SESSION 10 STICK WITH ENCOURAGEMENT 118 Session 10
GET INTO THE STUDY The Point Encouragement strengthens relationships. The Bible Meets Life No soldier wants to go into battle alone, and none of us likes to stand up and be the lone voice in a meeting. We want to know someone has our back or is standing with us. We carry out our responsibilities better when we encourage each other. We all need encouragers in our lives. In turn, we can strengthen our relationships when we offer the same support and encouragement to others. The Passage Acts 9:26-28; 11:21-26 The Setting With the exception of God Himself, the early church perhaps knew no greater encourager than Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus. Indeed, he was better known by his nickname, Barnabas, son of encouragement. When Saul, the fiery persecutor of the church, came to Christ, he attempted to join believers in Jerusalem. He faced only shunning until Barnabas spoke on his behalf. When Gentiles began coming to the Lord in great numbers in Antioch, Barnabas encouraged them in their faith. 10 minutes GUIDE: Call attention to the display of glue bottles you set up before session 9. Show a bottle, and remind the group that in the previous session, love was the glue that made our relationships stick. Today, the glue is encouragement. Direct the group to look at the picture (see p. 118; Personal Study Guide [PSG], p. 118). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 118): Who has been the most encouraging person in your life? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 119). Acknowledge that we all need a good dose of encouragement in life. Unique challenges of seniors might require an extra dose. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 119): Encouragement strengthens relationships. SAY: One of God s model encouragers was Barnabas. Let s consider how encouragement can be a bonding agent in our relationships. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF MAY 3 119
THE POINT Encouragement strengthens relationships. STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 9:26-28 10 minutes GUIDE: Note that Barnabas first appears in Scripture as Joseph of Cyprus (4:36). The apostles had given him the nickname Barnabas, which means Son of Encouragement. Apparently, he had developed a reputation of encouraging others. Invite group members to turn to Acts 9. State that we will focus on three important principles of being encouragers as we examine Barnabas. Principle #1 is Encourage Acceptance. SUMMARIZE: Before reading the focal passage, use the Bible commentary 1 (pp. 120-121) to give some brief background about how Saul and Barnabas got to this point. Acts 9:26-28 26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. 27 Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. Encourage acceptance. Verse 26: 1 The focal passage begins at a critical moment in Saul s life and ministry. The response he received from the body of believers when he arrived in Jerusalem can only be understood in light of several key events that preceded it. As chapter 9 begins, Saul was still a persecutor of the church. The high priest had granted him authority to take Christians prisoner and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. Jesus revealed Himself to Saul on the Damascus road, leaving Saul blind, unable to eat, and filled with questions about his future. The Lord appeared to Ananias in a vision and called him to go to Saul in Damascus and lay hands on him so his sight might be restored. Though frightened by what he d heard about Saul, Ananias obeyed. Saul s vision was restored. He was baptized, took nourishment, and regained his strength. Right away, Saul began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues in Damascus. His hearers were amazed by Saul s changed life and outraged that he made such a convincing argument for Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews conspired to kill him but Saul s friends, learning of their plot, snuck him out of the city. 120 Session 10
Having already been baptized as a believer, having preached effectively in Damascus, and having narrowly escaped death because of his ministry, Saul arrived in Jerusalem hoping to be received by the church as a fellow believer and servant of Christ. Instead, he found a church that was afraid of him and unwilling to associate with him. Saul seems to be the first person who was not gladly received into the church at Jerusalem. Church leaders may have wondered if his efforts to join the Jerusalem church were not a scheme to identify Christians so they might be arrested and punished. Though Saul probably felt that his changed life and bold ministry were evidence of the sincerity of his faith and his desire to fellowship with Jerusalem Christians, they hesitated to take such a risk. Verse 27: At this critical moment, Barnabas enters the story to tip the scales of evidence in favor of Saul being received into and trusted by the Jerusalem church. Barnabas is actually a nickname given to Joseph of Cyprus (Acts 4:36). Barnabas literally means son of exhortation or son of encouragement. Baranabas gift of encouragement changed the course of Saul s life and ministry. Barnabas seems to have known Saul well enough to vouch for his conversion to Christ and his work in spreading the gospel in Damascus. Both Saul and Barnabas were Hellenists, Jews who grew up outside of Israel, which may have deepened their understanding and appreciation of each other. In any case, Barnabas s willingness to stand up and speak out on Saul s behalf was the key to Saul s acceptance into the Jerusalem fellowship and his endorsement as a minister of the gospel. Why was Saul s acceptance by the apostles and the Jerusalem church so important? Because Saul s personal experience with Jesus, as powerful as it was, needed to be examined by the church in light of the teaching entrusted to the apostles. Saul s examination by the Jerusalem church reminds us of the balance of a believer s personal experience and the church s authoritative understanding of the Christian faith. Every Christian needs both a personal experience with Jesus and a community of faith to help him understand and apply that experience. The apostles had all of the facts about Jesus, but He told them not to begin their mission to the world until they personally experienced the power of the Holy Spirit (1:4-5,8). Paul had a life-changing experience READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 26-28. SUMMARIZE: Barnabas took a risk in vouching for Saul. He encouraged the apostles and believers to reconsider their skepticism and to accept this man who used to be one of the church s worst enemies. The disciples may not have trusted Saul yet, but they did trust Barnabas; so they accepted Saul and invited him into their fellowship, and soon he became a dominant force in spreading the gospel. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 121): What risks do you take when you endorse an outsider? (Alternate: When have you felt like the new kid on the block?) 121
THE POINT Encouragement strengthens relationships. GUIDE: Emphasize that Saul s examination by the Jerusalem church reminds us of the balance of a believer s personal experience and the church s authoritative understanding of the Christian faith. Every Christian needs both a personal experience with Jesus and a community of faith to help him understand and apply that experience. Stress that senior believers who have been walking with Christ for a long time are in a unique position to encourage new believers and to help them understand the importance of living and serving in community with other Christians. TRANSITION: We ve seen how important it is to encourage acceptance. Barnabas also shows us the importance of principle #2: encourage spiritual growth. with the risen Jesus, but he needed to be sure that his faith in Jesus was securely anchored in the truths entrusted to the church. In the earliest days of the church, the apostles guarded the faith by comparing the experiences of individuals with the words and deeds of Jesus they had seen and heard. Today, the authoritative teaching of the church is the Bible, our inspired collection of Jesus teachings. Verse 28: The phrase coming and going with them (literally going in and out among them ) was used in Acts 1:21 to describe the close fellowship of the circle of apostles. Used again here, it means that Saul was fully accepted and free to take his place in the circle of the apostles. Barnabas s courageous gift of encouragement gave Saul the opportunity to demonstrate his calling and character and take his place among the leaders of the church. Verse 28 uses a word that is central to the message of the Book of Acts. Saul spoke boldly. This same word was used by the Greeks to describe the freedom of a citizen to speak in a public assembly, similar to an American citizen s constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. A citizen can speak boldly when confident that the state will support and protect that freedom. Saul s confidence in speaking boldly for Christ did not come from the state. He was attacked by religious and civil government authorities and narrowly escaped death more than once. His strength to speak came from within. Saul spoke boldly because he had confidence in the mission God had given him. Saul had the inner freedom that comes from knowing that sharing the truth about Jesus is worth the risk of rejection and even persecution. Because of Barnabas s confidence in Saul, the Jerusalem church gave Saul the gift of acceptance and support. In turn, Saul gave them the gift of his boldness. Just as Saul needed the acceptance of the Jerusalem church, they needed his example of courage in sharing Christ in an often hostile world. 122 Session 10
Acts 11:21-24 21 The Lord s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 Then the report about them was heard by the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. Encourage growth. Verse 21: A second example of Barnabas s gift of encouragement took place in Antioch as many people, Jews and Gentiles, were responding to the gospel and following Christ. The city was a melting pot of peoples and cultures with eastern and western, Roman and Greek, Semitic, Arab, and Persian influences. The city contained a large Jewish population. Antioch would soon become the home base of the mission to the Gentiles. Barnabas was a central character in the transformation of Antioch from a mission field into a thriving church that sent missionaries to share Christ with the Gentile world. The Lord s hand is an Old Testament expression used to describe God s power (Isa. 59:1; 66:14). These words remind us that the response we see to the preaching of the gospel is not just the result of our human efforts. God takes the initiative and works powerfully to lead hearers to repentance and faith in Jesus. Those who believed turned to the Lord. When the hand of God touches us, it turns us. Professing faith in Jesus is always connected to a change of attitude and a change of life direction. When the church calls people to believe but not also to turn, we lead people into the false idea that they can agree with Jesus words but not follow Him with their lives. STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 11:21-24 5 minutes GUIDE: Direct the group to turn to Acts 11:21. Note this passage focuses on what God was doing in Antioch of Syria, a large and important city in the Roman Empire 300 miles north of Jerusalem. The church in Antioch would eventually become the home base of the Christian mission to the Gentile world. But at this point, the Jerusalem church was just now hearing about what God was doing there. READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 21-24. GUIDE: Focus on verse 23. Note Barnabas s response to how he saw God working among the new believers in Antioch. Emphasize the importance of our being happy and encouraging as we see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. 123
THE POINT Encouragement strengthens relationships. Invite group members to think of people who encouraged them in their learning to follow Jesus. Note in verse 23 that Barnabas encouraged the believers to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve. SAY: Each of us could likely share many stories of trials in our Christian walk when we needed that same kind of encouragement. GUIDE: Note the statement in the second paragraph on PSG page 124: As faith begins to falter and growth comes to a standstill, God can send along an encourager to rekindle our passion. (ENHANCEMENT: Pack Item 8: An Encourager Comes Along ) DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 125): How do we intentionally grow into the role of an encourager? (Alternate: What role did encouragement play in the church at Antioch?) Verse 22: When news of the Antioch church s growth reached leaders of the church in Jerusalem, they wanted to know more about what was happening. They were especially interested in the news that many of the new Christians were Gentiles. As the Book of Acts reveals, the early church struggled with the relationship of Judaism to Christianity, with some believing that a person had to be a practicing Jew in order to be a faithful Christian while others contended that faith in Christ alone brings salvation. Barnabas was selected to travel to Antioch to see the growing church first-hand. The Jerusalem church leaders had many good reasons to choose him. Barnabas was a Hellenist, a Jew who lived outside of the nation of Israel, so he understood the values and concerns of the Jews in the Antioch church. The Jerusalem church had full confidence in his character, as was seen when they accepted Saul based on Barnabas s support. They also knew that Barnabas would deal with this new situation with understanding and tact, unlike the harsh way some Jerusalem Christians responded to Gentile believers. The degree of confidence the Jerusalem church had in Barnabas can also be seen in the fact that they did not ask him to bring them a report from Antioch so they might decide what must be done. The Jerusalem church, while concerned about the integrity of the gospel wherever it was proclaimed, respected the right of believers at Antioch to respond to the gospel and follow Jesus in their local setting. Verse 23: When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he saw God s grace at work in the lives of people. He did not measure the health or faithfulness of the Antioch church by his personal preferences or those of the Jerusalem church. He knew that the presence and power of God s saving grace gave legitimacy to the church s life. Barnabas was glad when he saw God at work in the Antioch church. An encourager is able to celebrate good things in the lives of others. Barnabas was not jealous of what Christians in Antioch were accomplishing, nor did he feel threatened by what they were doing without the direct leadership of the Jerusalem church. 124 Session 10
Barnabas encouraged the Christians at Antioch to resolve in their hearts to remain true to Christ. He understood that the center of the Christian life is an abiding obedient relationship to Jesus. He invested his influence where he knew it mattered most in helping new believers grow in their love for Jesus and their desire to live for Him. Verse 24: Verse 24 lists and celebrates qualities of Barnabas life that made him such an effective encourager in Antioch. Barnabas was a good man, a description Luke gave to only one other person, Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50). Barnabas sincerely wanted and worked for what was best for others. He was full of the Holy Spirit. Barnabas was aware of God s presence in his life and recognized God at work in the lives of others. Barnabas was also full of faith. He had complete trust in God to accomplish His will, no matter how difficult the circumstances he faced might become. He also had confidence in others, the genuineness of their conversion experience, and their giftedness for ministry. The more we pray for and cultivate these qualities in our lives, the greater our impact on people for Christ will be. The large numbers of people who were added to the Lord presented the church with the wonderful but difficult challenge of teaching so many new believers how to be disciples of Jesus. Barnabas recognized that he could not meet the needs of so many, so he once again used his gift of encouragement to bless the church this time by enlisting the help of another gifted teacher. Acts 11:25-26 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Encourage service. Verse 25: Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. Saul had been sent to Tarsus several years earlier for his own protection. His effectiveness in debating TRANSITION: The final principle we learn today from Barnabas is that encouragers encourage service. STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 11:25-26 15 minutes READ: Ask a volunteer to read verses 25-26. SUMMARIZE: As the church in Antioch began to grow, Barnabas went to find Saul. He brought Saul to Antioch to serve to do what God had gifted him to do. At one time, Barnabas had served as a mentor to Saul. Now Saul had developed to the point of being Barnabas s peer in ministry, so that the two became a formidable force for discipleship. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 126): How can we actively encourage others to use their spiritual gifts? (Alternate: What is our responsibility toward someone who has faded from view?) 125
THE POINT Encouragement strengthens relationships. GUIDE: Point out that Saul served because he was encouraged by Barnabas and obedient to the call of God. Barnabas did not just encourage Saul with words. He encouraged through his actions: he served alongside Saul. Stress that our actions and examples can be great encouragements for others to step up and use the gifts and skills God has given them. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 127): How can we actively encourage God s larger work in our church? DO: Direct attention to the activity, Encouraging Words (PSG, p. 127). Invite volunteers to share their responses. Jews in Jerusalem had so frustrated them that they plotted to kill him. Friends relocated Saul to Tarsus before that could happen (Acts 9:30). While Luke doesn t tell us what Saul had done since returning to his home town, Saul later spoke of missionary work he did in Syria and Cilicia during that time (Gal. 1:21). Saul was a wise choice for helping new Christians in Antioch. He was a Hellenist and, as such, understood the ways of the Jews in Antioch. Saul knew the region around Antioch better than any of the Jerusalem apostles. He had gained valuable experience in preaching to unbelievers and could be effective in the Antioch church s evangelistic efforts. Saul s faithfulness to Christ while in Tarsus prepared him for the next chapter of his service to Christ in Antioch. Barnabas recognized that Saul s gifts were a perfect match for the needs of the Antioch church. Verse 26: When Barnabas found Saul and led him to Antioch, he was leading Saul into the great mission of his life sharing Christ with the Gentile world. Barnabas and Saul invested an entire year in teaching new believers. They recognized that Christ calls people not only to salvation, but also to discipleship. Their example challenges us to be intentional about training new believers in the ways of the Christian life and to invest the time needed to prepare new Christians to live and serve effectively. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Called is an unusual word, meaning, were called after their business. When unbelievers looked at the Antioch church and sought a word to describe them, they invented a term that identified the business of believers as working for Christ. May we give such clear evidence in our day that our life business is working for Jesus. The name Christian was, therefore, invented by unbelievers in Antioch. This name for believers is found only two other times in the New Testament, once in the words of King Agrippa to Paul (Acts 26:28) and once when Peter used it to remind believers of how some unbelievers looked down on them (1 Pet. 4:16). The word was almost certainly born in the Gentile world, where the name Christ was thought to be a proper name for Jesus, not the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. 126 Session 10
Barnabas s encouragement produced very practical results. The next event described in the Book of Acts (Acts 11:27-30) is the prediction of a famine throughout the Roman world, a disaster that would put many Christians, especially those with few financial resources, in danger of hunger or even starvation. The church at Antioch responded to this need by giving, as each was able, to provide support for hungry Christians in Judea. Barnabas and Saul served as the messengers of this love in action. Christians in Antioch now gave Christian brothers and sisters in need the same gift of encouragement they had received from Barnabas. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS We all need encouragement. We need to know we are not alone. Jesus sacrifice for us on the cross is the ultimate expression that we need not be alone in our sins. Christ will forgive us, if we will reach out to Him in faith. Mausoleum built over the top of what is thought to be the tomb of Barnabas. The following excerpt is from the article, Barnabas: All We Know (Fall 2012), which can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/ biblicalillustrator. Barnabas s life served as a model to the other believers around him. He was a light in a dark world and always had a positive word for those he encountered. He embraced Paul when others opposed him. He supported John Mark when Paul repulsed him for leaving the mission work early. Barnabas served the Jerusalem church when they needed information about the events in Antioch. Barnabas carried the love offering from Antioch back to Jerusalem. One of Barnabas s greatest strengths rested in his skills as a mentor. He mentored Paul as the two initially worked together in Antioch and Mark on the second journey. Previous articles, Damascus in Paul s Day (Sum. 2008), and First- Century Antioch of Syria (Fall 1995), relate to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator, or call 1-800-458-2772. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. 127
THE POINT Encouragement strengthens relationships. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes DO: Emphasize The Point: Encouragement strengthens relationships. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 128; see text to the right). Challenge each group member to choose one of the options to apply this week. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Show a bottle of glue, and remind the group that encouragement is a great bonding agent when it comes to making relationships stick. PRAY: Father, thank you for the encouragers you have sent into our lives. Give us both the desire and the strength to be the encouragers you want us to be so that others will continue to grow as followers of Your Son. Amen. LIVE IT OUT To encourage one another is to strengthen one another in our relationships. Consider how you might encourage someone this week. Which of these applications might God be leading you to complete? > > Express thanks. Express thanks to someone who has encouraged you. Be specific regarding how their words or actions helped you. > > Evaluate yourself. Are any of your relationships suffering due to lack of encouragement on your part? If so, ask a trusted Christian friend to help you identify how you can make improvements. Set specific goals for what to do and when in order to improve a relationship that needs repair. > > Encourage each other. Form a group of 4-6 friends to meet regularly for coffee or a meal. Make it a goal of each in the group to encourage in some way every person in the group each time you meet. Be aware of how your relationships become stronger. We all need encouragement. The body of Christ can t exist without it. Let s be committed to both giving and receiving a good, daily dose. We ll all be the better for it. 128 Session 10
My Thoughts My Group's Prayer Requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, boomers, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. New Way Mother's Day Did you know more phone calls are made on Mother s Day than any other day of the year? These holiday chats with Mom often cause phone traffic to spike by as much as 37 percent. But in some homes, the phone is silent. Why? A son is a son till he takes a wife. A daughter is a daughter all her life. Have you heard that old saying? Well, that was never going to work for me: I raised three sons. To continue reading New Way Mother s Day from Mature Living magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles, and enter the article title in the search bar. Or use your smartphone to access the article directly by scanning the QR code. 129