Be Encouraged Part 1
Scripture: John 14:1-3; 17:20-21; Proverbs 17:22; Matthew 26:53
Introduction:
This morning I am starting a series titled “Be Encouraged” and this message will be the introductory message to set the stage for the series. Encouragement is something that is crucial to everyone regardless of whether you’re “religious” or not. Everyone needs encouragement and sometimes without it we make poor decisions in seeking it. In this series I want to share with you why we should be encouraged and why there will be times when we must stand along on God’s word and encourage ourselves. Before I go any further I want to share a personal experience with you.
During my six years in elementary school I had teachers who believed in me and encouraged me to do my best. I was blessed because I had teachers that made me believe that they cared about me individually and wanted me to excel educationally. They encouraged me while I was in their classroom and continued to do so even after I was promoted to the next grade. Two of my favorite elementary school teachers were Mrs. Porter and Mrs. Howell. Mrs. Porter taught me in the third grade and Mrs. Howell taught me in the sixth grade. When I preached my first sermon in 1981, (9 years later) both of these teachers were present. I did not invite them nor expected them to even know that I had been called into the ministry, but they were there. Upon completing that sermon both of these ladies came up to me and offered me encouragement. This past November while we were home for grandmother’s funeral, I was able to see these two ladies and my fourth grade teacher. These teachers encouraged me and made me think that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind to and what they instilled within me is still there. Throughout my educational years and my military career, God always placed someone in my life to offer encouragement when I needed it most as there were many times when I did not know how to encourage myself. I know first hand how a little encouragement can impact a life. This series will examine why we need encouragement and why I believe that we have the BEST encourager available – our Heavenly Father!
Our choir sings a song by Donald Lawrence titled “Encourage Yourself.” Listen to what two of the verses says: “Sometimes you have to encourage yourself. Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test. And no matter how you feel, speak the word and you will be healed; speak over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord. Sometimes you have to speak the word over yourself, the pressure is all around, but God is present help. The enemy created walls, but remember giants, they do fall; speak over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord.” The song ends with the singers repeating the phrase “I’m Encouraged!” As we go through this series I want you to keep the words to this song in your mind because I will share with you what the Bible says about our being encouraged. Turn with me to John chapter fourteen.
I. Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
The definition of encourage is: “to inspire with courage, spirit or hope; to attempt to persuade; to spur on; to give help.” To encourage someone means that we are building them up spiritually; mentally and emotionally so that they may be able to carry on. You see, discouragement is a state of mine. It will manifest itself in a physical way, but it is a state of mine. Remember what Solomon said in Proverbs 17:22? He said “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries of the bones.” He was saying that discouragement can actually kill us spiritually and physically but a joyful heart, one that is encouraged, works on the body like a good medicine. When we are physically ill there are times when we can take medicine to help the body recover from the illness. Encouragement is the medicine of the spiritual man. If we are encouraged then we can have strength to defeat all circumstance but as soon as we are discouraged, our enemy gains a foothold to really do battle against us.
Before we read these verses I want to ask you a question. If you knew this would be the last time you would see your family and friends what you would say to them? If you knew you were going and they would be left behind, what words would you tell them to prepare them? Would you try and leave them with words that would comfort them? Would you tell them what they needed to hear in order to be encouraged? What would you tell them? Jesus was faced with this exact situation. On the night that He was betrayed Jesus chose to encourage His disciples. He chose to prepare them for what would come and how they would need to stand strong. He did this by making sure they knew who they were in Him. Let’s look at John chapter fourteen.
In the thirteenth chapter of the book of John, Jesus sat down with all of His disciples for the last supper. During that meal Jesus took a basin of water and washed His disciples’ feet (He even washed Judas’ feet even though He knew that Judas had already decided to betray Him.) Jesus washed their feet to set in order a principle of equality among them. He wanted them to be servants of each other not to rise to a position where they desired to be served as some of the other religious leaders. After He washed their feet and explained to them why He had done it His spirit was troubled and He confessed to them that one of them would betray Him. When they asked Him who it was Jesus gave them the answer but they did not understand fully what He was telling them. Jesus looked directly at Judas and told Him what He had decided to do to do it quickly. Some of the disciples who heard this and saw Judas get up and leave the room thought that Jesus had sent him on an errand; they did not understand until later that it was Judas who had betrayed Him. After Judas left the room, Jesus told them that His time was at hand. He told them that He would not be with them much longer and that where he was going they could not follow. His disciples understandably did not understand what he was telling them. When Peter pressed Him and confessed that He would go with Him wherever He went and would even lay down his life for Jesus, Jesus told him that that very night he would deny Him three times. With this said, Jesus begins one of His most teaching sessions. It was as if He knew He had to get this word into them as His time was quickly coming to an end. This one teaching session encompassed chapter fourteen through seventeen. Jesus began the teaching with words to encourage His disciples. Let’s read what He said in John 14:1-3: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Jesus knew that His disciples were going to be pushed to their utter limits soon and He wanted to encourage them. What He told them was if they believed in God then they needed to also believe in Him. Although He was leaving them temporarily, He was going to come back for them. He did not tell them all of His plans; what would happen; what would happen to them; or the timeline. What He told them was to focus on what they believe in: God and Him. There was something in the belief that would bring them to a point of being encouraged. Jesus then described what He was preparing for them – not something of this world but something that was in heaven. He told them that all who came to the Father would have to come through Him and herein comes the belief factor. Through this teaching Jesus taught them many things, but when you examine what He taught them the foundation was encouragement. Here is a quick summary of what Jesus taught them in this one setting:
• He was one with the Father: Jesus explained to them that He was one with the Father so therefore they had been directly in the presence of the Father as they had walked with Him. He was their direct link. If you understood that you had a direct link to the Father, would that not provide some encouragement for you? He wanted them to know that they were had a source of power through a direct connection to the God that they believed in even before He ever called them to be His disciples. Through this connection they could know that whatever they asked God through that connection (Jesus) would be answered. If Jesus promised you that your prayers would always be answered, would you not be encouraged?
• The role of the Holy Spirit: After telling them about His oneness with the Father and through that oneness their prayers would be answered, He taught them about the role of the Holy Spirit. In essence the Holy Spirit would replace Him and help them complete the work they had been called to do. He gave them a lot of information about the power of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit would operate in their lives. He told them the Holy Spirit would comfort, teach and guide them while convicting the world of sin. What Jesus was telling them was that after He was gone He would ask the father to send them the Holy Spirit to help them. Do you know how much encouragement can come through just having a little help? The disciples had a big job ahead of them and the Holy Spirit was being sent to help them. This would eventually encourage them in ways that at this time they could not understand.
• He was the true vine: He taught them that He was the true vine and His followers were the branches. Again, He is reconfirming that they were connected to Him and that because of that connection they would produce fruit. Through this illustration Jesus was encouraging His disciples to remain attached to him. Remember, at this time the disciples did not know about Judas actions but the teachings from this night would some make sense to them.
• He taught them about relationship: Jesus taught His disciples on this night about their relationship to each other and their relationship to the world. He told them to love each other in the same manner as He had loved them. He told them not to worry about what the world thinks because the world did not appreciate Him either. This is important because a lot of our discouragement can be found rooted in the world’s system of measurement. Jesus told them that they were not to be of this world – they were visitors passing through. He wanted them to be encouraged from on high based on their true relationship with the Father versus the false, weak encouragement that can come through the world. He warned them that if they walked with Him and did not lose faith that they would be outcasts among the world just as He was an outcast.
• His death: He gave them a little more information about His death. What is interesting is that He did not focus on how He would die, but what would happen later. He told them that they would cry and lament after he was gone while the world rejoiced. But He also told them that their grief would be short lived and turned to joy. While they would experience some grief currently, they would soon experience joy upon His return. Again, they did not fully grasp what He was telling them but after He rose from the dead it would all make sense.
• His Prayer: Chapter seventeen contains the prayer that Jesus prayed for His disciples after He completed His teaching. Not only did He pray for His disciples, He prayed for us also. John 17:20-21 says “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their words; that they may all be one; even as You, father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Jesus prayed for me and He prayed for you. Every time you open the word you can know that Jesus prayed for you because what you read you’re learning directly from His disciples! Jesus prayed a prayer of supplication on behalf of the disciples. He prayed for their strength and their knowledge. Through this prayer He was reminding them of their connection to God through Him and that even after He had left them physically, they would still be connected. As He closed the prayer, He prayed for their future glory as they completed the work that He had called them to do. Again, Jesus was not focused on what they could have in this world but what they would have if they succeeded in walking and staying with Him.
Remember the definition of encourage? It says “to inspire with courage, spirit or hope; to attempt to persuade; to spur on; to give help.” As I reviewed what Jesus taught His disciples on that last night could you hear Him trying to inspire them to be courageous, of strong spirit and a sense of hope? Could you hear Him persuading them to remain focused on God and what He had been teaching them? Jesus spent His last night with His disciples encouraging them because He knew what they were about to face. He knew their world was going to be rocked and He wanted to provide them with a sense of security so that they would not fall into discouragement. He did not want them to be deprived of courage and confidence after he left them. Are you encouraged this morning?
While Jesus was encouraging His disciples He was faced with the knowledge that on this night Judas was actively betraying Him. He knew that these men sitting at the table with Him at that moment would not betray Him, but they would abandon Him. They would run and leave Him alone when they came to arrest Him. He knew that one would follow Him to see what would happen to Him and ultimately deny Him three times. He knew he would be beaten and nailed to a cross to die. Jesus knew all of this was forthcoming and yet He spent His time encouraging his disciples. Who encouraged Him? If you recall for your many times of hearing this story, Jesus was first encouraged in the Garden of Gethsemane. He went there to pray and asked God to remove “the cup” from Him. After He prayed an angel appeared to Him and strengthened Him. The strength He received at this moment enabled Him to complete His task – as hard as it was. He was still burdened with what He had to do, but He also knew He had to prepare His disciples.
I also believe that after His visit to the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus began to encourage Himself. He knew the task at hand and although it would cost Him his physical life, it was a beginning and not an end. Remember the song I mentioned earlier? Jesus had to encourage Himself. He understood the end and what He was about to endure was temporary and for a purpose. He understood that he was fulfilling a purpose. He understood this so completely that even though He could have asked for help at any time during His arrest and crucifixion and would have received it. Matthew 26:53 records Jesus making the following statement when they came to arrest Him and Peter drew his sword to defend Him: “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Notice what He said. He said He could appeal to His Father. To appeal something is to request for help or in a legal situation; to possibly reverse a decision made by a lower court. Jesus could have asked God to reverse His decision about Him dying on a cross and God would have done it. God would have at once put twelve legions of angels at His disposal. Do you know how many angels that would have been? A legion was 6,000 troops so this would have been 72,000 angels at a minimum. No, Jesus chose to obey God all the way to the cross. He knew that man could kill His physical body and that was all they could do. But His Father could do much more. Jesus knew that giving His life would save millions upon millions of lives. Jesus chose to go to the cross and die for each of us. I believe that He was able to do this because He encouraged Himself.
Encouragement is needed by each of us, especially when we are trying to fulfill what God has called us to do in a world that does not appreciate value or approve of us. This message was the introduction. Beginning next week we will examine specific Scriptural references that God has spoken to us to encourage us. If we understand these references then when we are in our personal Garden of Gethsemane we will have His word to reflex on as a means of encouraging ourselves. Until next week, may God forever bless and keep you.
