Mark. Later on, Paul is in a filthy, Roman prison. Time has passed. Put in your margin Second Timothy 4 verse 11. Here's what Paul writes, "Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry". "Hey, bring old Mark. I need him". How about that? How about that? This is the guy that Paul wouldn't have anything to do with. He said, "Bring him. He is profitable to me for the ministry".
How did that happen? Because there was a man named Barnabas, who refused to let go of a good man named Mark just because he failed. There are many in this church who have failed and they need you to restore that relationship. I have told you, one day when I was a kid, a shinnied up a coconut tree down in Florida to get a coconut. I mean, a big tree, almost as tall as this ceiling. Had my arm around a palm frond, just a kid trying to unhook a coconut. The palm frond came loose, the coconut came loose, and I came loose. Shooo, down to the ground. I fell on the grass but this left arm fell on the sidewalk and splintered my elbow, the bone actually going out of the skin. It was awful. I'm lying there on the ground, writhing.
My brother was there. You know what my brother did? He ran all over town, say, "Hey, hey, hey, Adrian fell, Adrian fell, ha, ha, ha, ha". He didn't do that. I'll tell you what else he didn't do. He didn't stand there and say, "Adrian, you're the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Couldn't you see the palm leaf was yellow? Why did you go up the tree like that? Why don't you wait until the coconuts fall"? No, he didn't give me a lecture. I'll tell you what else he didn't do, and I'm so glad he didn't take out a gun and shoot me. "Poooom, he's got a broken arm. He's no good anymore". No, my brother came alongside of me and gave me some tender, loving help. Thank God, I've got that arm again to use.
Friend, there are people who fall and they don't need us going around, saying, "Did you hear about so and so"? They don't need us going around reporting. They don't need lectures. Somebody said the church is the only organization, only army in the world that shoots its wounded. No, we need some Barnabas'! And the Bible says in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 1, "Ye which are spiritual, restore such a man in the spirit of meekness, if any be overtaken with a fault". And the word restore actually in the Greek is the word for setting a bone. Tender, loving care. Now, let me tell you something. Your church, wherever you are, you need some Barnabas'. Now don't you be looking around, friend, saying, "I wonder if some of these people will be Barnabas'"? I ask you to write the notes and put it in the first person.
I will encourage others by practicing stewardship. I will encourage others by building friendships. I will, I will, I will. And by the grace of God, and for the glory of God, will you say, "God, make me a Barnabas, will you"? Now, you may be something else. You may also be a Paul. You may be a John Mark, but be, among all things, be a Barnabas.
Bow your heads in prayer. How did Barnabas get to be Barnabas to begin with? How was he such a good man to begin with? Well, the Bible says very clearly and very plainly that Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith. He was a good man. Why was he a good man? He was a good man because he was full of the Holy Ghost. Why was he full of the Holy Ghost? Because he was a man full of faith. And that's what we're talking about right now. Would you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Would you trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? "Pastor Rogers, would Jesus save me today"? Yes, He will, if you'll trust Him. Would you pray a prayer like this if you're not saved, if you're not Heaven bound, if you're Hell bound and you need to be saved. And you are Hell bound if you're not saved, no matter how good you are. Would you pray:
Dear God, I am a sinner. I'm lost. I need to be saved. Jesus, You died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust You. Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin to You. I trust You today as my Lord and Savior. I give You my life. I receive You as my Lord. Save me, Lord Jesus. (Pray it and mean it) Save me, Lord Jesus. In Your name I pray, Amen.