The Ministry of Encouragement Part 7
ByThis Preaching in Shorts sermon series is about the Ministry of Encouragement.
You can listen to this message by clicking hereor you can watch it below:
The Ministry of Encouragement Part 7 from Preaching In Shorts on Vimeo.
By now you should have memorized this:
Hebrews 10:19-24 (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.
For this week:
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
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.
We are continuing in our discussion on what we are calling the encouragers TRUTH:
T – Thinking
R – Recognizing
U – Understanding
T – Talking
H – Helping
We have discussed the importance of right thinking and getting our perspective from the throne of God. Last week we talked about learning to see with God’s eyes. This week we are talking about the U in our TRUTH acronym which is about Understanding. Understanding begins with the ears.
The main reason most people are bad listeners?
Selfishness
1. Jesus modeled good listening
Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
The crowd responds the way most of us do because we don’t often see the way that God does and hear what we need to hear. The crowd, while hearing the man at one level, don’t take it in. Instead they just tell him to knock it off and be quiet. Jesus hears Bartimaeus and calls him forward. I get a kick out of the reaction of the crowd. They go from telling Bartimaeus to “shut up” to telling him to “cheer up”.
2. Jesus encouraged His disciples to become good listeners
Matthew 13:8-13 (NIV)
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Jesus wants His followers to hear and understand. To listen with depth and feeling. To take it to a deeper level, just like we need to do with our eyes. How good are you at listening? I think we have a listening epidemic in our culture. People are desperate for someone to listen to them. To hear them and understand them. To somehow validate what they are feeling and experiencing in life. Learning to listen well will make you an extremely encouraging person.
3. How to listen well
How do we learn to listen well? Fortunately, James gives us some simple and yet powerfukl advice.
James 1:19 (NIV)
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
a. Quick to listen
James 1:19 (NIV)
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,
We won’t become good listeners unless we decide to be. You have to choose to be other centered to listen and understand. You have to choose to listen in an involved way. Demonstrating that you are interested and paying attention. Do not let your mind wander. Do not look at your watch. Keep eye contact.
b. Slow to speak
James 1:19 (NIV)
slow to speak
Do not stop listening after the person has spoken a few words because you have figured out what you are going to say and are just waiting for your chance to speak. Listening well is not usually about fixing the problem, it is about letting the other person speak and be heard.
c. Slow to become angry
James 1:19 (NIV)
slow to become angry,
If you get frustrated while you are listening it is very possible that you are being selfish. Other possibilities are that you are distracted and it is just not a reasonable time. You might need to say, I really want to hear what you have to say, but right now I am distracted with something else. Can we do this later? And then follow through and do it. Another reason might be that you are being held hostage. In this case, making every effort to escape is reasonable.
4. Learn to listen with your heart
We all need to take listening to a deeper level. Listen to people the way that you want to be listened to.
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.
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