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Luke 13:1-35 (NIV)
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” 6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” 10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. 18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.” 20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” 31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day–for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

At the end of Luke chapter 12, Jesus is telling the crowds that they need to make a choice about who Jesus is. This thread continues as we start Luke Chapter 13.

Luke 13:1-5

Rather than choose Jesus, the people are bringing up all sorts of little distracting points. What about this and what about that (people dying in some sort of disaster, did it happen because they deserved it, is God good, why do bad things happen to good people, how can you follow a God who allows things like that to happen?) These are the same questions that people still raise today instead of choosing to follow Jesus. And yet, time is ultimately running out. That is the point of the parable of the fig tree.

Luke 13:6-9

In this parable, the fig tree represents Israel. Israel has been planted and tended and yet has produced no fruit. If it doesn’t begin to produce fruit it will be rooted out. Luke then goes on to address what people often do rather than choose to follow Jesus. They try and find some ground along the edges. To look one way but live another. It is almost like a game that people play. It is called hypocrisy and yet is a trap that we can all fall into at times. Both of the following illustrations also tie back to producing fruit. There will be fruit when you choose to follow Jesus.

Luke 13:10-21

The first of these games could be called formalism. Looking right on the outside but being way off the mark on the inside. Jesus illustrated this with a woman who has been oppressed for eighteen years and is physically impacted to the point where she is bent almost in half and can’t straighten up. Jesus heals her and the ruler of the synagogue is not overjoyed, he is actually annoyed, because Jesus did not follow the “proper form”. The ruler of the synagogue actually says this: “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” Jesus labels this action as one of hypocrisy. You would untie your ox on the Sabbath but not pray for someone to be healed? Formalism is an empty way of life, and yet is a trap that is easy for the church to fall into. Formalism and fruit producing are two separate things. If our form is perfect and yet we don’t produce fruit, we miss the boat.

Luke 13:22-35

Jesus then talks about people who want to appear that they follow Jesus, without actually making a commitment. “We ate with you and drank with you, let us in” and yet the reply from Jesus is “Sorry, I don’t know you.” It is not about going to church, it is all about being the church. Huge difference!

Related posts:

1. Luke Chapter 6
2. Luke Chapter 9
3. Luke Chapter 7

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Take Your Stand Introduction

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

I believe that one of the evil one’s biggest schemes right now is this:

1.) Anti-encouragement

As we talked about in our last series, not only are we living in a discouraged grumpy world, we live in one that has become anti-encouragement. No good news allowed. For example:

What wasn’t a headline…

The new microbe was found to be breaking down oil about twice as fast as expected.

Researchers discovered the new oil-eating microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of millions of gallons which escaped after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in April.

It thrives in cold water in the deep sea where temperatures are around 5C (41F) and scientists said it may have adapted over time, through a process of natural selection, due to periodic leaks and natural seeps of oil in the Gulf.

When the bacteria were found to have acted on oil they consumed half of it in 1.2 to 6.1 days, giving an average of about three days.

Around 95 per cent of the bacteria in the oil plume were the new type, while outside only five per cent were.

Hazen said:”What we know about the degradation rates fits with what we are seeing in the last three weeks. We’ve gone out to the sites, and we don’t find any oil, but we do find the bacteria.”

The team also found that the new microbe acts without significantly depleting oxygen in the water.

There have been concerns that oil-eating activity by microbes would consume large amounts of oxygen in the water and create “dead zones” which would destroy ecosystems and fisheries.

But the study found that, while oxygen saturation outside the oil plume was 67 per cent, within the plume it was still 59 per cent. A previous study published last week suggested no decrease in oxygen.

Does anybody else get that? In response to an oil spill, a new microbe appears out of nowhere that eats oil plumes in a day and a half and doesn’t destroy the oxygen levels in the water. Wow, what a coincidence. The scientist call it some sort of natural selection. What????? Natural selection!!! How about supernatural selection!!!

What was in the news…bad economy…double dip recession…be afraid, be very afraid…back in a minute after these commercials…

What wasn’t a headline….

The Library of Congress’ Depression color collection shatters some of the myths about life during the great depression. With images of urban life in the late 1930s, they depict a Depression-era world in which the downfall doesn’t necessarily mean destitution; rather, it may mean wearing a coat that is growing shabby with age or reading the latest headlines off a newspaper publisher’s window in order to save the price of a paper. Or, for children photographed outside a tenement, it may mean living in a run-down home, but finding a new set of clothes under the Christmas tree.

Gone are the bleak landscapes and hopeless-looking sharecroppers that populate so many of the rural images from the 1930’s. Rather, these photos depict tired-but-satisfied homesteaders and freshly-scrubbed children performing in a school pageant. For recreation, there are square dances and state fairs, with attractions that look startlingly familiar. In short, it is a world that is more frugal than today’s America, but not necessarily less joyful.

After I read the oil microbe story I was standing in my living room and I just started to worship I God. I was singing How Great is Our God…

And then I said, “I don’t think enough people are saying this, but Thank You”.

And I felt like the Lord impressed on me this simple thought, “The oil microbe is nothing compared to what I did at the cross”.

Time to take your stand.

2.) What does it mean to take a stand?

Sometimes people think of taking a stand as making a declaration, or forming a resolution, or choosing a side. And while at some levels it is all those things it is really much more. Taking your stand in the Kingdom of God is a way of life (of being and doing) that allows a person to impact the world.

In this new series, we are going to develop the idea of taking a stand. Of utilizing our spiritual weapons of being thankful for five things and encouraging two people every day so that we can take our stand.

We will be using Ephesians 6:12-18 as the foundational verses for this series and I would like for you to memorize them, one verse each week, so for next week you should know Ephesians 6:12. Let’s look at the whole passage:

Ephesians 6:12-18 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We will be breaking it down this way:

a.) Standing up to evil

Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

b.) Standing alongside the broken

Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

c.) Standing against fear

Ephesians 6:15-16 (NIV)
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

d.) Standing with Jesus

Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

e.) Standing in Love

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

3.) Will you take your stand?

Use the Encourager’s Plan!

Get focused – Hebrews 10:19-25
thankful5 – Be thankful for five things
Take Your Stand – Ephesians 6:12-18
encourage2 – Encourage two people
Connect – visit www.encourage2.com often

Related posts:

1. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 12
2. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 13
3. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 6

Related posts:

1. Beach, BBQ, Baptisms at Bahia Honda
2. A Great Weekend
3. Easter Baptism Video

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Luke 12:1-59 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8 “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. 49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? 57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

In the next few chapters of the book of Luke we will be reading some of the most well known Jesus stories. Many of these stories involve money. Why? Using how we deal with and feel about money allows for great illustrations between the tension we live in between the physical and spiritual worlds. Jesus advice is to always give priority to the spiritual, rather than the physical as you will see in the various stories.

The stories also demonstrate another situation that is very prevalent, people trying to appear spiritual while being consumed by the physical, or in a word, hypocrisy. As a disciple, we need to choose to commit ourselves to the spiritual, not the physical, and live accordingly, not just pretend to live accordingly.

Luke 12:1-12

If our focus is on the physical, we are afraid (or stand in awe of) the “powers that kill the physical body”. But our focus needs to be that we stand in awe of God, who has both the power to give life and take it away. This might seem to be a cause for us to fear, and yet as we read we are reminded of the concern of God over the sparrow and that we are more valuable than the sparrow. God’s power is used for us not against us, but we need to be more concerned over the spiritual than the physical.

As His disciples, when we choose Jesus, He acknowledges us in the presence of the angels. How cool is that?

Luke 12:13-21

The parable of the rich fool. It is easy for us to get wrapped up in what is happening around us in the physical world and begin to think that it is the most important thing. This kind of thinking leads us to believe that life is all about what we possess. It is a deadly spiritual trap. Life consists of far more than luxury and plenty. The reality is that life is not defined by what you have. Real life is ultimately defined by your relationship with Jesus and what you choose to do in response to that relationship.

Luke 12:22-34

After Jesus teaches His disciples that life is more than possessions, He goes on to talk about how God will take care of the disciples necessities. We can trust God, who is in control of all things, and we do not need to live in a state of anxiety. The level of our trust in God will be reflected in how we use our material resources. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!

Luke 12:35-48

Jesus then reminds His disciple to be alert. We need to live in the tension that Jesus is coming back soon, and yet we don’t know how quick soon is. It is easy in the delay to settle down and get complacent (start whipping up on the menservants and maidservants), and yet this is not how we are to live as disciples.

Luke 12:51-59

I get a kick out of this last illustration. It is an admonition to the crowd that they need to choose Jesus. That time is running out for them. The signs of the end were apparent, the earth is on its way to court to be judged, and that now is the time to settle out of court before the sentence is passed.

Related posts:

1. Luke Chapter 9
2. Luke Chapter 11
3. Luke Chapter 8

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As we wrap up this initial series on the Ministry of Encouragement I want to talk about another encourager named Nehemiah. God used Nehemiah to encourage the nation and people of Israel who were in an extremely discouraged place. How he did it will help up get practical with our Ministry of Encouragement.

1.) It starts with a call

Nehemiah 1:1-4 (NIV)
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

I believe that God has called us into this Ministry of Encouragement. We have laid out the foundation for it and the reasons why over the last twelve weeks. My hope is that you are ready now to fully respond to the call of God on your lives to the Ministry of Encouragement.

2.) It takes selflessness

Nehemiah 2:1-5 (NIV)
1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

While I believe whole heartedly that engaging in the Ministry of Encouragement will be a tremendous blessing for everyone that gets involved, our motivation for doing it will have ultimately be one of selflessness. It will be about laying down life to find it. Not our will, but His will, not my way but His way.

3.) You make a plan

Nehemiah 2:11-16 (NIV)
11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Nehemiah went and surveyed the situation and then he came up with a plan. Many opportunities to be distracted were presented to Nehemiah, but he stuck to the plan and the walls were rebuilt!

4.) The Encourager’s Plan

a) Get Focused – Hebrews 10:19-25

Either read or recite the foundational verses to help get you focused on what it is all about.

b) Thankful for five things (thankful5)

Once you are focused, think about five things you are thankful for.

c) Take a Stand – Ephesians 6:12-18

Either read or recite the verses that will prepare you spiritually to do the ministry. We will be digging into this in our next series called “Take a Stand”

d) Encourage two people (encourage2)

Do it!

e) Connect (www.encourage2.com)

Talk about it! Read about it! Listen! Share what you are thankful about, or talk about how you were encouraged, or how you were able to encourage someone else.

Do you remember this quiz from week 1?
How Prepared are You for the Ministry of Encouragement?
1. Do I speak more words of encouragement than I do of criticism, complaint or correction? Y / N
Be honest with yourself. What is the ratio?
2. Are people more cheerful when they are around me?
Y / N
Do people like to be around you or do you actually draw all the air out of the room?
3. Would my family consider me to be an encouraging person? Y / N
This is where you would go to see if your answer to number one is correct.
4. Do I apologize to people after I have been negative or discouraging or complaining? Y / N
When you realize you have fallen into the grumpy trap, do you go and make it right?
5. Have I been diligent in encouraging people I am regularly in contact with? Y / N
People at work, people in church, Winn Dixie cashiers.
6. Do I pass along good news and let gossip stop with me? Y / N
Or do you do the opposite? Good News stops with you, but gossip flows like a river.
7. Is my conversation with friends generally building up other people? Y / N
Are you bonding illegitimately by judging other people with other people?
8. Have I recognized how encouraging God is to others as well as to me? Y / N
Or am I in the trap of the grumpy 24 hour a day bad news cycle?
9. Does my impatience/anger/selfishness get in the way of encouraging other people? Y / N
Is it all about me and what I want?
10. Am I patient in spending time with and listening to God so He can encourage my heart? Y / N

Let’s go and encourage the world!

Related posts:

1. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 1
2. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 12
3. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 9

You can listen to the study by clicking hereor you can watch it below:

Luke 11:1-54 (NIV)
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’” 5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. 17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils. 23 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters. 24 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” 29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” 37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give what is inside [the dish] to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. 42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. 43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.” 45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” 46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them. 47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. 52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” 53 When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.

Luke 11:1-4

Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. The Lord’s prayer is a great reminder that the life of a disciple is not about performance, but about dependence (most people are more familiar with the Matthew 6:9-13 version of the prayer). It teaches us to see God as our Papa, not as our employer. It is not about what we can do for God, it is about what God can do in and through us.

Luke 11:5-13

These verses give us two practical applications of the Lord’s prayer.

1) Persistence Ask, Seek, Knock

2) Our heavenly Daddy

God loves us and wants the best for us. Is your picture of God one of a loving daddy that you can run to and cry abba or is it one of a stern taskmaster who only loves you when you perform well?

Prayer, not performance is at the heart of the life of the disciple of Jesus.

Luke 11:14-26

Jesus demonstrates again His power over the evil one. Light has come into the darkness, the darkness has been revealed, and yet some people still can’t seem to make up their minds about who Jesus is. The time for indecision was over, people had to choose. Jesus says in verse 23:

Luke 11:23 (NIV)
23 “He who is not with me is against me,

Luke 11:27-32

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Hearing and doing! As we trust in and depend on God, our response is to live for Him. Not to perform for Him to earn approval. But because we are already approved we desire to do His will. Our doing is a response, not an action to earn approval.

Luke 11:33-36

We have to see the world around as illuminated by the light of the world Jesus. As his disciples we need to always try and see people and situations the way that He does. We need to look past the surface to what is underneath. We always need to be looking for the beauty of peoples potential.

Luke 11:37-54

We need to be aware of how quickly we become Pharisees. What is really important in the life of a disciple. Religious rituals like washing before a meal or being in relationship with God.

Luke 11:42 (NIV)
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

When we become consumed by rules and rituals we get in the way of people coming to God.

Luke 11:52 (NIV)
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

Related posts:

1. Luke Chapter 13
2. Luke Chapter 8
3. Luke Chapter 1

You can listen to this message by clicking hereor you can watch it below:

Two weeks ago we talked about Barnabas and how he was able to have a significant impact on the early church in the Ministry of Encouragement. Last week we saw how Jesus moved in the Ministry of Encouragement and we saw its amazing healing power to change lives. Today I want to look at how God encourages us to take on this Ministry of Encouragement to impact this grumpy world, to bring people to Jesus, and to change and transform lives.

1.) Encouragement for the battle

The battle is on! As we undertake this Ministry of Encouragement we need to be prepared for some push back from the evil one. You need to be very much aware of the fact that entering into this ministry of encouragement is a spiritual battle and we will discuss this more in point three. Before we do that however, I want us to look at how God encourages us for the battle.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (NIV)
1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

As we go into battle, we do not need to be afraid for God himself is with us. I think some people might have trouble with the whole warfare, battle illustration and yet it is something that we have throughout the Bible. The only thing more horrible than war is passiveness in the face of evil. Standing by while the enemy leads countless numbers of people to destruction is not an option for a follower of Jesus. The Ministry of Encouragement is a way for all of us to get engaged in the battle that is raging on around us.

Joshua 1:4-9 (NIV)
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates–all the Hittite country–to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

These verses are our encouragement from God, the Ultimate Encourager, to become His ministers of encouragement in a grumpy world. He is calling us and wants us to know that …

2.) We are a part of a spiritual special forces unit

The Old Testament pictures of battle carry into the New Testament. In the following verses, the Apostle Paul refers to the people He ministers with as fellow soldiers:

Philippians 2:25 (NIV)
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.

Philemon 1:2 (NIV)
2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

We are not only on the front lines, we are behind enemy lines, letting a discouraged world know that God loves them and is for them! This leads us to point number three…

3.) We are engaged in a spiritual battle

God has encouraged us to engage, as His special forces unit, this spiritual battle against the scheme of anti-encouragement by the evil one. He has been very successful with his anti-encouragement deployment. I think the anti prefix here is more descriptive than the dis prefix. The enemy has taken it beyond discouragement to anit-encouragement. Not only are we bombarded with bad news and its fearful spin, the world is actually being weaned off of good news altogether. For example, the current Gulf Oil Spill. By all accounts a terrible disaster that is devastating the lives of lots of people. Months of constant coverage with seemingly every possible fear based spin put on it. This week, what appears to be a successful top kill. Ten seconds of coverage. Why? Good News gets no coverage. If something happens to the fix, the coverage will come back in full force. The culture is being taught to fixate on the bad and the negative. So, the battle is on. We need to do our part. How do we do it?

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

You probably think I am a broken record, but two of the weapons we have been given are being thankful for five things and encouraging two people every day. You may not have thought of these things as weapons but this simple foundation has divine power to demolish strongholds, arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

Then, to keep us in special forces form, we need to know Ephesians 6:12-18:

Ephesians 6:12-18 (NIV)
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

So, along with the Hebrews 10:19-25 verses I suggest that you memorize Ephesians 6:12-18 as well.

And remember that you have been prepared for the Ministry of Encouragement by God:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts (encourages) us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort (encourage) those in any trouble with the comfort (encouragement) we ourselves have received from God.

Being thankful for five things every day will help you to focus on the encouragement we have received from God so that we can encourage two people each day who are in any trouble, and this is the heart of battle we are in!

Related posts:

1. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 13
2. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 4
3. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 2

You can listen to the study by clicking hereor you can watch it below:

Luke 10:1-42 (NIV)
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. 16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

There was a shift in Luke Chapter 9 where Jesus moves from primarily focusing on the crowds to focusing on His disciples. They had chosen to follow Him, and Jesus begins to teach them what life in the Kingdom of God, life as a disciple is all about. We have seen in Chapter 9 that His disciples would need to trust Him, walk in humility, and know that at times it would be difficult to live in a fallen world on a broken planet. They would also need to know that their lives had purpose and that they would need to be committed to Christ above all else. As Luke 10 begins we see another important character trait of a disciple, involvement.

Luke 10:1-20

The involvement necessary to be a disciple is demonstrated as Jesus sends His disciples out again, this time sending out seventy-two (or seventy depending on your translation). As disciples we are to care about what Jesus cares about, we are to go and do the things He was doing, and we are not only to share in His sufferings when people reject the Good News, but we are to share in His joy when people receive the Good News.

Luke 10:21-24

When we get it, when we begin to grasp that it is all about Jesus, we begin to really live.

Luke 10:23-24 (NIV)
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The rest of Luke 10 holds the accounts of two of the best known stories of the life of Jesus. The story of the Good Samaritan, and the conflict between Martha and Mary. These stories help to communicate how the life of a disciple is walked out in the midst of relationship. They give some practical applications of walking the talk and not just talking the talk.

Luke 10:25-37

The Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:27-28 (NIV)
27 He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Real life is found in loving God and others. But what does it look like? Not like following a bunch of rules, but by doing the next right thing. One thing to note. The story of the Good Samaritan is given in response to a question raised by a self-righteous Pharisee in an attempt to trap Jesus. We don’t inherit salvation by our works, salvation is a gift given and made possible by Jesus and through Jesus. No matter how hard we tried to always we get it right, to always do the next right thing, we will fail sometimes. We need Jesus.

Luke 10:38-42

In the previous story, we saw the self righteousness of a Pharisee, but can this attitude impact people who choose to follow Jesus. Yes, and it looks like Martha. In an attempt to self-promote, we often miss Jesus. Would you rather spend your time hanging out with Jesus or doing stuff for Jesus? Anytime you get a chance to hang out with Jesus, take it. You will then be able to hear what He wants you to do and then go and do that.

Related posts:

1. Luke Chapter 9
2. Luke Chapter 8
3. Luke Chapter 7

You can listen to this message by clicking hereor you can watch it below:

This is what you should have memorized:

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

T – Thinking
R – Recognizing
U – Understanding
T – Talking
H – Helping

As we wind this series down we are looking at some examples of the Ministry of Encouragement and its impact on people. We talked about Barnabas last week and we saw how the ministry of encouragement was used to bring a lot of people to the Lord. Today, I thought we would look at how the Lord operated in the ministry of encouragement and in particular look at the healing power of encouragement. The first thing that we have to consider today is that…

1.) We are all spiritually sick

Mark 2:16-17 (NIV)
16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?” 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

All of us are suffering from the sickness of sin. It is a fatal condition. It is only through the cross that we can be healed. Only through Jesus. None of us is good enough in our own strength, none of us can ever try hard enough or perform well enough to be “righteous” apart from Jesus. Why then, are we so often judgmental and critical of others and their sin. Why are we so quick to focus on the way people dress, talk or act? Why do we decide to focus on certain sins and let others slip off the radar? Why do we sometimes act like contact with these people is to be avoided, as though they might infect us? We are already infected, the only difference is that in Christ we have found the ultimate cure. Not that no longer impacted by the disease of sin and its symptoms, just that through Christ it is no longer ultimately fatal for us.

The church is supposed to be a place where diseased people can find the cure, not a place where people are judged because they are sick. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have biblical and moral standards, because the Church certainly does, it means that our focus needs to be helping sin-sick people meet the cure, not consumed with pointing out their disease.

2.) The healing power of encouragement

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Do you want people to judge you for your struggles? Do you want to be known by your failures? Do you want to be labeled by your mistakes and errors in judgment? Do you want your sin to be your namesake? Neither does anyone else and we need to consider how we relate to others.

Once we own that we are all impacted spiritually by sin (i.e. all of us are spiritually diseased) perhaps then it will be easier to put down our microscope of judgment and really start to see people the way that Jesus does, the way that we want to be seen.

During His physical ministry on earth, when Jesus looked at people, he was fully aware of the sin in their lives, and yet he chose not to make that the focus. Instead, He would look for and at the good in people, the potential people had, and He would focus on that.

You have probably heard the expression, “what you see is what you get”. Which is actually quite true, but it is significantly impacted by what you look for. Let’s look at three encounters that Jesus has with people and see the amazing healing power of encouragement in action.

a.) An adulterer

John 8:1-11 (NIV)
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

I think that when people read this story, there is a tendency to spend a lot of time thinking about what Jesus wrote, and almost everyone has their own pet theory about what He wrote in the sand. I believe there is something way more important than what He wrote, it is what He saw. The religious leaders and the crowds looked at and treated the woman caught in adultery with disgust and disdain. When they looked at her all they could see was her sin. Jesus looks at her and sees something beautiful. When you look at someone, is their sin all that you can see? Does the way that Jesus responds to her in any way say that the sin is not a big deal? No, He gives her the encouragement to change, to grow into the person that God has created her to be. To move past the label of adulterer to “child of God”. Unless you see past the sin in people’s lives to the beauty of their potential, you will never be able to encourage them to go and sin no more.

b.) A tax collector

Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew was a tax collector, and as such he was hated by the religious leaders and the people. Tax collectors were considered to be the scum of society, traitors to their nation and people that would sell themselves to the highest bidder. As such, they were ostracized by society and were not allowed in the synagogues. Matthew was not a likely candidate for the role of Apostle. And yet Jesus calls Him to follow and He does. Jesus sees the potential in Matthew, and encourages Him to change, and He does. Ultimately, Matthew would write a letter to his countrymen that would become a part of the best selling book of all time. A timeless defense of the good news of Jesus, the gospel of Matthew. In His gospel only, Matthew records something that Jesus says that demonstrates the healing power of encouragement that he found in Jesus.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

c.) A fisherman

Mark 1:16-17 (NIV)
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

I have always liked Peter. I think Peter is very representative of a lot of people. He is kind of rough on the outside and he makes a lot of mistakes and he says some things that would be better left unsaid. He might not seem like great Apostle material and yet Jesus sees something in Peter that invites Peter to follow Him. Peter would be the one who would answer Jesus when he asked, “Who do you say I am?”

Mark 8:29 (NIV)
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

But then, Peter would open his mouth again and get in trouble:

Mark 8:32-33 (NIV)
32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

Peter would later deny Jesus three times:

Matthew 26:69-75 (NIV)
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” 74 Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

But Jesus would make sure that Peter was restored and encouraged:

John 21:15-19 (NIV)
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Just as Jesus had done when He first met Peter, he invites Him to follow still, and Peter, restored and encouraged, on the day of Pentecost would stand up and deliver a message that would deeply touch the hearts of people listening, and three thousand of them came to Jesus that day and the early church was begun. Peter, the fisherman, had become a fisher of men, which is just what Jesus saw when He first met him.

The ministry of encouragement has the power to heal and transform the lives of people. See people the way that God does, and encourage their potential to grow as children of God.

Related posts:

1. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 4
2. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 2
3. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 9

You can listen to the study by clicking hereor you can watch it below:

Luke 9:1-62 (NIV)
1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey–no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him. 10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” 13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish–unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. 37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” 41 “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. 46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all–he is the greatest.” 49 “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” 50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.” 51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; 53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them, 56 and they went to another village. 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

In the last few chapters we have been talking about the fact that people have to choose to follow Jesus. In Chapter 9 there is a lot of activity recorded that continues to make the point.

Luke 9:1-9

Jesus sends out the disciples to preach the good news and to carry out the ministry. This is the pattern of Jesus. He demonstrated the ministry, trained His disciples, and sends them out to do it. This continues today. As the disciples carried out the ministry, even more people were impacted and the talk of Jesus spread. Even Herod heard what was going on and was concerned that John, whom he had beheaded had come back from the dead.

Luke 9:11-17

Jesus again provides a miraculous meal for a large group of people (once again fish sandwhiches). The people had heard his words, seen the miracles, and eaten the food He had provided. It was time to make a choice.

Luke 9:18-21

After all of this Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

They answered:

Luke 9:19 (NIV)
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

But they didn’t answer “Our God”. But what about you, Jesus asked His disciples. Peter answered for all of them:

Luke 9:20 (NIV)
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

This is the big question of life. Who do we say Jesus is? A good teacher. A great prophet. A philosopher. A religious leader. Only one answer makes a difference. Jesus is the Christ.

From this point on in the Gospel of Luke the focus will change. His message will now be primarily for those who have chosen to out their trust in and follow Him. His words are directed at His disciples, and they are about life in the Kingdom of God.

Luke 9:23-25

Whoever wants to save life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. The paradox of life. We want to experience life, but until we are ready to put down our way and accept His we will never find. We must take up our cross daily…we have to live trying to do the next right thing. We have to get our thinking right, because we tend to think and react in a selfish way rather than a Kingdom way.

Luke 9:37-43

Our trust must always be in God. Why can’t the disciples heal this boy? Do we ask from men what we should be asking from God? If we focus on the followers of Jesus rather than Jesus our faith can be weakened.

Luke 9:44-45

There is fall out from living in a fallen world on a broken planet. Even the followers of Jesus will experience suffering, just as Jesus would.

Luke 9:46-50

The disciples argues about who would be the greatest, but Jesus demonstrates that being a disciple was about caring for others, not being consumed with self.

Luke 9:51-56

Jesus was not welcomed into a Samaritan village on the way to Jerusalem. John and James get angry and they ask Jesus to destroy the town with fire from heaven. Jesus rebukes them and tells them that this is not the reason He came.

Luke 9:57-62

To be a disciple will require commitment. You can not just follow Jesus when it is convenient or comfortable. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, and not look back.

Related posts:

1. Luke Chapter 10
2. Luke Chapter 7
3. Luke Chapter 8