The Encouragement Of Jesus Series

(based on a sermon series by Tom Ellsworth)

SERIES: “THE OTHER 3:16’S”

TEXT: COLOSSIANS 3:15-17

TITLE: “THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF JESUS”

OPEN: A. Dr. Joe Harding used to tell a wonderful story about a man who decided to ask his boss for a

raise. He had worried and fretted over the issue but finally decided it was the right thing to do.

The morning of the day he was to talk to his boss, he told his wife what he had determined to do.

She agreed that he should talk to his boss about a raise.

The man spent most of his day at work in agony. His nerves were jangled and he dreaded facing

his boss. Finally, late in the afternoon, he got the courage and went in to see the boss. What a great

day! The boss agreed to grant the request for a raise.

When the man arrived home, he found that his wife had laid out a beautiful table – using their

best dishes and best silverware. She had flowers on the table and candles were lit. He guessed that

someone from his office had tipped her off

He walked back into the kitchen and shared the good news with her. She gave him a big hug

and a kiss. She told him that supper was ready so they should go ahead and eat. At his plate, was a

beautifully hand-lettered not that read: “Congratulations, darling! I knew you would get the raise.

These things will tell you just how much I love you.”

When supper was over, the man helped carry the dishes into the kitchen. He found another note

that had fallen out of his wife’s pocket. He picked it up off the floor and read: “Don’t worry about

not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you.”

B. Life is difficult sometimes

1. We feel pressure from our jobs, our families, our community, even our church

2. We feel that we don’t necessarily deserve all the problems and pressures of this life, but we

have move forward

--We still have to live life.

3. It certainly helps to know that no matter how things are going, somebody loves us

--Somebody is rooting for us. Somebody cares about what’s happening to us. Somebody wants

to encourage us as we live our lives

C. We’re in our 4th scripture from “Discover Jesus: The Other 3:16’s”

1. 1 Jn. 3:16 – “The Love of Jesus”

2. Lk. 3:16 – “The Power of Jesus”

3. Acts 3:16 – “The Name of Jesus”

4. Today: Col. 3:16 – “The Encouragement of Jesus”

D. Our God is a God of encouragement

--I look at all the people listed in the Bible that got down and discouraged and God lifted them up

and got them through their struggles and trials

1. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

2. Moses and Joshua

3. The prophets like Elijah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah

4. I see the encouraging hand of Jesus in the life of Peter as he encouraged him to “Feed my sheep”

three times after Peter had denied him three times

5. I look at the troubles and trials of the apostle Paul: shipwrecked, stoned, beaten, falsely accused

--and yet, I see the encouraging hand of God in his ministry

E. Like all of the other passages in our 3:16 series, we need to look at Col. 3:16 in context

--Col. 3:15-17 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you

were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach

and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in

the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

1. The church at Colosse was facing some difficult times

--False teachers had come into the congregation and were leading folks astray

a. False teachers from the Judaizers who tried to say that you can’t be a Christian without first

becoming a Jew

b. False teachers from the pagan religions that taught there were many ways to God

c. False teachers with Greek philosophy mixed in with some Christianity

--These teachers taught that what was done in the flesh was inconsequential. It was what

happened in the mind that was important

d. Some scholars have even seen some Gnostic influences in some of the false teachings Paul

deals with

--Gnostics taught that they had a “special knowledge” that no one else had. This “special

knowledge” made them “special Christians” above and beyond all others

2. The apostle Paul was upfront with the people at Colosse regarding the purpose of this letter