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Encourage One Another Series
Contributed by Dr. Dave Hartson on Nov 19, 2020 (message contributor)
Summary: When the Bible talks about encouraging one another, it means to come along someone’s side to teach, comfort, strengthen or spur on.
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Introduction
If there ever was a year that God’s people needed to encourage one another,
2020 is the year. We have been working our way through a series called “You
ought to see a whole lot of "one anotherness" going on in the church house.” We
have already looked at the two foundational pillars of “one anotherness” Forgive
One Another and Love One Another. And today we begin to build upon that
foundation with encourage one another.
When the Bible talks about encouraging one another, it means to come along
someone’s side to teach, comfort, strengthen or spur on. God encourages us; He
gave us the Holy Spirit and He does all those things - He teaches us, He comforts
us, He strengthens us, and He spurs us on. Let me read you a Scripture from John
14:26 -27
26 But the Counselor (that is the word Encourager), the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you all things (there is the teaching) and
will remind you of everything I have said to you (that is the strengthening). Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give you (there is the comfort). I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (there is
the spurring you on).
If you remember from last week, we are called on to be imitators of Christ. So, as
Pastor of the church, when we gather together, I should see you all teaching each
other; strengthening each other, comforting each other, and spurring each other
on. I want you to notice that when we read the Scripture it does not say the
Pastor Dave and Bro Greg alone encourage the flock; it says encourage one
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another. Bro Greg and I need to do it; but you need to do it too. Every one of us
needs to encourage one another.
And what might surprise you is the number of times we are to encourage one
another. Let me tell you the standard, it is a high standard, but I would not expect
any less from God. Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today... Every time we
meet together teaching, strengthening, comforting, and spurring one another on
should be occurring. And you should be participating.
If you just come to church take a seat, do the required greetings with those
around you and leave right after service is over then you didn’t do any
encouraging; you did not do church. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let
us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The Church needs to be an encouraging place.
So, if you don’t participate in encouraging one another on, we need to find out
why? Why is it that some people don’t participate in encouraging one another?
Scriptures
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of
you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let
us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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Points
#1
YOU CAN ONLY GIVE WHAT YOU POSSESS. ONLY THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE
ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD CAN PASS ON THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD TO
OTHERS. IF YOU DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, IT
MIGHT BE YOU NEVER RECEIVED THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF GOD.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so
that we can comfort those...
Let’s suppose that I have a complicated math problem that I have been racking
my brains trying to figure out. And I know I cannot do it, so I realize I am going to
need some help. So, I think to myself I will go to Megan, after all she is a student
and students take math. Good logic, right? I tell her the problem and she looks at
me with that confused Megan face and says to me: “I don’t have a clue how to