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00:00:01 “If you have 00:00:02 “any word of encouragement . . . , 00:00:05 tell it.” 00:00:06 Who said those words? 00:00:08 How or what did the apostle Paul 00:00:11 say in response? 00:00:13 How did his audience react? 00:00:15 And what can Paul’s example teach us about encouragement? 00:00:20 Let’s open our Bibles to Acts chapter 13. 00:00:22 This is the account of Paul’s first missionary tour. 00:00:25 After a dangerous journey of about 110 miles (180 km), 00:00:28 Paul and his companions find themselves seated 00:00:31 in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. 00:00:35 Verse 15 says: 00:00:37 “After the public reading of the Law and the Prophets, 00:00:40 “the presiding officers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying: 00:00:44 “‘Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, 00:00:48 tell it.’” 00:00:49 Well, the next five paragraphs contain Paul’s speech. 00:00:54 How effective was it? 00:00:56 Verses 42-44 show the results. 00:01:00 First, the people begged Paul to come back and give another talk the next weekend. 00:01:05 Second, many Jews and proselytes became believers. 00:01:09 Third, on the following Sabbath, 00:01:11 nearly all of the city turned out to hear Paul’s next talk. 00:01:15 Impressive. 00:01:17 We have to ask ourselves, 00:01:19 ‘What did Paul say in those five paragraphs 00:01:22 that was so persuasive?’ 00:01:25 One of the first things we note is his introduction 00:01:28 at Acts 13:17: 00:01:31 “The God of this people Israel chose 00:01:34 our forefathers.” 00:01:37 Now, note that inclusive pronoun “our” 00:01:40 —not your forefathers, not mine— “our forefathers.” 00:01:43 Did you realize that the last time that little word was used in the book of Acts 00:01:47 was all the way back in chapter 7 00:01:50 during Stephen’s powerful speech? 00:01:53 Stephen used the word “our” ten times, 00:01:56 usually in connection with the word “forefathers.” 00:01:59 Paul heard that speech back when he was Saul of Tarsus. 00:02:03 And now, more than a decade later, he himself uses the exact same expression 00:02:07 for the same purpose —to establish common ground. 00:02:12 ‘Your ancestors are my ancestors. 00:02:15 I am what you are.’ 00:02:17 And that is the starting point of true encouragement. 00:02:21 The Watchtower article from which our text is taken 00:02:24 says that “the Greek word usually translated ‘encouragement’ 00:02:28 literally means ‘a calling to one’s side.’” 00:02:33 And, yes, it’s related to the Greek word for “comfort,” 00:02:35 which has a similar connotation. 00:02:37 So Paul began from their perspective: 00:02:42 ‘I know where you’re coming from. 00:02:44 I grew up learning the same holy writings as you.’ 00:02:47 And then in verses 17-31, 00:02:49 he uses Jewish history and recent events 00:02:52 to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. 00:02:54 Then in verses 32-37, he connects 00:02:58 current events with fulfilled prophecy 00:03:02 —prophecy that they knew. 00:03:04 We do that today, don’t we? 00:03:06 We go to the door; we read Matthew 24:7; we ask: “What do you think? 00:03:11 “Are the wars, famines, and earthquakes 00:03:13 “that we’ve seen in recent years the same as ever 00:03:15 or are they a distinct fulfillment of Bible prophecy?” 00:03:18 And what is the message? 00:03:20 That Jehovah is real; that Jehovah is alive; 00:03:24 his Word is coming true. 00:03:26 And yet, Paul went further, didn’t he? He didn’t stop there. 00:03:30 In verse 33, Paul said: 00:03:32 “God has completely fulfilled it 00:03:36 to us.” 00:03:37 Yes, this is personal. 00:03:39 Jehovah is at work in your life—in my life. 00:03:42 Then the big conclusion in verses 38-41. 00:03:46 In effect, Jehovah did this for you; 00:03:49 don’t miss out; you can succeed with Jehovah’s help. 00:03:53 That was Paul’s answer to a simple request 00:03:56 for a “word of encouragement.” 00:03:59 That’s why Paul made disciples. 00:04:01 And isn’t that how we’re counseled to fulfill 00:04:04 our student assignments today? 00:04:06 To strengthen and encourage our audience, 00:04:09 we should show what Jehovah has done, 00:04:13 what he is doing, and what he will yet do. 00:04:17 But Paul’s speech was so persuasive that it also drew persecution, 00:04:22 which followed him to the next two cities. 00:04:24 In Lystra, his persecutors thought they had killed him. 00:04:28 But Acts 14:20, 21 says 00:04:33 that “on the next day 00:04:35 “he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 00:04:38 After declaring the good news to that city and making quite a few disciples,” 00:04:43 they faced a choice. 00:04:45 You can see the choice on Map B13. 00:04:50 We’re looking at the red lines 00:04:52 indicating Paul’s first missionary tour. 00:04:54 Derbe is the last stop, but notice the next town over to the east 00:04:58 —Tarsus. 00:05:00 Sound familiar? 00:05:01 Saul of Tarsus. 00:05:04 There was a passageway from Derbe to Tarsus. 00:05:07 Paul would have known the road. 00:05:08 He used it on his second missionary journey 00:05:10 and his third missionary journey, but not this time. 00:05:14 Acts 14:21 —and the red arrows show that Paul returned 00:05:18 to all three cities where he had been persecuted, 00:05:21 including Pisidian Antioch, 00:05:24 where he first received the request for a “word of encouragement.” 00:05:28 Why? Why return? 00:05:30 It would have been so easy for him to think: ‘You know, we’ve had a pretty good run here. 00:05:33 ‘I helped the ruler of Cyprus into the truth. 00:05:35 ‘I performed my first miracle, striking Elymas blind. 00:05:39 ‘We started new congregations in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe. 00:05:43 ‘I endured all manner of hardships. 00:05:45 ‘I was beaten up and stoned and left for dead. 00:05:48 It was a successful missionary tour, but I need to regroup.’ 00:05:52 No. He didn’t think that way. 00:05:55 Why? 00:05:56 Because the needs of the congregation 00:05:59 outweighed his own personal feelings 00:06:03 or fears. 00:06:05 Do you suppose that the opposers who stoned him and left him for dead 00:06:10 were any kinder to the new disciples in Lystra? 00:06:15 Besides, who was taking the lead? 00:06:17 Paul needed to appoint overseers. 00:06:19 This was a weighty task. 00:06:22 So back they went. 00:06:24 Likewise today, our brothers are putting the needs of the disciples 00:06:28 ahead of their own comforts. 00:06:31 Do you remember these scenes 00:06:33 from Jehovah’s Witnesses—Faith in Action, Part 2: Let the Light Shine? 00:06:37 Now, Brother Pillars explains that when he refused 00:06:40 to salute the flag in Winnsboro, Texas, 00:06:43 he was beaten up and hanged. 00:06:46 Thankfully, the rope broke, and he survived to tell the story. 00:06:50 What the video doesn’t tell us is that Oscar Pillars was a circuit overseer. 00:06:55 Some months later, guess where it was time for him to return? 00:06:59 Winnsboro, Texas. 00:07:01 Now, in the months since the hanging incident, 00:07:03 the brothers hadn’t been preaching downtown —they were preaching in the rurals. 00:07:07 Brother Pillars reasoned that if he didn’t preach downtown, 00:07:11 the brothers may never get the courage to preach there. 00:07:15 So he checked out all the territories within the city limits. 00:07:18 They worked there all morning and had a beautiful time with no negative incidents, 00:07:22 except at the very last door. 00:07:25 A woman said, “Say, 00:07:29 you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, aren’t you?” 00:07:31 He said, “Yes, ma’am, I am.” 00:07:33 She said, “You know, we hanged one of you people here, 00:07:37 and we’ll do it again.” 00:07:39 Well, he didn’t tell her that he was the one that they hanged. 00:07:43 But what a beautiful example of standing with your brothers 00:07:47 and putting their needs 00:07:49 ahead of your own feelings! 00:07:53 And we have to say that this Bethel family 00:07:55 is not self-sparing 00:07:57 when encouragement is needed. 00:08:00 At times, though, it could be easy to think, 00:08:02 ‘Well, I just don’t know what to say.’ 00:08:06 But is saying something always necessary? 00:08:10 How do you suppose those in Lystra felt 00:08:14 just to see Paul again, 00:08:16 knowing what it must have taken for him emotionally 00:08:20 simply to return? 00:08:22 That of itself spoke volumes. 00:08:26 ‘OK, but I still feel like I should say something.’ 00:08:29 What did Paul say? 00:08:31 Verse 22: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God 00:08:34 through many tribulations.” 00:08:37 The Kingdom—words of true encouragement 00:08:41 always center on the Kingdom. 00:08:43 You’re not like Job’s false comforters: 00:08:45 ‘Clearly, you have problems here. You must be doing something wrong.’ 00:08:47 No, rather: ‘You’re imitating Jesus. 00:08:51 ‘It brought the wrath of our enemy. Well done! 00:08:54 ‘And that you’re willing to suffer proves that this is real. 00:08:58 ‘You will see Jehovah back you up now. 00:09:01 ‘You will see him reward you in the future. 00:09:03 Stick with it!’ 00:09:05 Have you been called on to offer 00:09:08 a “word of encouragement”? 00:09:12 Don’t over think it, just go! 00:09:15 Stand beside those who need you. 00:09:20 And if you have 00:09:21 any words of encouragement for the people, “tell it.”
00:00:01 “If you have 00:00:02 “any word of encouragement . . . , 00:00:05 tell it.” 00:00:06 Who said those words? 00:00:08 How or what did the apostle Paul 00:00:11 say in response? 00:00:13 How did his audience react? 00:00:15 And what can Paul’s example teach us about encouragement? 00:00:20 Let’s open our Bibles to Acts chapter 13. 00:00:22 This is the account of Paul’s first missionary tour. 00:00:25 After a dangerous journey of about 110 miles (180 km), 00:00:28 Paul and his companions find themselves seated 00:00:31 in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. 00:00:35 Verse 15 says: 00:00:37 “After the public reading of the Law and the Prophets, 00:00:40 “the presiding officers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying: 00:00:44 “‘Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, 00:00:48 tell it.’” 00:00:49 Well, the next five paragraphs contain Paul’s speech. 00:00:54 How effective was it? 00:00:56 Verses 42-44 show the results. 00:01:00 First, the people begged Paul to come back and give another talk the next weekend. 00:01:05 Second, many Jews and proselytes became believers. 00:01:09 Third, on the following Sabbath, 00:01:11 nearly all of the city turned out to hear Paul’s next talk. 00:01:15 Impressive. 00:01:17 We have to ask ourselves, 00:01:19 ‘What did Paul say in those five paragraphs 00:01:22 that was so persuasive?’ 00:01:25 One of the first things we note is his introduction 00:01:28 at Acts 13:17: 00:01:31 “The God of this people Israel chose 00:01:34 our forefathers.” 00:01:37 Now, note that inclusive pronoun “our” 00:01:40 —not your forefathers, not mine— “our forefathers.” 00:01:43 Did you realize that the last time that little word was used in the book of Acts 00:01:47 was all the way back in chapter 7 00:01:50 during Stephen’s powerful speech? 00:01:53 Stephen used the word “our” ten times, 00:01:56 usually in connection with the word “forefathers.” 00:01:59 Paul heard that speech back when he was Saul of Tarsus. 00:02:03 And now, more than a decade later, he himself uses the exact same expression 00:02:07 for the same purpose —to establish common ground. 00:02:12 ‘Your ancestors are my ancestors. 00:02:15 I am what you are.’ 00:02:17 And that is the starting point of true encouragement. 00:02:21 The Watchtower article from which our text is taken 00:02:24 says that “the Greek word usually translated ‘encouragement’ 00:02:28 literally means ‘a calling to one’s side.’” 00:02:33 And, yes, it’s related to the Greek word for “comfort,” 00:02:35 which has a similar connotation. 00:02:37 So Paul began from their perspective: 00:02:42 ‘I know where you’re coming from. 00:02:44 I grew up learning the same holy writings as you.’ 00:02:47 And then in verses 17-31, 00:02:49 he uses Jewish history and recent events 00:02:52 to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. 00:02:54 Then in verses 32-37, he connects 00:02:58 current events with fulfilled prophecy 00:03:02 —prophecy that they knew. 00:03:04 We do that today, don’t we? 00:03:06 We go to the door; we read Matthew 24:7; we ask: “What do you think? 00:03:11 “Are the wars, famines, and earthquakes 00:03:13 “that we’ve seen in recent years the same as ever 00:03:15 or are they a distinct fulfillment of Bible prophecy?” 00:03:18 And what is the message? 00:03:20 That Jehovah is real; that Jehovah is alive; 00:03:24 his Word is coming true. 00:03:26 And yet, Paul went further, didn’t he? He didn’t stop there. 00:03:30 In verse 33, Paul said: 00:03:32 “God has completely fulfilled it 00:03:36 to us.” 00:03:37 Yes, this is personal. 00:03:39 Jehovah is at work in your life—in my life. 00:03:42 Then the big conclusion in verses 38-41. 00:03:46 In effect, Jehovah did this for you; 00:03:49 don’t miss out; you can succeed with Jehovah’s help. 00:03:53 That was Paul’s answer to a simple request 00:03:56 for a “word of encouragement.” 00:03:59 That’s why Paul made disciples. 00:04:01 And isn’t that how we’re counseled to fulfill 00:04:04 our student assignments today? 00:04:06 To strengthen and encourage our audience, 00:04:09 we should show what Jehovah has done, 00:04:13 what he is doing, and what he will yet do. 00:04:17 But Paul’s speech was so persuasive that it also drew persecution, 00:04:22 which followed him to the next two cities. 00:04:24 In Lystra, his persecutors thought they had killed him. 00:04:28 But Acts 14:20, 21 says 00:04:33 that “on the next day 00:04:35 “he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 00:04:38 After declaring the good news to that city and making quite a few disciples,” 00:04:43 they faced a choice. 00:04:45 You can see the choice on Map B13. 00:04:50 We’re looking at the red lines 00:04:52 indicating Paul’s first missionary tour. 00:04:54 Derbe is the last stop, but notice the next town over to the east 00:04:58 —Tarsus. 00:05:00 Sound familiar? 00:05:01 Saul of Tarsus. 00:05:04 There was a passageway from Derbe to Tarsus. 00:05:07 Paul would have known the road. 00:05:08 He used it on his second missionary journey 00:05:10 and his third missionary journey, but not this time. 00:05:14 Acts 14:21 —and the red arrows show that Paul returned 00:05:18 to all three cities where he had been persecuted, 00:05:21 including Pisidian Antioch, 00:05:24 where he first received the request for a “word of encouragement.” 00:05:28 Why? Why return? 00:05:30 It would have been so easy for him to think: ‘You know, we’ve had a pretty good run here. 00:05:33 ‘I helped the ruler of Cyprus into the truth. 00:05:35 ‘I performed my first miracle, striking Elymas blind. 00:05:39 ‘We started new congregations in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe. 00:05:43 ‘I endured all manner of hardships. 00:05:45 ‘I was beaten up and stoned and left for dead. 00:05:48 It was a successful missionary tour, but I need to regroup.’ 00:05:52 No. He didn’t think that way. 00:05:55 Why? 00:05:56 Because the needs of the congregation 00:05:59 outweighed his own personal feelings 00:06:03 or fears. 00:06:05 Do you suppose that the opposers who stoned him and left him for dead 00:06:10 were any kinder to the new disciples in Lystra? 00:06:15 Besides, who was taking the lead? 00:06:17 Paul needed to appoint overseers. 00:06:19 This was a weighty task. 00:06:22 So back they went. 00:06:24 Likewise today, our brothers are putting the needs of the disciples 00:06:28 ahead of their own comforts. 00:06:31 Do you remember these scenes 00:06:33 from Jehovah’s Witnesses—Faith in Action, Part 2: Let the Light Shine? 00:06:37 Now, Brother Pillars explains that when he refused 00:06:40 to salute the flag in Winnsboro, Texas, 00:06:43 he was beaten up and hanged. 00:06:46 Thankfully, the rope broke, and he survived to tell the story. 00:06:50 What the video doesn’t tell us is that Oscar Pillars was a circuit overseer. 00:06:55 Some months later, guess where it was time for him to return? 00:06:59 Winnsboro, Texas. 00:07:01 Now, in the months since the hanging incident, 00:07:03 the brothers hadn’t been preaching downtown —they were preaching in the rurals. 00:07:07 Brother Pillars reasoned that if he didn’t preach downtown, 00:07:11 the brothers may never get the courage to preach there. 00:07:15 So he checked out all the territories within the city limits. 00:07:18 They worked there all morning and had a beautiful time with no negative incidents, 00:07:22 except at the very last door. 00:07:25 A woman said, “Say, 00:07:29 you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, aren’t you?” 00:07:31 He said, “Yes, ma’am, I am.” 00:07:33 She said, “You know, we hanged one of you people here, 00:07:37 and we’ll do it again.” 00:07:39 Well, he didn’t tell her that he was the one that they hanged. 00:07:43 But what a beautiful example of standing with your brothers 00:07:47 and putting their needs 00:07:49 ahead of your own feelings! 00:07:53 And we have to say that this Bethel family 00:07:55 is not self-sparing 00:07:57 when encouragement is needed. 00:08:00 At times, though, it could be easy to think, 00:08:02 ‘Well, I just don’t know what to say.’ 00:08:06 But is saying something always necessary? 00:08:10 How do you suppose those in Lystra felt 00:08:14 just to see Paul again, 00:08:16 knowing what it must have taken for him emotionally 00:08:20 simply to return? 00:08:22 That of itself spoke volumes. 00:08:26 ‘OK, but I still feel like I should say something.’ 00:08:29 What did Paul say? 00:08:31 Verse 22: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God 00:08:34 through many tribulations.” 00:08:37 The Kingdom—words of true encouragement 00:08:41 always center on the Kingdom. 00:08:43 You’re not like Job’s false comforters: 00:08:45 ‘Clearly, you have problems here. You must be doing something wrong.’ 00:08:47 No, rather: ‘You’re imitating Jesus. 00:08:51 ‘It brought the wrath of our enemy. Well done! 00:08:54 ‘And that you’re willing to suffer proves that this is real. 00:08:58 ‘You will see Jehovah back you up now. 00:09:01 ‘You will see him reward you in the future. 00:09:03 Stick with it!’ 00:09:05 Have you been called on to offer 00:09:08 a “word of encouragement”? 00:09:12 Don’t over think it, just go! 00:09:15 Stand beside those who need you. 00:09:20 And if you have 00:09:21 any words of encouragement for the people, “tell it.”
