Bring the Gift of Encouragement

0:02 Just as I've done for the last 15, 14, 15 months, would like to remind you I'm gonna be short today, uh, that there are, there are still hostages that have, that are living in captivity and even as we are entering into this season, certainly in a, in America, uh, where we ba basically bathe in prosperity, uh, to remember that there are still, at least it seems at least around 50, that are, that are probably still alive. People who not only have nothing but have been deprived of everything except for breath and perhaps a little food

0:47 and water over the last 14 months, some of which are Americans by the way. Um, if, if, if it takes you having to pray for someone who's your own country, I think there's still seven, is that right? Seven Americans? I think there's hostages Anyways, I just wanna remind you that even as we are joyful during this time of year, but it's also a time to pray and to seek the Lord, uh, especially concerning those who are hostages in, uh, in Zion or in in Gaza. Excuse me. I do just want to add one more thing. I know I said I was gonna be super short. I have a friend, I told you I think last week or the week before, who's in Gaza,

1:32 and I just found out that they actually thought they had found hi, uh, his unit and a couple other units. They thought they had found a, a, a tunnel with some of the hostages, but, but it turns out that they didn't. Uh, he, he just wrote and said he was super disappointed, but they're, they're still looking. They are, they're, they're taking crews. In fact, he told me about another, another, uh, person who missed the reserve call up in Israel and was so, um, Moved. Distraught. Yeah, that's a good word. So distraught that he went and joined a construction crew

2:17 because Israel is now calling in construction crews, uh, to drill and see if they can find any of the tunnels that are, that are, that are hidden and, and escaping, uh, their notice. So they have civilian crews that are now coming in and drilling, trying to find these tunnels because they're still there because they're still hostages. So they're there somewhere. So you can pray that they're found. Anyways, I'd like to invite Rabbi on that cheerful note. I'd like to invite Rabbi Sean to come uh, and bring us the message today, A may our father in heaven. Lord, I thank you for Rabbi Sean. Lord, I thank you for his diligence to study

3:04 and to prepare and to study. Lord, I pray that you would speak to us today through his lips. Lord, we bless you and praise you and Yeshu his name. Amen. Amen. Thank you Rabbi Ari. We will be in the book of Acts today in chapter 11. If you want to open that up in your Bible or even on your Bible app perhaps who has been an encourager in your life? My most formative memory of an encourager comes from elementary school.

3:50 This encourager came in the form of an alligator since kindergarten. Randy Reader would encourage us that reading is fun. We were instructed to choose books off of a reading list throughout the year and track how many pages we've read. There would be award ceremonies throughout the year where trophies and ribbons would be awarded to those who read the most. Randy Reeder was basically like the school mascot and would make appearances in all classrooms when you leased expected it.

4:37 I never really wondered who was wearing this alligator suit. I could note, however, that they were tall and slender and the costume seemed really natural on them. Whoever it was, they played a convincing humanoid alligator. This giant alligator did not invoke fear, but was a positive presence. It was fun to be visited by Randy Reeder and it made the whole enterprise of acquiring knowledge more fun. During my elementary school years in fifth grade, my teacher Mrs. Hart, was one of the most encouraging people I have ever met.

5:23 She also happened to be tall and slender and radiated encouragement and positivity. Although I'm personally growing weary of social media, I came across an encouraging post in recent weeks. One of my fifth grade classmates posted our class picture and various ones from the class chimed in with memories and stories about Mrs. Hart. In the midst of this exchange, we had a surprise visit from Mrs. Hart herself, which caused us to go even deeper in remembering what she did for all of us. As I have reflected upon her leadership in that class, I remember some things that she used to do

6:11 that were quite unique. One custom stands above the rest in the classroom. We sat at the standard chairs and desks like you would imagine in a classroom. However, there was one special chair off to the side in a nicely decorated area. It was a wicker chair. Compared to the other furniture, it seemed like King Solomon's throne. In any case, she would select one student per week who would sit in this special chair and the rest of the class would have construction paper and write a positive attribute or something encouraging about that person.

6:57 Then for the entire week, that student would sit upon their throne surrounded literally by the encouragement of their fellow students, which they would take with them after the week had finished. She calculated out the year in such a way that every student would have the privilege of experiencing this affirmation for a full week. Additionally, throughout the year, they would have the opportunity to celebrate and encourage each one of their classmates, so basically the entire school year had the element of either giving or receiving encouragement with our classmates.

7:44 What's interesting as I think back is that little, to my knowledge at the time, she basically eradicated bullying and meanness from the classroom. Although I was voted the class clown of the elementary school, I was so I was quite familiar with both the giving and receiving of insults. However, in fifth grade, I cannot recall any feuds within this classroom. Mrs. Hart was truly smarter than a fifth grader. She created a positive atmosphere among us. Even so many years later, though our lives have all gone different directions,

8:29 we can all bond over the memories of being in that class together. She did do one thing that I found corny as a fifth grader, she would play the Song Hero by Mariah Carey and pass out the lyrics to us. 30 years later. I still find this corny, but I must admit that she was an incredible motivator and and encourager. Ironically, 30 years later, I still find myself hearing Mariah Carey playing on repeat, especially in this season more than I would prefer mysteriously.

9:15 In 2010 when Mrs. Hart graduated, Randy Reer, who had been serving for 26 years also retired. In this picture, you can see Mrs. Hart on the right, her colleague, Mrs. McNair on the left and some imposter trying to play Randy Reader in the middle. The title of my message is Bring the Gift of Encouragement. It comes from Acts chapter 11 verses 19 through 24. I will make three points from the text. First, a Jewish only gospel is insufficient.

10:04 Second, God wants us to widen our scope, and lastly, God wants you to encourage the various works that expand his kingdom. Like Barnabas. God wants us to encourage the spread of the good news among both Jews and Gentiles. Acts 11 and verse 19 reads as follows. Now, those scattered because of the persecution that happened in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Fania and Cyprus and Antioch telling the message only to Judeans a Jewish only

10:50 gospel is insufficient. To begin, we are faced with a traumatic reality. Jewish believers in Yeshua were being persecuted and driven outwards from Jerusalem. Stephen, if you remember, was killed for his faith and boldness, but this was not the call and desire of every Messianic Jew. These Jewish followers of Yeshua did not have any easy option. They could stay with their lives being in danger or they could be displaced from their homes, which also brought great danger. I don't think it was a choice

11:36 between boldness and cowardice. Peter, if we remember going back in the book a bit further, well actually just the last chapter here, Peter had overcome his past cowardice. If you remember, when he denied Yeshua in order to preserve himself, he was now a man of faith, boldness and stature among the followers of Yeshua. Yet he was going through his own emergence from inner turmoil in the realization that this message of Yeshua was to overflow from out of the Jewish world. As an aside, as young people,

12:22 we might assume that if we have some dream, we arrive at some status that our problems will be solved. Here we have a picture of Peter in the verses just prior to this passage as a leader, although the sand under his feet is shifting, Peter has been a fisherman. He has walked with yes, Yeshua himself. For years, he has emerged through challenges and character formation. He has been appointed as the leader of Yeshua's followers in acts he not only witnesses, but is the very conduit through which miracles are performed.

13:10 It is as if the direction he takes is the direction the entire body of Yeshua will also take. Yet even in a place of favor and power and prominence, Peter finds himself hungry, confused, and vulnerable. However, he responds positively to the Lord and the people around him. As a result, God once again uses Peter as a vessel for the miraculous. This time bringing faith in Yeshua and the outpouring of the AK Hakodesh or the Holy Spirit upon the Roman centurion, Cornelius,

13:57 as well as his relatives and friends. The insertion of this story of Cornelius and Peter in the Book of Acts might seem like an interruption of the flow of the narrative. After Stephen's death and UL's encounter with Yeshua, however, Luke is changing scenes for a reason. He's showing us the interplay of these various characters and contexts where God is at work. What happened to Steven was significant, as is also true for the narratives around Shaul and Ananias and Cornelius and Peter. Luke is weaving a larger narrative together,

14:45 much like a film that is changing scenes and characters in order to give us a greater picture of what God is doing. The kingdom of God is expanding from Israel to the nations beyond the Jews and to the Gentiles. This is certainly not a new concept in scripture, though it is an epiphany, obviously for the Messianic community. It is easy for us to look back and wonder why it took them so long to see this, but we also don't understand that the things that God is doing now in our lives and the world around us, we're not so much better.

15:35 God's plan is unfolding and we can hardly begin to make sense of it until after it happens. In Genesis, we read that Abraham's seed would be a blessing to humanity. In Isaiah, Israel is referred to as a light to the nations. Yeshua sends his Jewish disciples out to bring his message to the world. Yet we are not so quick to understand what we have been told. Additionally, the trouble with knowing or thinking that we know is that we lose openness to a deeper understanding. There is always more beneath the surface if we are willing to be submerged.

16:22 If you have ever been submerged, has anyone ever been submerged in an ocean where you kind of lose track of yourself, you will know that it can be disorienting, overwhelming, and quite dangerous. Like Peter, we must go through this process of knowing God and then realizing that our knowing is not enough. It's insufficient. Peter walked with Yeshua on the water for a moment, but was then submerged into the water and had to reemerge with a new understanding. Even as a leader of the Messianic community, he had so much to learn, yet he had become

17:11 malleable where God could shape and reform Peter's understanding. Although our passage today is not about Peter, in a way it is because everything rises and falls upon leadership. It is no coincidence that this metamorphosis in Peter's understanding would be mirrored within the Messianic community. Immediately after, just as Peter learned, some of the Messianic Jews were also coming to the realization that the gospel was not only for the Jews but must be extended to the Gentiles. It is fascinating to note the way in which this came about,

17:59 namely through persecution. I would not wish persecution upon anyone, but it does seem like a highly effective method to bring about change and growth among Yeshua's followers. Ideally, Yeshua's words would be enough and the persecution would not be necessary. However, what does it take in your life? Are you always obedient to everything that you know is right? Does it ever take a kick in the pants to get you moving? One writer said, change happens when the pain

18:45 of staying the same is greater than the pain of change. It is unfortunate that persecution continued after Stephen's death. The good news, however, is that this pressure and displacement of Yeshua's followers pushed them outward in such a way that they became messengers to the peoples around them. Obviously, as the text reports, some who were spreading outward were exclusive in sharing their message, perhaps it was easier to share the message of the Messiah with other Jews. After all, the Messiah is a Jewish concept, right?

19:31 It would've been complicated to explain all this business to those who didn't understand the framework. Nearly 2000 years later, on the other side of the globe, our context has changed so much that it is probably easier to present Yeshua to Gentiles than Jews. However, as was true then the good news now must go to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. Now, I understand that this might seem elementary here at Baruch Hashem. After all, we seek to represent a reconciled messianic community that can witness to God's faithfulness toward the people of Israel

20:19 and toward the nations. Yet we also know that this is easier to say than to do BHS. Baruch Hashem has been about this business for over 40 years and is still in a process of growth and discovery In this regard. If anyone here is married or employed or in school or trying to follow God or even your own conscience, you'll realize that staying true to your own stated principles is a daily struggle. As we change and the world changes around us, we need to continue to contextualize what we've learned and if we're learning, we are continually being made aware

21:07 of our own lack. In other words, it is not enough to grow dormant in our knowledge and experience. A relationship is moving and dynamic. It requires us to fall into an ocean and just when we emerge, a wave hits us once again and we find ourselves tumbling and seeking salvation. Before we move on to the next point, I would like to take a moment for personal application. What is that nagging question in your life? In what way are you wrestling or grappling with God?

21:57 I understand that we are all graced with moments of clarity and serenity, and we should thank God for these moments and fully appreciate them. However, when I read about our forebearers in the faith, they had to go through a great deal of struggle and I suspect that you and I will too. To take it one step further, if you are completely comfortable in your relationship with God, it may be a sign of a lost connection. I invite you to study the word ruach or spirit in the Bible.

22:42 Among other things, you'll find that the ruach is not stagnant. Rather, it is always moving and bringing about change in the atmosphere. The spirit of God is an active agent in our lives. While it may be more comfortable to be sheltered from the wind, the breeze of the ruach is blowing, and if we allow our hearts to be moved, we may find that God does a great work in us that surpasses our own understanding. I had a professor that used to ask us what is bothering us. He wanted to know how we were being stirred up.

23:30 He did a good job at stirring us up too, although it might seem easier to suppress the things that are bothering us, if we bring them to the surface, we may find that God had a reason for giving us that burden. For instance, we might even find that we gravitate towards certain parts of scripture while avoiding other parts that make us uncomfortable. If we would have the boldness to face the issue that makes us uncomfortable, we may find that God ministers to us and brings healing in those areas. To come back to the text, Luke informs us

24:16 that generally speaking, the Messianic Jews who were scattered about by persecution went forth only sharing the message with Judean, and Luke saw this as a problem. Acts chapter 11 verses 20 through 21 read as follows. However, there were some of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellen also proclaiming the Lord. Yeshua, the hand of the Lord was with them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

25:07 God wants us to widen our scope. One of the big questions that comes from these verses is what is meant by the term Hellen? Stephen himself was a Hellenistic Jew, so in Luke's narrative as the lens is panning outward, why would he return to the concept of Hellenistic Jews receiving Yeshua? Many Christian translations render this word as Greeks perhaps as Messianic Jews and Gentiles. We sometimes grow suspicious of Christian translations

25:53 and scholarship because it fails to reflect a nuanced Jewish or messianic Jewish perspective. However, after searching out Christian Messianic Jewish and traditional Jewish scholarship, there is a surprising level of agreement that this term is referring to Greeks rather than hellenized Jews. It also fits better with Luke's greater narrative of God's kingdom ever expanding to other nations and peoples. It is as if what Yeshua meant by the ends of the earth continues to zoom out. With this said, it is highly likely

26:38 that God was using Greek speaking Messianic Jews to reach Greeks. This leads us to a principle that we can apply for kingdom expansion. The Hellen, his Jews and the Hellen Gentiles had something in common. What was that? They were all people. Yes, that's true, but they also shared a common language and culture. These men of Cyprus and Siren saw an opportunity to share the good news in Antioch. They understood the culture they sought to reach.

27:24 They were able to make, make deep personal connections quickly. So I ask you the question today, where has the Lord given you favor and a deeper understanding and how can you use that to expand the kingdom where you are and where you operate? Earlier I spoke about the Ruach being on the move in our lives. My son David sometimes asks me to come fishing or I may pick him up when he's fishing at a local pond or creek. Maybe it's just me getting older or him being a more gifted fisherman, but he sees far more than I do in the water.

28:12 He will point out pockets of depth or fish swimming beneath the surface that I would otherwise be oblivious to. We're both looking at the same body of water, but he is seeing more. This fishing illustration also applies to being bearers of the kingdom. What do you see when you go out into society? I had one student who was neglected as a young child. Although this caused her great pain, she can now perceive other young girls who have been neglected. She's especially gifted in ministering to this part

28:58 of the population because she understands it so well. Don't fool yourself into thinking that everyone sees what you see. God has made you uniquely and you see the world differently Rather than getting upset that others don't see it like you do, embrace the peculiar way, the quirky way that God has made you. In these verses, Luke makes it clear that it is not the majority of believers who saw what the Lord was doing in their time. Rather, some of them, a remnant of them, you might say,

29:46 were moved in this particular way and the Lord used them to impact a great number of people. Verse 21 has a curious phrase, a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Does that mean that it is possible to believe without turning to the Lord? Some scholars suggest that this refers to repentance, the turning, but I wonder how persecution factored into this. For instance, if these messianic Jews who shared the gospel were on the move because of persecution, isn't it reasonable

30:32 to assume that the Hellen they were sharing with might also face persecution because of their new faith? There is a difference between knowing what we are supposed to do and then taking the steps toward making it a reality in our lives. In the face of persecution, belief is not enough. We must behave and walk out our beliefs, which is far more difficult and dangerous. God wants us to widen our scope. When I was younger, I worked on growing stronger. Now, when I go to the doctor,

31:20 he doesn't say I need to become stronger. Rather, he encourages me to become more flexible. What good is our strength? If we lose our range of motion in a similar sense both socially and theologically, I encourage you to stretch and become more flexible. I'm not saying that you need to abandon the truth that you've found over all these years. What I am saying is that as we mature, we tend to grow deeper in our own perspective and that's a good thing. It's like strength. However,

32:08 as we mature, we can also become less flexible. We know what we like. We know what we don't like. We only listen to certain types of music. We only eat certain types of foods. We only associate with certain types of people. This is the show I watch. This is when I watch it, leave me alone. During that time, if we are not careful as we go stronger in our perspective, we can also grow more distant from those around us, but it is good to expand our palate. God is at work in every culture, but not everyone can perceive it. Acts chapter 11 verses 22

32:56 through 24 read as follows, news about these things reached the ears of the community in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was thrilled. He encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with heartfelt devotion. For Barnabas was a good man full of the kodesh and faith, and a large number was added to the Lord, be an encourager. What do we know about Barnabas at this

33:42 point in the narrative? In Acts four, he is introduced as Joseph a Levite from Cyprus. He was also called Barnabas, meaning son of encouragement. What a great nickname to be given. Would you like to be known as a son or daughter of encouragement? Also, in chapter four, Barnabas sells a field and gives the money to the apostles to help the community grow. In Acts chapter nine, Barnabas advocates for Shaul or Paul to join the other disciples, which enables Paul to begin his ministry for Yeshua.

34:30 In this chapter, chapter 11, not bankruptcy, but a fullness of joy, he is described as a good man full of the kodesh and faith, so who have been the encouragers in your life? Can you think back even just to one thing that someone did to encourage you over the course of your life? Can you think of something that you have done to encourage someone else that may have changed someone else's life? Our elder Dave was someone who was an encourager to me.

35:17 Now, there are a few of us who must share in the responsibilities that Dave carried when he was with us. What's funny is that although I think about Dave as an encourager, he was also a gatekeeper in our community. He handled many difficult situations with so much care that even when he rebuked me, he somehow made it feel encouraging. Now, some of these responsibilities have fallen to me. I don't like to be the bearer of bad news. I don't enjoy rebuking people.

36:04 My prayer is that like Dave, I can become the kind of person who can be an encourager even when bringing correction. I got to know Dave in the last decade of his life and I realize that he grew into the man he became over many decades while all of us are still growing, I pray that we would be a community of encouragers, seeking out the good in others and fanning it into flame. Barnabas seems like the kind of person that people enjoyed being around, and I'm not merely speaking about his financial

36:49 generosity either. Everyone loves a giver of gifts, right? But I think besides this, he made the people around him feel very blessed. What impact do our lives have on those around us? How do we make people feel? Do we make people feel insecure, worried, defensive? Wouldn't we rather make people feel inspired, open and courageous? I think a big part of this is accepting ourselves as the person who God made and affirming others who God created in his image.

37:37 There is no one outside of God's scope, though ours can be limited. I wanna encourage all of us to get on the Barnabas Around town. I've been waiting a long time to tell that joke and I hope that it encourages you. I'd like to take a moment to speak to a practical reality that seems relevant this week. In this coming week, many of our immediate and extended families will be coming together to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, both or maybe neither.

38:27 Perhaps you have work parties or other community functions. You may be unsure of how to conduct yourselves in a particular situation. Maybe you were in agreement with how others express their faith or culture, and maybe you're not. Here's my advice. I do take this out of the BHS playbook and I credit this to Rabbi Marty. If you like it, and to me, if you don't like it from whom I first heard this principle, let Yeshua be the only stumbling block. What I mean is, if at all possible, get along with everyone

39:12 and be a son or a daughter of encouragement, I believe the Lord will be pleased with you and you will strengthen your relationships, which leads to a greater impact, especially over time in the lives of others. To further elaborate, if you have friends, family, or colleagues that are celebrating the fact that Yeshua or Jesus has come to earth, bless them in this and do not condemn them, by all means. If they're asking for your advice, kindly share it. However, if they are not seeking your advice, you'll likely only do damage by condemning them and will bring about more hurt and confusion than is helpful.

39:57 Of course, many people celebrate Christmas who are not followers of Yeshua. Perhaps as a representative and a follower of Yeshua, you can be that incarnation of Yeshua that the holiday represents. With Hanukkah, I have found it surprising among Jews and Christians and others to see how few people know that yes, Yeshua celebrated Hanukkah. It is recorded in the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John. If you have the opportunity to be among other believers in Yeshua, celebrate what you have in common. If you find yourself surrounded by other cultures

40:43 or beliefs, give thanks and seek to be a light for Yeshua. This might emerge through your kindness or other fruits of the spirit in your life. I don't see condemnation as one of the fruits of the spirit. Do you like these Messianic Jews? In Acts 11, you may find yourself perceiving openness among the people around you, even if they are part of a different society. Notice that these Messianic Jews spoke to the Hellen and proclaimed Yeshua. Notice also what they did not do. They did not condemn their cultural practices or chastise them, the Hellen for being different.

41:33 On a personal note, I speak this from experience. I will add that if you are a bold follower of Yeshua, it is likely that your family, friends, and colleagues already know this about you. You don't need to keep bringing it up, and if you do, you may not be invited next year and maybe you'd prefer that. Hello. However, what's better? Yes.

42:20 What's better than not being invited is if you can get on the Barnabas and be an encourager in spite of your differences. If they know that you are a follower of Yeshua, They May be taking a step of faith to invite you in the first place. I have found that it is rarely effective to bring up the topic with those who know already about my faith. However, once people do know and I simply show them kindness, they often become more interested in my faith and they start driving the conversation themselves, which I find to be far more effective and ideal.

43:05 Showing genuine interest in the people around you and the things that they care about will often cause them to reciprocate and show kindness and concern about you and the things you care about, namely Yeshua and your faith. They will start asking you about your faith and you'll have the opportunity to share with someone who is genuinely interested in you and and has already experienced Yeshua's love through you taking interest in them and their interests. Okay, show me the way down off of this soapbox. In conclusion, God wants us to encourage the spread of the gospel among Jews and Gentiles.

43:53 Let us break out of the narrow frameworks that prevent us from seeing what God is doing on the other side. God wants us to widen our scope and be an encourager to those around us. So this Krisa. Get on the Barnabas and carry the gifts of encouragement to all on your path. Shabbat Chalo, May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

45:13 In the name of our Messiah, Yeshua Shabbat Shalom.