“19 Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

22 Then the report about them was heard by the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”

Acts 11:19-26

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And so we see the heart of the church shift, from skepticism and hesitancy to joy and gladness. This spread of the Gospel wasn’t something that needed to be micro-managed but encouraged and nurtured. And so they sent Barnabas, known as the ‘son of encouragement,’ to go and see things along and to help in any way possible. There was a measure of accountability that went with him, for certain, but more than anything they wanted to fan to flame this spark that was growing all over the region. They would do this through prayer, through solid, Biblical teaching and through the fellowship of believers with one another. Simply sending a ‘good for you’ letter would have been insufficient and cold. And so they determined that a personal visit was in order. 

Whenever we start to see that someone’s heart is being inclined toward Christ, we need to try our best to encourage them in their walk and in their search for Him. It is a joy to see people come to Him, to find relief from sin & shame in Him and to then see them share their new found faith with others. If you really want to be encouraged in your faith, get involved with new Christians. If you want to rekindle that spark in your own heart, find a way to encourage them, get involved with them, teach them and see what God is doing in their heart as a reminder of all that He has done in yours. 

This world offers us plenty of opportunity to grow cold and cynical. We aren’t encouraged toward encouraging others, but rather toward isolation and withdrawl. But the joy of God within us cannot stay silent and inwardly focused. Instead, we see that it presses us outward, to live an others-centered life and toward the encouragement of the faith, just like we see here in Acts 11. If you find yourself more concerned about your own feelings, your own fears or your own comfort…then it’s certainly time to shake things up and get involved with the joyful encouragement that comes with the spread of the gospel. See lives  changed, watch others find relief & GoLove them in the process. Not everyone is an extrovert or an evangelist, but we all have the responsibility to encourage and help others grow through the gifts and talents that God has placed in us through His Holy Spirit. 

Jesus carried the weight of our sins so that we could walk with the lightness of freedom and with the spring of joy in our footsteps. Don’t let the world’s troubles bog you down. Instead, be encouraged by the freedom that comes with Christ. We have the solution to the world’s ills and to the problem of sin! Rejoice and be glad!