Sermon Tone Analysis

“The Sermon on the Move”

“Blessed Be The Encouragers”

Acts 4:36-37

AGAIN, Let me say, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Even as I say that, even as I acknowledge and love both this holiday, and the people it represents, I also want to say that this is one of the hardest days of the calendar year to preach!

I can’t really say why other than it seems like anything I can or will say is completely inadequate to express the honor a mother deserves!

The truth is that very few, IF ANY OF US, ever show our moms the THANKS, the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, or the HONOR they deserve.

Sure, we thank them for the big things, but what about the small stuff?

How often do we miss the small stuff?

How many times have you taken time to think about how much your mom played a role in getting you to where you are today?

VIDEO: Thanks, Mom by Twelve:Thirty Media?

How many times have you thought about the endless dirty diapers, the sleepless nights when you had colic or a fever, how about the times when you projectile vomited and cried from the upset stomach?

How many times have you considered the sacrifices or the encouragement that your mom made to keep you pushing along to be the healthy, alive, successful human you are today?

MOMS, Today, we thank you for your love towards us.

We thank you that you care more about our own well-being than most of us do.

We thank you for being our moms!

ROSES

The last line in that video said, Thanks for pushing me to achieve.

For the majority of this year we have been in a series called “Church on the Move.”

The idea is we I have been preaching through the book of Acts on what was happening and what the disciples were doing that made the Early church so incredibly successful.

What was happening that led to Christianity becoming the predominant world religion in just a few short centuries?

This morning I am going to continue that series and I will be looking at 2 short verses from Acts 4.

The more I spent time thinking about this, the more I realized that SOME of the things that were happening that helped the church move forward are some of the things that help make a family successful.

For example…

I preached a sermon from Acts 2:38 that I titled “Repentance that leads to Revival.”

Imagine how much more successful a family is when acknowledgement of personal failure flows freely.

When I mess up, if I say I am sorry, and I go forward trying to not do that again, My family is happier.

In Acts 2:42-47 I talked a lot about engagement.

Specifically, engaging in prayer, worship, reading the Bible, and general fellowship.

If we’re honest, families just don’t work very well without personal relationships.

In the verses directly preceding what I am about to read, we saw that Peter and John were able to count on or rely on the other disciples for prayer and shared spiritual strength.

Even more than that, they were all able to count on each other for ALL OF THEIR NEEDS!

Even in saying all of that, we need to be careful to remember that EVERYTHING that we have read or will read about Church Movement and Growth was, is, and always will be dependent on help from the Power of God through the Holy Spirit!

So, before we even read this Scripture this morning, Let’s take a minute to Pray and invite the Holy Spirit to ready us to receive from Him and His Word this morning.

PRAY

Selling of possessions, lands, and homes was not new to Acts 4. It seems that this was a common practice from the beginning of the Church.

Starting in Acts 2:44-45

But, here it seems to be repeated as a way of introducing someone that will be a huge part of Church Growth for a while in the book of Acts.

Additionally, it introduces an idea or an action that is necessary to keep the Church on the Move.

As I was praying and thinking about what to preach for Mother’s Day I realized that the next Sermon for this series, lined up with what Mothers have been doing through the ages.

Imagine being given the nickname, “Son of Encouragement”

Imagine being known as someone that could be counted on to lift the spirits of other people.

Imagine being known as someone so willing to give your time, treasure, and talent to others that you would be given the Nick Name “The Encourager.”

By show of hands, How Many of You have ever been encouraged?

I hope that at some point in everyone’s life they have experienced at least some level of encouragement from others.

I am certain that everyone here has at some point in their lives been an encouragement to others.

If you haven’t just look at MOM’s for an example.

Chances are, everyone here learned to talk, because they had a mom that goo gooed and gagaged.

They endlessly pronounced MA MA or DA DA until you started mimicking the same syllables.

It was probably your mom that encouraged you to use the Big Boy or Bog Girl potty and now you walk around dry and clean!

It was probably a mom that encouraged you…

When Math was hard…

When someone bullied you…

When you went through your first breakup with THE ONE!!!

Mom’s encourage us that we can be more than even we believe we can be

And it might have been a mom the encouraged you to come back to reality when your dreams turned into fantasies!

For the next few minutes, I want to look at some biblical examples of encouragement.

I. Encouragers Are Required to Drive the Plan of God Forward

a. Moses was instructed to Encourage Joshua Deuteronomy 3:27-28

b.

Paul needed Baranabas’ Encouragement Acts 13:1-3

II.

Encouragers are often Burdened With The problems of Others

a. Colossians 2:1-3

i. Burdened For Others

ii.

Burdened For Unity

iii.

Burdened for Others to Experience the Full ASSURANCE and Understanding of the richness afforded IN CHRIST

b.

Bear with the weaknesses and faults of others

i. Romans 15:1-7

ii.

Galatians 6:1-2

III.

Encouragement Require AND Develop Unity

a. Acts 2:44-45

b.

Philippians 2:1-4

IV.

Encouragement Might Cost You Something

a. Acts 4:34-37

b.

I have to lay down my pride to build someone else up

V. God is the God of Encouragement

a. Paraclete vs. Paraklesis

i. John (advocate, helper, comforter…)

b. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

VI.

How Do We Encourage Each Other?

a. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

b. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17