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Introduction
How do you encourage someone?
Last week I shared the story of how a woman in the church here had encouraged Jess and I.
This past week I thought about that encouragement and asked myself what it was she did to encourage us.
1st, she recognized our need of encouragement.
2nd, she spoke words of encouragement.
This wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t sincere.
If we are going to encourage others, we have to be sincere.
Recognizing and speaking are not enough if we have no sincere words of encouragement to share!
Last week we began talking about encouragement.
Specifically, the encouragement of Saul by Ananias.
We discussed the need to demolish barriers if we are to have a ministry of encouragement.
Ananias is commanded by God to go, lay hands on Saul, giving him back his sight and imparting the Holy Spirit.
He is hesitant because he knows who Saul is and the harm he has done to the saints in Jerusalem and the harm he plans to do in Damascus.
Ananias is told by God that Saul is His chosen vessel!
He will bear the name of Christ before kings, Gentiles, and Jews.
We ended last week with this command to Ananias to go.
Today we will pick up there.
Saul the persecutor of the church has had his world turned upside down.
He has realized that He has been persecuting the Messiah.
He has been blinded by the light he saw on the road and he is now fasting and praying in Damascus.
Into this situation, God is going to send encouragement.
God is going to use Ananias to encourage Saul.
Saul the persecutor of the church has had his world turned upside down.
He has realized that He has been persecuting the Messiah.
He has been blinded by the light he saw on the road and he is now fasting and praying in Damascus.
Into this situation, God is going to send encouragement.
God is going to use Ananias to encourage Saul.
This passage challenges us to have a ministry of encouragement.
In a ministry of encouragement there are two requirements.
When we meet these requirements we are able to encourage others.
If we are going to have a ministry of encouragement our first requirement is to…
1. Identify And Demolish Barriers To Encouragement vv.
10-16
The greatest barrier to a ministry of encouragement is ourselves.
We put up roadblocks.These verses identify three barriers to encouragement that must be demolished before we can fulfill this ministry.
a.
The barrier of need vv.
10-12
Both the one to be encouraged, and the one to do the encouraging, must recognize the need.
b.
The barrier of fear vv.
13-14
NKJVFor God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
When God calls, He also equips us to answer the call!
There is no reason to fear because God is with us.
c.
The barrier of purpose vv.
15-16
God overcomes Ananias’ fear by detailing for him the purpose for which the Lord was calling Saul.
NKJVTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
says (S).
The second requirement to a ministry of encouragement is to…
NKJVFor you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
The Saul that Ananias is being sent to is not the Saul who left Jerusalem!
He has been wondrously, miraculously, and gloriously transformed!
In ch. 13 that transformation will be forever recognized when Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the apostle.
That is what takes place when we trust Jesus Christ as Savior!
That is what is reflected in the Words “he is a chosen vessel of Mine.”
That raises a question.
What does a chosen vessel do?
Whatever it’s owner demands!
Here in vv.
15-16 the Lord gives us a kind of outline of Paul’s life.
V. 15 bearing the Lord’s name before Gentiles, Kings, and Jews.
V. 16 – suffering.
Saul is a chosen vessel and he is going to bear the name of Christ before Gentiles, kings, and Jews.
That is exactly what he does, and we will see that he begins immediately.
The Lord says that Saul will bear His name.
Bear – βαστάζω (bastazō) pick up; bear; carry.
To bear (carry) v. — to move while holding up or supporting.
Verb, aorist, active, infinitive of purpose.Bear – βαστάζω (bastazō) Every where that Saul goes he will carry the name of Christ.
In v. 14 Ananias said that Saul was coming to Damascus to bind all who call on the Lord’s name.
This is the same word.
The name that Saul once fought so hard against, will now go with him everywhere!
Saul is going to carry with him everything that Christ is.
That is what the Greek idea of a name is.
Saul will carry the name of Jesus before Gentiles.
These are people he never would have associated with previously.
He will carry the name of Jesus before kings.
These are men he never would have had access to.
He will carry the name of Jesus before the Jews.
These are Saul’s own countrymen.
Those he thought to protect through his persecution of Christians.Ananias has nothing to fear because Saul now belongs to Jesus!
He is going to witness for Christ.
More than that… Saul will suffer for Christ.Once again we have the use of “name”.
The name Saul sought to destroy he now carries, and he is going to willingly suffer for that name.
This is a transformed man.This word “show” carries with it the idea of warning.
Jesus is going to tell Saul what to expect if he follows the Lord.
This revelation will not sway Saul in the slightest.
Later, when Saul has become Paul, he will write to Timothy that “all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Does that sway you?
Does knowing that you and I are called to suffering make us want to be a little less vocal for Christ?
One of our barriers to being an encouragement to others is this question “why?”
Why is God doing this or that?
Why is He calling this person or that person?
God revels His purpose to Ananias thus removing any final barriers to encouragement.
And so we have the second requirement to have a ministry of encouragement.
We need to…
2. Initiate And Dispense Blessing Through Encouragement vv.
17-19
The blessing is not ours.
It is God’s blessing delivered through us.
We are conduits of God’s blessing.
For Saul, this blessing takes three forms.
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