Words of Encouragement
Part 1
The heart of encouraging words is the Peace & Strength of Jesus.
“Encourage one another daily … so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness"
-Hebrews 3:13
Mark Twain once said,
“I could live for two months on a good compliment.”
"We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first."
-Hebrews 3:14
Grace is at the heart of Christianity.
Confidence in God's grace is at the heart of biblical encouragement.
People all over the world face many of the same problems.
People try to meet their own personal needs, while at the same time trying to meet the needs of others all around them.
(Family, Work, School, etc.)
The Common thread weaving all people together…
The common need for encouragement
There is continual disappointment everywhere.
Jesus said,
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"
-John 16:33
You are not unique.
Everyone is in the same boat.
Everyone needs encouragement.
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
-Romans 8:20-22
People are not the source of encouragement, God is.
People are only the vehicle.
Vehicles break down.
If you want to be distressed-
-look within.
If you want to be defeated-
-look back.
If you want to be distracted-
-look around.
If you want to be dismayed-
-look ahead.
But if you want to be encouraged-
-look up!
Look at God, look at Jesus.
“I have overcome the world.”
-John 16:33
Daily Civil War
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do” … What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 7:18-24
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor [Encourager] to be with you forever -the Spirit of truth… you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you… But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
-John 14:15-16, 25
“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
-Acts 9:31
“In this same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…”
-Romans 8:26
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being"
-Ephesians 3:16
We ALL need encouragement!
“Now this is the Law of the Jungle--as old and as true as the sky: And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the Law runneth forward and back. For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
-Rudyard Kipling
Christian Encouragement is for the purpose of either:
(1) Steering a person towards a certain path leading to a biblical goal,
or
(2) Strengthening a person in continuing on that path in pursuit of the goal in the midst of a slow down or stop.
The ultimate goal of most people is heaven or a better place than they are currently.
Jesus is the exact representation of God and is our “Ultimate Encourager”
“For it is by GRACE [The Cross] you have been saved through faith—and this not from yourself, it is a GIFT of God, NOT BY WORKS [Ladders] so that no one can boast.”
-Ephesians 2:8:9
“… if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.”
-Galatians. 2:21
We all need to be encouraged by the fact that our “Guilt” has been taken away.
“Stop it”
“I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
-Psalm 32:5
“…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
-Isaiah 6:7
Call it “regret” but don’t call it guilt.
Words of Encouragement that God Spoke to You…
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
-John 3:16
Words of Encouragement that You Should speak to Yourself…
"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . . not having a righteousness that comes from the law but which is through faith in Christ…”
-Philippians 3:8 9
Words of Encouragement that we need to speak to others…
"For God so loved the world… that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
-John 3:16
"God credits righteousness apart from works"
-Romans 4:6
People don’t have to do anything, just believe.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God"
-1 Peter 3:18
People don’t have to go to God,
He brings us to Him.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
-John 5:24
(Picture yourself like you are already in heaven.)
The words of God’s truths that you speak to yourself and to others are powerful and can bring phenomenal encouragement.
"The tongue has the power of life and death"
-Proverbs 18:21
Q: Who can you speak to this week?
Q: Who can you encourage?
Q: Will you let Jesus encourage you?
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