Acts 18 Sermon Notes

People are discouraged: isolated, elections, social justice, loss of singing, social distancing, changing of plans, masks, law enforcement, loss of job, loss of pay.

Discouragement can become cynicism and division. If we don’t handle discouragement well, we will tear each other down rather than build one another up. Our world is bent towards criticism right now. What better time than to shine the light of the gospel and be a people of encouragement.

We are called to be a people of encouragement.

I want to challenge you this morning to respond to the hostilities and the emotion of our time and our situation with encouragement.

Where do we see encouragement?

Paul encourages Aquila and Priscilla. They are expelled from Rome, travel 750 miles to Corinth. Who do they know? What are they going to do? Paul went to see them, and came alongside them. He gave them community in a difficult time.

There are people in this church who need you. For many of us it feels like we’ve been expelled from our normal lives. What are we going to do? Everything is different now, and emotions are hot. Where will I find a friendly face? You have brothers and sisters in this church who need you to visit them and come alongside them. To give them community in a difficult time.

Who have you not seen in a while? Call them. Take them a meal. Write them a letter. Find a way to serve this community. Help with set-up, help with greeting. Being a people of encouragement means coming to your brothers aid. Helping your sister out in a difficult time. Serving your church community.

Timothy and Silas encourages Paul. They bring a report and they bring financial aid, encouraging Paul to continue his mission (1 Thess. 3:6-7)(2 Corinthians 11:9).

Encouragement isn’t just about comfort, it’s about mission. As a result of Timothy and Silas’ encouraging word and gift, Paul was free to proclaim the gospel. Encouragement is gospel work and missional work.

The Lord encourages Paul when he was afraid.

Apollos is encouraged in his mission by being properly equipped. Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos, recognized his passion and his gifting, and sought to make up what was lacking. They didn’t pull the plug on him or tear him down. They encouraged him by building up.

What does it mean?

“Put to flight.” “To give courage and support for a particular action.”

To put their mission to flight, their worship to flight, their love for others to flight, this is what it means to encourage.

What I’ve seen over the past few months in this politically charged environment and in this stressful season of life, I’ve seen the opposite. Brothers and sisters in Christ using their words to tear one another down. What we’re saying to one another and what we’re saying about one another. Can we, all of us, recognize that has no place in church of Jesus Christ. We are called to be a people of encouragement, to use our words and our actions to build one another up. To build, not to destroy.

And if and when we come across a brother or sister who is clearly in the wrong on a gospel issue, then our posture towards that brother or sister is to encourage. To give them courage and support for gospel renewal. Our posture is not to ridicule, to shun, or to slander. It’s to encourage revival. As you go about your day, reading the news, checking facebook, do you spend more time harboring cynicism and bitterness in our heart, crafting our vindictive rebuttal to their post, or are we spending more time on our knees crying out to God that he’d tear open the heavens and send his Spirit of revival and reconciliation?

Why do we need encouragement?

It enables us to do more than we otherwise could. Worship more. Serve more. Sacrifice more. Love more. Follow Jesus more.

Encouragement is adrenaline for the soul and the community.

How do we encourage one another?

Embrace the AND

We can be frustrated AND encourage people. We can lament loss AND be a support for someone. We can be hurting AND build the body up.

This isn’t about discounting our pain and loss and frustration. It’s about acknowledging the reality of your pain while holding fast to the ultimate reality of our hope that is in the Lord Jesus. The gospel has the power to meet the world at the point of its deepest need precisely because it embraces the AND - a world that is fast fading away, and a world that is breaking in as we speak. We live in a kingdom that is crumbling, and we live in a kingdom whose foundations can never be shaken.

Commit to one another in relationship

Think about how we can give, and not just what we can get.

When you look back on this time, five years from now, what will you see?

Will it be a time when I was cynical? When I was bitter? When I was critical of others, critical of fellow believers, of people in your own church family?

Or will you look back and say that this was a strong and powerful time. When I took hold of God’s promises and God’s mission. When the gospel grounded who I was, and directed what I did. When I gave myself away, when I died to myself for the benefit of others. When I was a source of encouragement to others. Using my words to heal and unite.

I want to challenge you this morning to respond to the hostilities and the emotion of our time and our situation with encouragement.