Sermon Central
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Help I Need Encouragement
Contributed by Bruce Lee on Jan 23, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: A sermon on how to encourage others. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, also known as Barnabas is the kind of guy that everyone wants to be around.
“Help I Need Encouragement”
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
Intro: Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus…, was the kind of guy that everyone wanted to be around.
When someone felt defeated…, depressed…, or discouraged…
Joseph was the one who would remind them of the God given potential still inside of them.
When you were in the company of Joseph you could feel the enthusiasm, the hope, the incredible joy…,
I am convinced that Joseph understood that real…, lasting encouragement…,
the type of encouragement that it takes to get you through life…, comes first and foremost from God.
It is when we believe in God and persist in that belief in God…
That we eventually leave behind the old ways of discouraged and sinful thinking…
God gives us a new birth…, new life…, new heart…, and a different spirit of encouragement.
And then it is our Christian response to what God has done for us…
and it is our Christian duty for what God is doing in our life…
to encourage other people with love, compassion and concern.
What is encouragement?
If someone were to say to you, “Help I Need Encouragement.”
What would you say to them?
Today we are going to learn some ways to be an encourager of other people…
The first thing to think about is the word…
I. Comfort---It will be alright…, things will get better…, the cups half full…,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
The Greek word (parakaleÑw or parakaleo) for "encourage" is often translated as the word “comfort.”
In other words: Praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
God is the Father of every mercy
And God is the SOURCE of all ENCOURAGEMENT.
To encourage someone is to comfort them…
Let’s think for a moment about some comfort foods…
When I feel discouraged…, I sometimes…, go to the kitchen cabinet…
I get out a large bowl…
I go to refrigerator / freezer…
And get out not just one scoop of ice cream…,
But three scoops of ice cream…
There is just something about Ice cream…, chocolate…, potato chips…, popcorn…, cake…
That comfort us…
But comfort food only comforts for a short time…
Soon too much of this kind of comfort can be trouble…
So we need to find another source of comfort…
Another source of encouragement…
That is where your faith in God and you as a Christian friend come in…
The bible says…
"If your gift is to encourage others, do it!
If you have money, share it generously.
If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.
And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." Romans 12:8 (NLT)
Look at this list for a moment…
If your gift is to encourage others, do it…
We have all been on the receiving side of encouragement.
(Think about the times you have received encouragement.)
People have said things to us like…
--- You are not alone…, we are in this together…, you can do it, I know you can…,
Where would you be today…, if no one…, had ever said…, these kind of words to you?
What if all you ever heard was…
You are by yourself…
No one is going to help you…
You can’t do it…
I know you are going to fail.
But somebody has been a mentor to you…, a teacher…, a coach…, a pastor…, a Christian friend…,
And they have encouraged you along the way…
I believe everyone here today has the gift and ability to encourage others…,
And at the right time…, John 14:26 (KJV)
"the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost…,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
When the time comes…, to encourage others…, do it!
I believe the Holy Spirit will remind you…,
Will bring to your remembrance…, not only the Word of God…
But also the things that have been said and done… to encourage you…, throughout your lifetime…
So that you can share those same words that once comforted you…
With someone else who needs to hear them…
Let’s look at the list again…
"If your gift is to encourage others, do it!
“If you have money, share it generously”
(last Sunday even before I knew what I was going to preach on
I asked, 7 year old Gunner Floyd to pray a prayer during the opening of the worship service.
