“Excellence in Your Walk”
2 Corinthians 13:11
“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
As I was sitting Tuesday morning at a Red Lion Inn in Sacramento, I had you on my mind. Through the morning I was praying for you as the Spirit led me, but then I began to think of what I might share with you this morning. I was kind of easing into putting off working on this sermon until Friday, but I prayed for a word from the Lord. And I think He gave it. I prayed, “Lord, what do we need to hear? What do You want to share with us this week?” And I clearly heard these three things, “Encourage, Endure, Enjoy”.
I thought “GREAT! Three points to my sermon already. And they all start with the same letter. Can’t go wrong there!” But as I meditated on these words a little more, I realized that these are some things that are really important to us in this day and age. So let’s take a little closer look at them.
First of all, Encourage. I don’t know about you – but I need a lot of encouragement. Maybe I still struggle with insecurity or inferiority complexes – or maybe the flesh side of us – the emotion side of us – just needs lifting up. Maybe it is just our nature to need encouragement. But I need it. The early Christians needed it – and I suspect you do, too. Besides, we are commanded to encourage one another.
Why do you think we are commanded to encourage one another? Certainly, because we all need it. But why are we commanded to provide encouragement? I think it is because it is not natural for us to do it. The flesh finds it hard to be encouraging. So the Spirit must make it into a command. Our Scripture says,
“… encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
God’s Word is saying, “if you want God to be with you – you need to encourage one another. What kills a relationship, be it a marriage, friends, or a church family – is discouragement and negativity and strife. Who wants to be around someone who is discouraging and petty and negative? The way to win friends and influence people is to never condemn, complain or criticize them, Dale Carnage says. The Bible says,
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-4
“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:18
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
“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 3:13
I remember a time in my life when my first response was critical. My wife may tell you that my first response is STILL negative – at least when she brings me a new idea or suggestion or plan. My natural response is to see the negatives – first. Then I begin to process it and see the potential. But what I am talking about is a little different. My first instinct, maybe as a type of self-preservation, was to find a persons weakness or fault and put them down for it. I had to come to a place where I rejected that and choose to find the positives – not the negatives. I remember when I read this verse and it changed my life.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29
Now, I know you can take that to the extreme and sometimes guys verbally spar in fun and friendliness – although we have to watch that, too. But I evaluated what was coming out of my mouth and found it lacking. Unwholesome stuff DID come out of my mouth. Destructive stuff was coming out. Hurtful stuff was coming out.
You see, I had come from a sinful state where I didn’t like people, didn’t trust them, didn’t want to be around them. My feeling was that people always hurt you – better to avoid them. Then I got saved and Jesus turned my world upside down. I began to love people. But I was used to being destructive – not constructive. I was used to being discouraging – not encouraging. I had to watch what came out of my mouth so that it built people up – not torn them down. I had to meet THEIR needs – not mine. My words had to benefit those who were listening.
I want to challenge you to inspect your words and your actions. Are you destructive or constructive? Do you tear down or build up? Are you encouraging or discouraging? Remember – this is a command. If you want God in your life – you need to conform to this aspect of His nature. Because God is encouraging – we need to be encouraging.
God, the Holy Spirit encourages. The Scripture says,
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Acts 9:31
God the Father Encourages.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” Romans 15:5
Apostles and Pastors were to encourage. And the Bible was given to encourage us.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
One of the reasons it is important to daily read the Word of God is to receive the encouragement we so desperately need. We need to learn the promises of God. We need to meditate of them. When we do – we are encouraged - and that develops into hope. And hope is the foundation of faith.
But at the very beginning – comes encouragement. Be encouraging. And be encouraged yourself – by reading the Bible, praying, and getting counsel and fellowship from your spiritual brothers and sisters.
There was another thing very close to encouragement. Did you catch it?
It kind of goes together with encouragement. That’s 2. ENDURANCE. When we are encouraged – we can endure. Listen again. The Bible was written to teach us – and as we learn it’s promises – we get encouragement so we can endure.
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had” Romans 15:5
Earlier we shared Hebrews 3:13
“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 3:13
But it continues:
“We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” Hebrews 3:13
The Christian has to endure. I don’t believe the bible teaches this once saved – always saved doctrine. We are told to endure. We are told to stand firm to the end. We are told to strive. Some people are going to be awfully surprised come Judgment Day because they trusted in a false doctrine rather than in a loving relationship with Jesus. We need to endure. Jesus said,
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:11-13
Who is gonna be saved? The one who endures to the end. It is interesting to me that Jesus said this at the end of his ministry. He began it by saying,
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
I think He was saying we will be blessed if we ENDURE these things. Paul testified that he endured a whole lot for the Lord.
“We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it” 1 Corinthians 4:12
“if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us” 2 Timothy 2:12
If we endure – we will reign with Him. There is always a reward- always a blessing for enduring. We need to hang on to that hope so we CAN endure. We need to set our sights on Jesus. As we are suffering and enduring it – look to Jesus. The Bible says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
See – even Jesus had to endure suffering and pain. Can we do anything less? When you are tempted – endure it. When you are persecuted endure it. When you go through fiery trials – endure it. It will be worth it.
Did you catch the third point? When you are encouraged you can endure – and when you endure – there is 3. JOY coming. Why did Jesus endure the cross? “For the JOY set before Him.”
“…And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3
Joy is one of the attributes of God. Our God is a God of joy. In the Old Testament Nehemiah says,
“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
There is strength in the joy of the Lord. God wants His children to ‘enjoy choice food and sweet drinks. He loves to see His children laugh and dance and sing. That is the kind of God we serve. We have to learn and grow and mature and a part of that process is pain and sorrow and all the rest. But God gives us His promise:
“Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may last for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.” Psalm 20:4-6
“Those who sow with tears, will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” Psalm 126:5-6
You need to know – that joy is coming. God delights in your joy. He is a God of joy. In the New Testament, when it is teaching us about the nature of the Holy Spirit it says,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
God wants us to know that He is a loving God – but another aspect of His nature is JOY! There is joy coming for you. There is JOY in your future. The Scripture says,
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:4
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18
JOY comes in the morning, folks! It will be worth it. Remember this formula for excellence. Encourage, Endure, Enjoy. It works. May God give you encouragement, help you to endure and bring you into His joy!
