Encouragement in the Body of Christ

Introduction

Today I want to take us through a topic that I believe could be one of the most important missions of the church body.

That mission…this topic… is encouragement, specifically between brothers and sisters in the family of Christ.

Encouragement can be defined as giving someone confidence or boldness to do something.

We know that there are many “missions” that we are given as followers of Christ and encouragement itself may not be a mission that we immediately think of when asking ourselves what we are supposed to be doing for Christ.

Many times we think of things like helping widows and orphans, feeding the hungry, making disciples, and spreading the Gospel as the missions that we have as Christians

Those are all definitely correct but they are certainly not the only things that we are supposed to be doing

Encouragement has a role to play in every single one of the missions that I just mentioned.

It would be easy to make the case that encouragement is a vital part to the role that humans play in the mission of God.

Today while we look at encouragement, specifically I would like to take us through three main points:

what exactly is encouragement?

Who should encourage and who should be encouraged?

How do we practice encouragement?

The main verses that we will dig in to today are Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Properly applied, encouragement is something that can be world changing.

The proof I have for saying something like that is that all through the Bible there is encouragement, from Genesis to Revelation, and through the actions of the men and women that God has encouraged we are living in a world that has truly been changed.

So, I have given you the definition of encouragement but what is it really?

We know from the definition that it is giving confidence to someone to accomplish something

If I were to sum it up, I believe that a great way to maybe condense the concept of encouragement down is to say that it is to personally inspire someone.

The reason that I say this is simple, if you have ever been truly encouraged by someone then you know the feeling

It feels like you are the sole recipient of their attention

That is a good feeling!

It can bring happiness or joy

It can bring calmness

It can give motivation or be just the push that we need to finish a job

True encouragement is something that is deeply personal

I know it is true that a gifted speaker can certainly motivate, or encourage, a large crowd to do something.

I would say that often times that type of encouragement is not truly what the Bible is talking about as encouragement

From a biblical standpoint encouragement is most effective and most meaningful in a one on one setting

While I was preparing for this sermon I came across a quote from a man named Chris Burkmenn.

I have no idea who this guy is so this isn’t any kind of endorsement or anything but the quote was pretty good and kind of got me thinking.

The quote is simply this…”Encouragement is like water to the soul, it makes everything grow”

That is such a simple statement but it is so true

Encouragement is nourishing

It allows us to be refreshed

Without it we can begin to die from an emotional and spiritual perspective and it can even harm us physically in the form of depression and anxiety

However when our soul is watered with encouragement we begin to grow and become more than what we once were.

This is what I truly believe encouragement does

It takes us from whatever we are on our own and grows us to be something more…to be capable of more than we were once capable of.

So…the first point was “what is encouragement”?

Here is the note to jot down for that point.

It is a personal inspiration that allows you to do more than you once could.

So we have a working knowledge of what encouragement really is but whose job is it to encourage and who is it that needs encouragement.

That seems like a silly question probably but I would say that it is worth looking at a little closer.

The simple answer is that everyone needs encouragement and everyone should give encouragement.

You could say that and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong

However, you wouldn’t necessarily be correct either.

I want to read a few different verses to you

All of these are verses that are generally considered to be verses of encouragement

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””

Isaiah 41:10 “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

Psalm 94:18–19 “When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

If you were to look up Bible verses on encouragement these would a few of the top ones.

What similarities do we find within these verses (and there are many more like these) that can help us answer more completely the question of who should be encouraging and who needs encouragement?

First, we see in each of these verses that the Lord is present and is helping, protecting, strengthening those of us that are on need.

This is maybe for another sermon, but by the way……every single one of us is that person in these verses that is in need. If you think you aren’t then you are REALLY in need.

But back on track

Who is it that is responsible for encouraging?

Quickly I’d like to read John 14:16

John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

In the Greek, this word “Helper” can be translated to Comforter or Encourager

Well I believe it is clear that the first and primary encourager is God himself!

All through the Bible we find verse after verse of God comforting, building up, protecting, and providing for His children.

All of those things are recorded and have made it through thousands of years to us here in this congregation today in order to encourage us…to personally inspire us, to live the life that God has called us to.

The Bible is encouragement, from start to finish we are personally inspired to follow God, to grow closer to Him, to love Him and to love our neighbor.

The Bible is the chief instrument that God has chosen to give individual encouragement to you and to me!

So? Who is the chief encourager?

It is God himself through his word, the Bible.

Who is it that needs encouraging?

Well of course it is us, but especially when we are going through times that cause fear, strife, and anxiety.

That seems to be the example that God gives through scripture.

Now, that does NOT let all of us off the hook.

While God is the first and foremost encourager, we know that in all ways we are to be more like Him.

That certainly applies to taking on the responsibility of encouraging others.

Paul writes in

1 Thessalonians 5:11“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Our main text from today says

Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Both of these verses make it clear that we have a responsibility as members of the family of Christ to encourage one another and to inspire each other to do great things for the kingdom of God.

So…who encourages? God and the people of God.

Who needs encouragement? All of us at times in our lives. Especially when we are going through hard times.

So that leads us to the final question

How do we practice encouragement?

That may be an easy answer for some of you, but for some it is much harder

I believe that encouragement is a gift, we are all capable of it but it certainly comes more easily to some more than others.

Additionally, there are different types of encouragement

In thinking about the different types of encouragement that I have received in my life I narrowed it down to four major types of encouragement.

If you spend much time thinking about it you may find more, I won’t claim that this is the authoritative list, just Roberts observations.

In my life I have seen that:

Some encouragement comes in the form of words spoken or letters written

Some can come in the form of time being spent

Some can come from gifts given

Some can come from actions taken

I want you all to think of people that you may know that need encouragement right now

It could be the single mother trying to raise a family and get by

It could be the cancer patient that doesn’t know what the future holds

It could be a child with no parents or maybe even worse, abusive and neglectful parents

It can be a son or daughter that is struggling with school or just life in general

Or it can be father that is trying to hold it all together for the family that depends on him.

Take your pick, and I know there are many many more examples

I want you to think about one of these examples and then think about the types of encouragement that you can offer.

Encouragement can come in the form of words or letters

The apostle Paul did much of his encouraging in the form of letters and the spoken word.

We have likely all experienced someone saying just the right thing at the right time that made all the difference

Words can be so powerful

Imagine the difference that is made in the single mothers life or the life of the father that is trying to hold life together for his family if someone truly sees them and their circumstance and cares enough to stop and talk or stop and pray

or cares enough to write a card or a letter that can be looked back on for years to come.

Imagine if those words or that letter points that man or woman to hope in Christ, to hope that these struggles are not all that there is

This small investment can pay such gigantic dividends as that mother or father is able to push through to another day, inspire their children, and see that God has more for them

Next, think of the cancer patient that maybe has no words for the things that they are feeling, the dread of treatments and the turmoil of the future.

Think of how that person would cherish the encouragement of simple time spent with them

Encouragement can come in the form of time spent

Time is one of those things that we are so protective of in todays world and for many good reasons, it seems like everything and everyone demands a piece of our time

However, I would say to you that it is one of the simplest and easiest ways to encourage someone that is down or going through a struggle in life.

This one is so simple because anyone can do it, it is as easy as just being present for someone

Unfortunately being present for someone is becoming more and more of a rare thing. When I say be present I do not just mean be physically present, I mean truly be present and pay attention.

Find someone that is struggling and just sit down with them, take them to dinner, watch a show…just be there with them. Sometimes the simple act of being near to someone is such an encouragement.

Thirdly, encouragement can come from a gift given

If you have children then it is likely that you have seen the concern on the face of your child as they are trying to navigate something difficult in life

Sometimes that is a life circumstance, sometimes it is problems at school, sometimes it is just poor decisions or their part.

Regardless of the reason I want you to imagine the encouragement that can be given by the simple gesture of a gift that is given

It does not have to be extravagant, it doesn’t have to be expensive

The true encouragement comes from that person seeing that there is someone out there that cares enough to give of themselves in a materiel way.

The message sent is that you are worth something, you are worth giving up something for

That message can sometimes be enough to spur someone along through a tough time

Lastly, encouragement can come in the form of actions taken

In the examples I gave I want you to imagine the life of a child with no parents or abusive and neglecting parents

When I say that encouragement can come from actions taken, I am talking about stepping in on behalf of someone that needs it.

There is no more encouraging thing for a person in need than for someone to come alongside and lift them up, help carry their burden, protect them from harm.

This encouragement certainly can come with cost but this is a type of encouragement that is so special because it is what God does for each and every one of us.

To be fair, God encourages us in every one of the ways that we are looking at, however this way costs something.

It cost Jesus his life

If you want to encourage someone in a way that truly puts the needs of the other before yourself, consider stepping up and taking action for a person in need or in danger.

In the coming weeks we will be looking more and more in depth at Hebrews 10:25 and specifically at what encouragement looks like among ourselves here at Woodcrest.

What I would like to encourage you to do today is to examine your life through the lens of encouragement

Who do you know that needs encouragement?

Have you truly looked for people that need encouragement?

How can you encourage those people?

How WILL you encourage those people.

I am going to pray as the band comes forward.

PRAY

If there is a need that you have these alters are open

If you need encouragement come forward, there will be people to come alongside you and pray for you

If you don’t know Christ as your savior and as the most powerful source of comfort and encouragement then please come forward, we can help to show you the life changing power of knowing Christ as your savior