Transcript: Christian Encouragement: Being a Blessing to Others

Acts chapter 4, verse 36. And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the son of Consolation, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. We don't hear a whole lot about Barnabas, but he's called the son of consolation. He is actually, I guess, known as an encourager. Someone who encourages. You know, one of the greatest tragedies of our time is that there are so few people around who will encourage or help other people. And folks, I believe if there is any group of people that ought to try to encourage one another and to love one another, it is the born-again child of God, and it is the church of the living God. to encourage people. The Bible has much to say about us as Christians. And I thought, and the Bible says this, though I speak something like with the tongue of prophets and I have great oratory skills to preach, and I can do all of this and call down fire out of heaven and do miracles, and yet I don't love my fellow man. ain't nothing to me folks I'll just be honest with you I mean I really think that God looks down on me and says Fred you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing because the Bible tells us in the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verse 32 and be ye kind one to another be ye kind one to another Barnabas was a man and we'll try to see here this morning that he was a man who helped others. He was an encourager. And be ye kind one to another. That's not a request, but a command. Be ye kind. How many of you people, you don't have to raise your hand, but I believe everyone in here that's old enough, you remember somebody when you was growing up that they were either kind to you or unkind to you. Now, I'm going to tell you those that were unkind to me, I remember them. Of course, I forgive them, but I remember them, those people. I had an uncle who the devil couldn't get along with him, and I never did like him. I'll just be honest with you. He just hated us. And I hope he went to heaven. But there's something about being kind and loving one another. loving one another. And be ye kind. Let me finish this. Ephesians 4, 32, and this is speaking to every one of us as Christians. I want you to listen to it now. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Are we tenderhearted? Are we tenderhearted? Do we forgive other people? I'll tell you where we're at in America. I think I told this from the pulpit. My doctor in West Virginia was telling me that her and her husband had to go to, she had to go to some kind of a seminar because she's a doctor, and they had to go to Washington, D.C., and they was right here, and they could see the hotel they was going to, but they didn't know, it was just like here and one block over, and her husband was driving, and he stopped and asked this man, said, can you tell us how to get over to this hotel? And said the first thing he'd done is stuck his hand out. had to give him five dollars before he'd even tell him how to get over on this other street. The Bible tells us to be kind one to another and tenderhearted. Helping one another. Forgiving one another. Even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. And in Luke chapter 6 verse 35. but love ye your enemies. Love ye your enemies. That's a hard thing to do, folks. It's a hard thing to do is to love your enemies. And it says, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest, for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. so jesus set the example that he is he is a kind-hearted person and we are to be that type of a person even as barnabas was and i i studied on this and i thought lord i ain't gonna have nothing much to say on it and the holy spirit just began to give me different things and different things and but the life of barnabas although he was a man of god and was led by the holy spirit I think he more than anything else is remembered as the son of consolation, as one who encourages people. Well, I'll tell you many times, and I don't know how many times, but I was thinking and studying how many times or so many times people have just said a kind word. That's all that it takes. It's just a kind word. You're a blessing to me. You know, I appreciate you. Is that so hard for us to say that? Because, folks, I'm going to tell you something. There are so many people. There are so many lonely people in the world today. I see it and I've said it from this pulpit I see it more and more and more I was talking to an 82 or 84 year old woman this week I know her she don't even live in this state I was getting my car worked on and I called her by name and I said how are you Miss so and so and she said well I'm alright but I'm very downcast and I said why she said my son-in-law is in the hospital and has cancer she's very and I said how bad is it she said it's all over his body and I said we'll put him on our prayer list I don't know his name but I mentioned it here this morning everywhere that I go there are lonely people there are people that are needing a helping hand there are people that need just a word of encouragement they don't necessarily need money they don't necessarily need things they just need a word of encouragement to let them know that somebody cares about them people's always now more than ever that i remember people are looking for ways they're looking for answers. No wonder psychiatrists and counselors, Christian counselors, are swamped. People are looking for answers, and I believe it might have been B.G. McMahon said people, when he preached the revival here, said people pay such great amounts of money, $100 to $500 an hour, and all that they want someone to do is to listen to them. Just listen. The people that were working on my Buick and I finally got it back. There's a man and his two sons. This man must have been about 50, 55 and he said, you're a preacher aren't you? And I said, yeah. And he said, well maybe you can help me. I'm telling you folks, if people find out that you're a Christian they'll open up more than ever. I said what's wrong he said I want to ask you he said what can you do now things that I think is kind of silly he said what can you do when somebody puts an old evil hex on you I said what he said you know you're just having one of them days when everything is going bad and said I was always taught that somebody put an evil hex on you and he said what do you do about it? I said I don do anything about it because I don believe in that I don believe anybody can put a hex or a spirit on me especially if I walking with God And I said why is somebody doing something putting an evil spirit on you? He said, well, I don't know, but I said, I believe my wife has demons. I said, why is that? And she said, well, she wakes me up a lot at night. Talking. She talks. She asks a question in her voice, and then she answers it back in a man's voice. And I said, man, you have got problems. He said, there's something wrong. He said, I wish to God I'd have never married that woman. I said, well, I can't help you there. He said, I'm going to tell you what happened the other night. He said, I was laying there asleep and woke up. I said, I felt something on my shoulder and said, it's her hand. And she was sound asleep and had a butcher knife. Drawed back to cut my throat. I said, you sure do need help. He's serious. He's serious. Now, I don't know if he wanted me to say just walk off and leave her or what. But he said, she's always trying to put a hex on me. Well, he ought to thought of that and ask the Lord before he married her. I don't know what I'm saying is, folks, everywhere I go, I find people with all kinds of situations, in all kinds of different situations, and they'll ask you. They'll ask you anymore. What can I do? Can you help me? Can you give me a word of encouragement? I'm not going to encourage that man to leave his wife. He might have been a liar, and I don't know. He did say, I wish to God I'd have never married her. Well, that's your problem. She might feel even more strong that she didn't want to marry you. I don't know. But my point is there are many people with problems, many people that are lonely and destitute. Lonely. They say, and I've heard it said that in huge cities, and I would agree. I've never been to New York City and have no desire to go. But in the midst of all these millions of people, it's one of the loneliest places in the world. you could walk up to people, but not just in New York City, but even maybe around here and say, I've got this problem, I've got this problem, and so many people, especially up there, would say, well, what do you think I look like? They might even be getting that way around here. Folks, we need some people, and that people is us as God's children to lend a word of encouragement. Sometimes just a word, just a little hand, And just a word of encouragement that'll pick people up. I remember, and I might have mentioned this year, but it goes along with this message so much. And I appreciate the Salvation Army so much, folks. I do. I appreciate them. They go through a rigorous training of I don't know how many years. They have to go to college, and they have to work their way through college. They have to help do the dishes. and when they come out of there, they are ordained ministers, they're ordained counselors, but I remember Paul Harvey had a special, and he said he began to look and wonder, why would anybody want to go into the Salvation Army? Because after taxes, and you've got to pay taxes on it, you make about $110 a week, and they said one thing about it, when you graduate, they give you a brand new pair of shoes, and those shoes are to get out and walk for the Lord. And he told about a young woman who was in the skid rows of Baltimore, Maryland. Every morning she gets up and she knows that she's going into the skid row, and that's where people who are destitute said that there were former congressmen, senators, and doctors, and lawyers, and people who had got hooked on alcohol or drug, and they're lying here living in a pasteboard box or just don't have anything at all. And I know they're looking for wine, but a word of encouragement. Am I? Do I have the authority? That's what I'm saying. Do I have the authority as a Christian to just turn my head and say, I'm not interested in you. I don't care about you. I believe the greatest attribute that any child of God can have is that of love. Now Charles mentioned it in the lesson that people get their self into situations and you can't help them out. But folks, there are a lot of people that just need a word of encouragement. They get kicked. Maybe they did put their self in that situation. Many of them can't help it. But like Barnabas, they need just a word of encouragement. General Booth and his wife founded the Salvation Army back in the 1800s somewhere. And it's been going and going and going. And I wonder how many millions of people have been helped. And I always, always, when I see the Salvation Army people out of ringing that bell, I'll go out of my way to put some money in that little old red kettle thing because I know that they're doing what is right. They're giving a helping hand and a word of encouragement. A word of encouragement. So many people are involved in so many different things. They just want somebody to say, Hey, I care about you. I care about you. And folks, it touched my heart. I guess what brought this message on was during vacation Bible school, And again, I want to say, those, whoever it was that went and picked up those children in the trailer park, I believe God will bless you. I believe God will give you a special blessing. But I saw, and it's not just because they live in a trailer park, but sometimes people are a little less fortunate than others. But to see those kids to come into this church and to see the smile on their face and to be able to come in and be a part of a church and then to come and get in this altar. Many of them, it's not just in trailer parks, but it's everywhere. Living families, they don't know who their daddy is, don't know who their mama is, and families are so scattered, it's like scrambled eggs and little children, which they can't, it's not their fault. But folks, they just need a helping hand. Oh, you say little children don't know that. Oh yeah, they do too. now Dakota is here and he's loved by his family his parents but I'm going to show you something he's three years old now listen he asked me the other day where he said Papa I love you and I said I love you too and I don't know about three or four minutes went by and he said do you love me I said yeah I love you and he put his arms around me He said, I love you too. Folks, I believe that's the condition of so many people in the world. Now, he's loved, don't you? He's loved. You don't have to worry about that. But it just rung home. It sent a message home to me. How many people, how many little old boys and girls out there that don't have anybody that ever says, Hey, I love you. I love you. Hey, you're important. You're important. a word of encouragement. We all need it. We're all important in the eyes of God. And those children touched me. Those children touched me. Folks, I'm going to tell you, and I'm glad that God blesses people. I am. I know that people work, and God blesses people. But folks, we should never, ever come to the point where we say, well, I'll tell you, I've got this, and I'm better than you are. God help if we ever come to that I hope God will knock the props out from under us so quick hey we are what we are by the grace of God and we ought to love and I read that scripture to you and I'm going to read it again and be ye kind one to another he didn't say just to everybody that's in your class but be ye kind one to another those people out here on skid row those people that don't have it. Those people that don't measure up. Those people that don't have the fine clothes. Because I'm going to tell you it. I believe it more. Well, I don't just believe it. I know it. Folks, we're not going to take anything with us. The only thing that we're going to take with us, and I say we're not going to take anything with us, that's material. We'll not take any of that with us. And I don say this to harp on anybody but I going to ask you something When the last time you just gave a word of encouragement to somebody When the last time you just told somebody you're a blessing to me, I appreciate you? Or do we just kind of stick our head back and say, well, I don't really care. I've got everything I need. But that was not at all the way Jesus was. oh think about how Jesus loved us he had it all folks he has it all but he left heaven left the throne of glory come down to people that was destitute living on Skid Row even though you might have been living in a mansion you was in Skid Row you had no hope I had no hope and Jesus passed by and said Fred I love you I love you well I'll tell you that'll do something to you right here that'll touch you I haven't done anything I've never amounted anything but see that's not what it's based on God does not look at your bank account God does not look at the house you live in God does not look at the car you drive God looks at you as hey you are somebody I don't like the sins that you do for anybody. But he still says, I want you to know that I love you. I love you. We studied this morning about temptation, and sometimes we're tempted, and sometimes we yield to temptation, folks. We all do. But you know, I'm glad that God, through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, when we yield a temptation that God don't come along and say, yeah, I knew, I knew that you'd never make it. I knew that, I just knew you was that kind of a person. God does not do that. God comes along and has a word of encouragement and says, Fred, get up and just keep on going, but don't go back into sin. I still love you. I'm not going to kick you out. I still love you. Glory to God. If I got what I deserved, I'd be in hell or on my way to hell, but somebody loved me. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Even, why did Jesus love me? I don't know. I read this week, maybe you saw it, from the Baptist Children's Home of North Carolina, which we support. Folks, we ought to support that with everything. We ought to really support it because I believe he said they had 2,000 orphans in there. And they had a story. I had an article. I'd already seen it. But then I got a letter from Dr. Blackwell. And this young man, when he was a boy, his daddy had died and his mother got on drugs and she abused him. and he was in one foster home to another and abused here and there and the Lord worked it out where he could get into the Baptist Children's Home over here at Clyde. We go over there every year and let me say to you when it comes time to go, be a blessing, won't it Richard? I guarantee it'll be a blessing if you go. But this man, this young lad, he must have been about nine, eight or nine, something like that, when he went over there. And he said in his testimony, and he had spoke at the Baptist State Convention and different, I don't know how many hundreds of churches. He said, I could do one of two things. I could lay around in my misery and say, you know, I've had it rough. This has happened. This has happened. This has happened. or I could tell people about what Jesus has done for me. Here's a young lad. Nobody cared for him. His daddy was dead. His mother didn't care for him. But the Lord Jesus Christ and the Baptist children's home, of which I'm glad we have a part in that, picked that young man up and gave him a place to stay, food deep, clothes to wear, and said he became a straight-A student. Vice President of his class He is number one on the track team Over there, whatever school that is they go to I think it's a regular high school that they go to But he said all of his life, as long as he could remember He wanted to be an officer in the military And he made such good grades that he got into the Citadel Down here in South Carolina and graduated with honors and had his picture there, that uniform on. And he's now a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force. And he said, you know why? Because somebody cared for me. Somebody cared for me. Somebody picked me up. Somebody gave me a word of encouragement. Now, folks, if somebody hadn't have cared, that young man could be out on Skid Row. He could be a dope addict. He could be a criminal, a murderer, whatever. But, you know, all we need is just sometimes a word of encouragement. A word of encouragement. Barnabas was an encourager because I'm going to turn to the same book Acts chapter 9 verse 26 I want to read you something here about him Acts chapter 9 verse 26 and 27 and when Saul was come to Jerusalem he tried to join himself to the disciples. Remember, Saul was a man who had persecuted the church. He was a very, I mean, you talk about a man that fought the church because he thought it was wrong. He was the most wicked when it come to that. I mean, he said that he is issuing papers and warrants and having people thrown in jail, and he stood by and held the coat of those that stoned Stephen to death. He fought against the church, but on the road to Damascus, he met the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus saved him. Instantly, just like he does us. Well, he wanted to come in and be a part. Listen to this. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed or he tried to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas, here we see Barnabas again, that encourager, that comforter. But Barnabas took him in. Barnabas took him in. Yes, all you wreaked havoc in the church. You had people killed. You had people locked up. You had people beaten. but when it comes right down to it you wasn't any worse you wasn't any more lost than any of us were we was all lost and it was through the grace of the lord jesus christ that he saved you and it was through the grace of the lord jesus christ that he he saved us and they just as afraid of they said we don't want you in here we're afraid we heard about you but barnabas this is exactly what it says, verse 27, but Barnabas took him in, took him in, 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. Someone just to give a helping hand, just a word of encouragement. Barnabas was that. I remembered when I was making notes, even in class, the Lord began to give me things. And I remembered Charles and Barbara Allen, and I don't know who all, I don't know who went on this trip, but they had gone to Mexico not long ago. And when they came back, they told about people living in very bad situations and some of them I guess was just I believe Charles said that the woodshed or an outhouse would be outstanding to what some of these people lived in maybe just a piece of something throw it up here like you'd live out in the woods people are begging children are begging for candy begging for this begging for that Well listen We say that's bad. That's terrible. But isn't there something that we can do about it? You know, I appreciate this church for sending $1,000 down there. We took in, what, almost $500 for Vacation Bible 400 or something, and then it was voted to make it $1,000. That'll help somebody. That'll be an encouragement to somebody. Well, they're Mexicans. Well, so what? They're human beings, just like you and I are. And folks, I don't know what tomorrow holds. I don't even know what the day holds. This nation, America, is hanging just by a thread, folks. All you've got to do is watch the news and watch the economic situation. We could collapse just like that, and we could be right in the same situation that they are. Be ye kind one to another. Be an encourager. You don't have to go preach a great sermon. You don't aim at being a great teacher. Just a word of encouragement. Hey, somebody loves you. Somebody cares about you. You are important. You may live in a shack, but you're still important. You may not have a fine car, but you're still important. And I thank God. I really thank God for Crabtree Chapel Baptist Church sending this money, folks. we don't know what will come out of that we don't know but I know this if we shut up the Bible said if you shut up your bowels of mercy or you don't have compassion you turn your head away and say I don't care I don't care folks if we have that attitude we may be a Christian but we're not really much of a Christian we're not living because Christianity is giving. It's caring. It's caring for other people. Corrie ten Boom gave her life. She was there. Her parents, some of her people died in those camps there with Adolf Hitler. Corrie ten Boom gave her life caring for other people. God blessed her as I said we are remembered listen if you don't this is something the Lord gave me we are remembered by what we do and by what we don't do we are remembered by what we do and by what we don't do people remember and say, you know, so-and-so helped me. They've just been a help. They've just been a great help and encourager. And we see, there's Mother Teresa. Went into that city of garbage. That might have been in Mexico, I think. Don't know for sure, but they said the whole city, it went out into the landfill, the garbage dump, and everybody lived there. Everything they had was made out of garbage. and Mother Teresa who she won some kind of something over in Italy she won a it was a limousine that used to be the Pope's and she immediately sold it and said all the money that goes I don't want a limousine I'm not interested in that that's fine but she sold it auctioned it off or sold it and said all the money will go to those people in the city of garbage folks we are remembered by what we do and what we don't do so many great preachers teachers whatever are never remembered not by great swelling words but what's in here Jesus Christ as Simon Peter came to him and said Simon do you love me do you love me he said yeah I love you he said feed my sheep then he looked at him again and said Simon do you love me yeah you know I love you feed my sheep he looked at him a third time and said Simon do you love me and Simon and began to get a little perturbed and irritated. Lord, you know I love you. Then he said, feed my lambs. That's some little ones out there. We saw 11 young people come down here and get on their knees and ask Jesus Christ to come into their lives. And five young people came and rededicated their lives. The Bible said, suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not. That child has nothing to offer. They have no money. They have no talent. They have no job. But Jesus said, if you want to go to heaven, you're going to have to come like one of these little children. Just come like one of these little children. Do you love me? My, my. I'll close with this. Then we're going to have a dedication service. I preached at a prison in West Virginia. I don't even remember where it was at. Don't remember the name of the town, but it was a huge prison. Men's and women's. The guards brought the men in on this side, and they brought the women in on this side. And it was a big auditorium. I don't know how many hundreds of people were there. And I don't say it boasting, but I was able to preach. I was able to preach and lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and just tell these people. I don't know why you're in here. You done wrong. But I just want to tell you, God still loves you. God still loves you. God still cares. And folks, after that service, the women, they all come by and shake hands at me, and the women would shake hands, and they would slip a note. and I remember two or three women said don't say nothing about this said they'll I don't know what but said it's we're not supposed to be doing it and after it was over I read those notes and it was would you pray for me would you pray for me preacher would you remember me is up close to Easter and one handed me, slipped me some kind of a little something she had drawn about Easter and the empty tomb. Folks, I'm saying to you everywhere I go, everywhere you go there are people that just need encouragement. That's the greatest mark to me of a Christian is to love and to be able to whisper and say, keep on keeping on. You are important. There are no big I's or little you's. God loves you just like everybody else. Let's bow our heads for a minute. And I'm going to ask Charles and Kim, we're going to have to hurry because we're going to have this dedication service. Kim or Kay is in here. We're going to sing two verses. Folks, listen. Do you love me? Jesus is asking you this morning, asking us, do you love me? do you love me? Then pass it on. Pass it on. Be an encourager. Just a word. A kind word. My, how it'll touch our hearts. What are we singing, Charles? Let's stand for just a moment. Page 368, two verses. If there's any need in your life, this has not been a big loud sermon but I hope it touched us it touched me God can use you folks God loves you God wants to help you yes Thank you.