Acts 11:21-23 21 The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

 

I’d like to start out with a little story I read online.  It talks about a family with a small child at a restaurant.

 

Have Some Ice Cream

 

"Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert and Liberty and Justice for all. Amen!"

 

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a remark, "That’s what’s wrong with this country. Kids today don’t even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream why, I never!"

 

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong?" Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

 

"Really?" my son asked.

 

"Cross my heart." Then in a theatrical whisper he added, indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing, "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

 

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile, he told her.

 

"Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good already."

 

Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.  25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

 

Exhorters are Encouragers. They have something that God has placed inside of them that sees the best in people. Exhortation is a gift that centers on people.  There are basically three types of people in the world. ones that teach and show us things; ones that bring us down; and ones that exhort or encourage us.

 

-Teachers help us to say, “I understand.”

-Those that bring us down help us to say, “I’m no good.”

-Exhorters or encouragers help us to say, “I can do this.” “I’m okay.” “I’m a winner not a loser.”

 

An Exhorter wants you to become everything that God called you to be and everything you have the potential to be.

 

When we look in the Bible we find that an exhorter wants you to live a life that pleases God.  We also see that they want you to become excited about your life.  Exhorters love people; they encourage one another and teach us to love and encourage self and others. An exhorter filled with God’s love wants to help you become filled with God’s love.

 

In the Bible there was a man named Barnabas and he was an exhorter. When the other disciples, the other Christian’s didn’t want anything to do with a new convert by the name of Paul, who was once Saul, it was Barnabas that gave Paul a chance and exhorted the others to accept him.  A couple chapters back in Acts we were told how Saul journeyed in persecution of the disciples and was struck blind on the road and became later converted.  The disciples in Jerusalem having known of him were afraid to let him in to their circle but Barnabas being a godly man full of the Holy Ghost and wanting to see people saved and wanting Christians to learn how to build one another up and help bring others into the church.  Barnabas stood up for Paul and exhorted him before the others.  Paul had a friend that exhorted him and most likely said things to him like - “Paul, you can make it because God has a plan for your Life.”

 

And I’m here today to tell each one of you that no matter how young, how old, or who you are God has a plan for you.  God does not want to see you fail and neither do I.  Each one of us no matter our situation can help another human being if by nothing else than smiling at them or telling them how nice they look.

 

If only more Christians would be like Barnabas – one that encourages.  An exhorter is a person that does not want to see you downhearted.  They are the ones that come to you and try to cheer you up and tell you that you somebody!

 

In the little story I started out with the lady that hurt the boys feelings was not an exhorter.  She did not know how to help others feel good about themselves.  The older gentleman that came to the young boy and said, "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."  This man was an exhorter and the little boy when he went up to the lady and gave her his ice cream and repeated what the older man had said to him he was also an exhorter.  Are you an exhorter?  Do you give others blessed assurance or shadows of doubt?  Mediate on these things.

Pastor Thomas E. Miles
Living Vine Ministries
1043 6th SW
Mason City IA 50401

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