Introductory Considerations
1. As individuals in the church, we each have different gifts and resources to share with each other. God has given these to us for the building up of the church - as Paul says "for the common good". T that is why we should celebrate our differences as gifts from God which enable us to function together as a church.
2. That is why each one of us is important to God’s work in our midst. Sometimes we struggle with knowing our gifts and what God wants us to do - how he wants us to serve Him.
3. Today we look at one thing which God wants us to do that each one of us is able to do and has a responsibility to do, and yet, it is something that some of us find harder to do than others might.
4. In 1 Thessalonians God tells us to "encourage one another and build each other up".
5. This morning God challenges each one of you with this question "Are you encouraging one another?".
6. How would you respond? How would I? What does it mean to encourage one another?
Teaching
1. To encourage one another in the Greek can mean to admonish or console each other. While these two things may seem opposed to each other there purpose is the the same - it means to offer comfort.
2. In fact the word is the same word that is used to refer to the Holy Spirit - the comforter, the counselor - we could say the encourager.
3. In our passage from Hebrews we read that we are to encourage one another.
4. Passage begins with a therefore which tells us that there is a reason why we are to comfort one another.
a. The writer has been telling the Hebrews that Christ has sacrificed Himself once and for all for our sins. We are no able to come into God’s presence, to enter the Holy of Holies. We are together God’s people who have been set apart.
b. We need to be reminded of that and so the chief tool we are given to encourage one another is the word of God. The Holy Spirit, the encourager is called the Spirit of Truth.
5. We are called to do four things - each one introduced by the words "Let us"
a. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Wwith the assurance of our salvation, focusing on whom we believe for our faith is in Christ.
b. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, focusing on what we believe - and not letting present struggles and circumstances cause us to let go of that hope.
c. Let us spur one another toward love and good deeds - in how we enable our faith to express itself in love
d. This is the call to each one of us, but there is one more call.
6. The last of these four is "Let us encourage one another". We could say that this call provides the way by which we are are able to do the first three.
7. The Christian life can be a struggle with many factors - ourselves, circumstances, other people - we can easily get discouraged.
8. That is why God has gathered us together as a church - so that we can enable each other to grow in faith, hope and love despite those discouragements.
9. The means by which we encourage is by " let us not give up meeting together - instead encourage one another"
10. Do we encourage thru worship and thru study and thru one-on-one converstion? Can you think of at least one person that you have encouraged in past week - in faith, hope, love?
11. We do so thru the truth of Gospel, but especially thru living out the truth.
12. To see how we can encourage we take a look at a man named Joseph - at least that was his name until the disciples gave him a different name. They called him Barnabas - which mean Son of Encouragement - because Barnabas was an encourager.
13. In book of Acts Barnabas teaches us by eg. how we can encourage
14. First read of Him in Acts 4. It was a time when a number of believers who owned land sold the land and brought the proceeds to the apostles to give to those in need. We are told specifically that one of these men was Barnabas.
15. It is in this act that we discover the first trait of an encourager.
16. An encourager is a person who is willing to put their own money, resources, time, or concerns aside in the interest of others. A person who is aware of another’s needs and is willing to do soemthing to help them. When we help another we are encouraging them.
17. When we are struggling or hurting or fighting sins in our lives, we get so easily discouraged. When one draws along side and gives of themselves, they are sharing our burdens, making our load a little lighter
18. It means they must be willing to sacrifice of themselves for us.
19. Confession of how I have lately been tired/discouraged and have as a result not been an encourager.
a. Their have been some who have encouraged me - by helping out at times, by visiting others, by showing they notice I’m tired and show they care. I have been helped much more than these people may ever more.
b. When I am discouraged, I find it hard to encourage others. To do so, I have to put my feelings aside. - eg. hard to be sensitive to anothers hurts when you are hurting yourself. (a couple of examples of how I failed to encourage)
c. I need to put my feelings aside and not let them affect others - that is giving of self. We must not be lost in own world and concerns but recognizing both concerns and good in others. To encourage is to give of yourelf to help another.
20. Next time we meet Baranabas is after Saul was converted. Saul had persecuted the Christians before - - now he preached the gospel.
21. After the Jews conspired to kill him in Damascus, Paul came to Jerusalem, but the disciples were not ready to trust him. (Acts 9:26)
22. All but one - Barnabas took Paul and brought him to the apostles, telling them what had happened to him. Perhaps they may still have wondered how sincere Paul, but Barnabas was willing to stand with Paul
23. Later a similar thing happened in Acts 15:36-39. Paul wanted to dump Mark but Barnabas again sided alone with the underdog. He was willing to give Mark another chance and it paid off.
a. Later, shortly before his death, Paul would see what Barnabas saw in Mark as he would write to Timothy - 2Tim 4:11. )
b. And of course Mark wrote one of the 4 gospels.
24. In each case Barnabas saw the potential in a believer.
25. An encourager helps a person to deal with adversity and even their own shortcomings rather than write them off. Easy to get negative on someone and see only the bad. We are to see good in people and encourage them.
a. Amazing how positive words bring out the best in another whereas negaitive words discourage them.
b. Have we encouraged or discouraged others this past week?
26. We must be willing to take risk, stake reputation on them. be vulnerable. In ministry often taken advantage of (as Xns as well) - easy to reject and not trust anyone - pleas for help, etc.
27. An encourager does not give up hope but helps even the hopeless. See illustration of how old nurse helped hopeless Little Annie to become the Anne Sullivan who trabsformed Helen Keller.
28 Remember - encourage to hold on to hope.
29. Barnabas understood people and was able to relate to them. After the counsel of Jerusalem - they wanted to send someone to Gentile Christianss at Antioch to encourage them - and you guessed it, they sent Barnabas.
30. We must first have faith, hope and love to be able to share it. Baranabas did.
31. Some more to consider. When we encourage we speak the truth in love. To encourage may mean a gentle word or a strong one depending on what will help the person the most - and the word is not just to make them feel good. It must be the truth of God’s word.
32. Only God can enable us to grow in faith, hope and love.
33. If when my work is over, anything is said - may it be that I encouraged others to grow in faith, hope and love. If we can continue to do so and do so even more, we will see amazing things happen in our midst.
34. Thanks to those who encourage me. Forgive me for the times I fail to do so. But more NB - make it your goal to encourage someone this week - our families, our fellow believers.
36. Encourage one another and build each other up.
