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
solve that problem. I never learned that”. And what she is saying is that I don’t
possess those math skills to pass them on to you.
I then head over to Janet. Janet had taught math eighteen years in school. I tell
her the problem and she says to me: “this is how you solve the problem, and this
will be your answer”. What is the difference between Janet and Megan? Janet
possessed the math skills and was able to pass them on to me. Megan did not
possess those math skills, so she had nothing to pass on to me.
So, I have to ask myself the question, have I experienced the encouragement of
God in my life? Are that times that I was low, and God brought me through it?
Have there been times that I have lost my way, and I know it was God right there
nudging me back to the right path? Have there been times I wanted to give up
hope, but that little, small voice said don’t? Then I got the encouragement of God
and He says to me when you get together make sure you pass it on.
And that is exactly what Jesus said in that Scripture. I comforted you so that you
can comfort others.
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#2
YOU CAN ONLY ENCOURAGE, IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE GRIPS OF SIN. PEOPLE
WHO ARE BURDENED DOWN WITH SIN DO NOT LOOK OUTWARDLY TO
ENCOURAGE INSTEAD THEY DRAW INTO THEMSELVES. IF YOU DO NOT
PARTICIPATE IN ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, IT MIGHT BE THAT YOU ARE IN
THE GRIPS OF SIN.
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.
Let me bring you back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have eaten of the
forbidden fruit and now they are standing in the presence of God. I did not hear
Adam encourage his wife by saying God told me not to eat of that tree. I knew
better. Eve, it is not your fault. I knew better. Instead, Adam’s focus is inward,
protecting himself. Adam tells God that she did it. He threw her under the bus.
Eve did not say Adam, I am sorry it was my fault. I know you would not have
eaten of the tree if I didn’t tempt you. Instead, she draws inward, protecting
herself, and blames the serpent.
Did you see any encouragement in that scenario? No, because sin had a grip on
both Adam and Eve, and they drew inward.
The only Encourager in that story is the Lord. He says, I will come up with a plan to
make it all right.
So, I got to ask myself, if I don’t offer encouragement is it because sin has got a
hold of me and has me looking inward instead of outward?
#3
YOU WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER IF YOU KNEW
JUST HOW MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT IS A GAME CHANGER IN ANOTHER
PERSON’S LIFE. IF YOU DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER,
IT MIGHT BE YOU NEVER PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT CAN
DO FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
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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.
In our Scripture, the writer instructs us to encourage one another as we come
toward the end time. The idea is that as we come to the end times, some
Christians might fall into discouragement as to how hard life is becoming. And
the writer implies that our words might help them get through this difficult time.
In other words, the writer is saying that our words can be a game changer.
In the Book of Acts Chapter 4, we are introduced to a man by the name of Joseph,
a Levite from Cyprus. He was neither an apostle nor a deacon. He was just a
believer. But apparently, he stood out because he was a man of encouragement.
So, the apostle started calling him Barnabas which means Son of Encouragement.
In Acts 11, when the apostles wanted to know what was happening in the new
founded church at Antioch, they sent Barnabas. And the Scripture says Acts
11:22-24 (NIV)
22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent
Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and
encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of
people were brought to the Lord.
Barnabas going to Antioch was a game changer- a great number of people were
brought to the Lord.
You want to be a game changer- encourage people in your church, encourage
your spouse, encourage your children, encourage your fellow workers. And then
pay attention, how your encouragement changed their life.
Let us pray!
