Encourage One Another 7/24/2011 Patrick Vaughn Today the word of the day is encourage! As we continue to explore how to love one another as Christ loves us our next stop is encouragement. Why and how should we encourage one another as brothers and sisters in Christ? I am a big word nerd. Quinn teases me sometimes because I can get lost in exploring the nuances of a word. The word encourage in the New Testament is an amazing word that has so much depth, more depth than our english translations can capture. So I want to spend sometime up front digging into the meaning of this word. Now some of you might think that this is just a silly exercise in semantics but the meaning of words matters. Jesus Christ is the word incarnate, God s word in the flesh and the written word, the bible, God has chosen to be the authoritative source of information on who God is and who we are. The written word, our scriptures, are extremely important because they tell us the story of God s love for us, they are in fact our story. Words and their meanings are important. This is why I love scripture. Because, it s not just a bunch of written words but God s word and when we dive into it God shows up. But, to begin, I think it is helpful if we seek to understand how our culture most commonly encourages one another. And, we re going to do this through the lens of greeting cards. The first card reads, Stacey, don t think of it as losing your job. (Inside), Think of it as time- out between stupid bosses. Or this one, When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. (Inside), But when life hands you a load of crap, don t make anything. Trust me on this one. These above all are funny, or at least I think they are. The goal of this kind of encouragement is to cheer- up. The power of the encouragement comes from making us laugh about a difficult situation. Another card reads, Life isn t fair. (Inside), You didn t cause this. You don t deserve this. You simply have to get through it. And I know you will, because I know you! Or this one says, Whatever (Inside), Whatever you re doing to be so wonderful, smart and lovable... Keep it up! The power of the encouragement for these two cards comes from within the person. You can get through this because I know you, in other words, you have it within you to make it. The goal of this encouragement is to build self- esteem, to affirm that you have it within yourself to overcome, to be amazing, to persevere. Finally what does Winnie the Pooh have for us, Step by step... day by day... smile by smile... (Inside), Things really will get better. Winnie the Pooh the eternal optimist. I have said things like this as encouragement before, so our next card is aimed at myself as well as anyone else guilty of such cliches.
Things people say at a time like this: Look on the bright side. Things could be worse. Hey its not so bad! (Inside), Things you can say back to them: 1. Shut up! 2. Shut Up! 3. Shut up! Winnie the Pooh encouragement falls short because so often it comes across as cliche and trite. It seems impersonal and lacking compassion. Yet, like I said so often this is the kind of encouragement I am tempted and so often do extend. And for genuine reasons. When we are faced with another person s tragedy or difficult situation we are at a loss for words so cliches come to mind, we want to say something, and we often do when sometimes the best thing is to keep silent and to listen or just be present. Cliche and trite encouragement s, power lies in an optimistic outlook, but frequently this optimistic outlook has no real footing, so it comes across as offensive or insensitive. Greeting card encouragement and I would argue our typical understanding of encouragement seeks to cheer- up, build self- esteem, re- assure and to look on bright side. It encourages a person by telling them they have the resources within themselves to overcome or to be great. Is greeting card encouragement, Christian encouragement? I would say no, although it may have some of its elements. For instance Christian encouragement can be humorous, it can cause a person to look inward but in the end Christian encouragement differs in its basis and goal. That is Christian encouragement draws its power not from humor, self- esteem or an optimistic outlook but from the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ and Christian encouragement s goal is to move us to deeper relationship with God as we walk with Jesus. Let s turn from greeting cards to the Oxford American Dictionary as we dig a little deeper into what it means to encourage. encourage enˈkərij; - ˈkə- rij verb [ trans. ] give support, confidence, or hope to (someone) give support and advice to (someone) so that they will continue to do something help or stimulate (an activity, state, or view) to develop The first definition, is really related to comfort. From a Christian perspective comfort gives hope that is rooted in God s promises of grace, love and transformation. We are encouraged in the midst of suffering by our hope in Jesus Christ that the world is being put to rights that one day all will be made new. Encouragement in this sense, will be explored more in a few weeks when Jim preaches on comforting one another. Interestingly enough, sometimes the same word translated into english as encouragement is also translated as comfort at times in the New Testament. Today we are going to focus in on the last two definitions looking at them through the lens of our faith. Through the lens of Christian faith to encourage is: To support and advise someone so that they will continue walking with Christ and to help or stimulate faith to develop.
Using these two definitions the difference between greeting card encouragement and Christian encouragement really comes into focus. Christian encouragement s power lies in its relationship to Christ. The goal is to support and move a person towards a closer walk with Christ daily. The same word in the Greek translated encourage is also translated urge, appeal and exhort. When we encourage a brother or sister in Christ we support, help and stimulate them to grow in their relationships individually and communally with God. This is exactly what Paul is doing in Romans when he writes to his brothers and sisters in Christ, I appeal to you therefore In other words, I encourage you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1) Paul is encouraging, urging, believers to offer all of who they are to Christ, to walk with Jesus in all that they do. Notice the power of the encouragement, springs out of the mercies of God. Paul does not say, I appeal to you, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, because I know you are awesome and you can do it! No, he says, I appeal to you, by the mercies of God. The encouragement is based in God s mercy for us in Christ that makes it possible for us to present all of who we are to God. The goal is to give God our lives at church, at home, in the car, with co- workers, with our families, in the bedroom, on the computer, on business trips, and nights out. Paul encourages, urges, appeals to his brothers and sisters to walk with Jesus in everything and everywhere. He is stimulating and supporting their faith to develop into a deep relationship with God that transforms all of who they are. This is Christian encouragement. Encouragement that urges us on toward becoming new creations, living sacrifices, based on the power of God to transform us into who he is calling us to be in Christ. It is not a power from within or based on building self- esteem. Christian encouragement s power springs from God s acts of salvation for us in Christ and moves us toward reconciled and perfect loving relationship with God and one another. Almost, all of Paul s letters were meant to some degree to encourage believers as they faced the eternal challenges of walking with Jesus everyday. 1 Paul s first letter to the Thessalonians is one of the best examples. It is a letter of encouragement. This might be a good time to get out the next steps if you want to follow along as we look at a piece of chapter 2, which gives a good sense of the characteristics of Paul s encouragement to the Thessalonians that is present throughout the entire letter. First, Paul s encouragement is rooted in the salvation that the Thessalonians have received from God. Notice how much energy and time Paul spends pointing to the power of God 1 I heard this from someone else and really liked it. The idea that walking with Christ in our everyday isnʼt about figuring it out but eternally (or at least until he comes again) seeking him in the midst of each challenge.
rather than his own words. All of this culminates in verse 11, As you know we dealt with each one of you like a father with his Children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God s word, which is also at work in you believers. The basis and power of Paul s encouragement is in God s call that initiated the Thessalonians faith. It is the power of God s words, God s promises, God s story of redemption that is the engine powering Paul s encouragement. Second, Paul s encouragement is supporting the Thessalonians to continue to grow in their faith. To persevere in their walk with Jesus. When it says lead a life worthy of God, it literally means to walk worthily of God. 2 Paul is urging or stimulating the Thessalonians to grow in faith, to draw closer to Jesus as they walk with him. The image of walking reminds us that following Jesus is something we do throughout our day as we walk through our home, our work, our school, in the mall, everywhere we go. Christian encouragement reminds us of the power of God to transform and strengthen us so that it is possible to walk with Jesus everyday and all the time. We cannot underestimate the power of this kind of encouragement. Theologian Gerald Sittser reminds us of the reality that, All of us face the pressure of living in a fallen world that erodes faith and squelches spiritual enthusiasm. We need encouragement, we need to be urged on to persevere and mature in faith. We need support as we daily seek to walk ever closer to Christ through the challenges of our fallen world. To go it alone, without the encouragement of a brother or sister in Christ is dangerous, it is in fact foolish. To end I want to give us some practical ways that we can encourage one another as Paul encourages the Thessalonians. The first is somewhat obvious but is the most important. We must be in relationship with each other. Meaningful relationships serve as the fertile soil for encouragement. Notice, Paul in verse 7 reminds the Thessalonians that, we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. Encouragement is not a trick to get people to behave rightly or to be better Christians. Encouragement springs out of our love for Christ and our love for one another. Deep caring relationships are the beginning of encouragement. So my question for you is: do you have relationships established that can be fertile soil for this kind of encouragement? Secondly, Christian encouragement is rooted in reminding each other of God s promises and purposes. That is what Paul did for the Thessalonians as he shared the gospel and his life with them. We can do this in a number of ways for one another. We do this when we pray for each other. Paul, prayed for Thessalonians daily (see 1 Thess. 1:2-3). This prayer was not prompted by a tragedy but was a daily prayer of 2 Biblical Scholar Leon Morris in his commentary on 1 Thessalonians writes about this verse, Walking is for Paul a favorite way of designating the whole of one s life, the word has this sense here.
encouragement that they would be able to face the daily struggles of walking with Jesus in a world that squelches faith. We can do this too by daily praying for one another. This is much more effective when we are in relationship with people. Clearly I can pray for the church in general but what if each of us had a few brothers and sisters who knew the daily difficulties we faced in our lives and prayed that we would walk close to Jesus through them? I believe that God would encourage and strengthen our faith through those prayers. Another way we can encourage one another through prayer when by commissioning people to use their gifts and to go with God. We did this for Natalie and AJ earlier this summer as they prepared to go on mission trips, we did this for VBS teachers and we will do this next week for those going on the mission trip to Goshen. Praying for each other is a way of claiming God s promises and presence in each other s lives. That is Christian encouragement. Another way we encourage one another is by modeling faith for each other. 3 Paul not only encouraged the Thessalonians but they encouraged him. (1 Thessalonians 3:7, 9) For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith... How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we feel before our God because of you? As Paul struggled to preach the gospel and was run out of towns and locked up for doing so the Thessalonians faithful walk with Christ brought him encouragement to continue to live into his call. We encourage one another in faith as we model what it looks like to walk with Jesus. As we grow in grace others are spurred on to do the same. Maybe, you have a sister in Christ who has just modeled for you how to deal with a difficult co- worker in a Christlike way that inspires and urges you on to do the same at your workplace. Or maybe you have a brother in Christ who has just offered forgiveness to an estranged family member that encourages you to do the same. In sharing the struggles and triumphs of our walk with Christ through our everyday lives we can be an encouragement to one another and stimulate each other s desire for God. Finally we can give thanks. Paul again models this for us in his letter. He is constantly pointing out the Thessalonians faith and giving thanks for it. One of the most powerful ways to remind each other of God s promises and purposes is to point it out when we see God at work in one another and then to give thanks. In some ways this can be the most fun of all the ways to encourage each other because we can be creative. When you notice that some one has walked worthily of God through a situation, take a moment to name it and thank them for modeling their faith. Write a letter instead of an email or phone call. A letter can communicate a special personal touch. It shows you have taken time out to intentionally notice and be thoughtful. Or, when an individual or group of people have served worthily of God, take time to publicly honor them. Celebrate them, support them to continue in their walk with Christ. Or, entertain, put on a nice dinner and have a couple over that you know has 3 Gerald Sittser writes this about the power of modeling faith, the best way to encourage people to grow in grace is to grow in grace ourselves and set an example of faith... One person of Christlike character an set the pace for everyone. One person can start a chain reaction in which a growing number of people desire God and godliness.
been trying their hardest to raise their kids to follow Jesus. Let them know you have noticed, that you support them and are thankful for their example. Your generosity and kindness will encourage them to persevere as parents walking with Christ before their children. 4 Pray for each other, model your faith, and express thanks to one another. Above all seek out relationship with one another that is rooted in Christ because that is where real encouragement is to be found. Encouragement, Gerald Sittser says, keeps people on course before they wander too far off. It provides reinforcement rather than negative criticism. I don t know about you but I need help staying on course, I need reinforcement, because I long more than anything else to walk with Jesus daily but it s hard. I think that many of you long for the same thing, you wouldn t be here if you didn t. So encourage one another and urge one another on toward Jesus Christ, in whom we find the encouragement that has the power transform us into people who walk worthily of God all the time and everywhere. Amen. 4 Gerald Sittser goes into more depth about thinking creatively about how to encourage one another in his chapter on Encouragement in Love One Another. He specifically mentions letter writing and entertaining.