BE A SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Sunday 18 November 2012

Sermon by Ps. Seth Asare Ofei Badu

John 6: 9; Acts 4:32-37, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

The ministry of encouragement has always underpinned and kept the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ on course. Here are two remarkable connoisseurs of this grace:

A.      Barnabas was so named by no less a team than the Apostles of Jesus Christ for his ministry of encouragement, which seems to come by the way of

1.       Giving his substance: his outstanding development in the grace of giving

2.       Giving up his rights: being on record as the only disciple to have been confirmed by the Holy Spirit as the companion of Paul, he apparently gave up the privilege at being at the side of Paul to shore up John Mark who had fallen out with Paul, because he had turned back in an earlier journey.

B.      The Church at Macedonia, which gave beyond their ability; in joy and in trouble. Paul recommended that the Church at Corinth, although they were good in faith, utterance, knowledge, earnestness, and in love, still needed to overflow in the grace of giving. He observes that they abounded in this grace of giving because they first gave themselves to God.

What made Barnabas stand out, when his compatriots were falling, and what earned Macedonia the recommendation which indicated that they excelled the almost perfect Church at Corinth? I am moved to narrate my encounter with the Lord that I think makes me kind of understand Barnabas and the Church at Macedonia:

The Lord revealed Himself to me as a gracious God, when he gave the second call (to go forth and serve Him; the first call being the call from a life of sin and death to a life of His holiness and life). He spoke to me through this song that lingered on in my heart since about 1995:

From a warped generation I called you;

I planted your feet on a solid rock;

I put my own Word into your heart

Gracious Lord I am, I am gracious

I first responded with a verse of my own that affirmed my appreciation of what God was telling me:

From a warped generation You called me;

You planted my feet on a solid rock;

You put Your own Word into my heart

Gracious Lord, You are, You are gracious 3x

Eventually, in a third verse, that I believe spelt out what God wanted from me, and what I was finally at peace to give Him, a pledge that I have since enjoyed keeping:

Now I give all my life as an offering;

All my goings, and comings, and sitting;

Let the works of my hands glorify You;

Gracious Lord, Let them glorify You

Since then, I have paid attention and noted that in every step of my life and ministry, the Lord has shown Himself gracious: I have walked through doors that only His grace could have opened, and I have been saved from calamities that only His grace could have stopped.

If we agree that the Lord has called us out of a worthless generation, planted us on a Solid Rock (Christ), and put His Word that gives life in our hearts to make us bring light and life to the dark and perishing world, then what justification will we ever have of withholding our lives and the works of our hands from bringing Him alone glory?!

Indeed He has been gracious to us to show forth His glory through us. Barnabas never lost anything he gave to the Lord, nor did the Church at Macedonia. Like the 5 loaves of bread and the 2 fish that the young boy gave for Jesus to use multiply for the 5,000 plus people, they understood, as I am beginning to understand, that they were tokens that God demanded just to show Himself great on behalf of His people.

May the Lord give us the understanding and the pleasure of the encounter with Him that will make us encouragers, sustainers of the gospel of peace.

NOTES
Main Text: Acts 4:34-37
"Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
And Joses, 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."


2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. 
Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

There are 2 callings:

1. Being called out of darkness into this marvelous light.
2. Being called to bring salvation to others (Ephesians 4:11)

Grace is not receiving what you deserve; it is rather an unmerited favour that comes to you \(Psalm 90:17)

The beginning of the church was characterised by full commitment and sacrificial lifestyle. We ought  to give just as the Macedonian church did. We should never be like Ananias; we saw what happened to him. Like Joseph who was also called Barnabas (meaning son of encouragement), let us strive to be called that.

Let us be sons of encouragement; so as to experience that glory of God or the grace of God for our lives.