Getting To Know God - Part 4 - The God of Encouragement
Please stand as we read our newest memory Scripture together …
Jude 1:24-25
“To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy –
“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
And our memory refresher verse(s) for today is(are) …
Ephesians 2:8-10
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Please open your Bibles to Romans 15:1-13
Three weeks ago we started taking a look into WHO God is.
It is difficult to love someone you know nothing about.
So, what do we know about God so far?
- His name is YHWY – Yahweh or Jehovah
- YHWH describes Himself as “ I AM WHO I AM”
o He is immutable, unchanging
- YHWH-Rapha – the God Who Heals
o He can, but not always, heals physically
o He always wants to heal spiritually and emotionally
- He is Jehovah-Jireh or YHWH-Yireh … The God Who Provides
o He provided for our salvation
o He provides for our needs
o He provides for the needs of others through the abundance He provides for us
So, let’s take a look at our Scripture reading and see how our God is described in this passage …
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read … Romans 15:1-13
(Prayer for help …)
So, what aspect of the Lord do you think we see in this Scripture?
What two words are found in both verses 4 and 5?
Endurance and encouragement …
Encouragement is what you often need when you are facing something that requires endurance.
The Greek word that is used here for encouragement (consolation) is parakleseos (para – klee – see – os)
This word is used in the New Testament 12 times.
The English equivalent is often determined by the context and it can appear as encouragement, exhortation, comfort or urging.
Some older translations may also use the term of consolation.
But what is it that you need when you are faced with a task that requires great endurance?
What do you need if you are downhearted or spiritually exhausted? You may well need some comfort or consolation. But, often what will help you more is someone to urge you on; someone to exhort you to continue; someone to give you encouragement.
This Greek word, parakleseos has the same route world as Parakletos which means Helper or Comforter. This is Someone who comes along side you to encourage you, to urge you on; Someone who lets you know that you are not in this battle alone! This Someone is the Holy Spirit Himself!
Do you think Paul ever needed encouragement?
2 Corinthians 11:24-28
“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.
“I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. “I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”
Do you think Paul need encouragement so that he would be able to endure?
What if you woke up one morning as a totally healthy individual with the rest of your life ahead as you had always envisioned it but by the evening time you found out that you might very well be a paraplegic the rest of your life?
What would your attitude be?
We all know a person just like that. Let’s hear what he has to say:
Video of Ed (8:31 in duration)
(If you have someone in your congregation with such a story and if they have come through it as a victorious encourager by the power of the Holy Spirit try to see if you can interview them before the congregation but be sure that their testimony matches their life.)
(An alternative would be to tell the story of Joni Eareckson Tada.)
There are two things you can take away from Ed’s testimony …
1) The Lord of Encouragement has been working in his life
2) He isn’t keeping the encouragement to himself but letting it flow into the lives of other people
What does it take to be an encourager?
Do you need to be a great speech maker?
Do you need to have all of the right words?
Do you need to put on a brave face and show confidence?
It was on March 23, 1945, during one of the last major offensives of WWII. General Dwight Eisenhower was walking near the Rhine River and fell into step beside a young infantryman. The young GI seemed depressed, and Ike asked, “How are you feeling, son?” “General, I'm awful nervous. - I don't feel so good.”
And Eisenhower replied, “Well, you and I are a good pair then, because I’m nervous too. Maybe if we just walk along together to the river we’ll be good for each other.”
Here is the great general Eisenhower, the Commanding General of the European Theater of Operations, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force of the North African Theater of Operations, and, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and a young infantry man.
Here’s the amazing thing the General and the low ranking infantryman we able to encourage one another.
We have Someone greater than General Eisenhower to encourage us.
Let me give you another example of how encouragement can change not only how you feel in the moment but for the rest of your life …
For over fifty years, Howard G. Hendricks was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. That is quite an accomplishment but his life didn’t start out that way …
Christian writer and Pastor Stuart Briscoe tells a story of something that happened to Howard Hendricks when he was in elementary school. Howard had come from a broken family and was a problem kid. During his first day in fifth grade the teacher said, 'Oh, Howard Hendricks. I've heard a lot about you. I understand you are the worst kid in school.' That year Howard did whatever he could to prove her right.
When the next year rolled around his sixth grade teacher said to him, 'Oh, so you are Howard Hendricks. I've heard you are the worst boy in this school.' Hendricks thought, 'Here we go again.' But then the teacher continued, 'And you know what? I don't believe a word of it.' And Howard said that year that woman did everything she could to help him and encourage him and praise his work; she believed in him. Hendricks credits her with changing his life forever.
That teacher encourage Howard Hendricks and the direction of his life changed. It makes you wonder how many he then encouraged as a professor in a seminary; those who were struggling with their grades and their call into the ministry.
The God Who Heals doesn’t give us spiritual healing so we can just keep it to ourselves; we are to share the God Who Heals with those who also need spiritual healing.
The God Who Provides doesn’t lavish abundance on us so that we can have the nicest car or the biggest house or the most wealth; we are to share what The God Who Provides gives us with those who are hungry, thirsty, sick and in prison.
The God of Encouragement doesn’t encourage us just so that we can be comforted and walk idly through this life like a contented kitten lounging in a sunbeam on a silk pillow. NO! The God of Encouragement intends for us to pass encouragement on to others.
Every disciple needs three types of relationships in his life. He needs a 'Paul' who can mentor him and challenge him. He needs a 'Barnabas' who can come along side and encourage him. And he needs a 'Timothy,' someone that he can pour his life into.
Do you have anyone in your life who encourages you when you are down? Thank them and thank the Lord for them.
Do you have anyone with who walks step-by-step through life with you hug you when you are celebrating and to hug you when you are weeping?
Thank them and thank the Lord for them.
Do you know a young person who needs befriending and who could use a word of encouragement to point them in the right direction in life?
If not, pray for someone to encourage.
We serve The God of Encouragement and we are to be like Him.
How do we measure up?
Final thoughts and leading into communion.
