The Ministry of Encouragement Part 12

This Preaching in Shorts sermon series is about the Ministry of Encouragement.

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

Tags: encourage, encouragement, encourageomics, Jesus, Jesus moment, ministry of encouragement, Preaching in Shorts

Category: Preaching in Shorts