Be The Encourager

1 Peter 1:3-9 “Be The Encourager”

1. Peter begins by recognizing who Jesus is

• He recognizes Jesus as Gods son, as The anointed one

• He understands Jesus as the one who gives life new birth

• He believes Jesus is living Hope for all people as a result of Easter Sunday or the Resurrection

2. Peter confirms the importance of Encouragement especially to these folks who are suffering

• Encouraging words breed strength for others

• This idea that encouragement is empowering to people who are struggling has been around for centuries.

• We read from the first chapter of 1 Peter today, where the apostle Peter is encouraging words of hope to people who are suffering for their faith.

• Peter praised his readers, saying, “In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith — being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed … for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

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3. Peters purpose in writing the epistle was to encourage the believers

• “I have written this short letter to encourage you …” (5:12).

• Peter knew in that day as people in our world need some support. Life is difficult, and it’s too easy to

get buried under problems that come our way.

• Sometimes a word of encouragement is all that stands between us and giving up, breaking down or simply living in sadness.

4. The word encourage means to comfort, to console, to exhort Greek

• Thessalonians, Paul tells his Christian readers to “encourage one another and build up each other” (5:11).

• We should build up each other We should love one another

• We should live in harmony with one another We should welcome one another

• We should care for one another We should confess our sins to one another

We should pray for one another encouragement is the right thing to do its actually the Christian thing to do

5. Hear the following:

• While a man and his son were waiting for their meals to arrive, they noticed an elderly couple come in and sit at a nearby table. The woman was overweight and appeared to be at least 80, but she was dressed like a cowgirl of 20, complete with a red Stetson, a western outfit and boots, and she also had on a good bit of glittery jewelry. The man started to make a snarky remark about her appearance to his son, but the son stopped him, saying, “Don’t, Dad. Life is hard enough. Maybe what she’s wearing makes her feel good. And we’re not perfect either.” The father was smart enough to shut up and realize that his son was the one seeing things clearly.

• The man on the following day while reading some devotional material, he came across these words from Ephesians: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear” (4:29).

A few days after that, the man was sitting in a physical therapy facility, waiting his turn for therapy for a minor foot problem. While there, an older woman entered, moving slowly aided by a walker, and wincing in obvious pain. She sat down on a chair not far from him and after a few moments, the two began to talk. She asked him what he was there for, and he told her about his foot, and then she described the much more debilitating condition she had, and how her surgery had not helped as much as she had hoped. She explained that she was now relying on the therapy, but that it caused her significant pain. Wearily she added, “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

At that moment, the man’s therapist stepped into the room and told him she was ready for him. For some reason, as he got up, he recalled his son’s comment in the restaurant. Then he turned back toward the woman, and said, “Don’t you give up! You can do this. God bless you.”

Sometimes the encouraging word is a ministry all by itself, and it’s one we can all engage in.

6. Finally, Let’s be the encourager Jesus was and is

• To a paralytic, lying on his bed, Jesus said, “Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven” (Matt. 9:2).

• To the woman with the hemorrhage who touched the hymn of his garment He said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has saved you” (Matt. 9:22, lit.).