How to Be an Encourager | Learning From Barnabas

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners for more ways to deepen and challenge your spiritual walk and roll and pastor breaks free online courses sign-up@harvest.org all these people in the young, old, middle-aged people, older people. They all leave a word of courage they need to know that their lives matter, people tend to listen to matters we talk about what we talk about matters to them today – Greg Laurie Susan encouraged. There is nothing brushing the first drink of water. Hot summer project course. The remedy found of the Lord's discretion can be so severe as what their heart needs wrapped in with her heart wants today on a new beginning.

Laurie points out how to be in the tradition of Baxter. We can follow his reassuring group walk for us why you're laughing already told the story walking through the forest and the frogs fall into this. The other frogs looked over the side of the yolks of the frogs at the bottom of the bid you're as good as dead, you're never going to get out of there. Well, frogs didn't want to stay in the pit they started jumping jumping job in the frogs up on the top said you're not going to make it. You're not going to get up here. You're never going to get out of that. You're going to die and find one of the frogs got so discouraged she just laid down and die with the other frog would not give up and give jumping, jumping, jumping, jumping.

Finally he jumps out for. The other frogs. They didn't you hear us, we told you you couldn't get out of the bed. He said sorry I'm hard of hearing and I thought you were cheering for me this is a true story and then I stepped on the frog and killed him know I did so I it's all fake. Okay, I bring this up because we live in the time now where there's just so much discouragement. So many people discouraging you and me each and every day. If you don't believe me just go on social media and specifically on twitter. All the trolls out there with her just their anger and hostility in a taxi will you'll never make it.

You'll never succeed, you'll never be the person you want to be the bully you online and on and on it goes. And this is why so many people are affected in an adverse way. I think it's affecting the mental health of our nation, especially young people, depression rates among 14 to 17-year-old has grown 60% of 2009 two 2017 that's really a lot, suicide rates among young people have doubled in a decade, and 43% of millennial's and Jen's.

These are very concerned about their mental health. But it's not just young people that are facing this depression.

It's affecting older people to people were getting on in years feel left out. Forgot unappreciated. They're seeking to hope wanting their lives to matter because they're dealing with struggles on maybe their health is failing. Maybe they've lost a mate or their struggling was some kind of an illness, suicide is up among older folks as well. Men were 65 or older are the highest risk of suicide. Today, adults 85 and older are the second most likely age group to die from suicide.

So what do all these people need young people, middle-aged people, older people.

They all need a word of encouragement they need to know that their lives matter.

I can still remember discouraging things that were said to me as a kid when I was in the high school.

I didn't get very good grades. I have to tell you and him and so one teacher wrote this little commentary on my report card right next to D, C, D, F, etc. Greg Laurie spends too much time sitting in the classroom, staring out the window daydream in the drawing cartoons and then she offered this Encouraging Word you will never amount to anything.

Thank you for those encouraging words what I was in elementary school I became a little bit of a troublemaker. I was sent to military school for a few years.

But what think they got me in shape.

I been. I was a good boy because you get in the big trouble including being slotted with a giant wooden paddle if you got out of line.

I was on the honor roll.

I was a good kid that marching around my little uniform but then when I got out of military school in one of the public school system of California and realize how much I could get away with.

I went from honor roll student cadet to juvenile delinquents and die was so bad that one teacher in the classroom next to my curing of the constant harassment. I don't toward my teacher during class I like to take Greg, Gloria, bury him up to his neck in the sand in the blazing sun and watch the ants eat him alive.

The kids told me this out of the class and I actually thought that was kinda cool.

I don't know what was really she said that about me but you know encouragement really matters, so I want to talk about a guy in the book of acts that was known for encouraging others.

Actually, his given name was Joseph when he was given a nickname and his nickname was Barnabas which means the son of encouragement or another way to translate it. He was known basically as Mr. encouragement Mr. encouragement.

I love that any steps in at a critical time in the life of the apostle Paul before he was the apostle Paul when he was still Saul the notorious Christian killer. The men who hunted down followers of Jesus Christ and been who met Christ on the road to Damascus. The problem was a lot of people weren't buying it.

They were believing that Saul was actually no, a Christian enter Barnabas enter Mr. encouragement Mrs. O you're a believer for sure. I've talked to you. I know your conversion is real. That brings me to point number one in encourager sees the potential in others. Cheers. Mama in encourager sees the potential and others in Cheers the mom so Barnabas Mr. encouragement takes Saul of Tarsus under his wing and encourages him and even says let's go on the road together to share the gospel together so Barnabas is helping Saul he's discipling Saul he's teaching Saul, later to become Paul. He sees the potential acts chapter 9 verse 26 go back a few verses chapters when Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to meet with the believers but they were all afraid of him and they did not believe that he actually become a believer. Then Barnabas brought them to the apostles and told him solids seen the Lord on the road to Damascus, the Lord had spoken to Saul and he told them that Saul had breached boldly in the name of Jesus I love so Barnabas takes his credibility to me. A lot of it. He was loved by everybody. And he put it on the line for the newly converted Saul to listen. I'm vouching for this guy.

He's a real Christian. And that's something that we all need in line. We need a Barnabas or you need to be a Barnabas let me say that again we all need a Barnabas or encourager, or we need to be a Barnabas encouraging others in your words matter in your encouragement matters and let's review the great commission Jesus speaking go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. Hello, I am with you, even to the end of the eight given to every Christian is given to you. It's given to me and it's interesting because in that statement low I am with you, even to the end of the age contextually on the original language. It's implying that Jesus will be with us in a special way when were fulfilling the great commission. That's not to say he will be with us all the time because he said I'll never leave you or forsake you what it is to say Jesus speaking I will be with you when you do this I will open doors for you.

I will put words in your mouth.

I will direct you to the right people. I'll be with you, so your job, your mission you decide to accept it is to go and make disciples, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, so Barnabas did this for the newly converted Saul and God want you to do this for somebody else because our people that need your help right now that are hurting people that are fallen spiritually. James 519 says brothers. Many of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back. Remember that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment, you know, there's nothing like hearing the word of God and worshiping the Lord together. I will encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home every Saturday and Sunday harvest.or you join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together. So join us for Harvest at Home and harvest or getting some good counsel on the importance of encouragement today.

Pastor Greg continues to study based in acts chapter 11 know sometimes what people need is just a friend. You don't have to know all the answers. I think we think wife to be a theologian know you don't you can get on the job training you can learn what you need to learn as you need it, but you can get in there and just engage what I like to describe as a ministry of presence just lets a summons in a hospital room and there in pain and they're in need. Sometimes just being there. You don't need his sermon, everything isn't a sermon you might be surprised to hear me say that because I'm a preacher right but there's a time to sermon the eyes and then there's the time to just empathize and just care and offer the appropriate scriptures at the right time.

And here's another thing to think about whatever you're going through in life is preparing you for something else and he can take the pain of your life and use it but I wouldn't wish my childhood on anyone. But now I use it as a tool to help other people because they'll tell me about their upbringing and also here was my upbringing and here's what God did for me and he could do this for you and having my son go to be with the Lord 2008. If I could bring him back. I would do it in a moment, but I realize that this happened.

I don't know why it happened, but I will not waste my pain and I use it as a tool. Now they help other people who heard the devastating news that their child is the high or their spouses died or a loved one is thigh and so I know that I can come in just help them through that I don't really have that much to say but if I can in some way shape or form them through that difficult time. That's what I want to do. We all want to be that encourager because there is nothing as refreshing as an encouraging word or deed think a fresh drink of water on a hot summer day. Proverbs 2525 says good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty I think encouragement may be the greatest need in our world today brings into my second point.

If you want to be in encourager you will help other Christians grow in their faith. If you want to be in encourager you will help other Christians grow in their faith.

So Barnabas and Paul wanted a missionary journey together and begin pretty clear up all had a great gift to preach, even greater than Barnabas is get so Barnabas sorta stepped aside to let Paul do what he did he was doing his job well. Now they did have a conflict and will talk about this later. And they parted ways as friends but they did part weights but the point of it is Barnabas it done his job. What was his job to disciple Paul Delp all get acclimated to the church to help Paul discover, cultivate and use the gifts that God had given to them. Once I was done. Now Barnabas can exit the scene and go do it again. That's our job. It's sort of like waters rinse, repeat. Right in the same way, preach, encourage disciple repeat, preach, encourage, disciple, repeat. You just do it over and over again for as many people as you can.

Mr. encouragement.

Here's an instance in acts chapter 11 now the verse we turn to when they dispatched Barnabas for a special project God was working.

People were coming to Christ. They said they lets send Mr. encouragement over there X11, 22, when the church at Jerusalem heard what it happened. They sent Barnabas to Antioch when he arrived and saw this evidence of God's blessing.

He was filled with joy. Any encourage the believers to stay true to the Lord Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith, and many people are brought to the Lord. I love that he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.

Let that be said of you that your good man a good woman full of the Holy Spirit, encouraging others, and I love the word that Barnabas gave to the believers there encourage the believers to stay true to the Lord and I want to encourage you to do the same.

Right now, stay true to the Lord. Hold the course that you are on don't deviate from it to the left of the right that mention Chuck Smith a couple times in this message is one left. Lester is having lunch with them once so were sitting there and as a judge of an older child can speak to a younger Chuck, what would you say to yourself and Judson.

Greg will you stop asking me these stupid questions. Just wanted to be no.

He then say that what he should be set hold the course. We met was just stay on that path that you're on don't get off that that's what Barnabas was saying that the believers he encourage the believers to stay true to the Lord.

Let me close with this hold your course. I know it's hard. Maybe you could sell a rough patch.

Maybe there are some problems. Maybe you've stumbled me falling to get back up again.

God give second chances and he'll see you through whatever you're going to because he's bigger then your problem is going to get better. But you know I I mentioned in the beginning of this message that there are some that are so down there so discouraged. They've even thought of taking their lives and let me just say if I'm talking to anyone who is entertain those thoughts please check them push them out of your mind because you are loved by a lot of people, more than you know you're needed your once it the best of all your loved by God. No matter what things you've done wrong. He will forgive you but you must come to him, don't even think of taking your own life instead give your life to Jesus Christ and you will find life. Jesus said whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. What is that even mean to lose your live means I take my dreams, my aspirations, my hopes and I say this is what I'd like to do the Lord, I want your will more than my will, even if there's a conflict I want.

Here's what you'll discover will discover God's plans. You are far better than your plans for your but it starts with giving your life to Jesus Christ and so I'm in a close by extending the invitation to anybody here if you're not sure if Jesus is living in your life. If you haven't asked him to forgive you of your sin. It can happen right here right now. My whole life changed on a Friday in 1970, then wake up in the morning say hey I think that all change my entire course of living and become a Christian and I maybe one day I'll even become a preacher lose all of my hair that's my goal. No thought did not cross my mind but that's what God had in store for me. Who knows what God has in store for you.

So were going to close in prayer. If you don't know Jesus yet.

This is your moment to come to him and believe. Let's pray father, thank you for your word to us. Thank you for your encouragement to us and thank you for your promise to us the promise to forgive us of all of our sins.

It will turn from them and put our faith in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sin rose again from the dead. I prefer any person here if they don't know you yet Lord, let this be the moment they believe. If you want Jesus Christ to come into your life and forgive you of your sin just prayed this simple prayer Lord Jesus, and know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for me.

I turned from Mike's and now I choose to follow you.

I want your will for my glasses now, Jesus, the lives of so many listening right now.

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