The Ministry of Encouragement Part 6

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

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So far you should have memorized:

Hebrews 10:19-23 (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.

For next week you need to learn:

Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

We are talking about the encouragers TRUTH

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

Last week we talked about thinking. That though we live in the world we are not supposed to react to things the way the world does because our hope is in God and we have not been given a spirit of fear but love, power and a sound mind. We talked about getting our perspective from the throne room of God and not from the culture. Today we are going to talk about recognizing, about using our eyes to really see. One of the problems that will keep us form the Ministry of Encouragement is

1.) Spiritual Blindness

Until we come to know Jesus we have a natural tendency to look at things in a very selfish way.

John 9:1-7 (NIV)
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

But when we meet Jesus, the light of the world, we are to see things in a new light. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are to be baptized, and that baptism is a type of being washed in the Pool of Siloam, and being able to see in a new way.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

We are to no longer look at things from our own selfish perspective, but we are to look at everything as illuminated by the light of the world.

2.) What is that speck?

Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We have been impacted and influenced by our culture to be constantly looking for the bad in things. We are quick to find faults and flaws in people and things. This has caused us to become very judgmental. We almost always make decisions about people based on physical appearance and first impressions. Have you ever wondered how many people that might have truly blessed your life or imparted some amazing insight to you that you have missed because you simply dismissed them as not possibly having anything to offer?

3.) Seeing with God’s eyes

We need to be different than the culture. We need to always be looking for the good in people and situations. We need to look beneath the surface, not stopping with superficial judgments, and consider the whole person. Why is someone angry or grumpy or hard to be around? Often times the issue is something deep within them and they use the grumpy and angry tactics as a way of trying protect themselves from being hurt. I am not suggesting that you let mean grumpy people walk over you, I am saying that instead of just writing them off, perhaps the best course is to begin to pray for them and look for ways to encourage them.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

When we begin to see with God’s eyes, we should be able to recognize the need people have to be encouraged. Paul gave us some insight into what the attitude of an encourage would look like:

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV)
15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Related posts:

1. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 4
2. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 7
3. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 9
4. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 10
5. The Ministry of Encouragement Part 12

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

Category: Preaching in Shorts