Churches Providing Encouragement – Acts 4:32-37

In this passage we are introduced to a man from Cyprus named Joseph. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be around this guy. He was a member of the tribe of Levi and would have been very knowledgeable about God’s laws and rituals. However this is not what he was known for. This man brought so much comfort to others, he consoled others so well, and he was such an encouragement to the disciples that the apostles renamed him. They call him Barnabas, a name that means son of encouragement. Barnabas is often held up for us, and rightfully so, as an example of how we should encourage one another.

When we look closely at these verses we see Barnabas the encourager, but we also get a glimpse of the environment in which he performed that function. It seems that encouragement here takes place in a special environment, an environment that amplifies the words and actions of people like Barnabas. I think it is an environment we need to make sure we provide in our church families. We can’t all know exactly what to say or do in every situation to provide encouragement to those who are hurting but we can all contribute to an environment that allows encouragement to flourish.

So what is it about this early community of believers that nurtured encouragement? I see four things in this passage. First of all there was unity. Notice the word is not uniformity or conformity, it is unity. These people were of the same heart and mind, with the same purpose. That purpose and their attitude toward it enabled them to rise above personality, social, and economic differences and work together for the common good. Theirs is an example that we would be well served to emulate.

Secondly these were a sharing people. They did not view any aspect of there lives as belonging to any one individual but as tools to benefit the entire community. We see that these were people who shared their property, their time, and their lives. In this open environment it was easy for one person to see the needs of another and to be part of a solution in meeting that need. This would include encouragement. Our church families can always do a better job of sharing our lives so that those gifted with the ability to encourage can clearly see where their gifts are needed.

One problem has been those who take advantage of the openness of others to hurt or control them. It has caused us to protect ourselves by doing exactly the opposite of what was happening among those early believers. When a church family begins to share more and be more open we can never be guilty of taking advantage of that by taking more than we need or expecting a share when we don’t have a need. This applies to physical, spiritual, and emotional needs (including encouragement).

This was also a grace filled community. Grace is unmerited favor. This group was very aware of the unmerited favor that they received from God and they responded by extending that favor to others. These people did not perform acts of loving-kindness based on how these needy people had treated them or even how they would be treated in the future, but rather based on how God had treated them. Extending grace to our church family helps to create that environment where encouragement thrives because we are not concerned with trying to discern the motives of other people, but rather in bringing glory to the God of all grace.

Lastly, this was a group of people who were sensitive to the needs of others. These were people living in a compassionate awareness of others. These were not people who were focused on what they would get out of church or community but rather what they had to offer and looked for opportunities to meet needs. With their focus on others they were able to see needs and their compassion for others compelled them to be a part of the solution.
These four attributes of the early faith community show us the ingredients we need to incorporate into our churches to make them encouraging places and create arenas for encouragers to thrive. Whether or not we have been gifted with the ability to provide direct encouragement to others, we do have the ability to help create an environment where encouragement happens