MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
A. In today's world, it appears that almost everyone is getting connected to everyone else. We have cell phones, e-mail, Face Book, Twitter, & much, much more. But no matter how connected we are technically, it seems we're getting less & less connected personally.
That's not what God intended. In fact, the Bible tells us that when God first made man, He said, "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18). We were made with a desire to connect, to belong, & to be accepted by others.
And one of the words in the Bible that expresses that togetherness, that sharing of ourselves with one another is the word "fellowship."
Experiencing that fellowship is important because life has a way of wearing us down, & we tend to get discouraged. Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." (NLT)
When we're discouraged, there will be times when we will have a broken spirit. There will be times when our strength is gone.
ILL. Once in a while I'll sit all alone after meeting with people, almost stunned by the amount of hurt that they're carrying inside. All around us are people who are being crushed by life. Their marriages are falling apart.
Their finances are a mess. They're worried about their jobs. They're worried about their kids. They have regrets - huge regrets from the past. Their health isn't what it used to be.
Life has a way of wearing us down, doesn't it?
And when we're discouraged, what usually happens? We start complaining & feeling sorry for ourselves. We may even turn bitter & isolate ourselves. Sometimes we get so discouraged that we even stop going to church.
It's sad when we do that, because that's when we need each other the most. Isolation isn't the answer.
I. WHY DO WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER?
A. There's a reason why we as Christians need to be concerned about & encourage each other.
Jesus told us in John 13:35, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (NLT) Jesus loves us without reservation. The way we can show we're His followers is to do the same with one another.
The Apostle Paul says, "Encourage one another & build each other up, just as you are already doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT).
Again, Jesus said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, & all your mind. This is the first & greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39 NLT)
A lot of people don't understand what Christianity is all about. Christianity is about relationships - our relationship with God, & our relationship with others. It's not about rules. It's not about knowledge. It's about loving, lasting relationships.
ILL. One of my heroes in history is William Wilberforce, the man who worked so hard trying to get Parliament to abolish English support of slavery. Twice he was defeated in his efforts. Discouraged, he was about to give up.
Then his old friend, John Wesley, heard of his discouragement, & even though Wesley was on his deathbed he pulled himself up & asked for pen & paper. With trembling hand Wesley wrote these words to Wilberforce:
"Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men & devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God & in the power of His might..."
Wesley died 6 days after writing those words, & Wilberforce, with renewed dedication, continued on. Then in 1833, just 3 days before his own death, it was brought to a vote once more, & Parliament finally abolished slavery in Britain. What if John Wesley hadn't encouraged him?
B. Encouragement is important because so much is at stake. Heb. 10:25 says, "Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near." (NLT)
I believe that Jesus is coming back soon. Eternity is at stake. That's why it is so important that we encourage each other.
II. HOW CAN WE ENCOURAGE EFFECTIVELY?
But how are we to do that? How can we encourage effectively?
A. Our meeting together is a source of encouragement.
Listen again to Hebrews 10:25: "Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."
If you study what the Bible says about the church, there are some things the church cannot do well from a distance.
This morning you could turn on your TV & hear some great sermons being preached in TX, Georgia, & Florida. You could see & hear some inspiring worship services. And if that is all that church is for, then you could very well just stay home & watch television.
But that's not what church is all about. God gave His people a task that goes far beyond preaching & music - as important as they are. He's called us to be a family, a community, a fellowship. He's called us to come to know & love each other.
Again & again the N.T. uses the phrase “one another.” “Love one another - serve one another - forgive one another - encourage one another.” Just watching television won't do that.
The only way we can effectively encourage one another is by committing ourselves to being part of a church family – not just for the sermons or the music, but to live in relationship with one another. We need each other!
B. Secondly, we need to consider how we can express encouragement.
Hebrew 10:24 (NLT) says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love & good works.” It takes thought. The way you encourage one person might not be effective with another. We need to consider how to encourage each other.
The Greek word translated “encourage” is an interesting word. It’s a word that usually has a negative meaning. It means “To irritate or incite.” It’s a word that suggests the idea of prodding & poking.
ILL. It’s a little like the company that negotiated a new health insurance plan (back before the days of Obamacare) that required 100% employee participation. Every employee, both labor & management, had to be included or the plan would not go into effect.
It was a good plan & everybody signed up except Sam, who refused. His fellow workers pleaded with him, but to no avail.
Finally, the company president called Sam into his office. “Sam,” he said, “this health plan is too good for us to lose out on. Now here’s an application & a pen, & I want you to sign up. I'm sorry, but if you don’t, I'll have to fire you.” Without any hesitation Sam grabbed the pen & signed up.
When it was all done, the president asked, “Sam, would you mind telling me why you didn't sign up earlier?” “Well, sir,” said Sam, “nobody explained it to me quite so clearly before.”
That’s basically the idea of the word “encourage” here. In a positive way, we are to incite others to "acts of love & good works."
With some of you, encouragement appears to happen just naturally. Others may think, “God didn't give me any spiritual gift,” when all along, God has given you the gift of being able to encourage others. You enjoy doing it. It's just a part of your nature.
If so, Romans 12:8 (NLT) has a message for you: “If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly!” Use your gift of encouragement, for you have a vital ministry that is needed by all of us.
But for the rest of us, encouragement won’t happen unless we plan to do it. So let me give you some ideas on how you & I can encourage others.
I don’t know what your mailbox is like, but mine gets stuffed full of magazines, bills, & junk mail. And when I see a handwritten note, that's almost always the one I open first. One of the most effective ways to encourage someone is a simple note telling them that you’re thinking of them, & praying for them.
I also have what might be called a love/hate relationship with the telephone. Sometimes I'm torn between a desire to answer it, or throw it out a window.
But what would happen if you picked up the phone to say, "I don't have much time, but God just put you on my mind. I want you to know that you're in my prayers today." So consider how you can use your telephone to encourage others.
Some of you who have lost a loved one know how tough anniversaries of that bereavement can be. So use your concern to encourage others on the anniversary of their loss.
Sometimes the best way to encourage isn’t through words at all. It’s through listening. It’s by trying to understand the other person. Understanding is oftentimes better than advice.
There are countless ways to encourage. Once again, the Bible says, “Think of ways to encourage one another.” Put some thought into it – that’s the 2nd principle of encouraging effectively.
III. COMMIT TO ENCOURAGING DAILY
A 3rd principle of effective encouragement is: Commit to encouraging daily.
Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage each other every day while it is 'today.' Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (NCV)
Encouragement is to be a daily action. This means encouraging even when there’s very little to encourage.
ILL. We don't have a choir, but as you know, many churches do. Now let me mention a choir that really wasn't very good.
In that congregation there was one dear old lady who was an encourager, who was known for her ability to make positive comments about everything. But when it came to that choir, she was hard put to think of anything positive to say.
She finally solved that problem. One Sunday morning, as the choir members filed into the choir loft, she leaned over & said to her friend, “Aren’t they walking in well this morning?” There’s always something positive that you can say!
The reason we need to encourage every day is simple: if we don’t make it a regular habit, we’ll only do it when we feel like it.
When you came this morning, it’s likely you weren’t particularly thinking of other people’s needs. That’s probably true of most of us. Hidden opportunities for encouragement will surface only as we regularly look for them – only as we make a commitment to a habit of encouragement.
Proverbs 12:25 (NLT) says, “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.”
ILL. I was a sophomore in High School when I was asked to preach my very first sermon. My father had helped reopen a closed church in Crowell, TX, & we had recently moved there.
But there was a problem. He had long been scheduled to speak several times at a Mission Conference in OR & had to be gone for 3 Sundays. After considering what to do, the elders asked if I would preach one of the Sundays he was gone.
I finally agreed to do so, & I worked very hard on that sermon. I practiced & practiced preaching it, & every time I practiced the sermon lasted about one hour. Then the Sunday came when I preached it to the congregation.
I was so nervous, & when I was nervous I tended to speak very rapidly. In fact, over the years I’ve noticed that many teenagers have the same problem.
Well, when I preached that morning, I was so nervous that my hour-long sermon lasted exactly 12 minutes. To make matters worse, the church had no sound system, & I didn’t speak very loudly, so only the people with really good hearing could hear what I said. It was a disaster! And I knew it!
If someone had told me that I was a disgrace as a speaker & should never get up in front of people again, I would have agreed 100%. The people were kind, but I really felt low.
That afternoon, one of the older ladies came to our house to talk to me & to my mother. She told me that she appreciated my sermon, & felt that I had potential as a preacher.
She said that she wanted to help me by paying a speech teacher there in town to give me private lessons for a year. And she did! What a difference that made in my life, & I’ll be eternally grateful for her encouragement that day.
Proverbs 18:21 (NCV) says, “What you say can mean life or death.” Your encouraging words can change someone else’s life, & maybe even your life, too.
Let’s pray. “Father, you’ve told us that our words have the power of life & death. I pray that you will grant us understanding hearts, that we may see people – their strengths & weaknesses, their hopes & despairs, their efforts & their failures - & touch them with your love.
May we encourage one another, not just today, but every day. In our Lord’s name we pray, Amen.”
INVITATION
