Encouragement

I'm not running.

I'll get there when I get there.

Guest speaker. Look at that. Well, it's so wonderful to to have Glenn here. I've never claimed you and I've known each other how many years like 3 years or something more something like that. How long have you been? When did you go to Sun Life around that time? Oh, yeah enough to know that the call for Faith Tabernacle and I always tease him because I say you're on the big horse now, but the Glen's used to a lot of people that are fans of Hillsong and actually Glenn was really at the beginning you were down there when Hillsong was starting in Australia. Yes, I'm in years ago somewhere around there and he worked with Hillsong down there and went to Virginia and work with it was Hillsong in Virginia to wasn't it kind of like kind of like 7000 people like oh my Heavens it's like crazy and they came back home cuz this is where he's from it's from The Valleys good Farm Boy, and and we have them here today. So that's great. Come on up playing.

Oh my gosh.

Okay, so if I disappear, it wasn't the Rapture, it just means it just means I may have tripped and if I don't stand up within 30 seconds and in the search party.

Alright, I'm a little far-sighted. So I'm going to have to I can read this great from above here. But if I get too close to

don't ask that's why the skirts are so you guys can't see it. There we go. I'm good. How you doing? Sounds good. Introductions. Good. Hi. I am Glenn and good morning. It's fantastic to be years of beautiful day.

We're going to have some fun. I bring greetings from Faith Tabernacle Church. It's great to be here on their behalf. And just how fantastic it is to be able to serve in the city together. We know that as every Church in the city prospers and grows and reaches more people is like the city is reached through that is like so we're in this together. It's fantastic to be in this together. Keep them have known each other for quite a while. I'm almost as is not sin dysfunctional as he is. So if that helps us to be a great deal of mutual respect for one another because we know we can relate to one ever really one of my best friends in the ministry of in this city. And so it is such a privilege to be able to stand here and an honor to be able to serve the kingdom together as we believe for God to reach our city and I believe that's a mandate on the church and I believe as we continue to walk that out because I mean, let's admit the church is a bit of a strange animal in a lot of ways, but at the same time it is the bride. Of Christ, it is God's answer for our city. It is God's chosen vessel God's chosen vehicle to reach out as in it is as diverse as that is it's how God has chosen to reach out to our city, and that's through US through you and me, and we get to be a part of that. Let me use that. That's an amazing thing. We get to be part of the show that's incredible thing to be amazing to be a part of it's amazing. I don't have a necessarily a bus say if the Lord word per se, but I believe that God's word speaks. So as I pretend God's word his he's got something for you. Even if I don't think I would speak through me this morning and just to be a carrier of God's kingdom and be able to share something from God's heart. So let's take a moment and pray God. I thank you for your presence because in your presence there is freedom in your presence. Healing in your presence. There is what lacks in US is found in your presence. Oh God We Gather in the name of Jesus the name above every name that that Lord you would have your way in our midst Lodi. I just submit this time to you. God Speak Lord. Say what you want to say lyrics speak through me speak through your words speak by your Holy Spirit Lord that there would be a sense that God you are depositing something in your people this morning. So Lord. I pray for those that may have come in this morning just drafted tired discouraged Lord that as they come into your presence as we worship to and now Lord as we open your word god through your present through your power Lord, you would lift up those that are discouraged or do you minister to those with needs this morning. I just believe that God you you would have your people be changed and leave here different because of of your presents and what you're doing so I speak to us. Working us. Holy spirit have your way I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

So there was a guy named Paul. And Paul was the man responsible for pioneering the mission of taking the message of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles during the very early days of the church. He was responsible for writing many of the letters that have now become our New Testament and he was traveling in the area of pisidia in Antioch. It's a city found in the modern-day area of turkey. So he was traveling along around that area with a guy named Barnabas and burn of This Means son of encouragement and throw as they're traveling around this area in modern-day turkey, they decide they're going to take him to church service. So they show up at the local synagogue and as they come in they're starting to get a little bit now. Two guys live in travel around their entourages and they've been stirring everything up and I've been preaching and they're like, so they go and they check out the church service in chapter 13 verse 15 after it during the church service of the service is going on the cyst after reading from the law and the prophets the synagogue rulers sent word to them being burnt Barnabas and Paul Brothers. If you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak. So following in that same spirit this morning of God's word of Paul and Barnabas. It's Glenn and Julie travel to Halifax the province of Nova Scotia this morning and I want to bring a message of encouragement to you this morning. I believe God would want to encourage your hearts and I believe he does that to his word. And I just as I was praying and seeking God, what do you want me to say? Like, what do you want me to bring it? Like, I mean, I could have reheated an old message. I could have you know, whatever I could have stuck in the microwave and it just kind of a little bit. Any says encourage the people encourage the people some here this morning same as Paul. I want to encourage the people to encourage you and still the same Paul who is was writing to the church. He wrote a letter to the church in Rome New Rome was at church. He didn't actually plant himself. He was on it. He was writing to them he was he was actually looking for some support for them, but the introduce himself to them she wrote a letter to the church in Rome. And in this letter is he goes through he covers a lot of stuff The Book of Romans is a great a great snapshot of of Paul's Theology and what he believed and so he was really kind of giving a rundown of these different things and still in the process of this letter. He includes kind of a description introduction to the Holy Spirit and the body in the body of Christ and how it's as different parts. And so if you got a Bible with you, I'm going to be reading from Romans chapter 12 just a few verses there and I'm going to jump around this morning in bed and read from different places in the Bible. It'll all come together promised end, but it's so I'll be I'll be jumping around but I'm going to start in the book of Romans chapter 12. And starting at verse 6. And so this is a word of encouragement to the church this morning Romans 12:6 says We have different gifts. Now he doesn't say some have gifts and some don't. He says we have different gifts. So there's something there for all of us. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. All right, so it's difference diverse. We have different gifts according to the grace given us if a man's gift is prophesying. Let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it's serving let him serve if it's teaching let him teach if it's encouraging letting him encourage if it's contributing to the needs of others give generously if it is leadership, let him govern diligently if it is showing Mercy let him do it cheerfully, right? So there's this picture of a of a diverse group of different levels of guess. This is one of the gifts blessed gift lists that are recorded in the New Testament. There's others found in the Pauline letters. There's one found in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 actually includes things like healing miraculous Powers miraculous signs discernment tongues interpretation of tongues different gifts powers of the Holy Spirit at work in the body. It's kind of interesting to me how when we read these.

When we do that, we often give them a hierarchy of of power of of of like importance in and we can look at them in this like what we see is we see different ones and in the flashy ones kind of stand out to us know there's someone would like if somebody does that then they must be really spiritual. The only think about that is like fit in the area of Healing write something this like somebody can can lay hands on somebody in their heels and they must be really Spirit-filled or or Miracles. You know, they just they just walk into a room and things change. They must be super super spiritual. There might be the tongues interpretation, you know, when a service and it's like I wish I had that gift, you know, like that's so important or could be leadership. You know, those people must be super spiritual right? They must be the really chosen ones. They really important ones right? I mean my only one that sometimes is falling into that. You know, you see somebody and his wow, that's spectacular like that draws attention we go home and I must I must be more important.

Because to me talk include some of the less spectacular ones in his list. Mercy Not know. You don't hear Too Many people chasing after that one. I mean that was messy right you get the mercy gift prepared to live a messy life Mercy like yeah, I'll take that one. How about serving the gift of serving? You know, we we we going to our prayer closet we praise like oh God use me. And then we show up at church and Pastor Keith asked us to doing something to do something. We say how I feel so used.

It's like, you know, we we we we have this this this idea of I want to survive. That's a gift in God. You know you put serving. miraculous signs I think that's one thing, you know, I'll take this one. It seems to be more spectacular or maybe it's giving me feel like we're really contributing to something went when we get him. And we love to do that until it really starts to affect our stuff and gets into our world a little bit because you know, maybe maybe we feel that nuts from the Holy Spirit, you know that the money that we've been saving up for that TV or that down payment on something and it's like we get to Knudson the Holy Spirit to maybe to give that to the missions trip to Cuba or something like that, you know, and it's like an all of a sudden

Maybe maybe I don't have that gift that somebody else's gift gift.

And then there's encouragement. I mean, I I don't know if you have ever considered the god anoints us empowers us fills his with his spirit. with the gift of encouragement Can you put that on the scales you got encouragement on one hand and you've got healing on the other and sometimes we think okay, maybe healings more important or maybe that's more special or somebody that has a healing gift has has more of God than someone that can encourage. But can I just say that encouragement many many times brings about a more powerful healing and someone that can walk who couldn't. There something that goes on within a person that the power of God. I worked through somebody in the air of encouragement breaks chains that can't be broken any other way. It's like it's interesting. There's there's a story of Jesus he went to this area of the gadarenes and there was a guy there that was demon-possessed than you may know the story. There was pigs that that he cast the demons out into how did they try to control it? They put him in Chains and tried to control from the outside what was going on with this man? Jesus came along delivered him loved him set him free dealt with the inside and the man was closed in his right mind what couldn't be held the changed Jesus released through encouragement through the power of the Holy Spirit through what he did on the inside that brought freedom on the outside. I love the power of encouragement. It is a gift. It's also a command. It's interesting to keeping you talk about the giving you know, it's like it is giving is one of those things that we do. It's a privilege. It's all those things but it's also we read in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 11 There for the Paul speaking to the church and Fest Malaika. He says therefore encourage one another build each other up just as in fact you are doing Encourage one another build one another up just as in fact, you're doing encouragement is a powerful force for good when it's used for that purpose. It's amazing what the power of encouragement can do. John Maxwell is a very well-known leadership Guru in the United States and he's famous for that. But he is he talks about encouragement encouragement ought to be given sincerely personally specifically publicly and frequently. I'm outside again encouragement ought to be giving sincerely personally specifically publicly and frequently, that's how we should be encouraging one another encourage one another build each other up. I love how that that that looks. I mean so many times we get torn down so many times we get beat down but it says encourage one another build each other up. There's nothing special about being part of a community being part of a group being part of something like that encouragement as part of the culture Dave when there's an encouraging cultures. Like I'm part of that. It's like I want to be part of that and we get into that brings the best of us encouragement brings the best out of us. in a world of cynicism negativity put-downs You know sometimes encouragement can make the difference between making it not making it. It's that powerful in the day in the day in age that we live. Understand in the day and age that we live. when we think about the power of encouragement It's so powerful. And can understand I'm talking about more than a pat on the back in a couple of quippy cliches, right?

Is there something I should be doing different case just keep preaching. That that ring is actually happening Keith that's not because of the fireworks in your ears just in case you were wondering he's back there trying to adjust his hearing aid and it's like no. It's all good.

I'm wondering if my mic fell off or something. I apologize to the Sandman. All right.

I'm talking about more than just a pat on the back or a couple quippy cliches. Moses led the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Okay, and he led them around the desert for 40 years because of their disappearance. And finally, he bring some back to the Jordan River to the point of entry into the promised land where they had been 40 years before.

It's a place of Promise. It's the place of entering the promised land during that whole journey from getting out of Egypt 222 traveling through the Wilderness to coming to the promised land for the first time and back to it the second time the whole time. There was an apprentice. There was a young man that was with Moses. He he he says he poured water on on his master's hands. He he he was with him. He was he was there at the tent of meeting and observe. What was going on. He was he was there during all the frustrations that Moses went through he was there and he saw the moves of God in the acts of God that help the people to get to where they were. He was there with the disappointments in the blessings. All those different times and it was Joshua son of nun. No, Joshua. Was a young man that it was basically brought up through by Moses. He was there the whole time and eventually Joshua would be the man that would actually lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. And interesting happen things happen. So I believe God prepare Joshua through that whole process he was working in and then threw him but as that transition time approach does it got really close as that time of passing the Baton from one to the next game? Moses was addressing the people. And I can't help but think he was a little bit frustrated even at this point. All right, like he had gone through a lot of things he had served in a lot of ways and it wasn't all good. But at this point God has been speaking to Moses and Moses was downloading into the people and is found in Deuteronomy chapter 1 if you want to turn their it's verse 37 Deuteronomy chapter 1 and I'm going to jump over to Deuteronomy chapter 3, but this this is a case where where God has been downloading into Moses. And this is Moses final address kind of thing. Like he's talking to the peeps and how it goes. Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 37 says because of you the Lord became angry with me and also said you should not enter it either your fault. But your assistant Joshua son of nun. He will enter it God speaking to Moses says this encourage him. Encourage him because he will lead Israel to inherit the land. God says Moses. Encourage Joshua. He's the one coming behind you. He's the one coming up next if we skip town 2 chapter 3 verse 28, we get to the kind of that same place where God is speaking to Moses and he says but commission commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him for he will lead his people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see so we got this picture of the the promised land and what's coming next in the people of Israel and they are where there and in that transition. In that transition godson in Courage the boy. Strengthen him pour into him and it's no surprise to me. I love this is no surprise me as we read in the Book of Joshua the first two chapters of Joshua where it recorded this and rentable transition where we're going from The Exodus to the going into the promised land and it's like God speaking to Joshua over and over again God and courage's him. The God has told Moses to encourage Joshua. He's told me read in the beginning of that where God speaks to Joshua directly. And in that process. He says this in Joshua chapter 1 verse 6 again, if you want to read down through there with me, I'm going to read it from 6 down to the verse 9. So Joshua in the Old Testament starting at chapter 1 verse 6. God encourages Joshua and he says Joshua Be strong and courageous because you will leave these people to inherit the land that I swore to their forefathers to give them be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law. My servant Moses gave you don't turn to the right to the left that you may be successful. Wherever you go do not let the book of the law depart from you meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosper and be successful have I not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be terrified do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Hear those words God speaking to Joshua and since his Joshua you are the man. I have appointed you be strong be encouraged be courageous. I chosen you I am with you you can do this. God I don't know if you recognize this but God speaks generationally, he thinks generationally and he acts generationally. That's the God we serve God is a God that has generationally action recently and speaks generationally, and that's what's happening in this situation. When it came to the Fulfillment of the promise to the nation of Israel God commanded Moses to encourage Joshua the one coming after him and I believe the Joshua represents the Next Generation. He was the one that was to lead the generation that hadn't send the warp that were left after the 40 years. They were the Next Generation Joshua represents the Next Generation. God says Moses. Joshua is going to go places that you saw but will never go.

Moses Joshua is going to go places that you saw but will never go it's going to go further. It's going to see more happen.

And he says cherrymon. Bless him. Get behind them. if we want to see the Fulfillment of the promise of God for our churches for our families for our city. We must learn to encourage the Next Generation.

We must learn to encourage the Next Generation the next in line and it may not be even in an age differential but just thinking about that. The next wave that next move ever. God is doing whatever is coming next if we can't learn to encourage that and pour into it believe in it. I mean to encourage is to Speak Life over something to encourage into it to get behind it support it and share it on like we get behind things and we believe in it the future demands it, you know when we think about millennials sometimes we kind of kind of do that with a negative n now, sometimes they burned it but really come on like we accuse them of being unfocused. About being entitled about being hedonistic sometimes being lazy. Guess what? If that's what we speak over generation, that's what they'll become. And I know it's hard sometimes but if we can't find it within ourselves to cheer on the Next Generation believe in them and pour into them. The Morgan will never see will never see what God has planned because we need to be those who will recognize the potential another's and Speak Life over them and then encourage them through the Journey to achieve it. I love the Visionary that the prophetic Edge that keep has he can see things in people and he can speak them out and that's part of the process that's him acting in the gifts that he's getting a prophetic age. But if you got the prophetic without the encouragement You going to have so you're going to have trouble because here's the thing the bigger the dream. the bigger the call the higher the level that God puts before us the greater the opportunity for disappointment challenges. If you don't believe for anything. Lower and expectations speaks. We hear the word of God and it's above and beyond what we can think of a more imagine ourselves, you know, that's kind of good indication that might be God and it also means that we're this height that we were call to there's this Gap and we're going to need to encourage one another because there's going to be some stun Knuckles, right? There's going to be some bruised knees. There's going to be some times when we're going to need some encouragement.

As we look to the Future. Rather than lowering expectations. Let's raise our level of encouragement. Isaiah 1:17 says learn to do right seek Justice encourage the oppressed defend the cause of the father list plead the cause of the Widow my wife Debbie when we were when we were studying. It is Hillsong years ago. She was taking pastoral Counseling in night college night school and she was so she was taking that and one of her classes pastoral counseling her professor her teacher actually told her you know that if everyday Ordinary People would learn to encourage one another 90% of professional counseling would no longer be needed. If you would actually learn to encourage one another 90% of counseling would not do that with her because we would be doing that on a regular basis and we will be drawing strength from that. It's incredible to think of the power that's in encouraging one another and if we consider it encouraging one another I want to look at One More Story to illustrate this point. The bed of a different take on it, but it's found in first Samuel chapter 14. 1st Samuel chapter 14 I'll give you the rundown of the story in the ngv, which is the new Glen's version.

1st Samuel 14 King Saul is ruling the nation of Israel. They're at war with the Philistines. And so they're fighting back and forth. Sometimes they're winning. Sometimes they're losing but as many of you would know saw wasn't always all that focused on what God was doing and sometimes he got a little off track his son Jonathan was serving alongside of him in the military. He was a commander in the military. The two of them were were at it together. They were both of their on the battlefield. And on this one particular occasion. Jonathan's not with the main armies not with with with saw and he's often and then they come acrossed a Philistine Oak post up on a a plateau and he and his armor Bearer that they recognize that the the Philistines are up there. It's described in the story in first Samuel 14. And so he approaches that he comes up with an idea being crazy leader that he is says in verse 6 of 1st Samuel chapter 14. Jonathan says to his young armor-bearer Next Generation. Sister was young armor Bearer, Let's go over to the Old Post of those uncircumcised fellows. Don't you love how we sanitize the Bible?

Because that's exactly the words that Jonathan said.

I'm pretty sure that yeah, this is quite sanitized.

Let's go over there to the sun circumsized. Perhaps the Lord will act on their behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving weather by many or few. Let's go over perhaps the Lord will a our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving weather by many or few. Jonathan is the leader both by position and inspiration. You didn't just have a title. And he says this incredible face statement. He makes this incredible faith statement to his armor Bearer. He says nothing can hinder the Lord from saving weather by many or by few. Then he steps out in faith with a plan because let's go over to that old post the enemy perhaps God will act. That's leadership. That's leadership and it's a place that requires courage. I just had a moment there of of The Wizard of Oz Oz Courage the courage. So it's a place where encouragement can make a huge difference? Ecco post says to his armor Bearer

God can save by many or by few. I love the response of their armor Bearer in this is what the armor Bearer says the first Samuel 14-7. He says Do all that you have in mind is armor Bearer said go ahead I am with you heart and soul. Do what you got in mind. All right, boss. Let's do this. I am with you heart and soul easy leaders don't need a lot of padding on the back and accolades but the encouragement that comes with the word I am with you heart and soul. Oh that's powerful stuff in a 10 things that they would not do any other way the encouragement of hearing someone say I'm with you heart and soul. That is a life changer.

Words like that in the accompanying action release the leader to take a hill.

You know many times. We we assume leaders don't need encouragement, but they do if Joshua needed encouragement leaders need encouragement if Jonathan needed encouragement. I can guarantee you that every leader that you know needs encouragement.

Maybe more so than the average person.

1st Thessalonians, 5:12 is now we ask you Brothers to respect those who work hard among you who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you hold them in the highest Regard in love because of their work live in peace with each other and we argue Brothers Warren those or idle encourage the timid help the weak and be patient with everyone. You know this morning. If you're a parent here. your leader Don't you realize that if your parent your leader? Be encouraged if you're a business person here this morning. your leader Be encouraged God is giving you influence if you're involved in ministry here at mosaic in some way and I don't mean preaching but I mean you're just involved you serve your leader. If your grandparent here this morning, you're a generational leader. You got going on on all kinds of level right? You you you had had a shot at one point. Oh, and now that you have the grandkids kicking around the house like parenting 2.0 because you got nothing more complicated or generational leader in the list goes on so many different ways. God bless you be encouraged cuz your effort matter you matter. So let's let's make sure that we were people who encourage and pray for our leaders and and encourage one another across the board and I want to show you a video and then. So if you guys could get ready to put that up but but the video I apologize it's it's a football video. Okay, so it would be okay with that.

Okay, so it's okay it is okay. It's actually taken from a movie called Facing the Giants. God has been speaking to the coach. He's a coach of a football team in a Christian School. and Anna in this is It's the bear with me it's a bit emotional and it's a bit in your face.

But I want you to put this in context of this message of the challenge to encourage one another to encourage the Next Generation to encourage our leaders. Let's watch this video and I'll come back and wrap it up.

YouTube Jeremy

not yet. I want to see you do the death crawl again, except. I want to see your absolute best.

You only go to the I can go the 50/50. I can do the 50th. Nobody's on my back. I can do it Jeremy on your back. But even if you can I want you to promise me you're going to do your best.

Your best okay. You going to give me your best? I'm going to give you my best.

Did Jeremy get on his back?

Call Jeremy.

There you go.

There you go.

little bit left little bit left

good strengths

Don't stop.

Look up Brock you're in the endzone.

You are the most influential player on this team if you walk around.

Rock I need you

coach can I count on you?

Yes.

sometimes

We feel like we've got the weight of the world on her back.

And we're crawling through life. Knowing that were called to something. But we can't even see it. And in the midst of that we're trying to make progress.

What can I say don't quit. They notice in the in the video when when he starts carrying it coaches encouraging what's the crowd doing? Right there cynical right there like that. He'll never make it they start to laugh at him but he keep but the coach keeps talking in his ear keeps encouraging it says no you focus. You keep going don't you quit don't you quit those people that come in here this morning. They're considering quitting.

We got to encourage one another. There's too much at stake for us to flake out on the field and saying it's too hard it's too or it is hard. If it was easy, everybody be doing it it's hard. Church people we've been called.

We're leaders here. And we're carrying people to the end zone. God giving us a call. He's giving us a plan. He's giving us leaders and he saying you can do it don't give up don't give up don't give up and we've got to encourage one another cuz we can be the yahoos on the sidelines or we can be the coach in each other's ear and I believe there's a mandate for us to be the couch and one each other's here and say keep going we keep going marriage family. Keep going church leader. Keep going young person. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. And they'll be times that will fall Debbie times that we failed there be times that we flop in this like we want to give up and we don't want to get back up and it's like don't quit. Margaret Mead and I've no idea who she is said never don't the small that that that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world indeed. It's the only thing that ever has I'm going to say it again never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world indeed. It's the only thing that ever has Jonathan said whether by many or by few Mosaic you matter you have a place in the Kingdom of God in our city for such a time as this don't give up.

God bless you.

I think we should pray for some people.

I want to pray for some people if anybody wants prayer, we're just going to play a song that you can pray. That's a great message. That was a great message. That's one of those ones where you got to holy cow. If we actually do that, nothing will stop us absolutely. Nothing will stop us right now play that song and then we'll do some prayer you want to stand. I think everybody knows the song.

You set the captives free.

I'm leaving now.

Don't tell Carrie.

There you go.

Yeah, woohoo. What a great song.

Because God can do impossible things. We can do impossible things right the way.