Play

You Very Good

Jim Webster
02/07/16 - Sun AM

Be an encourager in all relationships; forgive, accept and be there for one another.
 

Acts 11:22

 

You Very Good; You Very Fast

A runner who felt defeated by his mother’s comments was ready to give up one dark day. But along the normal path he ran he met a man who encouraged him.

“Just as I was going to turn around at the two-mile mark and head for home - feeling more discouraged than I could recall in years - I saw an elderly Chinese gentleman walking toward me on the opposite side of the trail. I had seen him walking on other mornings. I had always said, "Good morning," and he had always smiled and nodded his head. This particular morning, he came over to my side of the trail and stood in my path, forcing me to stop. I was wearing a T-shirt with three Chinese characters on the front. With limited English he pointed to the letters and excitedly said, "You speak?"

I told him I didn't speak Chinese; and then, very enthusiastically he said, "Every time see you...you very good...you very fast."

Well, I am neither very good nor very fast, but that day I left with an unexplained bounce in my step. I didn't turn from the trail where my previous dark mood had intended, but continued for six more miles, and you know, for that morning I was very good and very fast.

 

How are you running today?

"You very good...you very fast."

 

A chance encounter or an ongoing relationship we need to be encouragers and we need encouragers in our life.

 

A few weeks ago we looked at how to create in harmony with one another. The last two weeks I have shared how I tried to have harmony with my birth mother.  I pray you are working to create harmony in your relationships.  I want to take time today to examine some of the Apostle Paul’s relationships.  I want to look at Mark and Paul’s rocky relationship and Barnabas and Paul’s contentious relationship.

 

We first meet Paul by his Hebrew name Saul in Acts 8.

It was a custom for a Jew born in a Roman city to have dual names.

Acts 13:9  Then Saul, who was also called Paul

As a Pharisee, Saul went by his Jewish name but as he preached the gospel of Jesus to a Gentile (Romans 11:13) world it made sense to use his Roman name, Paul.

 

When Stephen the first Christian is being killed Saul is giving approval of his death.

Acts 8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2  Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

 

The Christians scattered but the apostles remained in Jerusalem.

 

Saul was emboldened to search out more Christians in the name of his God.

Acts 8:3  But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

 

Saul was a fiery Pharisee and when he became a Christian he was a fiery preacher. Being baptized doesn’t change your personality.  Coming to Christ makes you forgiven, justified.  We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) but that doesn’t mean God gives us a new personality.  As a Christian we grow in the Spirit and that smooths off the rough edges of our personality.

 

After Saul became a Christian other Christians were afraid of him.

 

Acts 9:26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27  But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.

 

Barnabas took a chance on Saul and did what he always did – He encouraged. We first meet Barnabas as he is encouraging others with his generosity.

Acts 4:32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. … 34  There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them,