Encouraging Words 2

Heb. 10:25 "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

The King James Version uses the word "exhort" instead of encourage, but since we understand "encouragement" better, that's the word I'll use for the rest of this message.

Encourage: comes from the Greek word parakaleó (par-ak-al-eh'-o)

It means, "To summon, to entreat, to admonish, and to comfort."

Now likewise, the Greek word Jesus used for Comforter when referring to the Holy Spirit is from the same word, parakletos.

Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (parakletos), that He may abide with you forever" (John 14:16).

Parakletos means the same thing: "an advocate, comforter, helper, intercessor, or consoler."

Both Greek words are made up of two words:

The prefix, "para" means "close beside."

The ending "kaleo" means "to call out to someone, to invite them."

So put together, the word means to call out to someone, to invite them, to come along beside them.

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Now according to Jesus, one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to the church is to comfort, help hold up, console, and be close beside us.

And that means that, in light of the fact that the Holy Spirit lives inside of the Christian, He (the Holy Spirit) wants to use us to become a part of His ministry of encouragement.

We are anointed of God to "call out" (kaleo) to those in need and comfort, hold up, console, and (para) come up close beside them.

The Bible says, for instance, that one of the purposes of New Testament prophesying is to encourage...

"But he that prophesies speaks edification, and encouragement and comfort to men" (1 Cor. 14:3).

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The Apostle Paul gave instruction to local church leadership regarding encouraging the people:

"Till I come, give attention to reading, to encouragement, to doctrine" (1 Tim. 4:13).

A personal visit from Paul would always include encouragement...

Acts 11:23 "When he (Paul) came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and exhorted (or encouraged) them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord."

The other disciples were the same way....

Acts 15:32 "And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, encouraged the brethren with many words, and confirmed them."

Paul's sometimes traveling companion, Barnabas, was known as the "son of encouragement." (Acts 4:36)

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Encouragement puts the wind in the sails of the struggling believer and propels him forward...

The healing balm of encouragement is God's antidote to paralyzing discouragement...

One of the Old Testament descriptions of encouragement paints a beautiful picture, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Prov. 25:11).

And again, "Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!" (Pr. 15:23)

The right word at the right time is the word of encouragement!

The Bible says, "Careless words stab like a sword, but the words of wise people bring healing" (Pr. 12:18).

Encouraging words are ALWAYS healing words.

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One thing I've learned through the years is the incredible power of words.

One stabbing, critical, careless word can literally turn a person's life in a destructive direction.

And one uplifting, encouraging word can turn a person's life in a positive, constructive direction.

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Some destructive words are like hammers that instantly shatter a person's self-esteem and self worth.

Other destructive words go down into a person's soul and accumulate over the years.

One day a spouse walks out, a child runs away, a friend disappears and the critic doesn't understand what happened!

What happened is that their love slowly died, Joy was extinguished, and loyalty dissolved away in the toxic acid of destructive, critical words.

Even a dog will bite the hand that always strikes it!

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But the opposite is also true!

Show me a happy marriage, or a long-term, fulfilling friendship, or a good child/parent relationship and I will GUARANTEE YOU that positive, upbuilding, life-giving words have been the bigger part of it!

Encouragement is the sunshine that makes a soul bloom like a spring rose.

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Now....Sometimes we DO NEED to say something corrective, but we're never to do it in a condemning, contemptuous, castigating, demeaning manner.

James 3:7-10 "People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!"

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God desires all of His children to learn to be REALLY GOOD encouragers!

So...let me give you three powerful truths on the power and need for encouragement...

Encouragement keeps the believer from drifting from God

Heb 3: 12-13 "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;...but encourage one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Notice he says that we should be encouraging one another--not weekly, nor monthly, nor sometimes--but ALL THE TIME....DAILY!

Why? "Lest any of you depart from the living God..."

And then he tells us how this drifting can happen, "Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Sin is always deceitful...

I don't care how good it looks, how promising it appears, how justified it may seem....Sin always leaves you weeping in the ashes of regret.

News Flash: The devil never shows his hand.

He never reveals consequences, only false benefits.

His expertise is in getting you to focus on immediate gratification, while disguising the long-term consequences of his offer.

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Sin always promises more than it performs.

It assures you of pleasure it never imparts.

It leads you further than you ever intended to go.

The person who commits sin is always under the delusion that they will benefit in a positive way...but it's all a lie.

No drug addict ever saw their days lived out in misery and enslavement when they first ate of that forbidden fruit.

No alcoholic foresaw the day when they would lose their job, their career, their dream, their family, and their self-respect when they first put the cursed bottle to their lips.

No young person ever imagined when they first began hanging with the wrong crowd they would one day be looking through prison bars at a ruined life.

Sin is always built on a lie, and if you indulge it, it will lead you down step by step until, the Bible says, your heart becomes entirely HARDENED, which means "resistant to God's voice."

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But there is a powerful antidote!---"Encourage one another daily."

Close friends should encourage one another.

Parents should encourage their children.

Church leadership should encourage those under their care.

Spouses should encourage one another.

The older should encourage the younger.

And church members should regularly gather together, which is where God intended for us to encourage each other!

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So first, encouragement keeps the believer from drifting into the deception of sin...

Second,

II. Encouragement will keep the faint-hearted from quitting.

1 Thes. 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers and sisters...encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

Disheartened means "small of soul" and refers to "an undeveloped soul, someone lacking a healthy identity, they are undeveloped in their character."

This is the timid, fearful person, the easily overwhelmed, the overly burdened type personality that just has trouble doing life, or the person crushed with discouragement.

It says, "encourage them."

Encourage those who feel they can't keep going on.

Cheer them up by using comforting, soothing, encouraging words.

One man wrote, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you."

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One of the best examples I know of the power of encouragement to pick a person back up took place On New Year’s Day in 1929, when Georgia Tech played the University of California in the annual Rose Bowl football game.

In that game a man named Roy Riegels, the center of the California football team, recovered a fumble.

In all the excitement and pressure of the moment, Reigels became confused and began running the wrong way.

One of his teammates saw what was happening and ran with all his might, overtook Reigels and tackled him just before he crossed the goal line to score for the opposing team.

This was during the first half.

Everyone was wondering what Coach Nibbs Price would do with Roy Riegels in the second half.

During the half-time break Riegels sat alone in a corner, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, put his hands in his face and cried like a baby.

Three minutes before the start of the second half Coach Price looked at the team and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second."

Riegels didn't move.

The coach called him and again he never moved.

Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, "Roy, didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second."

Reigels said, "Coach, I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you. I’ve ruined the University of California. I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life."

Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegels’ shoulder and said, "Roy, get up and go on back, the game is only half over."

He went back out and played one of the best second half's in college football.

For the rest of his life, Riegel's would attribute those encouraging words as being the words that turned a tragedy into a triumph!

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Encouragement will keep a saint from drifting, will strengthen the faint-hearted, and thirdly...

III. Encouragement helps a person to see God in tough times.

James encouraged the church this way when he wrote:

James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

He's saying, "Hey, don't worry, be happy!

God's at work, even in your discouragement and pain!

He's got this, He's got you, and He's going to work this out for your good.

Chin up!

When this is all over you're going to be a fully developed saint of God, looking more like Jesus than ever!

That's encouragement!

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Summary: We're all called to the ministry of encouragement.

I have a challenge--I'm going to ask you to not leave the building today until you've encouraged someone in God.