Encouraging One Another
Judges 20:22 "And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves (NIV one another), and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day."
To encourage ? to hearten; to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope; spur on; to stimulate; to give help.
Satan has a number of tools that he plies against you. If he can’t puff you up with pride, he will try to dampen your spirit by discouragement. It’s one of his best tools! If he can get your soul "under the weather," he wins. It is not really what we go through that matters, it is what we go under that breaks us. While there are many who are suffocating under discouragement we need to realize that encouragement is oxygen to the soul. It is our duty to build one another up - (1 Thessalonians 5:11) "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another..."
I. Encourage One Another by Valuing each other
A. (Zechariah 7:9-10) "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother: {10} And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."
B. (Philippians 2:3) "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."
C. In 1994 Thurman Thomas, head bowed with his hands covering his face, sat on the Buffalo bench following his team’s fourth straight Super Bowl loss. His three fumbles had helped seal the awful fate of his Buffalo Bills. Suddenly, standing before him was the Dallas Cowboys’ star running back, Emmitt Smith. Just named MVP for Super Bowl XXVIII, Smith was carrying his small goddaughter. Smith looked down at her and said, "I want you to meet the greatest running back in the NFL, Mr. Thurman Thomas."
D. John Ruskin wrote, "You will find it less easy to uproot faults than to choke them by gaining virtues. Do not think of your faults; still less of others’ faults. In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong; honor that; rejoice in it; as you can, try to imitate it, and your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes."
E. Mike Yanconelli - The problem with the church today is not corruption. It is not institutionalism. No, the problem is far more serious than something like the minister running away with the organist is. The problem is pettiness. Blatant pettiness.
II. Encourage One Another by being Tolerant of each other
A. (Romans 15:7) "Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."
B. (Colossians 3:13) "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."
C. Anyone can love the ideal church. The challenge is to love the real church.
III. Encourage One Another By Serving One Another
A. (Galatians 5:13-15) "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. {14} For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. {15} But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."
B. The Austrian novelist Baroness Von Suttner said, "After the verb ’to love,’ ’to help’ is the most beautiful verb in the world."
C. Don’t point a finger-hold out a helping hand.
IV. Encourage One Another by Praying for One Another
A. (James 5:16) "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
B. One night an 11-year-old girl Eva noticed her mother was distracted as she tucked her in to bed. The mother told her about a friend’s teenage daughter whose hair was mysteriously falling out and she encouraged Eva to pray for Amy. Her simple words, "Jesus, please hold Amy’s hair on her head," touched the mother. As the doctors experimented with different treatments, Amy continued to lose her hair. Eva continued to pray the same prayer. After six weeks the doctors determined Amy had alopecia, an extremely rare disorder where hair loss is unpredictable but can be complete and permanent. When the mother told Eva, she took her mother?s hand and closed her eyes. This time her prayer was different. "Dear Jesus, if you won’t hold Amy’s hair on her head, would you please hold Amy?" God doesn’t move mountains; he moves us.
