[sermons/top.html]Encouragement: Preached by Dr. Rickey Honea, Th. D.
College Heights Baptist Church - Lubbock, Texas 1/14/2001(Heb 10:24 KJV) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Murphy's Law says, "If anything can go wrong, it will."
Murphy's Law for our teens in school today is, "Not even the most absent-minded professor will forget a test"
Murphy's Law for our teens in school today is, "the shortest distance between classes never takes you near your locker"
Murphy's Law for dating: Planned dates causes ZITS.
Murphy's Law: If it can break, mine will.
Murphy's Law: If it can hurt, it will probably happen to me.
Murphy's Law for parents: If a kid can get into trouble, it will for sure be one of mine.
Because our lives are full of Murphy's Laws, we really need encouragement.
But this world in which we live can be a place of real put downs and let downs.
We live in a world where there is no room for failure.
Our homes have to give us this room to fail.
Our Churches have to give us room to fail.
When we were little we use to drive each other with saying like
"Stick and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me" and that was LIE.
Some of the most painful times of our lives were when we were made fun of by someone at school or home.Wounds inflicted by name calling, sarcastic words, pet names that we hated then and now.
Many times these are the wounds that are the slowest to heal.
Our churches and our homes should be more than just a meeting place for us to meet together. It should be a place for us to come and feel support form others, a place where we can share our feelings, our struggles, our problems, and even our failures.Why, because we are more than just a social club, we are a family.
We are a body of believers in Christ -- God in His Word gives us some guidelines to help keep us afloat as we flounder in a sea of put-downs, let downs, disappointments, hurts etc...Heb. 10:24-25 teaches us to encourage.
When we are wounded is when we need each other the most. Let us not give up on meeting together so that we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds.Let us not give up on each other like so many are doing today.
We fail or our friend fails and we bail out of our relationships.We know that God wants us to encourage one another, so why is it so hard for us to reach out to others?
One main reason could be that we live in a society that forces us into isolation.
Making us avoid involvement with others.
BANKS - have automatic tellers
STORES- have voice-activated computer-machines that do the talking to the customer for the check out person. No need to communicate all done electronically.
DRIVE THROUGHS - some drive throughs allow you to just punch buttons on the menu and your order is ready by the time you drive around.
(At least at the old Jack-N-the boxes you had a face that looked almost like a person.)
CARS: we have cars that will talk to you and some cars that you have to talk to in order to get them to start
GUNS: government is trying to get a law passed to where you would have to speak to your firearm, and the voice activation would release the lock mechanism before you could fire the firearm. Great, your being attacked and your firearm can not recognize your screaming voice of terror and your attacker doesn't have a voice activated mechanism on his / her firearm. Now that makes governmental sense !!!!!
COMPUTERS: voice activated
PAGERS: faceless conversation
EMAIL: faceless conversation
GAS PUMPS: you do not even have to talk to a gas attendant, just swipe your card, pump and go.Slowly isolating our selves from everyone.
TV now isolates the family from conversations
This world is slowly gearing us to become so isolated from each other that we will soon believe that we are beyond the need to interact with others.
But we are not fooling anybody. We all know down deep that GOD CREATED US AS SOCIAL BEINGS.
We all have a built in desire to be involved with others.
So with the world on one side telling us to isolate ourselves, and with God on the other side telling us to get involved with others, we sometimes are confused as to what we should do in this tug - of - war.I honestly believe that most Christians sincerely want to please God. I feel that they honestly want to reach out and help others with encouragement.
THEY JUST DO NOT KNOW HOW.
I want to give you three different ways in which you can encourage those around you.
#1. There is the VERBAL ENCOURAGEMENT.
Words can be very powerful.
Everyone has a nickname that haunts them, and they feel a pain every time they hear that nickname mentioned.If words can be powerful enough to hurt our feelings, they can also be powerful enough to HEAL our feelings, To uplift us, To even bring us pleasure.
Illustration: (GUYS) How many of you guys love it when a girl come up to you and says,
"Hey your looking good today, have you been working out?"
On the outside your downplaying the remark but on the inside WOW.
Illustration: (GIRLS) How many of you girls get excited when a guy comes up to you and says, WOW , you look foxy, or when a guys whistle at you.
Outside your downplay it, but inside your doing cartwheels.
I am not saying you have to use words like "your looking good" or what a fox, to encourage someone, however, it is important that you express SOMETHING POSITIVE
about the person when you speak to them.
If you have trouble VERBALLY expressing yourself -- then write that person a short note.
Some church groups have little postcards provided our their meetings in which people can write a short positive note of encouragement to someone in their church.#2. Another method to encourage someone is through MATERIAL ENCOURAGEMENT.
Sometimes words just don't do enough. (James 2:15 KJV) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, (16 ) And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Illustration: Say your house burns down, you don't need someone to just pray for you, you need clothes, food, shelter, compassion, help.
Bible teaches to not do something is of no value to the Kingdom of God.
There are times when words are not enough.
Sending someone a small gift to brighten up their spirit can be just the encouragement they need.
Illustration, no pay checks, food very low, and one of our members came by with groceries to show how much they cared. WOW
Hard to eat, We will pray for you preacher.
but Groceries showed us they really cared whether or not we were hungry or full.POINT: You do not have to spend big bucks here, you can give cookies, candy bar, a poster, a phone call, you can share your desert. Etc....
Anything to bring encouragement to THEIR lives.
#3. Third way to bring encouragement to someone is to give them
EMOTIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT.Sometimes words will mean NOTHING.
Even a small GIFT won't satisfy the need for encouragement.
When someone is HURTING, deeply depressed, wounded,
Just being there with them can mean the world to them.
This is what I call real Christian giving of encouragement.
Your time can be the best encouragement you could give.
Best way to encourage your children is spend TIME with them
Best way to encourage your mate is spend TIME with them
Best way to encourage your church family is spend TIME with them etc.Sometimes an encouraging HUG can be an emotional encouragement.
A simple phone call, can be an emotional encouragement.
POINT:
Sometimes showing someone that you are interested in what they have to say can be an emotional encouragement.
Illustration: The next time your sitting in the church, at school, a lecture etc.. keep eye contact with the speaker.
While he or she is speaking act like your are interested in what they have to say,
Nod your head with their points of interests, you will light a fire of encouragement under them.It is so much fun to watch people your algebra teacher get excited and fired up about improper fractions just because they think their cooking up there, and all you did is nod your head in agreement as they spoke.
Learn to say AMEN out loud when your preacher speaks or the singers sing songs that you can agree too.
In fact you will probably have to call the paramedics when your teacher or preachers has a heart attack from all the excitement.Applaud the music program and you will cause an explosion of talent to erupt on this platform like you have never seen before.
Audiences can play the role of an "EMOTIONAL ENCOURAGER" to a speaker.
so let's all determine to be an emotional encourager to everyone we meet.
Emotional encouragement can take on the form of a back slap, a smile, a hug, or even a thumbs up sign.
When you are just having one of those days to have a friend who can encourage you is like water to a dying man in the desert.
Many today here, are hurting privately - lonely, problem is you might not even know who they are.
Illustration about clown:
Man goes into doctors office so depressed. Man tells the doc that if he can not make him feel better that he is going to go out and kill himself. Doc tries everything -- nothing works, so he says, I know, there is a clown at the circus that is in town. He is so funny, he makes everyone laugh to tears. If I can just get you to that clown, I know I can show you that life is worth the living. Man stands up as he starts to leave and say. Doc, " I am, that clown"
We can all be smiling on the outside and crying on the inside.
That is why it is so important to reach out with encouragement to those that are part of our church, even our own family members.Even a smile with a handshake can make a difference.
Saying something nice as you pass people byReach out, you may be the only encouragement that person ever receives.
Christ is our example, He reached out to you, now He asks that you reach out to others.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
QUESTION IS -- WILL YOU.