20071007 Preaching - Living the Life of an Encourager

"Living as an Encourager"

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:1-14

Opening Prayer

 Background to the 1 Thessalonians

Written by Paul in Corinth, around 51 AD, written to the church at Thessalonika. It is believed to be one of the earliest writings of Paul.

 

2 or 3 years after Paul (together with Silas and Timothy) established the Thessalonian church.

 

You see Paul had to escape from Thessalonika when the persecution started. He uses the phrase "torn away from you" (2:17) to express that he really didn't want to go.

In the weeks and months that followed Paul said he had "intensely longed" to be with that church at Thessalonika again, to encourage them in their faith, but was prevented from doing so.

 

Finally "when he could not stand it no longer" (3:1) he sent Timothy to them to encourage the church and to find out how they were doing.

 

Timothy comes back with great news that the church not only survives but is growing in their faith.

 

So Paul writes this letter full of joy. He says in 3:8:

"For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord!" [*** interpret ***]

 

His letter to them is encouraging, and is about encouragement.

 

The main points of his letter are:

1. Assure them of his love as their Apostle

2. Praise them for their Faith

3. Assure them of Christ's coming again

 

Since we are talking today about Living as an encourager, this whole letter is appropriate for our study.

 

What does Paul say about living as an encourager?

 

And how is that different from the secular expectation of an encourager?

 

And when you look at the mirror, do you see one? 

The passage we read (1 Thess 5:1-14) - a launching point

As I said, to really see what Paul meant by 'encouragement' and being an 'encourager', we really need to delve into the whole letter.

 

The passage we read (5:1-14) is useful as a launching point for the message today. The anchor for us are verses 11 and 14 where Paul's exhorting the church to encourage one another. It is the same exhorting that he gives us today: Encourage one another.

 

The verses 1-14 is useful as a launching point because it answers for us three basic questions regarding being an encourager in the christian context, namely:

 

1. Why is there a need for encouragement?

2. Who is the encourager?

3. When is encouragement required?

 

Let's look at them briefly prior to jumping straight into the question that is at the forefront of our minds today. That question is: How do we live the life of an encourager?

Why is there a need for encouragement?

I'm sure the church at T would have said there is a high need for encouragement because we are under persecution here, and we can hardly bear it.

 

And that's an acceptable reason to want encouragement.

 

But listen to this: the church at Thess and Jesus' church today are not needing encouragement because they have somehow been surprised with the trial and persecution. It is not as if they are trying to deal with something unexpected. They had been warned by Paul.

Paul says that 3:3-4 that indeed he had been telling them they were destined for trial. He said that while he was with them he kept telling them they would be persecuted.

 

The reason why there is need? Because Jesus Christ is coming soon.

The encouragement to them who may have felt like they were in the darkest
night is this: the dawn is coming, the day of the Lord is coming, Jesus
will be coming back soon.

Paul says don't be asleep like the others (5:6). These others refer to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. Who are content, resigned to their lives. Who are asleep because they are oblivious to the coming of the Lord's day when all actions will be judged.

Paul is encouraging them to be alert and self-controlled. 

Jesus also talks about this watchfulness (Luke 12:35) because no one knows when he will come back:

 35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like
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.

And when he comes, Jesus said in Revelations 22:12:

12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

Therefore Paul is encouraging them, reminding them, exhorting them to be alert and at their post so that they will not miss out on their reward.

In the same way we today need to be encouraged to be alert and self controlled.

We don't want to be like the foolish maidens in Jesus' Parable in Matthew 24 who assumed too much about when the bridegroom would come and therefore didn't have enough oil to last the wait.

We don't want to be like the foolish servant in Jesus' parable who thought nothing of hiding the talent his master gave him and who suffered for it.

So we need the encouragement because Jesus Christ is coming soon.

Who is the encourager?

 This is an easy one. Paul says in 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another..." That's it.

 

This is a call to all Christians / believers / all members of the body of Christ.

And the call is towards reciprocal encouragement. Towards Mutual exhortation.

 

There is no question that what is expected of the body of Christ (of which all Christians are members) is to relate to each other through mutual encouragement.

 

As the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:24-25 says:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let
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 at Punchbowl should not expect that the encourager's role is solely the Pastors' roles; or the Elders or Leaders roles; or individuals who are obviously gifted at it: Adrian, or Ate Dodie.

 

We know from Romans 12:8 that there are those who are specifically gifted by God to have a ministry of encouragement.

But passages such as 1 thess 5:11 and Hebrews 10:23-25 and many other verses tells us that this is not meant to be their exclusive ministry.

 

In the same way we here at Punchbowl are to 'spur one another' (to prod one another) toward love and good deeds.

When is encouragement required?

Paul highlights three instances when encouragement is required in 5:14:

14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Warn the idle - warn them that they should at their posts, serving in the ministry God has given them.
encourage the timid - give courage to the timid
help the weak - give strength to the weak

More importantly: How do we encourage?

But Its all very well to say we are called to encourage by warning the idle; encouraging the timid and helping the weak.

 

But what we really want to know today is 'How do we encourage'?

 

What is the nature and content of that exhortation?

What is the trajectory of our exhortation? In what direction do we encourage each other?

Biblical Encouragement - what does it look like?

The first thing we have to resolve in our mind is to understand what 'biblical encouragement' looks like.

 

This is absolutely essential because we are going to act according to that understanding.

 

And since our reward when Christ returns is dependent on what we have done, we need to be sure that what we are doing with regards to encouragement is the right thing to do.

Parakaleo

The greek word in the bible translated to the english word encouragement is the word parakaleo (verb), paraklesis (noun).

It is also translated in other parts as 'exhort', 'urge', 'beseech', 'entreat', and surprisingly, also as 'comfort', 'console'

 

I understand (as I'm no greek linguist) that this is a composite word of two greek words:

 

para - meaning 'come alongside', 'draw near'

kaleo - call

 

The literal expanded meaning then would be something like 'drawing near to summon', or 'calling to one's side'.

 

So what does the use of 'parakaleo' tell us about biblical encouragement?

'Para'

It's easy to understand the significance of 'para', 'drawing near' in encouragement.

When we encourage someone we do draw near to them, e.g. physically or virtually.

 

But Paul goes further to sharpen what it means to 'draw near' in the Christian context. When talking about how he encouraged them, Paul said this in 2:11-12:

11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

'Drawing near' in the Christian context is far more involved and costly than the casual pat on the back.

 

Paul said he encouraged them the same way a Father to his children. That means, he is intimately interested and involved in their condition as he encouraged them.

 

Do you know what I mean by this?

It's the difference between a teacher encouraging a child to learn, and that child's parent encouraging the child to learn. The one acts according to vocation, the other according to devotion.

 

So here then is the first characteristic about biblical encouragement - it requires us to be involved. And we encourage at a cost to ourselves: we make ourselves vulnerable to those we are encouraging.

'Kaleo'

The use of 'kaleo', 'call', is not immediately obvious in the context of Christian encouragement.

 

The word 'kaleo' has many uses in the bible. This is to be expected because there are many ways of calling, and many reasons for calling.

 

In the NT 'kaleo', is used from the mundane statements such as in Acts 28:1:

we found out that the island was called Malta.

 It is also used in more theologically massive statements such as in Romans 8:30:

30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

 

In translating 'parakaleo' to the english word 'exhorting', etc. there is one common denominator of the 'call', and it is that it possesses has a 'moving force'.

 

It is not a call in the wilderness which isn't expected to receive a response. No this is a call that appeals for a response. It insists on movement.

 

So here then is the second character about biblical encouragement - it is an appeal for a person to move and improve from where they are, towards more Christlikeness.

Not Pleasant

As we can imagine, because there is prodding involved, and an intense appeal with a force to compel people to move, Christian and biblical encouragement is not pleasant. It is not comfortable.

 

We know it is good, and that it bears good fruit but nevertheless, it is not pleasant.

 

To those under persecution like the Thessalonians Paul's encouragement is not pleasant because of this:

 

Paul's exhorting has very little to do with seeking to remove / nullify / or anesthetize the pain.

Instead it seeks to prop up their faith. To Paul the condition of their faith was more important than their comfort.

We see this in 1 Thess 3:2-5 when Paul says that he sent Timothy to do what? To fight for them? To be their advocate? To help them to escape?

No - "...to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials."

Paul's fear was not that they were suffering unjustly, but that their faith might be tempted away - "I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless."

This kind of encouragement doesn't seem appropriate for what the Thess were going through, right?

 

The writer of Hebrews further confirms the 'pointy' thrust of biblical encouragement. He urges in Hebrews 13:22 to 'bear with my exhortation'. Biblical encouragement needs to be borne up; it is confronting and we need to listen with long-suffering and patience. 

 

So here is the third characteristic of biblical encouragement - It is confronting. It is not pleasant. Therefore we need to pray for the ability to sensitively encourage a brother or sister.

Bewildering - Compel and Comfort?

Now here is something interesting about parakaleo in the bible - which will lead to a better appreciation of biblical encouragement.

 

'Parakaleo' is also translated elsewhere as 'comfort' or 'console'. For example, 2 Cor 1:3-4 translates 'parakaleo' to the word 'comfort' like this:

 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort (paraklesis), 4who
comforts (parakaleo) us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort (parakaleo) those in any
trouble with the comfort (parakaleo) we ourselves have received from God.

 

Why is something that is so intense the we need to bear up with it also interpreted as 'comfort'?

 

At face-value there seems to be a contradiction here: something cannot both urge movement and at the same time give rest.

 

How are the two thoughts united in the one word?

 

I believe biblical encouragement is comforting because implied in each one is the reminder to the believer of the eternal hope in Jesus Christ, and the sufficient mercy of God.

 

To urge a Christian under trial is to remind them that that this is not all there is to their life, that there is hope.

To urge a Christian struggling with sin is to remind them that God's mercy is everpresent and abounding.

In all cases, biblical encouragement both compels and comforts a person. Why? Because the ultimate object of both urging and comforting is Jesus Christ.

When we urge and comfort others towards Jesus, that can have a
sin-weakening, Christ-exalting effect. It both moves and gives rest.

 

As we just read 1 Cor 1:3-4, yes we are urged to comfort others! But what do we draw from? From the same comfort that we ourselves receive from God through Jesus Christ.

We are moved and at the same time, comforted.

Upward Trajectory, Christ being the ultimate object of our exhortation

 So finally we get to this last characteristic of biblical encouragement - and that is the trajectory, the direction of our exhortation.

 

Let us first remember that all Christians are exhorted and called heavenward.

As Paul, himself a Christian, wrote in Philippians 3:14 "14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me - to where? -  heavenward in Christ Jesus."   

 

 So when we draw near to a brother / sister and call him to move and improve, let us ask ourselves: are we urging them heavenward? Are we urging them in towards Jesus?

If we are not doing so, then we have misapplied the ministry, we have endangered our brother / sister, we have not strengthened their faith.

 

And if not heavenward, then we are encouraging them towards others, maybe themselves.

Am I catering for their self-esteem? If so, then I am urging them down the path of least resistance - the path that leads away from God. I am encouraging them down the broad road that leads to the broad gate that leads to destruction.

 

This final characteristic then is that biblical encouragement, whether to compel or comfort, must encourage ultimately TO Jesus Christ.

 

This is critical! It is ultimately what distinguishes biblical from secular exhortation. It has the following implications:

 

Biblical encouragement is far more than a pat on the back. More than saying the right words or doing the right actions no matter how sincere.

 

It is more than cheering someone up or or cheering someone on. More than being there for them.

 

More than comforting them in their time of trial or pain. And hear this - it is more than loving them.

 

These all sound good and noble, but if the best they are, are that they are our sincerest expression of love, that would still not be good enough.

I hope you are hearing this. These are not good enough because true, effective encouragement has a direction and trajectory that points to Christ.

 

True Christian encouragement doesn't give confidence that is based on some untapped human potential,

                        but a confidence in a Sovereign God who chooses, saves, promises and is faithful to fulfill them.

Warning when Exhorting

Now just a word of warning.

There is danger apart from the danger of exhorting people away from Jesus Christ. There are other dangers that cause exhortation to fail its intent and damage our souls.

Pray that God prevents us from falling prey to the following: Pride, Hypocrisy and Imbalance.

Let us indeed encourage not only with our words but from a genuine, trusting experience and confidence in God.

Conclusion

Let me conclude this now by reiterating some practical principles about living as an encourager:

 

1. Keep Christ the object and goal. This should be the overriding principle and internal monitor for all exhortations.

 

2. Ask God for the ability to be careful and balanced in our encouragement. Remember that it is not easy to be exhorted.

 

3. Ask God for the sensitivity to exhort others in the context of being in God's family.

 

It is my hope and prayer today that I exhorted you in the manner that is biblical.

As the writer of Hebrews said, let me challenge us again: let us all to look at how we can spur each other on to love and good deeds.

(Hebrews 3:13)"Let us encourage each other daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of us may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

 

Amen.

Let's Pray.