Be Encouraged!
Notes
Transcript
With a little help from a friend. . .
With a little help from a friend. . .
We get by with a little help from a friend.
David Brown picture here
Let me share a story with you about David Brown. Sprinter, 100 meters, less than 11 seconds. He holds a worlds record.
(the story) He is blind, he runs in the Paralympics. David has to use a guide to help him on the race, his name is Jerome Avery.
Jerome he is the guide, he is the encourager of David. He pushes David to be the best racer.
Jerome corrects David if he veers off course
Jerome comforts David and helps David if he falls
Jerome cheered him on to push hard when close to the finish.
Jerome is connected to David by a rope that keeps them connected, they run as if they were one.
Jerome was an Olympic hopeful himself, but found himself that his calling was to help blind runners run their race. To be an encourager.
Interesting fact both David and Jerome give all the glory to God for David racing and for their partnership in racing. David’s Instagram account says such: running4Hisglory!
(Transition) - We all need need encouragement. We all need to be encouraging too, for life is hard, living a Christian life is harder. Living in surrender and obedience to Christ and loving others as yourself is a challenge, it is hard, and we need encouragement to continue to race the race that is set before us (ref: Heb12:1)
Encouragement, everyone needs it
God’s encourager (parakeleo) the Holy Spirit the one who “comes along side.” The word also means “comforter.” Jerome was David’s one who came along side and comforted.
Sometimes we need one to tell us “you got this”
Sometimes we need someone to remind us “just a little further, longer.”
Sometimes it is words to spur us, to motivate us to keep going, or get going.
Sometimes it is seeing a need and meeting a need.
(turn to Act20:1-12 with me)
1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.
Background:
3rd Missionary journey; Ephesus, there for 3 months, speaking boldly in Synagogue (religious people), then in school of Tyrannus, was not received very well, went on for two years
God was still performing great miracles through Paul, the world went out to all who lived in Asia.
Many gathered against Paul who were filled with rage, Paul narrowly escaped riots because of Jesus and the gospel.
Paul sends for the disciples to come to him, that is where we are in this passage.
No concern for his ego in being rejected
No concern for physical safety
No concern about lies, false things being said about him.
Nope, His concern was for the saints in Ephesus who were impacted by all of this more than he.
Paul knew his journey of encouragement, in spite of everything, needed to continue. He need to stay on mission. He was ready to leave. So before he goes, what is on his mind?
Not safety
Not his personal finances
Nope, it was how can he bless, encourage them.
(transition) - so instead of looking at everything that had gone wrong, he looked at what God was doing and what God called him to do and he looks to encourage. So regardless of circumstances we too should look and ask ourselves a simple question
How can I encourage someone?
Just pose the question, question we are to ask ourselves.
Maybe the question you need to ask yourself is why don’t I encourage people?
Too busy, plate too full, too absorbed with self, It is not in my nature. Sometimes it may not be easy, it may not be natural, but scripture tells us to do It (Heb10:24-25)
Ways to encourage
Ways to encourage
Face to face
Go visit, sit with, dinner, coffee, etc. (time, quality time with someone). Your presence is a great encouragement
Listen (expand)
Use technology
Call, text, E-mail, etc.
Financial
Paul was gathering financially to encourage the church in Jerusalem; also to revisit and encourage churches had previously been (vv.1-3)
We can be a blessing, encouraging by being generous with what God has blessed us with.
Serving one another
We are saved for good works (Eph2:10)
We are to love one another (Jn13:34)
Loving is serving, serving is encouraging, encouraging helps grow in the Kingdom and to grow the Kingdom.
Prayer for one another
Stop, listen, pray, and then keep praying
Help one another (v.4)
Paul had travelling companions that were representatives from other congregations that Paul was collecting for the encouragement, help for the brethren in Jerusalem.
The relationships with other believers is important. For we were created to be in fellowship. When we are we are encouraged.
Remember the story of David and Jerome. There were in constant fellowship with one another.
It is in relationships that we know one another, can help one another. It is in relationships that we get to know people and not just what we think we know or observe and draw conclusions on.
(Transition) - - - These are some ways we can and should do on a one on one way, in general. Let us move on to collectively for a few minutes.
Come together
Come together
Come together on first day of the week (v.7)
7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight.
Luke shows us what worship in early church looked like and hopefully we do the same today.
First day of the week
It was time put aside for the Lord (Sunday work day) - no excuses
First day of the week with local people with a purpose
Purpose was Lord’s supper, preaching, fellowship, and Act2:42- prayers are added there too. - its a time of commitment (you are there); communion (one another and with God); proclamation (Lord’s supper); Celebration (Lord’s resurrection); and yes, encouraging (consider Heb10:24-25)
When we come together in worship we take focus off of ourselves and place it on God.
When we come together it is more than just physical it is spiritual, a spiritual act of worship (Rom12:1; Heb12:1)
Worship is the talking, teaching of Gods word (v. 7); God is the source of all comfort, that comes from the word of God. God is the Lord of encouragement, that too comes from the word of God. God is truth, His word is truth, and truth makes us free.
Worship creates opportunities to show care for one another as Paul did (v.7) for he spent time with them knowing he intended to leave the next day.
(Transition) - Face to face, technology, the assembly are all good ways to encourage one another for we all need encouragement, how about more?
Through God’s power
Through God’s power
Summarize (vv.8-12)
night, lamps, tired, Eutychus deep sleep, fell down, dead
Paul, by the power of God raised him up; Through Christ death has been defeated. He raised Eutychus and one day we too will be raised. - - - now if that is not encouragement, the hope of our resurrection, there is something wrong.
Power of God unto salvation (Rom1:16)
Dead, made alive, seated in heavenlies; promised our resurrection (Eph1, 2, 1Cor15)
(invitation slide) - Power of God unto salvation
(Prayer) (Exit)