The Ministryof

Encouragement

1 Thessalonians

Adapted from a Sherm Nichols serieshttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=162318

There’s a lot of discouragement out there.A lot of people are just looking for some

encouragement. We’re going to be looking for it and

learning all about it in Paul’s 1st letter to the Church in Thessalonica.

It’s a letter about this ministry of refreshing we call encouragement.

How that word is used gives us some different angles on encouragement:

Sometimes encouragement is an arm around you to hold you up:

A farmer saw his friend’s tractor bogged down in the mud.

He walked out to talk to him."I’ll go get my tractor and see if I can’t get

yours pulled out.”“But what if you get stuck too?”

“Then I’ll come sit in the mud with you.”

2 Corinthians 1:3 ESV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which

we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are

afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings

that we suffer.

Sometimes it’s a kickin the seat of the pants:

“A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is

miles ahead in results.”(Ella Wheeler Wilcox )

Philippians 4:2 ESV I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

People go to college for a variety of reasons, but Bob Kuechenberg, formerly of

the Miami Dolphins, may have given the best reason yet in an interview with

Newsweek:

"My father and uncle were human cannonballs in carnivals.

My father told me, ‘Go to college or be a cannonball.’

Then one day my uncle came out of the cannon, missed the net and hit the Ferris

wheel.I decided to go to college.“

(I doubt they would ever find a man of his caliber anywhere else!)

From time to time, we just need some good “2X4-to-the-nose” kind of encouragement

to do right.

Sometimes it’steaching and reminding:

John 14:26 ESV But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my

name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to

you.

A letter from the Apostles & Elders in Jerusalem was sent to Antioch regarding

some who were trying to impose circumcision on gentile believers.

Acts 15:31 ESV And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

If you read that letter, it is basically instructions. But that’s how encouragement

works!People who get up and share the word of God

are simply cheerleading you to right living.

Sometimes it’s a breath of fresh airor a pat on the back:

Mary was having a tough day. She stretched herself out on the couch to do a

bit of what she thought to be well deserved complaining and self pitying. She moaned to her mom and brother, who was playing

Nintendo, "Nobody loves me the whole world hates me!" Her brother said, "That's

not true, Mary. Some people don't even know you.”

Philemon 1:7 ESV For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been

refreshed through you.

Encouragement is all a part of the big picture when you’re in this family called the

Church and when you’re in a part of that family called Lindley Christian Church.

We need to learn this ministry of refreshing each other!

The church in Thessalonica did.

I notice, they weren’t doing anything notably wrong.

But Paul took some pains to teach them about the ministry of encouragement in

this letter we call 1 Thessalonians.

The basic purpose of this letter is probably found in a few words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV Therefore encourage one another and build one

another up, just as you are doing. That’s what they were doing.

That’s what Paul was doing by writing to them.

That’s what they were supposed to keep doing. That’s what I’m going to suggest we

ought to be doing too!

There are lots of people who need encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 1:2 ESV We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly

mentioning you in our prayers,

Why?Because Paul was encouraged by them.

1 Thessalonians 1:7 ESV so that you became an example to all the believers in

Macedonia and in Achaia.

The believers around them in the other churches were encouraged by their

faithfulness.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about

those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

People who had lost loved ones needed

encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,

encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Weaker people, who were faltering, needed

encouragement.

This whole series through1 Thessalonians is going to help us learn how to do that . This sermon is going to

establish why we need it in the first place. Some of you might be thinking – “What? What’s the problem? What’s with these

people? I don’t need encouragement! Why can’t they just pull their own weight like

me, huh?”

OK. If you don’t need encouragement, fine. Let’s talk about those other people this morning. Let’s talk about those other

people and why you need to give encouragement to them.

I see 4 reasons:

Because of Opposition

1 Thessalonians 2:2 ESV But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had

boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much

conflict.

1 Thessalonians 2:14 ESV For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches

of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your

own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind

1 Thessalonians 3:2 ESV and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in

the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be

moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for

this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to

pass, and just as you know.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 ESV for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction

we have been comforted about you through your faith.

Opposition to the Gospel was part of the

deal.

But I notice, in all of the opposition that apparently was going on, Paul didn’t say,

“I’m praying for you to be delivered from it; sending a specialist hit squad to take out

the enemy; hoping you will get even; arranging for you to move away from

there.”

He said, “Hang in there! Let me encourage you.”

The way he dealt with it was to encourage them.

What does a church need when it’s facing opposition?

Encouragement! What does a brother or sister in Christ

need when facing times that are difficult?Encouragement!

You may not be able to get into someone’s world and fix everything, but you can step

alongside them and encourage them.

There are Christians facing opposition today as well.

• There are church leaders who have to face opposition from church members.• The Church in the US faces the opposition of a liberal media and political correctness.• Our kids, in school, face the opposition of skeptical friends.• Even within the Church there’s the opposition of liberal branches and denominations that oppose sound teaching and the authority of God’s word.

So what does a downtrodden church leader, a disillusioned church member, a new Christian who doesn’t understand

need?

Revenge?

Run away?

No, they need the ministry of encouragement!

“A man who is continually criticized becomes good for nothing, the effect of criticism knocks all the gumption and

power out of him.” Let me add, the effect of good encouragement will reverse that.

(Oswald Chambers )

Because We Forget Much of 1 Thessalonians is reminders of

past victories and strengths. There’s something encouraging in that. Paul wants to remind them, so they won’t forget and

become discouraged.

• What you’ve done right (chap1)• What others have done right (chap2)• What you’ve been taught (chap3)• That God has everything under control (chap4)• That God will return (chap5)

Encouragement means reminding people of reasons to feel encouraged.

Encouraging people to faithfulness means reminding them of the reasons to be

faithful.We need encouragement because we

forget!It’s easy to forget the full half of the glass

when you’re overwhelmed by looking at the part that’s half empty.

We go to a funeral or a memorial service.And what do we do there?

We remember. We talk about memories of what that person did. We look at pictures.

We remind each other of their life. We open up the Bible to certain passages, and we

remind each other of what God has promised. We use the occasion to

remember so that we’ll be encouraged.

With a list of negative memories to review from the past, it’s too easy to forget the

good things that God has done, the people who have accepted Jesus, the lives that

have been helped, the kids who have learned about their creator, the parents

who have committed themselves to rearing them correctly, the missionaries who have been sent, the number of people who have

involved themselves in service.

Sometimes we just need to remind people of things like that. We need encouragement

because we forget.

Better write that down!!!

Because Our Faithfulness isFed by Each Other

1 Thessalonians 1:2 ESV We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly

mentioning you in our prayers,

1 Thessalonians 2:19 ESV For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20

For you are our glory and joy.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 ESV for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction

we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you

are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you,

for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,

Paul’s zeal, joy, hope, steadfastness didn’t depend on them, but it was very much

enhanced by them.And their strength was partly due to the

faithfulness of Paul.And their strengths were an

encouragement to other Christians

Our faithfulness is fed by each other. We owe it to each other to encourage each

other. I need that. You need that. Children need that. Spouses need that.

Try praising your wife even if it does frighten her at first. (Billy Sunday)

We need encouragement because our faithfulness is fed by each other.

Because God Has Given Usthe Challenge of Being a Distinct

PeopleLook with me and see how the

Thessalonians were called to be standouts for the Lord:

• 1:9-10 – they’d become standouts in their city• 2:13 - they accepted God’s Word as God’s Word (a rarity today!)• 4:3ff - They were to be different by being pure

• 4:13 - they were to have a hope that was not like the rest of people• 5:3ff - they were to live like people of the light, expecting the Lord’s return

They were regular people, but there were qualities about them that made them

different than the people around them.

But you know what?It’s tough to be different, isn’t it?

It was hard for the Thessalonians, be sure.For many 1st century Christians, taking up the distinctively different Christian life was

a ticket to being killed.I wonder: how many would do that today?

I guess the answer to that might be the same as the number of Chinese Christians who 12 hours ago were meeting in secret at

the risk of persecution.

The Church of today, where you and I live, faces another challenge: Christianity is

being blended in so it doesn’t stand out.Standing out in a Muslim or Hindu or

Communist country, isn’t tough to do. Get caught serving Jesus in Uzbekistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and you’ll stand out – you’ll be the one being beaten, raped, cast out,

imprisoned, or shot.

In the good old USA, it’s harder to stand out because we’ve made such great strides

at blending in.You can put a little Jesus fish on your car,

you can wear a T-shirt, listen to certain music, but following Jesus is blended into a kind of soft-sell Christianity that looks an

awful lot just like the society around us.

There are ways to stand out…but surely God doesn’t want us to be Amish -- does

He?!

Some people, not most, thrive on being different.

You’ve been in crowds where there’s a guy who’s just obnoxious enough, just brash enough, that he’ll do anything to be the

center of attention, even though it’s negative attention.

Look at how some people dress, or how loud they play their music, or the way they

stand out on purpose.

Sure, there are a few people who just thrive on being stand-outs.

But that’s not most people, and still God gives us the command to be standouts.

Well, if it’s not the way we’re to dress or the music we listen to or how obnoxious we are in public, how are we to be distinct in

our world?

We are supposed to be different -- Jesus compared His followers to a city set on a hill, He said they are to be the salt of the

earth, the light of the world.

Here’s a crazy idea about how to be different:

Philippians 2:14 ESV Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast

to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in

vain or labor in vain.Being distinct from the world while

remaining a part of it can be hard to do! So what do we need? Encouragement!

Conclusion

A teacher assigned to visit children in a large hospital received a routine call

requesting that she visit a certain child. She took the boy's name and room number

and was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now. I'd be grateful if you could help him with his homework so

he doesn't fall behind the others."

It wasn't until the visiting teacher got outside the boy's room that she realized it was located in the hospital's burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned and in great pain. She felt that she couldn't just turn and walk out, so

she awkwardly stammered, "I'm the hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me

to help you with nouns and adverbs."

The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?"

Before she could apologize, the nurse interrupted her: "You don't understand. We've been very worried about him, but ever since you were here yesterday, his

whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment. It's as

though he's decided to live."

Some time later, the boy explained that he’d completely given up hope until he saw that teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With tears of joy he

said it this way: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with

a dying boy, would they?"

A preacher had the privilege to travel to India to preach for 2 weeks.

He preached in 26 different villages, with names I won’t try to pronounce.

(Jangalagunta, Gopala Krishna Puram) People of the poorest caste in India – many who were lucky to receive one meal a day, who owned only one set of clothes, and

whose futures were pretty hopeless looking.

One of the great truths He was able to share with the poor people in the villages of India is that Christian people made it

possible for him to take the good news to them – people who felt the poor villagers of

India were important in God’s sight and worth the effort. No one would make such an effort to take the gospel to them if there

were no hope for them, would they?

People wouldn’t make the effort to encourage a person who was a lost cause,

would they?No one would take the time to share a

message of hope and life with someone beyond hope, would they?

Every bit of effort that has gone into this time of worship is another way of saying

this word of encouragement to you today: There’s a God in heaven Who loves you

and desires the very best for you. Now that’s encouraging!