Be Encouraged!

What does it mean to “Take Courage” …?

To be encouraged means to be made more determined, hopeful, or confident

It can also mean to be inspired with confidence

Encouragement can come from an external agency

or from someone who helps you feel confident and able to do something

Encouragement can also mean to be stimulated by assistance, approval, or promotion.

Paul had gone through (was about to go through) some difficult times, but the Lord (Jesus) reminded him, to take courage, be encouraged, everything is going to be alright.

Act 23 Jesus Spoke to Paul

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.

In Genesis 15:1 God Spoke similar words to Abraham

15 1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,[a] your very great reward.[b]”

As God spoke these words to Abram and Paul, and today he speaks these same words to us…

He says to us “Take Courage” … “Be Encouraged”.

I. God tells Paul to take courage, He knows of the conspiracy that is being formed against him.

A conspiracy is a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal

Act 23 12-15

The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

Just as Paul was confronted with a conspiracy so are we.

We are all confronted by a conspiracy every day…

The World, the Flesh and the devil are together conspiring against us. To harm mankind… God’s Imago Dei (the image of God)…

Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,

John 10:10 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

We see the Devil’s part of this conspiracy against humanity in, 2 Cor 4:4-6

Issue (deception)

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

But be encouraged, the brightness of God’s presence burns away the darkness of deception.

Response

5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

We see the flesh’s part of the conspiracy in Galatians 5:19-26

Issue (temptation)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But be encouraged, God’s spirit overpowers the temptations of the flesh.

Response

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

And finally, we see the world’s part of the conspiracy in 1 John 2:15-17

Issue (affection)

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

But be encouraged, God replaces wrong affections with right affections.

Response

Mark 12 30-3130 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”

II. God Helps Paul

16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

God can use what seems “at first glance” to be insignificant to help us. This is the first time that we hear about one of Paul’s family members. God brings him out of insignificance and makes him a significant part of his plan to help Paul.

A. God can use things that seem insignificant for his purposes

· God made man from dust

· Reveal himself to Moses in a burning bush

· David Killed Goliath with a sling shot and a small stone

· Sampson killed a thousand Philistine with a jawbone of a donkey

· Abraham worshiped idols until God revealed himself to him

· Moses was a son of slave parents, and he killed and Egyptian soldier and spent the next 40 years in the desert as a shepherd.

· David was the youngest son in an obscure family, in an obscure town in Judah… yet God called this no body to be a somebody, Israel’s greatest King.

· God selected a poor virgin girl in Nazareth to be His son’s mother.

God delights in using things that seem insignificant and He also delights in using us despite how small and insignificant we may think we are. So, we can’t boast about what we’ve done, we can only boast about what God has done and is doing through us.

1 Cor. 1: 26-29 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

“God Did IT…” “Didn’t He Do It?”

III. God Kept Paul for the work that he had yet to do (Preservation) … He does the same for us also…

Acts 9 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.

23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen[b] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

25 He wrote a letter as follows:

26 Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency, Governor Felix:

Greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

B. Paul was preserved (kept safe) because this boy was in the right place at the right time.

God is a God of circumstances, he is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere at the same time)

For example, remember the circumstances in Joseph’s life. God raised him from being “sold into slavery” to becoming the second in command in Egypt in order to save the children of Israel from a devastating famine.

It started with …

· a small fancy coat Joseph’s father gave him that provoked his brother’s jealousy

· the cistern in Shechem was dry when he was thrown into it so that he would not drown (it was the right season of the year)

· this led to the passing of the Midianite caravan at that right moment in time

· He was then purchased by Potiphar the captain of Pharaoh’s guards

· Mrs. Potiphar’s accusation caused him to be thrown into prison

· He interpreted the Chief Cupbearer and Chief baker’s dreams while in prison

· the Chief Cupbearer was later restored to the king’s court

· 2 years passed and pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret

· the Chief Cupbearer remembered Joseph

· they sent for Joseph to interpret pharaohs dream

· he did so and became the second highest authority in the land of Egypt

God has a way of using many kinds of circumstances to bring people to faith and to also glorify his own great name. He did it in Joseph’s case and also in Paul’s case. Trust that He is still doing it. …In your case, and my case.

You are where God wants you to be today. Your being here is part of God’s strategic purpose for your life. For us it is easier to understand the beginning when we have arrived at the end. But God knows the end at the beginning. Let us seek to be in fellowship with God each day and rest in His presence each moment. Remember our choices each day do matter, so stay close…

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. NIV

…

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. KJV

Conclusion

When Paul was moved to Caesarea, he was able to speak about Jesus to kings. Twenty years before (Acts 9:15), the Lord had said that he was to carry his name “before the Gentiles and their kings”.

Paul had not testified before kings when he was free. But now as a prisoner, who we might say was a victim of circumstances, Paul testified in Acts 24 before Governor Felix, in Acts 25, before Governor Festus, and eventually in Acts 26 before King Agrippa all before he was taken to Rome.

Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.

God is a God that inserts Himself into situation and circumstances and works them out for our good and his glory.

God will order our steps…

Psalms 119: 133 1

133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

Psalm 121:1-2

1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Be Encouraged…

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it alright, But you gotta stay strong.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it all right, But you gotta stay strong.

I know right now it's impossible to see, But God is gonna work it out if you just believe. Remember this one thing while you're going through, If God delivered Daniel, He'll do the same for you.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it alright, But you gotta stay strong.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it all right, But you gotta stay strong.

Hold on, trouble don't last always, These trials are just a test, just a test of your faith. So stand strong and dry your weeping eyes, 'Cause joy comes in the morning, And everything is gonna be alright.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it alright, But you gotta stay strong.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on, He'll make it all right, But you gotta stay strong.

Be encouraged, Be encouraged, But you gotta stay strong.

Be encouraged.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

Thank you…

That the brightness of your presence burns away the darkness of deception.

That your spirit overpowers the temptations of the flesh.

That you replace wrong affections with right affections.

That you are our very present help.

That you keep us safe as we complete our daily assignments.