May 23, 2021 - How to creatively encourage when options are limited

Here we go. Or I can hear myself. Laugh out loud. I want to thank all of the musicians and especially

The Black Keys for leading this morning. I really hope that you felt the same presents. We feel here in this place. because, It's not something you want to miss.

I just want to thank everyone for being sensitive, the Holy Spirit and sensitive to what God wants to do. And for those of you we are doing up a video. It's not a surprise. He got the email, it's a video, greeting, your greeting to that family and Nathan and so I you can go to Mikey wcca and click on the button there or follow the links in the email and either upload or say your message, you can give it to Pastor Sean, you can set it. Someone sent it to me on messenger and I had no idea. You can actually download videos on messenger, it is so cool. I learn something new. So anyway, you want to get a test. We will Is broadcasting that next week. We don't know if we're going to be meeting together next week or how we can meet together next week, we do know that will be broadcast Broadcasting we know that ceteris, paribus meeting all things being equal, that will be broadcasting where we sometimes technology happens, but we are getting pretty good at Avoiding that. So would you want to welcome you all here today wherever you're watching and however you are participating in this sermon. This message, I want to think Amber to for that bluesy song, because I am opening up this message in a way that I've never heard anyone open up a message before. I only heard this passage of scripture reference once in it, any kind of any kind of meeting only once, and the guy did it so badly, that's why I remember it. He totally took it out of context and he applied it incorrectly. And and so, what I'm going to do is I'm going to read this song, Because I really feel like, you know, happy birthday Church. Don't gather together we, we, we, we got something to lament here a little bit, right. Psalm 137 says this.

This is this is a song that took place while they were exiled from the land of Judah when they left Jerusalem and they were all over the song and it explain what's happening with this is after the fall of Jerusalem. Okay, here's what the song says. It says beside the Rivers of Babylon. We sat and wept, as we thought of Jerusalem, we put our hearts away, hanging them on the branches of the poplar trees for our captors, demanded us a song, our tormentors insisted on a joyful him. One of those songs of Jerusalem. But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land? If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, that my right hand. Forget how to play the harp, made my tongue, stick to the roof of my mouth. If I fail to remember you, if I don't make the rules for my greatest joy. Oh Lord. Remember what the edomites did the day the armies of Babylon capture Jerusalem, destroyed level It To The Ground. Old Babylon. You will be destroyed. Happy is the one who pays you back for what you've done. Happy is the one who takes your babies, and smashes them against the Rocks. Well, I guess you can see why we never really preach from this portion of scripture. It's hard to apply and the only way I can apply it today is that it's it's emotional truth, that's there that resonates well with us. It resonates well with us. because,

oh my goodness.

We?

We've been cut off from what we celebrate.

And we feel the lack of significance from what others have said about our work. Our work especially as pastors but translating to the church the church as well. We've been told we've been deemed non-essential

And yeah, I'm an if you take out mental health and spiritual health than yeah. We're non-essential. But come on The province is going to be paying for this for Generations because of the things happening to families of things happened, individuals of things happening to kids that were not taken into account. Baby has been given lip service but they have not been taken into account. It was all about saving the system that I don't think ever got close to being overwhelmed, except from mismanagement. That's my at, that's that's the way I read it.

It's okay for us to have those laments into read those laments in. This is one of the only Psalms of lament, I think there's one other, so I'm up on. That doesn't go back to praise. Because there's times in our journey. Where you going to leave it hanging? There's times in the journey where and when you sit like a you knowing your soul, God's going to make it, right. But there's just, you just got to say God,

Hello, I'm done.

The problem we face with right now is how do we encourage others to Ward's? Love and Good Deeds when we can't meet together?

You know, you and I cannot live in the Lament. That's what we talked about. Strengthening ourselves in the Lord Wheatley. When we get to that spot, we need to know how to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. We need to to, to know what it's like, and what it means and end. That's so, so very important. But it's not all about us. It's not just how can I be strong in the Lord? It's how can I encourage others towards love and good deeds. How can I encourage someone else? Because as I refresh others, I am refreshed. As I encourage others. I am encouraged as I bless others. I am blessed. Again, it's not for my benefit, but it's kind of like you're not going to get there unless you do this. It really matters because it's in the court of the church is not us gathering together to look in the back of each. Other's heads, we we can't meet for the show. We can't come for the programs. We are the body of Christ and we need each other. It's the big readers in there. When they come it when we come in the door and we got that a smile on their face. It's that to discussion over the coffee. Anyways, we're waiting for the next part to Bruce. It's the time. It's the last, it's the hugs, it's a handshakes. What do you do when you can't lay on him to pray for the sick to see them recover? What do you do when when you can't give hugs or are you at? I just realized the thing that's really bothered me is. I haven't been able to hold it a little one for an entire year. And we've had little ones born into our family and our church family that we've never been able to hold when they're little and now they're big and alike, will still like him and stuff, but like it's a little hole that, you know, when they can't fight back, it's just nice to hold them.

Listen, this is not new to the church. In fact, we have something that Paul wrote to the Romans, right at the start of the book, the letter that he wrote in starting at verse 8, he says this, he says, let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because of your faith in him is being talked about all over the world for God knows how often I pray for you day and night. I bring it. Your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading out. The good news about his son. One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity. God willing to come to you to see you at last four. I longed to visit you so that I can bring some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. And when we get together, I want to encourage you in your face. But I also want to be encouraged by yours. I want you to know dear brothers and sisters that I have planned many times to visit you, and I was, but I was prevented until now, I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit just as I've seen it among other Gentiles where I have a great sense of obligation to the people in both the Civilized world in the rest of the world to educate, and do the educated and uneducated. You're like, so I'm eager to come to you in Rome to preach the good news for, I'm not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It's the power of God at work. Saving everyone who believes the Jew first and then the Gentile, this is the good news. That tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. And scripture says it is through faith, that a righteous person lives has life. Back at the beginning of the shirt. Right? Back close to the birthday. There is Paul wanting to go to Rome to talk to them because he's heard about their faith and any priests for them because he's heard about their faith and that's something you. And I can do for everybody everywhere. We got a when God puts someone in our hearts, we pray for them, but it, but it's not just so that I can go and encourage you when you come together, is that I get encouraged by you when we're together. It is not just that. We do we got to figure out how to do this when we can't gather together. We've got two now, there's two things that pop out to me as I've read. Romans 1

First off.

What did Paul do? He prayed for them? One, and two. He wrote a letter. And I got to believe his prayers did lasting good, but I also know that his letter had a life of its own and we still read it today. It's going on for two thousand years. There's something that God can bless when we find a way to bless somebody else. They get the extended beyond our own life and beyond our own lifetime, it extends back through the generations, but further generation in, and we need to be aware of that. It's important. How we intentionally encourage each other towards love and good deeds. God is going to empower us to accomplish every good work. Prompted by faith and he's going to turn every situation around for his glory. All Paul could do is write a letter and guess what? That letter made it into the book and that book has transformed lives for two thousand years.

Something special about that.

What if? Even in lockdown, we have still have everything we need for life and godliness. What if we can still, we can still encourage one another towards love and Good Deeds, but it might be in a different way. It's not as easy as a low-hanging fruit as having greeting someone as they come in the door or talking to them around coffee, table of the coffee maker, or, or hugging during the greeting time. And it's not that low hanging fruit that we'd like to have and it's easy for us to do, but if he has to become more intentional, but God will still in power that. And when we do those intentional things, what if it expands Beyond, just that motion that we had that, that action that we have. What if it goes beyond in and Anna bless his people beyond what if they eat in turn, bless someone else and they in turn bless someone else and they in turn bless someone else work. Or maybe it's been in their kids and it goes, generationally down.

Imagine all of us are going to need encouragement. All of us. Need to encourage others. We all need, we all need others, and we all need to be encouraged. We're all refreshed as we were fresh. Others and it starts with hello. That's the tool. Hello.

So hello, the basic acronym means to help encourage listen. Love and offer help heartfelt encouragement. So let's start with that. H is help. The H, the question we ask ourselves first is who should i serve today? Hebrews 6:10 says, God is Not unjust. You will not forget your your work in your love that you've shown him. As you have helped his people and continue to help them. It does not matter whether we are meeting together as a group or whether God wakes you up in the night with a name and you're wondering about them or got places someone in your heart as you're praying and you start praying for them. I got his place people in my heart that other people have mentioned to me. And I want to pray for them because they're going through some pretty tough times. They're going through some real heartache and I don't know where their faith is at and they don't even need to know that I'm praying for them. Maybe some point and sometime when I see them next I can ask, how are you doing? And because I know what they're going through, but maybe it's more intentional. Maybe I'm I I need to contact that person. They got places on my heart. It's the holy spirit's help, he leads as to who he wants us to blessed. He teaches is all things and give us. The gives us the words to say the empowers, the actions that we intend to face its Holy Spirit, working through us to help others understand that. It's not. I can do this on my own strength and I'm going to do it on my own ability. Know it start. Sentence with Holy Spirit and help is encouraged. Okay, what does that mean, question? We ask ourselves is. How can I encourage them today? Ephesians 4:29 says, don't let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for the building up of others? According to their knees, that it may benefit those who listen. Now, when we are thinking about who we can encourage, it can be at to levels, it could just be little simple gestures, little simple gestures smile, you show appreciation. You sure got slots for them. One of the coolest things we can do during this time, it's just a prophetic words over people without them. Knowing it's prophetic words. It, speak speak life. Speak Words of Life to hear from God and Sir, practicing it cuz he won't even know who I like, if you got a mask on and they don't even see that you're nervous, just go do it, and start blessing people with prophetic words. It, it might be a more meaningful moment. It could be the guy that it wants to do something really amazing right there. And then, so, What are you do? You do the rest of the acronym you listen, you love, you offer heartfelt encouragement so let's get to that.

Listen. Question we can ask ourselves. Do I really listen to understand? The problem for most of us is that we've been taught to listen to respond. and we wait for the person to pause speaking so we can answer and we're not listening to understand what they're saying.

James 1:9 says your brothers and sisters. Take note of this, everyone to be quick, to listen slow to speak and slow to become angry. You honor people by listening to them letting them speak letting them speak their minds. is it even if you're doing this over video, call or you're doing this over your fence, or you're meeting someone in the park or whatever you're doing, It, you keep your body open. Like it's not this. Even if your cold keep your body open. I mean teen moderate level of eye contact. Like, don't stare them down but like don't be off looking at the your screen over here. If you're talkin with them over there, use Simple gestures to show them your listen. If you're talking to someone over resume you got, I like not and like a greedy and don't like set up a gift. That does that automatically and then leave the room like actually be there and do it.

If you arrange the words for listen, it spells silent. Pay attention, listen to what they're saying.

The next l in, hello, is love. What does love look like right now? That's a prayer. I'm praying. As I'm talking with somebody. How can I show them love right now? And In This Moment, John 15:12 says my command is, this love each other, as I have loved you. Reflect back, what you're hearing them say.

Show them that you've heard by sharing back with set. You ask open-ended questions, not questions that are yes or no, like, let them expand on what they're saying.

Did you need a listening ear or they just are they looking for a solution, guys. A heads up here, all of us assume people want a solution. It took me about 8, honestly, probably 24 years to learn this with my wife, sometimes most of the time. She just wants to know. She's heard. She doesn't want that solution. Do I have learned to ask her, do you want a solution or do you just want to be heard? And if it's heard that I learned that I listen. And if she wants a solution, I have learned to say. Where can I go and pray? Cuz I don't like she needs a solution. I don't have a solution like that, but That seems you a ton of problems in marriages? Is you can ask that question. They're okay with that. Sometimes they are, they wanting? Are you wanting an answer?

Listening reflecting and asking open ended questions are intended to help promote understanding, and develop, greater connection, and connection is the most important thing. So if you can't use listening, reflecting and asking open ended questions, don't worry about it. Go with the flow, go with what holy spirit is telling you to do, these are tools that use if they're they're helpful to you. If they're not helpful in the moments that bass bass tool, you have to listen to what Holy Spirit saying and then figure out what does love look like, hear. What does the weather look like here?

The old is to offer our heartfelt encouragement question. You ask yourself and this is what I ask myself is what are the words of life? The words of life. Are the words that Jesus spoke. and in John, Whatever Jesus started talking about my blood is real blood. In my body is real red, my bread. My body is real bread and he lost a lot of disciples. Lot of people who were following them went away at that point until he turned his disciples and said, are you going to leave me too? And I think Peter said where, we'll be going because you have the words of Life, the words of Life are the prophetic words. You might not think they're even prophetic, but if you're looking for the words of Life, they're going to do something amazing. Ephesians four fifteen says instead. Speaking the truth in love we will grow become and every aspect of a mature body of him. Who is the head that is Christ?

When you're talking with them where they wanting to be encouraged or just wanting to be hurt. If there were just wanting to be heard, let them know that they were hurt in that they were saying seeing yes I I do see you. I understand I don't really understand but I I want to understand If they want, if it if they want encouragement. Avoid the platitudes, okay? You know, those memes that I am. So So guilty, I got meme set up for the next three years that are just platitudes, and I pray that people don't see those platitudes and think that's the be-all and end-all of Christianity. I pray that when I have how to do this as titles for my sermon people don't think that, I believe, and how to Christianity, and I don't. But that's what people searched for online. So that's what I'm trying to get. The meetings are there for the encouragement, but you got to understand the relationship behind the memes. It's not please, don't think, One of the most damaging things you can say to someone. It's just a little trust. God, Is it true? That yes. Is it truth and love? Probably not. You just don't have an answer.

There's some times where you have to ask them, are you trusting God, and a lot of time. So tougher things to say or better in questions than they are in, this is what's going on. So you ask quick are you trusting God? And if they say, yes, where is your peace and joy.

Okay, then they might get offended. But anyway, You can don't speak the platitudes. Speak the truth of Love. Speak. His words to his people. God will give you the words to say and please don't think these are rules that. If you don't follow, it's not going to happen cuz Holy Spirit as a way of taking Loaves and Fishes and busting them and multiplying them out. What I'm telling you to do is, will you? Italy, starting this week. Start asking yourself or asking Holy Spirit. Who should i serve today? Who should i serve today?

Will you start asking that every morning this week? Will you take the time to listen to pollie spirit says will you do what he leads you to do? Will you listen to me? You love. Will you offer Holt hurtful encouragement? You can do this even when you we can't meet together. You can do this. In so many different ways. You got the phone, you got the email, you got the text, you got the video calls, you got everything that you got. You got two letters for Pete's sake. Write a letter. It might last two thousand years. Come on, get going, and don't got done, you don't have to make it perfect. Cuz none of these letters are perfect because last cousin,

Listen.

Even when we think we need to, we can't live in the moment.

We can't we don't know what's coming next. Maybe some of us can meet together next week, maybe the announcements coming later this week as soon as we find out will let you all know or do we don't know if some of us can meet I don't think all of us will be able to meet for some time.

I am kind of, I don't know. I'm trying to look at the numbers. I don't know what numbers are looking at. I don't know. If you look at Ontario, me and might be closed down for a couple more weeks. If you look at Saskatchewan, maybe not so long. I don't know. We'll find out and we'll figure out what to do.

It's okay to lament. Don't live in the lament, strengthen yourself in the Lord and figure out how you can encourage others to words love and Good Deeds. Remember, it starts with. Hello Joey prank. Heavenly Father.

I pray for those who have been frustrated during this season and I think that that probably includes all of us with different things.

I pray, Lord that we would all know that you're with us in that frustration. what Grieves us often Grieves you

but Lord, you've given us the tools to not focus on that. What does see what you're doing in the partner with you? So Lord, I pray that we would seek you to know who we should serve at each and every day. And Lord we would step out in confidence as you would lead us to do that. It might be a family member, it might be a friend. It might be a neighbor, might be a co-worker. It might be someone, we might not know what exactly to say but you're telling us to encourage them and Lord maybe with just a listening ear that they need.

So Lord, I pray that your people would rise up and shine bright. The people would see their good works. And glorify the father who is in heaven. And Lord, I Thank you that you're going to turn this out for your guy. You were going to do something so amazing that we never even saw it coming. We thought we were just going to do this and you take the Loaves and Fishes and multiply it. For such a long time. So Lord, we thank you for that in your holy and precious name. Amen. Amen. Rick's going to come back and close the service. And remember, if you haven't sent in a video or Nathan and Emily, make sure you do that this week. I'll try to get that done. Get it. I'll do that up. Friday afternoon. I shouldn't tell you that I'll do that up Friday morning. So have it in by Thursday and then we'll all be good. So and I think that's about a Monday morning Monday on Zoom for the first time and I think it's got the rest is going to happen to you.