4 "E"ssentials - Encourage

Why This Series?

In 1989 I gave my life to the Lord. 2 months later I was the president of our youth group. Shortly their after I was leading our evangelistic ministry team which I did for years. I’ve led men’s groups, kids groups, countless small groups, teen groups, marriage groups, and countless conferences.

Inevitably, this discussion comes up. Sometimes, if we are wise, we would ask, “How are we going to market this?” Or if we don’t like the word “market” we can use the word “advertise” and if we don’t like that, how about we simply “get the word out.”

Can I tell you that I have tried everything I could afford?

Door to door

Personal invitation

Social media

Banners, post cards, flyers

Television

Community forums

etc. etc. etc.

I did a men’s group a few years back and 300 people showed up… the next year we increased advertisement and 50 people showed up.

I Want To Be Very Careful

Now when I say that, I think we should do all we can to get “the word out” But before we do all that, we need to make sure that the

It is an honor to have the privilege to pastor some of the greatest Christians I’ve ever met. We all need a little tweaking from time to time but that’s true of everyone.

So this series is not a reprimand, it is an encouragement. It’s an exploration where we get to look at what we are doing currently and what we are experiencing, and line it up with what God’s word tells us.

The 4 “e”s

Quickly, a good church...

EXALTS - that is we lift up and praise the Lord at all times.

ENCOURAGES - that is we lift up and give courage to one another “as long as it is called TODAY” so that none of us stumble and fall.

EQUIPS - that is we must get the tools necessary to do the ministry that God has called us to.

EVANGELIZES - that is we reach out to the world that He so wisely put us in so that we can be a part of His plan to rescue them.

Let’s put that that together..

A good church will emphasize the exalting of the Lord, encouraging of one another, the equipping of the saints, and the evangelizing of the community they are in and by extension the world around them.

A member of that church will exalt the Lord, encourage the people around them, seek to be equip and help equip the other members so that we can be prepared for works of service, and evangelize the circles he wisely put us in.

Today we talk about the second “E”… encourage

To do that I’m going to take you back to some OT things because the passage we are discussing today gives us a warning that people are typically falling into and the solution that God has for us.

But before we get started I want to say the being encouraging is not about simply being nice and compassionate… it’s part of it, but we need to operate with the biblical definition which we will get to later. THe passage

Hebrews 3:1–11 ESV

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

Book written to well - Hebrews

It makes a comparison...

The issue of that day

The issue of the day in moses day

Comparing Jesus and Moses.

Telling Hebrews to consider Jesus.

Tell the Story

Moses just led the people out of Egypt and they were heading to the promised land

They immediately started wishing they were back in Egypt for food’s sake.

They are promised manna and the water is made sweet to drink

Miracle after miracle after miracle.... and they still whine and complain

Massah and Meribah () complaining and quarreling

They don’t get to enter rest - promised land.

Because of that they don’t get to enter rest.

Hardening of the Heart

Begging Repetion

v. 8, 15, 4:7

How did they do it.

2. How did they do it.

They weren’t thankful for what God was doing.

They weren’t thankful for what God was doing.

They kept looking back on the good ole days when their pots were full by the fire.

They questions if God was with them.

They did not look at what God was doing currently and not pressing forward.

How do we do it?

Not being thankful and aware of the miracles god is doing.

Keeping our head in the past

Despite the evidence - We should not question His promise and his presence

Not pressing forward

Not Entering rest

The result of hardening our hearts

v. 11, 18, 4:3, 4:5

As Individuals and Church

That brings us to the question, as individuals and as a church, Are we at rest.

Hows are heart?

Is our peace gone?

Are we mindful of what God is doing today and looking ahead toward His promise

The Great Tool He Gave Us - Eachother.

In the middle of the warning.

In the middle of the promise

We recognize a couple things.

We need help

We are prone to heard hearts.

Hebrews 3:13–14 ESV

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 13:12–14 ESV

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

heb 13:

heb 3:

Hebrews 4:12–14 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

go through it

Conc = lets pray