Encouraging Faithfulness
Acts 11:23 (19-24) “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 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. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
Faithfulness to the gospel demonstrates God’s presence in our lives. Notice, in Acts, the persecution of the church brought a fervent sharing of the gospel and a boldness to speak about Christ to those who desperately needed to hear the good news. The gospel of Jesus Christ is life-changing!
Antioch was a city in ancient Syria. Today, it’s now a part of south central Turkey, just east of Aleppo, Syria. When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, the Presence of God was evident among the people there. He “saw what the grace of God had done”.
If we are praying for faithfulness for our sons and daughters, we need to pray that God’s Presence is evident in their lives. Christianity can’t just be a label, it needs to define us and everything we say and do give evidence that we are Christ-followers. Can others see evidence of the grace of God in our lives?
Barnabas was so moved that he “encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” We need to be the Barnabas to our sons and daughters, friends!! When he “encouraged’ them. Strong’s Concordance (1) defines “encourage” as :admonish, exhort, beseech, console, comfort, strengthen and teach. Friends, that’s a lot of verbs right there!! If we want to encourage faithfulness, friends, we need to give our sons and daughters more than an ‘atta boy!’.
Yes, we’re praying for their faithfulness, but let’s dig in and be intentional!! The days are becoming darker- we can’t ignore it. Will our sons and daughters cling to the faithfulness needed to preserve their faith? Will they be persuaded, beyond a doubt, that Jesus is their Lord and Savior? Oh, friends, we need to encourage their faithfulness, admonish them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10), exhort them to walk in the light of His presence (Ps. 89:15), beseech them to love the Lord their God (Mt 22:37) console them with the truth that God provides mercy and grace in time of need (Heb. 4:16), comfort them with the reminder that God is a God of comfort and compassion in our troubles, our comfort abounds in Christ (2 Cor. 1:3-5), remind them that they will be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that they may have great endurance and patience, (Col. 1:11) and pray that the cry of their heart is Psalm 119:33, “Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end” That, friends, is praying for faithfulness for our sons and daughters.
Today, we need to pray through all of the aspects of encouraging faithfulness in our sons and daughters, and then let’s write a note for ourselves to remind us of the many ways we can encourage them. Faithfulness is a long, steady commitment, let’s bear with them in prayer!
Pray without ceasing.