Encourage One Another
Notes
Transcript
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
One of the things we do when we gather is ENCOURAGE one another.
We discussed this last week when we read
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Our meeting together is a way that we encourage one another, but while we meet, one of our reasons to meet is TO ENCOURAGE one another.
In the short verse that we read, Paul instructs us to encourage each other and build each other up. But, context is the key. Paul has a specific idea in mind when he calls us to encourage one another.
The original Greek of this verse starts with THEREFORE. When we read that word we have to ask, “What is this there for?”
In other words, the word “therefore” acts as a conjunction joining the last idea with a new idea. Based upon what Paul has written, now we are instructed to encourage one another.
Let’s look at the context...
1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
This passage begins with Paul reminding us that Christ will return. This is our great hope as Christians.
Then, Paul reminds us about how we live differently now than we used to because Christ has redeemed us from darkness. This also causes us to be diligent in the ways that we live.
Then, we are reminded to encourage one another.
The encouragement we give allows us to strive to live as Christ’s people as we wait for our hope, Christ’s return, to be fulfilled.
Paul is a big supporter of the idea of encouraging one another!
In another letter he writes...
1 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.
3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
6 In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
Paul, in the letter to Titus, encourages the older men and women to be a model and encourage the younger men and women.
We ARE the examples of faith for those who are younger than us! So, we need to encourage one another in how to be the best example of that faith.
But, there is another encouragement that we have - those who have gone on before us…
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We have a large crowd of faithful examples who are cheering us on. To understand this image, we need to understand a Hebraic idea of heaven.
For the biblical world, heaven was not considered to be a far off place on the other side of a distant galaxy. Heaven was believed to be something like a 4th dimension. It is here, but we just cannot always see it. Heaven is God’s throne room, and it is right here… What this means is that those who have died in Christ, and have gone to be with Jesus, are present with us. We may not always sense this, or see this. But, they are here!
In our Christian faith we call this the Communion of Saints. What we mean by this is that we CURRENTLY (not just in the future) have FELLOWSHIP with ALL the saints - even those who have gone on before. We are united together by the Holy Spirit that has always united us. Yes, now some saints are in heaven. But, if heaven is like a 4th dimension that exists in parallel with our current existence, then the saints are present with us (or better stated, we are present with them…)
If that is the case, the cloud of witnesses are not to be viewed as spectators in the stands of a track and field tournament, they are LITERALLY a clouded presence AROUND us cheering us on towards the finish line!! They not only once were our encouragers, THEY STILL ARE!
As we prepare to celebrate communion today we are going to celebrate with our encouragers...
Did you do your homework?
How many of you wrote a letter to someone who is still alive? Is that person here?
Go and share your letter, or parts of you letter, with them.
You are welcome and encouraged to give the person the letter you wrote. Believe me, encouragers often need encouraged
After you have shared, come to the table and receive communion together.
How many of you wrote a letter to someone who has finished the race, but is a part of our cheering section - a saint who has gone on before us?
Take a moment and share the letter with them. No, YOU ARE NOT PRAYING TO THEM. You are talking to them and thanking them for their encouragement.
You may hang onto the letter, or you may choose to share what you have written to someone/about someone with another person who is here - as a way to share how someone you both may know and love has encouraged you.
After you have done that, find someone you can encourage, or someone else who has encouraged you. Share some encouragement with each other and then you two come to the table.
You may come to the table more than once! If you are asked, you cannot say “NO.”