#20 Encourage One Another

I don’t know about you, but encouraging others does not seem to come naturally to me. It is easy to offer advice on how to fix a problem, or streamline a process; but I struggle with providing genuine encouragement to those around me. Some of this may be my own reluctance to be the center of attention, may simply be my sin nature rearing its ugly head, or it may simply be that I am so wrapped up in my own life that I do not see opportunities for encouragement when they present themselves. Regardless of my reluctance Paul still exhorts me, and all of us, to encourage one another.

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A NEGLECTED EXHORTATION

A NEGLECTED EXHORTATION

Why are we so hesitant to encourage others? Why do we neglect this very important biblical responsibility? In fact, some Christians seem to feel they possess the “gift of discouragement.” The only time they communicate anything to others is when they have something negative to say! Either that, or they say nothing at all—which can be just as discouraging.

To be fair, some of this neglect is based on the misunderstanding that successful public figures don’t need positive feedback. The facts are, all Christians need it! You see, many people just don’t believe that leaders who appear to have it all together need encouragement. But we all do, and the truth is that no matter how successful we are, none of us “has it together” as well as it may appear when we are on the platform delivering a message or in front of a classroom giving a lecture. Even when we do a great job in ministry, we need positive feedback to keep on keeping on for Jesus! We all tend at times to second-guess our effectiveness. We all need encouragement!

You see, many people just don’t believe that leaders who appear to have it all together need encouragement. But we all do, and the truth is that no matter how successful we are, none of us “has it together” as well as it may appear when we are on the platform delivering a message or in front of a classroom giving a lecture. Even when we do a great job in ministry, we need positive feedback to keep on keeping on for Jesus! We all tend at times to second-guess our effectiveness. We all need encouragement!

“ANOTHER PARAKLETOS”

Following Christ’s return to heaven, God’s plan for continuing what His Son had done focused on the Holy Spirit. Four times in John’s Gospel, Jesus identified the Holy Spirit as a “helper” (, ; ; ). Translators of the King James Version call Him “another Comforter.” In the New American Standard Bible and the ESV, He is identified as “another Helper.”

Why these different English titles? The word in the language of the Greek New Testament is parakletos, and it’s transliterated into English as “another paraclete.” The important correlation here is that the Greek verb parakaleo is frequently translated “to encourage.” Therefore, it would also be appropriate to identify the Holy Spirit in this passage as “another encourager”—which is why the King James Version uses the synonym “comforter.”

At this time in their lives, the apostles were very fearful. Their hearts were “troubled” (). Hatred toward them by the religious leaders in Jerusalem had never been more intense. It was no secret that there had been several attempts to kill their leader. This was why Jesus “no longer moved about publicly” (11:54). No wonder these men were frightened and discouraged when Jesus announced His plans to leave them!

In actuality, Jesus was not going to leave them. He would still be present in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is why He said, “The world cannot accept him [as counselor], because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (14:17). With this statement, Jesus introduced them to the Holy Spirit. Though the Spirit is a separate person in the Godhead, yet He is one with the Father and the Son. He who has seen the Son has seen the Father; likewise, he who had seen the Son had also seen a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They are three persons, yet one God. And while Jesus was on earth, He revealed the Father and the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was then to be “another Counselor”—another encourager. He would continue Christ’s work on earth. He would never leave the apostles—or others who followed Christ.

Though the eleven apostles did not yet understand all of Jesus’ statements about the Holy Spirit, they were soon to find out what He meant. Following Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, they and a small band of believers waited in Jerusalem as Jesus had told them to (). And while there, the Holy Spirit came as Jesus had promised. It was a dramatic event. He gifted some of them so they would be able to recall, understand, and communicate God’s truth. He empowered some of them to work miracles in order to verify the message they were teaching.

Jesus also identified the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth.” He did this three times while encouraging the apostles in their time of stress and difficulty:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor [encourager] to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth ().

When the Counselor [encourager] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me (15:26).

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come ().

THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

When the Holy Spirit came, He fulfilled Jesus’ promise. One of His greatest gifts to us is the inspired Scriptures. The authors of the inscripted Word “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” () and Paul told Timothy that “all Scripture is God-breathed” (). He was definitely referring to the ministry of the Holy Spirit as He inspired those who penned the Word of God.

The primary means then for “encouraging one another” is God’s truth! This is why Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians, encouraging them to continue “speaking the truth in love.” Then, he said, “We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” ().

There are many biblical examples that demonstrate that the basis for encouraging other believers is the Word of God. For example, when Paul outlined the qualities for eldership in his Letter to Titus, he emphasized that a pastoral leader “must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine” ().

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he charged this young pastor to “preach the Word.” He was to “be prepared in season and out of season” in order to “correct, rebuke and encourage” (). Furthermore, when Paul, Silas, and Timothy discipled the new Christians at Thessalonica, they dealt with each one of these people just as a “father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging [them] to live lives worthy of God” (). Paul then went on immediately to describe the means for this encouragement when he wrote:

We also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe ().

A KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH

The most comprehensive New Testament passage instructing us to encourage one another appears in the Letter to the Hebrews. The specific injunction reads—

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (-15)

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles..

What should happen to Christians when they meet together regularly and “encourage one another”? First, we should have a true heart in full assurance of faith (). Second, we should hold fast to the confession of our hope (). Third, we should stir one another up to love and good works ().

More than any other quality, mutual encouragement among members of the body of Christ should “spur one another on towards love and good deeds” (v. 24). Paul underscored this truth when writing to the Corinthians. Summarizing at the end of that great passage in 1 Corinthians, he said, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” ().

A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Though the Thessalonian Christians understood that Jesus Christ was going to return to take them to heaven, they did not really know what would happen to Christians who died before Christ returned. Evidently, some of their Christian friends had already passed away since Paul’s initial ministry in Thessalonica and they were very concerned about their loved ones’ eternal destiny. This may seem like a very elementary question for us, but it was a very profound question for these believers who had been converted out of raw paganism.

Paul dealt with this question in his first letter. “We do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep [that is, those who have died],” Paul wrote, “or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope” (). Then Paul gave the reason they should not grieve: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (v. 14).

Paul made it clear that all believers—dead or alive—will be part of the Rapture. “The dead in Christ will rise first,” he reassured them, and then “after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (4:17). To make sure they understood this matter clearly, he stated: “And so we will be with the Lord forever” (v. 17).

I often use this passage of Scripture when I speak at funerals. The reason is obvious. Paul told us to “encourage each other with these words” (; see also 5:11). Paul was not denying that there would be sorrow when loved ones die. Rather, he told them that their grief was different. Their separation was only temporary. They would be united again when Jesus Christ comes to take all His children home to heaven—those who have died and those who are still alive.

THE POWER OF WORDS

The focus of Paul’s exhortations to “encourage one another” in the Thessalonian epistle is on “words of truth” that come directly from the Bible regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ. But in addition to correct doctrine, there are many other “word” messages we can use to encourage one another. When we use them appropriately, they have a profound impact on those who hear them. For example, consider the following proverb:

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up ().

At times, all of us have experienced the kind of anxiety spoken about in this proverb. It’s a heavy feeling that comes over us when we are troubled about something. It may be caused by family illness or the death of a close friend or loved one. For one or many reasons, we may be disappointed in ourselves. We have inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings or let someone down. We may have failed to achieve some goal that was important to us. Or we may be disappointed in someone else who has let us down. In this proverb, Solomon is simply telling us that we can counter the effects of a heavy heart with a kind word. In fact, we can change a person’s whole perspective on life. It’s so simple. It costs nothing. Why don’t we do it more often? Unfortunately, we’re too often so wrapped up in our own world we don’t think about others.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones ().

This second proverb treats another important dimension of encouragement. This time, Solomon wrote about pleasant words that are like honey. They’re “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Man is basically a two-dimensional creature—both soul/spirit and body. To put it another way, we are both psychological beings and physical beings and, of course, both are interrelated, so much so that we often talk about experiencing “psychosomatic” conditions. The first part of this word, “psycho” comes from the Greek word psuche, meaning “soul.” The second part of the word, “somatic,” comes from the Greek word soma meaning “body.” Therefore, “psychosomatic” refers to both the “soul” and “body.” Pleasant words affect both our psychological and physical being in a positive way.

On the other hand, Solomon also reminds us that the opposite is true. He also penned this proverb—“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (). Are you a “healer” or a “hurter”? An important means to help people feel good all over is to use pleasant words.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver ().

There’s an event in my childhood that I will never forget. I was only six years old and in the first grade. My teacher, whose name was Miss Olive Owens, went to the chalkboard and wrote the word “me” in what I know now was cursive. She then told all of us to copy this word on our tablets.

You must understand I had never seen the word “me”—either written or printed. These were pre-“Sesame Street” days, and try as I might, I couldn’t get my pencil to cooperate.

Miss Owens then began to walk down each aisle, looking at each student’s effort. I was in the third row—about three-quarters of the way back from the front of the room. She made her way down the first aisle, then up the second—and then started down my aisle. I was gripped with fear and my heart began to pound! What my hand had produced on my paper looked like the scribblings of a runaway seismograph!

But the traumatic moment came! Miss Owens stopped at my desk. My anxiety and tension was too much for me to handle. Tears filled my eyes as I lowered my head in shame. You see, I loved my teacher and I didn’t want to fail her. Furthermore, I was afraid I would be publicly reprimanded.

Miss Owens immediately sensed the cause of my anxiety. I’ll never forget what happened next. I can almost feel the emotional relief as I pen these words. She leaned over and quietly whispered in my ear so no one else could hear. “That’s all right, Gene,” she said as she bent over and kissed me gently on the cheek and went on to the next desk!

Do you understand why I’ll never forget that moment? What if she had scolded me, and told me to straighten up and “act like a big boy”! I would have been devastated. I was already embarrassed—and perhaps that would have been the beginning of a deep resentment toward my teacher and my school. Rather, from that moment forward, I was proud to be her student. I looked forward to school. And I worked hard to please my teacher.

There is an interesting sequel to this story. Years later when I was in college, I heard that Miss Owens had died of cancer. Though I was over a thousand miles away, I literally felt pain in my chest. Part of me seemed to feel what she had suffered. There is no question that what I was experiencing at that moment can be traced back to that day in the first grade when she encouraged me with some very kind words that were spoken at just the right moment and in the right context. This I believe is a powerful example of what this proverb means: “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” ().

“BARNABAS–SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT”

The Lord has given us a dynamic New Testament example of a man who encouraged others—and why he was such an encourager. His name was Joseph, but the apostles changed it to Barnabas—which means “son of encouragement.”

We first meet Barnabas in the midst of an economic crisis. He demonstrated unusual generosity in helping care for needy believers in Jerusalem. He was a capable businessman from Cyprus who had invested wisely in real estate in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Seeing the need to help the apostles meet the physical needs of those new Christians who had decided to stay in Jerusalem, he voluntarily sold “a field he owned” and gave the entire proceeds to the apostles to distribute among these new converts.

A Generous Man

Why did the Holy Spirit inspire Luke to record this event so we could read about it nearly two thousands years later? First, the Lord wants us to be exposed to His example of generosity. Second, the Lord wants all of us to know that generous people are real encouragers. Ask any pastor or Christian leader what encourages them the most in carrying out God’s work! Invariably, they will respond by stating that Christians who generously support the ministry with their monetary gifts remove a great burden from their shoulders—which is why these people are a great source of encouragement.

A People Person

But Barnabas was also an “encourager” because of his devotion to people. When Paul returned to Jerusalem—approximately three years following his conversion ()—he was still greatly suspect. Luke recorded that “he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple” (). They were convinced he was feigning his conversion in order to get “inside the system”—and then at the right moment to strike out as he had done before! Though several years had gone by, they had not forgotten how this man had orchestrated Stephen’s death and introduced an all-out attack against the church (8:1-3).

But Barnabas had developed a deep relationship with Paul. He knew this former persecutor was for real. He had the courage to go directly to the “top”—to the apostles—in order to intervene for his friend (9:27).

Any time you believe in someone, you are taking a risk. Barnabas was willing to take that risk—but not on blind faith. He had taken time to get the facts about Paul—to discover the truth. First, he told the apostles that Paul “had seen the Lord.” Second, he knew that “the Lord spoke” directly to Paul. Third, he had heard him preach “fearlessly in the name of Jesus” while in Damascus (9:27). Barnabas also knew that Paul had to flee for his own life because of his bold stand for the Gospel (9:23-25).

Encouragers give people the benefit of the doubt. Even when other people are skeptical or simply refuse to get involved in helping someone who needs a character reference, encouragers take time to get the facts—just like Barnabas—and then “step up to the plate” and “go to bat” for that person.

An Impartial Christian

There is another very important reason why Barnabas was such an encourager. He was free from prejudice. Following the intense persecution in Jerusalem, a number of Jewish believers “traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews” (11:19). Even the apostles still believed the Gospel was a message for Jews only. But Luke recorded that “men from Cyprus and Cyrene [Grecian Jews like Barnabas] . . . began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus” (11:20). Consequently, many of these Gentiles believed in the Gospel and were saved.

This was a great surprise to the Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem. Struggling with deep prejudice in their hearts—even as Christians—they concluded that they had no choice but to respond to what was happening. But who would go? Who would be willing to go? Finally, they decided to send Barnabas to Antioch in order to encourage these people in their faith (11:22).

The message is clear. Barnabas was a fair-minded man. He had lived among the Gentiles for years. He did business with them. He had eaten with them. He knew they were God’s creation just like himself. He was “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit”—the one Jesus identified as the parakletos (an encourager) (). When he arrived in Antioch and “saw the evidence of the grace of God” in these Gentiles’ lives, “he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23).

Only people who are free from prejudice can get truly excited about the good things that happen to people who are different from them. This is another reason that Joseph’s name was changed to Barnabas—“son of encouragement.” He was an impartial Christian.

Are You an Encourager Like Barnabas?

The following questions will help you do a reality check in your own life

Are you a generous Christian?

What percentage of your income do you actually give to the Lord’s work on a regular basis?

Are you a trusting Christian? Do you believe in people, seeing the best in them? Do you take time to really get to know people?

Are you an accepting Christian? Do you accept others as Christ accepted you? () More specifically, are you free from prejudice? Or do you believe that you are better than other people because of your ethnic or religious background?

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

Step 1: Learn to use the Word of God.

Learn to use the Word of God.

All Christians must realize how important the Word of God is in building up others within the body of Christ. And all Christians must be challenged to learn what God’s Word says. They must be ready to share the Word with others who are in special need of encouragement. In other words, Christians cannot mutually encourage one another with Scripture if they are not familiar with Scripture. Therefore, encourage each believer in your church to study the Word of God—not only for personal growth, but to be able to assist others in their growth.

Step 2: Allow the Holy Spirit to minister through all members of the body.

Allow the Holy Spirit to minister through all members of the body.

There is another very important reason why Barnabas was such an encourager. He was free from prejudice. Following the intense persecution in Jerusalem, a number of Jewish believers “traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews” (11:19). Even the apostles still believed the Gospel was a message for Jews only. But Luke recorded that “men from Cyprus and Cyrene [Grecian Jews like Barnabas] . . . began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus” (11:20). Consequently, many of these Gentiles believed in the Gospel and were saved.

This was a great surprise to the Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem. Struggling with deep prejudice in their hearts—even as Christians—they concluded that they had no choice but to respond to what was happening. But who would go? Who would be willing to go? Finally, they decided to send Barnabas to Antioch in order to encourage these people in their faith (11:22).

I read a story from a pastor this last week who noticed a man walk into a “small group” one day who had not been present for many months. I knew he was having a moral problem. I was probably the only one present who paid particular attention to his being there and one of the very few who knew he had a problem. As a body, we “happened” to be sharing Scripture with one another. To my amazement, one after another, people shared verses that had a direct bearing on this man’s problem. Those who shared, of course, knew nothing of this man’s moral problem. But the Holy Spirit did—and I was allowed to see God at work in a dramatic way through various members of Christ’s body.

If we were to go around the room, I would venture to guess that each of us could come up with a story similar to that one. I firmly believe that this kind of experience should not be a rare one. Rather, our churches should be structured so that it can happen regularly. If we will only study the principles of Scripture and develop patterns that are biblically and culturally related, I believe God will do great things through His people. And this leads to our final step.

The message is clear. Barnabas was a fair-minded man. He had lived among the Gentiles for years. He did business with them. He had eaten with them. He knew they were God’s creation just like himself. He was “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit”—the one Jesus identified as the parakletos (an encourager) (). When he arrived in Antioch and “saw the evidence of the grace of God” in these Gentiles’ lives, “he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23).

Only people who are free from prejudice can get truly excited about the good things that happen to people who are different from them. This is another reason that Joseph’s name was changed to Barnabas—“son of encouragement.” He was an impartial Christian.

Step 3: Evaluate your church structures.

Are You an Encourager Like Barnabas?

Evaluate your church structures.

The following questions will help you do a reality check in your own life:

Many churches are not designed for “body function” but for “preacher function.” Only the pastor or minister or some other teacher is delegated to share the Word of God with others in the church. Some pastors insist on being the only interpreter of Scripture. The Bible teaches that every Christian must be involved in this process. All Christians are to “speak the truth in love.”

Don’t misunderstand! It’s very important for a pastor or teacher to open the Word of God through an extended exposition and message. I do this nearly every weekend. But it should not be the only means for communication. The Scriptures also place a strong emphasis on mutual and informal teaching.

Are you a generous Christian?

Christians should meet together for the body of Christ to function—to encourage one another. This is why Paul wrote to the Colossians:

What percentage of your income do you actually give to the Lord’s work on a regular basis?

Are you a trusting Christian? Do you believe in people, seeing the best in them? Do you take time to really get to know people?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom ().

What about your church? What are the patterns like? Is there freedom for every member of the body of Christ to function—“to encourage one another” and “to build one another up”? In large churches, small groups become the necessary means to allow this to happen.

Are you an accepting Christian? Do you accept others as Christ accepted you? () More specifically, are you free from prejudice? Or do you believe that you are better than other people because of your ethnic or religious background?

PRACTICAL STEPS FOR ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

Step 1

Learn to use the Word of God.

All Christians must realize how important the Word of God is in building up others within the body of Christ. And all Christians must be challenged to learn what God’s Word says. They must be ready to share the Word with others who are in special need of encouragement. In other words, Christians cannot mutually encourage one another with Scripture if they are not familiar with Scripture. Therefore, encourage each believer in your church to study the Word of God—not only for personal growth, but to be able to assist others in their growth.