QUIZ: Encouraging or Discouraging? How do you feel on Sunday mornings?
· Did any of you have any health related issues during this current week?
· Did any of you have a good report on medical tests?
· Did any of you have a problem at work?
· Did any of you have a stellar week (or at least a pretty good one) at work?
· Did any of you have a problem thinking about finding a job or looking for a new one?
· Did any of you have any problems with any of your family members?
· Did any of you have a celebration with something about a family member?
· Did any of you have a positive interaction with someone asking them to come to church or asking them about their spiritual relationship?
· Did any one work a little harder last week to get some encouragement in God’s Word and spend a little more time with the Lord?
How are you doing today…are you coming to church this morning encouraged, discouraged, or somewhere in the middle?
Last week, we started this little series on being encouraged by looking at the phrase:
In the New Testament, we see that while God is the author of all encouragement, He chooses to use three main sources in the New Testament to encourage believers:
•God, His Son, and His Word
•God’s people in the local church
•God’s messengers from other places
Last week, we invested our time in looking at how we can get encouragement from God, His Son, and His Word.
We talked about how we should get encouragement from the things that Christ has done for us personally. We quickly reviewed several of the “big Old Testament stories” that demonstrated that God has done great things that should encourage us. We also talked about some practical things that we could do to get some of God’s encouragement flowing into our lives.
This week, I want us to look at a second way that God provides encouragement to us…that is through God’s people in our local church. It was interesting for me this week as I searched the Word for information on encouragement that the three forms of encouragement are often tied together very closely. It’s almost like God has designed us to need a balance of encouragement from Himself, those who are close to us, and those who are more distant from us to give us that complete “encouragement package”.
I want us to look at Romans 15 again this week as we see some of the other aspects of this verse that focus on how believers should work together.
Rom. 15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
We see that Paul gives us several instructions on how we should relate to others. First, we need to bear with those who fail or those who aren’t as spiritually strong as we are. Can you think back to a time when you were a new believer and you messed up? Can you think back to a time…this month that you’ve messed up?
One of my students at school is a Christian, but he seems to have a lot of struggles in his life. Of course, it doesn’t help when both parents and an older brother have spent much of their lives in and out of prison. On Thursday, I took him with me to our school’s basket ball game that was at a gym across town. In that process, we had a good time to talk about this very issue of his need to work harder to follow Christ and to be strong in his faith when he feels like failing. Then, on Friday, he totally lost it and threatened staff and spent much of his day in a time out room. So, how do I keep responding to him? Do I tell him, tough, you’ve blown it and I won’t work with you any more or pray for you? NO! Paul tells us that we need to hang in there…even if we aren’t pleased with the situation!
This second instruction from Paul is that we need to seek to please our neighbors. Whether it is our physical neighbor next door or our neighbor sitting next to us this morning, working to please our friend is another source of encouragement.
I believe that this is a struggle for many of us who are Americans. Our culture is so self-focused that it has become almost “un-American” to seek to please others! Whether it’s buying a vehicle that I really want for myself, choosing my favorite meal, going to my favorite restaurant, listening to my favorite radio station or CD, running up huge debt and expecting someone else to pay for it, and on and on it can go!
This is one of the areas that I think that we as a church may need to address in the coming weeks and months. What does it look like for me as a member of Goodfield Baptist Church to purposefully choose to let my preferences go in order to please others in the congregation? What things might have to change so more people in the church are pleased with church?
Also, I think this is a huge question that we’ll need to answer about how to please our neighbors outside of the church. How do we show our Christian love to that person we’ve known here in Goodfield for the past 60 years? How do we minister in such a way as to please the people who are brand new to Goodfield, and might not even know the church is here? How do we purposefully seek to please the families of the students who come on Wednesday evenings and make our church more inviting to them?
These are tough questions, but they are sure ones that we need to think about and ask if we’re going to fulfill what God tells us here in this passage.
In verse7, Paul tells us to accept one another. I had invited a friend from work to church probably every week for three or four months a year ago…getting turned down each time. However, just before Christmas, she came to me and asked, “Is your church judgmental, or will they accept me like I am?” WOW…she got it! She was buried in sin in so many areas of her life. She needed love, acceptance, and encouragement. Of course, we don’t condone and accept sin, but Paul tells us that we need to love others exactly like Christ accepted us (while we were still sinners).
That also applies to us as we come to worship together. Is there someone in this congregation that you don’t agree with or have a problem with? It might be something as seemingly insignificant as the ladies in my father’s church that didn’t speak for 20 years over that crazy piece of pie that we talked about a few weeks ago. It might be that you disagree with a vote or a choice that has been made in the church. It might be that you think that church should always look and feel the same as it did in 1947 or 1987, or you might be wishing that the church were more contemporary. In the early 40’s, Dietrich Bonheoffer, the German theologian and martyr, said that all churches are contemporary; it just depends on which period they’re contemporary with.
Whatever your disagreements are with others, the Lord is telling us to accept each other. This may mean you agree to disagree with someone, but think about the encouragement it would be if you were able to come to church and worship together without there being a huge barrier between you and someone else.
Shortly after graduating from seminary, Karen and I were serving at a church in Northern Michigan. A couple of months after moving there, I got a call; “Hi Andrew, this is Bob, and you don’t know me, but I know who you are. My wife and I are pretty lonely, and we live across the street from you and wondered if we could come over sometime.” What a strange call! As it continued on, I discovered that Bob was the youth pastor at the Assembly of God Church in town. Having just graduated from seminary, I knew my Bible and my doctrine and I KNEW that “those people” at the Assembly had messed up theology!
As we got together though, Bob & Rhonda became great friends! We realized that we agreed about most things in the Bible, and disagreed about a relatively few things that weren’t core beliefs about salvation. Despite not agreeing about everything, we fully accepted one another and I was always encouraged when I was able to get together with him and do ministry together with him! Working on my sermon this week prompted me to send him a note of encouragement as he currently serves the Lord at a Bible school in Ethiopia.
In verses 5-7 Paul tells us that as we encourage each other and work together, we will achieve unity and bring praise to God. Think about that…if people at Goodfield Baptist are known as people who love and encourage each other, what will people in this area do…praise the Lord! I think so much of this goes back to that theme in the Advent Conspiracy series about Loving All and becoming known as a congregation that is known for how we relate to each other and those around us.
Over in Philippians 2, which we also looked at part of last week, Paul echoes some of these same themes…don’t be selfish, stuck up or looking out for our own interests. Instead, we need to encourage one another by loving, by being unified, by being humble, and by looking out for the interests of others.
Phil. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
When we started attending our church in Normal over five years ago, the average attender was probably about 60 years old. Yet, the elders and staff were convinced that God was calling us to reach out to younger families. Our children’s facilities were sub-par, and not inviting to others. However, our church, made up of mostly people without children, decided to go ahead and build a beautiful children’s wing. The result…those of us who did have kids were greatly encouraged that many of the older members in the congregation were looking out for the interests of people other than themselves. They invested heavily so that we could minister better to others. AND, many of them have jumped in and are working in the children’s ministries as many young families have started attending. How encouraging!
Over in 1 Thessalonians, Paul continues on with his theme of encouragement.
4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
In Chapter 4, he talks about the coming of the Lord and then tells the believers to encourage one another that Jesus will return! An old Michael W. Smith song had the lyrics in it, “when things get bad, and you can’t stand to look, it’s time to read to the end of the book, when Jesus comes and His kingdom begins”. Indeed, if we’re in the middle of tough times, we may need one another to remind us that ultimately, we’re on the winning side and that ultimately, things will be better. I don’t know about you, but I’ve sure had times in my life where I couldn’t see or feel much because of the discouragement that I was in. I needed a friend to come alongside of me to help me keep an eternal perspective.
Continuing on, Paul reminds the believers in Thessalonica that they shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus comes and that we need to remember that whether we die or are still alive when Jesus returns, He’s paid the price of sin for us and that we will live forever with the Lord. Again, another very encouraging reminder that we may need from our friends.
He also gives us a list of specific ways to encourage others in the church…those who are working hard in the church, live in peace…don’t cause problems with others; encourage people who need to step up and be part of the team; help those who are weak; be patient with EVERYONE, and be kind to everyone.
Now tell me, what kind of a church would we be if everyone followed these guidelines to encourage and bless each other? For me, that would be a very inviting place to come and join. If I knew that people were working to help me when I was having problems with my kids instead of judging me…. If I knew that people would appreciate me for helping their kids in the nursery instead of complaining that we could still hear kids during the service… If I were struggling with sin, that someone would encourage me and help me out of that sin… If I stepped up and tried putting together a Sunday Morning Service or tried helping Craig & Lisa with the youth groups people would be patient and understand that I’m just learning…wouldn’t that be encouraging!
OK…so these are a few thoughts of how we could look…how do we really do that?
Here are some of my thoughts on ways that God’s People in THIS local church, THIS Goodfield Baptist Church, THIS one located here at 201 Robinson St. can help one another:
1. Verbally…thanks for all you do to get the bulletin put together and printed; thanks for putting together the Men’s Breakfast, thanks for playing the piano today; thanks for working with our youth for the past decade…since you were in college and coming here; thanks for shoveling the sidewalks or parking lot; thanks for your faithfulness to this congregation for the last 50 years; thanks for serving on the deacon board this past year; etc…
2. Written…text, email, FaceBook, Twitter, pen and paper, I was really encouraged this week by some emails that I received from Betty and Judy as they told me they were excited to clean the church and work on the service together! Here are a couple of fun ones where you can see the progression of God working: email from Di >Dale>Kathy, Bill A on Facebook,
3. Appropriate Physically: knuckles, arm bump, hug
4. Publically…note in bulletin (thanks for helping me while I was recovering from surgery), thanks to everyone who is helping with cleaning the church
5. Privately…stop by house, talk to someone when you see them
6. Practically…take a meal to someone (a few weeks ago, we had several friends bring meals over after the new boys came to live with us), invite them to come to an event…whether at church or in the community (like the Goodfield Dinner this week)
7. Practice it…turn to someone beside you and give them a word of encouragement…not an essay…just a word or two.
OK…today, we’ve looked at the second aspect of being encouraged. I hope that even if you’ve had a month or a week full of discouragement that something today has at least lit a small spark of encouragement in your heart. I also hope that you’re thinking of ways that you can be an encourager to others around you in the Body of Christ here in Goodfield, Eureka, Congerville, Deer Creek, and beyond.
Next week, we will be looking at being encouraged by God’s messengers from other places.
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