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November 1, 2019 6:00 am
Would you like to be an awesome encourager. I mean an awesome encourager. The kind of person that every time people rub up against you. They say while I want to be more like Christ.
If so, today, for things you can't afford not stick with. Welcome to this Friday edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram serves as our Bible teacher on this international discipleship program on debris and today Chip continues his series lift the awesome power of encouragement know no matter what your personality disposition you have the ability to encourage someone in your sphere of influence, spouse, child, coworker, friend in this message. Chip shares the keys to becoming an awesome encourager and after the teaching you will be back with us to talk more about how it really works now with this message from first Thessalonians chapter 5 years. Chip, how would you like to be an awesome encourager and how would you like it. Five years from now.
10 years from now. Maybe some tiny kids in third grade, 15 years from now we are getting married and having kids and all that stuff what how would you like it if when their fondest memories of what it meant to be a Christian came to their mind, your name and your face pop to their mind, and I said yeah there is a lot of people is a lot of people and a lot of good things. I'm sure thankful but the people or the person that I remember most like to be a young couple going through all the struggles, young couples go through and turn the clock up 10 years and they say, you know, we learned how to have a marriage because of you like to be a single person. The day that we live all the temptation and all the struggle and all. And how would you like to be the person is and you know my life was wavering, but because of you. Because of that small group.
I can't believe what God's done in my life. I don't about you.
I can't think of a greater reward if were going to be that kind of encouragement other people. There's four things we need to remember three. Our review and the last one were to talk about if you want to be an awesome encourager.
First, you need to remember that people are hurting far more than you know and far more than they show. Second, we need to remember that you have far more to offer than you know and far more to offer than you show so many times you know we think all I would love to move out of my comfort zone and help that person. But what I had to offer you the answer a lot a lot and it doesn't take much what it takes mostly's availability ability mostly takes heart and love, not lots of school knowledge. Third reminder is encouragement is helping others take the next step. They couldn't take on their own and allows them to become more like Christ. It is not just encouragement would be nice. It helps people take the next step.
They couldn't take on their own. I believe God allows it to work in such a way that were body all this commandment about becoming like a sun loving people there in the second person plural. I don't think I don't think they can be done alone. We need one another, you get the part and aspect somewhere in your Christian life and you'll stay there until someone comes and gives you the knowledge the word of encouragement, the comfort may be a little fine tuning. You can't get there without 10 is not this feel-good society where all good. I would encourage so we all have these gooey, gooey, warm fuzzy feelings. Encouragement is helping people become like Christ. It's helping them be conformed to the image of the one who dwells within them, and sometimes out of the word of admonishment encouragement is you being what God wants you to be so others can be what he designed them to be fourth reminder is the key to encouragement his attitude there certain attitudes you need to have been encourager. The apostle Paul member is been 18 to 24 months.
He planned the church answered Ron instilling great in some opposition. They had little doctrinal confusion. So he explained that to them. But now, in the very last chapter, chapter 5 verses 12 to 28. He is going to give us 17 to 20 brief commands and exhortations that all revolve around to because what he knows is is that we can know a lot about different people, but the attitude in the church and the attitude in individual Christians is the key to creating an environment really is building encouraging already defined as that in verses 12 to 15. There are certain attitudes that build great churches, and then in verses 16 to the rest of the chapter there certain attitudes that build great Christians and so let's begin. Let's read together and become great encouragers by learning some attitudes God wants us to have.
Now we ask you, brothers. The apostle Paul writes to respect those who work hard among you who are over you literally preside over you are managers over you in the Lord and to admonish you is correct, you hold them in highest regard in love because of their work and live in peace with each other as you look at these couple verses you notice at first there's there's a word to leaders and before you click off and say while not elder, I'm not on staff. I want you know if there's anybody at all.
Who looks to you to be the influencer in their life anybody at work any kids at home any friends anyone in a small group anyone in any kind of ministry that really looks to you and your leader. So this is for you and the Bible says there's attitudes that leaders need to have. Did you see the keywords here and there assumed here but did you notice they work hard. They lead well and they admonish wisely, the word for word car literally means to toil to the point of exhaustion, and I believe as leaders in God's church. We need to give it our best shot. I didn't grow up in a church that believes in the Bible but you know, my first inclination about church in general was people given their leftover stuff to give it there worn out close their leftover time and a little extra money or energy might have now and you want one thing I knew early on is what I did want to be associated with the church for a lot of reasons, because the people to live what they said but beyond that, there was just a climate is like this is good enough for God leaders. I want you to know that God wants us to work hard and how you do that by leaving well means to provide oversight Jews in the New Testament, both for elders and formal positions and for positions that means leaders are well prepared, well-planned, prayed up, come on time and ready to roll means that whatever sphere of influence in the body of Christ taken seriously is no God. This is a stewardship someone is looking to find out what you are like through me, and it also means that you don't just do the task you care for the people you see when you lead well. Not only does the task get done in a way that honors God.
But the people do the task are fed and encouraged third thing here is leaders are to admonish wisely means literally to to reprove or to correct to put in someone's mind as a military term that when you see all these guys there walking and rank anyone guys got out of step. It's that guy. It's saying hey but get back in line when another believers attitudes or behavior is out of line with the will of God. And you know it will hurt them or to hurt relationships order hurt the cause of Christ. It says leaders admonish them corrective now overbearing Leno learning it over them. Never wisely, lovingly caring enough to confront those of the attitudes that make for great churches. When leaders work hard, lead well admonish wisely. But notice, that's not all. There's a word about leaders. In fact, the real flow of this passage has to do with how us as a congregation response to leaders, whether it's formal or informal.
Let's read that passage again with new eyes this time. Let's read asking the question, how should we respond to leaders verse 12 now we ask you, brothers, might circle the word to respect those who work hard among you who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you hold them in highest regard. You might circle that in love because of their work and then live in peace with each other. You might circle the word live in peace to the problem, then member the people who decided that the Lord was coming back like maybe that night so they quit their day job and said the church is such a loving group of people that they became moochers and loafers while the leaders had to correct that and I did the wise thing they said I get a job. Jesus is coming back with a way to prepare for that is that you have good testimony and you work better than anybody else at your job so you have something to share with all the rest of people rather than mooching off everyone else.
But when the leaders had to do that.
Probably part of that didn't go over well and so notice the first thing is were to respect them literally the word is in respect it's your to know them or acknowledge them can mean respect or appreciation. But in this context, it probably has the idea that you need to acknowledge their the leaders got appointed second were to esteem them only used here in the New Testament means the highly highly esteemed. It's a triple compound type verb that has the idea of saying you need to recognize the people that God has put in charge of his church as the right people at the right time at the right place for his glory and you need to esteem them as such we need to highly esteem that person that gives you your child when you go pick him up that person who set up three or four hours earlier, the musicians, the wife so we can worship so that you like I can shut my eyes when we sing that last song God. When I think of the week and then I've had your great but I could never express that the way they expressed it for me just to get to sing along with them so I think we need to esteem those encourage those people that lead us and then, finally, is to be at peace with them literally that the phrase means no schisms, no divisions. This was a two-way street.
The congregation to submit to God's leadership and obey God's word in the leaders notice are to lead sensitively in a leaders.
Leaders never to run roughshod over people telling people you do this and you want to do this and this is the deal live in peace the ideas there's unity and my observation about both Scripture and churches where there is a sense of God's presence and power. There's unity and is something worth guarding. Can you imagine what happens in the life of the church. When leaders say I'm not given what's left over to God. I'm given my best to God, prayed up on, working hard. I'm gonna plan ahead. I'm gonna lead well and ongoing admonish and care enough to confront people be and when the church says I'm gonna respect that kind of leadership at every level, and I'm going esteem that kind of leadership to do whatever it takes on my part to limit peace in the leadership at every level design and build my part to be at peace. He what happens to power Roland around at the presence of God's disunity that so kills the work of God in so many places Troy doesn't end there.
He's given a word to us to leaders in order to leaders about us. Now notice he shifts in verses 14 and 15 and this is a word for everybody. This is for you and me notice the phrase and we urge you, brothers.
Now notice is to give us four quick verbs to address to how to encourage four different groups of people so that we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak and the patient with everyone and anything to give us a way to be patient with everyone. Verse 15 make sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong or evil for evil, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else you might circle the Lord try because an inner translation comes out kinda milquetoast. You know, try it out. People say I'll try to be there. That means to be later than not coming right. I'll try to make it into I we fell in love. Are you coming or not. If you can't that's okay, but don't try to come is if you try to come, you come like I try to. That means I want you know it's like to be there but I probably won't. This word is translated elsewhere in the New Testament to persecute means to vigorously pursue he's saying you know there's four things today need to warn a certain group you encourage a certain group to support a different group she be patient with everyone and then he says in this key area of it's hard to be patient when people do you wrong don't do wrong back but instead literally it's hollow good it's vigorously pursue you try, as in go after being friendly and kind and loving in a way that just makes people scratch their head. Me after the way we treated you negatively like that you're being kind and friendly and you're pursuing us and you what they do. Pretty soon they start thinking now that's weird.
And then they say, is there anyone in history that's ever been like this.
Let me think Jesus that's the one. Yeah when people didn't hear moron. He love them seaward and almost never more like Christ than we give good in return for evil. If you wanted to summarize this. Let's look at the key phrases worn the idle that's our same word for admonish in the idle here means unruly disorderly unbecoming behavior. See, it's not the leader's job.
It's not the leader's job to make sure people stay in line.
It's the church's job to see that the body one for another. It's caring enough to confront. It's not getting in the car with a close friend or with a make after you had an experience with another couple at their home or out somewhere or the fellow single person and shaking your head to your friend missing boy men. Are they really on the wrong path.
They keep spending money like that there can be in a ditch. What they they can treat their kids like that boy you know Bob you receive before you know that's right is getting turn out like jerks back I got a good start on the right now you know if that guy keeps treating his wife with icon insensitivity there you have problems and you. What do you realize how many those conversations happen in cars and in restaurants about the person it's not there you with the Bible says worn on worn on you. I'll never forget the first time we went over to dinner years and years ago in Texas and this guy was.
He had one of those jobs that you should be perfectionistic coming you really I mean your life is in his hands but he carried over into every area. We ate dinner and it was the most rigid, legalistic atmosphere and I never turned my wife and said wow that this minute those kids are in trouble. I can stand be around that guy you like for four hours, let alone 24 hours a day and he had a good heart. He really loved that he really find is doing well but I mean it was just unbearable. Well, when his daughter ran away from home and when the sun got involved in some things you know about. I never went to face-to-face I had one is conversations in the car with my wife saying boy men of pay what they keep that up there in trouble and I decided after that I don't keep myself anymore. You may not like me but if I see something your life tell you to tell you, Lord willing and the right attitude the right way at the right time because I love you but you know and by the way you see something mine don't do me any favors until your friend.
When my car hits the spiritual wall and there's fallout in pain and damage.
I mean, I would've like someone to say. By the way curve up ahead second word to encourage the timid and this is his idea of comfort. The word tenant means literally the fainthearted, or a person with a small soul there.
The people to just have the courage to make the next they like to get the Bible study that someone doesn't calm and asked him to come, they will go. They like to get involved in in ministry.
They really have a lot if someone doesn't give the legend, they won't go to the person that is just right to become a Christian, but they just need a little knowledge that person is to give him a nudge to you. It's you were a war in the idle for the disorderly but we need to we need to comfort we need to spur on me to encourage the timid and some people some of the timid people that I never drink all this gets stored up, but it takes someone like you to nudge him who comes to your mind and your family and your ministry who at your work who you know that you relicense great potential, but they need a nudge. How could you do third is we need to help the week. The word for help is a very interesting New Testament word means to hold on to someone or to cleave to a person so that they don't fall down. Basically the weaker people there.
There unstable.
If you ever seen someone that is twisted her ankle or the terrain is unlevel and they just they need help to get from the curb to the car or they need help to get from the bottom of the stairs to the top.
The survey was seen and what happened.
It's real simple, isn't you walk up and you to put your arm out or if you put your arm right underneath there's all they need is just a little stability but you have to touch him, don't you, and you just hold onto their arm and with you. They make it from the curb to the car without you fall flat on their face. There are people in this room today, spiritually, that all they need is someone to look him in the eye when you walk out that door someone in the next Bible study. Some of the classic you go to someone that God is bringing to your mind while I'm speaking and you know what they need. They need you to hold them to just give them a little support there unstable and hard to try and but they tried and failed and tried and failed and tried and failed. That's what they're doing another not trying anymore. They need you. They need me to support final thing is worth to be patient with all men. Everybody never heard the phrase like that guys really short tempered. This this word is the opposite of that. You'd say if you if you knew this was a man I guys really long tempered.
I'm not said that about many people do you think I really blows a stack fast me say this guys got along this word means were patient. We make allowances for others.
This word means you don't give up on people quickly means that after you tell them once you tell him again at they blow it for the second time, telling the third blow to third you say what is it about this, you're not getting it. How can I help you be successful not get with the program or you're out. But patient with all men, and when is it the most difficult to be patient when people do yet is how does he say make sure that no one make sure you not the leadership you may Church of God make sure no one pays back evil for evil, you want to jot down Romans chapter 12 verse 17 and following it will develop that very clearly exactly what to do. Says never take your own revenge, beloved leave room for the wrath of God. Vengeance is mine says the Lord is your enemy is hungry, what should you do the these thirsty, give him a drink. In so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Near ancient Eastern picture of what happens when a person has a change of heart or mind never be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.
Good is powerful. God is powerful and relationships and when you give good when people given you evil you can only do by grace but it has a indelible impact on the lives of others, but with this application but if you're just joining us, you're listening to living on the with Chip Ingram chips message how to become an awesome encourager is from his series lift the awesome power of encouragement, chips, teaching to the book of first Thessalonians, walking us through the different ways we can be an encouragement to others because the apostle Paul knew that living the Christian life wasn't easy was teaching the Thessalonians. How to help each other hold one another accountable and support each other. It's called doing life together the six part series not only helps you learn how to do that in ways that encourage others through trials like discouragement, hopelessness, or doubt, but little strength in your walk with the Lord at the same time help you get started. All the series resources for lift are currently discounted check about or to get your copies today. Just head on over to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 we go chip. I'm gonna speak for what I'm guessing majority of us here. I do want to be helpful and encouraging to people but you know it's hard to know exactly what to say. Sometimes she wanted comes right down to it I don't always gauge or should say like I could regarding specific trips.
Dave absolutely in fact I love the passage in Hebrews where it says encourage one another, day after day as long as the still call today least anyone of us be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. In other words, we need encouragement every single day and so we develop some very specific tools to help ordinary people like you and me really encourage people they love and back of all the people I think that that struggle at times and get discouraged. I think it's women think women today are being bombarded in so many ways about their worth their beauty there belonging the you know being used being abused all those kind of things that you know you've got to be at all have it all. Do it all and so we put together some cards there called affirmation cards and my wife really develop them when she was going through some counseling about her own self-worth and are really beautiful and we make these cards available for women in your life. It could be a daughter could be a mom could be a niece but a woman in your life that you realize needs encouragement and so there's 20 cards that are the conic top miss beliefs that women have. And then there's a truthful, for example, here's a miss belief.
I need other people's approval in order to be happy and then at the bottom.
The cart says stop and then you turn the card over and it says truth.
I want people's approval of me, but I do not need it. With God's approval. I'm no longer compelled to earn love and acceptance.
I'm free to be me.
I watch my wife for two years.
Review these cards every day and then I watched her do it with our daughter when she was hitting those preteen and teen years. What I want you to know is when you think accurately about yourself.
It encourages your soul. You know the truth and the truth set you free.
If there is a woman that you want to encourage. Believe me these affirmation cards are an amazing tool to do it over I strip will not only do we have these great affirmation cards but during the series. We've discounted all of our truth card sets because we want to put just the right tool in your hands to either encourage you personally or to help you encourage someone you know we have truth guards on marriage that works biblical living from the Gospel of John, and our latest set discuss this designed to help parents and grandparents engage with their kids in meaningful conversation about faith issues in Christian values and you know anything about it. Christmas isn't that far off. These card sets would make perfect stocking stuffers or little gifts, so let me encourage you to take advantage of the current discounts on each of our truth card packets for all the details and order your sets today.
Just go to your website. LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 welders chip with a final thought will be apostle Paul is ending this fabulous letter to this group that he wants to encourage and he sure has and isn't it interesting that the final portion of his letter is all about attitude. Attitude attitude.
It blows my mind that the apostle Paul gives us 16 or 17 specific expectations in such a small section of Scripture, all related to attitude. So let me ask you how is your attitude really kind of person that is a plus in relationships really kind of person that your attitude is contagious. Well let's take a little attitude test together okay three different groups are addressed in this first portion and he says a word to leaders and aces leaders there's three things need to characterize your attitude so if you're a leader, I want you to perk your ears up and want you to ask and answer in your heart of hearts, how you doing, Paul says to be a awesome encourager leaders you need to work hard, lead well and admonish wisely.
It means you go for broke. You set the pace you demonstrate and provide in managing care and then you admonish you put into people's mind what they need in the right way to get the job done regularly like that second areas, a word about leaders. It's about how all of us need to respond to leaders and they have to do with attitude. It says one respect them to esteem them three. Be at peace with them. No schisms, no divisions, so let me ask you, especially in your church because here's the context but if you're still living at home or if you're in the workplace. What kind of attitude do you have toward bosses, leaders, parents do you respect them literally. We said the word means to know them to appreciate to acknowledge their role second to esteem. I mean, do you think highly of them, or do you find yourself being critical in the coffee room and third be at peace with them. Don't be a person that causes divisions point that is so lethal in the church's lethal in the company. Where's your attitude third attitude check.
It's a word to all of us. This is how were all to relate with one another. Awesome encouragement happens when we mourn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak and be patient with all men. Are you willing to step up and give a little nudge to someone whose idle needs to get with the program.
D. Encourage the timid you walk into a room and see who's a little shy is a little reluctant to get involved and say hey come on, I'll help you.
Let's go for it. D help the week, the people can't make it on their own. Yet given the RMD had given the step up emotionally or even physically. And finally, what a challenge to be patient with all men to actually believe that other people's agenda could be as important as our own and therefore we take our time and extend grace. Let's do it. Have a positive attitude that Living on the Edge were happy to let you know about a new way to listen to our extended teaching podcast here chip anytime on Amazon's Alexa echo and echo.just say Alexa enabled a Chip Ingram podcast once Alexis enabled with that skill. All you need to say is Alexa played the Chip Ingram podcast and you'll hear that these extended teaching any time you want will be sure to join us again on Monday as Chip continues his series lift the awesome power of encouragement told them this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge